Midweek Randos

Happy hump day friends!!  Thought I'd pop in for a little midweek randomness :)

1.  Today is actually like my Thursday because tomorrow is my Friday!  Friday is a workday so I'm opting to start my spring break a little early!!

2.  Thank all that is holy for spring break.  Seriously y'all, this spring semester has about kilt me!

3.  We'll be in Charleston for the second half of my spring break and the weather is not looking so hot.  Literally!  Highs only in the 60s, rain chances....what is this?!  I am in need of beach weather, or at least 70s!  Come on Momma Nature, help a sister out!!

4.  We're not having the best weather luck lately!  Our Spartan Race weather this past weekend was not the greatest ever.  I was nervous about surviving, but I posted Monday and if y'all follow me on Instagram, then clearly you figured out I survived :)  A full race recap is coming, I'm just waiting on Spartan Race to post their pics!!

Spartans!!!

5.  Can we talk about the awkwardness of my hands in this picture!?  Hahaha, I was clearly super muddy and just didn't know what to do with them.  Just call me Ricky Bobby I guess!

6.  Erin, from BlueEyedBride, posted yesterday asking what's your strut song?  I could definitely strut to a bunch of the songs her readers left, but when I was running tonight I realized my ultimate strut song when it came through my 'Run' shuffle mix...

Matisse featuring Akon - Better Than Her

This is definitely my dance around the bedroom, run a little faster, walk a little taller song!  Do you have a strut song?

7.  So I started making my bed every morning last week!  For all of like 4 days in a row....and now I've gone 2 days without making it.  I've already fallen back to my old ways!  Oops!!  I'll restart tomorrow!

8.  I hate ending things on odd numbers.  Weird?  Yes.  Slightly OCD?  Yes.  Now you know :)

Hope you have a super fantastic end to your week!!

Menu Monday Vol. III

It's been a few weeks since I last linked up with Rachel at In No Simple Language for Menu Monday, so here's what's been on my Paleo menu lately!

Paleo Menu Monday Vol. III!

I mentioned the Paleo brownies I made for my birthday a few weeks ago, but never shared the link!

Easy Peasy Paleo Brownies

Seriously, so good & only 5 ingredients!  Well, plus the Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips I added!!

site

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Roasted Veggies

There's no real recipe for this, but it's so easy! Just peel and cut up a sweet potato into chunks (a bit bigger than the picture)  and slice a zucchini and squash about an inch think.  Toss in some EVOO, chipotle chili powder, garlic powder and sea salt.  Roast on 450 for about 20 minutes!  So yummy and a good way to get in your veggies :)

from site

Paleo Buffalo Chicken Pizza from The Cavegirl Dish

I am a pizza LOVER!!  Ever since starting Paleo, it's definitely been something I've missed and dreamed of!  Cheese is a pretty important ingredient for pizzas and well...cheese is not Paleo.  So I just figured there was no way I could ever make a Paleo pizza since it would be missing such an important part!  But this pizza was the perfect solution!  It doesn't require cheese and I really liked the almond flour crust!  B liked it too, we've made it twice now!

I also used the same crust recipe and was able to tweak one of my most favorite pizzas - Thai Chicken Pizza - to make it mostly Paleo!  I subbed stevia for sugar and almond flour for the cornstarch in the sauce, also left off the cheese & subbed almonds for peanuts.  

These 2 pizzas made my pizza loving inner fat girl so happy!!

  

from site

Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice

A blogger I follow, Jennifer Francis, posted this recipe a few weeks ago and when I got my new food processor I knew this would be one of the first things I made with it!!  I served it once with Garlic Lime Chicken and then again last night with Salsa Chicken from the crock pot.  Not exactly the best smelling dish to make, but the end result is super tasty!!

I also made Stuffed Spaghetti Squash again as our pre Spartan Race dinner!

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That's most of what I've been cooking lately!  What are you going to try!?

**Paleo Menu Monday Vol. I**

**Paleo Menu Monday Vol. II**

Friday's Letters

Friday's Letters!?  Let's :)

Dear husband, 4 short years ago just yesterday you & I were getting ready to go out with our respective friend groups for a night out.  Little did we know we'd end up at a fun little bar named The Attic meeting our future spouse!!  Wild right!?  What a fun & fast 4 years it's been!!!  I can't wait for what's next!

Dear weather, in case you haven't gotten the memo, it's SPRING now!!  Why must winter continue with the cold and the rainy and the yuck.  Especially this weekend of all weekends....I really need spring!

Dear Spartan Race, please don't kill me.

Dear Berkley, how are you so dang cute!?  My new favorite part of the day is playing with you for a bit on the bed each night before you get in your own bed!  You're so fun and smiley!  We're glad you're ours!!

Dear Spring Break, please hurry!  I'm ready.  Really, really ready for a little R&R and a lotta Folly Beach & Charleston!

Dear friends, happy, happy weekend!!!

Head on over to Ashley's blog & read all of Friday's Letters :)

Random Life Update :)

Catch up!  That's what I need to play!!  My poor, sad blog is so lonely and neglected :(

I get sad that blogging has taken a back seat for the past few months...I so enjoy journaling our little life's journey and this sweet community! But when I get sad, I just try to remember I am doing a great work right now.

I am working and making an impact and bringing in a little bit of money for our family and all the while struggling trying to find balance.  And sadly, right now that means that most nights I am doing work or when Brandon is home I am not typing away on a post...although he'd probably tell you I have my face planted in my iPad playing Candy Crush!  Whoops....seriously, don't download that game!  But go download it, cause it's such fun, mindless entertainment!

I digress...back to my point!  I definitely don't plan on giving up blogging, but I'm just going to have to come to terms with the fact that it's not going to be anything regular for a few more months.  I am doing a great work and one day I might have regular posts again!  Maybe ;)

So onto a random life update...let's play catch up {aka a picture and brain dump}, shall we!?

All clean after the groomer :)

How cute are these animals!?! Omg....it's impossible to be mad at them if they do something wrong, because then they just get all cute & you can't even act mad!  Love my fur babies!

My sweet MIL sent me these redneck wine glasses for my birthday!  Seriously, it's super fun drinking out of these bad boys!

via

I bought myself a food processor with all my birthday money!!  I'm so excited about it, too!  You know you're old when.... Ha, seriously, it was between a food processor & curtains for our bedroom.  I've already used it twice, I think I'll be getting lots of use from this bad boy!

Speaking of our bedroom...I've decided I really want to be the kind of person that makes their bed every day.  Because, I won't lie to you, I am not one of those people!  I don't exactly know when I'm going to become this person.  Soon, I think!  I really like getting in a bed at night that was made and it just makes the room look put together!  Ok, so, it's settled....starting soon!!

I think I'd also like to be one of those people that uses less exclamation points!  But I just can't!  Nope.

Sportin' B's way to big aviators!

This is what our Saturday afternoon looked like...perfection pretty much!  The weather in the Carolinas this past weekend was GORGEOUS!!  We brought our beach radio out to the driveway, I lounged in a lawn chair with Berkley tied up to it and read magazines while B washed our cars!  It wasn't a bad view ;)

When B was done, we had a couple beers right there in our driveway!  Redneck!? Quite possibly!  Ok with it?  Yep!  We both got a little sun & then went right up the street to grab some dinner and green beer (bottles that is!) for St. Patty's Day!

Between last weekend's weather & day light savings, I am so ready for spring & warmer weather!!  Flip flops, tank tops, porch sittin' weather, grilling out, pool days....yes!  Bring it on!

Sadly, the forecast is going in the crapper for the next week or so.  Which is terrible news for the Spartan Race this weekend!!!  I'm so nervous, y'all!  On top of it probably being the hardest thing I've ever done physically to date, it's supposed to be 52 with possible showers.  Wahhhh...can I change my mind!?!?

Say your prayers for me on Saturday!!  Eeeeeeek!

On a brighter note....there are 7 school days until Spring Break!!  And counting!  :)

Welcome to the World

Forgive me, I'm so behind on blogging, but I can't not blog about the two newest angel babies that the end of February brought!

One of my best and dearest friends, Ashley, welcomed a sweet baby girl!!!

Caroline Elizabeth, born on Feb. 20th!

Sweet Caroline, I got to come meet you the Sunday after you were born.  I got to go snuggle and hold you for almost an hour while I watched your big brother play and chatted with your parents!  You are just perfect, so tiny and squishy and you didn't even make a peep - such an angel baby!!

That same Sunday I was holding Caroline, my sister in law, B's sister, was in labor with this sweet boy!

Weston James, born on Feb. 24th!

Weston, you are our 4th nephew, but the first grandchild on the Shuck side of our family!  We are just dying over all the pictures of you and how cute you are!!  Everyone says you look like your Uncle Brandon, I can't wait to see some old baby pics of him and compare :)  We can't wait to meet you and squish those sweet little cheeks of yours!  We're super hopeful that will happen at least before you're walking! ;)

Welcome to the world sweet angel babies!  You are loved by your Aunt Michelle already!!

Birthday Weekend!

This past Saturday, I turned 26!!!

I am now closer to 30 than 20, which, in my opinion, is pretty exciting because really, life just keeps getting better!

This weekend was a busy one, but I would have spent my birthday weekend no other way :)

Festivities started early on Thursday night with Andrea and our traditional birthday trip to our favorite, Polished Nail Bar!  Then followed up by a little impromptu birthday dinner at Jade with Lisa!

Feeling spoiled with pretty nails from Andrea & a Lululemon giftcard from Lisa!  For real, my friends are pretty freaking fantastic!

I've been fighting a lovely cough for a while so I took the day off on Friday and tried to rest up.  I took some good naps with this guy...

...and made these ah-MAZ-ing Paleo brownies for my birthday!!

They were so good!!  B & I have such a sweet tooth, I'll have to find a reason to make these again soon!

For my birthday dinner, B took me to Terrace Cafe.  It was just as good as the first time!

My love at dinner :)  This meat and potato lover eats salads now!!!

Sorry for the crapola pics!  And the bags under my eyes!!  WTH 26!?!

Again, not the best pic, but that gorgeous necklace was my birthday present from B!  He's so sneaky!!  Finding time to go jewelry shopping without me even knowing!

Birthdays overwhelmingly remind me how loved I am and how blessed I am simply by the people that I'm lucky enough to call family and friends.  All the well wishes, Facebook posts, tweets, texts, phone calls...sure can make your heart swell!!

As I said, our days were busy this weekend, but our nights were spent laying on the couch together with our fur babies.  I can think of no better way to celebrate another year!

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So here's to 26!!  This will be a year for the books, it's going to be exciting y'all, I promise!!!  So stick around!

*And no, I am not pregnant! ;)