Game Day!!!

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It's That Time Again!!

It feels like Christmas around our house!  Excitement and anticipation is thick around here.  Yes, football season is upon us.  We are using this weekend to take inventory on what we have, what we will need and what needs to be done for our tailgating situation.  Every year, our tailgate has grown.  And grown.  And grown.  And with all this growth - more mouths to feed.  Not that I'm complaining - it's my favorite part!  The FOOD!  I will do a post soon with all the goodies we end up making.

Also, the Stephens' Hotel will be in full swing.  I love when our house has no vacancy!  Most of you know, G is quite picky when it comes to eating - mostly with breakfast.  He just doesn't eat it.  BUT, when we have guests, I get to make all kinds of breakfast goodies!!  Breakfast casseroles, biscuits & gravy, cinnamon rolls....   Again, I will do a post on these as well.

(BTW - I need to get better at taking pictures to post...  I will definitely work on this)  :)

Off to do some cleaning and organizing!!  Have a great weekend!



WPS!!
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Cute Tailgating Ideas!!
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A Little Old Fashioned.

I am definitely in the minority on this one.  As much as I have tried, I absolutely cannot use my phone as a "daily planner."  I just can't do it!!  And believe me, I've tried!  I have always had a love of actual planners.  I love to make lists.  I love to mark things off my lists.  I like to PLAN.  :)  And it can't be just any planner - oh no.  I am so picky when it comes to them.  I've tried the MyAgenda.


I liked it ok.  It was really pretty, but it was a little stiff and hard to write in some of the columns.  Also, it was a bit small and not enough space to write.  But it would have worked.  Until I heard about.....

O.M.G.  This is the best stuff ever!!  I read about Erin Condren on a couple of blogs I follow.  They were talking about the stationary and cards.  I went to her website and there's where I found it - the most perfect daily planner - EVER!!  It's called a Life Planner.

I'm telling you - I am completely in love with it.  It's perfect for everything I need to keep up with.  Work stuff, my daily diet log, workouts, home stuff..... Amazing!!  If you go to the website, they even have a video that shows you all it's features.  Pretty fancy :)

Anyway - yes I am strange, but at least I'm aware of it :)  But do yourself a favor and check it out!!  She also has super cute stuff for teachers, stationary, thank you notes, etc.

Gotta go - I have lists to make!!
P

Our New Obsession

So, we started our new fitness journey the 2nd week of January.  In previous years, G and I went to the gym MAYBE 2 times a week.  Seriously - it was awful.  We would go to the gym, run (I would walk) on the treadmill for a bit, do a few exercises on the machines and finish with abs.   It took us around 40 minutes and we would maybe have a tinge of soreness the next day.  MAYBE.

Well, our world completely changed when we joined.......Crossfit.  It's honestly one of the best decisions we've ever made.  Before we joined, I read somebody's Facebook status that said something like, "This is the first year I don't have to make a New Year's resolution about exercising or getting into shape."  It was because of Crossfit.  And I am a complete believer.  G and I workout about 5 times per week - consistently!!  And we actually want to go.  And we actually enjoy it when we're there.  And we've actually gotten pretty good!  :)

I won't go through the whole "Crossfit run-down" but it's basically Olympic weight lifting, gymnastics, old school calisthenics and running all thrown together making crazy fun, difficult and rewarding workouts.  Each day at our gym (or "box" as they call it), it's a completely different workout.  We may do the same exercise once every 2 or 3 months.  I have to say, I'm pretty proud of us.  We went from completely dreading the gym to actually looking forward to our workouts.   I highly encourage you to see if there is a Crossfit box near you.  This was completely life changing for us.

Not to mention, I've lost 2 complete dress sizes.  :)

Check out www.crossfit540.com for more info.

No excuse!

Well, hello.  Wow - 8 months....  You would think as much as I visit my own blog (to view everyone else's blogs, of course) I would be able to muster a post every once in a while.  Nope!  Well, here's to:

Pour Some Shugah on Me!!

6 More Days!!!  So excited!!

My SmartWater Challenge

So, over the past few months, I've really taken my health a lot more seriously.  I've started working out again and being conscious about what I eat.  One of the most difficult "basics" of all this is drinking enough water...  I just don't drink enough!  I try to drink about 64 ounces, but ideally I need to be drinking more around 84oz.

Here's my challenge to myself.  I bought a few bottles of SmartWater - each 33.8 ounces.  All I have to do is drink 3 bottles a day and that would be more than enough!  Looking at it this way makes it seem not so terrible.  This starts tomorrow!!  It's funny how ridiculous and simple this seems as I type...  If I can get out there and run or exercise or eat more healthy, surely you would think I could do this!  But, it's definitely an area in desperate need of improvement for me.

I don't know why I look so orange in this picture - it happens a lot with my iphone...  I promise it's not Spray Tan!  ha!!

On another note, my half marathon training just started this past week and it's going pretty good.  I had a slow start at the beginning of the week, recovering from the Little Rock game.  Traveling makes me so tired these days!  So I made up the time at the end of this week.  I'll tell ya - it's going to be tough.  I'm going to have to dig deep and keep my motivation going.  Knowing I'll have to run 13.1 miles in December no matter if I'm ready or not is part of this motivation.  :)  

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!!  

P

What a game!

Arkansas played Georgia today, and I gotta tell ya - I'm exhausted!!  I won't go through the blow by blow, but just take my word for it - WHAT A GAME!!  Grant is in Georgia for the game, so I can't even imagine what they are doing tonight.  I just asked him nicely to please not get arrested :)

Next weekend is Alabama...  This could be another story.   Maybe not.  Who knows.  But I can guarantee it will be an awesome time!!

Woooooooo  pig soooooooooie!!!

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

Aaahhhhhh...  This is absolutely my favorite time of the year.  I mean, in our neck of the woods, it just doesn't get any better.  Perfect patio weather.  And with football season starting, it's just the icing on the cake!  Add a constant string of friends at our house on the weekends staying at the "Stephens' Hotel," deciding on tailgate menus, putting on that perfect gameday outfit and the hustle and bustle before the big game and you, my friend, have perfection.  As Grant would say, "And THAT is why we live here."  :)

And on the flip side, we were in Little Rock this past weekend for the second Razorback game...
M.I.S.E.R.A.B.L.E.  Absolutely miserable.  It was so hot.  It was so humid.  It was so not windy.  Ugh.  I know it was hot in NWA that weekend as well, but oh my goodness.  I honestly thought I was going to keel over!!  Don't get me wrong - I always enjoy being with our friends at the tailgate and the game, it was just a little harder to enjoy with sweat profusely rolling down my back. ha!

Me and my big little brother

Our seat are NOT in the shade...  We definitely needed our SPF

War Memorial Stadium - aka, "Hell"

When we were gone this weekend, we boarded Winston at Dog Party USA.  It's this great doggie daycare/boarding facility that lets the pups run free instead of being in kennels.  Winston LOVES it so much.  It's hilarious when we pick him up.  We actually thought he was drugged on Sunday.  He was so tired!!  Here he is sleeping with his "lady."  Such a babe.  :)

Talk soon - P

Let the torture, I mean, training begin!

So, the Fayetteville Half Marathon is slowly creeping up.  I know it's all the way in December, but this girl has a long way to go before 13.1 miles will be ran.  I'll be following Hal Higdon's Half Marathon 12 week training schedule.  It's a pretty flexible program and I can tailor it to my schedule as long as I get the miles in each week.  So this week, on Tuesday I'll be running 3 miles, Wednesday 2 miles, Friday 3 miles and Sunday 4 miles for a total of 12 miles this week.  I'm pretty intimidated by it already, but I'm taking it one day at a time.  I am also in the market for a new pair of running shoes.  I am running in a pair of Asics that I really like, but I bought them before I really got into running.  I have a very neutral gait and these shoes are more corrective than my stride needs.  I went to Fleet Feet the other day and found a pair I love!  I am waiting a little bit on the purchase, but I think I've made up my mind.

These are Mizuno and they feel amazing!  I also realized I am not getting the right size for a running shoe either.  I typically wear an 8 in regular shoes, but the folks at Fleet Feet said I need at least a 9!  I guess it makes sense.

Anyway, I will post later on the football weekend!  Such an amazing day.  Perfect weather, perfect tailgate....  Absolute heaven.

Have a great, short week!
P