Never, Ever, Ever plus Yuesday Tueaday!

Linking up with Neely at A complete waste of makeup  for Never, Ever, Ever.
Here is what I will Never, ever, ever say again..or do...or both:

Never, ever, ever:

*will I think Adam Levine isn't just amazing looking.
*will I pass on a beerita.
*will I cheer against a DFW team.
*will I say football is better than baseball
*will I think men on mountain bikes aren't sexy as heck.
*will I not look when I pass the Fire Department.
*will I love push-ups.
*will I turn the phone off for more then an hour.
*will I not be 99% sure manna from heaven is Chick-Fil-A nuggets.
*will you hear me tell another person they are going to Hell for anything. I don't know God's will and it is not up to me to pass judgement.
*will I turn down free Rangers, Mavs, Stars, or Cowboy tickets...in that order!
*will I chase a man again. I am worth too much and I deserve so much better.
*will I be anyone but myself. I may be difficult, stubborn, and loud but I have a heart of gold and I would die for the people I love.
*will I walk away from chips and salsa even though I should!
*will I tell myself I can't.
*will I doubt again that I was put on this earth to be a mother. I will have my children and it will happen soon.
*will I stress because I don't have a child yet. I am counting on y'all to hold me to this one.
*will I think the last man I dated is the last man I will ever date until someone puts a ring on it.
*will I confuse sex and love. Too honest? Sorry.
*will I not post a picture of me wearing a new shirt. I'm so vain!




I am really loving my new makeup.  That's for real! I think I look cute!  Words I have rarely ever said!



It's Yuesday so I am rocking my #11 T and headed to the ballpark for game 1 of 3 this week....I think. Plus, I am going to get some extra free tickets tonight! Oh I love my life!!


Simply,
Laura
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Mountain Bike/Mobile Monday

Ligers!!!

If I were an animal..I would be a liger! I mean look at that hair! This animal gas a Redheaded Leo smiling! Supposedly the females can actually reproduce but they have to find their Lion. Yep, sounds like me.

Saturday: work! This is how I roll into the office on Saturday....



Waiting to hit the trail!


Challenge: photo of my room


I picked my office because it is where I spend the most time!

Odd angles thanks to panoramic.

There are basically two themes to my office:



It really is just a normal square office.


13 year old boy baseball fan & mountain bike chick.



Then it was MTB time!
Let me just say, the trail is so beautiful and so green and it smells freaking amazing!

I look forward to this old beat up monster when I ride this trail!

This is the Jeep Loop!


This is me and the old girl! I remembered what I love about Biking and will be going after work. I can't wait to get back out there. I never feel so alive as I do on the trail. I was so worried I wouldn't be able to ride but I was shocked. The skill that I have (yes, I actually do have some skill) hasn't gone away and what is more important my fearlessness is still there! I laughed a little as I saw all the stumps and didn't even think about them. I used to avoid them but now I ignore them. The little wood technical areas that give you a ride around option...nope! I want to ride them. (Okay not the teeter totter. I am not that fearless yet.)

Skye and the Jeep!  Isn't it pretty?

Yes, this is my new Camelbak and it is huge and awesome!

S*a*t*u*r*d*a*y Night and I was ready to go on very little sleep.




So were the balloons!


I had a blast Saturday night even if I was tired and I kept twisting my foot walking in my high heels. It's been a long time since I didn't have on flats (which I hate) or sneakers.


Sunday



I spent a lot of time being a responsible adult and working on the yard and house.



I made fresh salsa using this:


I have never in my life chopped jalapeños before. The coughing the burning nose and lungs....wow! Good thing the salsa was worth it!





I also made Chicken Enchilada Casserole.




It isn't a that difficult but it is good. Sometimes I use salsa verde and light sour cream and sometimes salsa rojo. This was red because I may have a ton of salsa at home. You can make this without the light sour cream and use even less cheese. I love food I can eat on for days so this is a win.

My weekend was short but I managed to pack a ton of fun into it!
Happy Monday! Go get ya some!



Simply,
Laura
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Cara box reveal! Duh Duh Duh!!!!

I mentioned Friday that I was going to post my Cara Box Reveal this weekend.
I was matched with two amazing ladies and so very lucky.   I got to get presents for Jessica at A Different Kind of Plan who is a soccer fan from Massachusetts. She has the cutest puppy and a love for Mexican food.  How adorable is she???
On the opposite end of the country I got presents from Rawwyn @ Be a Warrior Queen who lives in the LA area and loves sports including BASEBALL!!! Relax Rangers Nation, this girl is cool.  She is a Dodgers fan!! (I didn't even bring up the Laker love....whoops!)    

I was actually very skeptical nervous about this process when I signed up.  All of the blog friends I have, I pretty much had before I started a blog and met on Twitter and/or are my real life friends.  I didn't know how this was going to work out.   Well, it worked out lovely!   These two wonderful ladies and I have been exchanging emails for the last several weeks and getting to know each other.   Now, to be fair...I was really nervous when I saw the theme was green.  Not the color green...I would have been all over that.  No, the Earth Day, Save the Planet kind of green.  I suck  need to be better at recycling and reusing and well...being green. (Insert 'It's not easy being green' joke here.)

Yes...I take pictures sideways! I am the Pablo Picasso of iPhone cameras.

Don't ask me how I forgot to get a bigger photo of the body wash.  It smells so yummy!  I love showers even more now!!!

This water bottle rocks!! Put tap water in, get yummy filtered water out!

This almost makes me want to do laundry.  Almost!



Raewyn made this and I can't explain how yummy this smells.  I don't know how she knew I loved COCONUT!!!

A baseball! She sent me a baseball! 

So I could make myself one of these AWESOME bracelets!!! I mean seriously awesome!



This letter was the absolute best.  I may have gotten a little teary eyed.  (Yes, I am a sap!)

This process has been amazing.  I don't really know how I could have picked better blog friends for myself if I had tried.  Raewyn encourages me to be a Warrior Queen and Jessica makes me want to try to watch a soccer game.  Just one.  They both make me laugh and I absolutely love their blogs!  They are now members of my very exclusive *'Favorites' section of bloglovin and I look forward to seeing what is going on with their lives as Raewyn plans her wedding and Jessica and Moose make their way through well, Moose's trials of puppyhood!

*I follow way too many blogs to keep up with daily so the 'Favorites' is reserved for people I read every single day. .  


If you can't stand the excitement and want to do your own Cara Box exchange you can sign up at Wifessionals Cara Box Exhange Here!  I was hesitant to do this but I will do it again.  I can't imagine it getting any better though.  Love these ladies!


Simply,
Laura
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Done! I am obsessed! Plus Carabox Reveal is coming!

I don't normally listen to the radio all day but seriously I have had it with sports talk lately.  They are just talking the same old stuff and I can't listen to another round of the same old stuff.  This song is one of my absolute favorites.  It is country...but man it is amazing beat, awesome, get up and dance and put your hands togther country!   


Done by The Band Perry

Normally, I would just post the video but Blogger hates me.

It also says just about everything that ever needs to be said.  I love music that has women empowered and there are a lot of those in country music.


Okay, aside from that, I am obsessed with sleep.   I can't seem to get enough of it lately.  I never sleep well so I think this is just my body's way of saying timeout already.

Since I had the makeover a week ago I have been taking a lot of care in making myself feel pretty on the outside because I realized that like most women, I have spent a lot of time telling myself I wasn't.   I love the Lancome makeup I got the other day and I have been giving myself mini-makeovers since.  Check out my new look!  I actually look pretty.  Who knew?  This is my latest version of me! 

The nice thing about feeling pretty is that it makes a girl want to take better care of herself so after work Saturday, it will be time to get back on the bike and do what makes me feel good about me.  The truth is, and this is a hard thing to admit. I have felt so fugly and just blah lately that I have made excuses why I don't ride more than pushed myself to ride.  That is about to end.  It is time for me to take care of myself physically and emotionally.  

Finally, two of my closest friends are starting new jobs soon.  I just want to send a Shoutout to Khyrstal and Chance.  I am so proud of you both and happy for both of you.   You deserve for good things to happen and I think this is just the tip of the iceberg.   This year may have started off rough for all of us but it is getting better and the best is coming.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for us all!


This weekend  I will post a link up with my two sweet new blog friends that I met thanks to the Cara box exchange.  I was a little unsure about this but I got super lucky and was matched up with a couple of SUPER girls from opposite ends of the country.   I can't wait to introduce you to them!  I feel so very lucky to have met both of them!


Happy Weekend!

Simply Me Blog Update: Lazy, Crazy, and Happy

I fell asleep so early last night I don't remember much  any of the baseball game. I woke up with watery eyes, runny nose and cough. I am not sick. It's just allergies. Aside from that....I am in an incredible mood.  Happiness is contagious and while looking around at the world is enough to make a person sad, I choose to be happy. Anyway, I am being lazy today and giving you some pins that say what I feel instead of me saying it! Happy Friday.
















































I have had some crazy stuff this week.  The more I deal with all the crazy people in the world, the more completely sane I feel.  I don't understand how things escalate to the point where people are running over other people and shooting at other people but this is what I see every single day.  I am not a nurse, doctor, medic or anything of the sort.  I am simply a manager at a company that works in the auto insurance industry and let me just tell you, the person next to you and possibly the one you go to sleep with every night...maybe crazy!  Just a warning!  Have a wonderful weekend.  Love y'all!



Simply,
Laura
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's Ok!

It's ok:

*that I really don't want to write a blog today. I have way too much on my plate right now.

*that I am physically exhausted (thanks West Coast baseball) and emotionally spent after dreaming about a friend of mine's family dying in a traffic accident. He isn't married & doesn't have a baby but did in my dream and it was terrible. (I blame work).

*that I want to shop so much right now!!

*that I feel hopeful for the first time in 10 months. I know what I want and I know that I will have it.

*For the 1st time in maybe my life, I don't want to be anyone else but me!

*I bought some new makeup yesterday and I feel pretty!


*I am happy about the professional relationships I have developed. It took time but life is really good!

*that I bought these two bracelets yesterday and I love them! This expresses everything you need to know about me!


*I have FINALLY found my "I don't give a crap" button! If you don't like me...I just don't care because I do and it it COMPLETELY your loss!

*I love Yu Darvish and may have to name a child or dog after him!


That's all I have...time to go shopping!


Simply,
Laura
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

What I'm Loving: Wild Card Wednesday!

Happy Hump Day!



Time to link up with Jamie  for What I'm Loving Wednesday.

Here's what I love:


*This Blog I wrote yesterday that had me in tears and freed me. I can't tell you how finally letting go of something I should never have tried to hang on to has made a difference in just a few hours.



*that going to bed early and missing a Rangers game on the West Coast can happen without dramatic consequences.

*the number of amazing, kind, sweet, loving, supportive people I have met in the last month.

*I can't help but feel I have made so much progress. I have grown so much. There is a reason for everything.

*the speed that my income tax return came back. I may have waited until the last minute but it didn't matter. 10 days is amazing given the 6-8 weeks it use to take.

*getting current on bills

*A great friend of mine texted me a week ago these words "You are so hard on yourself." He probably has no idea what seeing those words from someone who isn't my mom did. He is right, I am. I have decided to stop torturing myself with my short comings and start to celebrate my best qualities.

*my dogs! They make me smile & drive me crazy but I love them!

*letting myself relax about stuff. I stress way too much!

*deciding to take a real vacation this year and go somewhere that I can relax and not worry. I haven't decided where. I don't know if I am going alone or with friends. I don't even know where. I just know, this will happen! I haven't gone anywhere in years. It is past time to enjoy being free!

*knowing beyond all doubt that God has something amazing waiting for me. I love Him, so very much!

*80's Pop. Enough said.

Pictures I love:


My oldest niece Laurel (the oldest Triplet) winning her volleyball championship!


She is way too much like me for her own good but she is do sweet!




Hiking with Rachel (did I post these yesterday? I can't even remember! I'm old!)


We had so much fun and she introduces me to the nicest people!



It was windy but so pretty and we plan to do it again! I may go alone tonight.





My timehop this morning had the banner I created for my Christ Renews His Parish mission weekend! I love my design and it has made me think about starting to draw again. I need an outlet for my creative side.



How much seeing these photos from the tailgate make me smile!


I tried to make Khrystal's fresh salsa. Mine wasn't as good but I am not done tweaking it. I totally forgot peppers...because I never eat them!


Breakfast today. Making some healthy changes to see if I need a juicer!


These gentle reminders!


This is my plan once I get off work Saturday! I can't wait!!



Linking up for Wild Card Wed!


Thought for the Day: there is a reason everything happens. Trust that God has a perfect plan and do your job...make yourself a better person.





Simply,
Laura
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone