Words To Remember. Words To Live By.

For those days that seem to last forever, or the moments that I can't seem to forget, all I'm going to do is remember that things will only get better.

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I tend to do every single one of these, and have found that this is what makes most people annoyed with me.  Not that I'm going to change myself for the sake of making others happy but it would be nice to look here and be reminded that this all in the same could make me a better person.

A Start To A Better Me...And You!

I am definetly not the smallest girl I know, and for as long as I can remember I have always tried to hit that goal weight and failed...miserably.

I am naturally (well for the most part) a healthy eater, but I am known to grab a bite from Chic-Fil-A or Cook-Out...you know that nights.

I would like to get to a healthy weight where I both feel and look healthy, and I'm sure I'm not the only one!



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For starters,

The good and the bad.  What we should and should not do!



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 I have always been told that running is the way to go, but after running in High School, lets just say it kills! So I'm going to start brisk walking, which is the light portion of the picture above.



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I love when someone takes the time to make it easy!

I will admit that I do not exercise everyday, and what I consider exercise is walking quickly around Taco Mac when I'm working, or walking briskly to my classes because I'm in such a hurry and don't want to be late.  So I'll admit, this plan is my "first step".



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For those that can't make time to go to the gym, like myself, I have found a few things to do at home, no weights needed!

And...

 last but not least, if we are working to better our bodies and our health, why not work on our skin while we are at it!



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It's definetly nice when the things that we need to use to better ourselves taste great!

Maybe I'll start tonight...or better yet, lets be realistic and say Saturday!





He Sure Fooled Us.

Opie is a handful!

When we brought him home from South Carolina we were unsure what to expect.  The quiet, sleepy, cooperative boy that he introduced us to was a sneak into the life we would not have with Opie.

The one thing that has stayed consistent is him sleeping through the night.  Of all that is definitely a blessing.  I don't know what I would do if he wasn't allowing us to sleep through the night.

Yet quiet is far from the truth!

Our little Opie, the one we were unsure knew how to bark, uses his powerful bark to let us know everything! When he wants attention, when he wants to be picked up, when he wants to go outside.  It's very confusing trying to differentiate between them all.

The hardest part is probably trying to get all of his energy out.  For a second, I thought maybe we should get another puppy in the next year, now I'm starting to think that is NOT a good idea.  Thanks to our friends who own animals themselves, and allow us to show up at their homes for a play date at a moments notice, I don't know what I would do without them.

Not only do we get a break from trying to keep him busy, he has another dog(s) to play with and we usually end up leaving with him asleep on our laps for the ride home.

This here is Opie, gathering our friends dogs toys, after burying them in the corners, only to gaurd them from all who came near.

Because our friends were not using the bed, they allowed us to take it home.  As you can see, he does the same thing at home with his toys.

Looks like we may need to work on sharring.

Next on the list...Dog Training Classes!
Hopefully they can help us learn how to keep him from going to the bathroom inside.

The Drink.

I like to think I am a fairly cheap date, in the sense that I don't mind paying for myself and if a drink is offered, I usually go the beer route.

But when I get those chances to go out with the girls, my drink of choice is...

Vodka Red bull

• 2 oz of vodka
• 8 oz Red Bull energy drink

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I am not much of a vodka drinker, but for some reason I can easily sip this delicious drink away, no problem.

Welcome Home!

Wow has it been awhile!

I feel though that this time I have an excuse.

First, Valentines with Ryan was celebrated a little early.  We went to Carrabas for dinner and ate way to much food!

We devoured the first basket of bread that was brought to the table and said yes to a second basket, which arrived at the same time as our appetizer.

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Yummy Calamari!

Once finishing the last few, we were served our salads then our meals.  Luckily for me I had food for lunch the next day!

We then scooted over to Concord Mills to see Chronicle.



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The movie was so-so, but Ryan liked it and then that was all that mattered because the next day (Monday) Ryan and I woke around 10:30 a.m. to pick up the newest addition to our apartment and one of the best Valentine's Day gifts yet!

OPIE

Sorry he is a little sideways here! Picking up Opie was so exciting! We drove all the way to South Carolina to get him, and as the lady handed him over all I could do was love him.

He was very dirty when we picked him up, so our friend Kortney let us give him a bath at her house once we returned to Charlotte.  The bath water was literally black from all the dirt and grime.  We then brought him to our friend Kristen and Dustin's house, where we gave him two more baths.  The poor guy didn't know what to do!

He was so tired!

He slept for two whole days, aside from the moments that Ryan and I would wake him up to go outside, the vet, or to play.

It wasn't long till his eyes were shut and he was sleeping...again!



Now that he is up-to-date on his shots, and his sleep, he is all play!

Making friends with everyone he is coming into contact with

leaving no one un-kissed.

Peace, Love, And Beer.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!

It's been a few weeks since I enlightened you all with a brewery like this one here and here.

Since we have cover my top two breweries, I feel it's only fair to give my third all time favorite!

Today's Brewery: 



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Mother Earth, a name that originated from two men listening to their rock-n-roll vinyl albums, some dating back to the year 1965, when they stumbled across the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.  

Those two men, Stephen Hill and Trent Mooring,



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both from Kinston, NC, decided to take their creativity and love of beer to a whole new level.  Staying true to their name, Mother Earth, they decided to stay green in each process.  For example, when choosing a locating there in Kinston, they decided that instead of tearing down a building to build a new one, they would buy said old building and enhance it giving it the TLC it needed through using environmentally friendly construction material.

How was this done you ask?

To name only a few things, they used a 100% recyclable product to insulate the walls called blue jean insulation.  This insulation is literally made out of old denim.  They also used soy-based foam insulation for the ceiling of the second floor, and low voc paint for the walls.

The list literally continues, and if you would like to know more about what they used in the building, beer, etc., go here.

Now for the beer!



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Weeping Willow Wit

A different Belgian wit for those that typically drink Blue Moon or Shock Top. 

This was the second Mother Earth beer I tried after falling in love with Mother Earth's Dark Cloud.

 

Weeping Willow is very light, sweet and crisp. 



I would suggest this beer to those that claim not to like beer but are willing to give it another go.



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Dark Cloud

The first Mother Earth beer I ever tried!

I think most are afraid to try Dark Cloud because of its appearance.  Being a Munich Dunkel, it is darker in color as a dark lager should be, yet like a lager, Dark Cloud is somewhere in the middle of being light and heavy.

 Encompassing a rather earthy taste, I love Dark Cloud for what it brings to the table, unpredictability.

It makes me laugh to watch others try Dark Cloud for the first time as their faces go from fear to surprise, ending with the phrase I love to hear, "Wow! This is good!"



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Sisters Of The Moon 

I was really excited to try Mother Earth's India Pale Ale and as expected, drank every last drop, yearning for another, only to hear myself say I was okay with water.

Sisters of the Moon carries an earthy start, as I'm beginning to think most Mother Earth beers do, exploding into a bitter ride and ending with slightly sweet finish.

 

The first, and only (yet won't be the last), time I tried Sisters of the Moon, was this past Tuesday when Ryan and I went to Raleigh for his grandpa's 92nd birthday. Not a beer for everyone but definitely one all should try if offered or available.

If you are going to friends/families home today to watch the Superbowl, be sure to pick up Mother Earth or try one by building your own pack at the grocery store!

*Background information from Mother Earth Brewery.

The Sandlot.

Every now and then I like to break out The Sandlot quotes.

You know the ones, L7 weenie or how to explain to someone how to make a correct s'more.

As I was attempting these quotes to Ryan, and we were trying to figure out if it was the word cracker or graham that Ham used to describe the graham cracker, the movie came on!
Even with 19 years between now and the year it was released, it is still a great, funny movie.

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Waking up the next day in a groggy state, I found myself wearing a baseball tee, jeans and a pair of converses.
Thank you Sandlot, for not only being amazing past your time, but being the inspiration for my outfit the following day.