My Favorite Things...(A day late)

So I was super busy yesterday and was not feeling that great so despite my best efforts, I did not get to post. So here goes my favorite things....

1. The coming move: We have bid on a house (via Josh's parents) and they have won the bid which means Josh and I will get to move into a beautiful and perfect house in a subdivision (and yes there is a pool). I will keep you posted and as long as closing goes ok we should be in it by summer or a little before. I am so excited. Here are some pictures of the house:

2. Cooking: cooking has become one of my favorite things. I am trying all these new recipes and ingredients and trying to make some of my favorite dishes a little bit healthier. I have been very successful in finding healthy dishes that my husband will enjoys as well. The result of this and continued exercise has resulted in losing 12 pounds which I am ecstatic about. Who wouldn't be happy?

Well until next time!

My Favorite Things

Linking up with Abby!

My Favorite Things this week are:
1. House Hunting: Josh's parents are going to buy a house and turn it into a rental property. We are going to be their first renters so we have been looking at houses with them this week. The prospect of having a backyard, more space, my own garden, and a walk-in closet brings happy thoughts!

2. Daylight longer: I love when it gets dark around 8 o'clock. It was so great to be able to go out to the park with my husband today after work and not have to race daylight. We had plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful weather and play with the new camera, which leads to my third thing....

3. My new camera which brings new pictures. I am still figuring things out after all I have only had it for one day. I am trying some different editing programs as well so you will be guinea pigs for lots of new pictures in the coming weeks and months...so here it goes:

Join the club...

Well I said that I was going to post after my first Zumba class but I got very busy and totally forgot. I must say though that if I could do Zumba everyday and not go completely broke, I would actually enjoy working out. An hour class seemed like 20 minutes to me and I cannot wait to go back. And I must say that despite me being someone who has never "shaken it" like that before, I did pretty good for my first time. All you have to do is laugh. Now I want some awesome Zumba pants like all those professional women have.

Along with joining the Zumba club, which is why my post is named as it is, I have also joined the cool, adult camera club. After seeing the awesome pictures that my friend Jordyn was taking with her new camera, I have to admit I was getting jealous. I just went to look and hold some cameras today and ended up bringing one home. It was the deal of a lifetime and I could not pass it up. It is a Nikon D5000 and I am so excited. It is going to be awesome for New York and Guatemala this summer. I am stealing Jordyn's picture idea so that you can see my new beautiful camera.

There you have it. I will be posting cool pictures!

My Favorite Things

1. Denise Austin's 3 Week Boot Camp: This is my new workout dvd that I have been doing at least 5 times a week for the past 3 weeks. It is awesome. It is fun with a lot of dancing and energetic moving. It keeps my attention and makes me want to work out every day!

2. The Zumba phenomenon: Although I have yet to participate in a Zumba class, I love that is has taken over the nation. The reason I love it is because they are now starting a zumba class at my church two days a week. How exciting is that! It starts tomorrow night so I will be sure to post tomorrow to let you know how my first experience goes.

3. The excitement of trips to come: This summer is going to be so much fun. Not only do I get to spend time in New York with Josh for our one year anniversary but I found out yesterday that I get to go back to Guatemala to the same place I went on my first mission trip. So excited for the adventure, and even though I will miss my husband, it will be awesome to see how the place has changed in the last 8 years. Be praying for me as I begin to prepare for the trip.

4. Trying new recipes: Josh and I have been very adventurous lately. We have found new recipes for eggplant, a tilapia recipe that we are going to try tonight and a new steak (yes I am eating some steak) recipe for later in the week. I love all of the new foods because I get bored very easily with the same thing over and over.

Until tomorrow!

Kayla

Four by Four

Jordyn tagged me in this clever little survey. Since I haven't blogged in a while, and like Allyson I stink at remembering to take pictures of my clothes, I decided that I would participate. So here it goes:

1. Four Places I go:
*West Georgia Children's Academy
*DFUMC
*Target (my husband works there; I get a discount)
*Sara Babb to satisfy my new love for tennis

2. Four Favorite Smells:
*Fresh peanut butter and chocolate cookies
*Like my friends Jordyn and Allyson, coffee
*My new orchid scented deodorant
*Josh's deodorant which I refer to as Josh smell

3. Four Favorite Movies/Shows
*Lost: still sad that it has ended; still refusing to watch it again
*Back to the Future (1& 2)
*Friends
*Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (my favorite chick flick)

4. Four Recommendations:
*I agree with Jordyn. Buy a lottery ticket because I would really like to have my job next year.
*Get active. I have done a lot to get active the last couple of weeks and I feel so much better and have so much more energy to get through the day. (and i have lost 6 pounds)
*If you are looking for a workout video that is fun and is a great workout get Denise Austin's Boot Camp; it rocks!
*Try new things. New food, new activities, new clothes, new everything!

I don't have anyone to tag I don't think! Maybe I will make Josh get on here and do it!

MFT (My first Week)

This is my first week of My Favorite Things, so here it goes....

1. Tennis. Josh and I have recently become very interested in this sport. We have promised to play twice a week because it is fun, so we can get better, and get a little exercise in the process.

2. Wine. This has been one of my favorite things for a few months now, but I seriously can't get enough. My favorite to date is White Lambrusco...talk about sinfully good.

3. Progress. Accomplishing things I have been working on make me feel awesome. I am slowly making my classroom my own after the teacher before me basically destroyed it. I am also losing a few pounds. I feel good that I am working towards a goal and when I accomplish those goals I get a warm and fuzzy feeling.

4. Snooze. The snooze on my alarm, I am sad to say, has become one of my favorite things over the last two weeks.

5. Days off. Although I did not have today off I am off Thursday. Something to look forward to.

Enjoy! Linking up with abby!

WIWW: Week One

This is going to be more of a what I wear on the weekends because weekdays consist of white shirts and khakis for work unless I go out at night. I am going to try and dress up my white and khaki a little each day and make that a point in my posts. Let's see how creative I can get. So here goes week one:

Sunday: Church and Josh's flag football game

Shirt: Ross

Jeans: American Eagle

Black flats: Payless

Monday: Work and Valentine's Picnic

Shirt: Target

Pink tank top: Aeropostale

Cardigan: Target

Pants: Old Navy

Shoes: Target

Scarf: H&M

Headband: Me

Tuesday: Spence's birthday dinner

Cardigan: Don't remember

Dress: Target

Tights: Jordyn's wedding

Black Flats: Payless

Wednesday: Wednesday WOW dinner and Bible Study

Cardigan: Target

Shirt: Papaya

Jeans: American Eagle

Hairpin: Jordyn

That's all for this week. I hope to have something cool to share for every day next week. We'll see how it goes. 

Linking up at the pleated poppy!

Borrowing Inspiration

So, my assistant teacher and I have been brainstorming ways that we can raise money for our end of the year picnic. See we want to have this awesome picnic with snow cones, a bouncy thing, sack races; the whole works! My assistant is a baking queen who can make all kinds of things from fudge to brittle to cupcakes and cookies. This is her contribution to our fundraiser.

I started racking my brain to think of something that I could contribute. This is where my borrowing inspiration title comes in. My awesome best friend, Jordyn, has been selling all kinds of cute things in her etsy shop (you should check it out). This is where I found my inspiration. I only have seven girls in my class but all of them wear headbands and big flowers in their hair; hence my idea to make and sell girly cute headbands that my girls would see and beg their parents to buy. I have only had them in my class for two days and they have been a success. I am going to have to make some more this weekend. So, here are my first attempts at my own etsy-ish shop within my own classroom; don't judge too harshly, i am just starting.

Hope you enjoy. Off to a birthday dinner at the Melting Pot. I get to dress up which means that I will have another picture for my first week of WIWW(which is my case is what i wear weekends plus other random days). 

Seriously...This is an easy one!

I have gotten into a mindset of trying a new recipe each week. Sometimes I pick them out to surprise Josh and sometimes we pick them out together. No matter how many new recipes we try, this one is one of our favorites and it is seriously one of the easiest things that I have ever made. It is great for leftovers, not that expensive, and you can alter it and add different things each time to make it a little different. So here it goes:

No Time Pesto Pasta:

1 cup uncooked penne pasta
1/2 cup pesto (I use classico)
1/2 roasted red peppers
2 tbsp. feta cheese (I use the crumbled with tomato and basil)

1. Cook the pasta like you cook all pasta. After draining it put it in a skillet.
2. Add the roasted red peppers and pesto sauce. I usually let it heat up like this for about 5 minutes.
3. For the last minute sprinkle in the feta cheese.
4. Serve. I usually sprinkle a little more cheese on it after I put it in the bowl, but I am cheese lover.

I have added tomatoes and chicken before. There are a lot of possibilities. Hope you enjoy this and for your treat I have added a picture.

Making my house more beautiful...

I started some projects during the great snow/ice storm of 2011. I finished a while ago but I just went to Ikea a week ago and picked up some picture frames for the projects. I have to say that I am in love with the finished products. Josh is so excited about them that he is hanging them today for me. I will add pictures later of what they look like in our room. I have not started my project for the living room yet but that will be the next thing that I do. 

Winter Weather 2011...

Oh to be cooped up in the house for a week. It has its ups and downs. I have gotten an amazing amount of work done around the house, for my classroom, and the crafting has begun. Josh and I have been struggling since October to figure out things to do to decorate our bedroom. When Josh bought me my new bedspread and sheets for my birthday that are perfectly my favorite shade of yellow, I knew that I wanted splashes of color all over the room. 

While I am still on the search for an awesome colorful rug, some decorations for the dresser and an awesome mirror (because as of right now I have no mirror in my room), I have stolen an idea from my best friend to do yo-yo art. I LOVE it!! I can sit here and watch my new favorite show and work on these adorable crafts. I am so excited to finally have a direction to go with in decorating our room. Josh is excited! I love the fabric I have chosen so much. I even bought fabric that would work perfectly in my living room. I have no idea what I am going to do with them yet; maybe more yo-yos, maybe something else. 

I wish I had this much time all the time to work on things for our home, but knowing I would get cabin fever eventually I will look forward to spring break and summer in order to make more wonderful things for my house. 

On another note, my mother-in-law has a huge case of buttons and she is letting me use them for my crafting. Maybe I will be adding some to my yo-yos, maybe a remodel of something else. I could get used to this. 

Here are a few pictures of my fabric choices and my crafting thus far today! So much fun! I will definitely post a picture of my finished product!

2010 Top Ten

10: Last Year of College (Spending late nights in the Kerr basement with awesome friends and lots of coffee w/ Lost)
9: Winning both Fantasy Football Leagues (Netting me $90 U.S.)
8. Getting Employed (Even if it is Target)
7. Graduating from Toccoa.
6. Attending all our get togethers with the friends after College.
5. Moving into our new home!
4. Attending the weddings of all my favorite people.
3. Our first Christmas together and our first white Christmas.
2. Disney World Honeymoon
1. Marrying my best friend!

Good year with lots of fun. 2011 will have to step it up a lot.