5 for FIVE!

Good Morning my lovies! How was y'all's weekend? Hopefully wonderful! I worked all day Saturday, but Sunday was a wonderfully relaxing day! I went to church and then made an awesome spaghetti sauce...there will be a post soon! It's that time of the week again!

I'm linking up with Jenn and Jessica for my 5 for FIVE!

Just a reminder: Purple = accomplished, Blue = almost accomplished and Red= a big fat failure! 

1. Workout 3x this week! I got in two workouts...Monday didn't go according to plan and the rest of the week I was just plain buys...so two of three days I'll take!
2. Plan my meals and stick to them! For the most part I did...I did get a bagel two days in a row for breakfast though.
3. Get things planned and organized for physical day Got all the stuff I needed to get done, done!
4. Make time to get in God's word daily! I've been really focusing on a verse a week. This past week it was Psalm 13:5-6 : "But I trust in your unfailing love. I will rejoice because you have rescued me. I will sing to the Lord because he is good to me." SO SO comforting!
5.Be thankful for each little thing : I've noticed that I've been complaining a lot and I hate it! I need to be thankful for each blessing God has put into my life and stop worrying about what I can't control! I pray in the morning as I drive to school...This time really helps me focus on this goal!

Not too shabby!

Okay, here's this week's goals!

1. Read the whole book of Mark this week, as we prepare for Easter. One of the men on the leadership team at church challenged us to do this so I thought it would be great to join him and do this!
2. Workout!!! Wednesday is going to be nuts with physical day, so I need to get some physical activity in so I can get some stress relief in before and after that day!
3. Put aside time for God each and every day...even if it's just 15 minutes!
4. Write at least two other blog posts...I've got some ideas so hopefully I can get them prepared!
5. Cook dinner twice this week.

It's a short week at school...we have Thursday and Friday off...actually the kids have both days off, Thursday is a comp day for teachers, however we have a baseball game, a softball game and potentially two soccer playoff games in completely different places, so I'll hopefully have a nice three day weekend! Like I said above, Wednesday is going to be a doosey and I'm definitely going to be worn out by the end of it...so it'll be good that I don't have to get up early and go to work Thursday morning!

Hope y'all have a wonderful Monday and an even better week!! Hopefully I'll be back later in the week with a couple post!! :)

xoxo,

SamanthaDiane

L-O-V-E!

Do y'all love jewelry? I love it!! I never used to be a jewelry person, but since I've "grown up" I'm totally obsessed with it! I freaking love me some earrings y'all! {It could have to do with the fact that I have seriously small earlobes and my ears weren't pierced until I was 22, weird right?} I've been trying to get into bracelets...I envy ladies I see rocking some sweet stacked bracelets or a super cute bangle! I cannot for the life of me get a bangle over my hand {this is becoming a Samantha has odd facts about her appendages post, sorry!} so I love bracelets that are either 1. stretchy 2. have a clasp or 3. are a cuff! I was at a friend's house for dinner one night and she had the CUTEST bracelet! I completely forgot to ask her about it that night, I just sat there admiring it! I texted her the next day and told her I had to find out where she got that bracelet! She directed me to Laura Roberts'  facebook page and from there I went to her website. I didn't see the bracelet on her website so I contacted her and she was so prompt in getting back to me! I told her the bracelet was for a gift and that I actually wanted one too!

Y'all she is so stinking sweet! I don't personally know her, but I feel like we could be great friends! {This is just from e-mail correspondence throughout the week!} She's a Dallas native and graduated from Texas A&M University in 2004 and currently lives in Dallas with her 8 year old Golden Retriever. {She admits she's slightly obsessed with him, which I think is perfectly fine and I can totally relate!}
Her website is a work in progress, but she still has tons on there...here are some of my favorites!

Here is my bracelet!!

If y'all love handmade jewelry and also love supporting small businesses, I suggest contacting Laura! I mean she's a Texas girl that loves God, her family, her pup and making jewelry...what's not to love?!

I've already gotten so many compliments on my bracelet and I wear it almost every single day!! I may end up wearing it out! Thanks again Laura! You are awesome!!

Here are the many ways you can get intouch with Laura!

LAURA ROBERTS

Handmade Jewelry

www.laurarobertsjewelry.com

www.facebook.com/laurarobertsjewelry

 

E: laura_roberts@me.com

P: 214-457-7411

 

Instagram: @laurarobertsjewelry

Twitter: @lrjewelry

Hope y'all have a lovely weekend!!

xoxo,

SamanthaDiane

Conviction

Have y'all ever been convicted? Not of a crime or anything crazy like that, but a personal conviction. Yesterday it totally happened to me, and has been happening a lot lately and I've been ignoring what the Lord is saying to me! It's like God is trying to teach me a lesson or something ;) and I have been pushing Him aside thinking "gosh, can't you just let me feel sorry for myself or geez! I don't have the time for your life lesson". Wow. Ouch. How can I talk that was to such a wonderful and loving God who wants nothing but the best for me!?!

If you read my 5 for FIVE yesterday, you know that one of my goals is to be more thankful for the little things, well the Lord totally hit me over the head {gently of course} with that one! My day started pretty normal for a Monday, if there's anyone out there just LOVES Mondays, I'd really like to meet them! Then some things happened and I was throwing myself such a horrendous pity party and complaining and it hit me, HELLO!! Samantha stop it! You have a job {it's a great one}, you have wonderful family and friends, your puppies are precious, you have a roof over your head and food to fill your belly, you are healthy and happy. GET OVER YOURSELF! There are so many others {some I know and some I don't} that don't have the blessings I have! Just because the day doesn't go the way I have planned it out so meticulously {I mean down to the last detail...} doesn't mean that it's not going according to God's plan! But alas, we are human and try to take the wheel when it comes to our lives and decisions. I just needed that small reminder huge flashing sign to step back, let go and let God.

I have a friend that wasn't having the best day so I pulled up some scriptures to help try to brighten her day and in turn it showed me my shortcomings and made me get a new perspective! Here are two I sent her and yet they ended up speaking to me!

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right , and pure, and lovely, and admirable. think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

Philippians 4:8

"But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

James 4:6

Talk about a gut check...every time I turn around the enemy is telling me I'm not worthy of God's love, that I can't do anything right and to keep stomping my feet and telling God to wait because I don't want to listen to Him at the moment...we've got to arm ourselves with the Word of God and tell that devil to take a hike!

One last verse that I found and am going to make it my verse for the week, maybe the month, heck more like for the year!

source

I also found some good inspiring pins on Pinterest (you can follow me here!) that I think I'll be writing down around my house for added inspiration!

source

source

source

Here's to a new day and a renewed and refreshed spirit!

xoxo,

SamanthaDiane

5 for FIVE!

Good Monday Morning lovlies!! It's definitely a Monday for sure...not to mention the Monday after Spring Break...11 more weeks until Summer break! {But who's counting!}

Let's see how I did last week...I did better but was still crazy busy with work!

 

I'm linking up with Jenn and Jessica for my 5 for FIVE!

Just a reminder: Purple = accomplished, Blue = almost accomplished and Red= a big fat failure! 

1. Finish the chair my mom and I have been working on refinishing since Christmas 2011. All we have to do is screw in the cushions so I'm counting that as finished! {I'll be posting pictures soon!}
2. Clean my room so that said chair may go to it's new forever home in the corner of my room! {I wasn't home a lot during my "break", Mom and I worked on that chair for two days and then the other days I was working at night}

3. Do some form of physical activity every freaking day this week! Only missed a couple days! Thankfully I had a friend home and we went to the park several times to walk the dogs!

4. Eat healthy, even though I'm on break. Had a few stumbles but am giving myself credit b/c I didn't eat crap!

5. Get my haircut...I need it bad and since I'm "off" all week hopefully I can find some time to get it done. Totally not my fault! My lady can't get me in until this Wednesday!

Not too shabby huh?! Way better than the last couple of weeks!!
Now, let's see what's going on this week!

1. Workout 3x this week! I met with my personal trainer Saturday and we agreed that 5x a week is not going to happen! So 3 cardio/strength days it is! If I can get any others in...it's a bonus!
2. Plan my meals and stick to them! I really need to buckle down especially since I don't have a lot of time to hit the gym.
3. Get things planned and organzied for physical day March 27th is physical day for our athletes and it usually crazy.
4. Make time to get in God's word daily!
5.Be thankful for each little thing : I've noticed that I've been complaining a lot and I hate it! I need to be thankful for each blessing God has put into my life and stop worrying about what I can't control!

Whew! I think I can be pretty successful this week! That last one may be the hardest!
Have a fabulous week!!

xoxo,
SamanthaDiane



A Whole Lot of Nothing!

Man! When I started blogging, I had so many ideas and thoughts and it seemed so easy! Now here I am, with nothing to say! I guess it's what writer's call writer's block. I'm going to call it blogger's block! I have some great ideas and just need to plan them out! I'm still really trying to learn all about blogging and figure it all out {but who really has it ALL figured out?} so I don't want to blog things that have no content. Although this post may qualify as that!

I've been on Spring Break all week and have had to work all week {cue the pity party} so I had grand plans of doing stuff at home and getting things done but NONE of it got done...nothing! When I had a spare moment I was sitting on the couch trying to catch up on my dvr'd shows or sleeping...lame right? Oh well, that's just how it goes sometimes.

This weekend, however will be me cramming in the fun of Spring Break in two days, and I'm gonna do it!

Saturday morning I plan on going to Zumba and then Yoga, then I have a workout with my trainer {whom I haven't seen in a month and yet I'm still in the same place weight wise as I was then, which I'm okay yet not okay with} and then I plan on either 1. going to town on the spring cleaning or 2. laying by my parent's pool trying to get rid of this pastey complexion I have going on. I should really go with option number 1, but let's be real, I'll probably end up by the pool! Sunday is church {which I've skipped the last two weeks b/c I've been lazy...I'm full of lame excuses today} and then some Rice baseball and dinner with some of my favs!

I hope y'all have a great weekend! Get outside and do something...the weather is going to be BE-A-UTIFUL!!

xoxo,

SamanthaDiane

5 For Five

Did you guys think I forgot all about the link up?! I didn't, but just had a busy day and am just getting to compose a post!

I'm linking up with Jenn and Jessica for my 5 for FIVE! Let's see how I did last week... I can tell you it wasn't great! I'm in a big slump but determined to get out of it this week and have all Purple!!

Just a reminder: Purple = accomplished, Blue = almost accomplished and Red= a big fat failure! 

1. Plan my menu and stick to it! : I made food and took it to work, however towards the end of the week I had to eat out a couple meals, b/c I didn't plan totally! Bummer...but I still planned my menu!

2. Go to Body Blast on Wednesday: Check and Check! That class is no joke!

3. Finish cleaning...no if, ands or buts....has to be done! Haha..yeah that didn't happen.

4. Get my daily devotional time with God every day! : Why is this so hard to do?

5. Get some good workouts in! : One workout and I'm going to count that towards the goal!


Okay so, it's spring break this week, or in my case spring {let's have a ton of baseball and soccer games} break. However, no early mornings and only one FULL day of sports for me, so there's NO reason for me NOT to reach all of my goals this week!

1. Finish the chair my mom and I have been working on refinishing since Christmas 2011. {yep...you read that right}
2. Clean my room so that said chair may go to it's new forever home in the corner of my room!
3. Do some form of physical activity every freaking day this week!
4. Eat healthy, even though I'm on break.
5. Get my haircut...I need it bad and since I'm "off" all week hopefully I can find some time to get it done.

If you're lucky enough to be on break this week, I hope that y'all have an awesome one! If you're not, I hope y'all have a wonderful work week!!

xoxo,
SamanthaDiane

Tag! I'm it!

Alrighty!! So my friend Megan over at Inner Happiness tagged me in a 6 random things post! Oooohhh my first tag! :) Exciting! But that leaves me with the task of tagging others...I only have a few blogging friends and she tagged them! Megan! You were supposed to leave some for me! So I'm going to tag people that linked up for 5 for Five! :) Maybe I'll meet some new friends along the way!

Okay okay, now, onto the 6 random things about me!

 

1. I play the piano...not well, but I play! I learned when I was little and we lived in Florida, but when we moved back to the best state ever,{Texas, for those slow on the uptake}, we couldn't find me another piano teacher that was as good as the one in Florida! :( So I would just play the same songs over and over...I still do haha! I taught myself a couple songs but goodness I play like an 8 year old. I love it though, total relieves stress for me!!

 

2. I can't touch my shoulders. {Man, we're going deep and I'm letting out my deepest secrets} I don't know why I can't but I can't. Let's just say ' Head, shoulders, knees and toes' was a little rough in kindergarten!

 

3. This is completely random but as I am typing this, my sweet Yorkie, Canton is lounging by me with his hiney on my hip and he just ripped the biggest puppy fart ever! It was so loud! And he just laid there like nothing happened...didn't even pick his head up...such a man!

 

4. The top thing on my bucket list is to go to Greece! For my whole life I've wanted to go...I also want to lay topless on the black sand beach {for 10 seconds just to say I did it}, but that's a different goal! ;)

 

5. I, like Megan definitely treat my pups like humans. They sleep with me, under the covers and sharing a pillow. I talk to them all the time and I'm fairly certain they understand me!

 

6. Any time I can, I'm gonna nap! I will NEVER turn down a nap, ever! Even if it's just a short 30 minute snooze! I LOOOVVEE napping!! On that note, I go to try to go to bed by 9pm nightly, because sleep is so precious to me! Hey I have to be at work at 6 am 4 out of the 5 days of the work week!

 

Okay so now y'all know a little more about me!!

 

Let's see...who to tag...

Jessica over at Fantastically Average, Kristle at Forget the Dog, Not The Baby! and Jenn at Party of One

Enjoy ladies!!
xoxo,
SamanthaDiane

Oh my word!

Y'all! I am such a slacker!! I still haven't taken a picture of my finished living room...hopefully this weekend! Things are crazy busy at work {I feel like I say that ALL the time, but seriously!} and blogging has just fell to the wayside. Don't get me wrong, I still have time to read everyone else's blogs, just haven't had time to write! Eventually my goal is to plan my posts out and make it where I have them waiting to be published...but that's going to have to wait until things slow down at work...just a few more week!!

 

So I don't know if y'all follow Hollywood or not, but Giuliana Rancic was recently quoted as saying she puts her husband before her child. She is getting major recoil from this quote! Some mom bloggers are up in arms about this because they say you put your babies before anything! So funny that this was news on Monday and then at bible study we were talking about loving our husband {or future husband in my case}. God says to put our husband before our children and all other relationships {of course, not before God Himself, He's #1, Numero Uno,}. If we don't have a strong relationship with our husband and he's not our best friend, other half, partner in crime, then you are setting your marriage up for failure. Giuliana also said happy husband = happy marriage! SO true! You've got to make time for date nights and time alone with your hubby. {I know, I know...what do I know about marriage?} This is why I'm in this bible study, so I can become A Woman After God's Own Heart and learn to love my husband {when the time comes}, and make him my priority in my marriage.

My parents have set such a good example of this! My mom loves my dad and vice versa so much. She does little things just because she knows he likes them. This is how it should be! You should find things he enjoys or little things to do for him to help him out throughout the day and see how he responds to you! Since I don't have a husband, or boyfriend for that matter, I try to do this just with people I deal with every day.

Okay so why does society have such a skewed vision of this idea? It's so sad to me! God's not saying to be that robotic wife that says, "yes, dear. what do you need dear?" And you shouldn't do it out of obligation, but because you want to and because you want to obey God's word! So I applaud Giuliana for putting her hubby first and foremost before her child! Kudos to you! Her and Bill definitely seem to have a wonderful marriage {I know that we only see part of it} and I don't know if they're God-fearing people, but I'd like to think that they've got this right and are setting a supereme example!

 

Just a little bit of rambling and what's been going in my head this week!

I do promise to post my pics soon and come up with a post of some substance instead of just what's floating around in my thoughts! :) Hope y'all have a wonderful Wednesday!!

xoxo,

SamanthaDiane

5 for Five!

Good Morning sweet friends! It's that time again! I'm linking up with Jenn and Jessica for my 5 for FIVE! Let's see how I did last week... I can tell you it wasn't great! I'm in a big slump but determined to get out of it this week and have all Purple!!

Just a reminder: Purple = accomplished, Blue = almost accomplished and Red= a big fat failure! 

1. Workout 5 times this week: I did go to a new class that I'll be going to every week from now on, but one workout does not count!

2. Eat clean all week, no junk!! : I'm telling y'all I am stuck in a rut and unfortunately my diet takes the hit...I did make a yummy meal on Wednesday but other than that I either ate soup or junk.

3. Finish putting my living room back together and get everything cleaned up: I got my living room back together...but the kitchen is still a mess as is my room.

4. Make my smoothies at night. I'm putting red b/c I only did it one night..I had oatmeal another morning and the other mornings I didn't have anything...NOT GOOD! I usually am so good about this one!

5. Mail that care package...what?!? I got a fully purple one!! Whoo!! Go me! (gotta celebrate the little things!)

Okay so yes, last week was rough but if you remember my post from Tuesday you know that the week started off bad...so I spent the rest of the week focusing on the good and making sure the last part of my weekend was good (it was and I'll recap it soon!). Onto this weeks goals!

1. Plan my menu and stick to it! : I talked to my personal trainer (who b/c I've been so busy I haven't been able to see in almost a month) and told her that I haven't been great with working out and eating healthy, she told me I could do it and to hit this week hard! I'm going to do it!

2. Go to Body Blast on Wednesday: I went last week and it was awesome! I burned 641 calories in an hour! WHAT?! I was dead after but a good dead!

3. Finish cleaning...no if, ands or buts....has to be done!

4. Get my daily devotional time with God every day! : huge one for me...a lot of time, I'm "too busy" or "too tired"...He's never those for me, so why should I say that to him?

5. Get some good workouts in! : I'm not putting a number here b/c I just need to do it...not worry about the number!

I know I promised y'all an updated picture on my floor, and once I get everything spakling pretty I'll post it!

Hope y'all have a fabulous Monday and week!!

xoxo,

SamanthaDiane