some stuff

So I still spend way too much time on Pinterest.  It's hard to stay away {for me anyway} when there are so many good ideas floating around on there.  It had been quite awhile since I put any of those ideas into action so last week I decided to get some things done.

I came across this idea quite a few months ago....

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via Nichole on Pinterest

I really liked the idea so I saved all our Christmas cards last year.  I finally got our book made last Friday.

Another idea I came across was journaling without journaling.

Source: compactbydesign.com via Nichole on Pinterest

I loved that idea.  There are so many things that I throw away, even though I hate to, just because I don't know what to do with them and I don't want the clutter.  So my spin on this was to buy 6x9 inch manilla envelopes and label each with a month.

Now I have a place to store those random pieces and am creating a journal of sorts in the process.  I was trying to figure out a way to make the writing cute {stickers, printing out labels, etc.} but then I decided my own handwriting was the best way to go.  It just seems more personalized, or something.  Now I'm on the look out for something cute to store them in.

Now onto that cake I showerd you earlier this week.  Dave wanted a dessert last weekend, so I went to my trusty Sweet treats board to find something new to make.  I read some ideas to him and he picked the Snickers cake.

Source: plainchicken.com via Nichole on Pinterest

That is some good cake and it's really easy to make.  If you're interested in the recipe, you can get it by clicking on the link under the picture.

And on the flip side of that cake.  Here is another idea I'm using that I found on Pinterest.

Source: hotmessprincess.com via Nichole on Pinterest

I just used what I had on hand so my jars are two recycled pizza sauce jars.

I've seen this idea around on a few blogs.  Some people use 1 rock to represent on tenth of a pound or one half of a pound.  The easiest way for me is one rock equals one pound.  So far, I've got 14 in the lost jar and 20 more to go in the to go jar to meet my first goal.

So, that's what I've been up to.  My next Pinterest projects on my list are this and this. 

Hope ya all have a great weekend! :o)

Oh, and sorry for the extra crappy phone pics.

weekend recap

My weekend started out with Dave trying to surprise me with breakfast in bed.  I woke up earlier than he'd planned though so I ended up having breakfast in the chair. :o)

After breakfast,  Dave cleaned out his side of the closet and found about 100 T-shirts to donate {maybe it wasn't quite that many but it was a lot}.  By the time we were done with the closet we had a trunk full to take to Goodwill.

I made a Snickers cake later that day.

It was sooo good...I'll tell ya more about it later this week.

Sunday we went out to the kite festival on the edge of town.

And that was about it.  It was one of those nice weekends where there's enough to do so you don't get bored but is still relaxed.

Hope ya all have a great week!

cute yet gross

A few pictures from Monday....

Over the past couple weeks, we've notice a thirteen-lined ground squirrel {had to look that up because I've always called them flickertails but apparently that's not what they are} that had made a burrow near our patio.  Well, on Monday this is what popped out of that hole...

The mama came back and took them on a little outing.

They are pretty skiddish though, so whenever the main door would open they'd all run back home.

They are kind of cute...

...but kind of gross too.

weekend recap

Dave and I went to Sioux Falls on Saturday to watch our nephew's games.

Since we were in town, I stopped at Hobby Lobby.  I was excited to see this stuff coming out {I like to start looking early}....

...but even I think it's a little early for this stuff...

Sunday was just a low-key day around home.  I did some grocery shopping and we went to CherryBerry after supper, but otherwise just hung out at home all day.

We were watching TV last night and the sun was shining through the patio door as it set.  This is how my husband dealt with the light in his face..

..cuz ya know getting up and closing the curtains is just too normal.

Hope ya all have a great week!

today....

Today I....
...missed my morning C25K run because I couldn't peel myself out of bed. No worries though, I'll get my time in this week.
...finally got out of bed at 7a and was at work by 7:45a.
...was not loving my summer job.
...finally planted my flowers.  I think this is the latest I've ever planted.

...am having cereal for supper because I apparently used all my motivation for the day to buy & plant those flowers.
...am going to watch Pretty Little Liars and the new season of Teen Mom.  Yup, I still watch crap TV :o)


PS...if you noticed, my blog got a makeover!  If you're looking for a new design, check out Brandi {her button is on the side}.  She has great prices and does great work! She didn't ask me to say anything but I'm so impressed with her work that I wanted to give her a little shout out :o)

weekend recap

This past weekend we went out to the Chicago area to attend our niece's high school graduation party.  I forgot my camera so all I have to share are a few phone pictures.

At the house Saturday:

At the party Saturday night:

My sister-in-law and brother-in-law hosted a really nice party.  Great location, great food, great people, and those cupcakes....oh my gosh they were incredible.  I think that cupcake has ruined all other cupcakes for me forever.

back at it

Yesterday I went out for my run/walk after taking all of last week off. I set my C25K program for Week 1 Day 1 since I took last week off and hadn't yet completely ran through Week 1 without taking {unscheduled} walking breaks.

I started out the first running session thinking ...whew, this is a little tougher than last time I ran... but I ran the whole time. The second session was a little tougher and I was thinking ... I really should have run last week. The third session really hurt and I kept thinking ...hurry up lady, tell me to walk!! ...but I ran all but the last 5 seconds of it. I walked through the fourth.  I really struggled but I ran almost all of the last couple. When I got back inside, I looked down at my phone and saw that I had just completed Week 2 Day 1.

Woo hoo! No wonder why it was harder, my running sessions were 30 seconds longer each time around. Thirty seconds might not sound like much, but for me it is.  So, instead of feeling a little frustrated with myself, I was feeling pretty good about what I had just done!

Today was rough though.  My body was pretty sore from yesterday.  I only ran two and a half of the running sessions but I stayed on the track for the full 31 minutes.

Source: Uploaded by user via Nichole on Pinterest

**This post was for my future self to look back on someday when running is easier {hopefully} and I can see how much progress I've made.**

weekend recap

Dave and I had a pretty laid back weekend. 

Friday night we finally watched New Year's Eve.  I liked it quite a bit.

I got some new running shoes on Saturday.

I love 'em!  They're cute and so comfortable.

Dave finally got a haircut. I forgot to take a before and after shot.   He kept telling me that he wasn't going to cut it until the Vikings won the Superbowl.  Uhhhh, yeah.  I wasn't willing to wait that long.

Sunday we mostly just hung out around home.  We went for a drive that afternoon and stopped at McDonald's while we were out.  Have you have one of these?

They are soooo good but definitely only a once in awhile treat since a small has 200 calories and a lot of sugar.

Hope ya all have a great week!

just what i needed

So yesterday I was looking around on Pinterest and I found a pin that said something like "awesome weight loss blogger...if you are trying to lose weight you must read her blog".  Well, I am working at losing weight so I clicked on it and started reading Mama Laughlin.  I read through her blog yesterday and started following her on Facebook.


Well, today, she posted a link on FB to another blogger who wrote this article.  It made me cry and was just what I needed to hear.