Engagement Photos...sneak peek!

Here's a sneak peek at a few of our engagement pictures.....

Many thanks to my amazing and dear friend, Lyndsay over at Ella V. Portraits! I can't wait to see the rest of the photos.

The pictures were taken at my grandparents' lake house last weekend. This is our last summer there - they sold it. :( What a great way to always remember it though, by having our engagement photos taken there?! We will all always remember this last summer there.

I plan to print and frame some of these as gifts for family. We also want to try to use one of the pictures in our wedding invitation. We will see......we have a wedding invitation appointment Aug 4.

M.I.A.

So....I know I have been a little absent lately. With family visiting this last weekend and then getting sick, I have't had much time to blog.

Saturday was the HANNAH's Hope Golf outing. I spent my day in a tailgate chair at the 17th hole handing out playing cards for the Par-3 poker tournament the teams could participate in, in addition to the actual golf tournament.

With cousins in from out of state meant a late night Saturday. We were up until 4:00AM playing cards and drinking. OH MY WORD! I was exhausted Sunday when I woke up 3 hours later to make us all breakfast (yes, I am good hostess).

We had plans to make a big waffle breakfast before heading to the beach on Sunday. I didn't know I was going to get only 3 hours of sleep. I LOVE the beach. Luckily we had packed the cars the night before with all the towels, chairs, ladder ball, and cornhole.

We were at the beach for 6 hours! WOW. Now that's what I call a beach day.

I posted this pic on my FB and a few people commented on how my black bikini top looks like a censor. LOL. I promise you, I have a top on....it's just black.

After our wild and crazy weekend with the cousins, I got sick. I went to my staff retreat on Monday, but barely made it. I stayed home in bed yesterday trying to recuperate. I made it back into the office today, all drugged up on dayquil and cough drops in my purse (I hate taking medicine). You know I am sick when I am taking meds. I don't like to go to the doctor unless I am near death. Ok, that's a little dramatic, but you get the idea. I prefer to let my immune system try to fight off everyday illnesses first before reaching for the medicine cabinet.

This weekend, Matt and I are having our ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS taken. My sis-in-law, Lyndsay, is taking them for us as her wedding gift to us. That is an AMAZing wedding gift, if I do say so myself. I am really excited. We haven't done much wedding planning since we got all of our big stuff booked.

Now, I am trying to figure out what I want to wear. I already have Matt's outfit (he's so easygoing and will wear whatever). I don't want us to look too dressed up, but more of an everyday look. I am thinking a long flowy skirt with a tank top. I will post pics as soon as Lyndsay posts them.

We are taking pictures at my grandparents' lake house -- this is our last summer there, as they just sold it. SAD FACE. It has been in our family for over 30 years. I am sad to see it go, but I understand their reasoning. These pictures will have double meaning for me. :) Stay tuned for pictures......

Segway Tour

Have you ever been on a segway? If not, I highly recommend you try it.

Last Friday, Matt and I went with another couple to Chicago to do a segway tour. We're familiar with the city, so the tour part wasn't necessary, but riding the segway was fun.

My glutes and abs were a little sore the next day. You direct the segway with your body. It's a lot of leaning forward and backward to make it go and stop.

Aside from feeling sick (nauseous), it was a great experience.I don't think the nauseous was from the segway, but from the heat instead. It was hot that day.

Diets & Dating

Let me first start by saying how happy I am no longer out there in the dating pool. I am totally dating challenged. I think because my life has always been (well, since I was 18 and had control over it) planned out. I think ahead. I never understood the whole date just to date thing. I only dated people I could see a potential future with. I hate awkward situations and conversations, and that's what dating always ended up being like for me.

Anyway, while listening to the radio on the work today, they were discussing the topic of diets and dating. All of these new allergies (and I say "new," because they didn't exist or weren't as prevalent when I was growing up), such as gluten and natural flavorings. Say what?! Yeah, natural flavoring.....I heard this one today. Wow! If you want my take on this whole thing, I think it's all the crap that's in our food these days that are causing these new allergies.

RIGHT?!?!

The discussion was about how dating has become even more difficult because of people's food allergies. Guys can't just take a girl out for pizza and a beer or get popcorn at the movies, because of all the crap that's in our food.

The argument was about the difference between food allergies and being a picky eater. This stemmed from the question about vegans and vegetarians.

It's easier to date someone who has the same eating habits as you, whether they are a vegan or total junk food pig.

For many women, just the concept of eating in front of a guy on a date was embarrassing. We don't want to slop all over ourselves, so that's why you won't find many women ordering a full slab of BBQ ribs on a date. "I'll have a salad, please." WHAT?! A girl has to EAT! My mama taught me table manners. I think I am fully capable of using a napkin and not totally inhaling my spaghetti at dinner. I WILL order a steak and eat it like a champ.

Luckily, I don't have any food allergies, so I've never had to worry about that with dating. I do however, have low blood sugar. Basically this means, if I don't eat regularly, my blood sugar drops, I get the shakes, get dizzy, and sometimes can't see straight. This makes it difficult to function, especially when driving. I have chowed down a snickers bar, almonds, a granola bar, an apple......anything just to bring me back to reality.

So, before dates I would be sure to stash some snacks in my purse just in case I had to excuse myself to the bathroom to stuff my face. As I've gotten older, I just roll with it. I still pack snacks. After getting sick, nearly tossing my cookies and passing out last Friday in Chicago on a segway tour with Matt, I think he takes this whole hypoglycemic thing more seriously.

This whole special diet thing can really make dating more challenging and awkward. Dating is already awkward, so to have to explain to a complete stranger during your first meeting why you have a milky way, a banana, a granola bar, nutter-butters, trail mix, and other misc snacks stashed away in your small suitcase of a purse, is just weird. Or to have to walk that person through your flow chart of foods you cannot eat and why is probably even worse.

Establishing a new routine

Before I moved, I was in my own groove - I had my own routine every morning. After living with Matt for about a month, I think I've finally established a morning routine. 

5:30 a.m. wake up call

5:35 a.m. actually get out of bed

5:45 a.m. start workout (this is different every day)

6:35 a.m. 1 mile run with the pup to wrap up my workout

6:45 a.m. make protein shake/stretch

7:00 a.m. out of shower/get ready for work

7:30 a.m. out the door

So far, I haven't disturbed my handsome's beauty sleep. :) 

Here's the workout regimen I did this morning:

1x -- heart pounder

1x -- as$ kicker

1x -- heart pounder

1x -- as$ kicker

1x -- legs of steel

1x -- abs o'mighty

1 mile run with Ellie, my dog. 

She needs her exercise too and boy, does she look forward to this every morning now. Ellie also waits patiently in the kitchen while I make my protein shake to lick the leftover pb on the spoon when I am done. Don't worry folks, I wash it when she's done. 

So far, I have stuck to this routine for almost two weeks. I finally feel like I'm back on track. 

Here's the heart pounder workout from Angry Trainer Fitness:

Here's the recipe for the chocolate pb protein shake I make (from ToneItUp.com):

4-5 ice cubes

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 scoop chocolate whey protein

1 tablespoon of pb

Mix it up in the blender and enjoy. YUM!

What are your favorite workouts? Any delicious protein shakes or recipes you want to share with the world?

Are you the donkey?

I thought that subject line might catch your attention. I need a light-hearted, funny blog post today. Sometimes life gets too serious and we need to take a moment to laugh. Today is my moment. 

I was driving to work this morning and listening to the radio. I love morning radio, especially where I live. Yeah, Chicago radio.....103.5 FM and 96.3FM. They are hilarious and sometimes, maybe a little on the inappropriate side for 7:30am in the morning, but I love it.

This morning on 103.5 they were talking about how girls will maliciously post bad pics of their girl friends on facebook to make themselves look better. I don't get this at all. 

Then they went on to say in every group of girls and guys, there is the less attractive friend or the "donkey." WOW! I have never heard it called that before. I have heard of this....where groups usually try to have that one less attractive person in the bunch, so that way they stand out when out at the bars, etc. I am not for this, nor do I choose my friends based on this concept. The DJs continued to say if you think there is not a "donkey" in your group, YOU might be the donkey. Oh boy! BAHAHAHAHA! 

I hang out with a variety of different people. I don't really have a "group" of friends any more. Not since high school. I think because of law school, grad school and my life now, my friends have come and gone (moved out of state) over the last few years, that I don't really have a solid group of girls to hang out with on a regular basis. Probably because: 

1. I am not a mother, so I can't tag along on play dates with mommies and their little ones. Weird. And I don't have pics of kids to share and brag about with everyone. I don't think my dog will compare to little, Susie, who's wearing a huge flower headband showing off her bike riding skills. I mean, come on, my dog can't compete with that!

2. I am not married (yet), so the married girls tend to exclude you until you officially become a Mrs. Then they will let you in......only after your initiation. ;)

3. I am not a student any more, so no late bar nights for me in the middle of the week....I have a job where I have to be fully functioning and able to represent a $40,000 product. No hangovers for me!

4. I am not in a church small group. I didn't grow up in the church and I haven't read the Bible front to back, so I don't really fall into this group. 

Why do we feel the need to categorize groups like this? I don't know.......I asked you. I just do my own thing and hang out with people I think are fun, real, and I can be myself around.

Back to the posting bad pics of your friends on facebook bit..........WHY on earth would you post a pic of you and a friend who has her eyes half open (bc she doesn't know how to keep her stinkin' eyes open in pics!), making her look smashed in your pic? I don't want my boss or anyone seeing a bad pic (of me or not) on my facebook. I wouldn't want my friends to post a pic of me with my gut hanging over my pants or sweat dripping down my face (unless I just finished a marathon), so why would I do that to them?

I hope I am not the donkey in the group. Time to start analyzing some pictures. Hmmmmm.....LOL.

Living together....is an adjustment

I know I have been slacking on my posts. Since I have moved to my new home with Matt, I haven't had much time to blog. We also don't have internet at the house. I don't know if any of you have ever tried to conduct a blog post from your cell phone, smart phone or not, it's tough.

Wait....I didn't tell you I moved?

While I said I wouldn't live with anyone before marriage, again, Matt and I broke that rule. I moved in last month. I said goodbye to the cottage I called home for the last year and moved in. It is nice to have a place to call our home.

So, why break my own rule? Well, for a big reason....money. I know, I know....a lot of people say that.

Now that we are engaged, we are planning a wedding. Since this is my second wedding (sigh....I still hate admitting that), I am paying for it myself (well, Matt and I are). His parents are paying for the bar and my mom wants to pay for my wedding dress, but other than that, we are on our own. My dad said last year that he wouldn't pay for a second wedding. So, in order for us to get married (in less than 10 years...ok, I am totally exaggerating, but you get the point), we decided to move in together. We created a budget for our wedding and living expenses (we are total financial nerds like that......excel spreadsheets and all!). While this is not what we originally wanted to do, we don't have the luxury of living at home with our folks to save money (if that's considered a "luxury"...haha, j/k!) or having our parents pay for a majority of our wedding.

Now, this isn't meant to be a boo-hoo post. We are excited about this journey together. We see this as an early life and marriage lesson. We are learning how to manage and budget our money together. We also get to make wedding decisions ourselves without feeling like we "owe" it to our parents to do something we don't want to do. That sounds so awful, but I know a lot of people who don't invite a lot of their friends, because their parents say no and invite all of their friends instead, simply because they are paying for it. That's not cool.

So, day 1 of living together went a little like this.......

It was a Sunday after church, when a friend of ours (who has a truck and access to a trailor) from our church helped us carry, load and haul all the final BIG furniture. It was like 80+ degrees outside. Ouch. Bad day to move. Oops. He wouldn't take gas money (he is the NICEST kid in the world!), so we treated him to dinner out. Sweaty messes and all, we trailed into the local Mexican restaurant.

Matt said, we could take our time unpacking......ha! That didn't last long, because as soon as we got home, he started hanging pictures and stuff on the walls and asking me where we wanted to put things.

For a moment there, he had a tiny panic attack. There we were surrounded by boxes, clothes and furniture to be moved into their designated location (where...we didn't know). "Why do you have so many clothes? There's no way you possibly wear all of these? Where are my clothes going to go?" Big Sigh. That was Matt. For the first time in years, he had to share space with someone else. He was not prepared for this. It has taken some getting used to.....living together. The habits you don't realize you have are soon pointed out and questioned by the other person. After I don't know how many hours of moving furniture, putting the million and one kitchen tools and utensils away and sorting for Goodwill and my college students, and attempting to make this mess a home, we went to bed around midnight. It was a long day.

I have since taken a few trips to Goodwill to donate bags of clothes and misc house items. More trips are in the future. It feels good to organize and donate to others.

Matt has adjusted to female hair products, make-up and my clothes taking over his closet and dresser. Now that I have someone to come home to, I look forward to leaving the office every day at 5:00pm on the dot. I no longer linger around working late at the office. Going home after work has become a treat. :)