Where am "I"?

Most people fear the thought of diets. In our society is has become either a fad or a short-term resolution for a long-term problem. I get it that it’s hard to be the perfect size and be healthy. Healthy foods, gyms and trainers are all expensive. Well, more expensive than not eating healthy foods or working out… But since I know that paying up for prevention is critical to saving money long-term, I did learn something in grad school, we need to take care of our bodies from day one, and spend the extra time and energy now to ensure we are our healthiest before we regret it one day (or don’t have the chance to regret it).

With that said, I have been on a weight-loss yo-yo since high school. I have had four personal trainers in the last nine years, not to mention being on some sort of weight loss program on and off in this same timeframe. That’s just crazy… They all work the same things- the body, and all the nutritional programs preach the same things- make smarter choices and consume less calories. So what’s the issue!?

Like many others, I am an emotional eater. I eat when I am sad and depressed. I eat when I’m happy and want to celebrate. I eat when I’m lonely. I eat when I’m with others. I eat standing up, sitting down, in the car, on my head too- If I could… My point is… I LOVE food. I adore food really. But with that said I don’t love the reflection I see in the mirror every day. 

In less than 8 months I will be walking down the aisle to marry the most amazing man in my life, and while he has seen me through all of my weight fluxuations over the last 11 years, and I know he loves me now matter what, I refuse to allow myself to be sad looking back on pictures and memories. I have been working since May to loose weight, and I’ve lost about 16 pounds so far, but I have 35 to go. The reason I am writing this is to be held accountable to myself, if no one else. I have been going to the gym, and eating “better” but its CRUNCH time. Quite literally. No excuses. No time.

I plan to keep a continuous update on my progress to ensure I have no issue finding myself on my wedding day in May. I WILL be at GOAL. Can’t wait to find me!

~Ashleigh XoXo

Where ya headed???

SoOoOo… I was going to post about a fantastic stir fry recipe that we found and made last night, but since I ruined it by adding a scorpion pepper to the mix (which is, by the way, the world’s HOTTEST pepper), I don’t really have much to share with you since I cannot vague for the taste because my taste buds HATED me!

So instead, I thought I’d switch up today’s post a little and talk about something more legit: Vacations!!

As many of you know, my mom, Shelley, has bought into a resort in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic that is absolutely phenomenal (and it’s so great we are getting married there in 8 months!). Because of her membership, she can rent rooms on the resort out to others. Not only can she rent out accommodations to this particular resort, but she can rent to Sister Resorts and even RCI resorts! The process is simple… Just contact her directly, and she can help you with any travel destination (in the U.S. or International!!). You can save TONS of money by going through her, and you’ll help out her business, as it’s still in the newly advertised stage.

To see more information on the resort in the DR go here: www.vacaydr.com

Keep the love local ya’ll!

~Ashleigh XoXo

Back at it.

 

Some of us are a little bit more cheery than others on days like today. I think we should develop a new rule in this country... If it’s raining outside on Monday’s then you get to continue the weekend for one more day. (Kind of the same philosophy as Groundhog’s Day…)

Anywho, no need complaining, let’s just enjoy it! How was your weekend? 

Mine was great! I found THE wedding dress after trying on way TOO many. Now I just need to be patient for 8 more months so I can wear it! I also started at the gym this weekend, and conquer Spin class. Now my butt is super sore, but as I was told in high school volleyball, “Pain is Weakness leaving your body.” BRING IT! I also enjoyed some MUCH NEEDED R&R with a facial. 

To top the weekend off, I laughed so hard (again) during Bridesmaids. HILARIOUS! 

 

A great start to an amazing week to come- Happy Monday everyone!

~Ashleigh XoXo

A-B-C

Do you all remember those blocks we use to play with as children that said A-B-C, and we all thought that they were the greatest things in the world?! (Maybe this was before magnet fridge letters…) But anyways, because Pinterest never seizes to inspire me, I saw these super cute blocks a long while back and couldn’t wait until one of my friends got married so I could make them for her.

After searching high and low for 2” x 2” wooden blocks (and some decoupage, a glue stick, and some cute scrap booking paper) I was all set. I simply cut the paper and some fun pictures of the couple to the same size as the block, glued them on with a glue stick, and then decoupaged over the paper once it was dry. Super easy and super cute!

Here’s my final product:

***P.S.- Congrats again to Lauren and Michael! SUPER Cute couple!!! <3***

…I had some cute pictures of the final collection, but when I get a new phone, they got lost… Sorry L You’ll just have to make them for yourself to see how adorable they are. I plan to make some for Halloween décor (using some old Halloween photo favorites). Can’t wait to share those in the coming weeks! (Can you believe Halloween isn’t that far away?!?!)

Well, happy decoupaging everyone!

~Ashleigh XoXo

Get Up & Dress Up!

Happy Hump Day to all of you! Super excited that we are all here and well to blog it up today. :) Here’s a little bit of inspiration I wanted to share with you… 

 

The biggest thing that hit me when I read this quote this morning was “FIGHT FOR YOUR DREAMS.” Many people think if they blow out their candles and *WiSh* REALLY hard, all their wishes will come true. I think for the most of us, unless we are a character from Disney like Cinderella or Pinocchio, we must go out and FIGHT to achieve our dreams and ensure they happen. Sure it was consist of trial and error, lots of sweat and a lot more tears, but it will be SO worth it! I certainly believe in Karma, but I’m skeptical about "Miracles" and "Chance" since I am a strong believer that there is an explanation for everything. ...If you want to be skinny, exercise and eat well. If you want to be rich, get creative and get to the grinding! If you want to have love in your life, LOVE others from the bottom of your heart. 

No matter what it is that you dream of, just keep FIGHTING and pursuing, and you’ll get there!

...On a side note, I am SUPER EXCITED that my summer night classes for me end tomorrow, which means back to PINTEREST PROJECTS it is!! I guess you know where I’ll be this weekend. (In the office with the hot glue…) Stay tuned!! :)

~Ashleigh XoXo

I hope you have the Opportunity to Fail!

Were you scared to push that next button? Did you push it?

 

Do you fear failure? Have you ever NOT done something because you were scared of being rejected or not succeeding? I’ll be the first to admit it, I have! I chose to not apply to medical schools, because I didn’t want to get a letter in the mail that said I was rejected. It’s true, and it’s so Pathetic, huh? I spent my whole adolescent and college years focused on attaining a goal that I never even strived for (technically). I’ll never know if I would have been rejected or not, but the real issue is: SO WHAT if I got rejected! Doesn’t everyone?! At least I tried. 

I use to have the self-confidence of a Greek mythology God. I thought I had total control over everything in my life, and that’s because I did. I wasn’t scared of being let down, or losing a game, or getting a letter in the mail that said “DENIED”. What happened to me? What happened to you?

I am motivated today, and want to share with you some powerful NEW thoughts… Failure should be exciting! It should be an opportunity! If you fail and do not succeed, figure out how you can do better or what you have to change to make it happen. Everyone is where they are because of failure. It makes you try harder, it bringing out your weaknesses (to which you can improve on), and it also highlights your strengths. You learn more about yourself when you fail, than when you succeed. 

So my end of summer challenge for you is to think about something you gave up on, or you failed at. Reflect on how you grew from that experience, and maybe there is something you still haven’t done because you were too scared… Go! DO IT!

~Ashleigh XoXo

Guess Who's Back... Back Again... Ashleigh's Back... Tell A Friend!

Hey world! It’s been entirely TOO long! I’d love to catch you up on life, so sorry if it bores you… MICROBIOLOGY. Yup, that’s been my life since Fourth of July. Ok, now that we are all caught up… I thought I’d take a new spin to my blogging for the next 30 days…

My mom went to a Tony Robinson convention in Cali a few weeks back, and even though she got major blisters on her feet from walking on fire (still not too sure why people do that…), she came back with a truly new outlook on life. It’s amazing, inspiring, and contagious! She bombarded me with some love the other day, I mean umpteen million CDs and DVDs so that I can experience “The Power of NOW..” To be honest, this morning was the first morning I’ve had a chance to pop one into the CD Player, but I wanted to share today’s message…

“EVERYONE is CAPABLE. Only a select few CHOOSE to UTILIZE their capabilities.” This is so simple but so real. Successful sports players are really good, and get paid really well, and they TRAIN and PRACTICE REALLY HARD! (think about it…) For anyone who lives local to me and travels the lovely Shady Grove to Rt 355 journey (as I do), you may know who I am about to refer to… There is a man who stands on the corner at the stop light EVERY SINGLE weekday, and collects trash from people’s car, and obviously accepts monetary donations. He is always well put together, smiles and gives the PEACE sign to EVERY single car that drives by, and I always think, “If I was an owner of a company, I’d employ him!” He’s NEVER late. He is SO CHEERFUL. He is diligent and a hard worker. And today, even though its pouring raining outside, he was there! As I was listening to Tony’s message in the car, I drove by this man thinking HE IS CHOOSING to UTILIZE his capabilities. How awesome! Are you using yours?

~Ashleigh XoXo

Tis' the Season for Stars and Stripes!

       Time is just flying by, and I certainly cannot believe we are almost one week away from one of my most favorite holidays: Fourth of July! (Not to mention that my MOST FAVORITE Holiday is in 2 days!... MY BIRTHDAY!!)

        It has been very difficult to engage in all the projects I have on my list due to my crazy decisions of going back to school, but I realized this weekend, this girl deserves a break!

       With that said, I decided to start prepping the house for the 4^th, pulling out the red, white and blue, and the stars and stripes. We finally got an American Flag to hang out front which has been on the top of my WANT list since Memorial Day. Here are some fun little touches I added to the house to make it feel a little more festive:

I just LOVE my kitchen chalk board; it’s perfect for every occasion!

 

I got a great deal on a few fake flowers for the coffee table, and put them in my little white milk carton container.

Here is my super cute wreath I made (see the tutorial below).

Felt Wreath Tutorial
What you will need=
Foam wreath
Straight pins
Red (5 pieces), White (5 pieces) and Blue (3 pieces) Felt  Squares
A material to make stars (I used white foam. You could even use wooden stars or plastic stars, etc)
White Ribbon

Let the fun begin!=
1. Cut the felt into 2” x 2” squares
2. Fold the felt squares in half and in half again, so they are a quarter of the size
3. Pin the squares to the wreath covering the top and sides of wreath (No need to do the back since it will be against a flat surface)
4. Make ¼ of the wreath blue, and then alternate small sections of red and white when pinning the felt
5. Add the stars to the blue area (I pinned mine on)

Now go on and get your home looking festive!!

~Ashleigh XoXo

WEEKEND!!!!

Iiiiiiitttttt'ssss FRIDAY!!!!! :) Happy Weekend everyone!

Enough said.

~Ashleigh XoXo

Oh' Happy Day!

HOORAY!!! The day that I thought would never come, has FINALLY arrived! Today's the first day of summer! :) And boy, does it feel like it... I just checked the weather, and it looks like you all are feeling the same thing, all over the U.S.!

Well, onto the real topic of today... I read this morning that just really inspired me:

Happiness is a choice! We sometimes say that when things go wrong or just not our way, we are unhappy. But we CHOOSE to be unhappy. If you can come to grasps with the fact that WE are in control, then you can always BE HAPPY! Stop moping around, and thinking "woah is me." Get up! Take action! Do what you love and love what you do! Plus, happiness is good for your health! :)

Have a very Happy Day!

~Ashleigh XoXo

New Light & Yummy Pie!

Sorry, but I’m getting a late start on my “Happy Monday” posting. After an extremely jammed packed weekend, I woke up yesterday to a headache and a rainy day. “SICK DAY!!”... Well I worked some from home, so I guess it wasn’t entirely a day off. Also, I had my 4^th test (out of 8- I’m half way done!!) last night, so had to get some cramming in. I give lots of credit to those of you who are in school, but a real KUDDOS goes to those of you who are working full time and going to school. Boy, it just sucks!

Anywho, on a positive note, I FINALLY went to Chartreuse and Co. this weekend. AMAZING!!! They only are open one weekend a month, but I HIGHLY recommend checking them out if you are into anything old/ shabby chic/ unique. Since I love unique pieces, and am still working really hard to make our house a home, I picked up this awesome light at the barn sale! Ruby Tuesdays was my first inspiration with these Tiffany lights, and now we have our very own. 

***Ignore my messy table. This is what our house looks like when I'm in school... :/***

Also, we had the family over for father’s day on Sunday, and had a great time! (As weird as this comment may sound to some, it's really nice having my mom, dad, step dad and all my sisters over at the same time. I am really fortunate everyone gets along!) Nothing like sitting out back on the deck, listening to music, playing cards, good company and lots of laughs! I MUST share this recipe with you though. I made this for desert, and it turned out great! (And I have to admit, I hate apple pie, but made something similar because apple pie is my dad’s favorite, and I enjoyed it..)

~Ashleigh XoXo

Crumb-Topped Apple Slab Pie

Ingredients:

·        2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour

·        ¾ teaspoon salt

·        2/3 cup butter-flavored shortening

·        8-10 tablespoons cold water

·        2/3 cup sugar

·        1/3 cup all purpose flour

·        1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

·        3 ½ pounds tart cooking apples (I used 7 Granny Smiths) – Remove skin and core.

·        Crumb Topping

1. Line a 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking pan with foil. For dough: In a large bowl, stir together 2 ¼ cups flour and the salt. Using blender, cut in shortening until mixture looks like crumbs. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cold water over part of the flour mixture, and gently toss with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat, using 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, until all of the flour mixture is moistened. Using your fingers (time to get messy!!), gently knead the dough until a ball forms.
2. 2.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 19 x 13-inch rectangle. Wrap it around the rolling pin; unroll it into the prepared baking pan. Fold dough over the edge as desired.
3. In an extra large bowl, combine sugar, the 1/3 cup flour, and the cinnamon. Add apples. Toss lightly until apples are coated. Spoon mixture into pan. (Yes, the pan will be very full. No worries!)
4. Add Crumb Topping (see directions below.)
5. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until the apples are tender. I covered mine with foil the last 10 minutes to prevent browning.
6. Serve warm or cool & Enjoy! (Vanilla ice cream and/or caramel sauce on top would be an added bonus!)

Crumb Topping

Ingredients:

·        1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats

·        1 cup packed brown sugar

·        ½ cup all-purpose flour

·        ½ cup butter

·        ½ cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, stir together quick-cooking rolled oats, packed brown sugar, and all-purpose flour. Using a blender, cut in butter until topping resembles crumbs. Stir in chopped pecans.  

My neck bone's connected to my shoulder bone...

This has been my last week and a half....

Need I say more.

REMINDER to self: Short term sacrifices = long term gains!

~Ashleigh XoXo

Thankful

Well the weekend is coming to an end (or it least it will be in a few more hours after I finish studying some more Anatomy...). Just thought I'd write a quick post to say how appreciative I am of the life we have. Sometimes I dwell on the negative, and wish I didn't live during such an advanced age because we miss out on little things (like when there were no blogs... can you even imagine?!?!)... No seriously though, like sitting and playing cards or board games, going for walks and enjoying the little things in life. I also think how annoying it is when technology is over-powering us, and our every action. But tonight, I am not complaining.

My step-dad, one of the most important people in my life, had surgery yesterday morning, and because of the day and age we live in, he had an amazing surgeon who did a great job, and I am so thankful for the technology and skills that we have developed. I am happy to say he is well on his way to recovery, and doing very well.

I am SLOWLY learning that with all of the good, there will come the bad; but in life we need to realize how much more important the good is, and dwell on that.

So this week I challenge you all to just stop and observe, and even though most of us live in a fast-paced crazy life, take a few deep breaths, and be appreciative! I know I am!

Have a great week!

~Ashleigh XoXo

Even Cacti Bloom!

Sometimes we need to remind ourselves to look at the glass as half full, and not half empty. Depending on our situation, our circumstances, our experiences and the place we find ourselves within our own lives, it’s not always that easy. I try very hard to be an optimistic person, and many people that know me will know that I always say, “Fake it until you Make it!”

This saying applies not only to our work/school environment, but most importantly it applies to our relationships with others and our emotions. If you wake up in the morning and feel like a total grouch, then take a shower, put on your happy face, and FAKE being happy until you eventually are! No one wants to be around sour patches, so I challenge you all today to keep smiling until it sticks! (Plus it takes more muscles to frown anyways!) 

I was reminded of this when I walked outside this morning and saw my cacti had a new little flower. Even the most prickery/evil plant, chooses to be beautiful and BLOOM. So can you! 

Side note: Here’s a cute little bird house/welcoming sign I picked up on sale a few days back. (For some reason I have really been into bird houses lately…)

~Ashleigh XoXo