A little bun in the.....Yup!

This was supposed to have been a "look what I've accomplished" post, regarding my workouts and new lifestyle change.... however, there was a little "snag" so to speak in my agenda. We're pregnant!!! After 6 long years of trial, error, and heartache, we finally are happy to announce that we'll be welcoming a baby BOY on January 25th of 2013!

 Just in case there was any doubt  :)

Oh my word, what an experience it's been, let me tell you!! As I've mentioned before, we moved to Nebraska last fall (2011) and My Mister started his new official AF job! Woohoo! Well, along with his new officiality, he got the joy of being able to "go overseas".... deployment..... (dun, dun, dunnnnnnn). He had 13 days to get ready, instead of the usual month or so given! We were hustling as well as hosting his parents who were incredibly helpful for us both. It was crazzziness at our house. Well, he left the day after his parents left, on May 1st and is gone until November 8th (hopefully no more extensions!).... now the fun part. :)
After he left, I had scheduled to go to Utah to stay with the family for a few weeks and left the Saturday after Mister left. We had so much fun hanging out and being together in Utah... but after a few weeks, I became aware of "something" if you know what I mean. I hadn't seen my favorite Auntie yet for the month. "Whatever", I thought to myself. It's happened before. Well, my family talked me into staying an additional 2 weeks; making my stay the entire month of May. After 2 more weeks I still hadn't seen "her". Soooooo, the test..... and it was POSITIVE!!! Do you believe in miracles? Because I definitely do now. TMI - we only had 1 chance and it worked! After 6 freakin' years, it finally worked.... when Jon was going to be gone. haha! Oh well, I'm not complaining! Great "going away" present if you ask me! haha!

So, here I am in September.... past the joys of the 1st trimester (let's just say we won't speak of eggs, root beer, popcorn, or broccoli for a while), and halfway done with the 2nd. My mom and I have had a couple of trips back and forth to Nebraska (I've been in UT for the Summer) getting the room ready for baby furniture when my guy comes home! I can't even describe the happiness I'm feeling right now. Feeling my little guy alive and growing is just indescribable, and my own personal miracle. I love him more and more each second of each day. Hopefully, this last month will fly by and Hubs will be able to have a taste of my pregger-ness (he's gotten lucky if you ask me!).

Here's the skinny on being healthy

Hey folks,

So a lot has happened since the start of the New Year. One of the most important, and the one I'm most excited about, is this: I'm kickin' my boo-tay into shape! Big Time!! My hubby and I made a goal around the Fall of last year, to be in the best shape of our lives by the same time in 2012. Well, we're sticking to that goal.

We've totally restructured our daily habits and have accepted the "clean lifestyle" required to reach our goal. Honestly, it's dang hard, and I hate all the eggs to be eaten with a passion no one can measure - but - I can see results already and I KNOW my hard work is payin' off!!! wooohoo!

I have a few credo's that have helped me along the way.... Some are cute and sassy, others are down right to the point. I hope this inspires someone the way it did me.

Any girl who's practiced this one, knows it's true. 

This is one that I remember ALWAYS. It's hard sometimes to keep going when you feel that you're not making any progress. The good news? Proof is in the pudding, as they say. It's been 3 weeks and I'm seeing results I never thought would happen this fast!!! Hollah!!!  

Ok my Biggest Loser fans.... We all know Jillian is the Empress of the World of fitness and this is one I think of when I'm making those ugly, strained faces at myself in the gym mirrors. YOU CAN DO IT! JUST ONE MORE!!!

To help me keep my happy-creative-foodie side content during this phase of things, I've had to search my Foodie Files to find some yummy, yet crazy-healthy meal ideas. Luckily, I'm not alone in my quest of scrumptious good-for-you meals!

This Kale Soup I found in a magazine a recently picked up, was tried out over at The Pantry Diaries, and it still sounds awesome to me. 

It has lots of protein, and obviously, covers your greens intake perfectly!

These Roasted Zucchini and Tomatoes look PHENOMENAL and are perfect for my low-fat, low-carb lifestyle. No flavor sacrificed! That's what I'm talkin' bout! Kalyns Kitchen tried it out - get the recipe there.

mmmmm!

This next one is my absolute fave. I have 1/2 of this each morning, with a few slices of extra-lean turkey bacon and my Lean Green smoothie. Delish!

Get the recipe for this version from Do Better.

My recipe for Egg White, Oatmeal Pancakes is this:

1-2 pkts low sugar or weight control instant oatmeal

1 c Egg White (egg beater carton)

1 tsp Truvia

1 scoop Flax seed

1 scoop Protien powder

dash cinnamon

dash salt

dash vanilla

Craisins (opt)

Non-Stick spray

Mix it all together and pour into a frying pan you've sprayed liberally with Non-Stick spray. Be sure to spread the oats around so that they're evenly distributed. Cover and cook on med-low until the center is springy to the touch and edges are lightly browned. This is absolutely incredible with non-sweetened applesauce on top. MMMMMmm! Enjoy!

I guess with all of this motivational talk, I should mention what motivated me to begin with. First of all, I have two AMAZING sister-in-laws who are the epitome of good health and care for one's self. I can never catch up to them, but I can do my best to do my own thing! Right? Well, after telling this to my sweetie, he went online and found me the best website in the entire universe: Body Building.com. He went on there and found a person's profile who best matched mine and my goals, and set up a fabulous routine for me! It's awesome, seriously. Here's the Bikini Comp photo of her(I promise she doesn't look this nasty all the time - see following pic):

She's 5' 8", started at 142lbs, and here she's 122! That's my dream weight (and what I weighed when we were first married). Following her pre-competition routine has been way easier than I thought it would and I just keep this picture in my mind when I'm struggling through a hard workout. I'm not planning on competing anytime soon, but I just want to be a lean, mean, healthy-machine!

Here's a pic of her before and current:

BEFORE:

NOW:

See? Healthy and perfectly lean. 

Well, that's it for now. I'll keep ya'll updated as things progress!

XOXO - Linz

Lemon Buddies

In my family, there are certain people who have veeeeeery particular tastes. My mom happens to be one of these people. If you even start saying the word "lemon", her ears instantly perk up and her mouth faucets turn on.... So, in honor of my cute mama I'm making these Lemon Buddies for her stay with us over Christmas!! I am so excited to give her one of my cute little bottles of love all for her very-own-self. Hooray for the wide world of Chex Mixes! haha!

LEMON BUDDIES
9 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1 1/4 cups white vanilla baking chips
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 tsp grated lemon peel
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar

Tips
Vary this mix by stirring in chopped dried tropical fruits, coconut or macadamia nuts after coating the cereal mixture with powdered sugar.

Preparation Directions
Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chips, butter, lemon peel and juice uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; gently shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool. Store in airtight container.

I was thinking of putting something cute together like the little "Reindeer Chow" bottle below to hold these Lemon Buddies in. Cute, right?

Talk to you soon!

XOXO

Our First Nebraska Guests!

Yaaaay! It's the start of the Christmas Season and I couldn't be more excited for it to be here! I'm loving (LOOOOOVING) our new house here in Nebraska and can't wait to show you how cute and cozy it's going to look after we get the Christmas decor up. EEEEE!!! So excited!!

In addition to being able to pull out my "treasures" of the season, we also get a fun surprise for the actual holiday too.... MY FAMILY IS COMING FOR CHRISTMAS! Holy cow, we were so sad that we weren't able to go home this year since we just barely got here and my family decided they'd come out here instead! I just hope that the weather holds up long enough for them to get here.

So, since we get our first guests, my "stash-room" now needs to hurry up and become the Guest Room it's destined to be! haha! We've got a bed coming (no more air mattress, people!!) and I'm trying to decide exactly which bedding will look best with my beige walls and hardwood floors. I'm thinking reds or browns.... hmmm. Besides the bedding though, I'm so ready for them to get here. I've decided to go all out and make it kind of like a little B&B for them - complimentary gifts, mints, and everything!!

For the bedding, I'm trying to decide between all of these 3 - of course the stripey one will only be seasonal, but it sure looks cute! 

I love this whoooole ensemble. The color of the little table is the color of my hardwood floors too.

This one just makes me want to jump right in and snuggle in with a good cookbook. : ) It also totally screams the style of Susan Branch! (see below for her idea on how to make the room even cozier!)

This one here is the one that is the easiest to choose - I've already found where to buy it.... just not totally sold on it yet.

For my guest's enjoyment during their stay with us, I've also put together some fun "complimentary" items as well. 

 

Perfectly portioned "toiletries" for their convenience and for what they might have forgotten. (forget about that gold butterfly though - eesh!)

I just love the ideas inside of these baskets. Plus, who doesn't love unwrapping something ESPECIALLY for them!!?!

These toiletries are PERFECT! Mouthwash and all.

A "Fun" basket for their room - Including: a list of fun places for them to see while here. A few homemade snacks. A few good magazines or books/games. A cozy, snuggly blanket for those wintery days out here, and all wrapped up in a cute, festive bucket or something!

A fun little snack selection is ALWAYS  good thing. Of course, in my house, it would probably be cookies and fresh bread...mmmmm.

.... And of course we've GOT to have the mints for their pillows. Now I don't know about you all, but that 1 little Andes mint or whatever they typically give you is never enough... so I'm thinking this portion is MUUUUCH better!  : )

Of course you've got to have it all smelling scrumptious and welcoming for your guests when they arrive, so some delicious, pungent, spicy-smelling oranges are JUST the thing!

To sum this all up, here are some little idea lists if you're planning on doing something like this down the road for your guests. I found some of the things on there to be fabulous ideas!!!

Susan Branch does things the best - if you're one of us down-home-comfort kind of people <3

XOXOX

We made it... Just in time for the Holly-days!

Hey ya'll! It's definitely been a while, but my word we've been busy!!!! We made it here to Nebraska just in time for winter to settle in. We got to spend a good time with our families as well which was sooo needed, I can't even say.

Like I said though, we made it here just in time for Halloween and you KNOW this girl decorated - even amid our piles of boxes. I loved having all the huge spooky trees blowing leaves down our street. It's funny to watch the 2 squirrels romp around the yard and up and down the trees. Fabulous-Fall. <3

In honor of the upcoming Holidays, I've put together my list of Winter/Holiday ideas. These are things I'd like to do or just love the idea of... Let me know if you have any you think I might like to!! I'm so ready to get my craftiness on!

OUTFITS:

Snuggly Sweater, Rockin' Boots, and a cute Headband are a MUST!

Nothing says the Holidays to me as much as a red plaid, flannel shirt does. Love the asymmetrical buttons too.

You know you're going to need a warm, fuzzy robe for Christmas morning! I love the idea of a floor-length one - just like Grandmother used to wear.

CURB APPEAL, BABY!

I'm loving the length and uniqueness of this door decor.

With a couple of these on either side of the door, who wouldn't feel welcome stopping by to say "hi!"

CUTE AND FESTIVE:

How easy would this be to put together! Love the bell as the "O"

Cute and YUMMY little pedestal gift decorations. These colors are FABULOUS too!

Okay, what a great idea. I love the idea of lights within the glass lanterns, but have always had a tough time with seeing all that ugly green cord! Problem solved = fill that puppy up with festive ornaments! It would probably work great for Halloween too; filled with pumpkins and spider web.

Can we say WOW! I mean, this is the most gorgeous little "Hansel and Grettle-esque" gingerbread house I've ever seen!

This could go either way - as a decoration for yourself or even as a neighbor/friend gift! Cute with scrapbook paper and matching ribbon.

Love, love, love this idea! I've even seen this mounted in a cute picture frame with cream background behind it. Darling!

NEIGHBOR GIFTS:

I loved this cute idea to "dress up" the ol'paper plate for my neighbor treats this year. (The red one's my fave!)

Cute little felt mittens and a nice cardboard hat box make this so festive and that much more memorable for the receiver. Plus, how fun to make the mittens!!! :)

More to come I'm sure.... These Holidays are my favorite!

XOXO

Future Dream Office

Well, with the move coming up and the vision of a new house (oooo, I can't wait!!), I've been scoping out new home office ideas. I've basically been "style-less" up to this point so I'm DYING to jump on the design train and make something inspiring, peaceful and FABULOUS! Here are some of my ideas....

I love the room for inspiration of this one.

Sweet and professional.

I love the clean lines and open space of this one.

Oh my goodness, I L.O.V.E. this one. Craft Room / Office / Sewing Room. YES PLEASE!

This would be great and client friendly, should the need arise. Very clean space for sure.

I. NEED. THIS. Holy girliness personified. Plus, check out the view!

I love how clean, yet cozy this one is. No "stress-vibes" from this room!

Words can't begin to describe the fabulousness of this room. I'm loving the vintage feeling that awesome Retro Branch gives, from the background. Colors are amazing too.

This one would be great if kids are around. They could be playing in the big room, while you do what you need to here. Cozy and comfortable.

Huge. Fabulous. Organized... just to name a few things I love here. This was originally a sewing room....

What do you think are "must-haves" for a home office?

It's coming... Moving day!

Well, the day is coming.... Yes we're MOVING!

REF

I'm still trying to get my ahead around everything that we need to do before we leave, but yet, I'm leaving my beloved West Coast and moving inland... as in middle of the middle Nebraska! All I seem to hear people say when I tell them where, is "hope you like corn" (followed by a laugh or two). It wouldn't be so bad, but because it's a military move, we get about 1 mile and a half of red tape to take care of during the whole process! yay!(note the sarcasm) I guess we'll take it as it comes. Mr Hubby will be back from his assorted trainings in a month and then things will sure move fast! We have to report by the 12th of October! whew! Wish us luck!

Another crazy thing that's happened is I've changed jobs! Holy cow it still feels weird to say it out loud. I've been with job A for about 5 years and it literally has become my second half. However, job B popped up last year and the situation arrived that I had to make a decision.... I decided to stay with job A. WHAT?! ya, so I quit A and B jumped in with a fabulous proposition and the decision was made. Amazing! I can't even begin to tell ya'll what kind of things are in front of me for the next month transitioning from A - B, but honestly, I'm learning something new each day. About training someone to learn how to think and project, how to read job A's mind(a she, to be specific), and how to cover her butt by learning to email about everything! Then there's job B and learning where I fit into the puzzle that is a newly forming team of Entrepreneurial masterminds. It's crazy... that's about all I know myself at this point. We'll see how this plays out. Yipes!

Wish me luck!

It's all about the hair

Let me start by saying this.... I need an update. I've been working on this gradually since 2009 but I've now come to the most dramatic portion- MY HAIR. I need to tell you that this is  HUGE thing for me because my hair is completely who I am. I had a horrendous hair cut when I was younger that scarred me from ever having short hair EVER again, so my hair is and always will be long. It's hard to mix things up with long hair sometimes, unless you've got

BANGS.

There it is. That's what I've been contemplating for the last little bit. I found the CUTEST style ever the other day on A Beautiful Mess. I LOOOVE Elsie's hair!!! Her bangs are completely rocking my world. (okay, basically her entire style!!!! *sigh*) So now the decision remains.... can I pull the bangs off?

Exhibit A: This is me with straight hair (please excuse the funky pose - it's the best straight hair pic I've got handy). Notice the roundness of the face - I don't want the bangs to accentuate any of the chipmunkness that is my cheeks.

Exhibit B: My curly hair. I'm a tad worried that the bangs with my curls might look a bit...uh, ferocious... because of how short they'll be.

* OK - NOW FOR THE CUTENESS *

Below is Elsie.... Oh the foxiness is KILLING ME!!!

If the full bang thing just isn't right, than I think I'm gonna go for a cute side-swept thing...

What's the verdict? ANY feedback given would be appreciated.... Oh decisions, decisions.

XOXO