February

Anticipations

Spring - Northern Virginia hasn't really had much of a Winter as it is... but still, I would really love for Spring to arrive early and stick around a little bit! I'd love a couple months of pleasantly warm days and cool nights while everything comes to life again. The groundhog predicted early Spring and I definitely hope he was right... as right as a furry little rascal that is thrust into the air every year can be....

Staycation - This one barely makes the list because it starts on March 31st... but close enough, right? My younger sister is coming to visit at the end of March before she moves to her next base and I'll be taking about a week off from work to spend time with her and the family before she moves! 

Books I Read

The Unofficial Guide to Game of Thrones by Kim Renfro - I finished this book up at the start of the month and definitely enjoyed it. It had nuggets of information, behind the scenes secrets and production tidbits from all eight years of the show and I also liked that the author didn't try to sugar coat the missteps in the final seasons; she told it like it was, and I appreciated that. I'd only recommend this book if you're a die-hard Game of Thrones fan - and I think we know I'm that!

The Storyteller's Secret by Sejal Badani - Oh my goodness, this book was so absolutely excellent. It took me just a wee bit to get into it but then, I was absolutely hooked! I ended up waking up before my alarm went off in the AM to read it... and staying awake well past when I'd normally be asleep to read it. It's just fantastic and I cannot recommend it enough. The paperback is literally less than $7 on Amazon right now - go get yourself a copy!

On the Bright Side by Melanie Shankle - I also just started this one and I'm only about two chapters into it but so far, I am loving it. Melanie has such a hilarious personality and way of looking at the world that I identify with so much.

Miracles & Other Reasonable Things by Sarah Bessey - I started this book and I have to report that I'm only two chapters in... I got distracted when my copy of On the Bright Side arrived; I set this one aside and I'll pick it back up when I finish On the Bright Side!

Books on the Shelf

I still have plenty of books to read on my shelves... not sure what I'll start in on quite yet. I have two books by JoJo Moyes that still need to be read and several books related to Game of Thrones that I got for Christmas that I'd like to read, even though they are all GIGANTIC and will be quite unwieldy to just curl up on the couch with! I also just received FIVE new books that I ordered recently (they were all so cheap though!) so they'll be added to the pile!

Can't Miss Movies

I didn't see a single move all month y'all. *sigh* It always seems like January and February are the most dead times at the theater and this year is no exception. I contemplated going to see Downhill but never went... And I watched Lady Bird (finally) on Amazon Prime - but I didn't actually darken the door of a movie theater all month long. I'm thinking that will change in March...

Must See TV

Outlander - Oh the drama of Revolutionary North Carolina and potentially altering time... it's a tricky business! Outlander's fifth season started on Valentine's Day (they're really selling that romance - and I; for one, eat it up) and so far, only two episodes have aired. I loved the first episode and was only slightly less intrigued by the second episode (too much gore...). But I do love Outlander and I can't wait to see what the other ten episodes of season five have in store!

Home Town - Y'all know I am loving watching some Home Town! I love the precious relationship between Ben & Erin... and I especially love seeing how they transform the homes in Laurel, MS. I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that this is the same Laurel that I drove to in college to meet my parents... because I ended up with an eye infection & my glasses were at home... and not with me in Hattiesburg! *face palm* This show and the people on the show are like this sweet reminder of the place I grew up - which wasn't Laurel, but was Mississippi.

I also started watching The Stranger on Netflix - I'm only 4 episodes into the 10 episode series, but I'm extremely intrigued and plan to finish it! 

Tasty Treats

One of my favorite meals are foil pouches that are stuffed with broccoli, carrots, potatoes, peppers, onions and sausage - always so tasty! I had lunch with the family at a new-ish restaurant in Ashburn called the Wicket Door Pub; I had the most delicious White Chicken Chili (I am STILL searching for the perfect recipe) and a BBQ Pulled Pork Baked Potato... *drool*

As I'm doing Weight Watchers, I am choosing to modify some recipes to make them a bit more healthy and I made Turkey Chili this month that I thought was really good! My younger sister sent me macarons for Valentine's Day and they were delicious...but then I'd expect nothing less from the Jean Philippe Patisserie @ The Bellagio! And of course - my beloved Atlas Coffee shipment arrived this month from New Guinea and it's peanut butter flavored! Yes please! 

Tunes & Talk 

I'm still listening to the podcast(s) Catlick and the Popcast with Knox & Jamie pretty routinely. I've been listening to a LOT of K-Love when I'm driving to and from work and the music I have been turning on my phone ranges from Instrumental (as usual) to Queen and more - so many options! I'm just all over the place y'all!

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That's all for the month of February! I hope you had a great month and here's hoping March has exciting things in store!

Five on Friday

One. It's Snowing - The sun is out in full force today... and it's snowing like a fiend. Nothing is sticking to the ground but there are swirls of the white stuff twirling and spinning along on currents of air outside my office window. It's pretty to look at but I will confess, I won't be disappointed if it doesn't snow in a substantial way again this Winter... 

Two. This Dog - I 100% think he was mad at me when I took this picture. He's getting older and he's had some accidents here and there, so I've started putting him in diapers and I know he's so insulted by it all. But - it has to be done. 

So when I snapped this picture it was mostly because 1) I was so tickled that he had flopped down in his bed and turned his back to me and 2) I could not get over that one foot stretched out of the bed. He's a mess and such a grumpy little old man! 

Three. Funnies - I haven't shared any funny memes in a while and I figured I would today because honestly - I don't have a whole lot else to share! I haven't seen the movie The Joker (I hear it's a LOT) but when I saw this picture, I cracked up. I also sent it to my friends and one replied with "that is SO you!" 

The other meme is just so true that I can't help but crack up. I speak from experience on this one too - the only thing that trying to do things on your own understanding will get you is trouble! 

I almost shared a meme about coronavirus that has been cracking me up all morning... but maybe I'll save that one for another day! 

Four. Weekend Things - I don't really have too much on the agenda tonight; I'll be eating out with my parents (as usual) and then it really just depends! I might try to continue watching The Stranger on Netflix - it's been pretty intriguing so far! Saturday I'm meeting... a new friend... for lunch and after that, we'll see...

Sunday - I am so excited because after church and lunch, I have a massage scheduled and I am absolutely looking forward to it! It's been way too long since I've had a massage and I cannot even wait to just be completely relaxed and chill. *sigh*

Five. Soup - I need my people to decide they like tomato soup because Carolina Charm has a recipe for Creamy Tomato Basil & Bacon Soup that I want to try SO BAD! Does that picture below not look amazing?!?

Alas - I don't think my people are too big on tomato soup, so I'm not sure when I'll be attempting to whip it up. Maybe when I have some time on my own one weekend? I'm sure it's divine and if you want to give it a whirl - the recipe is here - and it looks both easy and... as I said - delicious!

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That's all I've got for this week y'all. This weekend will usher in the month of March and I hope Spring is right around the corner because I am looking forward to warmer weather, flowers and time spent outside! Y'all have a good weekend!

Watson Wednesday

The love for peanut butter is real - somehow the dog inherited it!

Monday - Once More

It's Monday again... and as always, I feel like the weekend flew by! It was a good weekend; so even though it flew by, it was a lovely experience as it was happening! My Valentine's Day blooms are still going strong - which has left the co-worker who gifted them to me absolutely shocked - she was sure they'd be dead within 48 hours! 

Friday when I got home I had a rather intense headache (that I'd been battling on and off all day long) but after some meds and lying on the couch a wee bit, I began to feel revived! I joined my parents for dinner at Houlihan's and since I didn't want to go completely off the rails as far as Weight Watchers is concerned but I also wanted to eat decently - I had Chicken Tortilla Soup for a starter... and then had Tomato Soup for my meal! I know - what a weirdo, right? We popped over to Target and I actually managed to leave having made ZERO purchases! Who says miracles don't happen in this day and age?

Saturday was a pretty lovely day - the weather was nice and the sun was out all day long! I ended up getting really into my exercise and stayed on the elliptical for longer than I'd planned but it felt good when I got off, ha-ha! After showering and having a quick lunch, I spent a good chunk of the afternoon on the back deck working on my Beth Moore study and just soaking up the sunshine!

I got myself put together for the Speed Dating and honestly y'all - I was pretty proud of myself because I am always so nervous about social events but I just hopped in my car, headed over to the church and went for it! It actually went really well and wasn't hard at all to just start chatting with total strangers - I almost felt like an extrovert, ha-ha! I feel like it went well and all I'll say for now is that we shall see what happens....

This dog - sits on the couch like he's a human.

Sunday morning is when I do my weigh in for Weight Watchers and y'all - I am down twenty-one pounds since I started back at the beginning of the year! I am just really loving my accomplishments with it so far - and so I plan to just keep on going! It's nice to be feeling healthier and it's especially nice to see my clothes getting baggier! 

Sunday was another gorgeous day and the temperatures got up to almost 60, so after church, lunch and grabbing some groceries for the week - I loaded up my pup and headed to check out the Strasburg River Walk! I've lived in the area for almost six years and haven't ever been to check this walking path out... although I do remember watching fireworks in the park with my family before I moved from Mississippi to Virginia...

My pup may be getting older but he is always up for adventure and he was so happy to be hopping around in nature - he loves anything and everything outside! Of course, within 10 minutes of setting out his retractable leash decided to give up on life and I had to do 1.75 of the 2 miles with the leash wrapped around my hand. *sigh* We survived though!

The Winter has been so mild and honestly - this California born and Mississippi raised girl isn't minding that so much! I am more than looking forward to Spring and I mentioned to my Dad that he and I needed to introduce my Mom to the Stony Man hike in the National Park - she wasn't with us when we originally did it and the views are spectacular! Sounds like an outing for a Spring day to me!

I rounded out the weekend with a quick supper, watching the newest episode of Outlander and taking my Sunday evening bubble bath! I started watching the show The Stranger on Netflix and ended up watching the second episode of that after getting my clothes and general "life stuff" together for the week ahead and then I spent some time reading before going to sleep!

I cannot believe this is the last week of February! I know some of my friends mentioned January seemed to last forever and while it didn't seem quite so long to me, I know that February has absolutely flown by! 

Five on Friday

It's Friday once more - and thankfully this work week has seemed rather quick - which may be because it was just a four day work week! I don't have too much planned for this weekend...but the one thing I do have planned... well - you'll see.

One. Opening Day is Set - Opening Day at Nationals Park is on April 2nd (also my Dad's birthday) and we have our tickets! I am so excited I could squeal... maybe I did squeal when I found out we had tickets, ha-ha! The Nationals have spread out the championship goodness for the first week of April games but we will get to see the unveiling of the championship banner on Opening Day!

Plus - having attended Opening Day last year for the first time - I kind of want it to be a tradition that I can continue for years to come... hopefully one day with my spouse and then a kid (or two)...

Two. All the Deals - Loft has been having some really spectacular sales this week and I have taken advantage of that! Granted, I know that the Winter weather is going to be on the way out soon - but I couldn't resist the swingy blue and white sweater and the gray heart-patterned sweater with puffed sleeves! And the gray sweatshirt with lace detailing is perfect for dressing up a pair of jeans - you can get away with wearing a sweatshirt and still look "fancy".

  

Do y'all have a favorite store? I think Loft has become one of my very favorites in the past month and I just cannot resist a good sale. 

Three. Speed Dating - This is the thing y'all. The one thing on my agenda this weekend and to say it makes me feel a little bit anxious would be like saying there's water in the ocean! *face palm* My church is hosting this event and I'm thrilled for the opportunity to meet some other single people but my somewhat shy self (my friends have adamantly informed me that I am NOT an introvert, so shy it is...) is also freaking out a little bit inside...

I'm sure when all is said and done, I'll look back on the whole thing with a smile - and maybe more - who knows? But for now, if you're the praying kind and you read this - feel free to offer up a word of calm for me. Or just good vibes! 

Four. A Little Tax Treat - I think I've established my love for Game of Thrones and when I got my tax return, while most of it went towards savings and my tithe... I did get myself a little something! Well - it actually ended up being a lot larger than I thought but still, you get my drift!

I purchased the Game of Thrones Collector's Edition Set and it arrived last week - it's absolutely beautiful! It's all housed in a wood box with a Hand of the King pin that closes the box. The discs are stored in pull out "sleeves" that have some of the art work done by Robert Ball throughout the eight seasons of Game of Thrones and on the back of the box it has the classic line - When You Play the Game of Thrones, You Win or You Die."

Five. Books - Another thing I love so very much is books! I can't get enough and I recently ordered a few on Amazon to read in the coming months! I got: Miracles & Other Reasonable Things by Sarah Bessey, The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern and The Wondering Years by Knox McCoy! I also pre-ordered On The Bright Side by Melanie Shankle - so I have plenty to read in the next few weeks!

  

If you're wondering what inspired those choices - I've heard so many excellent things about Miracles... and I read Madeline Miller's other book; Circe, last Fall. I enjoy Greek Mythology and her stories are set in that world. I just read the description of Starless Sea and thought it sounded fabulous and the final two are both authored by people who host podcasts I've listened to for years!

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It's the second to last weekend in February - technically the last full weekend in February - and who knows what excitement the weekend could hold? I'm going to do my best to enjoy every minute of it!

Watson Wednesday

This pup! He is certainly very like me - in that he very much loves peanut butter!

I Do Love a Long Weekend...

Tuesday already - how time does fly. Y'all, I definitely started this post on Tuesday and I just couldn't get into it. I also was so busy at work that I barely had time to look at anything else... So this post is a multi-day post, ha-ha!

Thank goodness for a long weekend - right? I think I already posted a picture of my flowers but I definitely loved getting some bright blooms on Friday and they are still going strong - there's a picture of them at the end of the post too! 

My Friday/Valentine's Day wasn't really anything too special but that's alright. I ended up getting in some exercise, having carry-out from Mission BBQ for dinner (turkey & baked beans for the win!) and then settling onto my couch to watch the first episode of the fifth season of Outlander! I enjoyed some delicious macarons while I watched; a Valentine's Day gift from my younger sister, and I thoroughly enjoyed the newest episode all about my favorite Scot and his time-traveling wife!

It certainly wasn't the most glamorous or thrilling way to spend Valentine's Day - but there's always next year, right? 

Saturday morning; try as I might, I couldn't really sleep very late. *sigh* I suppose it was for the best though because I was able to have coffee and breakfast, get my exercise in and get myself together before heading up the mountainside to spend the afternoon with my friend Katie and her growing family. She made some divine Broccoli and Cheddar Soup and I spent the afternoon catching up with her, eating good food and playing with trains, a miniature kitchen and Lightning McQueen - with the sweetest little boy that calls me "Aunt Natalie".

We also watched The Polar Express - because what else would you watch in mid-February? When you're two and a half, it doesn't matter that the movie you want to watch is a Christmas movie. Anything goes - especially when you have a cozy lap to sit in! The temperature on Saturday hovered around the mid-20's, so when I headed back down the mountain, I was more than glad to put on my warmest lounge clothes, eat some toasty dinner and curl up on my couch to finish the third season of The Good Place. 

Sunday was a really laid back day - I couldn't sleep in too late on Sunday either... blah. After coffee, I got myself put together and headed to church and then joined my parents for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was spent doing a whole lot of nothing... if I'm being honest. I ended up reading a bit, organizing and putting some things away, exercising and generally just being a bit lazy. I took a few longer walks with the pup because it was really beautiful outside on Sunday - almost 55 degrees and sunny - a drastic change from Saturday!

I did sleep in on Monday - you've got to love a three day weekend! I was so thrilled to get to sip my coffee with no real agenda... so much so that I decided to try out a Weight Watchers recipe for pancakes made with a banana and two eggs. They have no points and so that's where the motivation came from.. They were fine. I think next time I'd add some cinnamon and vanilla to maybe kick the flavor up a bit and I'll need some I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray to add that little bit of "seasoning" to the finished product.

I decided to take advantage of the day off and convinced my Mum that we needed to go do a little shopping. We started at Loft - where everything was 40% off, so I grabbed an embellished sweatshirt and a seriously precious sweater! We popped into Talbot's where a majority of the store was 70% off and I ended up with a precious black hound-sooth dress that was originally $120 but with the sales - it was $27! It was also a size smaller than what I've been wearing - so that was also a major win!

We had lunch at Olive Garden and then I grabbed two really cute dresses that will pair well with leggings, tights and even bare legs once Spring comes - both were on sale for 50% off! I also got my friend a little something for her upcoming baby girl and then we popped into TJMaxx, where I picked up a Spring purse for just $16! Our final stop was Home Goods and like an old lady - I bought a memory foam back support for the car... ha-ha! Who am I?

Once we came home, I did some cleaning up in my little bathroom and kitchen, did some exercise and had dinner. After a shower, reading for about an hour and watching the newest episode of Home Town - the long weekend came to a close. *sigh*

Five on Friday

One. Happy Valentine's Day - Well, this is traditionally not one of my favorite days on the calendar but that's alright... I suppose. I don't know if I'll ever be a huge fan of Valentine's Day but I'll get back to you on that one, ha-ha! I did get some really lovely flowers from a co-worker that have been brightening my desk all day and there's a gift with my name on it sitting on the coffee table at home.

 

I don't really have any plans for Valentine's Day - but then again, what exactly does one do when they are perpetually single on Valentine's Day? I do believe I'll be watching the first episode of Season Five of Outlander while snuggled up on my couch. 

Two. Stitch Fix Updates - I am a diehard fan of Stitch Fix and they've recently made some updated that I really am loving! They've started a service called "Shopping" that puts together outfits with pieces you've already purchased and items that you can buy in their shop to complete the outfits they are suggesting. The new outfit recommendations are created each day!

I am really loving this feature because for most of the offerings, I usually own enough similar pieces that I can create the looks without having to purchase additional clothing items - and that's always a win! If you haven't ever tried Stitch Fix, I cannot recommend it enough - it is absolutely my favorite!

Three. Macarons - It's such a small thing but my younger sister sent me some macarons for Valentine's Day and I must say, I was absolutely thrilled! Not only are macarons one of my favorite little treats but on Weight Watchers - each macaron only has two points! I savored the first three yesterday - Pistachio, Chocolate and Blood Orange!

I'm looking forward to enjoying the other three tonight - and of course, I'm sure Watson will be lurking nearby when I decide to eat them! He was certainly hanging around when I opened them!

Four. Sunset Snapshots - The sunset last night was absolutely stunning! There was a cold front moving in and it made for some pretty vivid colors to spread themselves out along the horizon as the sun set!

I'm not a huge fan of Winter but I do think that somehow the sunsets are just a little more vivid when it's cold out. So I suppose that's a point in it's favor.

Five. Spring Training - The Nationals started Spring Training earlier this week with Pitchers and Catchers reporting on the 12th, so the unofficial season is off and running. The awkwardness is bound to be a thing since the Nationals share a training facility with the very team they beat in the World Series - the trash can banging, sign-stealing cheater Houston Astros.

So far the Nationals haven't said too much about the incident - and why would they? They beat the Astros, won the World Series and have moved on to bigger and better things. I'd love to see the Astros actually apologize (because what they did yesterday was NOT that) but then again - if they never do - the Nationals won when it's all said and done. I'm so looking forward to warmer weather and baseball season!

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Y'all - it's Friday and it's almost the start of a three day weekend! *cheers* I have some plans here and there this weekend but nothing much that's concrete. I'm thinking I might want to go see the movie Downhill because it looks pretty funny but otherwise - there's no telling what I'll get up to! I'm just so glad this week has been 100% better than last week!

Y'all have a good weekend!

Watson Wednesday

Flashback! I cannot believe this picture is from seven years ago! Time absolutely flies and this little dog has changed so much in seven years! 

I Confess...

I confess - this post is 80% pictures of my dog. I spent a lot of the weekend with my dog, so that's likely why most of this post is of my dog. Honestly, after last week - all I needed was a weekend with not a lot going on and that's exactly what this past weekend was. So - thank goodness for that.

Friday night I joined my Dad for dinner at our favorite Mexican spot and since I had free cheese dip - I indulged a bit in that. I've been doing Weight Watchers for almost six weeks now and let me tell you, cheese dip isn't necessarily "point friendly" but it was delicious. We made a quick pit stop at Wal-Mart for essentials, I finished the final season of The Man in the High Castle and I ended up going to be early - which I found to be perfectly lovely.

Saturday was just a completely relaxed day - I slept in, had coffee, exercised, talked on the phone with family, did some house cleaning, worked on the Bible study I'm doing with my church group, watched a little TV, did some reading, cooked some chili for dinner and ended up watching some XFL. It was essentially a whole lot of doing little things here and there - but again - it was just nice to have the freedom to decide that if I wanted to sit on the couch for an hour and read... I could do that.

My parents got their new furniture delivered and Watson took to the new furniture immediately. He fell in love with it and proceeded to crawl up on the couch beside me to watch some XFL on Saturdya night. The chili I made had ground turkey instead of beef - because it's healthier - and honestly, it was just so delicious. My Dad and I polished it off and so sadly, there were no leftover to have another day. *sigh*

Sunday morning was coffee, church and then lunch at Applebee's - and after a little bit of an afternoon respite to read and work on Bible study, it was back to church again for a bit to attend the annual Vision meeting. I popped into Martin's on the way home to grab a few grocery items, got in some exercise and had dinner before watching multiple episodes of Home Town.

It was a really chill weekend and I needed that this past weekend. The Nationals released their schedule earlier today and I've already got a list of games to attend and once Spring arrives, the weekends will likely be filled with things - so these Winter weekends where there isn't much to do, I'm okay with that.