Wednesday, February 16, 2011

fighting the winter blues

last week i got to spend my day off with my lovely sister-in-law and my 2 adorable nieces. it was a cold, but sunny day and we decided to head off to longwood gardens where we could dream about springtime amongst all the beautiful flowers. after a long walk outside and an interaction with some wildlife we decided it was time to head into the conservatory where it was warm and flowers abounded (especially orchids). here's our furry friend we made who wasn't too sure what to make of my camera in his face.
once we walked into the conservatory we were immediately overwhelmed by the smell of flowers. it was AMAZING! within 30 seconds kesh and i were smiling and laughing and feeling uber excited about the promise of spring. we joked that we felt like we were on happy drugs. it was just that good. they have an orchid extravaganza going on right now and orchids were everywhere. the excitement wasn't lost on us- kyra & kylie felt it, too. they were twirling around and having a grand old time running around and breathing in all the yummy flower smells, too. 
we all know how easily the "winter blues" can set in and affect our attitude so i'm grateful for a day like that where you get to escape the snow and cold. thank you kesh for inviting me along on your fun adventure! if you're ever in southeastern, pa make sure longwood gardens is on your list of things to see.

happy wednesday everyone!


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

faves as of late

ok so i realize i can be a horrible blogger. it's not cause i want to be. i think a lot about things i want to blog about but then actually doing it is another story... and then the more time passes,, the more i struggle with getting in the groove again. plus i have lots of excuses, right? i mean i got engaged just over a month ago- hello stress and busyness! ok, it really isn't an excuse. granted i do spend way too much time perusing wedding websites, but i still have time to blog. in fact, i've been working on writing the story of G and i's relationship... i think i have like 4 parts done... still a few more to write and i feel like maybe i should let him read it before i post it on the world wide web. i know, i'm so very thoughtful.

so in an effort to kick-start myself back into blogging i decided to post about a few of my favorite things lately... i've done this a couple times before i think but it's fun to read and i've discovered lots of new favorite things by reading other bloggers lists as well. so here it is...

mint.com
ok so this might be a little nerdy but i've been hearing about this site for a while and i finally decided to check it out. it's a free site that helps you track your spending. it links to your bank accounts, credit cards, loans, etc and helps you budget and stay on track. this thing is loaded and did i mention it's free? wowzer did i get a reality check when i set this thing up and saw exactly where my money has been going! although i'm proud to say that my largest spending category is "gifts & donations." i have been telling everyone i meet about this site so go check it out (when you're done reading this of course)

One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are
one word to describe this book- inspiring. i have been reading ann's blog for several months now- www.aholyexperience.com and she has this gift of stringing words together in a way i could only dream to do. she can describe the most mundane tasks in such a beautiful way that you will actually appreciate doing those dirty dishes and sweeping up dust bunnies. this book makes you wanna cozy up by a fire on a cold night and breathe in its words... it's that good. so go get it. you won't be sorry. tell her i sent you. or don't cause she has no idea who i am anyways. plus it's on sale at amazon.com!

ok so i guess it wouldn't be a favorite things posts without mentioning some kind of food, right? i was so happy when i found these little debbie nutty bars in a single serving 100 calorie pack. i remember eating these as a kid... i mean hello! the combination of chocolate and peanut butter never gets old. now that i'm doing weight watchers (gotta get in wedding shape) these snacks have been a lifesaver for me. at 3 points a bar i can get my little dose of yumminess for an afternoon pick-me-up without ruining my diet. my baggy jeans thank you little debbie.

that's it for now. one of these days i'll update you all on the wedding planning progress (or lack thereof). 254 days to go which makes our wedding day october 15th!

so tell me, what are your favorite things right now? tell me! i need to discover the coolest new thing! or better yet, blog about it and leave me the link so i can check it out.



ummm yeah i obviously was not endorsed by any of these companies/authors... just sharing it with you out of the goodness of my heart.