The Weekend - We ate a lot!

Mic and I have decided that for the month of April we will not be going out to eat or picking up fast food. 
It is part of our "no spend plan". We do have a few things already planned, but nothing else is allowed to go on.

With that said we are going out every night until the 1st!

Just kidding!

However, we did have plans with friends on Friday and Saturday to go out to dinner. 

Friday night we headed to a local Japanese Steakhouse.
Honestly, we have always been kind of skeptical to go because it didn't look the greatest. 
It has been there awhile and we have always heard good things about it so we finally decided to give it a try.
Since we had X with us we chose not to sit a one of the Hibachi tables. 
X and I still enjoyed hibachi meals, while the rest of the table chowed down on sushi.
It was really good! We will be going back :)

They are two "soybeans" in a pod!

 X seriously rocked at using chopsticks the very first time he picked them up!
I can't even use them! Crazy!
And yes, X does have a knife in his hand...supervised.

 The table ordered 8 rolls! And when I say table, I mean the Mic and one other person!

They killed them all except about 5 pieces!

Saturday morning was booty barre time!

Then it was grocery shopping before heading home to shower and pick up the house before friends arrived. 

We ended up going to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants!

Yes, both evenings we took X with us.

Since he was born we have taken him out to eat with us.

I think it has helped with him understanding that he can't act out in public. 
Don't get me wrong, he is a typical 2 year old so there are the occasional outbursts and such.

Thankfully, he loves to entertain people and he is pretty cute to look at ;)

Plus, we tend to choose places that are on the louder side or family oriented so we aren't offending anyone if he does get a bit loud.

X enjoying his sopaipilla with chocolate drizzle :)

Sunday...I got caught up on most of the laundry (I really need to do a load a night!), watched Nashville & looked at a magazine while X took his nap, and then X and I watched the movie Epic together :)
He actually lasted a full hour before wanting to take a break to play or get a snack. 
Thankfully, play time didn't last long and we were able to finish the entire movie! 
This kid is really growing up!

So what did you do this weekend?
Do you take your little ones out to dinner with you?

Linking up with Bella & Lisa for

The Friday 5

Friday is here!
This week has been pretty great, but also pretty busy!

Linking up with two of my favorite Friday hosts...
Lauren @ Lauren Elizabeth for High five for Friday
and the lovely ladies listed below

{one}

We had an amazing time hosting our first small group dinner over the weekend! 
You can read about the theme and foods here :)


{two}

Today is day 5 of the Advocare 24 Day Challenge and I am feeling great! I have already lost lbs and inches!!!
Click here if you are interested in knowing more about it or are ready to press the reset button on your body :)


{three}

I have been to 4 Booty Barre classes in just over a week!
I am so happy I am going to class again!
This workout seriously kicks your butt in the best way possible!
I brought a friend (who is in great shape and RUNS every single day for an hour) to her first class on Monday. 
She loved it!
Her legs were trembling and she was sore (in a good way) the next day! 
She couldn't wait to return!
It seriously works muscles you don't even think about!
Click here to find a class near you :)


{four}

I received a few accessories I ordered from Hippie Chick Boutique this week and I am loving them!
I can't wait to rock this sailboat scarf and the red lobster scarf above (only navy left here)! 
And look how cute this starfish one is? Love them all!


{five}

I looked at the 10 day forecast and it appears that April will not only be bringing showers, but temps in the 40's and 50's :)
I am ready to retire my boots, winter coats, hats, gloves, etc!


So how was your week?
Where the temps frigid like here in Ohio?
Have you picked up any new items for your Spring or Summer wardrobe?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

10 things I like about myself

So Kayla from My Kind of Yellow wrote this post and it really inspired me to jump on board and do the same!

I am linking up this post for

Avoiding Atrophy

WOW! Coming up with 10 things about yourself that you truly like can be harder than you realize!
And it kind of come across a bit arrogant :/
However, it is a great challenge and a great way to be positive about yourself!

Here we go!

I have always had a gift of remembering things. Especially numbers. As a kid I could easily remember phone numbers and birth dates of everyone I knew (well before the days of Facebook & cell phones). Today I still remember anniversary dates, birthdays, and even our friends kids' birth dates.
I can remember lots of little useless details.
I remember almost all the lyrics to a song after hearing it only one time. I can remember names, occupations, details from conversations with people that I have only met one time and then don't see again for years. I even remember details about people I have never met! Just tell me a story and it will be forever embedded in my brain!
Oh, and then in high school I could even remember the outfits people wore and when exactly they wore it!
In softball season we used to have to wear dress clothes on certain game days. I had friends who would ask me when they wore something last because they knew I would remember!
Crazy, I know!

Even though I have been pretty shy most of my life, I have always been told how approachable I am. I make friends pretty easy. Just find a point of common ground and viola! A conversation and possible friendship are born! 
I credit this attribute to where and who I grew up with.

LeOta

As a kid I hated it! I mean I literally used to write something else down instead of my middle name I disliked it that much!
I would write "Lee" on everything!!!
I mean how many people have a middle name that has 2 capital letters in it?
By high school I really loved my middle name and enjoyed the fact that nobody else had anything like it. 
Well, other than my mom :)

Like blunt honesty. Sometimes thought of as having no tact :(
I don't like to sugar coat things. 
While this can get me in trouble from time to time, my friends and family know they will always get 100% truth from me.

I was in cheerleading my entire life. I even went back and coached a couple times after school. I love to dance! I have never had any professional training, but I have always been complemented on my dancing ability. 
I can pick up and do the routines that you see in videos and such with ease.

I will always be there for my true friends and family.
Yes, we all have faults but at the end of the day my friends and family are good people. 
I am also extremely loyal to MY teams! I have been a die hard Cleveland Browns fan since the day I was born! They let me down a lot, but just like my friends I will always be there for them. 
I am loyal to my hometown. It is where I was born and raised. 
It was a great small town to grow up in. It made me who I am today!

I don't like jewelry, fancy restaurants, expensive clothing or handbags. I don't like to go shopping. I don't enjoy going to the movies. 
My idea of a good time? A chain restaurant with my husband and maybe some friends too. 
Then let me go home and watch my TV shows :) 
Even better? Sitting around a campfire in my backyard with a drink in my hand, hanging out with some good friends, and the radio playing some great tunes.

If given the choice between an adult beverage, sweets, new clothes, etc. I would choose the option to workout every time! I feel so much better after a good workout. My mood improves instantly when I get to exercise! Now it is a tough call between watching my shows and working out, but I think I would still choose working out! God did invent DVR's after all :)

Funny thing is I don't eat most of what I bake.
I love making things from scratch and hearing the rave reviews from everyone. 
I even get requests from family members to make certain items each year.

They go with everything. They change based on what I am wearing.
Sometimes they look gray, sometimes green, even blue and brown.
They don't pop like those of you with blue or green eyes,
but they go with everything and they are mine :)

Not my actual eyes...mine are currently red and watery :(

Now it is your turn!
I challenge you to come up with ten things that you like about yourself and leave it in the comments below :)
Tell you what, I will let you get away with 5 things, but you are more than welcome to give me the full ten!


Adding this late, but I absolutely love this song!
If you haven't heard it yet, please take a listen.
The link won't come over from YouTube :(
But click here to listen to Miranda Lambert's song Automatic.
The lyrics are perfect!

Happy Thursday!

Healthy Life - ADVOCARE

At the beginning of the year I was so focused about eating healthy and working out...and then life just got in the way :(

I did really well in January making sure to plan our meals,

and make time to get a workout in at least every other day.

I hit my Dietbet goal (read about it here) in February and then stopped everything.

I still plan out our meals for the most part, but I got lazy.

We started picking up fast food again, eating Girl Scouts cookies, etc.

If I want to feel good about myself I needed to get back to the goals I set at the beginning of the year!

What does that mean?

Bringing Advocare back into my life.

I have always taken vitamins and supplements, 

but I have never found a product line or company that works as well as Advocare does for me.

The 24 Day Challenge is like a reset button for your body.

The best part about the challenge is you get to eat!

I have never been one for fad diets or liquid cleanses.

Advocare lets you eat...A LOT!

I munch on and off all day long, but during the challenge you need to focus on what you are eating and when. 

The hardest thing about the challenge is giving up pop, coffee and alcohol.

I don't drink all the time by any means, but when you tell someone they can't have something you naturally start wanting it.

I actually gave up pop for lent, and like I said above I don't usually drink unless it is a special occasion or something.

I have become addicted to coffee in recent months though.

This will be tough!!!

But that is where Spark comes in!

I currently have grape, watermelon and cherry.

It is like drinking a healthy Kool-Aid that boosts your energy!

I don't want to bore you with all the products that Advocare offers. So, if you are interested in learning more just comment below, send me an email, or check out my personal site here.

Why am I posting this to the blog?

Because YOU are going to keep me accountable!

As well as Instagram and a few of my workout buddies :)

Yesterday was Day 1 for me!

Starting measurements and weight have been recorded and fresh, healthy, non-processed foods have been purchased.

I am ready to be the best me I can be!

And look and feel good doing it!

There are tons of recipes on Pinterest, and other blogs and websites that can help you out along the way.

I absolutely love reading about the results others have had!

They even offer cheat sheets to help you remember what to have when, and what foods to have or avoid.

Beach body here I come! lol!

What kind of supplements or vitamins do you use?

Have you tried Advocare before?

*I was not contacted by Advocare, nor am I receiving compensation to write this post.

This my personal opinion of the company and their products.

My 1st Small Group Dinner

Not gonna lie...I rushed around like crazy Friday night and most of Saturday trying to get the house ready for guests. Do you all do that too? I think I work better under pressure. Sometimes I feel like our house will never be clean with a 2yo running around, a cat, and us both working full time running our own business (which means working all hours of the day!).

However, when the pressure is on I feel I rise to the occasion pretty well :) The bathroom - clean, the kitchen - spotless, dining room table - set, and the kid table - decorated for fun!

I have been wanting to host a small group dinner with a few (local) friends and their families for awhile now, but it just never was the right time. Plus, we are still (long story) in the process of remodeling our basement.

Some day there will be a post all about it!

The basement for the most part is complete and I really just wanted to be able to have a fun time with friends. So in the end who cares if my house isn't perfect! It is the conversations, good friends, good food, and laughs we will all remember!

I decided to make the evening St. Patrick's Day themed since the holiday was just on Monday and it would be an easy way to dress up the house. Plus, I found a million ideas on Pinterest (check out my board here) just for this holiday alone! Tons of printables to decorate with, coloring sheets for the kiddos, and more!

I found a few recipes on Pinterest (my go-to for everything) that fit perfectly with the theme. I made Guinness Pulled Pork in the crock pot and served it with Kroger cole slaw and mini slider buns.

I also made baked macaroni and cheese as a side for the adults and a main entree for the littles :) Both the pulled pork and mac-n-cheese were big hits!

And a special bonus I made some Leprechaun Bark for everyone to enjoy. I couldn't find green M&M's, so I just used regular ones to create Rainbow Bark :)

The other ladies filled in with appetizers, salad, and dessert.

One of my friends whipped up this chocolate ganache cake with fresh flowers in between painting and teaching barre classes!

It was amazing!!!

No party is complete without drinks!

We had green milk and cucumber water on hand for the kiddos, and some fun cocktails and wine for the adults.

Of course we had some Guinness on hand for anyone who wanted to get into the Irish spirit of things ;)

The main decorations were for the kid table, but I did add a few green items throughout the house too.

I found all the St. Patrick's decor at Hobby Lobby, Target, and Joann Fabrics. Everything was on clearance before the holiday even arrived so I didn't have much to choose from. Lesson learned! Shop early next year!

The kids each took home a cup, straw, necklace and a mini bag of Lucky Charms :)

I had sticker books, coloring sheets and crayons out for the kids. 
Side note: Why in a million years would I think that my kid would sit still to color? Or that he wouldn't try to eat the crayons? UGH!
I swear I have a wild animal instead of a toddler at times!

X with the other two toddlers that were there :)

X had a great time playing with all of the kids!

The rest of the evening was filled with lots of laughs and lots of drinks :)
Exactly how I pictured it!

I am already looking forward to planning more dinners in the future and inviting more friends to join the fun!
Maybe my next theme could a Backyard BBQ!
The possibilities are endless :)

Do you host a small group dinner with friends?
Do you like the idea of potluck dinners?

Linking up with Bella & Lisa for

The Friday Five

We have reached another fantastic Friday!

This week definitely had its ups and downs, but I am looking forward to another fun weekend with friends :)

1. We had such an amazing time at couple's yoga (read about it here) that I already signed us up for the April class! Weather permitting it is scheduled to be held outside near a lake/reservoir. It should be interesting and cool! 
Can't wait! 

2. On Monday we celebrated St. Patrick's Day by wearing green and eating lots of green foods....celery, grapes, spinach dip (spinach is green ;), green drinks, and of course Skyline Chili with green pasta!

 3. On Wednesday 2 wonderful things happened!

First, I was browsing through instagram and saw that the top I wanted so badly for this Spring/Summer was back at Hippie Chick Boutique! Actually, when I saw the post they had found one left and it was in my size so I flew to the website and snatched it up! I can't wait to receive it! And the only reason I found this wonderful little shop located in Texas is because Andrea @ Momfessionals blogs about their clothes that she wears! 
So Thank you Andrea!!!

4. The next wonderful thing about Wednesday was that I finally made it back to a Booty Barre class! 

I seriously have not been to a class since Labor Day weekend!!!

I so needed that class!

However, my body could barely keep up!

I felt like a first timer all over again :(

And the class has really taken off since I was last there!

You now have to reserve a spot for each class, and they fill up fast! I was technically on a wait list for the this one, but thankfully bumped up and was able to go. I immediately signed up for future classes to make sure I would have a spot. And to get my butt back in shape for the summer!

5. We are continuing our St. Patrick's Day celebration with a small group dinner this weekend with some local friends. This is the first small group we are hosting and I really hope it takes off :) Mic and I have so many great friends that we really just wanted to bring them together and get to enjoy them all! Can't wait to recap the get together for Monday!

A sneak peek of the kid table :)

Unfortunately, this week also had a few down moments...

My car stopped running (thankfully is easily fixable),

and X basically declared war on me :( My head is still hurting from all the hair pulling! 

Each day is a new day though :)

Linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday and these lovely ladies below for Five on Friday

How was your week?

What are your plans for the weekend?

#xvsdailylife2014 Week 11

I realize that a lot of the photos from this past week have been posted to the blog already so I am adding few other instagram goodies as well!

 Day 71 ~ This kid inhaled 9 Mickey D's chicken nuggets, a bag of apple slices, a serving of fruit snacks, and a turkey dog!
Not to mention a cup of milk and water!
After posting this photo he added some watermelon and teddy grahams to the mix!!!
#hedoesntevenlikechickennuggets #mustbeagrowthspurt

 The best condiment ever!!!!
Sticky Fingers BBQ sauce is amazing! Especially the Memphis Original :)

 Black Beauty has seen better days :(
Must go through the car wash soon!!!

 Day 72 ~ I made Shay's Baked Pizza Pasta Casserole and it was a huge hit!

 Day 73 ~ Friday night family snack was fresh popped "pop pop" :) X ate it in handfuls!

 Day 74 ~ We made it through our first couple's yoga class! So much fun! And the drinks after were good too :)

 I treasure family nap time!

Day 75 ~ Green red mashed potatoes on top of our Shepherd's Pie :)
#stpattysweekend #irishblood

Day 76 ~ It is Skyline time!

Green pasta for St. Patrick's Day!

Day 77 ~ I need this mantra after the day I had!