Wedding Wednesday is Now My Thing

Well Folks,

Here I am again. I say again because I haven’t been posting on my blog for…well too long for me to even remember. I have been lurking in the blogosphere and reading your posts though. Bloglovin is still my most visited website. That and Pinterest so I’m still here. Gone but not forgotten…..

Hopefully….

Anyway, in case you missed me, or didn’t, either way I have come back from the dead to announce something. I thought about announcing that I have an announcement like any good Blogger would do, but being MIA for months on end doesn’t really allow that much flexibility when coming back.

SO in case you missed it on Instagram on Monday…..

I’M ENGAGED!!!

Oh yea, you’re looking at the future Mrs. Barros. Boom Baby!

You can see above I was caught completely off guard. Ignore the ratty tennis shoes and unwashed hair. And Lord, there isn’t a ring pic yet because heaven forbid my nails weren’t painted. But gosh darnit, it was downright perfect, so just focus on the giant smiles on our faces instead, k thanks.

As soon as it happened my first thought besides holy crap it’s so sparkly, was “Dangit I haven’t brainstormed any good hashtag ideas yet!!”

Clearly my priorities were in the right order. I’m working on it don’t worry. For now I went with a ball and freaking chain man hashtag theme….Because well, I feel like the Man right now. (movie reference layup?)

My second coherent thought revolved around the idea that I will finally hit the big time with my blog! Whop doesn’t love a good wedding post! Until I remembered that I haven’t blogged in…..well you get the picture.

Whatever, it’s brought me back from Davey Jones Locker and that’s about the best resurrection catapult I could possibly think of so I’m happy with it.

I still don’t have a computer, but I do now have a fiance with a computer who said I can use his whenever I want. Boy this whole engagement thing is already the bee’s knees!

But of course I now need your help because despite having a Secret Wedding Pinterest board with lots of cute pictures that all color coordinate with one another, I have no clue where to start. Well I know where to start but like how does one find a Photographer? Venue? etc?? Google?

Help a newly engaged sista out will ya!

Let’s Connect!

Small Town Fall Festival

Welcome to Wednesday Friends!

I finally got around to editing my photos from over the weekend. Not because I was too busy to do it of course. I only had a few episodes to go in the final season of Drop Dead Diva which of course took precedence over anything else in my life during my free-time. I’m what you can call a prioritization juggernaut.

Really the fact that I even have photos from that day is a victory. I usually either forget to take pictures, am too shy to ask anyone to take photos for me, or just plain forget my phone at home. It happens more often than I’d like to admit. I think my current record is having to turn back around three times for forgetting something. I’ve really got my ish together ya know?

I was attempting to show you how awesome the solo cups I DIY’d into pumpkins looked on the trail but when the Sun was up you couldn’t really tell, as it got darker my photos turned out hazy like the one above and you still couldn’t tell, and once it got dark my phone couldn’t get a good photo. So this is what you’re left with…..

I am proud to report that I walked the haunted trail at least 7 times and was only scared for the first few. After that the kids knew when it was me and stopped trying to scare me. The final run through I filmed a few of the creepier scenes and got scared again but ya know, I’m alive and well so it all worked out 😀

So in case those last few sentences were confusing, or y’all just didn’t know, I’m still working a few hours a week at my local YMCA over some of their youth programs which includes the Teen Group aka Leaders Club. I’m the leader of the Leaders Club. So yea, Adulting.

I was also on the committee for the Festival, Though mostly because I had nothing else going on in my life at that point, not because I possess creative prowess. Oh and because there was free pizza at the meetings….thumbs up!

My portion didn’t happen until that night though so I convinced JB to come with me and invited his sister and family. We missed out on the hot air balloon rides by the time we got there but rumor had it that it was a bit too windy anyway so not many people go to do that.

I think the bets part was watching JB’s niece run around after the mascots. Here she is meeting one of her heros. No warm hugs were given though, she got scared as soon as Olaf got too close for comfort. Comfort levels are a bit different when you’re only  2 feet tall I guess. I wouldn’t know, I’ve always been at least 5 feet tall, just look at my awkward elementary school photos…..

As obsessed as she is with Frozen (specifically Elsa), Elmo was probably her favorite. It took about 7 encounters before she would actually give him a high five and then two more for a hug, but when you spend an entire hour following him around, it wasn’t hard to “run” into him.

Also I don’t know if you can tell but she’s wearing an Elsa dress under her dinosaur hoodie. That kids got style and she’s already cooler than me.

She also went in a few of the bouncy houses and tossed some rings at the carnival games. At one point we (TY and I) challenged “Uncle” (JB) to a relay race and I thought I was gonna eat dirt after the dizzy bat portion. JB’s Brother in Law got it all on film but I have yet to see it so until I can, you don’t get that hilarious video of 6’5 JB racing 2ft tall Ty as I tip-toe behind her on the balance beam.

Our last stop was the pumpkin patch of course. Scratch that, Ty rode a pony and cried when she had to get off, but happy again when she got to pick out a pumpkin and leave with a goody bag. I think her dad was more excited though because he immediately pulled out a DumDum and ate it. That’s called Parenting done right.

The pony ride definitely got the biggest grin you’ve ever seen. I think we all know what she’ll be asking for for the next decade of her life. You’re welcome for introducing that to her 😉

I did snap some “family” photos of everyone too but since she’s not my kid I don’t like sharing too much of her here. Judging from these photos, just the back of her head is. If you were to steal my phone and look through my picture roll you’d think she was my kid though. Or you’d think I was a creeper, which JB says I am so I’ll let you make up you own mind about what to call me.

I’m just gonna leave you with this photo that near about melted my heart to see….

Seriously a kid and her Uncle may be the cutest thing ever, second only to a Dad and his little girl. specifically if that dad is my husband and the daughter is mine. I imagine that’s a pretty heart melt-y moment.

Have you been to a Fall Festival in your area yet?

Let’s Connect!

    

5 Things You MUST Do This Fall

Whoo! Welcome to October Friends!

October 5th, but still. It’s Fall and the weather has finally decided to cooperate around here. New England has the weirdest weather of anywhere I’ve ever lived. And seeing as how I’ve lived in all US geographic locations, I’m, somewhat of a weather expert…minus the expert part 😉

Anyway, since it’s fall and every other blogger on the planet will be compiling a Fall Bucket List, because we’re bloggers and it’s what we do, I’m throwing my list into the fray. What makes mine better than any other list you could possibly look at? Absolutely nothing! Seriously, all of these lists will be basically the same, something about leaves and pumpkins. Do me a favor and read mine anyway, if you comment I’ll send you an internet hug, and who doesn’t like hugs.

1. Do something with Pumpkins. Drink em, eat em, pick em, take photos with em it doesn’t matter. Everyone knows Fall is the season of the pumpkin. Of course if you’re a communist and don’t like pumpkin then you can always substitute for apple. Just know if you do, you’re not really American AND your basic white girl card will be void.

2. Attend a Festival. Fall festival, food festival, beer festival, harvest festival, heck double points for a pumpkin festival! Go drink some cider, eat a donut, paint your face, ride the hay, play some games, toss the rings, win a prize, listen to the music, chuck the corn, pick the apples, kick the leaves, eat the food. Whatever your fancy there is a festival for you!

3. Drink hot beverages. Coffee, cider, hot chocolate, pick your poison and sip away. I prefer mine extra chocolate-y, heavy on the marshmallow, please and thank you 🙂

4. Host a Cookout/Dinner party. With the nice crisp weather comes perfect grillin weather. It doesn’t hurt that most sane people also love good food. (And if your friends don’t love to get together and eat than you need new friends.) Pair that with football, and you’ve got my favorite weekend activity! Of course only do this if you actually have the room for people over. I myself live in a studio apartment without even a couch so not really ideal to having anyone over….I take advantage of good friends who invite me over.

[Tweet “Looking for somethin to add to your Fall List? Here are 5 fun ideas!”]

5. Hike! Please for the love of everything holy in your life, do yourself and favor and get outside! Unless you live in Siberia (hey, hello!) nature is changing and you don’t want to miss it. Get off the internet, leave your car behind and get that booty moving outside. Besides think of all the awesome Insta content you can snap. The better to join my Instagram challenge with my dear.

So whatcha think? Have you done any of these things yet?

Better yet, how many Fall lists have you seen so far?

Tell me your favorite Fall activity!

Let’s Connect!

    

Birthday Weekending

My birthday was this past Saturday and I am now officially 25. Or as my 17yr old sister would put it, I’m “soo old” and my life is “practically over.” But she’s still worried about boys and what to wear on the weekends so clearly I’m more complex than that….oh wait…

Anyway, thank you to everyone for all the Birthday love, especially on my last post. I had a great response and everyone was so nice. I’m still getting around to responding to all the comments, so thank you, thank you 🙂

To celebrate my Day, I went camping with my Padre, so excuse my absence from everything social media, but not gonna lie I didn’t even think about it once. I love being outside in nature and “unplugging” as they say. Still love y’all though, promise.

I also realized I went backpacking with my Padre last year for my birthday weekend, so clearly patterns are being established. Not quite sure what these patterns say about my life, but hopefully good things and not old people things…no Fireball was consumed in the celebration of my big day. Just another reason I’m failing at this whole 20-something thing. #sorrynotsorry (<<— that’s still a thing right?)

I got some pretty funny comments on my last post about my lessons learned the other day. I just wanted to clear up that I’m Not the girl in the photo, it’s a stock photo. I mean, they got the mountains and long braid part down but last time I checked I wasn’t a tiny girl. However for your viewing pleasure I’ve attempted to reenact said photo…red bow and all

Nailed it…..minus the crooked braid and completely different person part….

Oh and word to the wise, this is what happens when your Father is you photographer for the weekend….

Notice how he switched the phone sideways half way through as well haha…Love that old man 🙂

Anyway, it was nice to spend time with family and enjoy the Great Outdoors. Don’t worry though, much cake was harmed in the making of this post….like all the cake….Also I tackled making no-churn ice cream so that’ll be up on the blog soon.

How was everyone else’s weekend? I feel so out of the loop!!

 

Let’s Connect!

    

Linkin up with MIMM & Weekending

Check out my Banner Sponsor!

KRAVE Jerky

*I received a complimentary box of KRAVE jerky in return for my honest review. All opinions, however, are my own. 

If there’s one thing I’ve learned since joining Blogland is that to be successful you must have a drinking problem……wait no that’s not it…..it’s that there seems to be a national day for just about everything. Some are awesome (donut day for example), some are dumb (ball point pen day. I mean really?), and some are just plain weird (knit in public day, get those needles ready ladies 😉 ). Despite all these glory hounds, there is one that’s just plain perfect for the summer. National Jerky Day! (it’s today btw)

Honestly I don’t eat that much jerky unless I’m hiking/backpacking and then I eat it all! Summer is when I get all of my hiking in though, so it’s only natural that my jerky budget goes up a bit. Second, I’m not a huge food snob. I’ll eat just about anything labeled food. When it comes to my jerky though I’m a bit uppity. I want wallet-friendly jerky, but good jerky. The two are not mutually exclusive which is a real knock against jerky….For that reason, I always seem to end up with rock-hard gross dried-out jerky on the trails.

Folks my problem is solved and my search is over…..Introducing KRAVE Jerky!

KRAVE Jerky does away with all the harsh chemicals and gross preservatives most companies use in their products resulting in all natural, whole-muscle cut, hand-sliced pieces of meat. They are marinaded for 48-hrs before they bake. You can check out their Facebook page here.

The kind people of KRAVE sent me 4 different flavors of their jerky and each one was yum (minus the chili pepper one, but only b/c I’m a wimp and can’t handle any spice hotter then black pepper. The boy loved it though and had the bag empty in a day. Point chili pepper). The jerky was all perfectly flavored and had the right amount of chew to it. No broken teeth for this girl! 😀

Even better is their option of both turkey jerky and pork jerky for those of us who don’t eat lots (or any) red meat. (is pork considered red meat? dumb question?) KRAVE Jerky does not contain any nitrates, hormones, MSG or artificial flavors & is Gluten Free. It’s also 97% fat free; lower in sodium (50-70%), cholesterol (50-70%) and calories (15-70%) than all major competitors. Tasty and healthier jerky for a day in the mountains? Sign me up!

Remember how I’m always complaining about being broke? You’ve probably conveniently tuned that part out but it’s true. Ain’t nobody got time to be spending a whole paycheck on a tasty snack. KRAVE jerky competes with all the “cheaper” brands but is much higher quality. They have married my wallet-friendly and tasty jerky problems…thank you KRAVE…thank you 🙂

You can find out more about them on their social media sites.

Twitter: @kravejerky

 Instagram: @kravejerky

Pineterest: kravejerky

Facebook: KRAVE jerky

Before I shut up about jerky I haveta give major props to the design of the packaging as well. I’m sorry but good food deserves good packaging not boring. That might be just me, but seriously, go look at those bags again, not to mention the box they come it. They’re also conveniently in the ManCrates I told y’all about the other day, and there’s still a chance to win prizes for your dad 😉

Anyone else a jerky fan?

Let’s Connect!

Memorial Day Confessions

Hello Lovelies 😀

Welcome to Wednesday and our weekly confession dump with Kathy where we all become besties! I’m just jumpin right into it today since, to be honest, I can’t think of anything interesting to say so really I’m doin you a favor…your welcome.

 

I confess…

>> I didn’t take the above picture. That credit goes to a friend of a friend…I left my phone in a locked car for 2 days while I partied at the beach so nary an American flag did I snap. But no lie, this picture rules all pictures of flags that were taken that day. I mean that’s freakin Mother Nature payin homage to America dudes…some all  natural American pride 🙂

>> I’m sure you’ve guessed from the above statement, but I didn’t take a single picture the entire weekend. I was in quite a few but none to show y’all whoops. Blogger fail, whatever.

>> Just because someone invites you to a BBQ don’t expect there to be food…well lots of food anyway…as in one burger all afternoon/night does not fill this girl up. (although the giant stack of chocolate chip pancakes I ate the next morning made my belly very, very happy so we’ll call it even 🙂 )

>> On that note, just because I am a personal trainer does not mean I don’t wanna stuff my face full of dessert at a party, so please remove your hand from my cookie and let me eat it….I digress….spoiler alert: I won that cookie battle.

>> Don’t promise yourself you will go for a run when you’re spending the weekend at a friends house b/c it won’t happen and all those calories you ate planning on a run will continue to sit on your hips (I’m sorry hips, I’m not sorry taste buds).

>> Also just because you’re at the beach all weekend doesn’t mean you should wear shorts. This Southern girl was freezin on the Massachusetts coast and I made sure everyone knew the South was better. Surprisingly I still made friends that night but I think it had more to do with my adorable novelty-ness of being the only one Not from Mass….I just roll like that.

>>I start my internship in Boston tomorrow and this is how I’m preparing for it….(ps. don’t forget to turn the sound on)

I’ll end my confessions by reminding y’all that next Monday, June 2nd is the next meeting of the Secret Blogger Club! This month our theme is SUMMER! As in write about something that has to do with summer….or at the very least use the word summer once. Grab the button in my sidebar and make sure to link-up with me, Susan and Kaitlin next week!

Now tell me your confessions from the weekend.

Let’s Connect!

Also linkin up with Liz for Hump Day

5 Reasons to Love Nature

Happy Friday Lovelies 😀

The ladies of the DC gang put forth the theme of 5 of your favorite places to run….

Now it’s no secret that I’d rather be outside any day of the week (except a New England winter, boo) BUT after being back in Mass and visiting all my favorite trails this past week I thought I’d give some of y’all non-believers a few reasons to get outdoors this summer. Especially if you’re in my area, there are some seriously weird things to see….

Reason 1 >> Wildlife. You probably won’t see too many non-squirels if you’re runnin on sidewalks and in neighborhoods, which if why I like to hit up parks and trails. I usually find a few different ones in my area then rotate through them so I never get bored. Bike trails work really well too, just keep an eye out for crazy bikers who these trails were technically made for. Runners are cooler though, just saying.

saw this beauty my first day back in Mass

Reason 2 >>Nature’s Beauty. This one is pretty much a no-brainer. Duh nature is beautiful and duh you’ll see a lot fo it if you go outside. But I’m talking about looking for it on purpose. Really take a minute and look around you. Everything around you can be beautiful (minus all the garbage rude ppl throw on the ground, you know who you are…). This takes me straight to my happy place 🙂 It also puts everything in perspective for me which is a huge plus for a chaotic brain like mine.

Reason 3 >>Art. I’m not artistic by any means which is why I’m grateful for those that are. Some might be bothered by graffiti but I’m actually a huge fan. None of that tag a name bull though, I mean something that takes talent not just a streak of rebellion. I mean how can you not giggle a little bit when you come across this goofball?

Reason 4 >>Whatever this is. Not all art is beautiful however…some is…um, rather strange. It still had me smilin and laughin though so I can’t be mad. Also this might have just been a weird prank not actual “art.” Like I said I’m not artistic so I don’t really know the rules…You’re right, this is just weird, moving on….

Reason 5 >> Geocaching. If you’ve never heard of geocaching, don’t feel bad. I heard about it for the first time literally like a week ago from my sister-in-law. It’s basically like a treasure hunt for adults. I’m pretty terrible at it myself, but I have snagged a few finds and let me tell you, you find one and you feel like a Boss! And who doesn’t wanna feel like a Badass while out running. (ps. there’s a free app that shows you where these things are)

Can you spot it? Found this tricky guy in R.I. off a bike trail.

If that doesn’t convince you to get outside then there’s no hope for you. And no I don’t wanna hear any excuses about bugs or being too hot. Put on your big girl pants and discover something new this summer! (need a friend? I’m available!)

What are some of your reasons for loving nature?

Let’s Connect!

Linkin up with the DC Gang and Little Friday

Real or Prank? Convincing Mother Nature to Let Spring Stay.

Happy Marvelous Monday all you wonderful people out there 😀 First of all thank you for all the birthday wishes the other day. There better have been some donuts and cupcakes consumed in my honor that’s all I’m saying. 😉 In case you missed it, it was my 1 year Anniversary of starting B-SoL (no sorry, still havent’ come up with a better nickname) I designed a free background for your laptop, iphone, or ipad just for you so be sure to check it out!

This week is gonna be great, wanna know why? My  little sister is staying the week with me, YAY! Nothin is better than a bit of sister time….except sister time spent eating really good food. That probably tops the charts for me. Ironically we’ve got some fun stuff planned, mostly revolving around food…funny how that always works out.

My life is generally always marvelous (insert not-so-humble brag here) but today I wanted to share some reasons it’d be nice if Mother Nature didn’t take away Spring and turn it back into Winter like a cruel Cinderella-at-midnight prank. (forecast says snow on tuesday 😦 )

Reason 1: Birds are singing again. Nothing says Spring to me more then the Sun shining and the birds chirping. Although if anyone has ever seen Failure to Launch then you know birds outside your bedroom window are just plain annoying. The past few days some bird has been whistling the Hunger Games tune at me at 6am nonstop for an hour. I’m not sure if waking up about to be attacked by a small and ruthless child or starting a rebellion against a capitol of very strangely dressed ppl….so maybe singing birds aren’t a good reason…

Reason 2: Flowers! Everyone loves flowers right? They’re so pretty and smell so good. However, if you’ve ever strolled across the UK campus there’s these trees that look like the embodiment of Spring but smell like a Dinosaur’s butt-hole. For anyone that can’t imagine what that smells like, just know it’ll make you gag and quite possibly lose your breakfast on your way to your Health Communications class every Tuesday and Thursday at 10 o’clock…..

Don’t let the smiles fool you…we smell pretty bad….KIDDING! We’re adorable 🙂

Reason 3: Warmer weather. Who doesn’t love warm weather? Polar Bears, but I don’t see no polar bears around these parts so everyone…everyone is the answer to that question. Of course having it so hot outside makes ppl sweat, which makes ppl smell bad. And it’s never any fun having to sit in a chair that someone has been sweating profusely in prior to your perky buns claiming it….trust me, it’s just not…(shudder)….

Ummm….so maybe those aren’t the best of reasons to convince Spring to stay? We can all admit that we’re ready for the Winter blues to go away though, am I right? So pretty please Mother Nature, don’t take this away from us again 😦

Clearly she’s gonna take some convincing (and I’m not very good at it) so what are some of y’alls reasons for Spring to stay?

 

Let’s Connect!

Miles on Miles on Miles

Does anyone else compose their posts during long runs or it it just me? I mean I got lots of miles to think, so many a post gets mentally written to distract myself. The trick is remembering all the literary gems I concoct out on the trails…it doesn’t happen that often…oh well.

Anyway it’s Monday and you know what that means! Y’all getta hear me complain about said Marvelous long run YAY!!! j/k It really wasn’t bad but I’m still new to this whole long-run fueling thing so I’ve got a kink or seven to work out still.

I started out thinking I’d do 6 miles out and back to my car, eat some GU/water then finish up the remaining 5miles…..did I mention that I started running at 1pm on an entirely uncovered trail under the blazing 65 degree sun? I guess I’m still young (read that as dumb) enough to think I can power through that sort of bodily abuse…..say it with me people, fluids are your friend!! Apparantly I spell long-run D-e-h-y-d-r-a-t-i-o-n….that says dehydration for those special readers out there 😉

See finished with a smile on my face…couldn’t have been too terrible 🙂

Now if you’re a male and do not wish to read about womanly details then I suggest you skip down past the next picture, go ahead leave now…..

…..

…..

…..

All gone? (ps if you’re a dude and you’re still reading this, you’re weird…just throwin that out there, sry)

So ladies, running when your monthly visitor has stolen all your energy is hard. It just is and no amount of GU or adrenaline shots (are those available?) will help. My knee also aches more…or that very well could be in my head….stupid womanhood…messing with my head and my runs….le sigh.

It really should read “EVERY day is a nice day for a run” but I won’t bee too picky

K gents welcome back. I hope you enjoyed my graffiti discovery. Someone has a sense of humor b/c while it was a great day for a run, I’m not too sure homeboy next to that saying is feeling the endorphins. I probably looked like him right around hitting mile 8 haha.

But 11 miles in the books and like I said it wasn’t as bad as I just made it sound. I’ve learned a few things and I’m ready to tackle 13 next weekend!

Have some fun long-run stories? Or maybe some not so fun ones? Share them with me!

Let’s Connect!

    

Always Have a Backup

Hello friends! I hope everyone enjoyed their friday 🙂 No one should have been sad b/c I gave lots of ideas on how to celebrate, relationship status aside. After I got off work the rest of my night looked pretty much like this…

Ok, confession time….remember those magical 8 miles from last weekend? Yea me either, it’s a thing of the past after my 10mile not so Marvelous Saturday. It was all my fault though so I’m really not mad about it, plus I’m writing this in my nice warm bed so I’m happy….I’ve got a short memory…But for your entertainment, here’s a rundown of my horrible, terrible, no-good, very bad run

I woke up at 8am to go run but it was snowing out so I decided to see if I could wait it out. Snow stopped around 11am but now I haveta wait for the roads to clear, grocery shopping it is! Come 3pm and I still haven’t gone for the run but now I know I’m losing daylight so ok fine, you win 10miles, here I come.

Just kidding I didn’t leave my apartment until 4pm. Now I’m on my way!

I wanted to puke for the first 3 miles (note to self: Doritos as a pre-run snack was a bad idea. I was literally running with orange dust on my shirt…yea I’m a thinker).

Nope…I pretty much just felt the dying part…

Somewhere between miles 3-4 my watch died (guess who forgot to charge it for a few weeks….)

I finally got in my groove around mile 6 (sorry Doritos, I win this one!) But let me tell ya, 6 miles of fighting the urge to puke does not make time go by very fast, ugh….

3 miles later, somewhere after mile 9, my phone died (see I really planned ahead for this run didn’t I) So no music, no distance or pace calculator, just me…ambling around trying to decide when I finally hit 10 miles. I’m giving myself the benefit of the doubt and saying I hit 10 but who really knows. My mind was a bit hazy at this point lol.

Haha that’s one of my favorite quotes, and I’m sure y’all like me get asked that all the time. But a story like this really does make me sound crazy for running…whatever 🙂

Moral of the story? Always have a back-up plan and long runs are more fun with friends…Oh and don’t eat Doritos before you go…

Anyone else ever have a terrible run and live to tell the tale or is it just me?

Let’s Connect!