Keurig Love

Good Morning from "snowy" Concord, NC! I know everyone loves to complain about the weather- "It's too hot, It's too cold, I hate snow, I miss summer, I miss winter, blah blah blah".  Well I happen to enjoy all the seasons and LOVE to look outside and see snow, even if it is just big flakes that aren't really sticking.  As I was sitting drinking my yummy cup of coffee watching the snow, I thought I would write a blog about my new love, my Keurig machine.

Now yes, I know I am behind on the times and these came out well over a year ago. At first I had no interest in one because I was only the occasional coffee drinker, but since living with Mr. Coffee himself and going back to work, I have become a cup, maybe 2, a day type of girl.  As more and more people I knew got one and raved about it, I became more interested, especially since it does just make the one cup I need. Somewhere along the past 2 years of being with Lance I must admit, his "cheap" ways have rubbed off on me.  As he would tell me "We have a coffee maker that works perfectly fine", I started to believe maybe that was enough. (shocking, I know).  I would always go stare at them in the store every time we went, and look at all the wonderful sounding coffee "cups" you could get.  Lance would always make fun of me and tell me just to buy it if I wanted it THAT bad.  But then my brain turned into "Lance mode"- why do I need a $120+ coffee maker???  Oh, the decisions!! So fast forward to this week. Monday was our "dating" anniversary and we decided we wouldn't do presents or anything really big, just go to the same little sushi place we did every year. For me, and knowing him, that was all I thought we were doing.  Little did I know he used this day as a little excuse to go ahead and buy me my lovely Keurig machine!! (Which I would like to throw in the first thing he said was, "Don't expect a gift next year or anything" haha, gotta love him!)  I was SO excited, yes- nerd alert!  I thought it was so sweet of him, because I know how much it seriously PAINED him to spend that much on a coffee maker when we had a "perfectly fine one" already. I am starting to think maybe I am rubbing off on HIM some too! :)   I MUST acknowledge that Mr. Lance has used my new fancy pants machine EVERY SINGLE DAY since we have had it.  Looks like someone might be neglecting his perfect little $20 pot! :)  Now that we are on day 5 1/2, we have already used the whole variety pack box that came with it and I am SO excited to go stock up on some yummy coffees and teas! I know Lance will gripe the whole time about how much they cost, but deep down he loves it just as much as I do. :)

Happy Saturday to everyone and feel free to pass on your favorite "cups"! :)  xoxo

What a deal!

First off, what girl doesn't love shopping.. especially when you get an amazing deal!  Well I have to say yesterday topped my record for sure.  Since I had the day off (thanks random bank holiday!) I decided I would be good and stay home.. that is until I got an email from Old Navy.  As I opened it on my phone, I saw that if I used my Old Navy card I would get an extra 20% off.   This is when I realized I had $45 in free Old Navy cash to spend. Now how in the world do I have that you ask?  Well when I signed up for my little store CC one day to get a % off of my shopping, they informed me since I had good credit it was not only an Old Navy card, but also a Visa credit card to anywhere.  Well a few months ago I thought- since I work in banking and am the person that files all your debit card disputes.. why in the world do I ever use my debit card with all this fraud nowadays??  So I decided to do the smart thing that we always suggest to people- use your credit card everywhere and pay it off the end of each month.  Since I didn't want to add anymore credit cards to my name (this is my only one),  I use this for my monthly purchases and rack up some nice Old Navy cash.  (Yes, I know I could probably have one with more resourceful rewards but oh well! ha)  Anywayssss.. so here I am thinking I can get 20% off and keep my purchase to $45.  So off I head to our INSANE mall here, Concord Mills.  As I get there, I remembered that this Old Navy was an "outlet" store and always had great sales. To my luck, the whole store was 40% for the day!!  As I am shopping I apparently did not keep up with the total so well, because when I go to checkout, my total was $145!  Now I almost had a little panic attack (since I did not plan on shopping at all), but then realized he had not put in any discounts yet.  So I handed over my cash rewards, let him know I would be using my card for the 20% off, and played around on my phone as he entered everything.  All of a sudden I hear, "Ok mam, your grand total today is $17.22."   Wait, what?? I almost fell over! ha I was NOT expecting that much of a discount!  So I left VERY happily with 2 cardigans, a sweater, 2 scarves, 2 tshirts, and then a tshirt and polo for Lance all for under $18. Holy cow!  Happy President's Day to me!



Two of my cute finds! :)

   

My Valentine

I figured what better time to write a sappy blog about my sweet husband-  Since Valentine's Day is tomorrow, this seemed to be the perfect fit.

Lance is definitely one of a kind. He is such a nice, loving, considerate, responsible, logical, calm, amazing man. He is the perfect balance for me. They always say that you find true love when you aren't looking, and that was definitely the case with us! He basically just walked into my life and the rest was history.  From the moment we met my life was turned upside down, but in the best way possible. I am so incredibly happy with him and count my blessings everyday.  There is not a day that goes by where I don't appreciate and notice the laughter, love, and joy that he brings into my life. He is truly "my best friend" as all us wives like to say, and the rock that holds my life in place.  No matter what stress or drama I have from other areas of life, he always knows how to make things right.  Our wedding day was such a special and amazing day that I will always treasure- We got to stand in front of all of our friends and family and share our love for one another and promise to have that for the rest of our lives.  I can't think of anything better! To know that I get to have this happiness and joy for the rest of my life is enough to keep a smile on my face every day.

I would like to throw in a little SATC quote from my favorite character, Charlotte. :)

Samantha: Relationships aren't just about being happy. I mean, how often are you happy in your relationship? 
Charlotte: Every day. 
Samantha: Every day? 
Charlotte: Well, not all day every day but yes, every day. 


I would have to agree with Charlotte here. I may not be happy all day, but there is not a day that goes by I don't feel happy.  I know that with every marriage there will be the hard times, but there is nothing I can imagine that will ever break this bond that we have.  I am so excited to see what all the future holds for us as we go through life side by side.

I know that a lot of people don't like Valentine's Day because it is "cheesy" and you should show you love the people in your life everyday.  Well all of that is true, but what harm is it to have that one special day to remember to make a point to really show the people in your life how much you care and love them.  Whether it be a significant other, friends, or family.  So I for one am very excited for tomorrow and all the cheesy red and pink hearts galore that comes with it!

Happy Valentine's Day to my love, and everyone else that is special in my life! :)

Obsessions

ob·ses·sion: 

Noun The state of being obsessed with someone or something. An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind.

Ok, so it's safe to say I have an obsession with quite a few things. The thought of writing this post came to me as I was trying to figure out a way to squeeze in my new nail polishes in my now full rack!!  A few of my main ones are: nail polish, glitter,  Bath & Body Works home products, Sex & the City, and Justin Timberlake.  These are in no particular order, and definitely only a few of the random things I am a wee bit obsessed with.

Let's start with nail polish.  Now I don't know how this got to where it is, but somehow I ended up owning 50+ polishes. And I will admit it, I am a nail polish snob.  If it's not OPI, Essie, and the occasional Sally Hansen, I am not buying it.  One reason, I can NOT stand chipped nail polish. When I see people with busted nails I literally cringe. (no offense girls, ha.) Therefore, I need a polish that will not chip and that will last me a full week.  Sunday is my nail day. I give myself a full manicure (I own just about every gadget the nail salons do) and watch Sex & the City. Gotta throw in a few obsessions at once! :) For some reason every time I go in a store, I HAVE to look at the nail polish. Hence, #2 in the definition. I feel like if I don't look, I might miss a deal or some awesome color I have never seen- yea, right.  Oh, and if it's ever on sale then it's a guarantee I will buy a new color. No doubt.  I tend to stick to the color scheme of pinks, red, and corals.  I do have a few "crazy" colors that I buy when I am feeling daring. And most importantly, I own quite a few GLITTER polishes. (Hello, two obsessions combined in one bottle- FABULOUS).

Glitter- I mean there's not really much to say here. Who wouldn't love glitter? Nail polish, body spray, lotion, etc.  Oh, and Bath & Body Works has the best body glitter products.  They are SUPER glittery and last all day.  So if you like to be a sparkly fool like me, look no further! Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, especially since you can add glitter to every costume! I have been a glitter cat, glitter bee, glitter A League of Their Own character! That glitter spray they sell at Halloween time is UH-MAZING!

Bath & Body Works- Whew, my crack store! haha Between the room sprays, wallflowers, candles, candle holders, car scents, antibacterial, and occasional body products, I could spend DAYS in here! I will never buy anything full price here because they ALWAYS have sales and coupons. Plus, the more often you go, the more coupons you get and the more items you buy, the bigger discount you get.  It's a hoarder's dream come true! (not that I am quite ready to label myself yet). At the end of every season they have the Semi-Annual sale, so of course I HAVE to stock up for next season. It's one big vicious cycle and I love every minute of it!


Sex & the City-  Now, I never watched this show while it was on, as I was probably too young to be watching it then anyways.  My best friend Lexie started my obsession.  She dragged me along to see the first movie even though I had never seen one episode.  I fell in LOVE with the movie and the characters.  I then borrowed her box set and watched the whole series within a week probably.  Of course she wanted it back, lame I know, so I had to get my own set! Luckily my sweet friend, Sarah, that I worked with at the time found a pretty good deal on Ebay and got it for me for my birthday. I can sit and watch this show over & over & over.. which I do! Of course a lot of their lifestyles are a wee bit unrealistic, but who doesn't love to get sucked into a show and all it's glamour. A little dreaming never hurt anyone!

Justin Timberlake- Um, enough said!  I have seen him 4 times in concert (2 in the NSYNC days, and 2 solo). I am giddily awaiting him to announce a tour for his next album. My only dilemma, Lance has already said 100% he will not go with me (loser!) so if he comes to Charlotte, I need someone to come and go with me!! Lance did say he would buy someone's concert ticket if they would fly here and go.. little does he know the tickets I want have been known to be well over $100.. oh well! :)  And I think it's so sweet that our wedding dates are only a week apart! (yes, I am a freak..)

Happy Saturday, folks! (oh, and no judgement! hehe)

xoxo

Food for Thought

So at the beginning of this year Lance and I decided to start eating better and trying to live a healthier lifestyle.  We didn’t really eat “bad” before, but we just needed more variety of fruits, veggies, etc.  So far we have both been doing pretty good.  We will have our weekend splurges where we go out and don’t get the best foods, but hey- everyone needs a fatty day! J  One thing that has really helped me the past week or so is one of my friends, Sarah, and I have been sharing our food journals for the day.  You would be surprised how much this helps you stick to your eating and workout plan.  Last night we were supposed to work out, but since Lance got home late we decided not to, and I felt guilty telling Sarah we didn’t! haha  It is a great motivator to know you have to tell on yourself to someone! J

We typically email each other throughout the day at work and will start off listing out breakfast, lunch, and snacks for our work day, and what out workout plan for that night is.  Then once we decide on dinner that evening, we will text and let the other know.  For example today I will send Sarah something like this-

Breakfast- Orange Juice on the way to work, non-fat greek yogurt with peaches, grapes, and a banana.  Coffee

Lunch- Thai noodles Lean Cuisine, water

Afternoon snack- Cherry tomatoes

Not only am I showing someone else what I am eating, but just seeing it written down is a motivator for yourself! I hope we can keep this up and be food stalkers for each other. Haha We also have been sharing workout tips, different styles we like, etc.  Sarah is a great healthy 2013 bff! J J

I also have started “pinning” again on Pinterest, but of course all of those recipes aren’t very healthy! Ha  I hope to start making some of these yummy recipes,  but tweeking them some to make them a little more health happy.

Happy Tuesday everyone, and Happy Healthy 2013!!! 

Happy Friday!

TGIF! And a three day weekend for me.. Yay!

I have been super slacking on my blog, so hopefully I can get it together!   Nothing too new and exciting is going on. One thing that is happening in the Rowland household are some home updates and decisions on renovations.. Goodness it is hard work! We have only just begun, but even the planning and decision on WHAT to do is stressful, much less doing it all. Hopefully both of us keep our sanity over the next few months through this process. :)

I am excited to have some countdowns to start again (I have missed having one since the wedding!). In just a little over 3 months one of my best friends, Ms. Lauren Parks (soon to be Hall) will be getting MARRIED, exactly 6 months after my wedding.  I can't wait to go home and see everyone and get to return the favor of standing with her on her special day.  That weekend will be a very busy one for me! My mom's birthday is 2 days before the wedding so we will be flying home that day, and then my sister bff, Lexie, is due to give birth around that time! I can not wait to meet precious little Harber, and see my sweet little baby love Canion be a big brother.  I am so excited for them all, but also very sad that I will not to be such a big part of his baby days like I was with Canion.  I hope he can learn to love his Aunie Alicia over Skype! :) So, needless to say it will be a BUSY weekend, and Lexie better have that baby while I am home!!! haha  Then in March, my mom, her bff, and my other bff (I have such great best friends!) Kristen, will be driving up to NC for us all to go to the Pink concert!!!! I am soooooooo excited to see her and spend the weekend with my favorites. I am sure Lance will be hiding out doing his man stuff while us 4 take over the house! I am so ready for the next few months, and all the fun things we have planned!!

I hope everyone has a fab weekend, and if you're lucky like me- enjoy your THREE day weekend with a little shopping! :)

xoxo
Mrs. Rowland ;)

Happy Holidays!

I can't believe that in just 4 short days, we will be to the end of 2012! This year has FLOWN by, but what a wonderful year it was.  I can only hope 2013 will be as good to me as 2012 has.  I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is enjoying the end of this holiday season.  I finally switched my Pandora station at work off of "Rocking Holidays" (sadly) and went back to every day, regular music.  Lance and I had a  nice, quiet first married Christmas, but did get to enjoy the use of technology to Skype with my family back in Mississippi. Now I am ready for some real winter weather.. bring on the snow!! :)

I would also like to wish a happy 2 months of marriage to my wonderful HUSBAND! - love that word! :)