Weekend Recap: Side Effects but Mainly Fun!

It's Monday morning, I am up bright and early to get a blog post written before I get ready for a great week of work. (Is that a good way to look at each week or week?)

This weekend was so fun; I did not want it to end. Despite feeling some really bad side effects from my new medicine on Friday evening and Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed myself. 

Friday, this is how I graced everyone with my presence at work...

It is suffice to say that someone definitely needed some highlights and a trim. My dark hair, despite all the protectant my stylist put on there, faded fast! I guess that shows how I am meant to be blonde, right?! I think so, thus plans were made. 

After work, I came straight home to lay down for a little while. Nausea and a migraine were were taking over my body, so I napped on and off. Around 7 o'clock, Johnathan and I were tired of laying around so we decided to go to a movie to at least get some fresh air. 

It was Friday the 13th and raining, so a scary movie (The Lazarus Effect) was the only way to go! We were treated graciously from my Regal card, too. A free ticket to begin, then I earned a free popcorn and combo discount. He and I went all out on our treats. The movie was also great -- suspenseful, interesting, and pretty scary, especially towards the end! 

Saturday morning I awoke feeling the side effects again (mornings are usually worse) so I was once again laying around, watching TV, and reading -- just trying to relax. All week I was fine, but once the weekend came, I started feeling so bad. 

By 3 o'clock, I had enough lying around and was ready to go make the best of the day. I showered, made myself get presentable, then J and I made a grocery list and a list of errands we needed to run.

We went grocery shopping at WalMart, purchased a small rug for the kitchen (J picked it out - he did SO good!), I treatment myself to some new powder and lipstick at Ulta, and we picked up a couple of movies at Redbox.

On our way back, we noticed a neighbor taking some pretty nice looking things to the trash and recycling. As you  guys made have read on my blog lately, we have been collecting some really nice things! Saturday was no different -- we scored some super cute glasses from recycling. I can't wait to get those bad boys thoroughly washed and added to our glasses collection.

Yesterday the weather was absolutely perfect. Sunny, 75 degrees, and a nice breeze. Johnathan worked a little in the morning, then we made the best of it. After he brought Marty some new treats, of course. That must come first. 

We had lovely brunch at Ihop outside with delicious pancakes and an inced coffee, ran and a couple of more errands, and then went to my best friend's house to get highlights on my hair. I love the results -- my hair has a bit of a caramel look; I think it's very pretty!

J was also helping me put on my new lipstick (I was a little shaky) yesterday and it was the cutest thing, My man has skills. He telling me to "pucker up" so he could do it correctly and everything.

Despite my side effects that took place this weekend, I had so much fun. I am most thankful that I have such a loving partner who helped me through it all, too. We have so much exciting things ahead for us and I can't wait.

Yep, I am blessed in a lot of aspects in life and it feels good to finally realize that. It's a much better way to live and get through the days!

PS: My two contact emails listed on my blog are down right now and have been for a while now (from what I know). Please email me at TaylorLizAnne@yahoo.com if you would like to say hello or have a question/comment.

Read More

Fall means: Family, Fireball, and Fun!

Friday, work could not end soon enough! I was off a little early, picked up a treat for my mom, and went to my new main gym for cardio, squats, and weights. The good thing about being back at Fitness Connection is the lateral cardio machine; I love that thing! I had to break it in with 30 fast minutes.

When I finished at the gym, I rushed home and was greeted by my mom and her new boyfriend Hutch. They drove down to spend the night with me!

I took and shower and got ready, then we pre-gamed a little at my apartment. My moms newest obsession is Fireball whisky (thanks to me, I created a monster) so she was ready to get the night started with a shot. We then went uptown for dinner, drinks, and a lot of laughs. We had such a great time. Hutch seems crazy about my mom and she the same-- her happiness is all that matters to me. 

We were not out too late Friday night because my body is working hard to fight off a cold. I was tired early. 

We were all up bright and early on Saturday morning and decided to go out to a local restaurant known for delicious, home cooked breakfast. I had buttermilk pancakes and bacon. It tasted just as good as the picture looks! I never ever have breakfast food like that so I savored it. 

After breakfast we came back to my apartment. I packed and mom and Hutch left to explore Charlotte. I then took off to Raleigh to spend the night with my sister and brother in law.

I got to my sisters around 1:30 PM. She made me a fresh fruit and kale smoothie for lunch and we chatted, then we went out and did some shopping. After we finished, we decided to go out for a jog around the lake and trail behind her apartment complex. It was absolutely beautiful and a great way to get the evening started.

After we finished our long jog, it was time to get ready for the evening. We then went downtown to one of my favorite places to have dinner called "Busy Bee Cafe". We were seated on the roof (a must for me) and I had my favorite "Queen Bee"cocktail, and their vegetarian spinach "burger". 

Once we had dinner and a cocktail, all three of us were feeling tired, plus I was feeling my cold starting to take over, so we went back to their apartment. We all cuddled up in the living room and rented "Million Dollar Arm". I lasted 5 minutes before I was knocked out.

When I woke up this morning, I felt awful. I forced myself to get the drive back to Charlotte over with though, so I left my sister's as soon as I got up. I made a pit stop for medicine when I got into town then came  home. I felt bad, but I forced myself to deep clean my apartment instead of rest. My place was a mess and I am the type who cannot rest when there is a mess. Plus if I forced myself to clean, I could get rid of any germs. 

I scrubbed my apartment for about 3 hours: washing sheets, 2 other loads of laundry, dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, and Cloroxing. I took a bath once I finished then planted myself on the couch. Now I feel worse than before, of course, ha, so I am off to take a little more cold medicine and get to bed early. 

I had an absolutely blast this weekend and this cooler weather is more than welcome in my opinion, I just hate the colds than come along with it!

Read More

A Weekend to Remember...

I am so thankful for this weekend. It was without the doubt the most fun I have had in a long, long time. My soul and spirit feel refreshed and renewed. It has also given me that push and desire to dive back into work, my book, training hard, and get back to the dedication I need to exude to get this last bit of weight off. I firmly believe in a work/life and work/social balance; thus it was nice to take 3 1/2 days off from work, blogging, and writing, to laugh, make memories, and have fun.

Friday morning I was up early to get 40 minutes of fasted cardio in. I can't believe I actually got up and did it! After, I got ready and went to work. As my Friday's always seem to be, it was nonstop, but at noon, I was out of the door to start my weekend. 

I went home to shower and get ready. Once I was ready, I went to Kels house so we could take off to the Blake Shelton concert. She, her boyfriend Drew, and I, met our friends Traci and David there. We all tailgated, drank, and played cornhole until time for the concert. It was a lot of fun, but unbelievably hot. We were all soaked in sweat -- so much for my curls and cute makeup. That was dunzo fast.

The concert was an amazing time. Dan and Shay and The Band Perry opened for Blake. We all brought blankets and chairs, and danced, sang every song, and totally let loose. I had two of the most delicious, yet filled with sugar Margarita type drinks. It was so hot though, that I did not care. I had a good buzz too.

I slept in late on Saturday and felt like crap when I woke up. I was not hungover because I only had two drinks at the show, but I had a sore throat and killer headache. I spent the morning laying around and managed to get in a couple of loads of laundry. By late afternoon I took a shower, got ready, went by Ulta since I lost my sunglasses and translucent powder (so random) at the concert, then I picked up my girlfriend Alexis. She and I went to Monroe, NC to "Treehouse Vineyards" for a winery tour and tasting.

The winery was so cute. They have actual tree houses you can rent for special occasions. We were surrounded by beautiful scenery, delicious wine, and it was fun hearing the stories behind all of the wines names. We had a great time, but again, it was miserably hot. Before we left, Alexis and I split a bottle of our favorite wine from the tasting; "Crystal Creek" a light, white wine. 

Sunday I enjoyed another lazy morning, did my grocery shopping, then got ready and went to church. It was week 2 of our "Meant to Be" series and I enjoyed my pastor's focus on embracing singleness. That has been something I have been diligently working on for 10 months now, so it definitely spoke to me. After church, I went uptown to meet my friend Jay. We had the most delicious Italian dinner at a popular restaurant called "Mama Ricotta's". He and I were both craving Italian and my taste buds were absolutely satisfied. We ended up talking for a long time, so as we were finally leaving, we decided to go across the street to my favorite place ever "The Melting Pot" for dessert. It was such a fun time.

Today I was up bright and early to put my big splurge from Sunday night to use!

My agenda was to go to the mountains for a long 10 mile hike. For the first 90 minutes, I was thoroughly enjoying myself. I was bloated but I felt strong and I was pushing very hard - I speed walk basically the entire time now. However, the last 3/4 of a mile to the very top pushed me over the edge. I guess between the distance I had already walked and the extreme heat we have had this week, it was really getting to me. 

Going up those 300+ steps to the top, I did not think I was going to make it. I was almost in tears because it was hurting so much and it was that hard. Slowly but surely I made it. I sat down for just enough time to chug water and inhale a pack of plain almonds and walnuts. I was ready to finish and get the hike over with. If you read my blog, you know that hiking is one of my favorite activities in the world to do, but today it was awful. 

Going down the mountain and hiking back to my car proved to be worse than going up the mountain. I was exhausted and so over it. I thought the trail was NEVER going to end. My heals and glutes were hurting, and my knees... I cannot even tell you guys the pain my knees were feeling. It felt like I was 90 years old. I am very glad I pushed so hard, but I have never been happier to finish a workout.

Once my hike was finally done, I came back to Charlotte and went by Target to pick up a crockpot. I had been talking about getting one on Instagram, and after getting everyone's feedback and comments, I knew I had to scoop one up. When I arrived home, I watched the new Kardashian's episode in hopes that I could come back to life. The rest helped and gave me the strength to prep all of my food for the week and give my apartment a deep cleaning. Now that everything is finished, I am off to take a shower then cuddle up on the couch and find a movie

Happy Belated Birthday Kerry! You are one of my longest and closest blog friends and I hope you had the most fantastic birthday. You deserve it.

Read More

A Gloomy but Lovely Weekend Recap

When I first started my blog last summer, my biggest reason was because I wanted a "scrapbook" of my life -- written memories and pictures. I really enjoy looking back; seeing how I and my life has changed. I know a lot of people do not like recapping their weekends because they may not be eventful - I understand that. However, I want to record it all; even the most mundane of days... and I have to say, this weekend was definitely one of those, but I really, really enjoyed it. Ha!
Friday consisted of work as normal, then the gym. I weigh on Friday mornings and I lost 2 pounds for the week! My total loss since November 25th is now at 62 pounds. Yay! I was pumped about my loss this week, but I was feeling really sore from my long run on Thursday, so cardio at the gym was tough. I pushed through 45 minutes on the Elliptical, backsquats, and an upper body weight circuit. 
After the gym, I went to local restaurant and met one of my old friends for a drink. He is moving to Charlotte in a few weeks and had some questions about the area. I feel like a Charlotte veteran now that I have been here 4 1/2 years. I only had one drink because I was sweaty and tired. I went grocery shopping after then I arrived home, I was down for the count.

Saturday morning, I had hiking on my agenda. It is becoming frustrating to plan hikes right now because the weather is so crazy; rain in the forecast constantly. It rained on and off most of the day and it was super gloomy. However, I was not mad about it because I was still really sore. I felt fatigued all day. 
I decide to go see "Sex Tape". I love Cameron Diaz and Jason Segel so I was excited to see this. In my opinion, it did not disappoint at all! Cameron and Jason had amazing chemistry. I literally laughed the entire time. I am not huge on comedy's, but this movie was just as good as "We're The Millers". 

Once I finished at the movies, I came home to shower and get ready. Then I was off to church. I was elated to go because it was the start of our 5 part series #DeathToSelfie. Yes, I know -- I am in big trouble! Ha! It is not what you think though; it's the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis. The service was incredible. My favorite words from the sermon: God cannot bless your mask. God cannot bless who you pretend to be. 
I usually attend church on Sunday evenings, but because I had a hike planned for today, I decided to go last night. When I got there, I could not believe how crowded it was. I was worried that I would not be able to get a seat in the auditorium and would have to go to an overflow room. I did not want to do that because I truly wanted to feel this message. I said a quick prayer when I was in line, and then when I walked into the auditorium and a staff member came up to seat me, he placed me in the THIRD row. How awesome is that! On top of that, the girl he sat me beside knew me from Facebook and my blog! That is the fourth time this year that has happened and it makes my heart smile. Her name is Brooke. She is also a Beachbody coach. I had an amazing time sitting with her and I think we are going to have a great friendship. (Hi Brooke!)

Once church was over, my girlfriend Alexis and her husband Daniel, and I went to "The Melting Pot" for Queen Feast-- which is Charlotte's Restaurant Week. We enjoyed a lovely 4-course meal. I thought someone was going to have to wheel me out of there when we finished, I was stuffed. I ordered a "Zen Master" cocktail, made with cucumber vodka of course, and it was superb. For our dessert, we ordered creme brulee as our fondue and there are just no words... food porn at it's finest.

I checked the weather forecast before I went to sleep last night, and the weather was going to be worse than it was Saturday, so I decided to once again ax my hiking plan, and sleep in. This morning I slept in until almost 10, which was heavenly. When I woke up, I ate a quick breakfast, then cleaned the apartment and did laundry. Once I finished, I decided to take a break and watch "My Best Friend's Wedding". Can you believe I have never seen that movie? I know, I know. What is wrong with me?! I am not really a fan of romantic comedy's and I was only 8 when the movie came out, so that is probably why I never saw it before today. I really liked it, but I wanted it to end differently. My take? Thank goodness for gay best friends, ha.

After the movie, I ran by Old Navy for a new pair of workout pants since I had to give a few pairs of mine away -- they were getting too big. Yay! I scored a cute new pair, then I went to the gym. I felt rejuvenated and strong so I had a great workout. I finished soaked in sweat, just how I like it.

Now I am off to conjure something for dinner, watch True Blood, then get to bed. I have a long 4 days coming up at work. I will be attending a lot of meetings, dinners, and working long hours.
Write about your weekend and link up with great blogs here!  

Read More