Friday Five

Happy Friday! week one of state testing is done for us and I am one happy teacher! Next week I test with my actual students so fingers crossed that goes well. We've got a pretty busy weekend ahead of us. Tomorrow we are going hiking with John's cousin and then Sunday we are spending the day with our moms for Mother's Day. I hope everyone has a great day and a great weekend! :)

1. Berries

After having some delicious berries on Monday as part of the parfait bar thanks to Teacher Appreciation Week, I knew I needed to buy some ASAP. I went out after work and stocked up at my local Aldi. They've been the perfect addition to my lunches this week and they totally give me that "it's almost summer time" vibe!

2. Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Sugar Scrub

This was a couponing purchase a couple weeks ago and I finally got around to trying it out. I love sugar scrubs and was super impressed with this one! To start, the scent is amazing {you know me and my coconut}! I use it at the end of my shower and it just adds a nice relaxing touch to it. After the shower, I hardly have to put on any lotion because it leaves my skin feeling so soft and smooth,

3. Dresses

I'm not sure about other place, but Jersey has been having some lovely weather later, minus some rain. We're actually experiencing spring weather and I am totally on board with this! With this nice weather comes dress season! I wore a dress almost every day this week and it was best! I forgot how nice it was to just throw on a dress in the morning. Now I think I need to invest in a couple more dresses...

4. BuzzFeed Sushi Article

I came across this BuzzFeed article during one of my late night perusings this week and found it super interesting! This article shares 5 sushi rules you may not have known. Most of them were news to me! I don't use soy sauce or ginger when I eat sushi but I found it funny that ginger is not technically supposed to be used as a garnish although everyone I knew uses it as such. The most interesting part for me was that good sushi is supposed to have wasabi already on it, under the fish. I'm not sure I've ever had wasabi already on my sushi but now I want to start checking!

5. Teacher Appreciation Week

If you haven't heard, this past week was Teacher Appreciation Week. Along with many restaurants giving teachers free food or amazing discounts {thanks, Chick-Fil-A, for my free chicken sandwich!}, the parent organization completely spoiled us this week! To celebrate us teachers, they treated us with different foods each day! Some examples were a taco/nacho bar, yogurt parfait bar, and even a dessert bar! It was so nice feeling appreciated all week :)

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?

#sharetheSPARK Campaign

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As many of you know, I became a Momentum Jewelry Ambassador back in March, giving me the chance to be part of the #sharetheSPARK campaign! As an ambassador, we were sent the 2 new 2019 #sharetheSPARK momentum wraps, as well as given the opportunity to purchase last year's wraps at a steep discount. We were instructed to share these wraps during the campaign {April 23-May 6} with anyone we wanted to share the spark with! I chose two of my friends, one of which I met through blogging and another who I've been best friends with since we met in college 5 years ago. Today I am sharing with you my reasoning behind choosing these two ladies :)

Maureen and I met through blogging sometime last year. I'm not entirely sure what led me to start reading her blog, but I'm thankful for whatever did because it helped us form such a great friendship. Maureen and I both trained for and ran the Philadelphia Marathon together back in November. I loved virtually following along with her training because at points it was what kept me motivating. At the end of April, Maureen ran her 2nd marathon! Once again, I enjoyed following along with her training updates because although I wasn't training for a marathon at the time, it kept me motivated while just following a regular running schedule. 

When I saw the "You got this!" Momentum wrap, I knew I had to send it to her! Maureen put a lot of work into training, especially during the colder months! I wanted to share some good vibes with her for race day, so what better way than with a wrap?! Now that she has finished the marathon, I hope the wrap continues to serve as a motivational reminder that she's got this as she continues on with her running journey.

Rachel has probably been mentioned on my blog more times than anyone. We met back in 2014 when we were both RA's in the same dorm. Since then, we have become pretty much inseparable even though we live in different states at the moment. Rachel and I ran the Philadelphia Marathon together this past November {her first full!!} and she will even stand by my side as I marry my best friend in August. 

I knew the "Keep Reaching Higher" wrap was meant for Rachel the moment I took it out of the package. Along with training for and running her first marathon, Rachel spent the past 2 years in graduate school and will be graduating with her MSW this Friday! After graduation, Rachel will be starting her career as a social worker in a wonderful hospital. I couldn't be more proud of her! Rachel always knows what she wants in life and puts full efforts into working toward these goals. I just wanted to send her this little surprise as a reminder to keep reaching higher, no matter where life takes her!


Question of the Day: If you could put any mantra on a Momentum Wrap, what would you put?

My Week in Pictures XX

Happy Monday! I'm bummed that the weekend is over but I'm excited to get another week underway. We are nearing the end of the school year and I am eager to get on with summer. Okay, I'm a little ambitious here so maybe I'll just focus on this week :) Here's everything I was up to last week!


On Monday I made a chicken and spinach dish, which I ate all week for lunches.

Our school hosted a "Quad District Event" on Tuesday as a way of getting all the 6th grade classes together from the 4 middle schools that funnel into the same high school in 9th grade. It was so much fun!

That night I went to trivia night with my parents and we won! That doesn't happen very often for us...

I thought my ring looked extra sparkly on Wednesday. Of course it never looks that way in the photos I take.

Our school starts state testing this week, so we wrote some inspiring messages on hearts to hang up :)

I literally ran an errand on Friday. Love making Poshmark sales!

Friday was the beginning of Camporee, the Girl Scout camp my mom runs the first weekend in May each year! We started the weekend off with s'mores, my favorite!

 John was in charge of the science station on Saturday morning! His coworker came out to help him make "fam monsters" with the girls. Tommy loved it, too!

One station made box ovens to bake cookies in.

We had the infamous cobbler for dessert that night. Soo yummy!

It rained Sunday while we were packing up but we still had a great time! If you look closely, you can see the cool slide in the background.

Sunday was also my Pop-Pop's birthday so we all went out the Outback Steakhouse for dinner.

Then everyone came back to our house for cake! :)

Question of the Day: What was something fun you did this weekend?

Friday Five

After having a full 10 days off for spring break, this full week of work was rough! This Friday is much needed, although we have a super busy weekend ahead of us. My mom is the director of a Girl Scout Camporee which happens the first weekend in May each year. She puts a ton of work into it and it always ends up being a great weekend! I'll head down to camp {it's only a few towns over, so that's a win!} after work today and stay down there until Sunday. It'll be a nice, yet long weekend. I hope everyone has a good Friday :)

1. Protein Powder

I got a great deal on this protein powder a few weeks back and I finally got around to using it for more than just one protein shake. I added it to my overnight oats all this week and it surprised me how much more filling it made them. I really like the chocolate flavor because it doesn't taste fake or leave a weird after taste like some protein powders do. I'm sure there are better brands out there but for now I'll use this one until it runs out.

2. Skintimate Coconut Delight Shaving Gel
This was a spontaneous purchase a few weeks ago that I just started using and am already in love! I have an obsession with anything coconut scented so I had high hopes for this shaving gel. The coconut scent is strong without being overpowering. It's the little dose of summer I need in my day! I picked mine up at ShopRite but I'm sure you can find it anywhere that sells shaving gel.

This picture doesn't do the color justice!

3. Kylie Jenner Gloss in Koko K

I never thought I'd be raving about a make up product, let alone a pretty pricey one, but I am absolutely obsessed with Kylie's lip gloss in the Koko K shade! When I had my make up trial a few weeks back, I fell in love with the lip gloss she used on me the moment I saw it. Once I found out it was a Kylie gloss, I knew it was probably a little too pricey for me, someone who hardly wear make up. Since I couldn't stop thinking about it, I finally splurged and bought it last week. I've been wearing it every day since because it just adds a little pop of color to my face every day without being over the top.

4. The Gym

John and I were members of a gym up until this past November, and with the craziness of my marathon and the holidays, we never renewed the membership. A week or so ago, John initiated the topic of rejoining and I jumped on the chance. We've been enjoying together and John even signed up with a personal trainer! I love having something like this to do together.

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5. Marine Layer Re-Spun Line

I know I talk about Marine Layer a lot {or at least I feel like I do}, but they just released their Re-Spun line and it's awesome! They took all the tees that people donated and spun them into new clothes. They offer a few shirt options for men and women and they're all cute! If they're all as super-soft as the tank I just got from them, then they must be great!

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?

What I've Learn While Wedding Planning So Far

This is a post I've been planning to write for awhile now and what better day to post it than today because it is officially 100 days until my wedding! I can't believe that tomorrow we will be in the double digits of the countdown that started out at 600+ days! For those of you new-ish to my blog, my fiance, John, and I got engaged in May of 2017 and decided to wait ~2 years to get married so we could save more money and buy a home before the wedding. We have since accomplished all the goals we planned to accomplish before saying "I do" which makes for a very happy couple over here. Back to this post. Today I am sharing with you a few things I have learned since becoming engaged and planning my wedding. I hope what I have to share helps you if you are engaged/almost engaged or is relatable if you are already married and went through the wedding planning process already.

Make a wedding email. Once you get engaged I highly recommend making an email account strictly for wedding related things. Use this email whenever you are reaching out to vendors or signing up for giveaways to prevent clogging up your personal email. I promise once you start signing up for different websites, such as The Knot and WeddingWire, your email will start to blow up. It's also nice to have this joint email with your significant other to allow you to both see the emails coming in.

I wish I could capture the true beauty of this shade of purple! Feel free to look up "amethyst" on the David's Bridal color swatches if you're curious :)

Pick a color scheme or theme. Choosing a color scheme or theme for your wedding makes some major parts of wedding planning a bit easier. When you go to pick any sort of decor or design your invitations, you can fall back on your theme/color scheme. John and I couldn’t think of a theme but we knew we wanted everything to revolve around different shades of purple. Now whenever we go to choose something, such as any decor, we go straight to purple.

Make a priorities list. Right off the bat, John and I made a list of what we'd need for the wedding (venue, photographer, caterer, DJ, etc.), and ordered them from "I'd pay anything to have what I want" to "I could go cheap on this and wouldn't notice." We chose to do this separately and then come together to discuss and make comprises. This really helped us go forward with planning because we now had price points to work with when researching vendors. We also realized what was important to one another, even though we were pretty much on the same page for everything.

True story: we have gone to the bridal show my venue hosts in April and September each time since booking our venue! Free food and the chance to win prizes! Also an excuse to swoon over the venue :)

Go to as many bridal shows/expos as you can. In the beginning, John and I tried going to a bunch to get ideas as to what we wanted and they were extremely helpful. A bridal show is actually where we found our DJ. He was the DJ for the event so we were able to see how he worked. We soon learned that bridal shows usually came with free food/drinks and giveaways. Even after choosing all of our vendors, we still tried to go to some just to see if we could snag any cool swag.

Enjoy being engaged! By this I mean, wear that "bride" shirt and show off that rock on your finger! My favorite part of being engaged has been being able to wear cute bride clothing when doing wedding related items and having random people congratulate me. This is your time to enjoy being the bride and share your excitement of your big day with anyone who cares to ask!

This is YOUR day. I can't stress this one enough because I really let other people's opinions control me in the beginning of wedding planning. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, is going to want their two cents in. As much as getting advice and opinions from others is nice, it can also become overwhelming. You have to realize from the beginning that this is you and you soon-to-be spouse's wedding so in the end, you get to call all the shots. Don't choose something you don't want or invite somebody you really don't want to just to make somebody else happy. You will not be able to please everyone. Note: I understand some people may have a parent or somebody else paying for the wedding so they will want to help with the planning and decision making. I completely agree that they should have some say but do not let them keep you from having the day you've been dreaming about.

Question of the Day: What wedding planning advice have you learned or heard from other brides/grooms?

My Week in Pictures XIX

I'm going into this Monday feeling pretty refreshed after a 10 day break! As much as I'd rather have more time to bum around at home, I'm ready to jump back into this school year and finish these last 6 weeks strong! Last week was a mix of fun and relaxing so keep following along to see what I was up to all week.

I started my Monday morning with some errands. I mailed out a few packages, including my Marine Layer recycling kit and a surprise for Maureen!

I went to Acme with my mom to pick up the $20 gift card I earned by playing the Monopoly: Shop, Play, Win game!

Tuesday morning started bright and early for me with my wisdom teeth surgery at 7 am. I had my mom bring me for a Chick Fil A milkshake before 8:30 am and I think the workers were confused why someone would want a milkshake so early.

Later in the day, since I was feeling wide awake, my sister and nephew stopped by. Tommy brought me a blanket to make me feel better and a picture he made for me!

I went to my mom's on Wednesday so I wouldn't be home alone. Tommy took care of me again by holding my ice pack on my cheek for me.

I convinced John to take me for ice cream that night :)

I spent Thursday getting some things done around the house. I packaged up another Momentum Jewelry motivate wrap to send to a friend!

I needed to get up and out of the house so I went on a walk and collected trash along the way.

Friday morning started off with making banana bread before running errands with my mom and Tommy.

Saturday morning began with a 5 mile run. John and I spent the rest of the day running errands and crossing things off our to-do list before eating dinner at my parents.

I went on another run on Sunday morning.

I ended my run with some peanut {soy} butter toast with honey. Thanks, Mackenzie, for this suggestion!

John and I headed over to the gym in the afternoon. I did 45 minutes of strength training :)

We ended our night with pizza on the grill, which we ate while eating the newest season of Santa Clarita Diet.

Question(s) of the Day: What is your favorite thing to make on the grill?

Friday Five: 5 Things I'm Loving This Week

For once I am not too thrilled it's Friday because that means my spring break is over in a few days. Luckily I still have a few days left to rest up and possibly get some things done. I had my wisdom teeth out Tuesday which went really well, so I've spent most of this week being lazy. No complaints here, though! Before I get started on this lazy Friday, I'm sharing my Friday Five with you!

1. The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
This book was recommended to me by Maureen, who reads a ton of good books, so I was pumped when I found out my co-worker had it for me to borrow. From the first page I was hooked! The Tattooist of Auschwitz follows the story of Lale, a prisoner at Auschwitz-Birkenau, who is given the job of tattooing his fellow prisoners as they arrive at Auschwitz. Lale soon meets the love of his live, Gita, who he vows to marry once they make it out of this camp alive. This book follows Lale through his two and a half years of being a prisoner and how he used his privileged position, risking his own life, to help save others. It's truly a remarkable story I recommend to anyone!

2. Nuun Plogging Challenge
On Monday, Nuun shared with us a Plogging Challenge as a way of celebrating Earth Day throughout the whole week. Plogging is "a Swedish word meaning picking up litter while jogging." I had heard of this term before, but haven't actually done it before. Since Nuun was challenging me, and I needed a reason to get out and walk, I decided to complete it! On Thursday I went on a 45 minute walk around my development and collected over half a plastic grocery bag full of litter. It was such a nice way to help the earth while also getting some movement in!

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3. Hydro Flask National Park Foundation Collection
I received an email from Hydro Flask this week that shared their newest collection, the National Park Foundation Collection! This is a limited edition collection that showcases 5 of our National Parks including Yellowstone and the Great Smoky Mountains. Each bottle features artwork that pays tribute to these beautiful places! You can purchase these in the 21 oz or 32 oz sizes.

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4. Momentum Jewelry's #sharetheSPARK Motivate Wraps
I received my ambassador package with the 2 newest Motivate Wraps for the #sharetheSPARK campaign and I have been dying to share them with everyone! The new mantras for 2019 are "keep reaching higher" and "find your courage." From now until May 6th, the whole Share the Spark collection is on SALE (this includes last year's mantras: "you got this!", "you're so worth it," "keep moving forward," and "never give up"). You can choose from any of these six mantras for just $14 each! Want to pay it forward and pass one on? You can buy 2 and you'll get 50% off the 2nd #sharetheSPARK Motivate Wrap! How cool is that?! This is a great sale that will be ending May 6th so hurry on over and pick one (or more!) out!

5. Mashed Potatoes
This is a silly addition to my Friday Five. I've been on an all soft food diet this week because of my surgery so I've had no choice but to eat tons of mashed potatoes. To be honest, I've never been a fan of anything containing potatoes, but I think I am coming around to them. I've actually been enjoying eating mashed potatoes all week because it's the one thing that has helped keep me full!

Question of the Day: What is something you're loving this week?