Exciting Things

Yes, I know...I've been absent from the blog world this week. It's been a stressful one and I had a few other things to keep me busy, so I thought you might understand. But I'm here now! (That's what matters right!)

Exciting things are happening in mine and Eric's lives right now! He accepted a regional sale position with The Coca Cola Company and will start there on May 17th!

This is a great opportunity for him to travel just a little within Arizona's borders and get back into a job that allows him to build relationships! This also means we will be consuming more Coke products in our household (currently we're Mountain Dew, aka Pepsi people).

We're continuing to pray about our next steps in life here in Arizona in regards to houses and really seeking God's wisdom about his plans for us! We're also coming up on our 3 year wedding anniverary on May 17th! I know this is super cheesy, but watching the Royal wedding today just reminded me of the complete joy I had on my wedding day. And how I've already met my own prince charming.

We will be heading up to the Grand Canyon to go camping the weekend before our anniverary! Talk about ME being BRAVE! I haven't gone camping in years... please note, we will be in a TENT. I'm already praying that there are no wild animals around, espeically snakes. And that it will be above 50 degrees at night.... that's a long shot considering right now it's usually in the 40s. It will be an adventure, but I am super excited for Eric to see one of God's most amazing creations on this Earth! I've been to the Grand Caynon with I was in high school and I'll never forget the awe of this giant specticle.

 

It's going to be a busy weekend - I helping with the SHINE PROJECT first ever service day which is happening tomorrow in Phoenix, ((with it's creator Ashley LeMieux!)) I am sooo honored to be a part of it and finally get to meet this inspiring woman! We are bringing in tons of donated clothing to give away to the women and children that live at this domestic shelter. More pictures and a blog to come Monday about our experience!  Also that afternoon our church is volunteering for Relay for Life in Peoria, AZ. This event is an all night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society! Families and friends who are living with cancer, are cancer survivors, or participating in honor of someone with cancer come together for a night of games, celebration, rememberance, and fun to raise awareness for this awful disease. Eric and I are helping mainly in honor of his Grandpa Tom that passed away 3 years ago of lung cancer.

Have a fabulous weekend!

Look for my post on Monday about the Shine Project service day!

Thrifty Thursday

Well hheeelllooo my friends :) Welcome to Thursday, and for some, it's your "Friday" (if you have Good Friday off.) I know that I'm looking forward to a 3 day Easter weekend and celebrating the death and resurrection of our Savior!

For this edition of Thrifty Thursday we have a hodge podge of things. Here are some recent fabulous finds I have discovered for cheap and this week they are all from Wal-mart.

First up today... I found this Better Homes and Garden drink dispenser at Wal-mart for $12! It's plastic.. not glass, so not too heavy. It holds like 3 or 4 gallons, so it's huge! I've used it for flavored water and pink lemonde already. Just added some fresh fruit for extra flavoring. Perfect for summer gatherings!

Next up.. also a Wal-mart find: These $2.00 hand towels and pot holders. I found these on clearance just thrown on a shelf with other clearance kitchen stuff. Never know what you're going to find while digging through those selves.. and they match my kitchen perfectly!

And moving along to our last great thrifty find: Blank note cards also from Wal-mart for about $6.50 on clearance. And I love this adorable design! I have used these to just send a friendly or encouraging note to a friend.



Have a fabulous Thursday! Enjoy the day and take time to breathe! :)

STAND UP at work... literally.

So a new phonomenom is taking place in my work building. It's a little strange and you may think, "Why would someone ever want to do this?" and you may be right. I work for a smaller christian university in Phoenix and I sit ALL day long at my desk staring at my computer... sound familiar? I'm guessing many of you sit at a desk to, staring into the abyss of your screen, clicking away all day long, staring at that clock just WAITING for 4:59 to show up at the bottom right hand corner of your screen. I understand. (And wondering if your booty is getting bigger in the process.... yeah. I get it. I'm there.) Completely.

Well sit no more!

What my desk currently looks like:

My co-worker's desk, counter top height. And what mine will soon look like:

There is a new wave of people around the country and in even my own office building full of cubicles that are choosing to STAND UP at work. About 5 people I know of, including myself, have put in a request to our maintenance facilities crew to raise the height of our cubicle desk to counter top height, so we can stand up at work instead of sitting all day. I am choosing to have 2 sections of my desk raised and one stay lower so I can sit when I want to. I have yet to have my request fulfilled yet, as I've gotten three emails from our facilities department and our HR department, drilling me questions to know the reason why I want the height of my desk raised. As if there would be some medical reason to list for wanting a better, healthier, lifestyle. Hmmm....

Well let me tell you the benefits of standing versus sitting... here's a few facts and articles!

A study published by the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that sitting for long stretches, more than six hours a day, can make someone at least 18 percent more likely to die from diabetes, heart disease and obesity than those sitting less than three hours a day.
Standing Question: Could Sitting Too Long At Work Be Dangerous?

 

The simple act of standing up instead of sitting may help you burn as many as 50 more calories per hour, depending on your size. Although 50 calories may not seem like a lot in a 2,000-calorie day, making the standing adjustment for four hours out of the day can burn an extra 200 calories a day--leading to a 20 lb. weight loss over the course of a year. Standing more often also contributes to an overall better sense of well-being and health.

Standing vs Sitting

 

Research has shown that people who stand at work tend to be much healthier than those who sit. Extended periods of sitting, thus being sedentary, can lead to an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. One study found that a woman’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome increased 26% for every extra hour of sitting. Prolonged sitting in an upright position can place strain on the back resulting in chronic pain. Blood clots are another risk of being inactive.

Periods of standing throughout the day can improve circulation, muscle tone and vitality. The increased weight bearing on the skeleton is good for maintaining bone strength. You may even lose weight. Standing for just two hours during an average workday can burn an extra 280 calories. In one year, that could potentially provide a weight loss of around 20 pounds. Research has also shown an improvement in the metabolism of fats and sugars, which results in an improved lean body mass to fat ratio.

Standing at Work can Improve Your Health and Productivity

If this sounds like something you want to get involved in and have the option to do so... STAND UP!

For your health.



Setting Goals: Part 3

Spiritually and in my marriage:
1. I want to be intentional in my walk with Christ by praying and digging into the Word on a daily basis.2. I want to be intentional in my respect and have a servant's heart for my husband and in our relationship.
3. I want to be intentional in praying for our marriage, specifically for each other, for our future children, family, friends, our home, and our jobs.

Physical/Mental Health

1. I want to be in the gym, working out, 5-6 days a week and start eating more healthy. 

2. Lose 8-10 lbs. by June 1st! 

3. Get more organized in my masters degree (a.k.a not procrastinating!) Get and stay organized in our apartment, closets, etc.

Relationally
1. I want to be intentional in keeping in touch with my family and friends by writing letters, cards, sending emails, making phone calls, and skyping. To ask how they're really doing and be involved in their lives.

2. Spend more time with the friends' we've made here in Arizona and be intentional in developing relationships with them.

3. Find mentors: another married couple maybe a few years ahead in life whose marriage and relationship with Christ will positive impact our marriage as well.

Creatively
1. I want to print all the pictures I've taken since we've lived in Arizona and not only put them in frames, but use some of them as art in my home. I also want to take more pictures of our scenery here and learn to edit better

2. Continue blogging with words from my heart in hopes of inspiring others to be full of life, creativity, and love!

3. Start scrapbooking again! - which will begin this Friday when I'm off work!

Weekend Recap

This week has been a good one, busy at work, but it's gotten better and here's why! As I've discussed before, I have discovered a fantastic blog The Shine Project and but every Monday there is a SHINE challenge to complete. This past week followers were encouraged to take on a challenge they had not yet done. Well last weekend I completed the Spring Cleaning challenge and through this past week I took on the "Cheer for your Enemies" challenge. Let me tell you.. with a new manager at work, this was not easy decision to make this my challenge, but new it had to be done. I had been super stressed and feeling completely mirco-managed since this person took over but this week... I tried to focus on being positive towards this person all week. I tried to work together as a team to get things accomplished; and instead of getting frustrated when things got stressful, I talked it out and thanked him for his help. Hopefully, I made a small difference in our working relationship and things will be better this week!

This has been a relaxing, hot weekend here in the valley of the sun... for you midwesterners: a.k.a.: Phoenix and its suburbs. And by hot, I mean, in the 90s...yeah yeah yeah it's a "dry heat", since we rarely have humidity here, but it's still hot.  Saturday we found a few new places I love and also got some good deals! I spent most of the day on typical housework and worked on editing and printing out pictures I took about a year or more ago all the way until about last fall. That will give me a good start for scrapbooking. Also found this fabulous new yogurt place, WALKING distance from our apartment! Frozen yogurt is a big thing out here in the west, because most yogurt places have no added sugars and are low in fat! Gotta love that!

Yogurtime!

We were looking for a large raft/float toy for our weekends at Lake Pleasant. We looked at a few larger stores in the area before finding this over 50% off at a small pool supply store! It was originally $59.99 and we got it for $20! My husband was excited about this one!

Needless to say, we took it to the lake on Sunday afternoon!

It being Holy Week, this morning our church Salt & Light Community Church, had a service on the different views of Christ's crucifixion; from a Jew's and Roman's perspective on that day, and the view of a Christian in present day. It was hard to be reminded of the actual excruciating physical ailments that Jesus experienced, so He could bear the sin of the world and save us from eternal suffering. And yet it was much needed, the whole time I kept thinking: "He did this for me..Jesus went through this horrific death because He wanted to save me!" That's how much Christ loves us... He DIED for every single person that ever lived and ever will live, to save us from our sinful nature and offer us eternal life! That is what Easter is about.. not the bunnies or the candy or Easter egg hunts. It's about Jesus, who came down from heaven to this Earth to live as a sinless man. Who died on a cross to save the world He loved, but rising again, LIVING and LOVING every man, woman, and child He came to save. And calling us to love Him and live for Him!

Fabulous Friday

This is all you need to know about today...

Have a FABULOUS Friday!

Thrifty Thursdays: Little BLUE dress

So for the second edition of Thrifty Thursdays, I thought I'd go the clothing route instead of the home decor. I love clothes, I love a good deal, and I love putting outfits together. I may not be very good at this, or have the body for things like skinny jeans, but I do try my best to be creative and try to find something flattering to my body type. Belts work great to emphasize your waist and make your leg line look longer and leaner...heels are great for this too! Some of my favorite stores include Forever 21 (because it's cheap!), Target, New York & Company, American Eagle, and Urban Outfitters (although I've never bought anything from there.) I usually go straight for the clearance rack and often find great stuff for a great price!

Please excuse the self portraits here because my husband worked late this night and I ended up having to take pictures of myself... lame, I know. But it was all for this clothing edition of Thrifty Thursdays.
So here I give you: 

The little black blue dress (and ways to dress it!)

Setting Goals: Part 2

Last Tuesday I shared with you some goals I feel God has wanted me to implement in my life. They include spiritual, physical, relational, and creative goals. They are pretty simple things I want to add to my life such as a better diet, learning more about photography and vital actions such as being in the WORD everyday and growing with God and my husband. Here are a few more goals in each area that I've created.

Spiritually and in my marriage:
1. I want to be intentional in my walk with Christ by praying and digging into the Word on a daily basis.

• Honesty moment: Need to be doing better about the "daily basis" part, but God is working in our lives and it's evident!

2. I want to be intentional in my respect and have a servant's heart for my husband and in our relationship.

Physical/Mental Health
1. I want to be in the gym, working out, 5-6 days a week and start eating more healthy. 

• I'm doing good at this so far! Eating more fruit and protein and less carbs and sweets! I also have been in the gym 5-6 days a week for about an hour or more each time!

2. Lose 8-10 lbs. by June 1st! 

• Even though I'm not cheering and tumbling anymore, I still would love to get back to the weight I was in high school and while I was cheering in college. This means I will be able to fit into all my clothes instead of having to go buy bigger clothes (saving money, that's motivation!). Also, I'm in my sister-in-law's wedding Memorial Day weekend... and it's almost always swimsuit season in Arizona!

Relationally
1. I want to be intentional in keeping in touch with my family and friends by writing letters, cards, sending emails, making phone calls, and skyping. To ask how they're really doing and be involved in their lives.

• Okay, I've sucked at this part so far and I am so sorry. I need to make time to call my friends at home because I love them and want to be invested in their lives.. even from 2000 miles away. It is a little hard with the 3 hour time difference, but I need to stop making excuses! And I love writing cards and will be taking the time to do that tomorrow!

2. Spend more time with the friends' we've made here in Arizona and be intentional in developing relationships with them.

• Making this a priority already! Friday night went to the Dbacks baseball game with Megan and Doug Milem and Sunday night played sand volleyball with several friends for a few hours! Good times!

Creatively
1. I want to print all the pictures I've taken since we've lived in Arizona and not only put them in frames, but use some of them as art in my home. I also want to take more pictures of our scenery here and learn to edit better!

• So I've started editing some of my pictures and love it, thank you Picnik. I've gotten all my scrapbooking stuff out again and will be going through all my pictures determining which ones to blow up and put on our walls.

2. Continue blogging with words from my heart in hopes of inspiring others to be full of life, creativity, and love!

• Another honest moment: I love blogging. I love getting creative and sharing my life in words. I love reading how people are inspired to change their own lives and others through love, kindness, and creativity. Whether you share how you get through your week or what you want to do in life or how you're struggling, everyone has a story and needs to share it! 

Live out loud because it is one B-E-A-U-tiful life!

I'm already seeing how God is working in our lives and I can't even BEGIN to tell you the immense appreciation and love I have for my husband and how much I'm cherishing him all over again. Thank you God for teaching me that and showing me how to love him more. In addition, one of my favorite verses I've read lately is this:

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience;bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:12-17

So... What are your goals?!

Weekend Recap... on a Monday

This weekend Eric and I got a TON of spring cleaning done! AND celebrated his new job with a dinner trip to Mellow Mushroom! A FABulous pizza and calzone place! I also discovered an amazing accessories boutique that I WILL be returning to very soon! It's called Charming Charlie and it's fantastic! Check out their website! It's adorable and Afforable.. two of my favorite things!

So back to spring cleaning - - - After discovering The Shine Project  a great blog full of inspiring challenges and creative ways of letting your self and others shine (created by Ashley, an adorable and creative fellow Phoenix gal) I took one of Ashley's challenges from last weekend and did some spring cleaning. Because we moved from Indiana to Arizona, we had a lot of winter warm clothes and boots that we had to reason to own and store anymore. So BOTH, our master bedroom and our spare bedroom's closets got cleaned out as well as our storage unit! All of my women's clothing, jewerly, and shoes will be donated women in need at a benefit that The Shine Project is holding soon and I'm so excited to be a part of it... more to come! :) In the meantime, check out Ashley's blog and join The Shine Project!

Friday night Eric and I along with our friends Doug and Megan went to the Diamondbacks vs Reds home baseball opener. It was a great night with friends along with fireworks and a flat tire on our way home. Needless to say, we have now learned the proper way of changing a flat tire.

Sunday morning, church was great! We experience what the disciples might have experience during the last supper. We learned even more about the Passover and Jesus' preperations before His cruxifition. He has such a purpose for everything He has ever done, is doing, and will ever do. God is AMAZING! Sunday evening we played sand volleyball with friends from and some their friends. We're slowly getting to know more people in the valley, and what better way then a little friendly competition! It was a blast, however now Eric and I are both feeling the effects of how long it's been since we've played sand volleyball. BUT sticking with my goals of getting healthy, I've had a great healthy diet this weekend (today so far!)and am hitting the gym tonight!
BRING IT!

 Have a great MONDAY!

Fabulous Fridays

So what did you think of my Thrifty Thursday? Hopefully it gave you some ideas! I have been inspired to just look around at things I currently own and how I can really get creative use out them! So that is my challenge to you: Just get creative... we all shine in our own ways; we all have talents we are great at embracing and some unknown talents we'd love to discover. Don't be afraid to learn something new. Do you know someone who has a creative talent that you've always wanted to be able to do and you want to learn from them?! ASK! Whether it's sewing, jewelry making, decorating, painting, photography...You might be surprise how much you flatter someone by telling them you want to learn from them! Use this to break down boundaries and comfort zones in your life! Learn to reach out to others, not because you want something from them, but because they inspire you and you want to give inpsiritation to them too! You may build great friendships in the process!

Here are some things I find FABULOUS on this FRIDAY:

I have to start out by saying PRAISE GOD for my husband! He is the hardest worker I know and does such an amazing job of being a provider. God has opened an amazing door today and has blessed Eric (and I) in a big way. We had been praying about this for a few weeks, and God confirmed today that it was His plan indeed.
So my husband is: FABULOUS (and well just plain HANDSOME!)

I re-discovered Picnik, which I used to use for fun, and started editing some of my favorite pictures. I hope to get better this, as it is one of my goals (to do more photography and learn to edit):

Also FABULOUS:


The place I had lunch at today in central Phoenix: Postinos. It's the second time I've gone there and it's fabulous! Great bruschette and wine!

and the friends I went there with...

Thrifty Thursdays

Here is the first of hopefully many "Thrifty Thursdays" blogs. Of my creative goals, one of them is to get organized as well as get creative! God gave everyone talent and whether that is musical, academic, financial, or being a great shopper or dresser, we need to live up to our creative potential! I want to inspire YOU to love and live up to your creative potential and talent! You might even surprise yourself at how much you learn, how much you enjoy being creative, and how good you are at it!

Ever see something really cute in those $1 bins at Target but don't know what you'd ever do with it?? Or see a really cute top or piece of jewelry on clearance, but not sure what outfit you could wear it with, even though you'd really like to buy it just because it's that cheap? I will be posting items such as home decor, clothing, shoes, jewelry, and recipes that I bought or found for cheap and how to use those things. I'll post pictures of many ways to use those thrifty finds to hopefully give you some ideas for cheap yet classy and cute decorating and dressing... and maybe even throw in a few good recipes I've found.

For our first Thrifty Thursday:
I walked into Target Tuesday on my lunch hour to look for a wall calendar and planner (part of my getting organized goal) and stopped immediately at the $1 bins at the front of the store. After looking around at the cute little Easter items currently in stock, I saw these cute $1.00 tin buckets. Feeling creative, I instantly thought of quite a few things I could use these little colorful buckets for. Thus my thought of this blog... we are all looking for affordable ways to dress or decorate, and I love a good deal (don't you?!), so this is my attempt to hopefully inspire others to get creative with simple finds.

There were many color options but I chose two yellow buckets and a silver one mainly because I have green and yellow in my living room and black, white, and yellow in our main bathroom. So for $3 (and 10% in taxes, thank you AZ), here are a few ideas of how to use these!

Pop color into any plan white wall or shelf/bookcase:

Use as part center piece on your dining room table or coffee table, add floral arragements, candy, etc:

Need a place to put washcloths or hand towels in your guest bathroom? Try this!

If you're like me, when it comes time to grocery shop, I have to stand at the fridge and make a list. So, put the pens and paper right there! Or is you have little kiddos and they want to help, put the buckets at their level!

Hopefully this has given you a few inspiration ideas for such simple and cheap finds. I thought of a lot of other different ways to use these $1 buckets. Other ideas could be to hold the remote controls, markers or crayons for the kiddos, or try tying ribbon around the handle and hang on the wall with small floral arrangements. Anything you can think of...BE CREATIVE!

Setting Goals

This week I decided to set some goals for myself. I've really wanted to get more in touch with my creative side and that has inspired me to address other areas of my life as well. Over the next week or so, I'll share some of those goals with you in words and pictures. Being intentional in my life is my new overall goal. If I say I'm going to do something or I want to change something...I'm going to be intentional in doing it!

Spiritually
1. I want to be intentional in my walk with Christ by praying and digging into the Word on a daily basis.




Physical Health
1. I want to be in the gym, working out, 5-6 days a week and start eating more healthy. (Have already started this with a gym membership and a healthy diet this week!)






Relationally
1. I want to be intentional in keeping in touch with my family and friends by writing letters, cards, sending emails, making phone calls, and skyping. To ask how they're really doing abd be involved in their lives.




Creatively
1. I want to print all the pictures I've taken since we've lived in Arizona and not only put them in frames, but use some of them as art in my home. I also want to take more pictures of our scenery here and learn to edit better!