Woah!

So... it seems that I haven't posted in almost two months.  Woah.  It's been a lot different since we moved to Missouri, and I seem to have a hard time turning my computer on.  It's not that I don't want to blog... I just don't feel like I have much to blog about.  If you follow me on Instagram, you'll usually see the high points of my life in photo form, but otherwise, I just have a pretty routine life right now.

But, here are a few updates from the past two months.

We've been enjoying our two lovely kittens.  Lo is returning to her normal calm and happy self more everyday.  And Luna is as rambunctious and ridiculous as ever.  She feels the need to be attached to me almost every minute of every day.  She is not the most graceful cat in the world.  And she's gotten in so much trouble in the last week for trying to eat all of the Christmas decorations.  I took this photo about two minutes after hanging some of my paper snowflakes on the door, and she had already mangled one.  About 10 minutes later, two others would be destroyed.  And in between murdering snowflakes, she'd run over and try to eat the tree.  She's driving me crazy, but at least she hasn't done any real damage yet.

Speaking of Christmas decorations, our "apartment" is about as festive as it's going to get.  I just love the glow of Christmas lights!

We had our first snow in November, and a couple of frigid days with some flurries and ice since then, but it's certainly not looking wintry white outside yet.  In part, I'm happy for temperatures that are too warm for snow, but on the other hand, it's still really cold so another ten degrees lower so that we could have snow would be nice.

Thomas and I have seen a couple of movies recently.  I can't think of all of them right now, so I'll have to do a review post soon.  But two of them are Big Hero 6 (adorable) and Mockingjay (wow).  So, look out for that post.

We also went to a Blues game a few weeks ago, and it was a really good time!  There were a few very amusing fights, and the game went all the way to a shoot out!  The Blues lost, but it was still a really good game!

I've got almost all of my Christmas shopping done.  Thomas is getting a killer gift this year!  I'm so excited about it, in fact, that it's wrapped and safely tucked away at my parents' house so that I can't lose my patience and give it to him early!

Well, that's all for now!  I'll try to make it less than two months before I blog again!

Work Work Work

This has been a crazy week!  I'm super glad it's Friday night and I've got a weekend of hanging out with my hubby ahead of me!  So, I'm at home, sitting in bed in a comfy new sweater watching some "Criminal Minds" and typing away!

I got some new responsibilities at work this week.  And I can be good at multi-tasking when I'm prepared, but when I'm not, I get overwhelmed pretty quick.  So, getting used to my new responsibilities took quite a bit of brain energy.  I'm glad I have the weekend to get my head around it more, and then I get to start next week fresh and with a plan!

Thomas and I are going to see Dracula Untold tomorrow.  I'm not sure how good it will be, but getting to hear Luke Evans talk for two hours will make sure a good movie!  He has one of those really great speaking voices, you know?!  And I am definitely interested in a story of how a good man decided to become Dracula.

Then we've got plans with my family to cheer on the Cardinals.  I know it's pretty much a crime to not be a huge Cardinals fan when you live in St. Louis, but I'm not.  I will watch parts of the game with Thomas when he wants to watch them, but I don't really care about baseball.  So really, I'm going for the food and the company, but don't tell the rest of St. Louis that.  Lol.

Man, am I missing my Florida lately.  It's been getting colder and super rainy this week.  I miss my sunshine and warmth and my friends.  Missouri certainly has its high points, but this week their not as easy to see.

I'm going to get started at my weekend started!  Enjoy yours!

Kittens and Hair-dos

We've had our adorable little kitten for almost three months now.  She is every bit as adorable, obnoxious, inquisitive, and persistent as the day we got her!  The only difference is that she's getting bigger.  We love her to death but still don't trust her one tiny bit!  I'm looking forward to two weeks from now when she'll have her front claws taken out so that she won't accidentally spear me when we're playing.  But I will miss her fantastic climbing skills.  Here are some pics of my babies!

The ceiling fan was on... This is the face I got.  Not to mention the fact that she's laying in my jeans.

Both cats seriously love this box.

"If I fits, I sits." -Lolo

My slippers are really soft and fuzzy (and hideous, Thomas says).

I was watching a cat video, so she came to watch with me.  She kept pawing the screen and pausing the video.  It was so adorable.

Lolo has been obsessed with towels that have outside smells on them right now.

Luna loves to nap with me.  She totally hopped up and laid with me like this all by herself.

She and Lo are getting along much better.  They're definitely still not best friends, but they are warming up to each other.  Luna is working at keeping Lo young and fit by playing with her constantly, and Lo is making up for it by eating most of Luna's food.  Lol.

What can I say... I love them!

I'm also totally still loving my hew hair cut.  I've been playing around with different styles.  And today I wore it in a ponytail for the first time.  Lol.  Pony tails used to be my go-to, everyday style, but in the past year or so I just haven't been wearing them hardly at all.  Weird.  I'm more into the braids and more "interesting" styles nowadays.  Here's the original pic (blowdry only) and straightened and curled, all of which take so much less time to do than they did with hair that was almost a foot longer!

Happy Saturday!

Surprise Date Day

Thomas is super awesome, so he informed me on Friday that he had made plans for us on Sunday.  He knows I love surprises, so he wouldn't tell me anything except how I should dress.

Even when we were in the car driving to our destination on Sunday, he still wouldn't tell me where we were going.  It wasn't until we were two miles away that I saw a sign that gave me a clue.

He knows how much I love history, so he took me over to Illinois to the Cahokia Mounds.  For those of you who aren't huge history fans, the Cahokia Mounds are a bunch of hills that were created by Native Americans.  There's a really cool museum with a ton of information about how the tribes lived and what the mounds were used for, and then you can walk the grounds and climb the biggest mound.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, and we had a great time!  Here are some pics from the day!

 The tribes built pretty big walls around some of their dwellings.

The mounds come in a bunch of different shapes and sizes.

Another reconstruction of one of their walls.

The biggest one, called Monk's Mound, is over 100 feet tall.

You can climb to the top of Monk's Mound via a lot of stairs.

And from the top, you can see downtown St. Louis.

A photo op at the top of the mound.

It was an awesome day!  Afterward, he took me for a BBQ lunch.  He's pretty awesome!  Here's to you, honey!

Apple Cinnamon Squares

Fall is here.  And every year with fall comes all things apple.  And you know I just absolutely love apples.  So last week I whipped up a batch of these delicious apple cinnamon squares.

These are a super yummy treat that are easy to make!  You don't even need a lot of apple, and this recipe uses ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.

Apple Cinnamon Squares
Adapted from: Allrecipes.com
Makes: a 9x9 pan

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped apple
 For Topping:
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x9 inch pan.
2. In a medium bowl, stir the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together.
3. Stir in the egg and vanilla.
4. Mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.
5. Add in the chopped apple and stir.
6. Spread the mixture into the prepared pan.
7. Mix the extra granulated sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.  Sprinkle on top of the batter.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the center is set.
9. Allow to cool in the pan and then cut into squares.

Enjoy this yummy fall treat!

The Fall Chop

In case you're not on Instagram or Facebook, here's a little peek at what I did today...

Ok, so technically, all I did was sit in a chair for a while.  Someone much more talented than me did the work!

I got about 9-10 inches off the total length and went with a long bob with side-swept bangs.  The stylist just blow-dried my hair, so it's got some bounce and wave to it. 

I can't wait to see how it looks both when it's straightened and curled!  Here are two of the photos I found on Pinterest and showed the stylist for inspiration.

So I'm excited to style it similar to these do's! 

Don't you just love getting a new haircut?!  I know I do!

Yep...Still Busy

So... I keep saying and thinking that I want to blog more again, and then it still falls between the cracks.  I guess you'll just have to bear with me or stop reading the blog.  Or maybe you'll find the proverbial door number three.

Anyway... I've got a new dessert recipe to post... Apple Cinnamon Squares... DELICIOUS!  I ate one about five minutes ago and could still go for another three... or four... or the rest of the pan. So, I will get that up later this week.

We haven't seen any new movies lately.  I know.  Shame.  We're working on it.

Here are some things I'm enjoying right now:

• The apple cinnamon squares.  Seriously.  They're awesome.
• Getting to wear my new boots (even if that means the weather is getting colder).
• Also, my new fake TOMS.  They're gray and white, and super cute and comfy... and they were only $12!  Woohoo!
• How great my past couple of runs have felt since the triathlon.  I've never realized how insanely good swimming is for you until now.
• Playing chess with Thomas.  We just randomly went to Oberweiss for some delicious ice cream on Sunday afternoon and decided to play chess while we ate.  So now we're playing chess together.  And I'm getting slaughtered. every. time.
• I'm also still super in love with my job!  It's pretty awesome.  And in case you were curious, here's an amazing video they did this weekend!  They actually have a package where they will film a wedding, edit it immediately, and then show a video at the reception!  Wow!  Talk about talent!  (And don't think I'm tooting my own horn here, I had absolutely nothing to do with the artistic beauty you see in the video!)

Wasn't that video awesome?!  I know, right!  And I get to work with these people!

Oh... also.  Stay tuned here and/or on Instagram tomorrow.  I may have some before and after photos coming up... And that's all the hint you're going to get!

Toodles!

A Short Update

I know... it has been entirely too long since I've blogged.  I've been a little busy.  Even now, I'm debating writing this short update because I only have 10 minutes until I need to be upstairs cooking dinner.  But here goes...

We're into the busy fall season at work (which is one of the main reasons I've been busy), which is great!  More hours, more responsibility!  Woohoo!

Thomas and I have seriously been enjoying country drives.  They are the main thing I missed when living in Florida (besides my family).  There's just something about driving fast down a country road while the sun is setting that makes you feel like everything's alright.

I have some major house-buying fever...  Which totally stinks considering that we're not looking for houses yet.  We have a few more months of saving before we get there, so I'm trying to be patient.

I am almost almost finished with my latest scarf.  I'm dying to put the final touches on it this week, but we'll see!

Oh, and I'm making Oatmeal Cream Pies tonight!  Yummy yummy!  Hop on over to the Recipe Index page to get the recipe!

Hopefully I will be back to blogging more often as I get used to the busier schedule!  Toodles!

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs

Thomas and I love love love Italian food.  And out of all of the Italian foods that exist, we really really love chicken parm.  So when I saw this recipe for Chicken Parmesan Meatballs on Pinterest, I just knew I had to make them.

And boy, did they live up to my expectations!  They were delicious!  We served them we some pasta and marinara sauce, a fresh salad, and some garlic bread!  Yum yum!

Chicken Parmesan Meatballs
Adapted from: Bake Your Day
Makes: approximately 24

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon parsley 

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Marinara sauce for serving

Your favorite pasta noodles for serving

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Mix all of the  ingredients (except pasta sauce and noodles) in a large bowl until combined. I really got in there with my hands.  But beware, it's really cold.
3. Scoop the mixture out and roll into 1-inch balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. 
4. Bake in the 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. The center of the meatball should read 165-170 degrees.
5. Serve with pasta and sauce and a fresh salad!

***Freezing Note:  I made the meatballs and then froze the leftovers.  On the day we wanted to eat the leftovers, I thawed the meatballs briefly and then stuck them in the oven for about 15 minutes to warm up again, and they turned out great the second time too!

I hope you enjoy!

My First Triathlon!

Woohoo!  Today has been a super good day!  I completed my first sprint triathlon, and I feel great about it!

I know yall are probably tired of hearing about my training, and blah blah blah.  BUT, I'm going to keep talking about it, because this is my blog!  Lol!

This morning started at a super-dark-and-tired 5am.  I woke up, took a little time to gather my thoughts, ate some breakfast, grabbed my bag, and headed out the door to the triathlon site.  I had to be completely ready to go and down at the lake for the swim at 7.  And before that, I had to set up my transition area, get my timing chip, and get my body marked.  I also wanted to walk the transitions a few times to make sure I knew where I was going for each one.

So at 6:15, as the sun came up, I walked into the race area, took a deep breath and went to stake a claim on a transition spot.  I knew absolutely no one there, so I had a lot of time to stand around (looking uber nervous, I'm sure) and watch what other people were doing to make sure I was doing it right.  Lol.

By 7 am, all 750 participants... that's right, 750(!!!) were gathered down by the lake, ready for the start.  This allowed me about 45 more minutes of standing around, looking (and feeling) very nervous.  But, my super awesome husband and parents ambled their way down to the swim area to watch, so I got to spend the last little bit talking to them.

My wave took off around 8, so we headed into the water to wait for the horn to sound.  And then we were off to start the 1/4 mile swim.  I was definitely glad to have the swim out of the way first because it was by far my weakest event.

After the swim, we walked/ran up the hill to the parking lot to grab our bikes and gear and set off for the 12.3 mile ride.  This was by far the easiest event.  There were bikers everywhere, and you were constantly passing or getting passed, and so it went by pretty easily and quickly.

Then we came back in to drop off the bikes and head out for the 2.5 mile run. 

I did walk a bit on the run which I was a little disappointed with, but it started out with this huge hill, and my legs really needed a little break.  But after than, I ran most of the way with just a few short walking breaks at the water stations.

I ran up the last hill and over the finish line, heard my name announced over the speakers as I came in, got my participation medal, and rode the wave of adrenaline of having actually done it! 

My goal time was 1 hour and 35 minutes, and my official finish time was 1 hour 35 minutes and 34 seconds!  Woohoo!  Never in my life have I been excited about getting a participation award, but today, I reveled in it!

And a super special thank you goes out to my husband who gave up sleeping in on his day off to help me get there and to support and watch me and take pictures for me as I participated, and to my awesome parents who also braved the ridiculous heat in order to cheer me on!  Thank you guys!

And I can tell you now, this won't be the last time you hear me talking about triathlons.  I've caught the bug!

A Life Update

A lot seems to be going on around here, though today I'm sitting at home alone working on some blog posts, watching Netflix, and unsuccessfully fending off a little kitten who just wants to sleep on my everytime I sit down.

I had swim practice for the triathlon this morning.  I can't believe it's on Saturday!  I've been working hard on my swimming, though none of it really prepared me for swimming in a lake with a bunch of other people this morning.  It was interesting to say the least. 

Swimming is definitely still my weakest area.  The breathing is just really difficult to get used to.  And of course, you don't get to practice and figure it out in private.  No, you have to be at a gym, in a pool with real athletes who know what they're doing, and lifeguards who are watching and probably thinking, Oh crap.  This girl is totally going to drown and then I'm going to have to jump in the water fully clothed and pull her out.  This is just going to ruin my day.  Yeah.  Swimming is definitely not my favorite. 

But, I now know a little bit better of what to expect for Saturday.  And it was seriously heartening to see the other participants for the sprint distance.  I was so relieved to see that I'm not the only person not wearing a professional grade triathlon outfit.  I'm not the only one who struggled with staying on course in the water.  I'm not the only one who doesn't have a super expensive road bike.  So, though I'm nervous about Saturday, I definitely feel much more confident that I'm not going to make a fool out of myself as long as I keep my nerves in check.

On another note, one of the reasons I'm more nervous about the triathlon than I'd hoped is because I haven't dedicated as much time to training as I would have liked.  Moving and then getting a job right away sort of messed up my routine, but I'll tell you what, I wouldn't be surviving at all without that job.  It was the one job listing that I was actually, truly interested in when we were looking for jobs while moving here, and I can't believe it's as great as it is.  I really love what I'm doing, and I love the people I work with and, more importantly, the people I work for.  It's so awesome.  And without that job, this move would have been so much harder than it already is on me.  So, it is such a huge blessing and relief to have something that I really enjoy doing.

The cats are getting along better with every day.  They really like playing together, which is great because it keeps them both active too.  And they've even head-booped and nuzzled each other a few times!  We have started leaving Luna out at night (not shutting her in the bathroom), and she's doing pretty well.  There are still plenty of times when she gets put back in there because she won't stop bothering me in the middle of the night or she can't keep her face out of Lo's food bowl.  But she's learning.  Our most annoying problem right now is that they just won't stop eating each other's food.  I don't know if it's a competition or jealousy thing or what, but it's ridiculous.  Luna is also not very good at self-rationing, so it's hard to regulate how much food she eats because when she runs out, she just eats Lo's.  But, oh well, there are definitely worse problems to have!

We're having our ups and downs right now, but overall, we're doing pretty well!

August Julep Box

Here's a peek at the contents of my August Julep box!

First off, isn't this the most beautiful and elegant tissue paper you've ever seen?!  I could practically frame it because it's so pretty.  (I won't though, because my husband would tease me to no end!)

This box included my two nail colors, a gel eye liner, and a phone cleaner as an extra perk.

I really love these two nail polishes.  They're right up my alley color-wise.  However, maybe I should have selected a different box for exactly that purpose.  Here is my collection of teal/blue polishes... so does it look like I need any more?  Not really.  But, I just really liked both of the colors, so I went for it anyway!

I have never tried a gel liner before, so I can't give you a very informed review of how good this one is, but I can tell you that I like the color, it goes on really smooth, and it's really easy to smudge for a more natural look.

And just as a little extra, in case you were wondering, here's a look at my polish collection (pre-August box).  As you can see, I have a few brand favorites.  And though I have a lot of polishes, I tend to gravitate toward the same color families.  So with the Ulta gift card I got for my birthday, it was my goal to find a color that I wouldn't normally buy in order to try something different.  I'll give you a peek at what I bought there soon!

Cute Kitten Overload

Warning:  If you do not like cute pictures of cats, DO NOT read any farther on this post.  There really isn't much content except for me being a typical adorable kitten owner and showing off photos of my babies.

We've had Luna for a while now, and though she is still having to be confined to a small room while we're out of the house or sleeping, just because she can't be trusted to not get into trouble or eat Lo's food.  But, she's doing really well.  She has adjusted to her new home and food, and she really seems to like her new sister.  Lolo, however, is still taking things slow.  She and Luna have been playing quite a lot and greeting each other in the mornings when I let Luna out of her room, but there's hasn't really been any cuddling or loving on each other.

So here are some cute photos of Luna antics, and the sweet few moments that I happen to capture with a camera.

The girls taking a break from a play session.

Apparently Daddy's belt is fun.

And Mommy's purse.

Luna and Daddy napping together.

Sleeping under a blanket.

And again.

And a very rare moment of the girls napping together!!!