Friday Five {Vol 11}

The things I'm loving this week are completely random and maybe even a little laugh out loud worthy ;)

McCormick Brown Sugar Bourbon marinade
We use this marinade on e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g and it is delicious every single time! We love it the most with grilled chicken though.

Oxo Mini Measuring Cup
I picked this up last week while grocery shopping and Thomas wasn't really amused, but once he used it he totally changed his tune! It makes measuring 3tbs of oil extremely easy. #wifeforthewin

Ziploc Marinade bags

Continuing on with the cooking favorites of the moment- I found these last week at the grocery store and they're great! We used Ziploc gallon bags before and while those work just fine I like the expandable bottom of these. The only downfall is that they're only available in 1/2 gallon size so you can't use a ton of meat.

Slow Cooker Liners
These are one of the best things I've discovered all year! Literally no clean up required. Worth the .35 cents/each if you ask me ;)

C9 Seamless Sports Bra
I know I've blogged about the fact that I wear sports bras 80% of the time {hey I'm a nanny!} and these ones are my favorite. The can be worn like a normal bra {not crisscrossed in the back} and they're extremely comfortable. They're also only $17 at full price and there is always sales/Cartwheel deals on C9 apparel. I have a black one and this aqua one above, which is light enough to wear under a lot of my light colored shirts. I do wish they'd make a white/ivory colored one for under white/really light shirts though.

Told you it was completely random and mostly food/cooking based ;) What are you loving this week?

Linking up here

Friday Five {Vol. 10}

Look at who the cat dragged in... I wish I had a good reason for disappearing, but I don't. I just wasn't feeling it. But here I am so lets jump into five things I'm loving this week!

Not Your Mother's hair products. They're cheap {less than $7 each} and work great! I haven't used the Intensive Hair Unit yet, but I'm excited to compare it to the Macadamia hair mask. This is the first dry shampoo I've ever tried and so far so good.

Bath and Body Works Market Peach is one of my favorite scents so when they released soap, hand sanitizer, and lotion {it used to only be available in a candle} I jumped on it! Next time I go I want to pick up the chapstick too. I love the new soap bottles too. 

My husband and I have decided on where we're going for our anniversary trip this summer- Gatlinburg, TN! We're going to be staying in this cute little cabin for 6 days :) More to come on this next week...

My new camera goodies! Everyone with a dSLR should have a screen protector for the LCD viewing screen and a cleaning kit {I got all of these from Amazon}. I can't wait to play with the new lens.

And as always I'm loving this sweet pup more and more everyday. We're both ready for spring so that we can go for walks again.

Join in the fun here!

Friday Five {Vol. 9}

TGIF! Today has been another really longggg week and I'm definitely in need of a break {don't we all?}! Anywho here are five items I'm loving this week!

{01} Command strips/hooks/clips are one of the best creations. We used the in the apartment because we didn't want to put holes in the wall and we're using them at my in-laws because we know it's only temporary.  I recently found these cord clips and HAD to have them. Having my iPhone fall off of my nightstand won't happen anymore! When we move I plan to use them for all of the pesky little cords.

{02} I'm officially addicted to Lululemon and it's not necessarily a good thing. My nanny family gave me a gift card for Christmas so I finally got my hands on a pair of Wunder Unders and they are hands down the best leggings I've ever owned! I hope to add the crops into my collection soon! I'm also dying to try the much raved about Zella Live In leggings. If you couldn't guess I wear yoga pants/leggings at least 5x a week. Oh the joys of being a nanny! :)

{03} I think I've mentioned my love for NorthFace zip ups before and here I am doing it again. With the rest of the gift card I got two Mezzaluna hoodies {in ivory & blue} and they are SO comfortable, warm, and in my opinion look pretty feminine.

{04} The Oakley sunglasses I talked about last week arrived and I love them! Now I just need the sun to come out so that I can wear them :) Ohhhh Summer where art thou?!

{05}This week I was wondering the aisles of Target {NEVER a good thing} when I thought about looking in the shoe department one last time for the black boots I've been looking for forever {they're all sold out online and in the stores around me} and what do you know- they had them! IN MY SIZE! I have them in brown and wear them often, but wanted black also for those times I wear black or blue tops.

And now I basically need to turn myself in for being a shopaholic. What are you absolutely loving this week?

Link up here!

Friday Five {Vol 9}

I can't believe that it's already Friday! I can't wait to sleep in tomorrow and Sunday. Who really needs to know that I consider 8:30 sleeping in ;) Anywho, here's 5 things that I'm really loving this week-

T being back home
Duke and I really missed T while he was in Arizona! He had a great time, but said he wishes I went with him. He isn't happy about Michigan's weather or the fact that he had to sit on the plane for an extra hour while crews defrosted the doors to get them open! I'm excited to spend some quality time with him this weekend :)

My TV shows being back
So glad the midseason hiatuses are over! The only shows I watch weekly are Pretty Little Liars, SVU, and Revenge. I'm excited for Chicago PD too! Love me some Sophia Bush ;)

Hunter Socks
My in-laws got me a pair of sock liners for my Hunter boots and I'm obsessed with them! Obsessed as in.. I've been wearing them everyday for the past two weeks! They make the boots so much more practical. I'm thinking of getting the blue pair as well...

New blog followers
I cleaned up my BlogLovin feed and found a few new fun blogs to follow this past week, but I also gained a few new followers! Which I think is really exciting! Hello new readers :)

2014 Erin Condren planner
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my planners! I love the beginning of a new year so that I can start using a new planner. I plan on sharing my new Erin Condren planner and how I use it next week so stay tuned :)

What are you loving this week?

Link up here

Friday Five {Vol. 8}

I'm not sure if this link-up is back yet or not, but either way I'm still posting ;) I'm going to make it a point to post 5 things/events/people that make me happy every Friday whether there's a link-up or not.

{01} Silhouette Cameo
This was my favorite Christmas present that I received this year! I have been wanting a "craft cutting machine" for years and I finally have one! I can't wait to label everything and to make custom stickers/cutouts. I'm hoping to take a Silhouette class at the local scrap store next week and learn more about this new toy!

{02} Bookcase with doors!
T and I finally got our new bookcase put together. I'm not sure what we're going to put on the 3 visible shelves, but behind the doors will hold scrapbooks and board games! Can't wait to properly use it once we move.

{03} Date night at The Melting Pot
Tuesday night T treated me to a special date at one of my favorite restaurants- The Melting Pot! It was so delicious and we had such a great time. I think everyone needs to try it at least once!

{04} Boys Trip
T is currently in Arizona visiting his Army buddy and I am so happy for them to spend sometime together! They haven't seen each other since T got out in November 2012, but still talk everyday. I won't lie I am a little jealous I'm not soaking up the sun with them, but I know they need to have "guy time."

{05} Orange is the New Black
Is SO addicting! We're halfway through the first {and only} season and are loving it! I promised T I wouldn't watch it until he got back... I'm not sure I can make it that far.


What are you guys loving this week?!

Friday Five {Vol. 7}

I've been feeling down in the dumps/overwhelmed these past few days and I can't seem to shake it. I'm glad it's Friday and that the week is over. Hopefully this weekend will bring some relaxation, but also productivity. Here are my five random things for this weeks link-up!

{01} T's Birthday
Tomorrow is my sweet husband's 25th birthday! He'll be a quarter of a century old guys! Unfortunately he has to work during the day, but we do have dinner plans with his parents and then we're heading to the bar to watch the MSU vs Ohio State game. Even though I'm a Michigan fan I'll be rooting for the Spartans/anyone playing the Buckeyes and I'm sure it'll be a good game.

{02} Demon Furbaby Duke
I reached my breaking point this week and simply cannot keep living the way we are. I dread coming home everyday because I don't want to deal with the mess that is also known as our dog. We really slacked on training him once our puppy classes ended and it has caught up to us BIG TIME. I'm done with the jumping, biting, barking, and not listening. So we're trying to retrain him ourselves for a while and if that doesn't work calling in professional help. Wish us luck. We definitely need it. Does anyone have any good websites/book recommendations?

{03} Decorating
Last night T and I started decorating my grandparent's 14 foot tree! Due to having Parkinsons my grandpa can't get on a ladder anymore so we strung the lights and put up all the ornaments near the top of the tree. I'm glad we were able to do this for them, especially since we aren't putting up our own tree this year. I love decorating the tree together every year and really missed it while I was away at school.

{04} Vacation
Eight more days of work and then I'm on vacation for two and a half weeks! It can't come soon enough. Working OT has drained everything out of me this week. And our jammed pack schedule is one of the reasons I've been feeling so overwhelmed.

{05} Star Wars
I'm currently watching Star Wars Episode 4 with my youngest nanny child. This job rocks!

Friday Five {Vol. 7}

I can't believe that it's November! This year has flown by in the blink of an eye. Anywho here are 5 things that I'm loving this week -

 Link up here

Fun days with my grandma
Yesterday I had the day off {have I mentioned how much I love this job?!} and I spent the whole day with my beautiful grandma. We went to the mall, Ikea, pet bakery, and got lunch at Panera. We laughed, shared memories of my great-grandma, and just enjoyed each others company. I got a bambo plant {pictured above} from Ikea for $3!!!

Sparkly wedding ring
I got my ring inspected and cleaned yesterday so it is extra sparkly today! I don't know why I don't get it cleaned every month instead of every six... I need to start doing that!

Duke's first Halloween
He didn't really have a costume, he did wear a snazzy Star Wars bow tie, but he was so excited when the little trick-or-treaters came up to the house. He would jump right up and loved getting petted. He also enjoyed his Frankenstein brownie :)

Low key weekends at home
We're staying in this weekend and I couldn't be more excited! I have a lot to catch up on since I was gone last weekend.

 UofM vs MSU football game
Favorite game of the year is this weekend! Can't wait to watch it with T and Duke. GO BLUE!
  

Friday Five {Vol. 6}

Here are a five things I'm loving this week!

1. Owl Scarf/Belt Organizer

I found this cutie at Bed Bath and Beyond last weekend and it's perfect! It holds at least twelve items, but you can double up {especially with belts}.

2. Target Xhilaration PJ pants

They have POCKETS and are super comfy! I think that's all I really need to say. I do wish that they had more patterns though {I have the blue plaid and the owl ones}.

3. Up & Up No Spill Liquid Pump

Has anyone else been waiting for these?! Ever since I got Zoya's nail polish remover I've wanted a pump container for various products and Target has delivered! I believe they cost around $2.

4. The Divergent Series

I read Divergent and Insurgent within the past two weeks and LOVED them both! I'm anxiously awaiting October 22 when Allegiant comes out. Which happens to be the same week I'm getting my wisdom teeth removed!

5. New Shoes

I've never been a lover of shoes thanks to my huge bunions making it difficult to find shoes that are comfortable, but within the past two months I've gotten 5 new pairs! A pair of flat boots {Target for around $25}, Sanuka Yoga Mat flip flops {heaven on your feet.. EVERYONE needs a pair! $30 on Zappos}, Knockoff KEDS {Target again for a whopping $13}, workout/walking shoes {I love how bright they are!}, and Sperry flip flops that I got as an early Christmas present from my grandparents {they said I'd get more use out of them now than in December lol}.

What are some things you're loving this week?

Friday Five {Vol. 5}

So today I'm going to post about five of my favorite things at the moment {and they're completely random}!

1. Basement "makeover"- Like I've mentioned before, T and I are currently living with his parents and the plan is that we will be until next August. Since this is a semi-long period of time we've decided to make a living space in their basement. We will have our TV set up down there, a workout area, and a "office" area. Even though we're still waiting on our couch I decided to set up the office area last night so that I could have a place to study and get scraping! I'm feeling motivated and that makes me so happy!

We set up our dining table, bought a piece of plexiglass so that I don't ruin the tabletop, organized my craft supplies in the 6-cube organizer, and I have a few other small things to pick up for that area. I also need to pick up two more sets of workout mats, because clearly one is not enough LOL Everything {except the bookcase} in the corner will be moved and that area is where our couch will go. There's still some work to do, but I'm happy with the progress.

2. Laptop Cooling Pad- I order this gem off of Amazon last week and it has been a lifesaver! I can finally blog in bed without my laptop without overheating or my legs catching on fire! It's super comfy too.

3. Summer Weather- Summer has decided to show up in Michigan again. Just in time for everyone to go back to school {one reason I'm glad I'm not going back}. This summer has been really strange weather wise and it makes me anxious for winter, because who knows how it'll go...

4. Nook Update- I got a Nook HD+ for Christmas last year and to be honest I was kind of disappointed at first and regretted not getting an iPad Mini instead. Well with nook's new update I don't feel that way anymore! B&N paired up with Android and now I can watch YouTube videos, surf the web on Google Crome, watch Netflix, ect. It's great!

5. Otterbox Case- Of course I had to order a new Otterbox when I got the new phone and I loved that I got to customize it by picking both colors. I went with grey and pink!