Good Wine, Big Hair, A Budget Diva, and Cat Food...?

Happy Friday, everyone. I was originally not going to blog this morning, as this is my SEVENTH post this week, ha! However, 7 is a lucky number so I thought I would just share a few random things that happened this week and products I love. I started this morning off by picking up Crackbuck's for my boss and I. That made me come alive, thus I can write now.

Monday my best friend Kelly came over to my apartment when she got off of work. We had girl talk and a bottle of the best wine I have ever had. Sauvignon Blanc is my favorite type of wine and this bottle is the best. It is not sweet, but still has a rich fruitful flavor. Plus it's only $10 a bottle.

A few months ago when I took Marty for his annual physical and check up, the veterinarian told me he was almost a pound overweight. He is mostly hair and naturally a big cat due to being part Maine Coon, but nonetheless, he has some chub that needs to be fixed. 

It has been hard.

He is addicted to "Temptation treats" and knocks me over if I dare step in the kitchen and not offer him some. I have been transitioning him off of those treats and his regular cat food, to a natural, grain-free diet. I am sure a lot of you have seen the "Blue Buffalo" pet food commercials. I have, thus I decided to try him on it since it seems authentic and healthy. The doctor agreed. 

I have to say, I am shocked at how much Marty likes this food. He is usually "over" dry food quickly and will not eat it after a week or two, but not this brand. I have had him on this weight control kind for 2 months and he devours it like it's filet mignon. It just goes to show that quality does make all the difference, even with our pets. He gets half a cup of this in the morning, then half a can of Variety Pet's "fine dining" grain free canned cat food at night, which he also loves. I want my baby happy and health forever and ever.

Yesterday I needed to make an Ulta trip. I was out of my favorite dry shampoo and decided to try the "Powder Play" from Big Sexy Hair. I love big, voluminous hair; so if there is a product people are swearing by, I am going to try it. The verdict on this product is that it is worth every penny. Combine "Powder Play" with the dry shampoo, and my volume is out of control! Also, the dry shampoo does not make hair roots oily either. Win!

When I finished my errands and the gym last night, I had a letter in the mail from Sirius XM giving me a 3-month free trial of XM radio since I purchased my new car. I have never used XM radio so I am excited to try it out. I love talk show type things, so please leave any recommendations if you have them. My favorites are raunchy comedy, paranormal/ghost talk, motivational and inspirational messages, and celebrity gossip. 

Then I opened my email and Time Warner sent me two advanced screening tickets to see "Sin City" this upcoming Wednesday. They are also providing free concessions. That was unexpected and very welcome; especially since I die a little each month when I pay my cable bill. I can't wait to go.

Those are great additions to go with being a diva on a budget!

Lastly, I updated my about section so take a peak and let me know what you think. Now I believe I am finally out of things to write about so I'm signing off. Have a great weekend everyone. I'm linking up today; you should too! 

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Let's Chat: All About The Week + Giveaway Winners

Happy Friday. On Friday's, I like to link up with these fabulous ladies and chit-chat about the week. Friday's just feel mellow and easy like that. Coming back to work this week after 5 days off was brutal. I hate the way it is always like for me. Once I am off of my normal schedule for more than a couple of days, it's hard for me to get back on it. I have been struggling. 

At least after my first day back at work on Tuesday, I had tickets to an advanced screening of "Let's Be Cops". I loved it, too! It was hilarious and raunchy. Everyone in the theater laughed out loud the entire time. You could tell everyone was really enjoying the movie.

I love to read and wish I had time to do it more. Because I have not been sleeping well, I have been reading when I get into bed to help. Here is what has been on my Kindle lately:

The Happiness Project: I heard so many great things about this book. Unfortunately I have to disagree. The author is happy. She leads a charmed life; has a solid marriage, healthy children, owns a home in New York City, went to law school, and they have a very comfortable lifestyle. The author just wants to be happier. Her plan of improving her life was well thought and executed, but not profound or lifechanging in the least. I found it very, very hard to relate to her. I purchased this book when I was going through one of the worst times in my life, and all I kept thinking was "She doesn't know how lucky she is". I am not judging her by her outward appearance or tangible pocessions, but by how she described her life herself in the book. I commend her for her intensive study and investigations into being "happy" and enjoyed the philosophical references, but overall I could not finish. I stopped about 100 pages in.

Master of the Mountain: I love this book. It is just that simple. It's sexy, easy to read, and realistic. I enjoyed "50 Shades of Grey" like anyone else, but it was too much. It was too unreal and too much of a slap in the face to anyone who understands and practices any part of BDSM (sex is almost the least of it, truth be told). Though this book has a lot of sex scenes it, there is still a sweet story as well. I am invested in the characters and reading fast -- those are my traits showing I'm into a book.

I am excited about the feedback I received from people curious and interested in reading my book. The pressure is sure on now! I am working hard and hope to have it finished by the end of next month. I will then send to 10 people who showed interested to read and provide an honest review. I find myself doubting my ability a lot now, but I am just going to try the best I can. Since my best friend left for the beach this past Saturday, I sent a copy of it with her to read while lounging by the ocean. She sent me this picture on Monday - very cool! I hope one day to search #PrettyLies on Instragram and see millions of other people posting pictures like this, ha!

I received a fabulous shipment from the best nutrition company known to man; Quest Nutrition. Their loyalty to customer satisfaction and customer service is unsurpassed. I received my favorite Quest Bars, of course. But I also received their new protein chips. If you read My Weekly Nutrition and Training Plan, you see that I eat protein chips pretty regularly, so when Quest announced their new protein chips, I was excited. As expected, they are great. My favorite is flavor is BBQ. They have a great "crunch" to them like regular chips do, they're flavorful, and they have 21g of protein. It's a complete win. Quest also sent their "miracle noodles". You may have heard about these before. They have virtually no calories, fat, or active carbohydrates. The only downside is they have an awful "seafood" smell when you first open them. I do not eat seafood at all so this is especially discouraging when I open the package. Luckily, it goes away completely once they are rinsed. It's a wonderful substitute for pasta so I am eager to try. 

There are some special women I would like to introduce you too. I am fortunate to read the most inspiring blogs and get to know the intelligent and driven women. I feel like we can never be surrounded by that enough. Please stop over and say hello to them.

Akirah is passionate about helping other women. She left an abusive relationship after 4 years of turmoil and pain. She encourages women to be brave and know their self-worth and even offers her resources to help. She and her husband live in Pittsburgh and she works as a licensed social worker. She spends her free time writing and connecting with women in an online community called “Our Brave Hearts.” Akirah is also co-director of Pittsburgh’s chapter of Hollaback; a movement to end street harassment. 

Maegen is a dear friend and former co-worker of mine. What I love about her most is how beautiful she is inside, not just her outward appearance. She has dedicated her time and blog to tackling issues that desperately need awareness. In world where self-worth is valued by the label on your shirt, the number in your account, sex, and partying, she raises awareness on how wrong it is. She challenges women to find themselves internally and create confidence by your values, morals, education, goals, and dreams.

Ashley is a good ole' southern girl living in a small town in Texas. She graduated from the University of Arizona Little Rock in 2012 with a double major in Psychology and Criminal Justice. She is currently digging deeper into her walk with Christ and loves all things books and girly. Ashley has awesome style and fashion and I love seeing what she comes up with next. 

Last, but not least we have the giveaway winners! Thank you to everyone who entered and congratulations to those who won.

Kimberly, Meredith, and Mary, please email me your shipping addresses so your Quest Bars can be sent!

Dani, please email me the style and size of the Quest Nutrition shirt you would like!

My advertising information has recently been updated so check it out and let's do this!

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All About The Week!

In honor of my birthday on Wednesday, I am taking a 5-day weekend. I was off today and go back to work Tuesday, so my weekend is well under way. The week has been pretty fun and I had a wonderful birthday. I received a ton of messages, texts, and comments from you guys which consistently put a big smile on my face throughout the day; so much so that my cheeks were hurting, hehe.

Tuesday evening after the work and the gym, mama and I decided to go out since it was her last evening in Charlotte with me. I was spoiled after her staying 5 times. I still cry every time she leaves, too. While we were out, we grabbed an ice-cream cupcake for my birthday! They were from a local ice-cream shoppe and were delicious.

I did not take my birthday off of work since I wanted to do a long weekend. I worked as usual then hit the gym. I felt strong and pushed hard. I did 20 minutes on the StairMill, an upper body weight circuit, then ended with a mile of sprint intervals on the track. Like last week, I pushed my speed to the limit. I was dead after but it felt amazing. However, my right heel was hurting a lot. It is still hurting tonight actually. After the gym I rushed home to finish packing to go out of town. I packed all of my healthy must have snacks, made myself a power smoothie (fresh kale, spinach, flax and chia seeds, orange juice, pineapple, and mango), and then I was on my way.

I drove to Greensboro to spend a couple of days with my fabulous grandparents! When I arrived, my grandmother had a couple of birthday presents waiting for me in "my room". She bought me another bottle of the pineapple vinaigrette I made a couple of weeks ago when she and I went to an olive oil store, and an adorable manicure set. She then told me she found an old photo album when she was cleaning. We looked through a lot of my baby pictures and I loved the ones of she and I in my old Barbie car. I was obsessed with that thing!

I did not sleep well last night so I was up early this morning. I had breakfast with grandma then did some writing while starting the first season of "Breaking Bad". It was a great setup I had going on if you ask me, ha!

Later in the afternoon we ran errands then went to her best friend's hair salon so I could get my roots touched up. I can't believe how my fast my hair is growing either. I cut it at the beginning of June and it has already grown well over an inch. It's volumious too! If there is one thing I love more than big hair, it's bigger hair. I swear by Biotin.

After my hair was finished, we came back home to get ready, then she and my papa took me out for my birthday dinner. We went to one of my favorite restaurants; The Village Tavern. It was heaven in my mouth. I had a bleu cheese wedge salad (wedge salad's are so much cooler than regular salad's by the way) and a chicken dish that had these flavorful black beans.

The rest of the evening was spent talking, making plans, and enjoying time together. Spending time with my grandparents rejuvanates my soul and motivates me to keep working hard. They are my biggest supporters and make me feel like anything is possible. They were not always like that though; I had to prove myself. It's a refreshing feeling! Now I'm off to watch more "Breaking Bad" and try to get a good night of sleep.

Linking up today!

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Lets Chat: Lots of Things to Share!

Since I am a little rebel, I am posting my Friday 5 a tad early. I feel chatty so I'm going to go with it!

What a week. I hate how I feel so drained by Friday, but I have been a little busier than normal. I was back in my hometown this past weekend, and that was nonstop with visiting family. When I arrived back in town Monday, that was just as busy getting things done from being gone. To top things off, I have been working 10-11 hour days at work. My mom and sister-in-law are coming into town tomorrow to spend the weekend with me, maybe get into some trouble, and have a little fun. I really feel like I need a release -- something to recharge me so I am hungry to keep pushing hard on my journey. I am hopefully gong to let loose some this weekend and get back on the grind Monday. I will still hit the gym though, I can't miss my leg workout! Okay, so things I want to talk about:

I love my Ipsy bag this month! They are really doing a great job. It has to be the best $10 I spend every month. On the below picture I am wearing the Bombshell mascara, DD cream, and the amazing NYX lip gloss. I am telling you guys, NYX has completely won my loyalty. I am obsessed with their lip colors and styles. They are so affordable too. Also in the picture, I am wearing gold/brown eye shadow I received in March's Ipsy bag which is also by the Bombshell brand. I am happy that so many of the products I receive are getting good use. 

If you don't know what Ipsy is - it is a monthly makeup bag you receive via mail. It is only $10 a month and with that you get a makeup bag and 3-4 beauty products. You are billed on the first of every month and products arrive between the 10-15th! When you sign up, you get to customize your settings so you get products closely matched to your beauty preferences. If you want to join, please click here and use my link! I will appreciate it so much!

I received the #SurfsUpVoxBox from the awesome Influenster this week. I am enjoying the products and  it easy to write about since I will definitely be able to use everything included!
Smoothie Kit: I love smoothies, especially with the hot weather. That is when I crave them most. And it is a total win when you can make them in a healthy way. I can't wait to pick up my kit and get creative! After Sun Aloe: My sister-in-law and I will hopefully be having a pool day Saturday depending upon the weather. That aloe will definitely come in hand,y plus it smells great, which is always a plus.Sinful colors nail polish: I do not wear a lot of yellow because I have never thought it looks that good on my skin tone. However, my mom has more Indian in her than I do, so I think it will look fabulous on her. We are getting pedicures tomorrow so I am going to let her use the polish.First Aid Shot Therapy: Like I stated above, I want to cause a little trouble this weekend. I have a big feeling that bad boy may come in handy!Covergirl Bombshell Curvaceous Mascara: Covergirl does it again -- but what else would you expect? I love how this mascara has two ends, plus the brushes are shorter, so you are able to pull on your lashes for extra length. One side is for volume and the other side for thickness.

Along with the awesome Covergirl mascara from Influenster, I have been using my beach spray that I received in my Ipsy bag. That has been a lifesaver for me this week with long hours at the office. The last thing I want to do in the morning is spend a lot of time on my hair. I spray and go with that product. Plus the smell reminds me so much of the beach. 
Gosh I just freaking love makeup and cosmetics!

You probably see a lot of #TBT (Throwback Thursday) pictures on social media. When I was home this past weekend, my mom gave me and old picture from when I was a toddler. I had completely forgotten about that picture, but still remember that day at my aunts pool. I thought it was hilarious so I wanted to share it!

One thing I love about my group of Blogging friends is that we are so supportive of one another. I have made so many friends and continue to make new ones on a daily basis. That being said, I have two sponsors this month that I would love to introduce you all too:

I am so happy to have found Trace. She has a heart of gold and is one of the sweetest women I have the pleasure of calling a friend. Plus I am all about a girl who loves her wine. Her blog is a lifestyle blog and it is very fun to follow along with her daily happenings. She is also working hard to get healthy. A lot of know how that is! Trace, you're doing an amazing job. A little more about her: I'm an ex-sorority girl, native Texan, former New Yorker, Gemini and lover of avocado margaritas, cooking, animals, GIFs, and proper spelling. I also enjoy using parentheses. By day, I work in digital marketing (these opinions are mine, by the way). I'm forever trying to lose weight while still loving to cook and eat things like fresh pasta, homemade bread, rich cheeses, and all of the wine in the land.

Tricia is a dear friend of mine with an awesome fitness blog. I'm a little jealous, but that's OK. She has a lot of recipes and workouts. Plus she has a lot of demonstration pictures to give a visual for different exercises -- which to me is better than someone simply typing how to do an exercise. She is gorgeous, so caring, and has the best sense of humor. To keep inspired, motivated, and up-to-date information in all things health, you should definitely follow Tricia! A little more about her: I love health and fitness.  The way the body works is absolutely amazing and I sometimes call it a “machine” because as long as it is given what it needs, it will give you what you need too. My favorite past time is dancing; music is great for the soul...and the thighs and legs! I continuously learn about the way the body functions and have been studying it for over a decade.  I seek ways to improve and how to overcome obstacles in the most natural way possible.
If you are interested in advertising, sponsoring, and/or anything in between click here! I am passionate about what I do, so let's make things happen together!Since I have come into this plateau for a couple of weeks now, it makes it very easy to get discouraged and pessimistic about losing weight. Combine that with working a lot of extra hours, and it has been very hard to stay positive. Like I said earlier in the week, at least I am doing the best I can with everything going on. A couple of days ago I came across a picture of myself on my work computer. It was taken literally 3 days (November 22nd, 2013 not the 25th, I captioned it wrong) before I knew I had to start a new weight loss journey. This picture was my breaking point. I was utterly shocked at how big I was and how bad I had gotten. This picture was even taken very high up which is probably the most flattering angle a picture can be taken from. When I compare that picture to what I look like now, I know I am on the right path and making immense progress. And I will always keep pushing no matter how hard it gets. You literally just have to keep going, one healthy choice at a time.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday, the best weekend ever, and don't forget to link up and share your Friday things!

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All About The Week + Quest Giveaway Winners!

Since it is Friday and my brain is ready to shut off for the weekend (ha, who am I kidding, it is always ready to shut off) I am going to partake in the fun Friday 5 and favorites link up's and share randoms about the week that has been!

First, I want to thank you guys for your participation in the Quest Nutrition giveaway. They emailed me to let me know how much feedback they received from it, so I am hoping we will team up again very soon away to give you guys more products! I have tell you, even on my darkest and hardest days, you guys never fail to make me smile and give the that push I need to keep going. As I said earlier this week, it has been difficult adjusting to the abundance of changes ensuing in personal life, but you guys make it worth it. This my passion. It's hard work, but I love it. Some of you say I inspire you, but you will never know how much you all inspire me. Thank you for all of the meaningful and heartfelt comments and emails. They gave me hope and faith. OK enough sappiness...

Last week when I was in the grocery store, I happened to see a trial/travel size of John Frieda's Curl Reviver Mousse. Since it was like $1-$2 I figured why not try it. I love big hair. There are three things that can never be too high in life - one's heels, hair, and standards. Ha! I forgot it about over the weekend, but found it on Monday morning when I was fixing my hair for work. I absolutely love this product! It gives tons of volume, does not weigh the hair down, and it adds just enough curl - not too tight, but not too dull. It is like a wavy/beachy look. If you want an affordable, good product to add volume, I say give it a try!

Tuesday I awoke to hitting the 50 pound loss mark. It was exciting and rewarding. It's been a lot of hard work getting my life and body back, but I continue it one healthy choice and one kick-ass workout at a time. I have really stepped up my cardiovascular training over the past 2 months. I believe it is really helping. Of course, clean eating must be the top priority, but intensifying workouts never hurt anyone! Plus I rarely ever drink anymore. In August of 2010 when my gym first opened, I used the StairMill. My gym is huge - 3 stories, and only has two StairMill's. It is the hardest cardio machine I ever used besides the Jacob's Ladder (I wish so much I had access to this machine!). Last year I did not use it at all. I lost motivation, so the last thing I would want to do is use a machine that pushes me to my limits. Even earlier this year, I stayed away. Finally, I snapped out of it and I have been using it again at least 4 times a week. The StairMill aids tremendously in training to make me stronger while hiking and jogging. I can absolutely tell a huge difference strength wise. If you have access to this machine at a gym, use it! It is hard, but worth it. It makes me sweat like no other. Do not expect to use that machine and look pretty. It is all about hard work. When I first started using it a few years ago, I could barely do 10 minutes. I kept it and kept working and now I can do an hour. Do not be discouraged if you can only use this machine for a few minutes - just keep trying! It is worth it!

To celebrate my 50 pound loss, I went to Polished Nail Bar for a pedicure. I never ever get manicures or pedicures... I do everything myself at home. However, this past weekend I decided to treat myself to manicure and pedicure since I worked so much last week and my body was aching. I loved it. I received a leg massage that my calves were so thankful for, the chair vibrated your back, and you are served a class of Chardonnay. That is my idea of relaxing. Thus I went again. I didn't even need another pedicure, but I loved the massage and relaxation part of it so much that it felt worth it!

Wednesday, my Ipsy bag came! What do you guys think about yours so far? At first glance, I was not excited. I love makeup and color. This bag just seemed kind of... boring. However, now that I have received it, it is not so bad. I am eager to try the hair mask; I am always looking for good products for my hair. I never wear concealer so I am happy to have a tube to try out! If anyone wants to try my facial cleansing wipes for something they received - let me know. I' m open!

If you don't know what Ipsy is - it is a monthly makeup bag you receive via mail. It is only $10 a month and with that you get a makeup bag and 3-4 beauty products. You are billed on the first of every month and products arrive between the 10-15th! When you sign up, you get to customize your settings so you get products closely matched to your beauty preferences. If you want to join, please click here and use my link! I will appreciate you!

My mom arrived yesterday! She is here for the weekend and I am so excited to have her here. She single and ready to mingle, so I hope to show her a good time this weekend. We already started it good last night. We went grocery shopping at Target, bought some goodies at Ulta, then had dinner and a cocktail at one of our favorite restaurants "City Tavern". Now to get through this work day, then it will be time for the weekend!

Least but not least, I have the winners from the Quest Bar giveaway! They are listed below and were chosen via Rafflecopter who used Random.org. All entries were verified and I will email the winners for their shipping address! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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What a whirlwind of a week!

Hello Friday. Hello blog. I am exhausted.

I mentioned on Sunday that I would be a little MIA due to a nonstop week at work. It turned out to be busier than I thought. I have been planning a big company event for over a month now. I have done it all myself, too. Which I love that my President gives me that freedom. Event planning is serious business though; one can easily forget about all of the trivial details that you need to pay attention too! Thankfully, it all wonderfully came together. I did all of it in heels, too. My feet are swollen today. 

Monday was a pretty normal day. A little busier than usual, but not too bad. I worked out after and made sure to get in bed early. Tuesday, the chaos began. Executives were coming into town, all of the department managers were finishing presentations and needing assistance, I had to put packets together, and the list could go on. One of fun tasks on my to-do list? Shopping for the strategic meeting dinner for Wednesday. I do the shopping - I do the choosing, ha!

Wednesday was a long, long day. I worked 13 hours. It was the day before our event. I spent most of the day at my bosses farm home about an hour south of Charlotte in rural, SC. The executives were there for an offsite strategic planning meeting. I was there assisting, recording meeting minutes, and other random things. My President told me that he wanted me to create and run a blog for the company that will act as a liaison between clients, potential clients, and employees. I was very surprised to hear that, but how fitting, huh? I am so, so excited about this and I hope to "blow it out of the water". I will absolutely be putting my heart and soul into that for sure - more on that next week. Around 3PM I left the farm house, drove back Charlotte, ran some errands, did a run through of the event at the hotel, helped setup, then drove back to farm house in SC. After the meeting finished, we grilled out and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

Wednesday night I finally got to bed close to midnight. Oy. Yesterday was the big company event! I found my favorite headband that has been missing for about two months so I had to wear it. I knew then that it was going to be a good day. 

The meeting went great. The hotel was incredibly beautiful, we had a wonderful view, and stellar service. I did not want it to end. We had creative presentations, team building activities, games and prizes, and I felt like it really brought us together as a company. I am really tired, but I will miss all of the planning and meetings that went along with this. 

Now I'm ready to knock out this day at work and get some rest and relaxation this weekend. Plus catch up on your guys blogs. Don't forget about my Quest Nutrition giveaway going on right now! Get your entries in!

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