Week #3 Wrap-Up (21-Day Challenge and Alcohol-Free April)

Well, it has been officially 22 days since I have had ANY chocolate, muffins, cookies, cakes, ice cream, chips, or white bread, and over 30 days of no alcohol! I have officially completed the 21-Day Challenge AND Alcohol-Free April!

I did it! 

source: gymandmotivation.tumblr.com via Pinterest @Thathouseonthecorner

I have to say, I am so proud of myself. I have NEVER been able to stick with it for more than a few days (10 was my all-time longest) and I just feel so good! 

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Truly, I feel pretty crummy today thanks to this lovely head cold invading my sinuses. I credit this cold to the little boy who spit in my face this week at work! Ugh. Despite being sick, I am still very proud of myself. In fact, I don't even want to indulge until I really feel a craving for it. Maybe it is the cold that is starving off any other cravings for sweets, but either way it works for me. 

I weighed in every Wednesday at the same time and all in all I am down a total of 5.4lbs without consistently working out or counting calories. Basically, I replaced unhealthy choices with cleaner foods such as fresh fruits and veggies and it made a difference. 

Pardon my chipped toenail polish... pedicures don't last long with me...

My cousin, Candis @ CandisBoBandis, is also on a weight-loss journey. Together we planned to do the 30-day shred this month, but we both came down with cooties even though we live many states apart. Maybe next month we can start haha!

In the meantime, I am letting my body rest to recover from this cold and then I plan to find some other challenges to try. 

Start Weight: 151.2

Current Weight: 145.8

Total lost: 5.4

Have you met any of your April goals?

Moses

Remember when we said we got a little Saint Bernard puppy? 

And then I showed you progressive photos of him growing?

And then I fell off the face of blog world the earth?

Well, Mr. Moe, AKA Moses, is alive and well and is nearly 200lbs these days. I seriously could go on and on about this dog. Those who know me know that I actually do go on and on about him.

Now, Izzy will always be my little girl, and Jester is our little boy, but Moe is definitely our baby. 

 

He's my fishing buddy and a total sweetie with everyone he meets. 

Plus, that larger than life tongue makes for lots of sloppy kisses! 

We just love our big baby. But, a word from the wise, think twice or ten times before running out and getting one of these for yourself. We planned getting a saint for over eight years and we talked with breeders and mentors from the Saint Bernard Club of America (Bobbie at Woodcrest Saints) before making the decision to bring him home. 

Big dogs come with big poop big responsibilities. We made the decision to get this dog with full knowledge that there would be drool and hair and potential for behavioral issues without proper socialization. 

Now, despite ALL the reading and learning about the breed, we had NO idea the drool and hair would be so excessive. Let's just say we carry "drool rags" around most everywhere we go with him. Notice I said RAGS, not rag. We keep the water bowl out back (he has access) because at least he shakes after his drinks while he is outside instead of in the kitchen. And hair literally travels through our home in clumps... we groom him regularly, vacuum constantly, and don't even blink and eye when we have to remove dog hair from our food. 

 

We also made sure he was around A LOT of little kids and all types and sizes of people when he was young. I have never had to place a second thought if Moe would be friendly with someone and that gives me a lot of peace of mind. He seriously loves everyone--even if he knocks them over. 

We are SO thankful he is a good boy because at nearly 200lbs, a good yank on the leash to run after something could drag us away. To prevent this, we enrolled him in puppy training at Petsmart and completed obedience work by 6 months old and we continue our obedience work on a regular basis. This dog has a SERIOUSLY good "stay", but a pretty bad "come" because that requires too much effort. 

He tends to stay out of trouble without much chewing or digging issues. He also does not bark when left in the backyard and people or other animals pass by. His favorite thing to do is sleep smashed up against the front door to the point it becomes difficult for us to get into our home. 

But honestly, 99% of the time he really is a good boy. But that 1%...

The day he dug up/chewed apart my hydrangea (which can be poisonous if eaten!) got him in quite a bit of trouble. P.S. He never became sick or showed any signs of distress... only guilt. 

He is amazing in the truck and LOVES going camping and fishing. 

  And yes, he is MASSIVE. He can easily rest his chin on the counter, but knows not to. We have to keep him out of the kitchen while cooking because his wagging tail can dip into the pans on the stove. Let's just say that more than once we were thankful we don't have a gas burning stove! 

(Mind you he is less than a year old in this photo and is EVEN bigger now!)

And, although you should never try to ride a big dog, he does look cute in a saddle.

He loves to cuddle and he gives the most gentle kisses. He never bites for treats, and he loves drooling on the cats while they rub in and out of his legs!

Overall, he is seriously a wonderful addition to our home. I know our time will be short with him knowing that large breeds have shorter lifespans, and the thought of the heartbreak we will endure can get me crying just thinking about it. But, we are so thankful to have such an amazing furry family minus the annoying cats  that fill our hearts and our home with love. 

I couldn't imagine life without them. 

Lemondrop Moonshine (In Alcohol-Free April!)

As for Alcohol-Free April... it too comes and goes with being hard and easy. This month has been INSANELY stressful with family drama going on with my husband's side of the family and many nights I've thought, "Why the hell did I choose to do this?!" when I really could use a good buzz to drown out the drama. However, I have stayed strong. I will admit I had a teensy tiny sip of Lemondrop Moonshine that I made using Lemonhead candies, lemon juice, lemon wheels, sugar, and Everclear. It is mellowing in the fridge right now, but I needed to taste it to see if it needed more of anything-- and I'm guessing from the warm and fuzzies I got from the little sip that, no, it doesn't need a thing! 

Okay, I know you are singing it...

"Strawberry shimmer on hot lips, silver buckle hangin' off her hips, Eyes sparkle when she smiles, Shinedown on the radio dial. Homemade jar o' Lemondrop, take a sip. Don't stop girl, I love it when you get your shine on! 'Cause you be rockin' me all night long, summer sky drippin' rhinestones, turn your party lights on, baby get your shine on, shine on!" 

If you don't know the song, you need to check out Florida Georgia Line's "Get Your Shine On". I seriously love their cd. We started listening to them last summer and I know this summer they will still be rocking our playlists. 

 Homemade Lemondrop Moonshine

I basically made it with reckless abandon by adding equal parts lemon juice and sugar (about 1 cup/1 cup) and then boiling it with the Lemonhead candies. I stirred constantly and added a whole lemon sliced into wheels to the boiling mixture. Taste the lemon mix as you go to see if it needs to be sweeter or more lemon-y (is that a word?). It should have the consistency of hot syrup. 

Once it is smooth/clear I put it in mason jars (about 1/3 full) and let it cool on the counter. Then I topped off the jars with Everclear (151 proof) and tossed in a few more lemon wheels. I put on the lids (they don't have to be sealed) and put the jars in the fridge. they developed a "chunky" look that I would guess has to do with the lemon pulp mixing in with the juice, but if you shake it up it is just fine. 

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Brandon says it tastes like rubbing alcohol, but he drank it while it was still warm--and we all know warm lemonade is nasty... So, I had our roomie, Rachel, try it (remind me to post about her!) and she said it was STRONG, but good. As with any moonshine, the more it sits, the more it mellows and the flavor strengthens. I am eager to try it next weekend when Alcohol-Free April is over! 

We got started making homemade "shine" last year when we decided to make Apple-Pie Moonshine. We make it during the colder months and it is to-die-for. It seriously tastes like warm apple pie, but with about a 70-90 proof kick! It's delicious hot or cold and is made with a similar process of the Lemondrop using the Everclear. I told Brandon he needs to learn how to make a still and we can have legitimate moonshine that lives up to the standards of all these country songs we love. But, for now, we are pretty happy making it with what we can get our hands on. 

Obsessing: Backyard Remodel

So, as I mentioned the other day, we chopped down a massive tree on the side of our house so that we can extend the fence around further and add to our backyard. Sounds great right? Well, the part that bums me out is that my husband wants to use the side portion for parking his flatbed trailer and/or his buggy. I agree we need more parking space so we can do other projects in the garage, but I am sad that we still have a small backyard. After all, the pool takes up A LOT of space. We have talked a lot about filling it in because the plaster is severely damaged and will cost $2-3,000 to repair. We rarely swim, and we have three dogs who would love more room to run. 

Plus, I would LOVE to add a pergola (which I can do WITH the pool--but the husband isn't as thrilled). We haven't decided what to do with the pool just yet, but in the meantime, I am BLOWING UP my Pinterest page with "Outdoor Retreat" ideas. 

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I seriously NEED a pergola-- with curtains-- please get in my life now. 

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An outdoor fireplace is a long-standing daydream of mine as well. At least the husband likes this idea--although he says the mirror and chandelier are weird. He doesn't know what he is talking about. 

Seriously. I drool over the thought of having an outdoor room. Instead, I have overgrown weeds, blazing hot sun in APRIL, and a fence that is falling over. A girl can dream right?

Are you doing any backyard projects? 

Week #2 Wrap Up (21-Day Challenge)

Sorry that I'm a few days late! This week was INSANELY busy! 

But, the good news is that I have still stayed strong with my 21-Day Challenge!

And, I'm seeing results! 

Total Loss: 4.2 lbs 

Yes, the weight loss is slow, but at least it is steady. Especially considering that the whole work-out plan totally didn't happen. I refused to beat myself up however, because sticking with this challenge is making me pretty proud as is. Now, as I technically only have 3 days left, I know I can make it! I honestly never thought I could stick with this. After all, I tried in the past and failed. I mean, I am at 18 days without CHOCOLATE-- which, for me, is NUTS! 

Has it been hard? Hmmmm.... yes and no. I will agree it is torture when my husband is eating ice cream or drinking a blended mocha with oreo cookies in it and I know I can't have any... but am I feeling totally deprived? No. 

I have found that I spend more time browsing what I can eat in the cupboards and reaching for snacks like fruit and veggies more often. Furthermore, I spend WAY more time prepping my lunches and getting things ready the in the ten or more minutes in the morning that end up making me late to work night before. 

But, back to my progress. Despite not working out consistently and not counting my calories, I am still seeing changes just from cutting out the sweets. I know my metabolism is actually pretty darn fast (I just bog it down with sugar and sweets!) so I think it is doing just fine burning up fat on its own. The biggest change I noticed is in my cellulite. Yes, I inherited butt dimples. Face dimples are much cuter. But, even the hubby says they look a little smoother and he tossed in a "Just imagine if you had been working out too" that warranted a death glare on my part. He finished with a "but you're smoking hot anyway". Nice save, boy. 

I bought these jeans without trying them on and they are WAY too small. They have potential to be very cute, so I figured I could use them for progress photos. It felt really good getting them over my butt even if they are nowhere near buttoning up!

So, I remember this is mainly a blog about our home, so I thought I would throw in this little doozy too... Yep, we hacked down the tree on the side of our house and a new fence goes up NEXT WEEKEND that will extend our backyard farther out! Woot woot! 

And don't feel sad for this tree. I only briefly felt guilty cutting down a large and healthy tree until I saw its roots burrowing into the planter and running the risk of damaging the foundation of our home, I decided that it would be much better as firewood. Besides, that sucker dropped leaves like no other (seriously, our neighbors that are downwind were cheering!). 

Hopefully removing the stump goes smoothly and we can begin demolishing and rebuilding our fence next week!

Any progress or changes going on for you? I'd love to hear about it! 

Week #1 Wrap Up (21-Day Challenge)

Ok, I'm a few days late. Sorry!

So, Wednesday marked the end of week one of the 21-Day Challenge and day 17 of Alcohol-Free-April. Now, I wont even say much about Alcohol-Free-April because that has been no big deal except for thinking here and there that a glass of red wine with some chocolate would be auuuu-mmmmaaaazzzing. Only 11 more days to go! 

21 Day No JUNK Food Challenge:

RULES: For 21 days these foods are to be avoided or replaced with healthier choices:

Chocolate/Candy

Cake, Cookies, Donuts, Muffins, Pastries the works!

Fast Food

Chips/Processed Crackers

White Bread

Ice Cream

Alcohol

Limiting refined Sugars

Now, for going without sweets/junk food----Basically, I think I have been VERY successful considering I am a food hoarding, chocolate scarfing junkie. I feel like I am not truly "going without" because I have been making other delicious and healthy recipes and it makes me look forward to making my meals as clean as possible. I will admit I have had some sugar because I allow myself to drink my Strawberry-Basil Lemonade and I use one tablespoon of creamer each morning for coffee, but those don't bother me. After all, sugar wasn't my enemy alone... I knew chocolate would be my biggest struggle, and at times, it has been!

I started counting calories on Monday of this week after realizing I was basically eating quite a bit of food (healthy food is still food!) and I wanted to see how many calories I was consuming. My goal is to eat around 1,500-1,600 a day, which is enough to still slowly lose a little weight while maintaining energy. This week I upgraded my phone however, and my LoseIt app seems to have deleted everything. So, I am working on putting it back together in hopes of starting to count again today. 

So, I've been asked the question, "What happens after 21 days?" and to be honest, I don't know. I know I plan on returning to eating sweets, but I hope to limit it to less often. I read on one site to eat 4-5 healthy meals after 1 unhealthy meal so that you can guarantee you are eating healthy roughly 80% of the time. I think that sounds reasonable, but I will admit my thoughts CONSTANTLY go to a blended mocha my husband made the other day with my homemade chocolate, ice cream, espresso, ice, and Oreo cookies... mmmmm. I know really think that will be my first indulgence once I am done! 

Now, the fun part. I weighed in on Wednesday and I will admit I had a mix of excitement and nervousness all at once as I stepped on the scale. I'll be honest and say that it is that time of the month where your body holds onto obscene amounts of extra fluids and you want to ravage the cupboard for chocolate, so I figured I would cut myself some slack if the number was not what I expected. So, with a big breath, I stepped on the scale and saw:

148.6! 

That means that without really counting calories, I am down 2.6 pounds from last Wednesday when I started at 151.2 pounds. 

I was pretty damn happy considering I have not had a genuine/hard workout (I've been active through fishing, hiking, and riding, but no hard workouts). 

It motivates me to do even better this week.

So, what are you doing to make yourself healthier and happier this year?

21 Day Challenge: Strawberry Basil Lemonade

I have found a new drink to make that I am TOTALLY hooked on. It's refreshing, a little unique, and equally good with or without alcohol added. 

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

You will need: 

7-12 large strawberries with the greens removed

3-5 large fresh basil leaves

1 pitcher of lemonade

Puree the strawberries and basil together in blender or food processor (I like mine a little chunky). Then mix with the lemonade and enjoy!

 It is a fresh twist on strawberry lemonade. I got the idea from a restaurant where I worked that made a strawberry basil ice cream. Sounds gross, I know, but it is REALLY delicious. Plus, if you are not cutting back on alcohol, this drink is AWESOME with Bacardi Dragon-berry Rum added to it for an adult twist. 

Give it a try and tell me what you think!

I think what I have liked the most about trying to eat cleaner is that it forces me to think outside of the box when making meals. I am trying more meals that use less "junk" and are still really delicious. I promise to share more recipes soon!

Day 4: No Junk Food Challenge/Day 13: Alcohol Free April

So, here I am on Day 4 of the challenge and I am DOG tired. Not sure if it is because Moe has gotten up EVERY DAMN NIGHT this week to go outside and I somehow hear him before my husband. Or because I stay up WAY too late. Or because I haven't had coffee today. Must be the coffee. 

Next mission: Get coffee! NOW!

Anyway, I started a challenge on Wednesday to go the next 21 days without sweets. I have not been counting calories, but I have been eating pretty clean! 

I originally said no butter on the list, but I chose to nix that because my husband needs to still eat my cooking haha. I limit my consumption and use as little as possible, but I couldn't kick that one entirely. Otherwise, I have avoided or replaced all other items on the list with healthier options.

As far as Alcohol-Free-April goes, it is pretty much no big deal. I mean, I like to drink, but I definitely do not "need" it. I think part of that lack of "need" is that I have always tried to avoid drinking when I am really stressed/grumpy/overwhelmed. I always try something healthier instead like going horseback riding, taking a bubble bath, exercising, etc. Now, don't get me wrong, I have had my fair share of "I could use a drink tonight" nights, but when the problems are intense, I never reach for it. I just don't think it is a solution to anything. And trust me, although it is only 13 days in, April has been EXCEPTIONALLY stressful!

(I went riding with the hubby for the first time in SIX years last night! How has he gotten out of it for so long?! Plus, he's a natural!)

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Anyway, I will be posting again soon with some recipes that have encouraged me to keep eating cleaner!

Take care, 

Caitlin

21 Days

So, I was doing the math (yes, I can count) and I realized there are exactly 21 days left in April starting tomorrow on the 10th. I thought to myself, "Hmmm... Alcohol-free April... let's take it up a notch" and I decided to try the 21-Day NO JUNK FOOD challenge. Now, considering I ate cookies for breakfast today, tomorrow sounds like the perfect day to start. 

21 Day No JUNK Food Challenge:

RULES: For 21 days these foods are to be avoided or replaced with healthier choices:

Chocolate/Candy

Cake, Cookies, Donuts, Muffins, Pastries the works!

Fast Food

Chips/Processed Crackers

White Bread

Ice Cream

Alcohol

Butter/Butter Spreads

Refined Sugars

I'll poke my head in here and there to let you know how it is going. 

It is the candy, sweets, sugar and butter that get to me! 

I've tried this in the past, and the furthest I went was 10 days. I am a TOTAL pushover for sweets and I know I also get fed up and say "Screw it" really fast when PMS or headaches roll around. 

Looking back at how hard I have pushed myself through school and through work, I know I can stick with stuff even when times are hard, but I wonder what is so hard about a diet? Is it my emotional ties to food? The comfort? The control? The judgement of others? I don't know. I do know the last time I started this I told someone close to me and they responded with, "Really? 21 days is a long time, I don't think you can do that" and it knocked the wind right out of my sails. I'm pretty sure I was right around the 10 day mark. 

I know this month will FLY by considering is it CST testing at the school I intern at, I have countless homework assignments and papers due, it's spring-time, and I may be starting ANOTHER internship at a high school this month if I am lucky. Hopefully this means I stay busy and can still eat clean. 

I designed a 90-day workout plan a few months back and I did great for about two weeks. Which is EXACTLY how long my husband said I would stick with it. Little turd knows me too well... So, I revised it to make a 21-Day Plan that allows one weigh-in a week and charts my exercise, sleep, and calories (if I get the guts to start counting them!). I'm an all or nothing gal, so I guess this means I am all in. I am putting it out there for the world on this blog and I am hoping to be open about it with little opposition. It's not like I'm going 21 days without food! 

Here is the basic set-up of my plan. It is split up to one page at a time with workouts from my Pinterest page. I will try to upload it once I find out how to make it accessible for everyone (and once I make sure I post links so no one starts any plagiarism stuff!). 

Tomorrow I will take my before photos and after the 21 days I will hopefully have some changes to post! I'm super excited to go grocery shopping to try to buy some fresh foods and plan some delicious clean eating meals!

Wish me luck and let me know if you are on board as well!

April Goals

So, April has begun 8 days ago and I have some goals in mind. 

First, my cousin and I both stay in touch everyday and we usually talk about our weight-loss goals. I have always been an active and fit person, but lets just say there have also always been parts that I thought could use a little more work. 

Check out her weight-loss journey on her blog: CandisBoBandis

She is far more successful than me and is 20lbs down!

On our wedding day in 2011, I weighed around 142lbs. To me, this was heavy, but not as much as I had been leading up to it. To this day, my highest weight was 153lbs earlier this year. I have gone up and down here and there as I work out consistently one week and then consistently binge the next. I know stress plays a HUGE role considering I have gained more weight in the master's program than any other time in my life.

(technically this picture is a year after the wedding, but I was still around 142lbs)

My goal weight is around 130, which is still in a very healthy range for my Body Mass Index (BMI). I am 5'9" and I have wide hips, so I will never be a size zero, nor do I want to be. I honestly do not care what the number on the scale says as long as I am fit, toned, and happy with my body. In high school, I started freshman year at 5'4" and 98lbs, then puberty hit. By sophmore year I was 5'8" and 127lbs (the long and skinny days), and then junior and senior year at 5'9" and 140lbs. My junior and senior years I was an accomplished equestrian who trained roughly two hours each day. I also was in P.E. and I ran many mornings. I was VERY physically fit with very low body fat.

After high school, the muscle was slowly replaced by fat although I maintained around 140. In 2008 my friend and I worked out often and I was down to around 132lbs. I was not as muscular as I was in high school, but I liked how my clothes fit and how I felt in my skin. I stayed that weight for the summer and it slowly crept up until I saw 142 in 2009! In the last three years I have seen only minor ups and downs, and I know that is normal, but I would like to get myself back to where I want to be. 

I know high school is over and I wont ever be that person again. That is okay. Personally, I have many things I like more about my body now than I did in high school, I just want to trim down on my hips, butt, thighs, and legs trouble areas. 

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Today I stepped on the scale to see 151.2.
 Looks like I need to work a little harder.

Wait, wasn't I talking about goals at the beginning of this post?

Ok, so it's April, and it starts with an "A", so I thought, "Hey, I wanna have an alcohol-free April!". Now, I don't really drink that much, but I do love my wine,and the occasional mixed drink--especially after a long/hard week-- and it's already been a long, hard week (but I didn't drink!). So, I thought I would try to go the whole month without drinking to cut the extra calories.

I quickly learned I will replace the saved calories with iced coffee and strawberry lemonade.... oops. So, I am going to have to work on that problem too... I still plan to not drink until May. I figured this month is a good one because it is not quite summer, I graduate next month, and bikini season is right around the corner. So, here goes nothing!

I'm also going to try to workout 4 times a week or more this month. Last week we went riding three times and I ran on Wednesday, so I know I can do it without too much trouble.

Another goal is to eat cleaner. Now, this one will have to start more this week because I totally sat on the couch stuffing my face with cookies while drooling over Luke Bryan on the ACMs last night. Can I get a hoot and holler for Entertainer of the year?! Woot woot! I am going to marry him someday. 

Realistically, I know what I need to do to lose the most weight is to count calories. It keeps me on track and lets me still indulge as needed while maintaining the energy I need to workout. However, something about the added stress of counting calories has kept me from it. I just can't quite step back into that foreign territory where I used to be a local when I lost weight back in 2008.

So, I'll keep you posted as I start with the little goals of cutting out alcohol and trying to workout more often. Wish me luck!

The return.

So, I technically had two weeks of spring break although my school only had one. The second week I still had classes and one day of work, but the school where I am an intern was still out, so I am still "technically" on break and preparing for the dreadful "return" tomorrow. 

 40 days 'til master's hooding... THANK GOODNESS. 

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My mother in law had been having some concerns for my 13 year old sister in law for a while now, so we offered to take her over the second week of break just like we did last year. Usually, she comes up to visit from down south and we hang out and do fun big sister stuff and I get to also talk to her about real life issues. For me, it is a lot of fun considering I am the youngest and I never had a little brother or sister and I'm a therapist, so I was looking forward to her visit. That was, until it was called off...

Now, I could post the whole story here online, but it's not really something that needs to be spread across the internet or made a big fuss out of. Long story short: My husbands little sister was being a 13 year old girl fighting with her mother.

So, although our trip was initially cancelled, we ended up meeting part of the way to get her on Tuesday night. Even I was a little nervous about how she would be with us considering reports of her behavior, but all in all, the last few days were truly great. 

I had a buddy to ride horses with, the dogs got plenty of exercise, we made DIY high-waisted shorts from thrifted mom-jeans, and I got to have a lot of heart to heart talks with my little sister. 

As she returned home today, I feel a mix of emotions. Overall, I can't help but realize that  kids these days live in a different world. I am blown away how fast they grow up and how quickly they can go the wrong way without strong interventions to keep them on track. It just seemed so much simpler when I was a kid. I see it at my work, at my internship, at school, and in my own family. It is like things are just getting out of control. People have a million different reasons why things are the way they are, but the bottom line is that I believe there needs to be more love and responsibility in this world. 

Let me spare the drama to say I am not referring to just our family as I write this.

 I feel like if people could just be responsible for their actions (the young, the old, and in between), we could stop pointing the finger at everyone else and look at our own problems that need to be worked on. I mean, no one is perfect except for me, so I guess I don't get why it is so hard for people of almost all ages to say "Yes, I made a mistake, let me make it right". I am not laying blame on any person, I do it too. I believe that everyone needs to make an effort to make a change how big or small that change might be. 

When my grandpa leaves he always hugs and says, "Do good things for yourself". He was a therapist for over 40 years and I really feel some power in his words. People need to do good things for themselves and do good for others. So, if you take anything from this post, let it be to do good things. Be it for yourself, or someone else. Make good decisions and learn from your mistakes. Find a balance of taking care of yourself when you need to and others when they need it more. 

Love others unconditionally. 

What's Going On?

So, in 2011 I had about a whopping 31 posts... and then last year only 4....

What's been going on?

Rewind.

We bought our home in 2009 as a drug seizure/ foreclosure. We worked hard and slowly renovated with learning to DIY just about everything. We started our family with just our two Shih Tzu's and I was working as a waitress while completing my bachelor's in psychology.

Fast forward.

I finished my bachelor's, started the master's program, worked as waitress at two restaurants, taught 6th grade for a year, planned a wedding, had an AMAZING wedding, took on an internship as a counselor, worked as a substitute, busted ass through school, and learned to function on less sleep and more coffee.

Pause.

Currently, I finished my Master's in Counseling in December 2012, but I have one more semester as I tackle a Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) credential to allow me to work in schools. It has been the fastest and LONGEST 2.5 years of my life. I'm still a full time student-- almost double time actually-- and the hooding ceremony is in May...I CANNOT WAIT! I started on a second internship as a school counselor (for free) and a paid position one day a week doing my dream job-- Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. Additionally, I still sub part time and manage to somehow scrape by! Plus, I just received an intern number, so the hunt is on for full-time work once I complete my 600 placement hours at the internship. 

Whoo... I'm tired just typing it.

 Play.

We have continued renovations in our home despite my slacking on the blog. I repainted/decorated the hideous master bathroom, redecorated the spare room again, let our roommate decorate her room, and let the backyard grow into a jungle. 

Plus, I'm pretty sure I am addicted to Pinterest. Big time. 

Our friends are pairing up, getting engaged (I get to be a matron of honor!), having adorable children, and starting the search for their careers as well. We have another roommate/old time friend who moved in so Brandon and I try to not get caught making out keep it all together.

I am happily married and we will celebrate our second wedding anniversary in October and ten years together in December. Our family has grown by two annoying cats and one 170+ lb Saint Bernard named Moses.

We are so blessed. Seriously, life is good.

I get caught up a lot these days in the stress of school, searching for my "career" job, and worrying about all the little stuff I cannot change. I know I don't sleep enough--it's after midnight right now even-- I do things that I know are bad for me like going back and forth between eating well and gorging myself on sweets, and I probably cry/feel burnout worse than the average 24 year old. I deal with family drama almost on a daily basis and I don't even bother trying to pull my hair out because it seems to fall out on its own.

Despite the struggles, our lives are seriously going well. I have a smile on my face most of the time and I feel so thankful for the opportunities I have in my life. For the most part, the stress is good stress. Growth.

 We have our ups and downs, but I can say I have a roof over my head, a husband and family who loves me, three amazing dogs, two horses to ride for the feeling of freedom, and just enough money to get by until we get really settled into "adulthood".

I've learned that I'm growing up. Like, for real. Even my wardrobe is changing. I look at baby stuff constantly (hold your horses, we have AT LEAST two years before kiddos!) and we focus more about how we want our lives to be as we get older. It's going faster than I ever imagined and I will try to keep up. 

Guess we'll have to see where life takes us from here.
Lots of love,
Caitlin

Changes.

So, I am going to try to get back in the swing of things. To start, I revamped the site and I plan to keep making more changes. 

Furthermore, the blog itself will see some changes-- mainly in direction. Before, I was very focused on sticking with house stuff until I realized I really enjoyed sharing also the triumphs and struggles in our lives. For me, it's mainly family that follows this, so I have decided to open the doors to new blogging possibilities. This means that some days I may blog about our home, or about fitness, or food, or bitch and moan discuss the stress in my life.

I have been away from the blog for almost a year now and I have mixed feelings coming back. In my field of work, being in the public eye isn't exactly the best idea. As a therapist, my work is confidential, and I have learned that I like a little more privacy in my life as well. So, odds are, things are going to change on the blog as a way of making sure my family is safe (geeze, I sound paranoid just typing this). 

Anyway, I will be catching up more soon and I have A LOT to share about this last year and my hopes for the future. 

Stay tuned for some big, positive changes!

The Kitchen Reveal!

Let's take a look back at where we started when we bought our home back in June 2009... yuck, yuck, YUCK!

AND... drum roll please... THE NOW!!!

 

And here we are today! I'll admit, we still have to add baseboards, but we are pretty damn happy with the results thus far! Our budget wasn't exactly tracked perfectly, but we know the entire project stayed below $3,500 and was TOTALLY worth it. I just love it all. More details to follow soon!