Married To Flight School

I have had people ask me when I find the time to blog. I have a full-time job, a husband, and a dog. While I'm not juggling 5 children in the mix, I am also not laying in bed all day watching TV. How do I manage to find time to blog? Well, it's simple. I'm married to flight school.

Parker and I joke that he will be in training forever because he literally picked the longest training pipeline he could have. Any other route would have gotten him out of training and into the fleet sooner. He's been in training over 2 years and still has about a year and a half to go. That's the length of my entire college career. Parker graduated from college just like I did, but he jumped right back into school when he commissioned as a student aviator. This is his dream job and he is so happy to be here, but the school part can be tough on both of us. 

When most people graduate, they get a typical 8-5 job. That's what I did. I start working at 8 AM every day, and I shut down at 5 PM every day. This means I have 5 PM until I got to sleep around 11 PM to do whatever I want. I can watch TV, work-out, make dinner, etc. I have clearly defined lines of when I will be working and when I won't each day. Parker's schedule could not be more different than mine. Some days he has class until 5 PM and then comes home to study the information he learned for the rest of the evening. Some days he has a flight at 5:30 AM and is home mid-morning, only to begin studying for tomorrow's flight. Parker has the opposite of an 8-5 schedule.

This difficult schedule could be a blessing in disguise because we genuinely get excited to hang out with each other. We can't just spend every evening together that we want to. Parker made a commitment, and his job right now is to complete flight school. Because of this, we have become pretty good at taking advantage of the time we have together. Thankfully, the man has to eat, so I am usually guaranteed at least 15 minutes with him each night, assuming he doesn't have a night flight. 

Yes, it's an adjustment, but this is just how our life works. We don't really know anything different, so it's our job to play the hand we were dealt to the best of our ability. As far as blogging though, I'm typically not too pressed for time. With Parker studying/flying so much, I have to have a hobby to keep me occupied besides vegging out and watching TV all night. Blogging has actually been a positive thing for us because it allows me to focus on something other than the fact that my husband is just in the next room but can't hang out.

Right now, I'm married to flight school. This is just a season of our life, and there are a lot of positives about flight school. Exhibit A: He's still in training and thus not deploying yet. I'll take a 15 minute dinner each day over a 10 month separation any day. Like I said before, it also makes us appreciate the moments we do have. I may be writing this on a Wednesday evening with a pup asleep by my side and a husband upstairs studying, but it's not bad at all. I am actually kind of loving this stage of life, flight school and all.

How do you handle conflicting schedules with your significant other?

The Anatomy of a Recipe Post

This little blog of mine is a lifestyle blog documenting Parker's and my journey through Navy life, but I always make sure to share a new recipe each week. I am pretty much the sole food provider in our house, so I love to mix it up and try out new recipes. This blog has been a good motivator for that. If I want to post a new recipe each week, I have to actually try out new recipes. This keeps me from getting into a rut with cooking, something I have definitely been guilty of in the past. I thought I would share with you all today what goes into deciding which recipes to post and how I like to showcase each one. In other words, here is the anatomy of the recipe post, Q&A style. 

Do you blog about every recipe you make?

Definitely not. I would say it's about 50/50. If I can't see myself making a recipe again, I don't share it. If Parker isn't a fan or wouldn't want to eat it again, I don't post it. I would love to say everything I make turns out delicious and perfect, but that's a big fat lie. I only share the good stuff!

Does taking pictures get in the way of cooking?

Not anymore, but it used to. When I started blogging, I was very diligent about taking pictures of the ingredients, process, and end result. That just takes a little too much time. Now, I make the meal and snap a couple of pictures with my DSLR camera right before I serve the plates. I am not going to make Parker wait 15 minutes and let the food get cold just so I can get the perfect picture. A man needs to eat!

How many meals do you cook per week?

This depends on Parker's schedule, but I would say 2-4. If I make something in the crockpot, I count that for two nights because I know we will have leftovers. Since there are only 2 of us, most everything I make yields leftovers. I'm not complaining one bit- that's a night I don't have to spend in the kitchen! I will also say that my inherently lazy side comes out when Parker is gone. I could eat cereal for days and gladly make myself a bowl if I happen to be solo for the evening.

How did you create pictures under the Recipes tab on your blog?

I've been asked this a few times, and it's super simple. I use www.picmonkey.com to create a collage with the picture and text of the recipe name. I then upload the picture to my Recipes tab and link it back to its respective post. I spend under 3 minutes per recipe and typically create the image when the recipe post goes live. 

Do you pin every recipe to Pinterest?

Yes, yes, a thousand times yes. If you like to blog about recipes, Pinterest is your best friend. The highest amount of traffic I get each month is from the Crockpot Cocktail Weenies recipe I posted last Fall, and it's all because I pinned it to Pinterest. Pin your content, folks. 

Where do you find cooking inspiration? 

I usually browse Pinterest or my recipe books if I have the time. If not, I look at the ingredients I have in my refrigerator and try to make something around those. I'd be lying if I said Pinterest isn't my number one source for recipe inspiration though, because it definitely is. 

That's about it I think! I really do love cooking and sharing the recipes I love. I also love getting recipe inspiration from fellow bloggers. There are some great food blogs out there with a recipe for everyone. Step out of your comfort zone and try something new!

 

Spring Fashion with eShakti: $25 Gift Card Giveaway!

I will probably never be a fashion blogger, and that's primarily due to the fact that I bum around in lounge/work-out clothes Monday through Friday, courtesy of working from home. This doesn't mean I don't like to look nice, though. I love getting dressed up for date nights with Parker or dinners with friends. It's fun to get beautified and put on that cute new outfit you've been waiting for an excuse to wear! Enter: eShakti.

Spring/Summer are my favorite times of the year for fashion. There is just nothing cuter to me than a sundress or a light, colorful top over skinny pants. When eShakti gave me the opportunity to go through their gorgeous line of spring dresses, peplum tops, and embroidered tops, I was quite the giddy little shopper. I love that their clothing is traditional while still being unique, and I felt that many of their items fit my style to a tee. I have always preferred classic-looking clothing that will be wearable for years, and that is exactly what eShakti offers! I chose this striped tunic and paired it with my favorite pair of white skinny jeans and brown wedges. I love the subtle nautical look and the cute collar detail at the top. 

Something really unique and cool about eShakti is the fact that all of their clothes are customizable. I am pretty tall for a girl and often have issues with tops being too short. Not only did eShakti make this top specific to my height, but I also got to choose if I wanted the collar, if I wanted pockets, and how long I wanted the top to be. Basically, I got to pick a blouse that I would 100% love everything about! It was no surprise that after putting in my exact measurements and preferences, this top fits me perfectly.

I highly recommend checking out the new arrivals from eShakti and finding that perfect piece to complete your wardrobe. Whether you are dressing for a night on the town or a quiet dinner with friends, eShakti has something for you. They are even offering 15% off site wide through Friday, so hurry hurry!

eShakti

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 eShakti would like to give two lucky readers a $25 gift card to use on anything on their site! The giveaway will only be open to US and Canada residents. Enter below, and good luck!!     a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chicken Souvlaki Gyros

I had the chance of a lifetime to go on a leadership trip glorified vacation to Greece the summer after my sophomore year of college, and I fell in love with the food. Their overuse of feta cheese and propensity to put everything in a pita was perfection. I have never had a gyro like the ones I ate in Greece, but I'll take the Americanized version over nothing. My friend Jimmy recently made this recipe for us, and it was so good that I nabbed the recipe and made it again. When I first read the recipe he used, I almost didn't make it. Anything that calls for lemon juice, white vinegar, and olive oil mixed together just doesn't sound right, but no worries friends, somehow those bizarre ingredients create something delicious. If your looking for a way to change up your dinner menu, give this recipe a try!

Ingredients (serves 4):

Chicken Marinade

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

1/4 cup white vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sage

1/4 tsp savory

1/4 tsp thyme

Tzatziki Sauce
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
**1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 Tbsp dill
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced

Extras
pita pockets
1 tomato, diced
feta cheese, crumbled
1 red onion, sliced
kalamata olives (we aren't olive people, so I left those out)

**Cucumbers are mostly water, so pat your cucumbers dry as best you can to remove excess water from getting into your tzatziki sauce.

Directions:

1. Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Stir in chicken cubes, and refrigerate at least 2 hours before cooking. 

2. Meanwhile, mix all of your tzatziki ingredients together with a whisk. Chill in the refrigerator 2 hours before serving.
3. When you are ready to eat, throw your marinated chicken in the skillet and cook until no longer pink and juices run clear.
4. Take a pita pocket and fill with chicken, extras, and tzatziki sauce to top. Serve and enjoy!

Have you ever had a gyro?

Scenes From Our First Weekend in Corpus Christi

This was our first weekend in our new town that wasn't spent unpacking or traveling to see family, and it was much needed. Sleeping in and having breakfast at noon is hard to beat, and that's exactly how our Saturday went down. 

 

We spent a lot of the weekend hanging out with old and new friends, that is when we weren't oversleeping and watching Downton Abbey like it's our job. We just started that show, and we are hooked. Believe it or not, Parker is actually the one who initially wanted to watch it. Now we both love it and highly recommend it if you're looking for a new show to get into.

 

Saturday was National Margarita Day (who makes up these holidays, really?), so we treated ourselves to our favorite frozen beverage. That was about as active as it got on Saturday. I was still recovering from my 10 mile run earlier that week, so productivity was on the back burner. Speaking of the 10 miler, getting through that run was definitely a milestone. It was my last long run before the half marathon, signifying I had made it through this tiring training process. Pretty cool moment :)

 

Due to the picture on the left, I thought the picture on the right was well deserved. We'll go with it. 

In other news, we finally saw Lone Survivor. We went with some friends, so I apologized beforehand for getting emotional and making everyone around me uncomfortable. To my surprise though, I didn't bawl my eyes out. It's hard to explain, but the movie was so intense that I didn't really have time to get emotional. I am usually really fidgety in movies because I can't get comfortable, but I stayed still the entire time. It was a raw and real depiction of something that actually happened. I thought it was really well cast and very well done. Parker and I had already read the book together, and with the exception of a couple of details towards the end, the movie followed the book very closely. Even if you have seen the movie, I still highly recommend reading the book. I teared up at the end when they showed the real heroes of Operation Red Wings, but how could you not? So thankful for all of those who serve our country.

And a weekend update wouldn't be complete without a little news on our favorite pup. Jenny pretty much looked like this all weekend. She is still recovering from the great rabbit chase of 2014 that she is lucky to have survived, but that's another story for another day.

We hope you all had a great weekend! I spent mine with this guy, so no complaints here!

Fact: We Got Rid of Cable

It's true. There, I said it. Gone are the days of watching hours of HGTV or Sunday movies on ABC Family. Well, at least temporarily. Let's back up...

Once upon a time, a young couple in newlywed bliss ordered DirecTV for a reasonable $48 a month. The young couple enjoyed hours of entertainment in front of the television their first year of marriage and happily paid the very reasonable $48 a month. Just when life seemed too good to be true, well, it suddenly was. Just like that, the honeymoon phase was over, and the blissfully happy married couple of a year was paying $100 a month for their cable. 

Okay, story time is over, but in a nutshell, that's how it went down.

I must say, well played DirecTV. We loved that $48 a month price we got for the first year that we never thought to check that it might double the second year. So I should actually read the fine print before I sign 2 year contracts? Dually noted. 

Paying $1200 a year for cable just kind of made us cringe. Obviously we could never get rid of cable, so we forked over the money each month. Or could we get rid of cable? When we actually sat down to talk about it, we realized living without cable might not be much different than living with cable. We realized that with Hulu and Amazon Prime, we could watch nearly everything we watch with cable. The big exception: sports. Neither of us are big sports watchers, with the exception of Aggie football. We don't miss a game, so that could be a challenge come August.

Since we will only live in Corpus Christi for 4 months, we thought this was the perfect trial period to see how we survive without cable. It's been two weeks, and so far we are still alive. We did order an antenna from Amazon that allows us to watch the main channels (FOX, NBC, ABC, CBS, and a variety of Spanish channels we can't understand). The only minor inconvenience I can report so far is the inability to fast forward through commercials. If that's the only downside to this little experiment at the end of four months, I think we'll consider it a worthwhile endeavor. I'll check in again on this topic as we near the end of our time in Corpus Christi and let you know how we've fared. It should be interesting!

Have you ever thought of ditching cable? Do you think we're nuts for taking the plunge?

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The Boy Behind The Blog: February Edition

Well, it's that time of the month again. You know, it's the time where I ask Parker to answer 5 questions, he gives a sarcastic answer for all of them, and it takes 20 minutes to actually get a real answer. That's about how it went this month, but my trooper husband cooperated for another round of Boys Behind The Blog! 

 

I liked that the questions this month were Olympics/Valentines Day themed. I have gotten way more into the Olympics this year than I thought I would. I always love the summer Olympics and watch swimming, track, and gymnastics like it's my job, but the winter Olympics usually slips under my radar. Parker is the same way. While we haven't been glued to the TV this time around, we have enjoyed watching it in the evenings. Let's be honest, what these athletes are doing is impressive. Okay, curling doesn't seem like it takes a giant amount of athleticism, but it looks fun to play. Anyway, I digress. Without further ado, here is Parker to grace us with his 5 answers to this month's Boys Behind The Blog questions.

 

 

Questions and Answers (my responses to his answers are in grey):

1. If you could live anywhere, where would you live?

My dream house would be on land with animals and a pool that's close to nice things.

Yes Yes Yes. It's hard to pick a specific place we would want to live because I have a feeling we will have lived in a lot of different places when it's all said and done. It's fun to picture the type of house we want to live in though!

2. Sand or snow?

Sand. The question should have been called "happiness or sadness?".

As someone who hates the cold, I couldn't agree more. 

3. What winter Olympic sport would you rock at?

Better question: name a winter Olympic sport.

Well seeing as I just wrote about how much we have enjoyed watching the Olympics this year, I think he could have answered this one seriously if he wanted to. It's true though, neither of us know anything about it. 

4. You're cooking a romantic dinner. What's your go-to dish?

Pancakes. That's all I can make. 

This is true. He does make good pancakes though!

5. Fill in the blank: This year I gave Chelsea _________ for Valentine's Day?

Chocolates and a dinner date

Does he know the way to my heart or what? You can't go wrong with food gifts in this house.

That wraps up this installment of The Boy Behind The Blog. Thanks again to Parker for such willing and enthusiastic participation. ;)

I Want To Freeze Frame Time, But Not Really

I've mentioned this before on the blog, but moving to Corpus Christi was never something we planned on. We thought we would be in Kingsville until May and then go to Washington or California. God had a different plan, so here we are in Corpus Christi getting ready to go to Virginia this summer. Once we got over the initial shock of it all, we were actually really excited. Virginia sounds like a really cool adventure, we have a few friends there, and neither of us has ever spent any significant amount of time on the east coast. Virginia sounded like a winner, so we were ready for this summer to get here so we could begin the new adventure. Oh yeah, first we had to move up the road to Corpus Christi, TX and live there for four months. We were excited to move a little closer to civilization, but it's four months out of our lives. We didn't really care. 

We've officially lived here a week, and we are both wishing time would just slow itself down. We couldn't love it more! We love our house. We love the convenience of living on base. We love being so close to the beach. We just love it here. It's funny, because we really love our house. It might be our favorite place we've ever lived. On paper, it's by far the worst if you don't count the one bedroom apartment we lived in right after getting married. This is the smallest house we have ever lived in with the smallest yard and the smallest garage. It doesn't sound like much to write home about on paper, and I am sitting here racking my brain for the reason we love it so much. I honestly have no idea, but it's just a fun place to call home. 

Oh wait, now I remember why we love this house so much. It's the view. Our house backs up to the water, and we have a view of the ocean from our back porch. We take daily walks along the water as a little family. It's right out of a summer vacation, but here it's just normal, every day life. A lot of it is nostalgia for me as well. My family took a vacation to this beach every year since I was about 9. We haven't made it back in the last couple of years with weddings and summer school, but this is where we spent our summer for the better part of 10 years. When I look out to the water from my back porch, I see the big bridge we drove over growing up, signifying we had finally made it to the beach. It stinks of rotten seaweed most mornings. I tell Parker it smells like childhood. I'm loving it.

We've been spending as much time as we can outside. Parker the handyman even spent $20 and built us two chairs to go with a giant cooler we have so we can eat overlooking the water. 

I told Parker the other night that I wish we could be here longer, and he shot me a look that said "don't put that on us!". It's true. We really don't want to stay here longer than four months. Staying here longer would mean something went wrong. Aside from weather and plane maintenance issues, the only way we stay here longer is if Parker gets hurt or sick and has to go "med down". Obviously I'm not wishing for that, so I am all for getting out of here in four months. I do wish I could freeze frame time though, just for a little while. This is a short season of our lives, but it's turned into one of my favorite so far.

Banana Nut Bread

I love a good slice of old-fashioned banana nut bread. Today I want to share my go-to recipe that Parker and I both love. This bread makes a great breakfast, snack, or light dessert. It's just a simple, yummy recipe that I whip up anytime we have some ripe bananas on hand. Your family will love it too!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1 egg

3 medium bananas, mashed

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a loaf pan and set aside.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture and set aside.

3. In another bowl, combine egg, bananas, sugar, and cooking oil. 

4. Add banana mixture to dry mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts.

5. Pour batter into your greased loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

6. Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.

Enjoy!

Celebrating The Big 25 With the Family

What better way to celebrate turning a quarter of a century old than to spend it with the family? It's hard to imagine not spending my birthday with my family. I know it's going to be more difficult to go home for my birthday in the years to come, especially next year living on the east coast, but I wasn't going to break the tradition this year. Twins have to celebrate their birthdays together, of course!

The name of the game this weekend was simply family time. Yes, it was our birthday, but we really just wanted to spend quality time with the people that we love. And that's exactly what we did! It's been a rough couple of weeks as we pray through a health concern as a family, and just being together did so much for our spirits. My sisters and parents are so sweet to sacrifice their Valentine's Days each year in order to spend time with us. Shout out to our husbands as well for being so understanding that we like to go home for our birthdays.

I notice that I get increasingly more nostalgic about certain things as I get older, and family time is one of them. Growing up and getting married is awesome and a dream come true, but that doesn't mean I don't miss coming home to my parents every day and sitting down to dinner together. I find myself craving those rare times where we can all be together as a family. Needless to say, this weekend was perfection. We got all dressed up for a fun dinner on the waterway, but other than that, it was lounge pants, t-shirts, and yummy eating. Does it really get any better than that?

Blessings times eight. Love this big family of mine!

Our birthday dinner was at a cute little Italian restaurant. It was delicious! The waiter found out there was a birthday at our table, so he brought out a little dessert platter for.... Danielle. Yep, for the first time in 25 years, Danielle got to feel what it's like to have her own birthday. I just watched and my whole family cracked up as the waiter wished her a happy birthday. Happy birthday, Danielle! Hope you had a good one with your free dessert. She was even kind of enough to give me a bite of her special birthday treat. I was dying- so funny.

My mom and sisters made us our favorite strawberry cake, so I did get a birthday dessert after all!  

 

 

Here's to 25 years with this twin. Being halfway into our 20s is just weird, for lack of a better word, but bring it on. I'm excited to see what this year has in store for us. Thanks to our awesome family for supporting us through 25 awesome years!

Favorite Love Stories: Guest Post from Stephanie

I am really excited to be guest posting for Chelsea today! Thank you Chelsea for letting me take over the blog today.

I am Stephanie, and I blog over at Army Crafter. There really isn't just one niche on my space of the interwebs, but you can see a lot of posts on my experience as an Army spouse, mom to two boxers, and how I craft away the time. I hope to see you over there!

One other thing you will see from me are entertainment reviews. I grew up in a house where we celebrated the Oscars just as much as we did the Super Bowl. So it is safe to say I love movies, books, TV, and really anything theatrical.

Since February is all ablaze about celebrating love, I wanted to share my personal favorite love story movies. These are perfect for at-home date nights or for a typical slumber party ladies night.

These 5 are my all time favorite love stories in film.

1. I am not surprised that two of Sandra's movies are in my top five. She is my favorite actress ever, and she did not disappoint in Hope Floats. This is a film that starts out with heartbreak as Birdee separates from her husband in the most awkward way. You see her and her daughter move back to her home town. This is a story where a woman discovers who she is without a man, but ends up finding her true love in the process. This movie is just so sweet and who doesn't love Sandy and Harry together? My favorite is the daughter Bernice though.
2. When Harry Met Sally is a classic. This needs to be on everyone's must see list. Harry and Sally are friends for the longest time and in a constant debate of whether a man and woman can just be friends with no sexual attraction. It is a hilarious story about friendship and love that you just need to check out so I don't ruin the plot line for you. It may have been made in 1989, but the basics are still true today. Some jokes and fundamentals never change.
3. I love all things Audrey Hepburn. Sabrina will always hold a special piece of my heart because this was the Senior show at my high school, and it was just great to perform on stage with several of my classmates in this wonderful bright story. This film is a Cinderella tale that follows the chauffeur's daughter as she blossoms into a beautiful (yet unrecognizable) young woman. She catches the eye of both Larrabee brothers upon her return from France. And the story tells about the hilarity that ensues of both attempting to romance her in their own ways. Just love it!
4. Pretty Woman is fairly iconic. It remains one of my favorite Julia Roberts films, and it was really her breakout role. This is definitely a rags to riches story that follows the random meeting of Julia's character and Richard Gere's character. She is not your typical "street walker" and you see her quirky no-nonsense attitude as she spends the week with the business man. I promise you will have some laughs with this one.
5. While You Were Sleeping is just perfectly sweet. Lucy believes she is in love with this stranger who comes through her train every day. She saves him from a mugger, and then meets his family awkwardly as she makes an under the breath comment that they were supposed to be married. As he is "asleep" she truly falls in love with his family as she is making up this other life with the coma dude. What happens as he slumbers is not only hilarious but it is full of love showing up in the most peculiar situations. This is one to swoon over.

These are the films that I could just watch over and over and my go to pick up love stories. Most are absolutely cheesy RomComs, but I love them.

1. Sweet Home Alabama is a quirky story following Melanie who is a Southerner turned New Yorker. She is engaged to marry New York royalty, but she has some business she has to take care of down south before this can happen. There are a few things standing in her way once she arrives such as her parents and her husband...yes I said her husband. It's a funny and easy movie to watch.
2. Since I was a basketball player myself, it only seems natural that I used to watch this move like it was my job in high school. Love & Basketball follows two neighbor kids as they grow up and blossom into great athletes. It shows how they grew apart and grew together over and over again as they aged. It does have some uncomfortable moments as it shows the reality of the pressures of sports as well as love. Overall though, it shows how imperfect love can be and how strong the emotion can be for two individuals.
3. What girl growing up in the 90s didn't like 10 Things I Hate About You? This is a modern day twist of Taming of the Shrew. It has Joseph Gordon-Levitt in his early days, which now is such a joy to watch. The story is about two sisters and how they live very different lives in high school. They both have their own romantic lines and twists that are just funny to watch. And I have always wanted to have a date like the one in the paint throwing park!
4. I am fairly positive that I own every Mandy Moore chic flick there is, but Chasing Liberty has to be my favorite. Anna is the First Daughter, and this is her coming of age story and how she found her own voice. The way she does that is running away from her Secret Service Agents, or so she thinks. She travels the country with Ben and you watch their relationship blossom. Pretty predictable, but a movie that ends with "Nessun Dorma" has got to be a good one!
5. This movie may not be for other people, but I just love Win A Date With Tad Hamilton. It is a romantic comedy at it's best. I watched this probably once a week during the times of Tom and I's long distance relationship, so it is definitely a comfort for me. The cast is just perfect in every sort of way, and every scene just makes you happy. A small town girl wins a date with a huge Hollywood star. She is smitten with him, but you quickly see that he is just as smitten with her after their first encounter. I was always rooting for Pete though, who is the boy back home.

All photo credits are from imdb.com.

So there you have it, just a few of my favorite love stories. And yes this is just a few! I have almost a full book case of romantic comedies! I am a hopeless romantic, what can I say.

I hope you enjoyed my short reviews and that you found a new film to check out, or an old one to reconnect with.

Stories are what unite us all regardless of the season.

Thanks again for reading!

All the best,

Stephanie

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25

Happy Valentine's Day to all you lovebirds out there. Today, I am celebrating something a little different. It's my 25th birthday! It's always been fun being a Valentine's baby. With all of the chocolate and flowers floating around the universe on this day, it's just sort of a neat day to have a birthday. Hands down though, my favorite part of my birthday is who I share it with. 

 

 

Being a twin had its advantages and disadvantages growing up. I remember thinking how nice it would be to have my very own day that I didn't share with anyone. Now, I kind of want to slap the 10 year old version of myself for ever thinking that. The most special aspect of my birthday is that I share it with my twin sister. From wombmates to roommates, she has been my very best friend and confidante my entire life. I really can't imagine what my life would be like if I weren't a twin. It's obviously all I've ever known, and it's also one of the biggest blessings I have ever received. There would definitely be less laughter in my life, that's for sure. My twin happens to be fairly hysterical, if I do say so myself, although nobody thinks we are funnier than we do. This is something our loving husbands remind us of often. ;)

 

 

25 will be an exciting year for Danielle and me. Godwilling, I will move to Virginia and start a new life on the east coast with my little family, and she will graduate from nursing school and officially be working her dream job. We will be farther apart than we ever have been, but we will be closer than ever. If there is one thing this distance and military life has taught me, it's that my relationship with my sister is a constant in a sea of unknowns. By the time I'm 26, I could be living in Japan, or I could not. I could have a child, or I could not. I really don't know much about what the next few years hold, but I do know I am blessed to have my birthday buddy now and always. 

 

 

Happy birthday Danielle! I love you!

Kingsville House Tour

Well, now that we are officially moved and living in Corpus Christi, I guess it's about time I post pictures of our Kingsville house! We lived here from May 2013-February 2014. It served as a great house for us, and we truly loved living here. Kingsville is small and has a really sparse rental market, so we were blessed to find a house at all. This little house with the blue door was a great home for the last 9 months. It wasn't the Taj Mahal or anything you would see in Better Homes & Gardens, but we loved it. All a house needs for me are Parker and Jenny, and this house had them! ;)

Since we were renting and knew we would be there so temporarily, we really didn't change anything about the house. We hung up pictures and made the place our own, but paint, floors, etc. stayed exactly the same. I have a hard time putting money into something that isn't mine, and Parker agrees. We did try to make a few improvements to the house before we left, but for the most part, we left it exactly how we found it.

It's hard to look at these pictures and realize this isn't our home anymore. We truly loved living there.

Also, apologizes in advance for the poor quality in pictures. I snapped these just a few days before moving, and I just wasn't feeling pulling out the big camera and trying to capture quality photos. Laziness for the win!

Living room: this was Jenny's domain during the day, so it's only fitting she found her way into the picture. This was our place to unwind after a long day and catch up on our favorite TV shows or play games.

Kitchen: This was a great kitchen. Moving from Pensacola, I knew I was going to downgrade regardless because the kitchen in that house was huge, but this kitchen worked perfectly for us. My only complaint was there was no pantry. You don't realize how much you appreciate a pantry until you don't have one!

Dining room: We finally joined the other married couples of the world and got a kitchen table! We actually kind of loved that really red accent wall.

Master bedroom: This was probably our favorite room in the house, mainly because it's the room we spent the least amount of time in. We aren't big on watching TV in bed, so this was our little place to escape from the stresses of the day and just enjoy being together.

Master bath: The great thing about this bathroom were the double sinks. We were spoiled with this in Pensacola as well, but all good things must come to an end. It's single sinks for the win in Corpus Christi. 

Parker's Office: This was Parker's room in every way. Notice the picture of the cockpit taped to the wall. I almost forget that isn't normal because this is something you will find in any flight student's house. I also got a kick out of how he "decorated" the top of his armoire. A picture of his pup, planes, a football, and a brick he snagged from his alma mater were proudly displayed in his man cave.

Guest bath: Not much to say about this room, but I'd like to remember everything!

My office: I don't talk about my job a lot on this blog, but I work from home full time. This was my home from 8-5 each day. It worked for me! I need a quiet place where I can take calls and answer emails, and this space was just that.

We are going to miss our home in Kingsville, but it's time for a new adventure in Corpus Christi, TX! Thanks for the memories Kingsville. We would go back in a heartbeat.