Target!

I just wanted to give you guys a quick update! The new job is going great, I got the role I wanted in guest experience (making customers happy) and softlines (apparel and accessories) I'll be cross trained to hold both positions and lead both teams. It's a great place to start and just learning about what an amazing company target is makes me so excited to have an executive position with them right off the bat!

I know this job will be challenging, and have it's ups and downs and even now it's challenging being not only new to retail, but fresh out of college, and new to target (half of the people in my training group were internal promotions), it's exhausting! Plus, I have to be at work at 6am tomorrow, so I will update you as I can, but for now, I'm letting my brain rest! :)

Happy Tuesday!

A Big Ole' Mooch!

The day began differently than I thought…

What was different??

Nope, not breakfast….

Not getting ready….

Check out how LL.Bean we are with our matching electric toothbrushes….

It was this!!!

See, Jodi somehow talked me into taking the day off of writing and going down to my parents house for the day. My Aunt Caril and Uncle Tim were down too, so I got to spend some time laughing with the girls!

Took her all of 5 minutes, before I just thought, "Oh what the hell."

I'm not mad.

Especially not at this...

Or this...

Or this...

Or how about these….

Ahhhh…what?! It's lunch time?! 

Lunch on the water??? Hmmm….

Ok.

Pop's!

Salad with ranch and honey mustard...

And garden burger! Small but mighty.

How cute is this???

 Ope!! Shwhat do we have here???

It's a boat! No, it's a whale! No, it's a scuba diver!

Nope!!!! It's Mooch!!!! Did I tell you about the dolphin from Florida Land in the 70's?? Well, if I didn't, long story short, this dolphin has been coming up to boats because he was taught to in the 1970s when he was an attraction at the park!

Here he is…

Hiiii buddy!!!! I wanna take you home!!!!!

Went home to a homemade meal by Jodi herself. Justin's requests…sloppy joes and cheese dip…plus corn and leftover salad!!!

Delish!!

Ready to finish that paper and get on with my life! Night peeps!

If smoothies in a beer mug are wrong, I don't wanna be right.

Smoothie with berries, banana, coconut, spinach topped with granola, blackberries, flaxseed and peanut butter. In a beer mug. Nuff Said.

No but seriously, in all honesty, the beer mug rocked!

Wanna know why? 

Well, I'll tell you anyway. Because you could hold the handle (instead of the mug part) to keep your hand from getting cold while you eat!

It was perfect scooping angles too. Good stuff.

It's the simple things.

You guys will be so proud of me. Today, I wrote ten pages of my paper!

I am now officially up to exactly 60 pages. I like to have my big papers end on even numbers, I'm just sure it's good luck!

So, I'm going to send it to my professors tonight, and say, I'm sorry if you wanted something different/more because it's exactly 60 pages, and I can't ruin that.

Sorry Charlie.

Holy moley, my brain is faaahhh-ried. I can't talk, I can't stare, I can't even drool.

Britty spacial.

Ok, anyway, lunch was leftovers from yesterday…

Parmesan brussel sprouts, pasta, chicken sausage, and cheese! Well rounded, just like my tummy is getting :) 

From food, not babies people, don't get all excited.

BodyPump!

Then back to paper writing. I miss getting my exercise from just walking around, exploring europe instead of sitting down all day at a computer and working out for like 45 minutes.

I saw this today and thought it was too heart wrenching not to share.

The night before the burial of her husband 2nd Lt. James Cathey of the United States Marine Corps, killed in Iraq, Katherine Cathey refused to leave the casket, asking to sleep next to his body for the last time. The Marines made a bed for her, tucking in the sheets below the flag. Before she fell asleep, she opened her laptop computer and played songs that reminded her of "Cat", and one of the Marines asked if she wanted them to continue standing watch as she slept.
"I think it would be kind of nice if you kept doing it" she said.
"I think that's what he would have wanted".

-Not sure what is more honorable: Being married to this faithful wife to the end or the Marine standing next to the casket watching over them both.

Makes me sooo grateful to have people in my life that I adore that are safe, but also makes you remember to make the days count because someday, you'll only have days left to count.

So, I made mine count today and spent some time with my pumpkin pants. Don't tell him I called him that, he'll be humiliated!

I made him and him mom and me a wholesome dinner of panko crusted tilapia using this recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/panko-crusted-tilapia-219784

garlic mashed "potatoes" aka mashed cauliflower using this recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/george-stella/mock-garlic-mashed-potatoes-recipe/index.html

look how real they look!

 Justin even ate all of his. So proud.

and a salad with spinach, olive oil, fruit, nuts, croutons made with toasted sandwich thins, flaxseed, and feta cheese.

Poifect!

So, my mom called today for more planning on our store...we now have a line that she loves and would like to have as the main home line provider!

Then, she explained, that she had talked to the hotel in Turks and Caicos and they are sending excursions for us to look at doing while we're there…HELLO SCUBA STEVE!!!!

Then, she of course went on to explain that the lady was stocking the bar to our liking (something they do for the cabin guests there)…."totally normal"….

Maybe I'm expecting too much????…..rightt….

Don't mind if I do!!!

And we have a butler all week at our service!!!! (again, all the cabins do, we're not special, but still)… holy butler. WHO HAS A BUTLER?! not me. ever. Justin can't even put his dishes in the sink.

If you thought I made it through the day without an apple (for once in my life), you'd be wrong…

I had one after lunch. Sorry to disappoint folks.

Guess you could say they're the apple…of my eye.

Don't hate just because Snow White ruined their reputation for everyone.

Way to go S. Dubs

Night!

Aargh you ready for Gasparilla?!

I woke up super late today, I slept until 10! I guess I needed it…but wow.

Apples with whipped cream, pumpkin, gingerbread granola, fiber cereal, and some other stuff…

I wish I wouldn't have slept in so long because my mom had to leave as soon as I woke up! :(

Bye mom! Come back!!

So, I worked on my stupid POS muther f-in awesome project for a good while, then headed to the gorshey store to stock up our cabinets! I have not been since I left for Europe, so our cabinets were in need of a good lovin'. 

I had a slight delay though. I mixed up a Hawaiian Punch packet with water and took one sip sitting in my car….

Ummm…guess I didn't put the lid tight on enough….

Dangnabit!!!! Grrrrrrr…

I had to run upstairs to change, then continued on to get copious amounts of produce and stuff foe home cooked meals (oh how I've missed you!)...

First home cooked meal- parmesan brussel sprouts and spinach

Plus yogurt with blackberries, chocolate rice cakes, frozen nanners, and chia seeds…

Holy yum! It feels good to cook for myself again…

After more work on the paper (wow, my week has been nothing but this damn paper so far…sorry to have nothing interesting to report)….

I went for a run on bayshore!

And wait…

just a dog gone minute….

I do have something interesting to report!!!

I saw a pirate ship on my run!!!

Well I'll be. How many times do you get to say that in a lifetime? 

Only every year the week of Gasparilla.

Here's a bit about Gasparilla...

HISTORY OF GASPARILLA– The Legend
Gasparilla sounds like an exotic drink...or perhaps even a rare, tropical flower. But, as any Tampa resident can attest, "Gasparilla" means boats, pirates, parades, merriment and more. It means January is here, and the city's illustrious festival celebration is, once again, about to begin.
Gasparilla...the pirate. The name and foundation of Tampa's traditional Gasparilla Carnival come from legendary pirate Jose Gaspar, "last of the Buccaneers," who terrorized the coastal waters of West Florida during the late 18th and early 19th century. Gaspar, given to calling himself "Gasparilla," served as a lieutenant in the Royal Spanish Navy for five years until 1783 when, upon seizing command of a Spanish sloop-of-war, he with his fellow mutineers set sail for the Florida straits. And so the young Spanish aristocrat-turned-pirate began an adventurous life as outlaw of the sea

Now here's what you really need to know….

Debauchery and pirates. A solid combo. I've never been, but Justin went last year and can't tell me anything about it, because he doesn't remember. So, I know it's good. :)

Annnddd… on that note, if you've never changed your language to "pirate" on facebook, go ahead and do it now. Aaargghh!! Aye said do er' now mateys!!!!

Anywayyssssss…dinner was another home cooked meal sponsored by yours truly!

Steamed carrots with butter and salt and pepper (both J and I raved about these..maybe it's just been a while since we had real home made food)… and pasta with spinach, mozzarela chicken sausage, basil and sundried tomato feta cheese (where have you been all my life?!), and mushroom marinara sauce.

It was awesome to sit down at the table, just the two of us and have a real live conversation about everything going on in our lives right now! Both of us have been running around like madmen.

Then, he went to have a drink with his mom at Channelside, and I resumed position writing.

Boo.

At least I had snacks to keep me company.

Wow, that sounds soooo sad.

Grapes, veggie chips, and La Croix (I'm really trying to like it, I am, but it's just so hard)….

I chugged through about 5 more pages of writing and research, then headed to bed!

Orphan Brownie

What's that you say??

You missed my morning bowls of puke while I was abroad???

Ok, ok….

Geez, you don't have to be so needy about it.

The first part of today was spent pumpin' it out at BodyPump. Gosh, I missed having mus-kuhls. 

I can actually feel them again! Yay!

After a quick shower and some quality time on my paper, I took Jodi to see our new house!

And guess who was there?! My BFF Robert (aka the guy doing all the work on our house)…

He had already painted the dining room, living room, bedroom, 

man cave,

 bathroom,

It's grey and white, kinda looks black in this pic...

and front porch floor!

I was hoping to see what the turquoise and white rooms looked like, but he still needed to confirm the color choice, so I think Justin and I are going to stop by Friday to see what's up!

After the new house, my mama came up to meet us for lunch and shopping (our new house is surrounded by home stores, and she couldn't stand it anymore, she had to make a special trip :)

We went to Datz, I know you guys have heard about it from me before, but it's just so good every time!

I had a seriously flavorful Chicky Noodle Soup...

I hate when soup looks oily in pics, I swear it wasn't…

And the "Lettuce Entertain You" salad 

It had cherry tomatoes, chunks of gouda cheese, candied pecans, strawberries, craisins, and turkey! So fresh.

Ope! Shwhat do we have here????

Is that a giant homemade ding dong I see???? Why Yes. Yes it is….

Although there were many friends to take home, we thought this one (the GIANT brownie) looked especially lonely.

So, we did the only thing our conscious would allow- take him home to make some friends.

At home, he made friends with Whipped Cream, Frozen Banana, and Hot Chocolate. They're all hanging out in my stomach now. They're having a blast.

Party in my stomach.

Wait…who brought the beer?!

Anyway, I didn't indulge in shopping because I wanted to get a good chunk of the paper done, so I went home.

My mom came home later and the three of us got pizza and watched The Bachelor.

Mmmmmmmm….

So, Courtney make anyone else want to punch a baby? Oh my lord, that girl is the most vindictive, evil, terrible thing I've ever seen. I HATE that he can't see past it!

C'MON Ben!!!

Tell me she doesn't look crazy.

Ok, I'm done with my rant.

Happy Monday!