Lately Through Photos

Things are busy with school and the rest of life in full swing, but I'm determined to keep my little blog going, even if it means checking in a bit less often.  Here's what's been going on in the month of October.

Oliver turned 6!

Now that the birthday celebration is over, it's time for doggie boot camp to begin.  The vet informed us that Oliver weighs 47 pounds, which is pretty ridiculous for a beagle.  He needs to lose at least 7 pounds stat.  Poor guy...he just loves food so much!

Wendy continues to crack us up everyday by acting like the world's most privileged princess.

I'm loving all things fall. 

Pumpkin everything!

Halloween treats for our neighbors. 

Beautiful heirloom carrots. 

Fresh-squeezed apple juice.

So much ethnic food.  Jay and I are obsessed with Ethiopian and Moroccan. 

We've also eaten dinners like this many a night.  Can't go wrong with tofu+veggies+grains. 

And this sweet potato and white bean pasta recipe from the Humane Society was a big hit earlier this week.

 

 

It sort of reminded me of my very favorite sweet potato mac & cheese, but less cheesy and sweet, more savory and creamy.  

Jay's volleyball team is still dominating the competition.  I'm looking forward to going to Dallas tomorrow to cheer them on against their toughest opponent. 

When he's not coaching, Jay stays busy with various projects around the house, like hanging the lawn mower from the ceiling.  It's genius!

Also on the agenda: a trip out to California next Thursday to visit my friend Catie!  Catie is fighting recurrent breast cancer and has been a real trooper over the past few weeks.  Can't wait to see her along with lots of other friends from college. 

 

I'm off to start enjoying my fall break!  

Valentine's Day Decor

Valentine's Day is on my short list of favorite holidays.  It gives Jay and me a good excuse (although we really shouldn't need one) to plan a special date night that we might not otherwise carve out time for.  We usually opt for something low-key, like cooking a fancy dinner together at home, but it always ends up being really nice.  Not to mention the fact that I never get tired of receiving flowers or chocolates (who does?!), and pink is my favorite color!

Last year at this time, we had just moved into our new house and were up to our ears in boxes.  Decorating for Valentine's Day was the last thing on my mind.  This year, I had a little more time to put up some festive decorations.  It may not be a major holiday, but I enjoy having some little reminders around the house of what's to come. 

I almost forgot about this door hanging that I made the year before last, and I was thrilled when I pulled it out of holiday storage.  

This project was super easy to put together.  I bought some wooden Xs and Os at Michael's and covered them with fun pink and red patterned scrapbook paper. I embellished the letters with some felt stickers that I also found in the scrapbook section.  Then, using a hot glue gun, I attached the letters to a white ribbon and tied a bow at the top.  I hung mine on my front door, but it would look cute anywhere in the house. 

I also took the time to update my chalkboard and frame a Valentine's print that I found at Pizzazzerie.com.  They have a bunch of cute ones to choose from!

Now our house is feeling the love!  XOXO

Healthy Sooner Holiday Decor

I know this post isn't exactly health related, but I couldn't resist sharing some of our holiday decorations with you all.  I love how cozy the house feels with the tree all decorated, the stockings hung, and a warm fire in the fireplace.  

I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time indoors enjoying the decorations over the next few days with a forecast like this! Yikes...

Here is a glimpse of the living room. 

I bought the stockings from Target and attached some wooden letters that I spray-painted gold.  It was a cheap way to get a more personalized feel.

For the entry table, I framed a cute print that I found here and added a poinsettia with a couple of ornaments.   

I made a quick centerpiece for our dining room table with candles, ornaments, and pine cones on a gold charger. 

And, of course, I updated our chalkboard in the entryway. 

Jay also worked on the lights over the break, and I think our little house looks quite festive!

Last year, we were in-between houses over the holidays and didn't even bother to put up a tree.  I think I missed the decorating more than I realized, because this year I have been super gung ho.  I even have my Christmas cards sent out!  (And I spent waay too much time addressing them all cute and Pinterest-y...I hope the recipients appreciate my efforts!)

Oliver is also getting into the holiday spirit...he wanted me to share this message with you.  

This picture makes me smiles every time I look at it.  What a ham!

I hope you are all enjoying the holiday season as much as we are!

Things I'm Loving Lately - Third Edition

We made it to Friday!  Here are a few things that I am loving this week!

Winter Weather
We are in the middle of our first ice/sleet/snow fall of the season, and I am surprised to say that (for the moment) I am loving this weather.  A huge cold front came through yesterday while I was at work, and, since I did not plan ahead, I ended up running around town with no jacket in below freezing temperatures and 30mph winds.  While the experience was awful, it really made me appreciate my cozy house once I finally made it here.  I got on my PJs, made a comforting dinner, poured some wine, and lit a fire.  It was awesome.

 Jay and I stayed in, relaxed, and spent a good portion of the evening cracking up at the dogs, who were acting even more hilarious than usual.  Wendy gathered up all of her "friends" from outside to protect them from the cold, and she spent the entire night proudly guarding her massive toy pile.  She was acting so adorable, and I took about a thousand pictures.

And I can't forget Oliver...he was being a goofball, too.

Today it really started to sleet while I was at work, so I am planning a repeat of last night.  It's only 4:45 and I am already in my PJs by the fire with a cup of tea writing this blog post.  Now if only we could get a snow day on Monday!

Roomba Vacuuming Robot
This one's a biggie. After reading a blog post that raved and raved about the Roomba, Jay and I impulsively purchased a refurbished model from Amazon last week.  This was actually our second impulse vacuum buy of the year...a few months ago we bought a Dyson Animal.  We obviously have a thing for vacuums, but with two doggies running in and out all the time, our passion is justified.  Keeping the house clean is a constant battle, so when we heard that there was a robot that could effectively do it for us, we just couldn't resist.

 We have used little "Roomie" a couple times now, and I can already tell it will be worth every penny.  The other day, I noticed that the dogs had tracked in a bunch of dead grass, so I simply pushed the start button on the Roomba and it drove around and around until every speck of dirt was gone. When it was satisfied with its work, it drove itself back to the home base and hopped right back on the charger.  I love that it is small enough to go under low tables and couches, so it picks up lots of dirt that the regular vacuum can't even reach.  AND you can even set it to run at night while you sleep, so you wake up to a sparkling clean house without lifting a finger.  This thing is the best.

The dogs aren't too sure what to think, but they had better get used to it!

Pomegranates
Pomegranates must be in season, because I have seen them all over the grocery stores lately for cheap!  I bought a couple recently, and they have been SO good!  I really forgot how delicious pomegranate seeds are, not to mention they are one of the healthiest foods you can eat.  They are high in antioxidants, vitamin C, and potassium, and they are a great source of fiber.

To get the seeds out, I just cut the pomegranate in half or into fourths, and then sort of start to turn each piece inside out into a bowl of water.  Just roughly pop the seeds out and don't worry if some of the rind falls into the bowl.  The seeds will sink and the rinds will float to the top, so you can easily just fish them out at the end.  Drain the water and enjoy your seeds!

Calbee Snapea Crisps
My current snack obsession - I cannot stop eating these!  They taste like a pea pod and a cheese puff all rolled into one.  The first ingredient is whole green peas, and they contain less fat, less sodium, and more fiber than regular potato chips.

Fox Cocktail Shaker
Jay and I recently bought a new little bar cabinet at Target, and when we spotted this fox cocktail shaker we joked that we needed it to complete the look.  We weren't serious at the time, but somehow we couldn't stop making references to that shaker over and over after we got home (and singing "What Does the Fox Say").  I decided that we really did need it, so I ordered it online.  Now it makes me smile every time I look at it!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Weekend Highlights: 10/19

This weekend has been filled with some of my favorite things!

Dog snuggles

Gym visit (I did the boot camp circuit workout I posted last week and am really feeling it today!)

Patio pizza date at the Wedge

Surprise birthday party for a friend at a bar

Giant veggie salad at Qdoba (I forgot to snap a pic until I was halfway through eating...it looked a lot more appetizing initially I promise.)

New living room rug from Target - I'm in love!

Amber pumpkin soy candle

Nice weather and lots of dog walks

Homemade Pad Thai - recipe coming soon!

I'm off to go watch The Walking Dead with Jay.  We are currently in the middle of season 3, and we are addicted!

Weekend Highlights: 9/28

Here are some fun pics from the weekend!

I spend a good part of Saturday attending a foreign language teacher conference for work.  I came home with some new ideas that I am definitely going to try in my classroom.

Late that day...Oliver worked on his party tricks...

While Wendy worked hard helping us clean and do laundry (yeah, right...).

I also had a chance to cheer on Jay's volleyball team as they dominated their competition from Ft. Worth, and afterwards we celebrated with dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant.

Sunday morning we got our grocery shopping in for the week. 

And in the afternoon, I got the house all ready for Fall!  After a rainy Saturday morning, we ended up with quite a beautiful weekend!

Jay also used his empty beer keg to make me some homemade lemon-lime sparkling water.  Now I have five gallons on tap!

Sunday night I made a yummy dinner of baked mahi mahi, sauteed kale, and pearled couscous.  

Just one more full work week until Fall Break!  Woo hoo!