Sunshine Award: The Magic Number is 11

One of my good bloggy friends Amanda, over at Voyage of the MeeMee nominated me for the Sunshine Blogger Award this week.

Well feed me garlic and call me stinky, I never win anything! 

Thanks Amanda, you're the bomb.com. Now everyone go check her out before we continue. I'll wait here.......

Good, now, there's a bunch of rules to this, things like, write 11 random things about you, answer 11 questions posed to you, but because I'm lazy and I'm starting this post out suuuuper late, hopefully she won't be mad at me if I don't type them all out here...we can still be friends, right?!

11 Random Facts:

1.) People never believe me when I tell them I'm 26.

The guy with Cox last week told me I sounded "just like a little baby" over the phone.

Ummmm, what??

2.) I'd rather be hot than cold

...I'm an Arizona native, so this one might not be such a "random" fact.

3.) I've interned for a United States Congressmen before

...in their District Office, not in DC.

I shouldn't have told you that, it sounds way fancier if I were to have been in DC.

4.) I love burned hot dogs

5.) I can't read a blog and have a GIF blinking anywhere in my peripheral. Way too distracting.

6.) I got stuck in traffic once and had to pee so bad that I ended up peeing in an empty baking dish in the back seat of my friends car. It was actually pretty impressive.

There's no denying when nature calls. 

7.) I like to watch C-Span

8.) Dairy makes my sinuses terribly congested, but I'll never turn down a bowl (or bowls, plural) of 

mac n' cheese. Or spinach ravioli from Costco.

9.) I thought Twilight was stupid.

10.) I still think fart jokes are funny.

11.) My husband things I drink too much wine.

---------------------------

Amanda's questions for me:

1.) If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Omg, that's a lot of pressure.

Anything George Strait. Is that close enough to 'one song?' 

2.) How many hours a day do you spend doing blog related stuff?

If "blog related" counts as staring at a blank computer screen trying to think of something to write about, I'd say roughly 4ish.

But if I'm trying to find GIFs you can probably double that time. 

3.) If you could have any super hero power, what would it be?

Easy, to be able to wish for any super power in the entire world, at any point in time, and have it be granted to me. 

Or, be able to shoot spaghetti out of my finger tips, a la Dane Cook.

4.) Are you a morning person, afternoon person, or night person?

I'm probably a night person in reality. I really really wish I was a morning person, but we all know that getting out of bed is the hardest part of the day.

5.) How much wood would a wood chuck chuck...screw it, you get a free pass here. 

Yesssss.

6.) What is your current favorite TV show? 

Big Bang Theory all day errrr day!!! 

Bazinga!!!

7.) Are you left or right handed?

Right handed. 

Although, if we're doing gymnastics I'm definitely a lefty. But if we're throwing a softball, I'm a righty.

So, maybe I'm ambidextrous?

8.) What is your favorite smell?

Really, Amanda? My favorite smell? You're gonna make me pick a favorite smell in the entire world? 

I thought we were friends, quit throwing me all these hardballs. ...

How about rain. Or fresh cut grass. Or Sharpees. Or those trees that bloom in the summer time with the fuzzy yellow blossoms that fall all over the place and make a such a mess but smell oh-so good? Or my own personal musk, how about that?

9.) Do you ever talk to yourself?

Absolutely. 

Especially when I shop. I loooove to shop by myself and then just casually chat with myself all afternoon, verbalizing my own thoughts right as I think them. ...It sounds like I'm joking, but I'm not. Try it. You won't regret it.

10.) What is your favorite quote?

If y'aint first, yer last.

Or anything Dumbledore said.

11.) Who/what makes you smile like no one/nothing else can?

Jesus.

Macaroni and cheese.

Harry Potter.

My dogs.

My pink BB gun.

Baseball.

The snooze button.

Pickles.

I should probably add my husband for good measure.

...and so on and so forth.

Thanks Amanda for the blog love!

My Weekend in Numbers

Number of loads of laundry I did: 7

Number of Cranberrita's I drank: 5

...they're teeny tiny cans ok?

Number of glasses of wine I drank: 5

Number of times I left my house on Sunday: 1

...and it was for toilet paper. You can't really put that errand off, if you know what I mean.

Number of times I cooked: 1

...and that's once more than I did all last week.

I took a stab at Erin's chili recipe, and while I'm pretty sure it didn't turn out as awesome as hers would've, it totally did the job. Nate even had seconds. And I had leftovers for lunch on Sunday. And Monday. So now that I think about it, it was probably more of a success than I originally thought.

Number of photos I took of said cooking preparation: 1

See above.

#bloggerfail

Amount of dollars I saved on my cable bill by visiting the Cox store and layin' down the law: $60

Number of Bravo shows I watched On Demand: 6

Number of bags of microwave popcorn I ate: 3

...ahem, two of which were in one sitting

Number of times I saw Catching Fire: 0

...time got away from me. Because you can clearly tell by all of the above, that I was super busy. 

Or just super lame and didn't make time for Catching Fire. Probably the latter.

#bloggerfail

Number of PAC 12 South Championships won: 1

Source

It was a good weekend to be a Sun Devil.

 Source

Next week we play our in-state rivals in the Territorial Cup for both bragging rights, and home-field advantage for the PAC12 Championship game.

Go Sundevils!!

When You Can't Avoid it Anymore...

Here's the thing about work-out blogs, or even blogging about working out in general,

I can't lie, I'm kind of annoyed by them.

Like, I get it,  you work out, I'm happy for you.

You're healthier than me, good for you. 

Today's leg day, how exciting! And tomorrow's ab day?! Super stoked for you!

Now, there are workout blogs and posts about working out that are helpful, and resourceful, and inspiring, and not written in an I'm-better-than-you tone, so if you're one of those...keep it up girlfriend!

But for me, if ever I get on a workout kick, I'm more of a low-key, keep it to myself kind of girl (unless of course it's aerial yoga because how do you not share something like that?).

That's why I had to think twice when Sarah was offering a link-up to share workouts, goals, tips, tricks, progress, motivation, and accountability. 

So after avoiding working out and eating healthy on a consistent basis for...let's just say, a long time...I figured this was the perfect avenue to keep me motivated and accountable!

So, here's how I'm gonna git 'er done:

- Pilates

I lost about 10 lbs. in high school and crap-ton more inches using the Mari Windsor Pilates program (I'm a sucker for infomercials), and since then, I've never had as much success with anything else as I did with Pilates. So I'm gonna throw it back to what I know works for me, and a time in my life when I felt good about myself and was active, and I'm hoping it'll bring some good ju-ju my way! 

- Yoga

I was a gymnast for 11 years and a cheerleader for 6 through my senior year in high school, so I was always active, strong, and limber. 

These days, I sit at a desk in a cube for 8 hours a day, then come home and sit at another computer (or on the couch) for another 4 hours and blog, Pin, watch recorded shows, etc.

Guys, my body aches because I'm so sedentary. I hate the feeling of stiff, tight muscles. It's a terrible feeling. So I'm going to enlist the help of yoga to increase my flexibility (and strength) and to help me feel good all-around. 

- Groupon

I don't have a gym membership and have no intentions of paying for one. BUT you can usually find Groupons for various fitness classes that are usually offered as a 1-month unlimited package. So, if I find Groupons roughly every month-ish, it's still cheaper than a gym membership and gives me variety in my workouts.

It's a win-win, I feel like.

- Pinterest

I usually avoid Pinterest because quite frankly, it makes me feel inadequate as a human being, but Pinterest can be such a valuable resource for workouts, recipes, healthy living tips, and more. So, I'm just going to have to get over my Pinterest anxiety and instead, use it to my advantage in my fitness journey! 

Ultimately, I just want to feel good right now. I don't have any specific weight-loss goals, I might get there after the holidays, but for starting out, I simply just want my body to feel better, and be more active. And I can't wait to share in everyone's journey's and meet new bloggers!

Thanks, Sarah for putting this together!

Things I'm Thankful For

Per all my social media outlets, it seems November is the season to tell people what you're thankful for. Everyday. 

And by the looks of the rest of blogland, FB, and Insta, I'm suuuper behind in giving thanks. 

BUT since I never want to miss out on the latest social media trend, I figured it's time I give thanks for stuff. 

I'm thankful for being a member of the blogging community, because without it, I might actually have to do work and be productive for the first two hours of my workdays instead of reading blogs. 

 I'm thankful my husband is a hunter, because when else would I be able to catch up on the Real Housewives of anywhere if it weren't for him being gone like, every weekend? 

I like to watch my trashy reality TV in peace and without judgement...and we both know that's not happening when he's home.

I'm thankful that I'm an Arizona State Sundevil, because if I weren't I'm pretty sure people might mistake me for a gang member whenever I throw up my pitch fork. 

I wouldn't blame you if you profiled me. I pretty much scream gang banger.

 I'm thankful for fruit. 

Grapes, especially. 

Fermented grapes, really. 

Actually I'm thankful for wine. Just the wine. 

 I'm thankful for the 24-hour news cycle our country is blessed with, because if it weren't for them I would never know that Kourtney Kardashian went to the grocery store sans makeup, or that there were naked girls at Justin Bieber's house party, or that Jessica Simpson was in (shocker) a bathing suit (shocker #2) at the beach!!! 

My life isn't validated until I know celebrities wear bathing suits to the beach too. 

 I'm thankful for Little Ceasar's Hot n' Ready pizza's and their conveient location right down the road from my house, making it oh-so-easy to forgo any sort of cooking plans, because let's face it, cooking is work. 

 I'm thankful for Sprint, because without their terrible reception and horrible coverage, I wouldn't learn the value of patience every time FB has a "Network Error" or when Insta "can't refresh feed" or when Twitter tells me my request has "timed out." 

As my dad would say, it builds character.

I'm thankful for Michelle Obama and her Drink Up campaign, because without it I would've never known that drinking more water was good for me.

Thanks Michelle. I always knew you had my back.

And last but not least, I'm thankful for social media, because without it, I would never know what you all are thankful for.

The Fit Heard 'Round the Canyon, and Other Lessons in Hunting

If you follow me on Insta you know I went hunting this weekend for my first rifle deer tag. My husband took me down to southern AZ to see if I couldn't kill a buck.

Breaking news: I didn't kill a buck.

In fact, I never even saw one (insert sad emoji here). 

We saw 30+ does.

Nate killed a coyote at 400+ yards (cause he's kind of a bad @$$).

But me?

Nothin.

Nate found a buck Sunday morning and got me set up on it, but I couldn't find it in my scope before he moved over the top of the next canyon.

And that's about as close as I came to any action.

It's OK though, cause we still had a good time and got to spend the weekend together.

We also learned some more important lessons when it comes to hunting with 

your spouse.

If you remember, back in August when I tried to fill my archery tag, I reported the 

tell-tale signs of how you know you're on a hunt with your wife. 

Folks, the lessons kept on comin' last weekend.

For example, I learned that you shouldn't set your brand new rifle down on the ground cause the barrel will get all scratched and you'll get reprimanded by your husband.

You set your pack down first, then set your rifle on top of that.

Everyone knows that (including me........now).

Nate learned that his wife needs to take pictures of the pretty trees before she can help unload the truck upon arrival.

In my defense, it's the only glimpse of "fall" I've seen in AZ since "fall" began.

Nate also learned that he may need to tell his wife twice when there's a potential shot opportunity.

 "Deer!! Hurry up, get your rifle!!"

"Who ME??"

"You're the only one with a rifle aren't you??"

Right.

I learned that since I'm the only one with a rifle, and a tag too for that matter, that when my husband says "get your rifle," he's talking to me. 

Noted.

Nate however, learned the most important lesson of the weekend:

I hate hiking.

Guys, I'm not talking about just plan ol' hiking. 

I hike. I typically enjoy it.

Nate's version of hiking, if you can even call it that, is other-wordly.

It's scaling the side of a steep mountain, with no established trail, trekking through dead grass and Yucca plants as tall as I am, all while trying to avoid the cacti beneath your feet and trying not to twist your ankle on the lose rocks that you can't even see because of the thick brush.

And then there's really no other way to get back down the mountain except to sit down on your butt and slide down. 

All the way down.

When I tell the story out loud he always interrupts me and tells me I'm being dramatic.

But since this is my blog and he can't chime in, I would just like to say, for the record...I'm not even being dramatic.

I'm so serious that I actually stopped and I threw a fit right there on the side of the mountain.

He thought I was joking at first and started laughing.

Then he looked around and gave me the "shush" signal cause I was gonna scare away all the deer.

Guess what? I didn't even care. I was seeing red.

Questions came out of my mouth like,

"Where the hell are you taking me??"

"How the hell am I supposed to get down from here??"

And I made threats like,

"Don't ever do this to me again!"

"Don't ever take me this way again!"

And guess what? I have no shame.

The fit heard 'round the canyon is totally and completely justified, because that kind of "hiking" is ridiculous.

And my husband is crazy for thinking I'd be down for that.

I've done it twice before, on two javelina hunts, but I just wasn't havin' it this 

time around.

...And then we hiked back to the truck in silence.

And the next day we sat at a water hole for 3 hours.

Sooooo, I mean, I don't endorse throwing fits to get what you want; in fact, fits aren't even really my style (unless of course, it's a first world fit), but it was my hunt, and Nate told me I call the shots...so I'd say the fit heard 'round the canyon was pretty effective.

Score one for me.

7 Things I Won't Blog About

One of my fav bloggers, Helene wrote a post a while ago about things she'll never blog about.

I wrote down the idea in my little Notes app in my phone, to save for a rainy day when I don't know what to blog about...or don't have enough energy to try and think of how to creatively write about my hunt last weekend.

One of the two.

I could probably agree with all 8 things Helene will never blog about, but I won't include all of those here in my post.

I've read too many college syllabi and academic integrity statements to know plagiarism is a no-no.

So, here's seven things I won't blog about:

1.) My house.

As in, the obligatory blogger "house tour," to show off how cute your digs are.

My husband says if I show you what the inside of my house looks like, you'll know the layout, so then when you decide to break in and rob me, you'll have a 'tactical advantage' cause now you know my floor plan.

So you know, no house tours here.

2.) Politics...except for this post

Cause people are mean.

And I'm a Republican, and I feel like everyone hates Republicans.

It's self-defense, really.

3.) Menstrual cycles.

Cause there's no place in blogland for period talk.

4.) My nails.

I can't lie, I'm a nail biter, and the only time my nails ever looked pretty was for my wedding day.

So sorry, no weekly "nail files" linky party, or party-nail pics, or whatever else kids do to their finger nails these days.

5.) The gym.

I'm terribly ugly when I work out. No one needs to see that.

6.) Recipes of all my clean eating.

My Hamburger Helper is packaged, and it's processed and I don't even care, cause it was on sale 

for 10 for $10.00.

Hey Betty Crocker, thanks for the help.

7.) Outfits of the day (i.e. #OOTD)...except for this one

Cause usually my outfits only consist of a bottom and a top, I wear the same jewelry everyday, and I never change my purse to match my outfits.

And that would make for one snooze-fest of a fashion blog.

And since my favorite number is seven, I'm gonna stop there.

Speaking of seven, shout out to Monica Gellar and her seven erogenous zones...

What things won't you blog about?!

My Veteran

I really wanted to write something for Veteran's day this year, but quite frankly, I feel like nothing I write will top my Veteran's Day post from last year.
It's my favorite post I've ever written.
So I'm posting it again.

There's probably some unwritten blog rule that says you can't recycle posts, but I don't even care.
Cause I love this post so much.
And I love my husband so much.

And I love our military, and our country, and our service men and women that stand on the front lines everyday to protect our homeland and our freedom.
My heart overflows with joy when I think about these people, our country, my husband.
And it's from the bottom of my heart when I say thank you. When we, as a country, say thank you.

.....................................

Today we celebrate Veteran's Day.

My husband is a veteran: 

Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom from 2007-08.

A couple weekends ago I went to the Eric Church concert.

I know you're probably thinking "and these two go together, how??" but stay with me...

At the Eric Church concert he sang his song "These Boots," and if you haven't heard it...google it.

But he sings about his pair of boots and all the places they've been, and what they've seen over the years, and it got me to thinking about my husband's boots.

His Army boots.

And all the places they've been and things they've seen.

Those boots were laced up every morning for over a year, to run missions all day that lasted well into the night, often times through the night. 

They carried an extra 100+ pounds of gear, and withstood the heat of the Iraqi summers.

Those boots have been dusted with the sands of Tikrit and the dirt of Mosul.

They've walked along the gravel near the Tigress River.

And they sat crammed next to bunch of other boots on a C-130 for hours to get there.

Those boots stood next to both Iraqi forces, and young locals; 

all in the name of a better Iraq.

Those boots spent Thanksgiving and Christmas, and rang in the new year overseas.

Those boots were there, on the floor of Saddam Hussein's mother's palace, when Nate was planning our engagement.

  

Those boots have seen a lot, heard a lot; most of which, I'll never know.

But those boots came home on the feet of my husband...alive and in one piece.

These days, those boots spend their time in the mountains of Arizona, chasing deer and elk, and anything else that has four legs. 

But they come back home at the end of each day.

Just as they should.

Thank you to all those who have served, and are currently serving our Country over seas.

"Honor the fallen, thank the living"

My favorite soldier