Weekend Recap

My little love on her way to the vet.

This weekend was really busy. Saturday I spent most of the day house hunting with a friend who is moving about 45-minutes away. She's starting a new job and wanted another set of eyes to help her in her search. I was more than happy to help! Earlier in the week we spent an evening packing up her current apartment. We made a huge dent by tackling the kitchen. p.s. she bribed me with pizza and wine :P Of course I said I would help! Super sad she's moving away, but excited for the opportunities her new position will offer her and I'll have some place to visit when I just need to get out of town. Better have that spare bedroom ready for me girl! :)

Why is it every time I go to pack for a vacation I "have nothing to wear"? Talk about annoying, but gives me an excuse to go shopping to see if I can find anything. Sunday the hubs and I dropped Lexi off at the vet to get her caught up on shots and her teeth cleaned. That is an all day affair so after dropping her off we went home and I ventured off to Target and Marshall's to see if anything caught my attention. During my research on Paris I read a lot about safety and most of the suggestions were to blend in rather then looking like a tourist. It's hard to do when you look lost and can't speak French, but I want to give it a go. Luckily the majority of my fashion tastes are "Parisian" (black, white, muted colors, skinny/fitted jeans, flats, booties, pops of color with scarves). Late afternoon we picked up Lexi and took her to Katy where she will be staying while we are gone. Then dinner with the the family to celebrate the hub's birthday. We went to one of our favorite restaurants, the Taste of Texas. The salad bar is amazing! I ate way too much at the salad bar and ended up taking my whole entree to go. That's ok...lunch today!

Had planned on getting a lot of packing done over the weekend, but that didn't happen so I guess tonight's the night haha Wish me luck because I am sure I will over pack. 

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

In Friday's post I eluded to another trip in the works. First I want to thank our friends for coming to celebrate the hubs' 30th birthday dinner. It was nice to catch up with everyone :)

Back to the travel announcement...Over the summer we visited the hub's bucket list place, Sydney, and now it's my turn (read my Travel Bucket List). I have dreamed of going to Europe for a long time. I love the idea of walking along the busy streets, seeing the different architectural styles, and standing on the site of so many history placed with a whole lot of history to share (nerd alert!).

I had a hard time narrowing down the Europe list, but we aren't millionaire so for now it is Paris and London. We will spend roughly four days in each city. It will be a lot to cram in, but it's the opportunity of a lifetime and I'm so excited to share this adventure with the hubs.

PARIS

Weather
From my research it appears the weather will be in the 40s and 50s, mild and dry. Seems like almost every trip taken this year involves cool or cold weather. I'm not complaining, I love fall and winter fashion.

Where We Are Staying
Hilton Paris Opera

What We'll Do
So much to see and so little time :( We will definitely see the Eiffel Tower and Arc de Triomphe. Probably won't spend the money to go up in either, but these are iconic places not to be missed.

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We will take a day to venture out of the city to visit Palace of Versailles. This was a must for me. I believe it will take most of the day to travel and see all of the historic buildings and grounds, but hopefully a day well spent.

Others on the list are Grand Palais, Musee de l'Armee, Notre Dame, and Luxembourg Gardens.

LONDON

Weather
The temperatures appear to be similar to Paris, but October looks to be rainy so we will definitely need to pack accordingly.

Where We Are Staying
Since there isn't a language barrier here we decided to live like a local and get an airbnb. We had such a good experience in Sydney we wanted to try it again. We have booked a place near the London Eye and other sightseeing spots, but it is also convenient for transportation because it's near the Waterloo Station.

What We'll Do

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London Eye (because we're staying next to it lol), Tower of London, Kensington Palace, Westminster Abbey. We will most likely visit Hyde Park (we visited Sydney's Hyde Park) and a few museums related to law enforcement and military.

I'm very excited and ready to get there. As always, follow along on SnapChat (@r8d6g) to see our adventures.

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Friday Favorites: Good Vibes

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Let me start this post by saying I am glad it is Friday. I lived 3 Thursdays this week...both Tuesday and Wednesday I thought it was Thursday all day long. Epic fail! Side note, 1 year ago (yesterday) we moved to our apartment. Can it really be a year already!? I still haven't finished decorating or taking all the boxes to storage. Life is too busy!

I'm here to share some positive vibes because so many of my friends have received good news or kudos this week and I'm super happy for them! In a world where there is so much negativity and you look around wondering why the bad guys always get rewarded, it's nice to be reminded that good things happen to good people. Today I want to celebrate just that...good things happening to good people! For privacy purposes I won't give names or too much detail, but you know who you are ;)

For the friend who wanted to advance a career and step out of a comfort zone: I am going to miss you tremendously, but you are onto bigger and better things!

For the friend who had good medical news: What a wild few weeks! I hope you know how much you are loved and you're onto a healthier lifestyle and I couldn't be more excited (and relieved) for you.

For the friend whose fitness journey was featured and shared with many: You inspire so many people to better themselves physically and emotionally. You understand there is no need to be perfect, it's about achieving the healthiest you. You've rocked it!


Until next post...xoxo Becca

p.s. Celebrating the hub's 30th birthday tonight since we will be out of town on his actually birthday. More on the next trip coming Monday!

Can You Write Your Way Out of an Emotional Funk?

A month ago I came across an article on Facebook called You Can Write Your Way Out of an Emotional Funk. Here's How. by Dr. Susan David (an excerpt from her book, Emotional Agility). I thought it was an interesting article. How many times have you found yourself in a "funk" and not feeling like yourself? It happens to the best of us! The article got me thinking, people used to write in diaries or journal. Now a lot of society is too busy worrying about how they look on social media than about their emotional well being. The writing we do on a daily basis probably consists of emails, texts, social media status/photo captions, a few research projects, proposals, etc. None of that focuses on yourself or emotions.

The article explains the results of studies conducted by James Pennebaker, a professor at the University of Texas.

"In each study, Pennebaker found that the people who wrote about emotionally charged episodes experienced marked improvement in their physical and mental well-being. They were happier, less depressed and less anxious. In the months after the writing sessions, they had lower blood pressure, improved immune function, and fewer visits to the doctor. They also reported better relationships, improved memory, and more success at work."

In a way, this blog has served as a outlet for me to share. Though I don't write much about personal things or struggles I face, the writing process allows me to be creative. After my dad died in 2011 I found it was extremely difficult to share my thoughts and emotions. I was used to putting on a brave face and bottling up all emotions. There wasn't anyone at that time in my life to fully comprehend my feelings so I would often compose emails to myself, essentially journaling how I felt, what I was thinking, the emotions I faced after losing him. It made it a little easier to face.

Now, when I face things like sadness or stress I write about it. It helps me, why not give it a try?

Until next post...xoxo Becca

p.s. If you experience a lot of stress, watch Kelly McGonigal's TED Talk How to make stress your friend.

Friday Favorites: Bell Sleeves

Thank goodness it is finally Friday (and I have no plans tomorrow)! Last weekend was super busy and I loved every minute of it, but my energy level was zapped this week. Plus I have a ton of new DVR'd shows to catch up on. This is my big Saturday plan haha :) I am really glad to have fall shows back because while the hubs is at work I have something relaxing to do at home. DVR is a lifesaver...commercials are terrible to sit through. Isn't it funny how technology has conditioned us for short attention spans and to be impatient? Growing up I remember using the commercial breaks to do little tasks, but now I spend the entire time of the show on the couch because I can fast forward through commercials.

Onto today's favorite...bell sleeves! Boy has this style been seen everywhere this fall. I'm really excited because it adds a feminine touch to an outfit. Hand washing and reaching for things may be a challenge with bell sleeves, but they're so worth it ;) Here are a few I like:

Ann Taylor

Dillard's

Loft

Lulus

Nordstrom

Enjoy your weekend! Until next post...xoxo Becca

Weekend Recap: BOTPW

What a fun weekend! This weekend was the 91st Battle of the Piney Woods (football game between Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University) and SHSU won!!! High fives all around. On top of that, it was a good friend's 30th birthday so we celebrated with tailgating, front row seats at the game, a fun night out, and Sunday funday brunch. Sunday night the hubs and I celebrated another great friend's birthday with a small dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in The Woodlands, Johnny's Italian Steakhouse (it's inside the Holiday Inn).

Enjoy some photos from the weekend and have a great Monday!

Birthday girl with her glitter birthday cup! :)

Until next post...xoxo Becca

Growing Up

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Maybe Peter Pan had the right idea; to never grow up and live in Neverland forever sounds like a dream! As I headed off to work last week I told the hubs, I wish someone would have stressed why I shouldn't grow up too fast. Maybe if they'd said "Don't grow up, it's a trap!" I would have listened a little harder. I was always in a rush to be an adult. Even in college I rushed to graduate early so I could get that big girl paycheck. Let me tell you, adulting isn't what you think.

Looking back, what did you want to be when you grew up? Are you what you wanted to be? Here are a few of mine.

Astronomer: Obsessed with the stars! I remember knowing all the major constellations and being able to point them out in the sky. I loved learning about the planets, the solar system, the sun...I loved it all. One Christmas I got a telescope "from Santa" and remember being so excited and wanting it to get dark so my parents and I could use it. I also remember year after year in school I hoped the teachers would cover the galaxy, but they never did.

Paleontologist: I had a dinosaur place mat growing up (what a funny thing to remember) and I could name all the dinosaurs and tell you loads of facts about each one. The thought of discovering something so old buried in the ground was exciting. You can really see my nerd side coming out. :P Even now when we visit museums the fossils fascinate me. Like astronomy, I hoped my teachers would do a series on paleontology or archaeology. Archaeology was another area of interest for me.

Pictures taken on a trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science in 2014

Writer: Around 4th or 5th grade I took an interest in reading and writing. Still to this day I can devour a novel in one sitting. Obviously at 9-12 years old I wasn't reading novels, but during the summer I would blaze through a book and move onto the next. Reading is so relaxing and allows you to enter a world not your own and use that thing called an imagination! After reading so much I began writing short stories, mostly fiction and adventure. I could have been JK Rowling! Dang it! I still love reading and research. Nerd alert again haha

Dietitian: To be honest, I have no idea where this interest stems from. I like food, I like being healthy...maybe the combination of how food fuels the body is what drew me to this profession. Around my senior year of high school and into college this is what I found interesting, but I did not pursue it as a degree and maybe I regret that now, I'm not sure. Nutrition and making better choices when it comes to food is still important to me. Not saying I don't eat pizza, all desserts, and anything covered in cheese, but making better choices more frequently than not is what I am getting at here.

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I hope you learned something about me today. Did any of those career paths surprise you? Tell me what you wanted to be when you grew up. Until next post...xoxo Becca