Friday {feeling good}!!

I'm so thankful it's Friday! Not particularly for any reason other than everyone is SO friendly in the office on Friday's. We have to work a wedding tomorrow, so its really like my Thursday, but regardless. Friday's always bring a certain happiness to the world so I'll embrace it!

This week I started trying to treat myself better than I have been. I've been so negligent. Eating whatever I want, whenever I craved it, staying up too late, exercising halfheartedly and just feeling kinda down. So I decided to change it. When we first got married, we kept up with our healthier lifestyle so well so we decided to get back to that!

I started Insanity on Monday, and my goal for Caleb and I this week was to pack our lunches together every night. I'm happy to say we did this! We also didn't spend a dime this week!

Some of my lunches in the below pictures wasn't all of it... this was more of a lunch/snack combo - not pictured are protein shakes, tuna, and almonds - yumm!

I also bought this tracking notebook earlier in the year called "Fit Happens", and I really love how it breaks down your days. It makes you list 3 things you're grateful for, what inspired you that day, what your eating was like, your mood, and energy levels - there is also an entire page for notes (where I write my specific exercises/numbers down) and a fun little tip/quote on each page. It's really holding me accountable. It's crazy because you can find it here on Amazon for $34 (what the what?!!?) but I got it regularly priced at Target for approx $8.

original image from here

Monday's Insanity prompt for Day 1 was the "Fit Test". This is something you're supposed to do every 2 weeks to track your progress and I'm really excited to see where I am by then!

Something seems different this time. I am ready to be better to myself. Of course, life is all about balance...and you know I love me some donuts...but I'm excited that I've started making better choices the majority of the time!

In other news, is it Sunday yet?!?! I'm ready to watch my Bengals to beat up on our biggest rivals - the Steelers!! Have a fun weekend, everybody!

Operation wedding weight, here we come.

Caleb and I are officially trying hard to lose a few pounds. The last month or so we've been "so so" with our eating, prepping, etc.! Yet we still found ourselves indulging in donuts, fast food, and late night treats more often than not. I can hardly fit into any of my pants, and its pretty dang depressing.

I'm honestly not sure what happened with me, but last Fall I just started losing control of my eating. In a matter of 6 months, I gained 15 lbs. Basically skipping lunch and instead heading to the gas station to gorge on candy for the rest of the afternoon. Indulging in pop for basically every meal, and definitely not exercising like I had been in previous months. I kept saying I'd start fresh "tomorrow" with my old healthy lifestyle, but tomorrow kept getting pushed off. I constantly told myself "everything was fine in moderation" (which I do believe) but lets be honest, I wasn't eating in moderation, I was eating until I was FULL and until it hurt.

Instead of complaining about how we feel constantly, we decided that we can do this. We're in charge of our own lives. We can hold each other accountable. WE can make the change.

We have a date in mind to get back to our wedding weight, but more than that, we're focusing on making this a lifestyle change as well! I don't care so much about the number on the scale as I do about how I feel. But, by the end of July when we go on our trip with the teens from church (like we did last Summer), we want to feel more like our "old selves". This means getting back into a routine of being more active. Waking up to hit the gym, staying outside a little longer to enjoy the sunshine, prepping our lunches in advance, etc.!

I'm a happier wife when I'm a healthier wife...and in order to serve my husband best, I need to be the healthiest version of me that I can be! There's something about taking more control of your life in one area that just makes it trickle down into the rest. Caleb and I are saving money, eating better, working out more, and in turn its making us feel less stressed, which I love.

If you have a favorite meal you prep in advance for the week, please let me know! I'd love to add it to our work-lunch rotation!

Contemplating another race...

Oh how proud I am of these few numbers on this little piece of paper!

Flash back to May, 2013. Erin picked me up and we headed Downtown to go see our husbands finish their first half marathon. Erin and I still laugh when we think about how rough we were looking that morning, but it really didn't matter, we were going to see our men cross that finish line and celebrate! That's what mattered!

We kind of got a little emotional watching them accomplish this huge victory and crossing that finish line! It was then that I decided that I wanted to have a moment like that one day. So the next year, we all geared up and decided to do it together. It.was.freaking.brutal.y'all!! BUT it's one of my favorite memories with our foursome and we loved it (even if I was slower than a group of turtles running through peanut butter)...

...it was slow, it was painful, but this beautiful medal and my sense of accomplishment made it ALL worth it!!

I had never experienced pain like I did those 72 hours after that first race It was really bad that entire evening following, so I basically grabbed everything from our freezer and covered my legs with them. In that moment I pretty much decided I'd never run again....

...so what's the only logical thing to do? Convince yourself it was worth it and run it again the next year! ;) I even cut over an hour off my time!

But the recovery from my second half was much worse, as I didn't train properly. My body just wasn't ready to go from practically nothing to running uphill for 7 miles straight. It was brutal and I could hardly walk for 3 weeks. So much so that I thought maybe I tore something. Luckily, it all felt normal again soon...but I convinced myself there was no way I'd ever run that particular race again. I even questioned if running was "for me". Since then, I haven't gotten as into running as I used to be. I think I started putting too much stress on myself that the thought of running just kind of annoyed me. The comparison game was another issue "I'm not fast enough", blah blah blah.

BUT!

I was so silly to think like that.

Running is for ANYONE who can get off the couch and make themselves endure it. Running is for anyone who puts one foot in front of the other, no matter how slow!

So...now I think I want to run the race again. 

I'm all over the place, I know. I think i'm going to take this week and really pray about the decision. I think it would be fun to run my third half marathon alongside my husband, again! I think it would be a fun challenge to beat my last race time and set a few goals for myself throughout the training process. PLUS it would be a fun excuse to whip out my favorite workout pants! ;)

What about you guys? Any fun exercise goals this year? Any races on your calendars?!

Finding my groove again.

Somewhere between our move, the psycho months of Sep/Oct and many 12 hour work days, I lost my self control, and found about 9 pounds.

Yeah. I'm not very comfortable in these work pants today, but its my own fault. Slowly, but surely, I've eaten out way too much, over-indulged in the office treats, and loaded up on the sugary drinks. Oh, and did I mention I've only made time for about TWO workouts the past two months? It's pathetic, really. I know, I know, 'life happens, Kayla', but I've pretty much exhausted that excuse. It's time to get back into shape. I miss waking up before the sun to get my cardio in, and I miss how accomplished I felt after a great run. I forget what it feels like for my pants to actually button without a struggle, and I'm sick of feeling tired/groggy all the time. Not to mention, my face has been breaking out like crazy. I've got to make some changes!

I was scrolling through my (Motivation) Pinterest board yesterday and saw this and something really just clicked.

A huge thing for me is learning proper portion control. I suppose I KNOW what a "healthy portion" of something would be, but I tend to want to eat a lot of something when I like it, and then hate myself for it. So silly! I'm ready though. I'm ready to treat my body the way it truly deserves. Knowing that treats are okay, in moderation, and that exercise isn't a punishment, but a blessing. Something else Caleb and I have vowed to get better with - meal planning. I've asked you all for tips before so I'm revisiting those and we're going to come up with an action plan this weekend on lists/shopping dates. We can't wait!

So here are a few fitness related goals for what I'm calling "NO EXCUSE NOVEMBER":

1. Run 12 times. No mileage/etc. I'm easing back into this and don't want to get too crazy. I've already run twice, so we'll see what I can do!

2. Try Insanity again. Caleb bought it a few years ago and we did it together all the time during our engagement. I'm hoping for those days its too cold to run outside, I can pop that in the DVD player and knock it out!

3. Stop eating past 8pm. I think this is a huge part of my bad scheduling habits. Some nights, like last night, I don't get home until well after 7, which means I'm hungry pretty late. I keep eating after dinner, mindlessly, while I edit. It's awful! Time to change that habit!

4. The Squat Challenge. I'm starting today so I'm going to see how well I can do!!

5. Try a few new recipes for HEALTHY dinners. Now that life is slowing down (thank goodness, I need it!!!) I'm excited to become a little more handy in the kitchen department ;)

What are your November goals?! Looking forward to what this month has to offer!
In other news - WHO DEY!!!! Can't wait to watch those Bengals hit the field again tonight! 

4 weeks fit challenge {my results!}

Here we are, finally! Linking up with Erin and Kristin today! 4 weeks after some of us set some goals -- its a time that's either really crummy to look back on because we didn't keep up with our goals, or really exciting cause we rocked the house on ALL of them! I'm here to tell you I'm a little bit in between, and you know what? I'm good with that.

I began the month insanely motivated, then a few things happened that slowed me down, but as of March 22nd, I've really kicked it into over drive. Something just "clicked" in me and I've worked really, really hard! I've run every day since, and for the most part, have eaten really clean! It feels amazing. So, lets go over my goals one by one.

Run 16 times

TOTAL WIN! I ran 16 times exactly. Some of those were as little as 2 miles, some were up to 7 miles... but I freaking did EVERY ONE OF THEM and it feels so good. You guys, I even woke up before work 4 days in the last week. Who am I turning into!? I'm pretty proud of myself. Sure, there were days I wanted to give up...but I pushed on. I finally started seeing some results this week, and that has me even MORE motivated than ever.

Lift weights

FAIL. Ha - yeah. We won't go into that one. I used to do this a lot but this month Caleb and I focused on running outside a lot with the new weather and it was awesome. So I'll be sure to focus more on that in April. I really want to be toned, and I truly think lifting helps my endurance during my long runs...so lets hope in April I can make a dent in this!

Run 3 miles in 30 minutes
HALF WIN! I ALMOST did this, by about a minute. So, I'm kinda giving it to myself - also because I ran 2 miles in 20 minutes a few times!

Stretch more
WIN! Woohoo! This was huge for me. I took a while after (and sometimes even before) each run to stretch my legs and calves, especially. My worst spots are always my shins, and the QL area above my rump... ha! Hey, we're being honest here. But this stretching has helped so much, I haven't had any pain. I'm praying for an injury free journey to my next half!

Some other exciting moments....
-Finding my nice Adidas dri-fit hoodie before an outdoor run
-Accomplishing the 7 miles straight was definitely my biggest milestone.
-Getting some adorable running pants for my half. I think that's going to be my thing - buying myself a crazy pair of running pants for every half or big race I run! It's true - you burn more calories in cute gear ;) sneak peek up above.
-Finally believing in myself. Knowing that I CAN do difficult things. My head gives up before my legs, so I've learned to push through.
-Finally learning how to properly use my watch and actually use it! Pumps me up!
-Finding more good music for my playlist.

I'm really not sure if I'm meant for distance running, I really would like to work on getting faster in shorter distances, but we'll see how I feel after this next half!  Sure, there were days I felt like doing NOTHING...and some days, I did just that. But the feeling I have after accomplishing a hard run, or even an easy one, just can't be beat. I finally feel like I've "found my groove" and hope that this link up has encouraged you guys like its encouraged me!!

Remember...

How was your month??

We're turning a new leaf!

Today, I'm really excited.

Last night, Caleb and I made the decision to fully commit ourselves to a better lifestyle overall, in every aspect. It was just a productive evening, and finally an evening at home just to ourselves (almost never happens with our crazy schedules!). We cleaned the whole apartment, did a TON of groceries for an insanely low price, and even made our new budget.

Obligatory photo for blog post ;)

Caleb and I have taken Dave Ramsey's financial peace course 3 times.... THREE TIMES! You'd think it would be drilled in our head by now. However, our whole first year (and 2 months) of our marriage we weren't really living by the principals we knew we should be. We paid the minimum on our debt, or maybe a few bucks over, but not trying hard to get rid of it. We used the cash (envelope) system on and off again, and just were so-so with our savings. Since starting our new budget last night, Caleb and I are back to using cash, hanging up our debit cards on the fridge so we aren't tempted and paying off our nasty debt as fast as possible!! More on that to come.

Exercise...ohhhh exercise. We've been slacking like crazy at the gym (especially me). Correction, to slack at the gym, one must actually BE at the gym...and I hadn't been in weeks. After getting over 8 hours of sleep last night (which never happens), I woke up at 5:45 this morning, and got in 2.5 quick miles. It felt amazing, and I wondered why it took me so long to get back?! We're excited to do something active almost every day. Even if its just a walk after dinner together, its something!

We also agreed we need to eat better. After spoiling our tummy's on vacation with yummy crab legs, lasagna, fruit loops and ice cream bars, we decided it's time to home cook more often. We're committed to doing the best we can to make home cooked meals in our own house. Obviously there will be the occasional treat and pizza night in, cause you need those to stay sane, in my opinion ;)

This is definitely the start of a "new us". After we finished our budget, we even high fived afterward! ;) I can't tell you guys how excited I am. Sure, we'd been doing all of these things before...but I don't think being just alright in these things is okay for us, I want to thrive. We want to thrive! I'm so excited to see where this all takes us. Stay tuned!

#4weeksfit results.

Happpyy Friday! So at the beginning of May, a ton of us vowed to try a "4 weeks fit" challenge. We made goals, knew we needed to work hard, and (hopefully!) tried our best to make them happen. I'm here to report that unfortunately no, not EVERY goal of mine was accomplished, but with my busy schedule, I sure did try. Lets go ahead and get the "bad news" over with first; what exactly didn't I accomplish?

Run 50 miles this month.

Sadly, this didn't happen. No excuses, I just didn't make the proper time for this like I should've. BUT, you know what I did do? Ran around 35... which is still a huge accomplishment in my book, so no...I don't count this goal as a failure.

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BUT, what DID I accomplish!?

Finish a half marathon.

Heck yes I did!! I traveled all 13.1 miles by foot. No, I didn't run the whole thing, and I sure as heck wasn't fast...but I finished, and that was my only goal for that race. My best friends and I finished HAND IN HAND, how many people can say that?! I'm so blessed to have that vivid, amazing, emotional memory.

Wake up before work 2x/week to exercise.

YES! I am happy to say I accomplished this. Although one or two times it wasn't a SUPER SWEATY workout, it was yoga or deep stretching! But OUCH, that stuff is not easy. I'm excited about getting back into the groove of waking up before the sun to get my day started off right. I have way more energy when I make time for it.

I've not done my absolute best this month...but I sure as heck tried. Here's to improvement, progress, and learning to love my flaws anyway. Bring it on, June (aka busiest month of my life...but no excuses!). How was your month!?

My first half marathon!!

You guys...I can officially cross "run a half marathon" off the 'ole bucket list. Well, technically I didn't run the whole thing, but I sure as heck completed it.

We woke up around 4:30AM to eat breakfast and Jared & Erin picked us up around 5. At 6:30AM sharp, the half officially had begun though...we were all so jittery and excited to get to the starting point and we just took off! I'm so proud to say that the four of us ran the first 6 miles pretty much non stop -- that alone was the furthest distance I've ever run (yeah, training didn't exactly go as planned, whoops)...so we were feeling great!! We crossed a giant bridge and the view was just incredible. That alone was some amazing motivation, seeing the sun rise over the river with my best friends!

Love my city!!!

Erin and I both decided it was time to walk...my right hip was hurting pretty bad, and I needed a break. Luckily, the 4 of us agreed to stay together no matter what...so even if one of us needed to walk, we'd all walk...but let me tell you, we all pushed each other like crazy.

A little bit later, we started to get pretty tired...and I hear all of them yelling like crazy while I'm off to the side getting water -- my in laws surprised us and cheered us on the sidelines!! They made a sign with all of our pictures! It literally brought me to tears that they did that for us. It was so thoughtful!

Cincinnati proved to have a HARD course. People from every state around the world were there, and even different countries. So many people say that this is a really hard course compared to others around the world, and boy, I'd have to agree. The hills were OUTRAGEOUS. Around mile 8 (I think -- things are a little fuzzy!) is where things kind of went down hill...we got really tired, and we all kinda just felt like laying down on the sticky ground rather than jog another step. We rounded near mile 9 and someone on the street was blasting "LET IT GO" from Frozen, and in unison, without even knowing the other was going to do it -- Erin and I belt it straight up musical style and just had a hilarious moment, along with a random burst of energy. That was the last energetic part of the half that we had, ha!

Somehow, we pulled through those last few miles on and off walking/jogging. It was a miracle. I honestly don't know if I would've made it through without the encouraging volunteers and random people encouraging me. At one point, I was kind of running alone a few feet ahead, but really struggling...and a total stranger came up to me, patted me on the back, and she told me she KNEW I could do this (I'm like tearing up even thinking about it) and that gave me the strength to keep going.

I cannot tell you how happy we all were to see the "Finish Swine" at the end. Erin and I started to tear up...I couldn't even help it. So many cheering people, so many emotions... suddenly, the four of us were side by side, holding hands, giving it all we had, and it just felt amazing. We pushed each other in those last few moments to just NOT STOP RUNNING and to finish it!! Erin and I were in tears, and it was a great feeling. Yeah, we struggled, and yeah we didn't train hard enough (at ALL), but you know what? We did it...and we did it together!

I can't say enough about the half though. The course was awesome, and I got to experience parts of my city I didn't even know existed. To think I traveled 13.1 miles ON FOOT completely blows my mind. My feet hurt, my knees are swollen, my right hip feels horrible, and my legs are so tight I can hardly walk... but I finished it. I am so proud of myself, and of my best friends!

People have already asked me if I plan to do another one...ask me in a few weeks once my body has returned back to normal ;) 

#4weeksfit - I WILL DO THIS!

I am beyond excited about this link up that my SIL and Kristin are doing...called 4 weeks fit. When Erin told me about this link-up a couple weeks ago, I was so nervous...what the heck would my goals be?! What if I don't accomplish them!? Then I remembered how awesome and supportive this blog community is...and I WILL meet my goals!

I thought going through the HUNDREDS of fitness related pictures I've taken since we joined our gym last fall would be fun to look back on. I have to say, that is what absolutely changed my life. I used to be so active in high school, then not so much in college, then went back at it a little before our wedding...but joining that gym really made this time feel like it was a LIFESTYLE change. Which is exactly what I want it to be.

Run 50+ miles total this month.

Even typing that out terrifies me... I mean, the most I've ever run in a month was 40 miles total (and that was LAST April), and it nearly killed me. But then miss Anna told me she just had her first 100 mile month, which made me think she's an actual psychopath, but also motivated the crap out of me!!

Wake up before work 2x/week to exercise.

I used to do this a lot during the Winter, but have only done it once recently. It makes me so happy knowing I have my work out done with before my day really starts, and that means I get more time w/ my man at home after work...which makes us both happy!

Finish a half marathon.

Erin and I signed up for our first half marathon back in September, so we had plenty of time to train. Perhaps, too much time? We both really slacked off in the second half of our training and are probably not going to be able to run the whole thing, but you know what? That's alright. She's one of my best friends, and I plan to have a blast with her and our husbands and cross that finish line together. Life is all about having fun, and who better to spend your first half with than the people you love most?!

I'm so excited to try these goals out, and report back on May 30th how great I know we all did!!!! Who's with us!?

Falling down happens, but getting back up is necessary.

Sometimes, life just happens. Today marks the start of week 9 since I've officially been on my "fitness journey". I've seriously been proud of myself thus far. Up until last week I had been hitting the gym an average of 4 times a week. Up until last week I packed my lunches daily, and wasn't giving in to the holiday treats as much. Like I said...that was UP UNTIL last week.

As you can imagine, the holidays came closer, life became more hectic, family was in town, things came up...so Monday was the ONLY day I was able to get in a really good workout. Sure, I took a few short walks throughout the week, but nothing like my normal workout routines.

So it had been a FULL WEEK since I'd been in the gym, and boy was it good to be back. I could've spent those few days away from the gym beating myself up, getting angry that I "didn't make time" for it, but instead I'm choosing to accept that sometimes, life just HAPPENS...and that's okay. It's not about the number of times you fall down, or if you do at all, its about getting back up...and going back at it even harder (and having fun with it when you do).

After my first (and only) official 5K!

I learned a lot about my body in the week I was away from the gym.

I ate like crap.

I felt like crap.

I slept like crap.

So, did I go to the gym last night? You betcha, and it was awesome.

Hitting a milestone.

This past weekend I hit a very exciting milestone. I ran a 5K distance. I haven't done this in forever and it may not be very impressive to some of you avid runners...but dangit I am proud of myself.

I can officially run for 30 minutes straight. A year and a half ago when I ran my first 5K (that I was not very prepared for), I ran it in 36 minutes and a few seconds. I am so proud to say I shaved close to 8 minutes off. However, there were a couple huge hills in that 5K that slowed me down, so I'm trying to remember that...but regardless. I'm just stinking excited.

This healthier lifestyle has completely stuck with me for over 7 weeks now...and I'm just so happy I've began making exercise a regular part of my life. I honestly feel like something is missing if I go even two days without hitting the gym. Lifting weights has turned into a hobby, rather than just a small dream I once had. My go-to breakfast is my chocolate protein shake, and I eat greens for fun. Of course I still let myself have treats, but in moderation. I'm just so excited to be healthy again. I may not see HUGE changes in my body yet, but I feel better and am beginning to see small ones. So excited to continue training for this half marathon and see where this fit journey takes me.

Get FIT.

Three weeks ago today, my life changed.

Ha! Sounds so dramatic, right? But seriously...it was 3 weeks ago when I sat down with my husband and told him I needed to make a serious life change. I wasn't sleeping well, my skin kept breaking out, I was always tired and had no energy left after work. Not to mention the spare tire that was beginning to form around my waist...gahh.

So what did he do? Supported me 100%. He ran to Meijer to buy me my first protein shaker, as well as my first container of pre-workout AND protein. He also told me we were signing up for the gym together (I was reluctant at first because I didn't want to pay for it -- but it really is too good of a deal to pass up on!), and he'd help me every step along the way. I love that man.

3 weeks later I am proud to say we've worked out 4x each week. I'm not just talking running... Caleb is showing me how to lift, how to work out my abs, and my legs with all these machines that used to once intimidate me. I'm eating cleaner, and my body feels good.

Its safe to even say I'm a little addicted to the gym. Or maybe its the feeling of accomplishment I get once I leave? Either way, I'm loving it. One of my friends said to me last week, "I'm sure that feeling won't last, no one actually LIKES the gym...", uh, I do.

Its just funny to me, how many "attempts" I've made to eat cleaner/workout, but the health kick would never last more than a week. It truly was joining a gym that made me that much more committed. Something just clicked, and I'm excited.

Remember, if you're wanting to make a lifestyle change...no one is stopping you, but YOU! You can do anything you set your mind too. Promise!

Happy Tuesday, friends!

Bug bites and protein.

I cannot thank you all ENOUGH for your support and comments from Friday's post. Seriously, you all are the SWEETEST. Caleb and I are thrilled about this new journey we're heading on and can't wait to keep you all posted on it!

So how was my weekend?

Friday.

After work, Caleb and I headed to meet our photographers at a wedding to shadow, and we had a blast. They are such a fun couple, and we're having a lot of fun getting to know them. Aside from the 13 bug bites I received (all from the knees down!), it was a blast.

My Friday night view. Nikon's make my heart happy.

Saturday.

That was our day full of nothing. We haven't had a day like that in I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW LONG. Seriously, we slept in... cleaned the apartment a bit, geared up, headed out for the gym (I'm so soreee!), hit up Sam's Club..and parked it on the couch to watch Walking Dead season 3 and a Redbox.

It. Was. Perfection.

Caleb also surprised me with my first protein shaker, and also got me some "Light Protein" drink powder, to help me after workouts. I'm so excited. I used to be so turned off to that kind of stuff, but now I understand it. I'm getting healthier and it feel so good!

Sunday.

Taught children's ministry at church.

Watched the Bengals spank the Pat's ;) okay, maybe not spank....buuut...I'm super excited about us being the team to break Brady's 52 game TD passing record. Only two shy of the NFL record... poor guy ;)

Youth group evening.

& theennn.. something awesome happened.

I realized I had only gotten 3 runs in for the week...it was nearly 8pm when we got home. The old me would've said, ohhh well. BUT this is new Kayla, and she decided to lace up, and hit the road. I can't tell you what came over me...but something is different this time around. I am loving the gym, loving the runs, loving my new playlists.... It is finally clicking.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

October goals!

Oh, September...you came and went so fast, and I'm not too mad about it. Now, one of my favorite months are here.

practicing my doodles at  the park.

So, what do my October goals look like? Pretty simple, and only a few.

Finish a book.
Pay off more debt.
Continue running 4x a week.
Carve a pumpkin with my man!
Get a head start on Christmas gifts.
Learn to make an amazing dinner for Caleb.
Wake up at least ONCE to run BEFORE work, not after.

So cheap, and so healthy.

Taking a look back at my September goals, for those interested (or not).

Run 4x a week? Eh. I didn't kick this in until the last week of the month, but I'm determined to stick with it now. My fitness journey has begun. Get in touch with old friends more? Check. Catch up on Bible reading? This is a constant effort and I'm happy to say I'm doing it :) Appreciate my job more? Check. I'm much more thankful for my job than I used to be and its definitely helping my work flow here at the office. Share a last name with my husband? CHECK CHECK CHECKMATE!! ;) I'm thrilled to say that I went to the SSA office (thankfully before the government decided to basically quit), and got that taken care of. It feels good to share a last name with Caleb! Get my hair done? WOOO! Check the freaking check. Be a healthier me? Yes to the yes yesss yes. I have made a serious improvement regarding my health, with only ONE treat the entire week last week. For me, chocolate every few hours (yes, daily) is normal at the office, and it was beginning to catch up with me. I'm excited to say with eating right, on top of working out, I shed 3 pounds. Eek! I'm happy to say the healthy decisions are coming easier and I'm actually EXCITED about working out again.

So, what does October hold for you?

Friday finallllyy.

This week kiiind of dragged on along...and I'm so happy to see Friday again. Also happy to see the weekend once 4:30 hits!

What else made me happy this week?

These pictures.

You know that wedding we recently attended in Memphis? It was one of Caleb's childhood best friends and Caleb was a groomsmen...well, recently the bride posted all of her wedding pictures online and O-M-G. Caleb and I were getttinn itttt.

Seriously, how cute is my husband?

Working out.

It feels so good to be back at exercising. Running last night was literally not on my list of things I WANTED to do, especially when our house looks a mess...but I have to start putting my health first. I'm excited to start seeing results. I'm definitely more awake after 3 full days of clean eating with 2 exercises in, too!

My first blog friend!

You guys, it was official...as of yesterday, miss Ashley and I hit our "friendiversary" ... is that a thing?! Well, if it isn't...it is now. I just love her and this friendship we've grown. Can't wait to meet her in person!!

Which Wich.

Funny, Ashley is also the one who recommended this place to me...and OMG. It's so yummy. I got a lettuce wrap, let me tell you...this thing was the size of a Chipotle burrito! I love the concept of writing your order on the bags and just handing it over to the cashier.

Erin.

My amazing sister (in law). As of Tuesday, her and I officially began our "fitness journey"...and man, we're killing it. Having her support in this has made the last 3 days so much easier. Since we both signed up for the half together, we're IN this together. I wouldn't know what to do without her, not only on this fitness journey, but in everything. PS - Erin, lets plan another fall date soon. Last years' was WAY too fun. MWAH!

I'm excited for a low key weekend, woo! Any fun plans on your end?