I'm back - and with a detox juice recipe!

Hey guys!!!!  I know that I have been 100% absent from the blog world for about the last month, and I apologize.  Coaching cheerleading this year has completely taken over my life (along with teaching middle school full time and teaching a couple fitness classes each week).  Whenever I get time at home, I honestly just want to hang out with Daniel.  It's also hunting season, so I'm spending a lot of my "free" time in the woods. 

I hope that y'all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family!  We spent Thursday with Daniel's family, and Friday night we had Thanksgiving dinner with my family - Italian style!  My mom made lasagna and I made manicotti.  It was a fun night, and I am still full from all the food the last couple of days!

Since i'm sure we are all in some state of food coma from Thanksgiving, I decided to share a juice detox recipe that I've been enjoying lately.  Juicing is a great way to get in a TON of fruits and vegetables.  I made this recipe twice over the Thanksgiving break, and I bought more produce yesterday so that I can make it a few more times this week.  

Whenever juicing, I try to use the freshest ingredients possible.

                                                                   I also try to buy organic if I can!

The first time I made this juice, I accidentally threw away my piece of ginger with the ends of the celery stalks I had chopped off.  It was still very good without the ginger!  The second time, I decided to add some blackberries.  Well, guess what the blackberries did?  They turned my beautiful green juice completely black.  How dare they.  I actually preferred the juice without the blackberries, but I think they were tart and that may have been the reason.

I hope that each of you have a marvelous Monday and a fabulous week!  I promise (pinky promise!) that my next post will be less than a month away. ;)

much love!
natalie

so tell me...
do you juice?  if so, what is your favorite juice combo?

what was the BEST thing you ate over the Thanksgiving holiday?

October Foodie Penpal Reveal!

I know I say it with every Foodie Penpal Post, but how is it already the end of the month?  I seriously can't believe that October came and went in the blink of an eye.  That being said, it's time for another round of revealing my Foodie Penpal for the month!

This month, I was lucky enough to get paired with a kindred spirit - a Trader Joe's-loving, coconut-obsessing girl - it was a match made in foodie penpal heaven. 

Leila from Spinach and Skittles put together a LOVELY package for me.

Leila knew the way straight to my heart...coconut cookies, coconut chips, homemade pasta sauce (compliments of her husband), fig butter, local scone mix, TJ's fruit snacks, and my favorite.....sea salt and turbinado dark chocolate almonds!!!!!

I can't say exactly how many of these little coconut cookies I have eaten, but I will say that I opened the package before they even made it into the picture. :)

I may or may not have hidden them from Daniel...  I can't help it!  They are THAT good!

Are you interested in joining in the fun?  You don’t have to be a food blogger (or any kind of blogger) to participate, everyone is welcome! Please click here and fill out the form no later than Sunday, November 4th. Lindsay will send matches on Monday, November 5th. The spending limit is $15, and boxes need to be mailed out by the 15th of the month.  It's a fun way to "meet" new people and try unique and different foods.

You can check out the box I put together for my foodie penpal, Mellissa, here.

Have a great week!

much love,
natalie

I did it! My first half marathon!

Y'all, I seriously can't believe I did it!  I ran 13.1 miles!  YAY!!!!

Okay, sorry about the obnoxious opener. I seriously can't believe it's already over and behind me now.  It was everything I had imagined and more. Cliche, yes, but it's true!

The afternoon before the race, Daniel and I drove up to Clarksville, Tennessee (about 2-2.5  hours from where we live).  Once we checked in at the hotel, we headed over to the expo to pick up my race packet.  I can't even tell you how excited I was to get my bib number and my race shorts!

After enjoying dinner at Outback, we spent some time with my cousin, her husband, and my aunt at my cousin's lovely home.  I told Daniel that I wanted to be in bed asleep at ten, but that definitely didn't happen.  I was like a kid on Christmas Eve!  I couldn't sleep, and I think I woke up every hour and looked at the time because I kept worrying that my alarm wasn't going to go off haha.  Is that normal??

I got up around 5:15, downed a large water, grabbed a quick shower, and ate a banana while pulling on all my race apparel.  It was only in the low 40's so I went with my capris, a fitted tank, and my fila running jacket (vented sleeves!).  On the drive to the race start from the hotel (about 6:30), I ate a cinnamon raisin bagel thin with some peanut butter.  I stuffed a Gu in each side of my shirt, grabbed my music and earbuds, pulled on my gloves and set off to the start.  The race didn't start until 7:30, but I wanted to get there early since parking was limited (and I just couldn't wait another second!).  I hit up the port-a-potty right away as I was determined not to stop during the race.

We met up with the rest of the crew to take a few pictures and chat before the race.

My mom, Aunt Tricia, and Jennifer rocked the 5k, and Randy and I set out to tackle the half marathon.  We stayed together the first couple of miles of the race.  He finished right under 2:05! 

Okay, now for the actual race details.  Here is the elevation map.

Yeah, those first four miles were ALL uphill!  We ran up a bridge around mile 6.5 and it was a long steady incline, but it was beautiful!  It was over the Cumberland River and the multitude of fall hues on the leaves was absolutely breathtaking.  I snagged this photo while running up the bridge.

And I quickly took this one while running across the bridge.

I wanted to get a picture of all the gorgeous trees over the next five miles, but I was too focused on climbing hills and reaching the turn around point!  Trust me though, the oranges and reds were lovely and kept me somewhat distracted from pounding on the pavement.

When I came back down the bridge at mile 10.5, I grabbed a sip of water on the run and picked up the pace since I knew the killer hills were over.  I had been at about an 11-11:30 pace, which was fine with me (especially considering the HILLS - okay, I promise not to mention them again), but I wanted to finish under 2:30.  When I saw that 12 mile marker, I went into nearly a full sprint.  I tried to pass as many people as possible in the last mile (I was the one being passed the whole race, and it didn't bother me since I was just wanted to finish ha), and I crossed the finish line at 2:29 by the race clock.  My official chip time was 2:28:09.

The finish line was an emotional experience - actually, the whole race was an emotional experience!  Since it was that close to the military base, a good number of the runners were men and women stationed there. There were some guys running in full gear, others running in honor of fallen soldiers, and there was even a group IN Afghanistan that ran at the same time as us. I felt emotional because of the freedom we have because of them, and the freedom that running gives me on its own.  It was a great feeling.

Daniel got some pictures as I crossed the finish line, and it looks like I'm doing the "beauty pageant" wave in most of them.  I was actually waving to my family, just in case you were wondering.  I'm not the pageant type.

I was so excited to get my finisher's medal and then head over to tent to refuel.

Isn't that the best medal ever?  I think so. :)

I apologize for the rambling on!  Thank y'all for all your prayers, thoughts, and encouragement!  I'm already looking for my next half - any suggestions?

much love,

Natalie

Wait...the half marathon is THIS weekend?!

Seriously, y'all.  It's in 26.5 hours.  I am slightly freaked out, a little anxious, and very excited!!!! 

Daniel and I are leaving this afternoon to head out of town, and we should make it to the race expo around 5:30.  I have to admit that I'm excited about the race expo too (not nearly as much as the race). 

I don't know how the half marathon is already here, but I'm ready to knock this baby out.  People keep asking me if I have a goal time, which always makes me laugh.  No, no goal time for my first half ever, but maybe next time. 

I'll be sure to do a race recap post next week and let everyone know how it went!  Say a prayer for me!

In other news...Daniel and I celebrated our FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY this past Saturday.  We spent the weekend in Nashville and had a wonderful time together.  We went to Antique Archeology (the American Pickers store!), did a little shopping (when I say little I mean little - I bought one sweater and a pair of $5 sunglasses - we just aren't big shoppers), enjoyed our lovely hotel - the Opryland - and ate some scrumptious food.  We tried out four new-to-us places, and we both said we would happily go back to all of them. 

First, we went to 12 South Taproom for lunch on Saturday.

Daniel had a jalapeno patty melt and homemade fries, while I went with a spicy vegetable soup and crusty bread.  Of course, I was saving room for dessert at the famous Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams!

They had some amazing flavor combinations, and the line was out the door!  My mouth was watering the entire time I was being indecisive. :)  I sampled several flavors, and ended up going with half a scoop of salty caramel (their top seller) and half a scoop of pumpkin spice.  It was heavenly, and I can't wait to go back and try as many flavors as I possibly can!  The whiskey pecan is definitely on my list, as well as the sweet corn and black raspberry flavor.  I tried to take a picture of my ice cream, but I was too busy eating it to get a half way decent shot.  Sorry I'm not sorry.

Our anniversary dinner was at a cool little place in the Gulch called Sambuca.  Daniel had blackened snapper with a shrimp and crawfish etouffee and I had chili-rubbed scallops on risotto with asparagus and smoked tomato sauce.  Yeah.  It was ahmaaaazing. 

After a lovely brunch Sunday morning at Tin Angel, we headed to the one place we can't leave Nashville without visiting....Trader Joe's!  We stocked up on the usual suspects like sea salt and turbinado dark chocolate almonds, pizza dough, kale, pumpkin cream cheese, goat's milk creamy cheese, and baked onion rings (taste like funyuns!).

It's crazy to believe that it's been five years since our wedding, but it has been the best five years of my life!  If this half marathon on Saturday doesn't bury me, then I'm looking forward to the next five (and the next, and the next, and the five after that, and so on).

Okay - so seriously - next time you hear from me I'll be officially finished with my first half marathon!!!!!!!!!!! 

Have a GREAT weekend!
much love,
natalie

so tell me...

What did you do for your last anniversary/birthday/anythingelsefun celebration?

half marathon advice, anyone?

Hey y'all!  I can't believe it's already Thursday, but man, I am thankful that it is!

My half marathon is less than two and a half weeks away now.  I am extremely excited, but I also have those nervous, anxious feelings bouncing around inside my head.  The things that I'm worried about are so silly, honestly.  Will they show me where to go?   Will they explain everything to all the running newbies so we aren't just meandering around?  Will I be the ONLY one running a half for the first time?  In all reality, I'm sure they will show/tell me where to go and what to do.  And really, who cares if I am the only first-time half-marathoner out there...at least I'm running the dang thing, right?  I'm really hoping that y'all can help me out and let me know what to expect when I get to the race!

This past Sunday, I ran 9 miles before we went to church.  It wasn't exactly an easy run, but it was a good run for the most part.  The only part that wasn't that great was getting chased by four, yes FOUR, dogs on one street.  I really thought that this one blue-eyed Cujo was going to try to eat me, so I cut through someone's yard only to realize I was being chased by Cujo, Jr (the chihuahua version).  I was glad to get off that street.  I stuck to my ten-minute per mile pace, which I'm okay with....for now.  I ran again yesterday when I got home from work - a slightly quicker 2.5 mile run (averaging about 9:10 per mile - I know you are jealous of my speediness!), and I'm planning on getting another short run in on Friday morning.  My last long run will be this weekend on Sunday morning, and I'm hoping to clear eleven miles.  Now, I know some of you are cringing at my hoping and guessing and inconsistent training.  But hey - at least I'm running that half marathon! :)

Someone asked me if I was going to put one of "those little 13.1 stickers on my car" after the race.  I think I need this one, don't you?  I want to put one on every window, but Daniel says that may be a little too much.  Whatever.

Let's recap my goals for my first half:

1. Don't die.

2. Finish the race.

3. Run the entire time.

And yes, they are in that order for a reason. ;)

Since I've been completely obsessed with everything running lately, you know I've been perusing Pinterest for some running inspiration and motivation.  Here are a few of my favorites:

I can't exactly express how I feel about running - it is hard, it is rewarding, it is challenging, it is a way of life.  I'm greatly looking forward to being a lifelong runner and experiencing all the wonderful benefits of running.

But most importantly...

Check out my pinterest running board to see all the original sources of these lovely pictures!

Hahaha....seriously!

Okay, so I need your advice!  Please please please tell me what to expect, what to wear, motivational tips, what to do after, etc etc etc.  Any and all advice is appreciated!

I hope that y'all have a wonderful day!

much love,

natalie

so tell me....

What is your number one reason to run???

September Foodie Penpals Reveal!

It's hard to believe that my birthday month (or what most people call it - September) has already come and gone.  As crazy as it is that this year is passing by so quickly, I am very excited for FALL! 

As always, with the end of the month comes another round of FOODIE PENPALS!  Shout out to Lindsay who puts an incredible amount of time and effort into this fun program! 

This month, the sweetest Heather at Lopez Family Laughs sent me a wonderful package full of delicious goodies! 

local honey - this stuff is amazing!

Dark Belgian chocolate covered almonds, local honey, cinnamon almonds, Justin's (YAY!), Clif bars, White Chocolate Wonderful, and a fun toy for my fur babies! 

In case you are lost on the idea of Foodie Penpals, it's open to bloggers AND readers!  Here's some more info:

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! 
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month. 
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents.  Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We've determined things might get too slow and backed up if we're trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa. 

If you’re interested in participating for October, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions. 

You must submit your information by October 4th as pairings will be emailed on October 5th!

You don't have to subscribe to this - you can do it every month, just one month, as many or as few months as you would like!  It's a fun way to get to know new people and learn about different foods.  Click below to sign up!

If you want to see the foodie penpals box that I sent out this month, head on over to Gina's blog Health Love and Chocolate to check it out!

I'm pumped because I have a short work week (yay for FALL BREAK!), and I have a running update for you planned for this week!  I hope that everyone has a fantastic Monday!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

What would you put in your foodie penpal box????

birthday musings

Well…I'm officially 28 now.  Is it just me, or does 30 seem to be getting closer and closer? ;)

As I reflect over the last 28 years, I am overwhelmed by the extent of the Lord's blessings in my life.  From the relationships that I have to the people that I've lost, from the lowest valleys in my life to the highest mountaintops - I continue to see God's provisions in my life and how He truly has a plan for me.  

28 random birthday musings

1 - Daniel is most definitely the better half of our relationship :)  I don't know what I would do without that man!

2 - My favorite tv show will always and forever be FRIENDS.

3 - Teaching is a calling, and I feel more strongly each year in my career that it is my calling.

4 - God puts some people in our lives for a season, and even when we try to hold onto them, they aren't meant to be in our lives forever.

5 - Letting go is hard, but once you finally do it, you get that amazing sense of freedom.

6 - Life is too short to waste time being angry and holding grudges.

7- Worrying is another waste of time.  Trust God.

8 - Dancing is fun and will always put me in a better mood!

9 - I love the UT Vols - even when we aren't the best (or anywhere close) - GO BIG ORANGE!

10 - I'm thankful that everyone doesn't like my favorite teams.  How boring would that be?

11 - I love my family.  All of them.  Even the crazy ones.

12 - I love our church and am so thankful for our ministry team and the wonderful people that attend Journey with us.

13 - Running is hard.  I have actually learned to love it, but it's still hard - especially those first two miles.

14 - The iPad 3 is pretty darn cool.  

15 - I have the best coworkers ever.  Seriously - they are encouraging, uplifting, hilarious, fun, and devoted prayer warriors.

16 - I'm not good at the game "who sings this random song on the radio?"  Daniel is.  See musing #1.

17 - I'm thankful that I worked at a law firm for nearly 3 years.  It's definitely not where I would want to be today, but I'm incredibly appreciative of the learning experience it provided and the relationships that came from it.

18 - If you don't go after your dreams, someone else will.

19 - Sweet potatoes are awesome.

20 - I still haven't punched anyone in the face (it's on my bucket list).  Maybe 28 will be the year...

21 - It's hard to find true friends, but man, they are worth finding (and keeping)!

22 - Those car repo shows are the most annoying thing on tv (except for Honey Boo Boo - don't even get me started!).

23 - Laughter is truly the best medicine.

24 - Anything worth doing is probably going to be difficult, and I'm okay with that.

25 - Being kind is often more important than being right.

26 - The more I surround myself with God's word, the more I hunger for it.  

27 - Salted caramel and dark chocolate is pretty much the epitome of perfection.

28 - I know my mission in life.  Love God and love others.  I want to point others to Him through my words, attitudes, actions, and reactions.

To add to the randomness, I want to leave you with my favorite quote.  I can't tell you how many times I've said this to myself and shared it with others.  

I hope that y'all have a great Friday!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

What is your favorite quote?

What random thought is on your mind right now?

FINALLY!!!!

Hey y'all!  This has been a long time coming, and I'm so excited to finally reveal the new blog!

My friend JR did a fantastic job setting everything up for me, and I never could have done this without him.  If you need a blog redesign, definitely check him out!  Thanks, JR!

The past two weeks have been a completely blur.  Homecoming was last week at Trinity, and in case you didn't know, that means a LOT for the high school cheerleaders (and their coach ;)).  We had practice twice a day (before and after school), and we spent all of last weekend decorating the school.  It was a fun week, and everyone seemed to really enjoy our decorations and themed dress-up days, but I have to admit that I'm glad it's over!  My team did an outstanding job in their routine Friday night, demonstrating that hard work and dedication definitely pay off.  Our team played a great game and brought home a victory Friday night as well, so I would say that homecoming was an absolute success all the way around! 

Let's switch gears to RUNNING!  In less than four weeks now, I will have completely (hopefully) my first half marathon!  I am feeling anxious, excited, nervous, confident, and determined all at the same time.  I'm assuming that's all normal, right?  I have a medium-length run mapped out for tomorrow, and I'm hoping to hit 10 miles next weekend.  TEN MILES!  I know for some of y'all crazy legs runners that ten miles is a warm-up, but for someone like me it is a HUGE HUGE HUGE deal.  Say a prayer for me if you think about it!  I'll keep you posted!

Final little announcement....it's my birthday week!  It's actually this Wednesday the 26th, but my sweet husband gave my present last Wednesday.  I was venting to him about some work issues and how I was trying to handle a stressful situation, and about 30 minutes later, he walked in with a present.  I tried to guess what it was (but he wouldn't let me shake the bag...no fun), but I couldn't figure it out.  I opened it up to find this little beauty!

EEEEEEEEK!!!!!!  The iPad 3!  I cannot even explain how ecstatic I was (and still am)!

Seriously, this man I have - he's the best.  Not because he bought me a cool gift, but because he is so thoughtful and sweet.  He gave it to me a week early because he wanted to cheer me up.  I've said it before, but he plans out presents/dates/ideas for me, and usually it's something I've mentioned in one of my random babblings but never actually asked for.  He's a keeper. :)

All my "free" time this weekend has been spent playing on the iPad (which is still nameless...any suggestions?).  I've never really cared about having the "latest, greatest technology" but I feel so tech-savvy having this and my m-swag (macbook air).  My phone is due for an upgrade, and I'm thinking that the only option is the iPhone (4S, not the 5) to match my other apple products.  Don't you agree?  Luckily, since the 5 came out, the 4S isn't too expensive, and I get a rebate!  Hopefully I'll get that taken care of in the next few weeks. 

Okay - time to get to cheer practice.  We go to a tumbling gym on Sundays, and it's impressive how far my team has come!  I'm extremely proud. :)

I hope you have had an amazing weekend!  I'll be back soon (pinky promise!).

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

What do you think of the new blog???

Are you a techy person????  What's your favorite piece of technology and why?

What are the best apps to download?????

my favorite running day ever

Hey y'all!  

I sincerely hope that you each had a marvelous Monday!  I am just so excited right now because I hit a new running milestone yesterday!

In case you are new around here, I'm training for my very first half marathon.  The race is a little bit less than two months away now, and I'm trying to increase my mileage in an extremely safe way.  However, in the last few weeks, I haven't been getting in my long runs on the weekends.  Sure, I'll run two or three short runs during the week (usually 2-3 miles each), but the distance running just hasn't happened lately.  Last time I ran any sort of long run (for me - remember I'm still a running newbie) was almost a month ago, and it was a six miler.  

Enter Monday: my favorite running day ever.

Yesterday morning, I woke up super early - 4:30 - and couldn't go back to sleep.  I read my Bible (on my phone via the youversion Bible app - it's awesome!) for about 30 minutes until my alarm went off.  I hopped up and started getting ready to go out for a run, and I was all set to go at 5:15.  I kissed Daniel goodbye and headed out the door.  Did you know that it's still pitch black dark at 5:15 a.m.???  It may be just me, but I don't feel safe running in the black dark with no street lights (too many CSI, Law & Order, and Criminal Minds episodes!).  It was also drizzling rain, so I headed right back inside.  I was determined to run today since I didn't get a long run in over the weekend.  I packed up all my stuff for the day, took a quick shower, and drove to school to run on the track.

(source)

The track around our football field is one quarter of a mile.  I set out with the goal of running twelve laps, which would equal three miles (I know, I'm an amazing mathematician).  The rain had stopped and it was a cool 62 degrees with a light breeze.  I reached in my bag for my little shuffle, and came up empty-handed.  WHAT??????  NO MUSIC????  HOW WILL I RUN???  Yeah - all those things went through my mind!  I then remembered that I am strong (and extremely stubborn) and could get myself through 12 circles around the track.  As soon as I started, I decided to pray through the first lap.  Then, I decided to pick one thing to pray about for each lap I did.  This seems like no big deal, but I know I am guilty of the 2 minute prayer that encompasses everything, so it was a nice change to really focus on one thing or person and pray about nothing but that for at least two and a half minutes.  I kept thinking of more things that I wanted to talk to God about, so I ended up running 14 laps total (3.5 miles).  The run felt amazing.  I honestly did not even miss the music.  Prayer is such a powerful and peaceful thing, and it was the best start to the day and to the week.  I think this will be my new Monday morning routine!  Anyone else want to join me for a prayer run?

I went throughout my day planning, teaching, and prepping for the rest of the week.  I had it in my mind that I wanted to get in at least 2 more miles after cheer practice.  When I got home, I was having those "oh, I ran this morning" and "man, I just want to sit down!" thoughts.  I punched those thoughts in the face and mapped out my evening run.  I set out at 6:15 and ran a loop that ended up being 4.15 miles.  That's right - I, Natalie, the former non-running-enjoyer, ran TWICE in one day for a total of 7.65 miles.  Yep, I'm proud!  On Wednesday, my friend Amy and I try to run after school together, and this week we are planning on either 4 or 5 miles depending on what time we get to start.  It's supposed to be warm, but hopefully it won't be too terribly bad.

I still can't believe all this running talk is coming from me - who have I become?  :)

I hope that y'all have a great day today!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

Why do you run???

What motivates you the most to get out the door and start your run (or any workout)?

my feet hurt

Oh my gosh, y'all!  It's been about ninety years since I last posted, and for that I do apologize.  

In-service started last Tuesday, and the kids came for a little while on Friday to get their schedules and set up their lockers.  Do you know how important it is to have a fully decorated locker in middle school (for girls, obviously)?  Let me tell you, it is a BIG deal.  I'm talking lockers fully lined with wrapping paper, shag rugs on the bottom, blinking lights when you open the door, and one girl even has a chandelier!  

 (source)

This is what I'm talking about!  I believe one girl has this exact locker somewhere on our hallway.  I think I had a mirror and a magnetic white board in my locker in middle school, but that was it.  Funny how things change.

Anyway, so Monday was our first full day, and then last night we had parent orientation.  I was in charge of leading the 7th grade orientation, and I think one parent commented after and said it was like going to comedy hour.  I don't know if that was a good thing or bad thing for them, but at least I made them laugh!  I am really excited about this year - the kids seem very sweet and enthusiastic about pretty much everything.  Most people don't understand middle schoolers, but I think they are pretty awesome (and yes, I do know that they are moody, hormonal, clumsy, and generally awkward kids, but it doesn't bother me on most days).  We've only had three days of class, and I've already heard some pretty hilarious things.  One kid asked me if I was the type of teacher that was going to threaten to hurt him all the time (???) and several others keep saying "consecration camp" instead of "concentration camp" when discussing our summer reading.  I just love them!

I've worn heels everyday (wedges except for today...they may have been 4 inch heels...don't preach to me about it...my feet already have that covered), and I can tell that I haven't been wearing them all summer! I got used to living in my Reef flip flops or athletic shoes.  It's definitely going to take me a little bit to get back into the swing of things - like getting up at 5 a.m. everyday - and I hope to be back to a regular blogging schedule soon.  Until then, random posts will pop up whenever I have a free second.  

I hope that y'all are having a wonderful week!  Catch me up on your lives!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

what type of shoes do you wear to work?

do you wear heels often?

let's do this

The time has come.  

Today is my first day back at school for inservice - how is that even possible?  I seriously have no idea where the summer went (but I do know that it was FUN!!).

Although I will miss the freedom of summer, I am very ready to get back into my routine.  

I picked out my clothes last night (I'll do my best to remember to take a picture!) and packed up my cheer and gym bag.  Some very kind people are providing breakfast and lunch at school, but I have some extra healthy snacks stashed away as well.  I made some overnight OIAJ and dropped a lara uber bar in my bag.  Hopefully I won't get too hungry.  :)

This morning's workout was a good one!  It's a lower body workout based on exercises Jessica Simpson did to get her legs and booty in shape to play Daisy Duke.  I'll post it later this week!

Have a fabulous Tuesday! 

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

What will you miss the most about summer?

What are you looking forward to most this fall?

the rest of daniel's birthday week and my announcement

Is it really already Saturday???  Wow - time flies when it's your last week of summer break!  

I hope that y'all had a great week and a fun Friday night!

Daniel and I have had a fun week celebrating his birthday (even though he says it's "just another day" - psh).  For his birthday dinner, he requested chicken and cheese enchiladas, so that's what I made.  I wanted to make him some type of summer dessert, so I bought some fresh peaches and made a couple of individual peach pies.  I didn't really have a recipe, so I was surprised with how delicious they turned out to be!

served hot with a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream

The rest of the week was fairly uneventful until we got around to Friday.  I had an early morning haircut appointment (nothing new - just a trim) and then came home to tell Daniel what I had planned for us.  I had told him to not make any plans for the whole day because I had something up my sleeve!  We grabbed lunch at Panera before hitting the road for Memphis.  One of our best friends recently moved to Memphis, so we stopped and chilled with him for a couple hours.  It was SO GOOD to catch up with him!  We did a little shopping and then decided to go to the Cooper Young district to walk around.  Our first stop was Cafe Ole, and then we ended up going to Cortona for dinner.  It's a contemporary Italian restaurant, and oh my gosh, the food was incredible.  It started with fresh bread and herb compound butter that was delicious.  I asked our server for his recommendation on dinner because I was having a very hard time deciding what to order.  I went with his suggestion and it was one of the best Italian dishes I've had in my entire life (seriously!).  I ordered the chicken and asparagus ravioli with walnut cream, pesto, pine nuts, and fresh shaved Reggianno cheese.  I can't even begin to explain how scrumptious this meal was.  All of the pastas (and pizza crusts) are homemade with imported Italian flour.  Yeah.  It was to die for.  Usually I don't like to order the same thing at a restaurant, but I would totally get the exact same thing the next time I go.  Daniel ordered the grouper special, and the fish was incredibly fresh and the sides were quite tasty as well.  I wanted to order dessert so badly, but I was already overly full (and it was worth it).  After that, we drove to a cool place in Germantown to hang out for a bit before heading back home.  It was such a fun night, and it was great to be able to spend that much time celebrating Daniel's birthday.

sorry for the fuzzy phone pic

Okay, now on to that announcement...

Remember when I said that I was officially training for my first half marathon?  Well, my training has been sidetracked for several reasons over the past month (vacation, the ridiculous TN heat, and some digestive issues), and there is no way I can be ready to run 13.1 miles for the Chicago half marathon in September.  SO, I decided to find another half that was a bit later.  My cousin and her husband told me about the Go Commando half in Clarksville, TN (near Fort Campbell military base).  It's October 20, so that gives me quite a bit of extra time to train AND hopefully it will be much cooler!!!!  I went ahead and registered for it, so I am officially signed up to run my first half!!!  Since I'm going back to work next week, my schedule will be much more consistent, so I can get settled into a training routine.  I am very excited!  I really hope they have tshirts that say something like "I went commando for 13.1" hahaha.  Wouldn't that be funny?  Anyway - I'm a little disappointed about not going to Chicago, but this will definitely be better for me.  I've got to get back into my long runs on the weekends. 

 

Daniel is at the duck blind drawing this morning, and this afternoon we are going to church for a bit to work on setting up for tomorrow's service.  I hope y'all have a great Saturday!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

What did you do for your last birthday?  

Anybody have a race coming up soon?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!

Happy birthday to my sweet husband!

I have to brag on him - he has an amazingly strong faith AND the boy cooks, cleans, gardens, works so very hard, and always gives 110% in everything.

He treats me like a princess.

He puts up with my difficult ways and all of my nonsense.

He makes me smile and laugh every day.

And - he is a total hottie. 

I'll post about his birthday present later this week - hopefully he will like it!

much love,

natalie

putting the suitcase away

I'm back!  After several weeks of traveling, house sitting, and more traveling, I am finally putting my suitcase away (that is, once I actually unpack it).

I have had so much fun this summer, but it seems impossible that tomorrow is the last day of July AND that this is my last week of summer break.  Where did it go?!

Last Wednesday I headed out to Nashville to spend the night before flying to Ohio on Thursday.  My first stop was Fleet Feet to get new running shoes!!!  Aren't they awesome?!?!?!

That night, I met up with my mom and another girl and we went for dinner at this great little place called The Yellow Porch.  We didn't go until 9 and we definitely missed the big crowd because we were seated immediately.  All of our food was wonderful, but the caprese salad stole the show.  

On Thursday morning, my mom and I went to a little place called Marche for a delicious breakfast before heading to the airport.  I ordered flax toast with fresh ricotta, peaches, and honey and a fried egg on the side.    Mom ordered one fried egg and the savory crepe of the day, which was potato, lemon, and mint.  Of course, we split our food and everything was delicious!

We flew to Columbus where my sweet cousin Laurel picked us up.  She had to go back to work, but dropped us at Easton to shop for a couple hours.  After a somewhat successful shopping trip and grabbing a light bite to eat, she picked us back up and we headed to her lovely home.  My amazing blogger friend, Lindsay from In Sweetness and in Health, lives nearby and came to meet us for dinner.  Lindsay and I connected through Kristen and got to know one another through our Bible study and countless emails and texts.  She is incredibly sweet, thoughtful, and caring.  If you don't read her blog, you definitely should!  It was so much fun to finally meet her in person, and it really felt like I was just seeing an old friend.  We chatted the night away and enjoyed a scrumptious dinner at a cool pizzeria called Harvest.  I can't wait until we can meet up again!

Late that night, we rode with my cousin to a little place outside Toledo.  We were there to celebrate with my mom's oldest sister - 29 years of being cancer-free!  We joined in on all the food prep on Friday and also had a great time catching up on everyone's life!  The party was Friday night, and it was a blast.  The food was great, and the DJ played a great mix of music until midnight.  Needless to say, when I wasn't explaining my southern accent (those Ohio people thought it was so funny and kept asking me where I was from haha), I was dancing the night away.  It was a great night celebrating my aunt's health and life.

On Saturday we spent the day at my aunt's lovely home eating leftovers and watching my little cousins swim and play.  All too soon we were headed to the Detroit airport to catch our flight back to Nashville.  We drove straight from the airport to meet my cousin and her husband at The Cheesecake Factory (I had never been!) for dinner.  Oh my gosh - that menu is quite overwhelming!  I ordered a glass of skinny sangria, farro salad, and salmon rolls.  I couldn't finish my meal, and ordering dessert was out of the question.  I guess I'll have to go back sometime to get some cheesecake!  

After crashing that night (I slept in the exact spot where Steve McNair was murdered - pretty cool, huh? - it's actually a really nice apartment!), I got up the next morning and headed to my favorite place - Trader Joe's!  I stocked up on everything I needed (and a few extra items...dark chocolate coconut bonbons...mmmm) and then headed home.  As soon as I walked in the door, I gave Daniel a quick kiss and then my mom's other sister (from Texas) stopped by with her husband, one of her daughters and her grandson.  They were in town for a high school reunion, and it was so good to catch up with them!  When everyone left, the only thing I wanted to do was hang out with Daniel and take a nap haha.  Instead, I headed off to tumbling with my cheerleaders (who are truly amazing, by the way).  Once back home, we chilled for a bit and then I convinced Daniel to take me to Sonic for 1/2 price shakes.  I got a mini vanilla caramel hot fudge shake, and it was perfect.  After that, we both crashed!

Okay, enough of this rambling!  I hope that y'all had a great weekend!!!!!!!!!  I have an announcement later this week, so be watching for it!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

Do you unpack your suitcase as soon as you get home, or do you put if off?

Do you see your family often (parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins)?

french toast pancakes

Good morning, friends!  I hope that your week is going well so far, and if not...well, it's almost the weekend! :)

This morning I was craving something delicious for breakfast.  Don't get me wrong, the cinnamon Life I had yesterday was delicious, but I wanted something that offered a bit more flavor and that kept me full.  I decided to cook up some pancakes, but didn't want to fuss with a lot of ingredients.  I searched some of my favorite recipe blogs and cooking sites, but then decided to just wing it.  It was a good decision, because I ended up with French toast pancakes.  That's right - two of the most classic breakfasts foods in one.  

French Toast Pancakes 

note - this recipe is for one serving (three pancakes), but it could easily be multiplied to fit your needs

Ingredients

one egg (farm fresh from my sweet friend, Amy)

1/3 cup low fat cottage cheese

1/3 cup oats (I used regular, but I think quick cooking oats would also work)

4 or 5 drops NuNaturals vanilla stevia (or 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 pack stevia, splenda, or sugar)

1-2 tsp coconut oil (or whatever oil you have on hand)

Blueberries (optional)

Directions

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender.

Heat oil in skillet or griddle over medium-high heat.

Using a spoon or 1/4 cup measuring cup, drop batter into skillet (should be 3 quarter-cup servings).

If using blueberries, drop a small handful on top of each pancake.

Cook until bubbles start to form and pop (I think about 3-4 minutes).

Gently flip over and cook on other side until desired color is reached.

Enjoy with toppings of choice!

The egg in these pancakes gave them a French toast taste, and they were incredibly delicious!  I enjoyed mine with a little Brummel and Brown yogurt spread and some maple syrup.  Some other toppings that would be great would be nut butters, Greek yogurt, fruit, fruit spreads, nuts, chocolate (I had a very hard time deciding between adding chocolate chips or adding blueberries), etc. 

As far as nutrition stats go, let's compare these to typical pancakes.  According to myfitnesspal, one serving of pancakes has 275 calories, 33g carbs, 13g fat, 8g protein, 675mg sodium (!!!!), and 9g sugar.  This recipe (not including blueberries or any toppings) has 235 calories, 22g carbs, 9g fat (mostly from the egg), 18g protein, 375mg sodium, and 4g sugar.  So basically, half the sodium and double the protein - um YES please!

I'm heading out to Nashville today and flying to Ohio tomorrow to be with my family for a celebration (more on that later).  I hope y'all have a great day!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

What's your favorite topping(s) for pancakes?

Which do you like more, French toast or pancakes?

overcoming fear

Good morning!!!!

I'm back!  Whew - last week was a fun, crazy, and exhausting one to say the least!  Cheer camp was a great success, and I wish y'all could have seen those 80 little girls performing for their parents at the end of the week.  It was so precious.  I'm finally getting the Justin Bieber and One Direction songs that we played all week out of my head.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJO3ROT-A4E]

Yeah.  Moving on...we are going to have a deep conversation today - ready?

I have had several conversations lately about fear.  Talks with friends, families, my cheerleaders, etc really have me thinking a lot about how we let fear get the best of us all too often.  

By definition, fear is:

1. a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain, etc., whether the threat is real or imagined; the feeling or condition of being afraid

2. a specific instance of or propensity for such a feeling: an abnormal fear of heights

3. concern or anxiety; solicitude: a fear for someone's safety

4. reverential awe, especially toward God

5.something that causes feelings of dread or apprehension; something a person is afraid of

 

Now, the fear I'm talking about isn't just the "phobia" type of fear (side note - do you KNOW how many legit phobias there are???? fear of the moon??  fear of clouds?  fear of the color purple??).  I'm talking about the fear that robs us of our joy and happiness; the type of fear that comes with taking risks and accepting new challenges in life; the type of fear that comes when we step out of our comfort zone.  Satan likes to creep in with those "what if I fail" or "what if it doesn't work out" questions.  There's also always that one person who likes to point out all the things that could go wrong.  But what if we stopped thinking like that?  What if we focused on all the things that could go RIGHT and the amazing experience we may have?  

 

I kind of feel like I'm jumping around, but it just bothers me that so many of us let fear control our lives.  Fear is definitely something we need in our lives - thankfully God designed our bodies so that we would have that emotion when faced with danger or pain.  At the same time, we can't let it control our lives.  In the Bible, you will continuously come across passages that begin with "fear not" or "do not be afraid" or "do not worry." 

 

 

That verse blows my mind - God has given us a spirit of POWER, not of fear!  

 

So, we know we have fear, but how do we overcome it?  For me, my answer comes straight from scripture. Jesus said that we would have many trials and troubles in our lives, but to take heart, because HE has overcome the world (John 16:33).  

 

1. pray - pray that the fear is taken away and a peace is restored; pray for wisdom; pray for clarity.

2. be confident - many of us are captive to our fears because we have believed them for so long and let them take hold of our lives - give those fears the cold shoulder and believe in yourself!

3. face them - that's right - face your fears.  how are you supposed to deal with them if you're running away from them all the time?

4. risk it - know that anything worth doing usually involves some sort of risk - and there's only one way to find out if it's truly worth it.

This week, I am going to face some of my own fears and work on overcoming them.  One thing that I will be working on is my fear of needing to fit a certain mold or be a certain body type.  Instead of feeding that fear by criticizing my body image, I am committing that I will say something positive to myself every day when I'm getting ready in front of the mirror.  Sounds silly, but I know that those positive thoughts will help keep the negativity and fear at bay.  

I hope that y'all have a great Monday and that you identify and conquer a fear this week!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

Do you struggle with fear?

How do you overcome fears in your life?

Do you have any weird phobias????

madness

I may be absent from the blogosphere for the remainder of the week.  It's elementary cheer camp week, which means I am in charge of a gym full of screaming little girls! :)

We usually have about 60-65 girls at cheer camp, which is a lot of kids to manage at once haha, but this year we have 79 campers!  SEVENTY-NINE!  I am so thankful for my varsity cheer squad - they get community service hours for working the camp, and it helps them to be better cheerleaders when they have to be responsible for teaching it to someone else.  I definitely could not do this camp without them.  Needless to say, this week is a little bit hectic.  It is one of the most fun and exhausting weeks of my summer (not quite as much as varsity cheer camp).  

I'll be back Friday or Saturday, I promise!  I hope that y'all are having a GREAT week!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

what are you doing this week?  

what is the busiest week of your summer?

Vacation Recap: Mexico 2012

It's hard to believe that this time last week we were still in Mexico trying to soak up every ounce of all-inclusive beachy goodness.  

This trip was one of my favorite vacations ever; it was just so perfect!  Sunshine the entire trip, wonderful food, amazing staff, and unlimited time with Daniel made for an amazing getaway.

Some highlights of the trip include:

relaxing on the beach in the beautiful sunshine every single day

playing games around the pool with the activity staff (bingo, darts, trivia, dancing, etc)

salsa dance lessons

couples Swedish massage with hydrotherapy

snorkeling (we saw a barracuda - we used an underwater camera and I will put those pictures up soon!)

walking on the beach

delicious food & umbrella drinks

seeing a giant sea turtle come up onto our beach to lay her eggs (they wouldn't let us on the beach to take pictures since the flash would scare her, so this is the best picture we could get)

acting silly with Daniel

Daniel was very excited that those pictures made the blog ;)

It was a very memorable trip, and it was wonderful to get to relax and spend all of our time together.  Maybe one day we can a view like this permanently...

ahhhh...paradise

Now we have to start planning and saving for the next trip!  Any suggestions???? 

(You can check out our other Mexico vacations here and here.)

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

What is the most memorable vacation that you had?

What is your dream vacation???  I think mine would be Australia, but then I can also think of about 50 other places that I would also call dream vacations. :)

Sunshine Blog Award

Hey y'all!  I hope that you are having a wonderful week!  We've been getting some MUCH NEEDED rain this week, which ruined my plans of lounging by this pool:

I'm still very thankful for the rain.  We went 21 days without a single drop of rain at our house, and our garden definitely needed it.

My sweet friend Lindsay was so kind and nominated me for the Sunshine Blog Award.  Thanks so much, Lindsay, for being an inspiration to me and everyone else.  You're the best!

This prize is awarded to “bloggers who positively and creatively inspire others in the blogosphere”. As an award winner, there are a few rules to follow:

• Thank the person who gave this award and write a post about it.
• Answer the questions below.
• Pass on the award to other fabulous bloggers, link their blogs, and let them know you awarded them.

Here we go!

1. Favorite color? blue!!!
2. Favorite animal? dogs, but I love all animals, especially baby ones!  
3. Favorite number? I don’t really have one. I usually pick 9 because it was Daniel's number in soccer back in the day
4. Favorite color? Ummmm…again?  I'll say that my favorite color to wear is black.
5. Favorite drink? Lately I've been drinking tons of water infused with fresh cucumbers from the garden - so refreshing!
6. Facebook or twitter? I'm copying Lindsay's answer and saying that I prefer pinterest and instagram for sure
7. What is your passion? I have many passions - health (food and fitness), travel, my faith, reading, Daniel, my friends and family, having fun, teaching, missions, etc!
8. Giving or getting presents? Like most other people, I do enjoy receiving presents, but there is nothing better than getting someone something that he/she really wants and probably wouldn't buy on his/her own 
9. Favorite day of the week? During the summer it's Wednesdays because I only have one thing planned on that day and it's over by 8:30 a.m. but during the school year it's definitely Saturday!
10. Favorite flower? I love calla lilies, especially the mini ones.  I had them in my bouquet at our wedding

source

Now...I'm passing this award on to some of my favorite blog friends that continue to inspire me!

Ashley @ My Food 'N' Fitness Diaries

Megan @ Munch N Crunch

Katie @ Faith Food & Fitness

Michelle @ Nice Lil' Saturday

Andrea @ Andrea Out Loud

Have a blessed day!

much love,

natalie

so tell me...

What (or who) inspires you???

back to reality and a recipe

Hey friends!  I missed y'all while I was gone!  I hope that you had a great week last week and a wonderful weekend.

Obviously, we're back from Cancun - sort of.  Instead of going to our house, we are house/pet sitting this week.  The home is beautiful and has a gorgeous pool and gourmet kitchen, so it's a nice way to ease back into real life. :)  I do miss my fur babies though!  

I'll have the vacation recap up later this week once I get the pictures sorted out.  I actually remembered to take pictures of the food this time!

In other news, yesterday was back to regular schedule for both Daniel and me.  He headed off to work around 630 while I was up making breakfast.  Martha and I worked out 7:30-9 and then I met up with Amy for some hot yoga at Gold's Gym (mannnnn, it felt so good to stretch everything out).  After a lunch date with Mom and a quick trip into Marshalls, I was off to the gym to teach cardio dance, abs, and zumba.  It makes me tired just thinking back over it haha.  My body definitely got used to lounging by the pool or on the beach all day, but it's good to be back to an active lifestyle.  At least that's what I thought until I woke up this morning and went to get out of bed.

Oh my gosh my legs are so ridiculously sore!  It's clear that they enjoyed the break haha.  Oddly enough, my calves are more sore than anything, and I can't even remember the last time that was the case.  Teaching SHRED will be a definite challenge tonight, but it will be good to work out some of the soreness.

Since I have this amazing gourmet kitchen available this week, I've been cooking every single night.  I have to admit that I miss having all our meals prepared for us whenever we wanted, but I have enjoyed cooking again.  Sunday night was a cheesy chicken skillet with peppers and onions, and last night I made my favorite baked salmon recipe.  

First, I preheated the oven to 400. 

Next, I combined about half a cup light mayo with salt, pepper, Rendezvous seasoning, grated parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and the juice from half a lemon. 

 I slathered that mixture onto a beautiful piece of salmon and baked for 20-25 minutes.

 Served up with simple roasted asparagus, this was an easy and delicious weeknight meal.

Even though there are only two of us, I somehow manage to make enough for a family of six every time I cook.  Please tell me I'm not the only one that struggles with this.  Because of my tendency to cook enough to feed an army, leftovers are on the menu for tonight.  

Until I can get all the vacation pictures ready to post, I'll leave you with this - the view from our room.   

Ahhhh....I want to go back right now - let's all just pack up and go!

 Have a great night!

much love,

natalie

So tell me...

What's your favorite easy weeknight dinner?

Do you want to go back to Mexico with me!?!?!  I'm serious! Let's go!