Gym Essentials

My husband and I just signed up for a gym. When we lived in an apartment I could run on the treadmill at the apartment gym whenever I wanted or even walk to the grocery store. Now we're in the middle of nowhere with no gym or grocery store within walking distance and I'm getting kinda lazy. So we signed up for a gym and it's just a 10 minute drive away.  I'm excited about getting back into to shape, and I want to be super prepared!

Whether I'm running on the treadmill, taking a barre class, doing this kettlebell workout, or having an impromptu jog in the park, I need a gym bag that's packed and ready to go.  These are my gym must-haves:

Old Navy Foldover Yoga Pants - $16
comfy yoga pants

C9 by Champion Ankle Socks - $8.50
cute athletic socks

C9 by Champion Athletic Shoes - $23.99
running shoes

Rockland Giraffe Print Duffle Bag - $16.00
fun gym bag

Goody Ouchless Hair Elastics - $9.58
plenty of hair elastics

Lady Speed Stick 24/7 Fresh Fusion Antiperspirant - $2.98
deodorant

Gummy Bears Ear Buds - $9.99
ear buds to listen to music on the treadmill, these are so cute!

C9 by Champion Women's Short-Sleeve Tech Tee - $11.04
athletic shirt made of moisture wicking fabric

Rubbermaid 20 Oz. Chug Bottle - $4.94
my water bottle

Lara Bars - $1.59 per bar ($25.46 per box)
raw bars in peanut butter, cookie dough, even pumpkin!

Friday Favorites ~ volume 4

It's Friday again!  So I rounded up some more of my favorite things! ♥

Peppermint Mocha Coffee Creamer

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I've never been a fan of hot liquids, but I've been drinking coffee more often and trying to find ways to make it taste better.  Thankfully seasonal creamers are popping up on grocery store shelves, so I picked up some peppermint mocha creamer.  Coffee plus this creamer and a few pieces of ice is all I need to start my day off right!

Menchie's Magic Spoons

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I'm kind of obsessed with these.  The spoons start out white and then change color when they get cold.  My husband and I stopped by the other day to cheer ourselves up after our canceled house viewing.  We got a "green" Menchie spoon and a "blue" Mookie spoon.  I would like to eventually get a spoon that turns pink and one that turns purple.  As for characters, I need to get Mellow, PB, Sprinkle, Chip, Barry and Kiwi.  It looks like there'll be a lot more frozen yogurt in my future. ;)

Candy Cane Sugar Scrub

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I know it's still pumpkins and apples season but I'm posting not one but two peppermint friday favorites.  I saw this sugar scrub on Pinterest the other day and am really looking forward to making it.  I love the idea of candy canes, but I have never actually been able to eat a whole candy cane, let alone the whole package.  So this is a great DIY project to use up all those leftover candy canes and smell like one too!  The instructions don't call for crushed candy canes, but they can be easily added or substituted.

Miniature Clay Food Jewelry

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I really want to start making miniature cakes and sweets out of polymer clay.  It looks like a lot of fun and I could turn them into earrings and necklaces and sell them on etsy.  I already have some of the supplies.  I hope to have a few things made up to show on the blog next week.

DIY Halloween Hangers

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These are so cute.  I love the playful retro feel of the designs.  I need new hangers and how fun would it be to make a bunch of colorful wooden hangers with cute designs.  These are for Halloween, but I'm thinking the possibilities are endless: pumpkins for the fall clothes, candy canes for sweaters, beach balls for summer tops, etc.

Looking for a house is like looking for a dog!

My husband and I are looking for a house.  Every time we find a house we love, it gets sold to someone else before we can even make an appointment to see it in person.  We did eventually get a dog, actually two.  So I know we'll get a house.  Hopefully not two! 

This was our journey for a dog
December: We saw Buster and Toy online, but didn't contact anyone. They got adopted while we were still deciding if we wanted them or not.

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January 16: We fell in love with Rowdy online and sent in an application, but he got adopted before our application could even be processed! :(

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February 7: We sent in an application for Pearl after seeing her picture on facebook.  So did a bunch of other people.  We never had a chance!

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February 26: The rescue that had Buster, Toy and Rowdy offered us Bit Bit.  It wasn't a sure thing, so we continued looking at other dogs and rescues.

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March 1: We applied for Roly.

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March 9: We picked up Roly AND Bit Bit.  Now we have 2 dogs!

(source: personal picture)

This is our journey for a house ... so far
August 30: We saw this house online and planned to see it in person when my husband's job started a few weeks later.  The house is near his aunt, so she drove by to see it and there was an "under contract" sign in front of it. 

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September 27:  We got pre-approved for a mortgage and started seriously browsing houses online.  We fell in love with this house that was just listed that day!  We set an appointment to see the house only 4 days later.  A few hours before our appointment we got a call that the house was just sold. :(

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So now we're just playing the waiting game.  Waiting for a house we love to go up for sale.  It's a helpless feeling, but the longer we wait, the more money we can save up for a down payment.  I feel like we're really close, maybe we'll find our dream house next month.