My Week in Pictures XIII

Although the morning were rough due to daylight savings, being light out longer made me feel much more productive this past week. It was definitely a quieter week over in my world and I am a-okay with that! Continue on to see what I was up to last week. I hope everyone is having a great Monday :)


A vanilla chai tea was necessary on Monday morning!

A thoughtful student gave me a whole bag of Irish potatoes that her family made.

Later sunset = a later run once I'm done all the work I wanted to get done around the house.

Tommy came over on Wednesday to go to the park near my house. Afterwards, he had a blast playing with his favorite cousin!

Thursday was Irish potato ball making night. Tommy was such a big help!

Friday night was our food tasting at our venue. We brought our maid of honor and best man. Everything was so tasty! I think our guests will be happy :)

Mahi Mahi with mango salsa and a delicious rice mixture!

After the tasting, we tried out the ice cream stand in near our house that we kept hearing about. I tried a cannoli sundae and man was it yummy!

John had a work training Saturday morning so I woke up early and played with Dexter for a bit. Lately he's been loving his tennis ball.

I went out for a run, then wasn't feeling it, so I planned to stop after my 3 mile loop. Next thing I know, I'm finishing a 6 mile run. I feel like non-runners wouldn't understand this situation haha.

On Sunday, I couldn't believe how nice it was out, so I went out for another run! Afterwards, we went over to my parent's for St. Patrick's Day dinner!

Question of the Day: Did you take advantage of the nice weather last week? If so, what did you do?

Friday Five: 5 Things I’m Loving This Week

What a week this has been! Daylight savings really kicked my butt each morning but then I made up for it by being super productive at night. This week actually flew by for me which I was a-okay with! Tonight I am going for a good tasting at my wedding venue {yummmm} and then tomorrow I have a first birthday party for John's cousin's baby. It should be a good weekend! Before that happens, though, read on for my Friday Five!

1. Irish Potatoes

St. Patrick's Day seemed to sneak up on me this year! I'm not Irish, but I still enjoy wearing green and putting up my little shamrock door decoration. I also reallllly enjoy eating Irish potato balls/candy {everyone has a different name for them}! If you've never heard of them, Irish potatoes are a concoction of coconut, powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, and vanilla. These ingredients are mixed up, rolled into balls, and then coated in cinnamon. Delish! On Tuesday, a student surprised me with a bag of them. Needless to say, they didn't last very long. On Thursday, my sister and I made a couple batches using the recipe my mom has always used. Sooo tasty!

2. Informed Delivery

If you've never heard of Informed Delivery, you need to listen up! Informed Delivery is an account you set up through the Post Office that let's you see what mail you should be receiving each day. In the morning, all the mail is scanned, so you will receive photos of the outside of the envelope. This has been great for John and I as we are able to see what we'll be getting that day and also know if we are missing something. It's also nice to know if there is even any mail in our mailbox without needing to run across the street to check our mailbox!

3. Ello Mug

I got this mug at Target a few weeks back for a steal of $3 and I've been loving it ever since! Ceramic mugs are my favorite so to find one with a travel lid is a win-win! I like to use it at work because I can bring it to class as a travel mug but then at my desk take the lid off and it's a regular mug.

4. Bigelow Green Chai Tea

I picked this tea up at Christmas Tree Shops over the weekend because the idea of my two favorite teas together sounded too good to be true. I've got to say, it's pretty dang tasty! The tea has the mellow taste of green tea with a little kick of chai spice. It's been my little afternoon pick me up all week because it has just enough caffeine to wake me up, but not too much that it keeps me up all night.

5. New Boots

While at a mall last week with my friend, I found these boots for only $15! I have never been able to find nice, high boots that fit my wider calves and for such a cheap price. I've been getting my money's worth wearing them lately and I'm really loving them!

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

Have you ever tried an Irish potato ball/candy? If so, do you like them?

My Go-To Snacks

Between teaching, running, and having a social life, I find myself constantly busy. When I'm busy, I don't always have time to sit down and have a full meal so snacks are a necessity! Today I am sharing with you some of my favorite go-to snacks I always try to have on hand.

Pretzel Crisps

These are my go-to when I'm craving something salty. I think these pretzels are better than any other pretzels because they hold up when it comes to any dip. Plus they look bigger due to the flatness of them so I feel as if I'm eating more!

Homemade Granola Bars

Back in December I got a mold to make my own homemade granola bars. I know, I know, I could've just made them in a pan but we all know that they can be a pain to cut up once they've baked. I've been making my own granola bars for a few months now, using a variety of ingredients such as cereals, honey, crushed pretzels, and chia seeds. I like to make my granola bars as simple as possible.

Homemade Granola

I love granola, but with a nut allergy I'm limited to what pre-packaged granola I can have. Instead, I just make my own! I follow the Ginger Molasses Granola recipe from Run Fast, Eat Slow and it is to die for! I alter the ingredients a bit but I still follow the base of the recipe.

Hard Boiled Eggs

Thanks to my egg cooker, I've been enjoying hard boiled eggs almost every day! They are so easy to slip in my lunch bag {as long as I know I'm putting it in a fridge} and eat sometime during the day. I also find them to be pretty filling.

Dry Cereal
I've loved dry cereal as a snack throughout the day dating back to high school when I would bring Ziplocks of it in my backpack to eat during class. My usual choice is Cheerios because they don't produce as many crumbs so less of a mess.


Question of the Day: What is your go-to snack?

My Week in Pictures XII

Is it me, or does this time change throw you off? I felt like between the rain and losing an hour of sleep, a majority of my Sunday was spent in bed! Now it's Monday and I have to wake myself up to get through another long week. Before we get this show on the road, let's look back at my week last week through the {not so many} pictures I took!

On Monday night I made John pasta for dinner complete with sauce and parm cheese!

During 9th period on Tuesday, my mom sent a group text to my siblings and I to let us know that my Pop Pop was being taking to the ER. There was a possibility it was a stroke but after tests, it showed his ammonia levels were extremely high. He has problems with his liver so it all makes sense. I rushed out of school to go see him, completely forgetting that one of my students had braided my hair...

I was at the ER pretty late on Tuesday night, so I opted to stop for a Wawa sizzli on my way to work Wednesday morning.

My Pop Pop was still in the hospital come Thursday night so John, my brother, and I went to keep him company for awhile. Somehow we ended up going to Don Pablo's for dinner where the waitress treated us to a free dessert :)

I had to do a small group test in my office on Friday. When I went back later for my prep, I saw my students had left me a cute note on my Boogie Board!

My brother and I ran to Walmart for a few things and this is what we found in the parking lot... So many carts! It was kinda eery feeling.

After a 6 mile run on Saturday, John and I got our first Rita's of the year!

Saturday night was waffle night with John, my sister, her husband, my nephew, and my brother. We had both sweet and savory options! We even made brownies in the waffle iron for dinner!

A typical Sunday morning with Dexter...

I love when John and my brother join me on a run!

We had some spare time before meeting family for dinner, so I did a little bit of shopping at Christmas Tree Shops. I was pretty pumped that out of the 3 cat themed hand towels they had left, one was an H!

We met up with my family for dinner at the diner I used to work at out of high school. I got shrimp and scallops with a lemon butter sauce. Mhmmm!

Question of the Day: What is your favorite topping for a waffle?

Friday Five: 5 Things I'm Loving This Week

Happy, happy Friday, everyone! As crazy as this week was, it really flew by! And as if 2019 couldn’t get crazy enough, my Pop Pop has been in the hospital since Tuesday. We don’t really have any answers but he definitely is much better than he was on Tuesday! I don’t have much planned for the weekend besides a staff bowling party today after work. After a crazy week, I’m looking forward to some relaxation! Anywho, enjoy my Friday Five!

1. Dermalogica Stress Positive Eye Lift

This was one of my Influenster goodies a while back that I've been using a lot lately. It's an active, cooling cream-gel that is supposed to energize skin to minimize puffiness and dark circles under your eyes. The Stress Positive Eye Lift is super quick and easy to use and has been leaving the area around my eyes looking more vibrant. With how tired I've been lately, it's been such a life saver. Just like other Influenster goodies, I always look up the actual cost just in case I fall in love with an item and want to buy it in the future. This wonderful product costs a whopping $68 so it'll require some thinking if it's worth it or not for me.

2. Strawberries

My grandmom sent me over two huge containers of strawberries over the weekend and boy was I thankful! I don't typically buy berries this time of year due to cost but I couldn't pass up free strawberries! I cut them all up right away. some I put in my berry keeper to keep them fresh a little longer, some I froze for later, and some I may have eaten as I cut them up... They've been such a nice treat all week!

3. Wands for Wildlife

Carlee McDot shared this in one of her Friday Favorites a couple months ago {maybe even over a year ago!}. I had completely forgotten about it until I started cleaning out a couple old make up bags I had from back when I actually attempted to do make up. I came across a couple old mascara tubes that I was about to just toss when I remembered I could clean and save the wands to mail away to Wands for Wildlife. Wands for Wildlife uses your old {CLEAN!} mascara wands to remove fly eggs and larva from the fur of wild animals. Reusing items AND helping animals? Talk about a win-win!

4. Revlon Hair Dryer and Volumizer

This was a Christmas present from John this past year and so far I'm loving it! If I haven't said it before then I'll say it again, I'm super lazy when it comes to getting ready. I never blow dry my hair because I have absolutely no patience and I can't hold both the blow dryer and a brush at the same time. Well, when a friend told me about this brush that also blow dries your hair, I was SOLD! It's the perfect item for me because it's quick and easy. Now I don't have to go out with wet hair! I used it on Saturday before my grandparent's party and it gave me hair such a nice look!

5. Matte Silver Ball Earrings 

While getting ready Saturday, I decided I wanted to switch up my typical amethyst earrings and wear something with a bit more pizzazz. While perusing through my earring collection {I have so many that I need to start wearing!}, I came across these silver ball stud earrings with a matte look to them. The pair I linked above is not the exact pair I own because I honestly have no clue where they are from, but they look close enough! I've been wearing them a lot this week because they stand out without being too obnoxious or heavy on my ears.

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

How to Annoy a Runner Part 2

Since my Part 1 of How to Annoy a Runner was such a big hit, and I had an abundance of ideas for it, I now present you with Part 2! Most of these were part of my original list, but some were added after I got some input from Part 1. I hope you enjoy and maybe you can even relate for a few {or all!} of these.


I ran a 5k marathon once. Hmm, I don't think you did but okay.

Haven't you heard about the guy who died from running or the woman who was attacked on a run? Yes and yes. I've done my research and I do what I can to stay safe during a run.

Are you one of those joggers? How dare you use the "J" word!

I wish I could run like you. You could if you tried!

Don't you get bored? Actually, I don't! It's my time to think, listen to podcasts, people-watch, and honestly get some peace and quiet!

I wish I had the time to run, but I'm so busy! Are you implying that I am not busy? I actually am, I just make sure to make time for something that is important to me. Everyone has different priorities.

You can eat whatever you want, you're a runner! If only that was the case...

When are you running another marathon? Just because someone runs a marathon, doesn't mean they will start running one every weekend. Let them focus on this accomplishment first!

Do you have to run today? I mean, I don't have to, but I want to.

Question of the Day: Have you ever been asked any of these questions? 
Is there something you've been asked that I didn't mention here?

My Week in Pictures XI

It's another wet Monday over here in Jersey. I'm honestly wondering if there will ever be a day that there aren't puddles and mud patches everywhere. Anywho, last week was a pretty busy week for me hence the lack of photos. I hope everyone has a great week!


I finally updated the photo in my frame on my desk. I love this picture of Tommy!

On Wednesday I met up with one of my friends from college, Sara, at a mall halfway between us. We had a delicious dinner at a place called Fireside. Other than the great conversations with Sara, the bread was the best part!

When I got home, Dexter needed some snuggles while we watched Grace & Frankie, our newest Netflix binge!

Thursday was grocery shopping day with my mom, sister, and Tommy. Tommy had a blast look at his favorite section {the cheese} and even correctly told me all the colors of the packages.

A surprise snow Friday morning called for a 2 hour delay! What a relief after such a long and hectic week at work. I joked that it was our reward for making it to Friday.

Dexter and I snuggled during my extra 2 hours in the morning. So much for being productive haha.

After a week of lame runs, I got a nice 7 mile run in on Saturday morning. A phone call with my best friend while she was running as well was necessary to keep my motivation going!

Saturday night we threw my grandparents a surprise 50th anniversary party! It was such a wonderful night and such a great experience to witness them renew their vows! It was the first time in awhile that I really made a point to do my hair and make up so I had to document it with a mirror selfie at the venue.

Just some little details from the night!

After a long Friday and Saturday {Friday we took my grandparents to dinner for their anniversary to throw them off}, a morning in bed was very necessary! Okay... it may have been most of the day in bed but then we eventually got up and got a couple things done.

Question of the Day: Did you do anything fun over the weekend?

Friday Five: 5 Things I’m Loving This Week

Oh man, I wasn't sure Friday was ever going to get here. Each day this week felt like it was extremely long, to the point where I woke up each morning and had to check my watch to confirm the day. We, made it, though, guys! I have a pretty exciting weekend ahead of me. Today happens to be my grandparent's 50 year wedding anniversary! This weekend will be all about celebrating them which will be wonderful. I'll give more details on that in Monday's post :) For now, enjoy my Friday Five!

1. Cold Stone Somewhere Over the Rain-dough Ice Cream

As you may have read in my Week in Pictures post on Monday, I tried the new cookie dough ice cream at Cold Stone on Saturday. More specifically, I got the "Somewhere Over the Rain-dough" creation. It was the classic cookie dough ice cream with frosting, rainbow sprinkles, and sugar crystals mixed in. It is said to taste like sugar cookie dough and it's 100% true! The sugar crystals give it that sugar cookie dough-like goodness!

2. Suave Dry Spray

I received Suave Dry Spray in a recent Influenster Vox Box just in time because I was just finishing up a stick of deodorant. I had never tried a dry spray deodorant but I figured it was worth a shot. It's been a couple weeks since I've been using it and I'm happy to report that I actually like it! My favorite part of this particular type of deodorant is that it becomes dry the instant you spray it on so there isn't much of a chance of getting deodorant marks on your shirt! Note: I received the powder scent, which wouldn't have been my choice, but it's still good! They also sell Suave Dry Spray in wild cherry blossom and coconut kiss. I would've definitely picked coconut kiss!

3. Purex Baby Laundry Detergent 

You may laugh at this choice for my Friday Five but hear me out! I bought Purex Baby for two reasons. 1. I needed it to wash my more delicate clothing items and 2. I had a great coupon deal for it. I used it a couple weeks ago to wash a load of delicate clothes and was amazed at how gosh darn wonderful it smells! It has a light scent that doesn't overpower. I've actually started to wash my blankets and anything else that I use a lot in this detergent so I can enjoy the scent all day!

4. Slipper Socks

It's been pretty chilly lately and for those who know me, you know that I'm already always cold as it is. I got a couple cute pairs of slipper socks for Christmas which have become my go-to footwear for around the house when I'm feeling cold. They're soft and warm like typical fuzzy socks but have grips on the bottom so I don't slip. I don't own actual slippers but these work just as well!

Source 

5. Carlee McDot's March 30 Day Challenges 

One item on my 2019 to do list is to complete one 30-day challenge. When I saw Carlee McDot posted about the FOUR 30-day challenges she was taking on for the month of March, I knew this was my sign. Carlee is taking part in four different 30-day challenges that target four different work outs: push-ups, crunches, squats, planks. I know myself pretty well, which means I know four challenges at once is not really doable for me. Instead, I've decided to try completing the push-up and crunches 3-day challenges. My arms and core have been my focus lately so I think these will help me out!

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