Birthday Month

Birthday month has been fulfilling, busy and eventful so far! Colt and I are finally getting back into the groove of things. Well, mostly I have been getting back into the swing of things. Colt had this past week off from school so he has been enjoying an extra week of sleeping in, late nights, relaxing days and catching up on sleep and errands. 

Last weekend, my mom and I dropped my uncle off at the train station in downtown Fort Worth and he headed back to San Antonio. I know you must be thinking... who still uses the train to travel?!?!  I tried it out a few years ago when I went to visit Colt while he was still living in San Antonio and it was a pleasant experience! It's definitely not as quick as a plane ride, but it's cheaper and so relaxing! There's even a dining car on the train where you get to eat lunch and dinner with other people. When I rode the train, I got to dine across from a man who had lived all over the world and he kept me entertained throughout all of lunch with his amazing stories about his life and adventures. If you're not in a hurry to get somewhere, I definitely recommend traveling by train at least once in your life. 

After the train station, my mom and I went and did a little birthday shopping at University Park Village by TCU. It was lovely weather to be outdoors, walking around and shopping. The weather wasn't warm but it wasn't too cold. It was a perfect Sunday. Our last stop was the Kendra Scott store where we bought ourselves some new birthday jewels. During your birthday month, you can buy a piece of jewelry for half off so we weren't about to pass that up! Us Capricorn girls sure do like sparkles!  My birthday is on the first and my mom's is on the 12th of January so we prefer to celebrate all month. ;)

The first week back at work after the holidays is both exciting and exhausting. It's exciting because I actually do miss my students and I can't wait to see them and hear all about what they experienced over the break and hear what wonderful gifts Santa brought them. It's also exhausting because for 16 days I didn't have to set a 5:30 AM alarm clock, stand on my feet all day and let's face it, I'm just not used to working! Last week, I was discussing with my students what their New Year's Eve traditions were and we read books about New Year's traditions and resolutions. I explained to them that a resolution is a promise you make to yourself to learn how to do something or become better at something. We did a writing assignment regarding what our resolutions would be for 2016. Some of my students wrote they wanted to learn how to use an ax or learn how to cut down a tree or learn how to drive a car! They definitely have some big goals and aspirations for this year. My kiddos are just so sweet and too cute for words! This is just one of the many reasons I love my job! 

Being back at work also means I get to see lots of people I love spending my work day with. I really am so lucky to work at such an amazing school with some of the most brilliant people I know. These ladies are just 2 of the wonderful people I teach with! Love, love, love them! 

One of our goals this year is to make and eat healthier food choices. The first step to that, in my opinion, is to not eat out as frequently as we have been. The month of December was basically an "all you can eat contest"! With all the sweets and goodies at work, and at our loved ones houses and at our house, while it was delicious, it wasn't exactly the best choice. We were eating out 1-2 times a day especially over Christmas break. It was just so much easier and convenient to have food picked up or delivered. I have to admit, I've really never been much of a cook but I'm trying! I've been researching healthier recipes and trying out new things in the kitchen. It's definitely a lot more work and time and prep but I know this is what's best for us and our bodies. While we aren't perfect by any means, I am proud of some of the food choices we've been making this past week. For me breakfast and lunch are easy to meal prep for. Dinner is where I tend to struggle. Let's be honest, after waking up early, working a full day, driving in traffic, and working out or having to grocery shop after work, I don't exactly feel like standing in the kitchen for another hour or so to prep and cook dinner. The struggle is real, folks! Here's a few of the recipes I've tried this week: 

Turkey Chili

Healthier version of Stacked Enchiladas

Chicken, Spinach and Tomato Pasta Bake

Breakfast Muffins filled with mushrooms, spinach, bell peppers, jalapenos, turkey sausage, herbs and egg whites. 

One of the nights though we did eat out. Colt's dad's birthday was last week and we met up with his parents for an Italian dinner at Taste of Italy. Dinner was delicious and we had a fun evening laughing and catching up. I meant to get a picture of all of us and I completely forgot. I didn't realize I forgot the picture until we got home. Such a bummer! 

Yesterday, Colt had to be up and out early in the morning. He had to go to a class at TCU so he was gone most of the day. The entire day was cloudy and COLD. I spent my day cuddled up in our warm, flannel bed watching movies! 

Anyone else love flannel sheets in the winter?!

Colt got home around 2:30 PM and we were both starving. Leftovers didn't sound appealing so we opted for burgers from Whataburger. Hey it's called balance, right?! ;) (I told you we aren't perfect! lol) We rented a movie OnDemand called, "Sicario". It was actually pretty good, full of action and kept us on our toes! I love getting to hang out with my best friend and cuddle up under the warm blankets watching movies all day! It's the best! Colt opted for a nap after the movie, and I continued watching movies like Titanic! I haven't seen that movie in SO long. Hours later we were hungry again and at midnight decided to have a date night at Pluckers. We bundled up and ventured out in the 28 degree cold. We had a great time eating wings and celery! Woo hoo. Go us! 

So one of our favorite shows ever is Shark Tank. We are obsessed with all the "sharks" as well as some of the amazing products we see on there. We have a stainless steel fridge and fingerprints on it drives me INSANE. I've researched and Pinterest-ed so many ideas for cleaning stainless steel. I've tried every homemade concoction as well as every thing that is sold on the market and haven't found one thing I have loved until I was over at my friend Shannon's house. She recommended I try this product they saw on Shark Tank called, "Einshine".  I was equally as interested to try it and give it a whirl. She put some of the liquid in a jar for me to take home. I finally tried it out and let me tell you... I. Am. In. Love. It works wonders. I was so impressed. I was telling my family all about it and sending pics. I was sold and I ordered my own bottle from Amazon. I also love the fact that it's more of a healthy, natural product for your home. I wish I had a before and after pic but I only have the after. It's so shiny and spotless. My OCD heart is full! 

Like I said, we love the Shark Tank show and we have ordered several products from the show already, another product being the "Squatty Potty". Colt is seriously head over heels with the Squatty Potty and he swears by it! I ordered something online recently that I saw on the show and unfortunately, it was backordered so I probably won't be receiving it until the end of the month or February. I'll update you with what it is and what I think of it when I receive it in the mail! 

This afternoon we went over to my parents house and met up with my parents and sisters for a late lunch-dinner. My mom made cornbread, broccoli and cheese soup, and chicken and dumplings. All homemade. It was delectable! We had a really great time joking around and visiting with my fam. Colt brought us Braums and then we chatted for a little while longer before Colt and I headed back home. So basically we had a cheat weekend instead of a cheat meal... hey, baby steps, right? That's all that matters! I hope we are at least a little bit of encouragement to someone out there! Hah! 

Tonight we've been meal prepping for the week and catching up on some DVR. Colt officially starts his spring and second semester as a business student tomorrow. I am so proud of him. We are now a quarter way through this program! Time is flying fast! I'm sure before we know it, he will be finished with the program and graduating! 

God is good all the time, all the time God is good. 

Wishing each and every one of you a restful night, a productive week and many blessings! 

We love you all!