Wednesday, February 22, 2017

What's Up Wednesday!

What's up, Wednesday!?  I'm finding it hard to believe we are halfway through the week already but that's kind of how it always goes with those 3 day weekends, right?  This will be my very first link up and in all honesty, as of right now I have no idea how to actually "link up" soooo there's that...  #newbieblogger

I have been reading my girlfriends Erika, Shay and Narci's blogs forever so I'm excited I finally get to join in the fun!  I haven't really been preparing or documenting much though so my first time may leave a lot to be desired.  It'll get better though I promise!  



What we're eating this week:

Honestly?  Ugh.  Y'all, I hate to cook.  I've told my girlfriends this so many times but I LEGIT hate. to. cook.  I do it.  Don't get me wrong.  I just would rather be doing ANYTHING else. I'll get into why I hate this so much at a later date but let's just say a lot of it has to do with my 8-year-old being the pickiest eater ever combined with being the most stubborn kid ever PLUS having a major gag reflex that scarred him for life when he was a baby and learning to eat new foods.  What a mess. (Literally.  We had a puke bowl for him.  So bad.)  Yes, I'm that mom who makes at least 2 separate dinners every night.  Don't judge me.  

I'm also not the mom who has it all planned out for the week.  I am working on this, yall.  I know for a fact it would help so much because I actually have done it before.  Several times in fact!  And man, life is so much easier when you have a plan in place. I'll get there!  Here's what our week has looked like so far and what I plan on it looking like for the rest of the week...

Monday:  I had an actual plan.  It was going to be this amazing chicken and rice casserole I've made before.  But I COULD NOT find the freaking recipe anywhere when it was time to start cooking!! I looked through all my Pins on Pinterest.  I looked through all the chicken and rice recipes on Pinterest that I hadn't pinned.  I looked through Shay's cookbooks.  I looked through Paula Deen's cookbooks. I looked through my makeshift recipe folder.  It was gone.  I wanted to cry.  None of the others were what I was looking for.  And by the time I did all this it was 7pm.  So we had Wendy's.  #momfail  (I have lots of these.)

If you follow me on Instagram (@amandanall), you may have seen this picture I posted.  This was when I jumped on Pinterest to find said recipe and got super distracted immediately.  I AM going to paint my pantry door this color, though.  Yay for a new project!

Tuesday:  Taco Tuesday!  Mason (the 6-year-old who will eat anything, thankyouJesus) says I make the best tacos ever.  Little does he know it is ground beef with some Taco Bell seasoning in a flour tortilla with cheese and mild sauce.  I win!

Wednesday:  I WILL find the chicken and rice recipe.  

Thursday:  Possibly turkey sausage and potatoes.  I found this recipe on Pinterest that I've tweaked a little and we are big fans!  I use Butterball Turkey Sausage instead and a red onion and garlic salt.  I love garlic salt.

Friday:  Most likely a pizza night.  

Saturday and Sunday:  I can't even begin to think about it.  That's so far away!!  ;)



What I'm reminiscing about:

I've been going through a lot of my old pictures lately and missing my babies.  They have gotten so big so fast.  I miss being pregnant.  I loved being pregnant.  I miss holding a baby and rocking a baby and that sweet baby smell.  




My sweet baby Mason less than 3 months old.

This was before I left Matthew with a sitter for the first time while we went on a date night. 

What I'm loving:


Well, I definitely don't hate this gorgeous Texas weather!  70-80 degrees and sunny a lot lately.  I'll take it.  

What we've been up to:

Lots of outdoor playing for the boys, football coaching for the hubs (camps and private sessions) and glitter, paint and sawdust for me!  You can read about our weekend here.




What I'm dreading:
Attempting to lose 10 pounds of winter weight.  I have been so preoccupied with my first year of being at this Etsy business full-time that all extracurriculars have stopped for me.  And that included working out.  (Shame on me, I know.)  I am determined to knock off the 8-10 pounds or so that have crept up on me over the past year.  Unfortunately for me, this means avoiding my favorite foods and actually going to the gym.  Boo.

What I'm working on:

I usually have 30-40 open Etsy orders at a time so I'm constantly working on those. But other than that, we are HOPING to get the upper cabinets/shelves built to finish off our new dining room built-ins!  This wall used to be an entire wall of mirrors (4 giant mirrors to be exact).  I hated it when we bought the house but learned to live with it and then over the years just stopped seeing it.  And then Joanna Gaines inspired me to shiplap that bad boy so Craig and I did!  We also installed lower cabinets and then it all came to a halt.  This month, I want to add the upper half to it which will include rustic wood open shelves and closed storage on the sides.  And I'm still on the hunt for the perfect hardware for the cabinets.  


What I'm excited about:

This new blog!!  Why did I wait so long to do this!?

What I'm watching/reading:

My favorite TV shows at the moment are This Is Us, Chicago Fire, anything on Bravo (specifically Vanderpump Rules and Real Housewives of anything) and Fixer Upper.  And as a family, we love to watch Masterchef Junior.  I'm trying to talk Mason into becoming a chef so he can cook for me.  I am also a Bachelor fan.  I think it is more of a habit than anything else at this point.  It's just a trainwreck that starts out all ridiculous and then by the end you find yourself really rooting for that true love!  If you don't already read Sheaffer's Bachelor recaps, then you are missing out!!  They are the best thing I read all week.  She has a way with words, that girl!  She is so funny--like falling out of your chair, rolling on the ground, clutching your stomach funny.   

I binge watch everything on Netflix.  I've watched Gilmore Girls, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Parks and Rec, Friends, One Tree Hill, Scandal, The Good Wife and I'm currently watching Glee.  I have LOVED LOVED LOVED every single one of these shows!!  I watched them all when they originally aired but binge watching them is so fun.  Right now it's Glee and I forgot how happy this show makes me!  I am a sucker for anything musical.



And what I'm reading... I'm reading a book called Not a Fan during my quiet time in the morning that I'll talk more about later.  It is a great book and talks about not being just a FAN of Jesus Christ but a true follower.  I highly recommend it and when I finish it, I'll be sure to post more about it.  You can check it out here though.  It also has a devotional to go with it.

On Audible, I recently finished The Woman in Cabin 10 and it was SO GOOD!!  If you loved Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, you will love this!  I thought I was so smart and had it all figured out but I was wrong!! These are all amazing books if you want a little mystery and suspense.  (And once again, if you don't have time to read actual books, please do yourself a favor and give Audible a try!  They have free trial memberships and everything.  I would be lost without it!  Check it out here!)

Which leads me to...

What I'm listening to:

When I just want to listen to music I turn on Spotify and love Lauren Daigle, Hillsong, Casting Crown, Big Daddy Weave...  I love my praise and worship music.  But obviously, I'm doing a lot of Audible/book listening too.  :)  Right now I'm re-listening to Bossypants by Tina Fey.  I'm sure this book is hysterical when you read it in the book form... but try it when it is read by HER.  She is one of the funniest!!  

What I'm wearing:

This should be where I share a picture of me in some cute outfit but I don't have any pictures of myself.  Whoops.  I'll do better next time.  I have been loving my new yoga pants I picked up at Nordstrom the other day though.  :) 

What I'm doing this weekend:

We don't usually have plans for weekends.  Weekends are all about having no obligations if we can help it!  Church on Sunday morning and probably lunch out afterwards.  Then it's time to play play play.  ;)

What I'm looking forward to next month:

I'm scheduled to sub twice at my old school in March and that's always fun!  (I used to be a PE coach and now I sub at my old school in PE every once in awhile.)  It's also Spring Break next month!!  We have no plans as of now but we'll see what happens!  Sometimes its more fun to have no plans at all!

What else is new:

This.  This blog is new!

BONUS QUESTION:  What is your favorite "can't live without" beauty product?

This one is hard.  I thought and thought about it and kept coming back to one of my favorite products. It is the Exuviance Daily Antioxidant Peel.  I found it at Ulta one random day when I was shopping for some new skincare products.  The sales girl talked me into buying this and even though I was hesitant, I trusted her and have LOVED IT ever since.  I very rarely find a skincare product where I can actually tell a difference. I buy my share of wrinkle creams, yall, but in all honesty, I can't ever tell a difference.  But this made my skin brighter immediately and gave me a glow that made my skin much younger looking.  Even friends commented on it!  It didn't dry my face out.  It didn't break my face out.  It is a great product!! I'm actually down to only 2 pads so I'll be ordering more today myself.  Let me know if you use it or try it!  



Thank you for stopping by today! Please leave me a comment and if you have a blog, let me know!  I'd love to make new friends!  

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9 comments

  1. Happy First Link Up Day!! Such a fun post today!

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  2. Ohh your shiplap! We have been contemplating doing shiplap above our fireplace and I'm 99.9% sure we are going to! I'm excited about it!
    Isn't Chicago Fire one of the best shows out there?!? Oh I am so in love with it!!
    I hope you have a great day, Amanda!!

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    1. Do it!! I don't know how you could regret shiplap! ;) And yes!! Chicago Fire doesn't get the attention it deserves but it is SO good! The first time I watched it, my kids were away at their grandparents with my husband for 4 days and I think I watched 17 EPISODES On Demand while they were gone! So good!!

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  3. Amanda, This is a small small world, but I'm pretty sure we worked at the same elementary school (McG). I used to teach 3rd grade there and left to stay home with my kiddos a little before you got there. I remember a friend showing me your items (don't think you had an Etsy shop at the time) and just saw your link on Shay's blog (yours was above mine). How funny. I also have an Etsy shop (I sell printables). How fun that you are doing that full time now...I'm still home with my 2 boys, but hope to do this during the day when they go to school...but that will be a while :) Anyway, so good to find your blog. Good luck with everything and I'll be sure to read here. :)

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    1. No way!! How funny is that! And yes, there's no way I could do the Etsy thing full time if the boys were with me during the day. Although, I'd gladly give up Etsy if it would make them babies again!! ;) I'll be sure to check out your blog and shop! Thanks for stopping by and saying hi!

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  4. I'm new to this blog thing, too, and I have found it to be really fun!! And now I'm about to order The Woman in Cabin 10..I've been on the verge but you just convinced me!

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    1. It's so good!!! I really was all high and mighty for awhile there thinking "Oh this is so predictable. I already know what's going to happen!" And then I didn't. And things got crazy. haha It turned out way better than the ending I had in my head!

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  5. Love your blog!! :)

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