Oatmeal Cream Pies

I have been so into reading the Pioneer Woman's blog lately that I have wanted to bake nearly every recipe she has! I sat on the couch the other day and watched every episode of her new show on comcast demand and was sad when I finished the last one! I only hope to be like her one day! I dream of living on a bunch of land one day with my pretend cowboy (Justin)! :P

All dreaming aside, I brought these oatmeal cream pies to realittyyy babyyy!  Credit is given to Ree Drummond for this recipe on her cooking blog!

Oatmeal Cream Pies

1. 2 C brown sugar
2. 1/2 C butter, softened
3. 1/4 C shortening
4. 2 whole eggs 
5. 1/2 tsp salt
6. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
7. 1 tsp baking powder
8. 3 tbsp boiling water
9. 1 tsp baking soda
10. 2 1/2 C flour
11. 2 C quick oats

Put the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and mix together. After these ingredients are mixed, put ingredients numbers 5, 6, and 7 in the same bowl and mix that together. In a small bowl put the baking soda and boiling water together and mix until baking soda is pretty dissolved then add that to the other ingredients and mix well.  Lastly add the flour and oats and mix up well.
(these are simple, unprofessional instructions... don't hate please)

the oatmeal cookie dough.. when I finally realized I needed to take a picture of this it was almost gone!

Bake these on 350 degrees for about 10 mins. Don't bake too long because you want them chewy and good! At least I do!

Freshly baked oatmeal cookiessss!!!

Because I like everything to look nice and I have a slight case of OCD, I used a shaker cup to cut my cookies all the same size! How red-neck, huh?! I couldn't find any cookie cutters. I think they may all be in my hope chest at Justin's grandma's! I don't want to use a lot of my things and mess them up just yet. Those are special to save for when I have my own home one day! Don't cha think?

My version of a cookie cutter! :P

if you pick the cup up and it sticks in there, that means success. You could always stick the cup to your eye and pretend you have a cookie eye. I mean... I would do it.

Lastly, once you get all of your cookies cut (if you choose to do that part), then you but a small scoop of marshmallow cream in the center and mash two cookies together! You could always make your own cream, but I took the shortcut! It might be more tasty if you make homemade cream to put in the middle. Marshmallow cream has a strong marshmallow flavor to me and is not really whats in the inside of little debbie oatmeal cream pies I don't think!

then you stack them on a plate to see how many high you can stack them before they fall over and take them to the living room with an extra large glass of milk and go to town!!!

YUMMMM! These are best eaten the night you make them just like every other homemade cookie, but are still tasty days after.

My cookie dough was much more runny than hers and the cookies spread and flattened on the parchment paper I baked them on. I don't know the reason behind this. If you can make these without the cookie dough being so runny and small fluffy cookies, please share the information! Now get in the kitchen, people!

xoxo,
Lauren

Trip to Tennessee!

Back in the end of July/beginning of August I made a trip to see a dear friend from elementary/middle school! We grew up together and spent the summers walking to and from each other's houses and to the snow cone stand down the road. They were .50 cents back then! All I can remember is digging 50 cents out of my parents change jar and making our way to the snow cone stand! Man, those were the days!!

She moved the summer before 7th grade and I had seen her once since she moved, but only for a weekend. It had been about 10 years since we had visited each other and it was time to make a trip to Tennessee! I wasn't getting to make many vacations during school and now that I'm taking a year off due to unfortunate events, I figured what better time than now! So I headed east Sunday morning to go to the great state of Tennessee!

My packing technique! What a girlllll..

A cool picture I got of downtown Birmingham!

and finally.. a welcome to TN sign!!!

too bad I didn't have anyone to bug with the "are we there yet?" saying! I was all alone on my 6 1/2 hour drive!

Brittany just had a sweet baby boy back in February and that was another reason for me to go visit! His name is Kaden and he is the sweetest thing ever!!!

and I fell in love! What a sweet face!

then I fed him suckers..

and he screamed when we took it away! Whoops!

and he smiled like this constantly! (sorry about the toe!)

Brittany had to work a few days that I was there, so I found my way around East Ridge, Chattanooga, and Ringold GA! I made my way out to the Cracker Barrell to visit her mom who waitresses there for some yummy lunch! Also I made my way to her sister's restaurant, Rain Thai Bistro one day for lunch as well!

naturally, I ordered delicious sushi! .. and ate it with a fork proudly!

One of the days that Britt was off, we went into downtown Chattanooga to the aquarium and sadly missed a whole floor of river monsters! Perfect floor for my Mississippian upbringings, dernit!

stingray and funky looking shark petting pool! I DID NOT PET.

an extremely large sea turtle!

The penguins, my fav! I wish they were available to pet! I could "pet" them all day! There were some babies behind another glass cage inside this one that weren't too visible.

We also saw lots of jellyfish, a butterfly garden, some parrots, a large hideous snake, and several different types of small fish. It was fun, but nothing that I haven't seen at nearly every other aquarium I've been to! Sad that I missed the river monsters floor!

Those are my brothas and sistas, y'all!

Brittany's dad took me on a ride up to Lookout Mountain on his motorcycle one day. It was such a beautiful sight. We don't have mountains here in Mississippi, so it's always nice to see such beautiful nature. I had thought that we were going to stop once we got to the top, so I stuck my phone in the little box on the back of the bike and didn't get to snap any shots. I saw out over the whole city of East Ridge and it was breathtaking. There is a little fun place called Ruby Falls and Rock City up there that would be fun to visit next time I go. When I go on vacation I always like to eat and do/see things that I'm not able to do back home. I really would have enjoyed white water rafting and hiking... but the money runs out at some point, right? Can't do it all in one trip! 

One morning I offered to keep Kaden with me so that Brittany could save a little money by not having to send him to the baby sitter.. boy was that something else. It taught me a couple of things about selfishness! That's for sure. He is teething, so he was dying for attention and very fussy. I couldn't even blow dry my hair without him fussing for attention. I would step out the bathroom and he would stop hollering.. then I would step back in and here he goes again. My patience were tested quite a few times that morning and then offered for her to take him back to the baby sitters the next few days. Is that horrible or what! I'm just not used to that kind of responsibility! One day will be my turn, but not any time soon! 

It was so nice to catch up with my old childhood friend. We reminisced on old times and laughed until we cried. We got lots of sonic happy hour drinks and watched some movies. We made a trip to the mall like old times. We had so much fun! I miss her and that sweet little boy already! I wish distance and funds didn't keep us so far apart. I often miss the old days.. Responsibility and growing up isn't the best of things, but I do catch myself looking forward to being out of school, having children, and starting my career! What a crazy, fast-paced life we live! Stop and enjoy the little things sometimes! 

and after that whole week vacation, it took me a while to get back into the swing of work! But I'm back in action and staying busy!

xoxo,

Lauren

Hey baby won't you look my way

...I can be your new addiction.
Hey baby what you gotta say
all you're giving me is fiction..


This song is so catchy! I love it! It has been on the radio non-stop lately! I'm ok with that though! It's not one of those songs that you hear a billion times and get tired of.

anyways, hey guys! I've been away for a while! This little blog got put on the back burner! I'm back for now though, so get excited! I spent the day trying to find new organizing tips when it comes to cleaning on certain days, and downloading some cool apps on my phone that could be helpful in those situations! Now I'm washing clothes and just baked some cookies that I found a recipe to on the Pioneer Woman's cooking blog! Love her!!!

I've been a little blahh about this blog lately. I read a ton of blogs daily on my phone and notice how neat and organized their layouts are... only to find out they pay money to get someone to create it. This blog will not be something that I will be making money from, so why would I want to pay money for that? Anyways.. I've caught myself wanting my blog to look like others only to realize how dedicated they are to theirs and mine kind of comes and goes when I feel like writing! I don't think it's worth paying money for!

I'll try to come back into the blog life now since i'm not taking up school this semester! Kind of sad, but It's nice to have some free time here and there.. because of the fact that I'm not used to that, I'll be trying to find something to do every second that I get. I like to keep busy!

Hopefully I'll have a better post for tomorrow!!!

see ya,
Lauren

Indecisive.

Good Morning!
I decided to wake up extra early this morning to get a jump start on my day because there is always way too many things to do and never enough time! I have work at 9:30, so I am catching up on some clothes washing, new teen mom watching, and breakfast eating.. because I need breakfast and all. It actually feels good to be able to sit around in front of the tv and get some things done without having to rush around getting ready for work and miss breakfast and not have enough time to pack a lunch! Sorry, I'm rambling!

On to the topic of this post. I recently received my associates degree in arts(general studies) from a small local community college. I had applied at two different radiology schools because I was planning on becoming an medical sonographer. (funny note: computer tried to correct sonographer into pornographer...) Anyways, I will not be a medical pornographer, that's for sure! My computer has a mind of it's own, but on a down note, I did not get accepted into either one of the radiology schools even though I had a 3.4 gpa and my last semester that i completed I held a 4.0 (even though I only took one literature class...which is my worst subject!) I have managed to juggle working a nearly full time job, cooking and cleaning house constantly, and a full time student for all of my semesters except one. I think I've done a dern good job.. but this is what I'm left with.

I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason and I believe that God is trying to tell me that there are bigger and better things in store for me! I have thought and thought and thought about it and come to the realization that I was only choosing to be a sonographer because It was in the medical field (stable job in the future) and the income was decent. I need to figure out what will make me happy. What do I want to do? What am I interested in? It's so hard to answer all of these questions because I have never really had the time to get involved in something that I am truly passionate for. I worked two jobs during high school, was in the national art honor society, key club, and played soccer for most of those years..and was an honor student! I have always lead an extremely busy life! So I know no different.

I've been trying to make a decision soon so that I can get started on my future. My favorite subject is math, and I absolutely love all things artsy! I thought of being a math teacher, interior designer, or an architect.. maybe an accountant. Can anyone think of any other careers that involve math and art?! Still trying to make a decision, but I know that it will come to me soon. Just doing a little researching here and there and hoping for an answer from God. I know he will lead me in the right direction.

My uncle reminded me that he didn't finish college until he was 27 years of age.. It gives me some reassurance that it's okay to not rush things. I need to figure out what I want to do and what will make me happy. In the meantime, it's working a ton and enjoying the summer.. because I have gone taken summer classes through college every summer until now! I needed a break and that's what I'm taking. Catching some rays and loving the Mississippi weather along with my fresh vegetables from my small garden!


xoxo,
Lauren :)

A trip to the country!

Oh how I love the country! I always dream of being a Ree Drummond one day! I would love to live on a Ranch with horses and cows and chickens and billy goats, and don't forget: AN EXTRA LARGE GARDEN! There is nothing better than fresh vegetables/fruits from your very own garden!

Thursday I was off work and Aidan wanted to make a trip out to my brother's new place. They have just moved onto 115 acres of land and it is beautiful out there! There is a pond and boats! So about an hour after we arrived Lane and Aidan took the small john boat out and I took the canoe! Our intentions were to catch some fish, but.. I lost 2 fish because of my extra old, girly, piece of mess fishing pole... and Lane missed one! Aidan did catch a bass, but he was too small to keep!

Do you like my pink pole?

While we were on the pond, Lane spotted this huge nest looking thing! Inside of it was a large egg! We don't really know what kind of egg this was, but all we could think was maybe a goose egg?

Do you see the egg in the center?

I had been hearing about this extra sweet billy goat Lane got and named Chesters. I finally got to meet him and fell in love. I remember as a kid going to the "blueberry farm" and picking blueberries.. and then at the end we would always walk over to the fence and see the goats. These goats were not very friendly and I remember being quite scared to stick my hand in the fence to feed or pet them! Chesters completely changed my mind about how I felt about goats! He also has another goat named Billy, but he is very skiddish.

Look at sweet Chesters!!! Sorry about my finger! ha

For lunch we went out to this little hole in the wall place on the Canton Square. I absolutely love the Canton square! My grandpa lives and works right up the road from it and it is always full of events and all things fun! Have you ever heard of the Canton Flea Market? It is just fabulous! I have only been once, but boy we spent the day there and I loved it! Today they are having a BBQ Cookoff thing.. maybe a competition and my brother is there now.. in the rain and all! haha! On Thursday he took us to this place called Hammontree's and it was delish. He raved about the burger, so that's what I got. He claimed they made homemade buns that were to die for which made the whole burger 10x better, but apparently they were out of homemade buns that day. Kind of a disappointment, but it was still very good! When I saw the plate come out with homemade fries, it completely reeled me in! My mom always made hand-cut homemade fries for my brother and I growing up and they tasted just like hers! LOVEEE!

outside of the restaurant, on the square

The cute rinky-dink sign!

This is what happens when I ask Lane to smile! Pretty scary, huh?

Lane had been complaining all afternoon about how long it was taking the chickens to lay an egg. I read up about it online and it said that their eggs are produced all according to the amount of sunlight they get a day. Anyone want to give a little more advice so that I can help him? Later on that night he sent me this picture!

Lane and his first chicken egg! He was proud!

I failed to take pictures of the food, the chickens, or the small fish that Aidan caught. I have got to get better at this picture taking!!!! I need a nice camera! Anyone want to contribute? haha! Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday! I will be sitting around watching food network channel until I have to go to work at 4! It is raining here in the Sip!

xoxo
Lauren

Gardening update!

The other day I was complaining and complaining about how it seemed my squash and zucchini plants just weren't doing much. Last year I remember my flowers just falling off and never making any vegetables! well I went out there and spotted a couple of zucchini's and just one squash. Today I went out there to check and I was able to pick a squash, a zucchini, and a banana pepper!! It's pretty weird that it's almost June and my garden is just now producing. I guess I need to plant it a little earlier here in Mississippi since the weather is so hot and humid!

you may be thinking, who the heck is this going to feed?!! Well Last spring was my first time to plant a garden and I was determined to make it work. Some things made, some things didn't. I was given many seeds for gifts for a fall garden and so I planted carrots, radish, lettuce, and broccoli. None of them made.. It was kind of upsetting. When Justin and his grandpa tilled my garden for the spring this year, I went out and found all of these baby carrots all over my dirt/soil! Aren't they precious? I wish Mississippi weather would make up it's mind and allow me to have a fall garden that doesn't exist of turnip greens! I dislike turnip greens/kale/mustard greens.. whatever. I don't like greens!

This is a picture of my small garden before I left for my week long trip to my grandma's and to Texas for a wedding. It was nice and moist and I was ready for some blooms!

This is a picture of my garden when I came back! My man took good care of my little "ranch" while I was away! Thanks hubs! I'm one of those people who wish to live on a bunch of land with lots of space to garden and other things. I want to live like the Pioneer Woman one day! Love me some Ree Drummond!

zucchini, straightneck squash, banana pepper

These are my three little vegetables that I was able to pick today! Hooray!!! When I picked this zucchini today, I saw about 10 more mini ones. We will be having zucchini for a side dish here soon! I love fresh vegetables and I'm quite excited to find many different dishes I can use my home grown vegetables in!

And I'm leaving y'all with this beautiful geranium that is in my front flower bed!

Maybe one day my green thumb will strengthen like mom Mom's!
happy gardening,
Lauren

Failing squash and zucchini plants...

Hey folks!
It's been so long since I've been on here it feels like. Well, actually.. I check others' posts nearly everyday, but I have no clue why I haven't just written something on my own blog! Well, actually I do know why.. but that's besides the point! I'll have to do some major updating with all of the things that have been going on!

For this post, I will stick to my garden! I remember last year was my first gardening experience and some strange things happened to say the least! I planted late and so my harvest wasn't as large as I would have liked it to be. My bell peppers didn't make until October! I left the plant in the garden because they had not produced anything by the end of the summer. I didn't want the plant (and money) to be a waste, so I left it up and it produced in October! I have found out that bell peppers like cool weather instead of the incredibly hot Mississippi summers. Also, my squash last year never made. My plants would bloom and then the flower would fall off before it ever was able to make anything. I couldn't find out what the heck was wrong with it. They never produced any squash. Me being me, I tried again this year and the same thing is happening! The leaves are way too large and they are covering up the flowers and the flowers aren't getting enough sun.

I mentioned this issue to one of my bosses at work and she explained that maybe they aren't getting enough sun and the flower isn't getting dry enough to perk out and open up for the bees to pollinate them. This makes total sense! I went out and worked in my garden for a small amount of time today before work. Dug up some weeds and hoed it up to stir the dirt. I realized how extra large the leaves are on the plants and the flowers are down in the bottom. THE LEAVES ARE COVERING UP MY FLOWERS AND PREVENTING THEM FROM GETTING ENOUGH SUN! This has got to be the problem. So to my dear gardening friends, what do I do? I love squash and zucchini and would really like a harvest this year! Pretty please?

On a side note, I planted banana peppers, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, cucumber, speckled butter beans, zucchini, and squash. All of my other plants are doing well! Especially my cucumber! They did great last year! (they don't have so many leaves on them and the flowers are out in the open since they vine!)

This is my little garden!

Do you see those extra large leafs right there? I need help.... or my zucchini and squash need help!

a wannabe green thumb,
Lauren

PS. I am going to try and get back in the swing of updatinggg!! Much love for now!

"Flatout" flatbread pizza!

For the month of April I promised myself that I would not eat any meat for lunch! I have stuck to that so far (it's only April 5th) and saw a picture of a pizza on the back of my flatbreat (it's really a multi-grain wheat wrap) package. I remembered I had some leftover pizza sauce in the fridge and tons of veggies! YUMMM!

I laid my flatbread onto the wire wrack of my toaster oven.

• put a small amount of pizza sauce over the top (I don't really care for a lot of sauce)-You can buy lowfat or whatever you want.
• then add all of the veggies/meats you want. I did black olives, sliced tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, and bell pepper! Wish I had some banana peppers and mushrooms!
• Then sprinkle your cheese on top and pop it in the toaster oven on bake for 10 minutes and broil for 5-10 minutes. 
• DON'T BURN IT! I have to keep a close eye on mine.. my toaster oven works in mysterious ways!

When I put it in the toaster oven! Fits perfectly!

After being cooked! Looks so yummy, right?

 This pizza was so good! I encourage you to try making one! It's quick and easy! I like my crust crunchy so I cooked it a little longer, but it's all up to you!

xoxoxo,
Lauren

WARRIOR DASH!

     A crazy spell came over me and made me decide to do the warrior dash. Mind you, the warrior dash has never been to MISSISSIPPI before and I was stoked when I finally heard about it. I have always wanted to do these crazy runs and stuff, but I've seen all the pictures of friends out of state doing runs. They seemed so much more fun than the boring ones in the sip. Of course, they're all for a good cause, but still.. I saw pictures of people doing The Color Run and Krispy Kreme challenge (in Raleigh, NC) and things of that sort! How fun are those? Instead, MS gets the lamest of the lamest and just run... So Justin's mom was trying to tempt me to do this "Warrior Dash" with her and some friends from work. My reply was kind of hesitant and I wasn't so sure I could do this. Then I was thinking in my head "ohhh 3 miles isn't that bad!!!" anddd then I found out the price. $70 dollars to go run? What the heck are these people thinking? I am a major penny pincher when it comes to stuff like that and I couldn't see myself spending that much money to do an obstacle course through mud. Sure, it's fun, but I could do that out in the country for no charge. I mean Hellurrrrr, this is Mississippi!

The next day I got FB and saw that one of the local radio stations was giving away 5 free registrations to this run! How perfect is that. The only requirement was to comment on their status listing ways you have become healthier. I did it and the next day I was mentioned in their comment. I had won! I never win anythinggggg!!! I won a free registration to do the warrior dash!

On April 21st I will need you guys to be praying for me! haha. I am going to do the warrior dash with some of my friends. We have been training a little bit here and there in the gym via treadmill, but I doubt that will help much. No matter what, I'm just doing it for the fun, the challenge, and to finish!

I'm excited, but scared at the same time!

xoxox,
a wannabe marathon runner!
Lauren

Pineapple Mango Smoothie

Yesterday started my month of April goals

I'm determined to finish the month being able to say that I did everything I had planned to do!

I worked a really late night on Saturday at a wedding reception and didn't get home until about 2am! It was well worth it though because we had so much fun! 

on another note.... 

I woke up this morning feeling extremely motivated! 

I jumped out of bed about 9, brushed my teeth and threw on my running attire. 

I got on my treadmill and ran a mile. 

Some of you may be thinking.. "a mile? That's not far!" but it's a start! I have to build up my stamina and I'm hoping that I can run 3 miles by the end of this without stopping! I am running in the WARRIOR DASH at the end of this month! 

Super excited, but it's going to take some hard work! 

It's almost like an obstacle course through the mud and water! 

So to start off my April goals I had a smoothie for breakfast! 

A PINEAPPLE MANGO SMOOTHIE to be exact!

Pineapple Mango Smoothie
1 cup mango
1 cup pineapple
1/4 cup almond milk//unsweetened
5-6 ice cubes

I will admit, I have never fooled with mango before and wasn't sure how to cut them. It seemed like everywhere I cut, there was a core. I should probably read up on how to cut a mango because it was definitely weird and I barely got any mango out of it!

Also, I wonder what it would taste like with coconut milk just to keep the tropical flavors going on.. I'll have to get some of that, or even coconut water.

Another thing, A lot of people freeze their fruit to increase the thickness of their smoothie.. I just add ice cubes! I am not a yogurt fan, therefore I do not put yogurt in my smoothies.

Hope you guys have a wonderful Monday! I am off to work in a little while and will be going to the gym afterwards! :)

MOTIVATION MONDAY!

ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT'S ME, CHELSEA

It's Sunday night and I just finished reading this book!

I have never been a reader! never! I hate reading and it really bugs me how people always say that books are better than movies! I had started reading this book like literally 6 months ago and put it down on my computer desk and forgot about it until about a week ago.

I had a sudden urge to read last week some time. I just wanted to read something. So I picked this book up off my desk and read about 20 pages a night and just finished it! :D It is hilarious!

I love the way that the book is written. Each Chapter is like it's own story so it doesn't feel like you're reading about ONE thing the entire book. It's a different incident of her life in each chapter. One chapter may be about a one night stand and another chapter may be about a trip she took to another country. You never know with her! 

Have any of you guys ever read Chelsea Handler's books? Or even watched her comedy show on The E channel? She is so funny! I wouldn't recommend this book to those of you who are strongly against foul language and what not, but if it doesn't bother you then read this book nowww! She has many other books like:

This is her first book.

I read out of order, but that's okay. She is hilarious and I can't wait to read her other books! I may actually like to read now! It's a good hobby I need to pick up because my vocabulary is probably equal to a 6th graders && that is awful! I admit.

xoxo
Lauren

April GOALS

Hey guys!
Last night I was sitting in bed reading my book and just had some ideas. I purchased an Erin Condren planner at the end of January, and I absolutely love it! I carry it in my purse with me everywhere and I write almost everything in it! So last night I whipped that baby out and starting jotting down things in the goals section for April!

If you have been following me, I have been on the struggle to a healthier lifestyle lately and a better looking me! I am in two weddings this year and am feeling a little self-concious about how I'm going to look in this dress! So I have created some goals for the month of April to help with this.

• walk/jog/run every morning on my treadmill when I wake up.
• Workout at the gym 6 times a week instead of the 4 I have been doing.
• Eat more fruit to nourish my body.
• Eat nothing but veggies for lunch for the whole month of April!
• Layout at least once a week!

All of these are GOALS for me for the month of April! To you they may sound ridiculous, but for me, it's something that I want to do! I bought a treadmill about a year ago and have gotten on it maybe 25 times! I am going to try and use it more in the morning when I wake up. I have a gym membership but the gym is about 20 minutes away from my house and with gas being the way that it is, I can never get there unless I'm on my way home from work or something.. which is normally at night. It's better to exercise in the morning to get your metabolism going for the day, so with getting on the treadmill every morning I wake up, that will help my metabolism tremendously!

I have been working out at the gym only 4 times a week because I thought that would be enough. I was reading a blog post the other day on someone's blog and read that she worked out at least 6 times a week and was in great shape! So I am going to try to work out 6 times a week with my off day being on Sunday! Regardless of whether I get to the gym or not that day, I have weights at home and free workout videos on Comcast demand! :P

Fruit has so many great vitamins and things that your body needs to lead a healthy lifestyle! I love fruit, fruit is just expensive and it ruins much more quickly than I can eat it! I went to the store the other day and purchased some pears, a pineapple, some bananas, and some strawberries! I made myself a strawberry banana smoothie last night before heading out to the ball fields! No recipe, just threw some stuff together and it tasted great and fixed my hunger at the time!!! I'll do another post about that soon!

I often find myself grabbing junk food for lunch or eating too many chips with my sandwiches, so for the month of April I am challenging myself to eat nothing but vegetables for my lunches! I have had a little bit of a jump start on that today and had cabbage, green peas, and turnips for lunch today! It was delicious! Many of people don't get their correct amount of servings of vegetables in the day, so this will help me take in my daily vegetable needs!

Too many people take advantage of a tanning bed because it's quick and easy to jump into and get on with your day. I will admit, I have used a tanning bed many of times, but it's horrible for your skin! I know the sun in general can damage your skin, but tanning beds are 10x worse! anndddd who wants to pay 40 dollars a month to go to a tanning bed when you can tan for free in your back yard! So my challenge to getting a tan this month is to layout at least once a week! I  need to get a tan for this yellow bridesmaids dress I will be wearing in May!!! Thankfully I was blessed with my daddy's cajun/french skin and I tan easily! Thanks Dad!

What are your goals for the month of April? If you don't have any, set some and work your hardest at keeping up with them!

with all the love in the world,
Lauren

Cleaning out the clothes!

This morning I woke up thinking that I was going to be extremely productive today since I have a day off and much to do. Most of the time when I say this I end up laying around the house until 4:30 and realize that I've let the time slip right out of my hands.. but also sometimes when you have a day off all you want to do is rest! I'm sure lots of you know what I am talking about!

I woke up, went straight to the shed to get the lawn mower out and headed out of the fence to the front yard. Now that summer has hit us early, our grass is growing so fast! The crawdad's are building mud mounds all over the yard, and the ant beds are going crazy! I drove right over all of these things with the lawnmower and the yard looks great! We have a small ditch in the front and since it has rained, it was too moist to get with the mower. Too bad we don't have a weed eater! So there's this nice line of tall grass with dandelions in my front yard! Lovely, huh? Anyone want to let me borrow their weed eater?

I had planted some petunia's along the front of the house last weekend and they're slowly growing. I don't have much patience when it comes to things growing. I think they should be planted and be doubled in size within a week. Maybe they will shoot right up in a few days! Or at least that's what I'm hoping for. The ants built a ginormous ant bed beside one of them that I had to spray down and pour ant poison on. I did rack up on an extra large bag of ant poison for $2.97 at wal-mart! Hooray for that. I poured the poison on the mowed over beds in the front yard as well. After doing that I came inside and drank a whole bottle of cold water! I am not a water lover by any means, but it's good for the body so I drink it. I like flavorrrrr!!! Thank goodness for Mio and crystal light mix-ins!

I was getting ready to wash some clothes when I realized that I have really run out of room to put my clothes! I don't even wear half of them or I haven't worn them in over a year and a half at least! So I grabbed a garbage bag, and into the closet and chest-of-drawers I went! I bagged up a whole garbage bag of clothes and already found someone to take them! YAYAYAYY! The worst thing ever is when you clean out your clothes and they sit in the bag by the front door for a month! Our good-will store is about 25 minutes away and I don't get over that way often, so It's hard to just bag things up and go! Gas is way too expensive and I only go places if I'm already close by or passing by them. (just like i refused to take my taxes to the post office today because i'm not going into town) whooops!

Ham steaks, mac n cheese, and black eyed peas is what's for dinner. Going to the ball fields for Aidan's game at 6 and still much to get done! Hope you all have found ways to be productive today!!!


xoxoxo
Lauren

Biore facial products!

Hey guys!
I haven't written in my blog much lately; I don't know if that's just due to me not having much to write about or just me being so busy and not wanting to do it! Who knows.. but maybe I can catch back up over the next few weeks.

I am not much of a face washer, but I love the Biore facial cleanser line! There's been plenty of nights that I fall asleep with make-up on and then wonder why I have breakouts! DUHHH. I have been using Biore off and on since like 3 years ago and I always find coupons in the facial towels that I buy sometimes! I have tried CLEAN & CLEAR, I have tried OLAY, I have tried the full nine yards, but I always come back to BIORE. I don't believe in paying boo-coos of money for these huge name brand facial cleansers! (clinique, lancome, etc..) I have a naturally oily face, and this does the deed!

In the morning I use the blemish fighting ice cleanser!

*I like to use this cleanser in the morning because it's real icy feeling and kind of helps wake you and your face up! I know that sounds so silly, but it gives your face this cool feeling and sets you for the day!  [[this is all I use in the morning because I use a tinted moisturizer for my foundation; therefore I don't use any other moisturizer after my face wash because my face is naturally oily anyways]]

At night I use the pore unclogging scrub.

*This is my exfoliate. I put a quarter size of this scrub onto a loofah towel and it works wonders! I only use this if I've worn make-up for the day, which is probably 4 times out of the week. A lot of people say not to exfoliate everyday, but I don't see a problem with it if your skin isn't too awful sensitive. (which mine isn't.)

I also use the warming anti-blackhead cleanser at night.

*I use this instead of the scrub on nights when I haven't worn makeup for the day. This gives a slight warming sensation to the face and really gets into your pours for a deep clean! I like to use this just with my hands because it's more of a cream facial cleanser and doesn't really soap up, which is why I also use it when I haven't worn make up.

I use the triple action astringent at night after my face wash.

*I like to use this at night after my face wash because it gets away any makeup that my face wash didn't and helps treat any breakouts I may have. The astringent also helps tone my skin to one color so that I don't have rosey cheeks! I hate that. Astringent does dry out your face, so to prevent from any dry skin showing on my face, I use a moisturizer.

Next, I use the nourish moisture lotion.

*I use this simply for the prevention of my face drying out due to the astringent. Like I said earlier, my face is naturally oily therefore I only use this after my astringent. I do not use this in the morning either because instead of a full coverage foundation I use the Benefit tinted moisturizer. This Biore moisturizer has an spf of 15, so some of you may want to use this in the morning just to prevent the sun from damaging your skin on your face if you use a foundation.

and lastly, I use this boosting night serum every now and again!

*I use this every now and then. I read on a website that it has a star rating of AMAZING! I don't think that it is necessary, but just for good measure I like to rub it on my face before my moisturizer about 2 nights a week. This just keeps your face feeling extra soft and silky smooth when you wake up in the morning.


THANKFULLY I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH GOOD SKIN. I HAVE NEVER REALLY HAD AN ACNE PROBLEM, JUST A FEW BREAKOUTS EVERY NOW AND THEN WHICH MOSTLY APPEAR ON MY CHIN. THIS PRODUCT HAS BEEN ABLE TO KEEP MY FACE CLEAR FOR THE MOST PART AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY BAD REACTIONS TO IT. AS YOU CAN SEE, I DO NOT LIKE TO MIX UP DIFFERENT BRANDS OF FACIAL PRODUCTS. THEY CREATE ALL THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FACIAL CLEANSERS, MOISTURIZERS, NIGHT SERUMS, TOWELETTES, AND ASTRINGENT IN ONE BRAND SO THAT YOU USE THE WHOLE LINE. THEY ARE MEANT TO BE USED TOGETHER. AT LEAST THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT. JUST LIKE SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER.. EVERY NOW AND THEN I WILL RUN OUT WHICH WILL LEAD ME TO USE A FACIAL CLEANSER OR MOISTURIZER I HAVE RECEIVED AS A GIFT OR SOMETHING. I DO BELIEVE IN USING UP WHAT YOU HAVE BEFORE BUYING OTHER. SO IN THAT CASE, SURE.. MIX ALL YOU WANT! BUT FOR BEST RESULTS ON YOUR SKIN, I WOULD USE ONE BRAND.


I am no beauty expert, just simply giving you a run around of the facial cleansers and what not that I use! Biore has created a new look, so all of these products will now be in a clear bottle or white bottle with blue writing. They have changed the names of a few things and created a couple of new things, but I haven't had to buy anything (ran out of anything) since they have created their new look. I recently read some good reviews about the neutrogena pink grapefruit facial products, so maybe I will be able to try those sometime!


xoxox
Lauren

I'm back!

Hey guys!
I know I haven't posted in over a week. I have been so stinking busy! My blog is not something that is a priority! Don't get me wrong, I love to write in my blog.. but there are other things.. such as LIFE that get in the way that I have to tend to first!
      Working in a banquet hall leads to a hectic and crazy schedule. We have weeks where there's probably two events going on and really low working hours.. and then there are weeks where every day there is an event.. except for Sundays because we hardly ever have events on Sundays! So this past week and a half have been booked with events at work, and me being considered a "full-time worker"... gets me to the top of the totem pole for "first come" hours. I don't know if that makes sense or not.. but basically my mom and I get the most hours depending on the amount of events going on and what not. Yes, I work with my mom! How cool, huh? So.. with it leading into the wedding season, I'm about to start seeing many rehearsal dinners and wedding receptions at my work which leads to busy weekends at work. I love my weekends off.. but as an independent college student, I have to take what I can get. The age I'm at too leads to many weddings that I'm taking part in which calls for buying bridesmaids dresses and what not. Which are not cheap! I love to be in friends and family weddings, but I have to work a little extra so that I can have those opportunities! So in other words, I have been working non-stop it feels like.. over the past week and a half!

      Also, I had my second interview for radiology school this past Friday. My first one was at UMC and my one on Friday was at Hinds Nursing Allied campus. I always get extremely nervous doing interviews.. especially with 6-10 very important people asking you questions! It's like impromptu and you never know what they're going to ask you! Some of the questions were crazy.. like how do I answer this off the top of my head. Overall, I think it went fairly well and I answered to the best of my abilities. annnnddd that's all that matters. I really have my heart set on one of the schools, but I'm praying for God to bless me with what he feels is right for me. and to tell you the truth, I can't wait to start radiology school! I know that it is going to call for some extensive studying hours and a crazy sleep schedule.. but we all know, you can do whatever you set your mind to! I truly believe in this statement. After working full time jobs; sometimes two.. and going to school full-time, and through high school.. I fully understand the difficulty of it all! I have stayed up all night studying just to find out that it really doesn't help much because by the time you go to take that test, you're so tired that you probably don't remember as much as you could if you would have gotten some sleep! Lesson learned.. So please be praying for me to get into radiology school. Will hear from Hinds the first of April and UMC the first of May! andd by the way, I'm taking an online English Literature II class right now that is kicking my booty. That's taking a lot of time as well. Literature is probably one of my weakest subjects. Thank goodness I don't find interest in that stuff because I am no good at comprehending those crazy poems!

      I was finally off yesterday (in which I slept until 1pm)! Pitiful I know. I was also off today (in which I spent the day at the ball fields)! I needed to get some clothes washed, but by the time I got home and cooked dinner.. it was time to sit down and watch the season finale of the bachelor! So.. since I don't go to work until 1pm tomorrow, I will try my hardest to wake up at a decent hour tomorrow so that I can wash clothes! and then hopefully be off at a decent hour to finish that and clean my room.. because Lord knows it is a disaster and it's hot as heck in Mississippi! Which means it's time for bugs and what not! I'm not afraid to say it. This is Mississippi.. I do live in the hicks.. and there are woods surrounding me.. and there are bugs that enter my house in the hot summer weather! Get a grip.. it's life. no ewwing me!

      Now I've discovered this "draw something" game and I'm addicted. So it's off to playing some more of that.. relaxing in my bed. and watching a couple of episodes of ONE TREE HILL! Do you realize that I'm on season 3 and they are in the 9th season on tv right now..? I have got to devote some special, non-productive time into this show to catch up! I'm trying! love you guys to pluto and back! Hope you enjoy!


a tired and exhausted,
Lauren

....as usual

Trip to 3 different stores..

doesn't sound good.. but it made for a pretty decent shopping trip the other day! It's been a couple of days since i've been on here. Sorry guys! I'm back! I had a English Literature II test on Monday night that I've been studying for and I caught someone's cold over the weekend. I attended baseball games this weekend and cleaned house and cooked a little. I had my first dining experience at Longhorn Steakhouse. It went fairly well.

I was passing down Lakeland Drive one day and noticed this place. It was like you passed one day and it was empty and the next it was built! They built that place in a jiffy! I had the parmesan crusted chicken with a side salad... and... mashed potatoes. :/ It was all very delicious but has earned me some extra hard working out in the gym. I woke up this morning and felt like doing something different; so I went on a walk down by the causeway which ended in 3.5 miles! It was nice and beautiful and loved the smell of the fresh outdoors! Then after work tonight I did 30 more minutes of cardio and some leg workouts. Pretty good day!


Anyways.. to get back on topic.. I had myself a little couponing trip the other day. It's been a couple of weeks since I've been coupon shopping, but I finally got around to organizing some coupons and making my list for my trip. I got away with $55.00 and all of....

THIS!

I am not an extreme couponer.. but I'm learning as I go and all of this probably would have came out to double what I spent.. but we all know those ladies on the show come out with spending as low as 99 cents sometimes. Makes me frustrated, but I do what I can!

My coupon on the ICBINB didn't scan and wal mart has a policy that they can't take a printed coupon if it doesn't scan.. so that was $1.25 I didn't get taken off... and also the cinnamon rolls. I had $1.00 off two and that one didn't work. I get most of my coupons offline because I don't always remember to get a Sunday paper and I'm not paying 10 dollars for inserts from a website.

I didn't have coupons for everything that I bought, but for most. Target had pasta-roni, rice-a-roni, and pasta salad mixes for 96 cents which was a pretty good deal so I snagged a couple of those. Then wal-mart had their hand soaps for 98 cents and hunt's mamwich on sale for 1.00 a can.. which that stuff can be pricey.

Of course my Kroger has a little section they put clearance items in and I got a good bit of things!
sliced mushrooms in a can- .39 cents
leseur's peas- .49 cents
can of carrots- .50 cents
can of rotel- .50 cents
bag of penne noodles- .99 cents
Kentucky southern seasoned breading- .99 cents
pink lemonade koolaid mixes- .09 cents

I have to snag those things when they're there.. or else when I go back they will no longer be there. It's smart to check that section every time you are up for going to the grocery store because they put different things there everyday! They had other things like marshmallows, bisquick, a bunch of different ice cream sundae toppings (fudge,caramel, etc..)- this is at the Kroger at Dogwood Promenade if you live in Flowood, MS.

So I had a decent trip to the store! I was semi-happy with my purchases and my cabinet is overflowing with canned/boxed goods. I'm a happy domestic girl ready to cook away!

I have reorganized my coupon binder and threw out all of the expired coupons! Can't wait for another trip soon!

HAPPY COUPONING,
Lauren

OH Radiology school.. I dream of you someday.

I have been waiting and waiting... and waiting to hear from the two schools I applied to for radiology. I really have my heart set on going to University of Mississippi Medical Center, but if it doesn't work out then I have Hind's to fall back on. I've been at Hind's for three years now and would really like a change.. but I know God has it all planned out for me and whatever happens.. well.. It happens.

Last month I was focusing on getting in everything for my UMMC application and had my interview in the beginning of the month. It went OKAY. The gentleman that interviewed me asked for me to get a couple of things turned into my file for my application so that it would give them more of a reason to look at me for acceptance and give me a better chance! (since there's probably over 200 people who apply and only 25 who get accepted!) Yikes. So I worked my booty off to get everything that I needed in a small amount of time and then had to get my Hind's application turned in by the 31st of January. Man.. Last month was stressful and busy!

So, when I went to my grandma's two weekends ago I got a phone call Friday afternoon and I apparently was supposed to be at Hind's at 1 to do a writing thing for the application to radiology school. WHOOPS! I answered and he said it was Steve. I thought hmm, who is Steve! Oh! My best friend's step dad! I replied, Hi Steve! This is Lauren, Cody's friend. He continued, "Oh yes, this is Steve Compton from Hind's Nursing Allied, did you not receive your letter?" So.. I didn't ever get the letter they sent telling me about this writing prompt thing and so he was so very nice and let me write the two essays and send them through email! anndddd. wait for it....

I WAS ACCEPTED AS ONE OF THE APPLICANTS TO BE INTERVIEWED FOR ACCEPTANCE!

Yes... That was some 1am writing in the bed at grandmaw's that I did. But apparently it was good enough for them! Wahooo. So I have my interview with Hind's on March 9 at 2pm! Wish me luck. That will be a nervous day until it's over. I always stress about small things and then when it's over I wonder why I ever stressed about it. 

So, hopefully something will work out for me in the end. Hind's radiology school starts in May/June and UMC starts in August. OF this yearrr. Hopefully I can hear something from UMC before Hind's calls back after my interview or else I'm going to be freaking out wondering if I ever got into UMC while accepting my acceptance into HInd's.. well this is what I imagine is going to happen. I will pray about it. Hopefully everything falls into place!

The weather is gorgeous today in the SIP and I hope that it stays like this foreverrr. I love spring and it's surely hit here soon. Well it flops back and forth. High of 79 today. Wow. The trees in the yard need leaves.. That's all.

bye guys!
Lauren

Kacie B. goes home..

Have any of you guys been keeping up with the bachelor on Monday nights? Good gosh I am so addicted to the show but it makes me mad every season! They never choose the person I'm going for!

My heart is broken for Kacie B. She gave it her all and was the sweetest girl in the world and just really down to earth! Plus, she was from Tennessee which is a southern state! Had to go for her!! She had the best personality and was really caring! It seemed like her and Ben had this great connection, but boy was I fooled! I was so mad Monday night when she was sent home!!! She was slower in developing a "intimate" relationship with Ben than all of the other girls, but you know what... This all happens within a really short amount of time! Wouldn't that be expected?

It was hometown dates for the girls and Kacie's didn't go to well with her father. I think that's where it all started. Kacie's father was hesitant about the whole situation in general because he is obviously over-protective of his daughter! He's a typical father though.. I think this is what pushed Ben away. My mom said she wouldn't like the situation either. Yes, my mom watched the Bachelor! LOL!

So now we've got Courtney (blahh), Lindzi, and Nikki! I will say that I like Lindzi and Nikki and am praying that one of them finish it off, but the magazines/ruining websites are saying Courtney wins in the end. If that's the case, Ben will just prove to be like a lot of other crazy men in this world. [Notice I didn't say EVERY or STUPID].. because I do believe that there are good guys out there! I was all for Ben before this show though... Just saying..

Now.. if only the waiting time didn't feel so long between shows! aghhh!!

xoxo,
Lauren

February Birchbox!

Hey guys!
I've been meaning to post my February birchbox for forever now.. I have just been extremely busy.. as usual! I received this around the 10th and have been using the heck out of one of the products in it!

I love pink!

ohhh birchbox. Me being silly and playing with instagram!

okayy okayyy I'll stop.

A Picture of the Items in my Birchbox this month.

This is the first birchbox I have received. I was reading a blog months ago and read about this and the girl was getting some pretty amazing stuff like stilla eye liner, opi nail polish samples, etc.. Stilla is a great brand of make up! I bought some stilla powder from Ulta months ago and it was the bomb.com! Of course it was like 36 dollars which equals rediculous! But You get what you pay for. that's a true statement there my friends!

1. Travel Puffs
The little packet of colorescience pro travel puffs I have not used yet, nor have I ever heard of. I'm not too smart when it comes to make up.. I just buy and use. So one of these days when I get around to using this item I'll tell ya'll about it. It has great reviews on keeping the face from being oily and give it some bronze! This small packet costs 10 dollars.. it's a sample pack! Keep in mind the whole birchbox is 10 dollars!
2. Viva La Juicy Perfume
Viva La Juicy is amazinggg! I purchased this one year for my mom and she uses it like a crazy person! I had to buy her another bottle for Christmas because she loved it so much! I'm more of a fruity smelling girl, so paris hilton Heiress suites me just fine, but viva la juicy has the sweetness and fresh smell! I love it! It consists of wild berries with mandarin and soft floral scents! Like I said, sweetness and freshness all in one! What's not to like?
This small sample runs for about 6 dollars.
3. Showstoppers-designer fashion tape
If you're having attire issues, then use these! Girls, you know how when you've got this one shirt that will just not stay up on the sleeve part and it's so aggravating trying to adjust it several times while out and about! I have gotten the invisible style tape before, but show stoppers is better quality and much stickier.. It works for a longer amount of time!
I found that the full size price is just 9.99!
4. eye rock designer liner
This is just a stick on eye liner strips. I tried using one of the styles in there and it does not fit the shape of my eye. I was actually like what the heck when I opened these up. There's like a cat style and some crazy looking liner strips that resemble something someone would wear on a broadway show! no thanks. hahah! It's nice to have for fun though! Go do a little dress up with friends for mardi gras! hahah!
5. Jouer lip gloss in birchbox pink!
I'm not one to wear colored lip gloss. I normally like neutral colors that compliment my skin tone.. I don't know why but the reds and bright color lip stuff is coming back in style so I decided to try it yesterday and it was super cute! I am now a fan of this fuchsia shade gloss and will probably be getting the full size once my sample runs out! I will say that the sample brush doesn't apply much, you have to dip it back into the gloss like 5 times for it to actually show.. but maybe it's just the sample. Gorgeous!

What did you get in your February Birchbox? They have paired up with teen vogue for the month of March and are doing special teen vogue birchboxes! I received an email yesterday asking if I would like the "special" birchbox for the month of march for no extra charge. I don't know if I should or not. If you don't respond they send you whichever one they want. Maybe I will let it be a surprise! Hope you all had a fantabulous weekend! I'm about to head off to work! Have a great day! It's beautiful here!

a little more knowledged about make-up
Lauren

Soft Music on a Sunday!

Relax today! These are just a couple of songs I've been loving!!!

and here's my fav youtube girls covering it. I honestly think they sound better than Taylor Swift! Oopss.