#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!?

A few last things.

Thank goodness its Wednesday, the day we celebrate that we made it halfway through the work week. Ohh what I would do to have one random day through the week off! Who had the bright idea of working 40 hours a week anyway!!?

Onto happier (and less grumpy) things...I stumbled across this blog this week and found a post I quite liked. I thought I'd try it out...and I give full credit to miss Danielle for this post idea.

From top left to bottom right...row by row :)

Last thing you cooked; This Cheesy Caprese Quinoa Bake. Holy yum. I mean honestly, you'd better click that link instead of finishing this blog post! Its so so yummy, and I'm proud to say it turned out perfect!! YAY!

Last thing that made you smile; Obviously my husband...but other than that, a giraffe had her sweet baby at our local Zoo yesterday! She's so darn precious, and I think she looks like a Cece. Agreed?!

Last place you vacationed to; Punta Cana with our best friends! Trip of a lifetime, lemme tell ya!!

Last gift you received; Other than the incredible vintage camera's my grandpa's wife recently gifted me after he passed... I'd have to say the Disney plush characters from my man as an extra V-Day present! He knows me so well (yeah, were 7 years old...I won't apologize)!

Last song you listened to; Difference Maker by my favorite, Needtobreathe. I'm 900% serious when I say they are better live in person than on their CD. This video of them performing in Austin is just amazing.

Last thing you splurged on; I don't know if I'd call $20 "splurging", but I bought new running leggings for my first half marathon this weekend (excuse my work top)! 

Last time you were moved to tears; having to say goodbye to my Grandpa last week (that picture is from back in January, though). He was absolutely unresponsive, but being able to say goodbye to him, and squeezing his hand one last time meant the world to me.

Last person you texted; My soulmate. I mean, isn't she the sweetest? I got this after a horrible day, and I'm so happy she sent it. Little things like that mean the world to me.

Last voicemail; my friend (who is also planning a gorgeous wedding!!) Renee left me the sweetest voicemail yesterday. She absolutely made my entire week just with her sweet words. I cannot thank this blog world for bringing her and I together. I was lucky enough to meet this gal last fall and I am happy to say my life is brighter because of it :)

What are your "last things"? Happy Wednesday, friends!

You're gonna want to bookmark this. {yum}

Last week, I mentioned wanting to push myself and actually cook again. I'm embarrassed to say that my definition of "cooking" is throwing plain chicken in the oven, and making vegetables in the skillet. No recipes, no fancy ingredients, and definitely no spices. I'm also embarrassed to say I can count on one hand how many intricate meals I've made since we've been married (meaning, following a recipe)...so I decided it was time to dive deep into my Pinterest boards and find me a winner!

{insert most amazing dinner ever from my favorite new food blog and who I give full credit for this recipe; Half Baked Harvest}

You will need;

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 cup of your favorite pasta sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup mozzarella, divided (we used fresh rounds)

1/3 parmesan cheese

1/2-1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 large bunch of basil, cut into ribbons

1/2 teaspoon crush red pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

First, you'll want to preheat your oven to 350 (do that first -- don't be a crazy like me and forget until after your meal is ready to go in the oven to do that!). Then, you'll want to hit up both the tomato sauce and tomato paste over low heat in a large pan. Once warm, stir in heavy cream, parmesan, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper.

Once blended, remove from heat and add in the cooked quinoa. After, fold in half of the mozzarella and half of the tomatoes. Then chop up 6 leaves of basil and add those bad boys in too! Once its all combined, spray an 8x8 (you can also use 9x9) baking dish with non-stick spray and pour the entire mixture into the dish. Top with fresh mozzarella rounds (or shredded mozzarella) and the remaining tomatoes. Bake for 10-15 minutes, and then turn on the broiler for 1-2 minutes (or until cheese is golden). Once its done, add a few basil ribbons on top, then ENJOY!

I'm so excited to say it turned out amazing, like...I was actually so proud of myself!! I freaking used my BROILER! I didn't even know our oven could do that.

Please do yourself a favor and make this TONIGHT...oh and while you're at it, make every recipe from this blog, where I found this incredible recipe :) enjoy! 

Why hangouts are awesome.

You know those weeks when you just NEED some girl time?! That was me! So, I'm so thankful I got to have a few of my favorite ladies over on Saturday...and any excuse to make buy some adorable cookies makes me one happy girl!

Although we didn't take any pictures (except for before everyone came over, Erin and I snagged one or two), we had a blast for hours. We laughed so hard we could hardly talk, and we played games that had us rolling. That's what I love about my friends...we try our hardest to see each other as often as possible, and we want to be intentional with our friendships.

In a few months my best friend (since middle school), Lyndsie, is moving away to Nashville, and I'd be lying if I said I won't shed a tear or two. I know she won't be on the other side of the world, but still, 5 hours is hard for me when she's right down the road from me now. But what I love about her, and all my closest friends, is that no matter where we go in life, or where we are...I know we'll always have each other to call, visit, and lean on.

Speaking of AMAZING friends...I love her to pieces. Erin, thanks for all you do for me...you're the best sister I could've asked for!

If you haven't been able to see friends in a while, there's no better time than now :) call 'em up!
Happy Monday. Make it a great one.

You should probably start dancing.

It's Friiidaayy! You know what that means...DANCE PARTY.

No but really {cheese alert}, Caleb has ABSOLUTELY taught me what it means to "dance like no ones watching". I've always loved to dance (I meaaaan, I WAS a ballerina!)...but it wasn't until we got together that I really decided to be the first one on the dance floor, all the time. He is a great dancer. Like, he actually, really has good moves (we did win a dance competition on our recent trip)!!

Hiiii wedding ring.

I had always been an outgoing person, but he has really brought more out in me. I think what made me so drawn to him -- besides his good looks ;) -- is his free spirit. He just absolutely has a blast all the time, doing the most simple things, and doesn't have a care in the world how silly he looks while doing them, and I just love that.

Another time, Caleb made me dance with him in our kitchen when I had a really bad day. You're thinking "Aw, how sweet! To a slow song?"...no. Pretty sure it was a Jason DeRulo rap single... baha, but I loved every second.

Also, the other day, someone totally caught me jamming out to my new favorite song in my car. A few years ago? I would've been slightly embarrassed, but you know what I did? Turned it up, and rolled my window down even more...and kept on rockin' out. 

Life really does pass us by so quickly...so dance more, sing louder, and love harder!

:) Happy Friday, friends!

Cheers!

Today, I'm choosing to raise my glass (more like my ice cold water, in my cubicle at work) to many things today.

Cheers to my husband, who kisses me even when I feel ugly.

Cheers to best friends, for sending me adorably cute animal pictures, for listening when I need it, and supporting my love for mountain dew when they know I'm trying to eat healthier {whoops}!

Cheers to this recipe...for real though, look at that!!! I've only used quinoa in a recipe once, and it turned out amazing, so I have very high hopes for this! Hoping to make that either tonight, or next week!

Cheers to this weather. Finally, Ohio is getting its crap together and bringing on the sunshine.
Cheers to late nights, and forgetting about a "bedtime". I hate the whole "YOLO" saying, but its true. You only live once...stay up late with your hot husband ;)
Cheers to my family, they are coming over tonight...which means I'm officially hosting a dinner party...which means I'm kind of freaking out. I hope the food is tasty!

Cheers to my pastor...for always being a constant source of encouragement. He is always there, and Caleb and I are so thankful for his presence in our lives...and for taking hilarious pictures with us at our wedding...oh and for bringing the hope of Jesus every Sunday morning in church. We're so grateful for you, Mike!

Cheers to Velveeta Shells, for being my excuse for dinner when I've had a long day. You may judge me, but macaroni and cheese never will.
Cheers to Anna! She and I somehow connected in this blog world, and I wondered why we hadn't "met" sooner?! This girl and I talk almost daily, and although our lives are very different, we are somehow like twins at times. I'm so looking forward to meeting her in a few months!! She's just the sweetest, and if you don't already know her -- well, you're missing out.
Cheers to Emily! She sent me the sweetest email last week during the difficult loss of my grandpa, and I'm thankful for the many things we have in common. She's so darn sweet, and I kinda like her! ;)

Seriously loving this fun link up, its a great way to uplift each other and make someone's day. Join in, won'tcha!? :)

Cash vs Cards

One way that Caleb and I keep our spending down (like crazy) is by carrying cash. When I tell people this, they usually think we're crazy. Now there is no right or wrong way to pay for things! We'd just rather save up and pay for something we really want in cash, than be in more debt to someone. I have a tall, red wallet from Dave Ramsey just like the one below...and its incredibly organized. Everyone is different, but we keep our envelopes in four sections; Groceries, Fun, Tithe, and Gas. I'll keep my debit card sometimes for gas, but I notice when there is cash in my checking account, I'll try to spend it.

So why do we believe in using cash only?

It's emotional. Spending $4 at Starbucks doesn't hurt near as bad when I use my debt card, because I don't see the money physically coming out of my bank. When I use my $20 bill that I give myself once, maybe twice a month...I don't want to break that bill. I think twice about what I spend because once its gone, its GONE. 

It speaks louder than a credit card. When Caleb and I made our first big finally-married purchase together (our couches), we were paying with cold, hard, CASH. We weren't financing, we weren't talking about interest rates, and we definitely weren't going in debt over it...having cash in hand helped get us about $300 off the total, and guess what? It was actually OURS when we took them home, not "until we paid it off".

It's convenient. Sometimes I'll run into a gas station just for a $2 pop, and they won't accept a debit card on purchases under $5, etc...so every now and again, those situations pay off to have cash.

It makes you feel awesome. When you can decide that you're going to SAVE for something, and not just charge it to a card because you think you deserve it...it gives you a different outlook. You have a sense of accomplishment when you can EARN something and say you paid for that in full. No strings attached, no interest rates, no worrying about minimum payments, etc.

Some people will never agree with this method of thinking...and you know what? That's alright. Just because it works for us, doesn't mean its the ONLY way to live. Now, don't get me wrong...we still use our debit card, but keep in mind, that's coming straight out of our BANK account. Obviously, we plan to have a mortgage someday, but we'd like to save a huge down payment first - so we aren't stuck in an apartment for life! ;)

I do have to say, stalking Etsy for cuter "cash envelopes" gets me pretty darn excited. #nerdalert Like this one;

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Or to go the cheaper route (which I recommend) you can order directly off Dave's website and get paper envelopes that fit inside a long wallet, like me!

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Or buy these cute little printable dividers!

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Whatever you decide to do...or are already doing, just be sure it works for you! :) do any of you use cash only for certain purchases?