Let's Talk Date Nights!

Hey y'all, I'm Ashley from Let's Get Bananas.  I am so excited Jess is letting me guest post today!  Today we are going to talk about date nights.  I'm a firm believer that date nights are super important.  It's only a matter of time before our little family grows (calm down, we are 3+ years out, no worries) so we need to enjoy all the time we have now.  My #1 favorite, go to date is dinner out at a restaurant.  Over time we've learned that is where we have our best conversations.  We're both super busy and have all sorts of things going on during the week, so having a chance to sit down at dinner with no distractions is the perfect thing for us.  I especially like to have a bottle glass of wine with my meal and just spend a couple hours chatting away over dinner/drinks.

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Another one of our favorite dates is a relaxing weekend getaway.  It's amazing how much a quick trip can completely turn things around.  We've been to New Orleans (not super relaxing, but definitely a great city for a getaway), Fredericksburg and Canyon Falls lake.  All of these are perfect destinations for a short trip with lots of things to do.  Our everyday life is very organized/planned (we live off our calendars), so sometimes it's nice to just get away together and not have a single plan for the weekend.

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What are your favorite date nights?  Don't forget to stop by and say hi - I love meeting new people!  Thanks Jess for letting me take over your blog today!

A Little Bit of Randomness!

Hellooo!  I’m Ashley and you can find me over at Lets Get Bananas.  I blog about all sorts of things from my favorite work out items, to DIY projects, to weekend updates and so much more.  And how could I not mention our Taste of Tuesday link up?!  It’s one of my favorite days of the week!  I’m so glad I get to co-host with Jessica! :)

So is it just me, or do you love reading random facts?  There are SO many things in this world that I’ve never heard of so I could spent hours reading miscellaneous facts so I thought it would be fun to share some with y’all!

Olives start out as green and ripen to be black.

In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees.

Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation.

There are square watermelons in Japan – they stack better.

It’s possible to lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs.

A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

 The state of Florida is bigger than England.

Honeybees have hair on their eyes.

 111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 

A snail can have about 25,000 teeth.

An average American will spend approx 6 months during his lifetime waiting at red lights.

Ok, that’s all I got.  Come visit me over at Lets Get Bananas and say hi!  xoxo

Linking up with Because Shanna Said So!

Tucker Up Adventures!

Hi Blissfully Miller readers! I'm Sarah and I blog over at Tucker Up. Over there you can find a lot about clothes, food, and DIY. Oh, and I can forget to mention how I ramble a lot about my husband Chris and our two pups, Wrigley and Bailey! I am approaching my first year of wedded bliss and just passed our first year owning our home. Come by and check out all the adventures of Tucker Up!

Chris and I at Jessica's wedding!

Jessica and I are friends in real life...I know, take a moment a soak it all in. We aren't just virtual friends! We met a couple years ago in graduate school and hit it off right away. 
We love shopping and margaritas and we are very good at getting manicures together. This year my New Year's resolution is to not shop for the ENTIRE year! It has been such a blessing to take on this challenge and I am growing and learning from it each day. Plus, knowing Jessica has a whole closet of clothes I can drive down the road and borrow helps :)
Every Wednesday I host a link party about fashion, clothes, and accessories called What I Wore Wednesday. Come on by and link up any post related to fashion! 
If you're into DIY, you can check out my Starburst Mirror I made for $5 and the nail-head trim headboard I upholstered.   If food makes your heart go pitter-patter, head on over and try my Peanut-butter Balls or Texas Caviar Dip! Or if you just want to stop by, stalk my wedding, or say hi I would love to have you!!
Thanks for having me, Jess! Love you!

OK - don't y'all just love Sarah?!? I know I do!! Happy Monday from sunny Florida!!

Food Prep 101!

Happy Friday!! I'm  SO excited to {finally} be home! I have a real treat for y'all today! I was extremely lucky to "meet" Cindy through Wifessionals' Cara Box challenge and we instantly clicked! If you haven't already, be sure to check out her blog and say HI! :) I'll turn it over to Cindy now!!

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Hello Blissfully Miller readers. My name is Cindy Huggins and I blog over at Newlywed Nutrition. I am a registered dietitian nutritionist who is very passionate about food and nutrition. Today I'm sharing some steps to help you with your weekly food prep! I hope you enjoy!

Weekly food preparation is essential to any weight loss regimen, weight maintenance or simply trying to stick with a healthy lifestyle. Studies show that those who are better prepared for the week will be more likely to stick to a healthy lifestyle. Your goal is having ready-to-eat, nutrient-rich foods available in the home, at work, or on the go. Most of us can agree, when we have skipped meals, convenient foods look way more appealing than having to go home and slice and dice fruits and vegetables. Why set yourself up for that kind of failure? Preparing for the week does not have to seem so overwhelming. Yes, you may have to take 1-2 hours out of your day, but isn’t it worth it to have extra time during the week, not to mention the extra pounds your will keep off?

Step 1- Inventory

Sundays are my food prep days. I start with pantry and refrigerator inventory…I have an app for that =). You can easily overspend at the grocery store by buying things you already have in stock, so know what’s in your kitchen! The initial inventory may take a little while, but I promise it will save money and valuable time. I swear I probably use to spend a total of 20 minutes in the grocery store wondering if I already have something at home. Once you have compiled your inventory list now you can begin the menu planning process.

Step 2- Menu planning

I love visiting the Shrinking Kitchen for new recipe ideas and menu planning tips. Depending on how busy my days look is how I plan my menu. When I know I’m not going to have a lot of time to make dinner I find and easy dish and dress it up with more nutrition. For instance, instead of a sandwich and chips I make a Mediterranean salad wrap and pair it with sliced carrots and veggie chips. For my wrap I use all premade food items: salad, red pepper, red onion, Greek dressing, reduced-fat feta cheese, and hummus. Spread the hummus on a whole wheat tortilla then add remaining ingredients, roll up burrito style and enjoy! After I plan my weekly menu I then write up my grocery list.

Step 3- Preparing a grocery list 

A grocery list is a must!! It is your guide to better nutrition and a better budget. If you choose to only start with one step this week this is the one. There are a lot of great websites and apps that will compile a grocery list based off of your menu selections. Zip list is my favorite. I also have a select few iPhone apps I will share at the end.  Visit the Healthy Huggins Grocery List and use it to create an overall healthy kitchen.

Step 4- Shopping

You have your grocery guide-stick to it! Grocery shopping 101: 90% of your items should be from the perimeter for the store. After shopping then the real fun begins.

Step 5- Prep time

Wait! Don’t put those groceries up just yet. Pull out your knife, zip lock baggies, and Tupperware dishes because it’s time to prep, portion, and put away!!  It’s important to prep from all food groups: lean protein, fresh veggies, fresh or frozen fruits, low-fat dairy, whole wheat grains, low-fat oils and dressings. The following items are prepped every week no matter our menu. Simply because you may get caught off guard one night, but you will not have any excuses not to get in nutrient-rich foods.

• Chopped romaine lettuce mixed with raw spinach: put majority in large Tupperware bowl and cover for salads during the week. I also portion out the salad into smaller Tupperware bowls to take for lunch during the week.
• Chopped and dice red onion for salads or ingredient needed for a quick dish during the week.
• Chopped and dice red pepper for salads or ingredient needed for a quick dish during the week.
• Chopped and dice tomato for salads or ingredient needed for quick dish during the week. I place the onion, pepper, and tomatoes together in a covered dish to use during the week and also portion out the three in small baggies to add to my lunch box salads for the week.
• Sliced cucumber portioned in large covered bowl for salads at home and portioned in baggies for daily snacks. (I like cucumbers with hummus!)
• Sliced baby carrots portioned in baggies for snacking and side dishes.
• Edamame  in the pod portioned out into baggies for daily snacks
• Frozen mixed fruit portioned out in baggies or 2 ounce cups with lids for snacking and desserts.
• Grilled chicken tenders portioned into 3 oz servings and placed in individual covered dishes or placed in your preportioned salad bowls. I will actually pull out the George Foreman and grill a pack of skinless chicken tenders. It does not take long at all!
• Hummus portioned into small 2 ounce cups with lids.
• Whole Wheat Pita loaf cut in half and bagged up to pair with hummus for a snack or meal.
• Portion out 2 tablespoons of Greek dressing and strawberry balsamic dressing into individual small containers.
• Portion out 2 tablespoons of granola into baggies (to put in low-fat yogurt).

I know this may seem a little overwhelming, so start small and set goals each week. Maybe this week’s goal will be to make up a large bowl of mixed salad! The more you do it the quicker it will get! If you have any questions please, email me at cindyjadeRD@gmail.com. Now, go get to planning and prepping!

Happy Eating!

Cindy Huggins RDN, LD

Recourse to help you plan:

Zip list

Fooducate

Food on the Table

Shop well

GoMeals

Shop to Lose

Shop Savvy

Spark People

InFridge

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Thanks to Cindy for sharing her meal prep secrets!! I know what my Sunday's will consist of now! Tyler and I are so excited and truly ready for a healthier lifestyle!!

Have a great weekend!

Love, The Nancy J Way!

Why hello there! My name is Jordon and I ramble daily over at Love Always, Nancy J.
I am taking over Blissfully Miller today as sweet Jessica is off working up a storm!

I am a recently engaged gal living out my happily ever after in Nashville, TN.

 I am a lover of the KY Wildcats and any Garth Brooks song will make my heart flutter.

I am currently planning my dream wedding with that hunk in the coral and I couldn't be more excited!

I wanted to share a few little ideas that made our recent engagement photos a total success.

-Wine is a good thing.

I know this goes without saying, but we added a little vino to our session and it made it so fun. We are by no means "lushes", but it definitely calmed our nerves and made us quite giggly for a large portion of the afternoon. :)

wine glasses via Etsy

-Love a Sports team? Throw it in the mix!

We are both avid lovers of the KY Wildcats, so our photos were not going to be made without the CATS making their debut! 

-Props, props, and more props.

I'm not gonna lie I feel like we did go a tad overboard with all of our props, but I couldn't narrow them down. They all had special meaning to us.

via Groopdealz

These all were engagement gifts from our friends and family. My best friend painted the picture for us and it has been the perfect addition to our home post-photos!

-Bribery WORKS

Tyler is a total man's man and "kissy" photos aren't exactly his thing. Honestly, they really aren't mine either, but I knew they had to happen. Offering a few meals and Argo on DVD later, I had that cutie kissing me left and right. Trust me ladies, IT IS WORTH IT.

-HAVE FUN
Naturally we are both OVERLY goofy. Once  we got warmed up to the camera, there was no turning back. Some of these photos turned out to be my favorites!

We had a blast taking these photos and I love how our photographer was able to capture "us being us".  

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HUGE thanks to Jordon for sharing her stunning engagement photos! Be sure to stop by her blog and say 'HI', she's a sweetheart!

Meet Allison, A Texas Mrs!!

Hey beautiful Blissfully Miller readers! I am Allison, the wife behind Texas Mrs.

I usually write about DIY projects that I do, my precious little furbabies, and pretty much everything else that comes to my mind. So if I sound like your cup of tea, come over to my blog and say hiiiii!

Jessica is having a grand ole time working in Vegas right now. I am totally jealous and wish I could go to Vegas for work. I mean seriously!? But because she's busy makin' that money, she asked me to fill in for her. And I sure am happy to be here! So why don't ya grab a seat and enjoy some reading. :)

I figured that we could get really deep today. You know... like answer the tough questions. I stole the idea from Erin at Living in Yellow.

Let's jump right in! (Did anyone else just think of Zac Brown Band when I said that? It's a pretty catchy song, if you ask me. Oh and lucky ole Jessica got to see them while she was in Vegas!)

1. If you could do one thing differently in your life, what would it be? I'd like to think that I'm at this place in my life by God's plan. I am not sure I would change anything, to be honest, because what if that altered everything I currently know about life? I really and truly believe that God knows what's best for me. I wouldn't want to be in charge of changing my entire life plan, because I would have no peace of mind over it.

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2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Five years from now I'll be a wife and a mom. I am not sure of much else, but I know I see myself being happy. Whatever that means.

3. How many kids do you want? I changed this question from Erin's version because of course we want kids. It's just a matter of how many. Hubby and I haven't had a huge discussion about the number of mini's that we want running around since we're not parents yet. I'm sure once we have one kiddo, it'll help make the decision for us. I would say either 2 kids or 4 kids. Not three, preferably. I tend to think that the middle child syndrome does exist. So sue me? Of course if God gave us 3 kids and not 4, we would embrace it!

4. What has been the best moment of your life so far? That's an extremely tough question. Top of the charts would have to be our wedding, however I believe the little moments are the best moments. Like the time that my little family and I were all laying on the couch cuddling. And the time that Hubby and I danced in our living room. And the time that Hubby told me how much he loved me. And all the times that revolve around my sweet little family of four. Yea, those are the best moments.

5. What is your life theme song? The very first song that I thought of was Gary Allan's song "Every Storm." It's a good reminder that no matter what trial you (or anyone) is going through in life, it's only temporary. Even if the situation never "resolves", it will eventually die down to where you don't feel it as strongly. I like that message!

6. What is one thing you have yet to accomplish that you want to do before you die? I have my 30 Before 30 list that is a nice little guide of some of my goals. If you read the disclaimer on it, you'll notice I only really have two goals: become a wife and a mom. Considering I'm married to my best friend, the mommy role would be the only other thing I care about. So to be called "mom" before I die would be a huge accomplishment.

7. If you could choose one thing to be known for, what would it be? Super easy. Most importantly, I want to be known as a wife. I was born to play that role. From sun up to sun down, my husband is the person I strive to make happy.

8. If you could do anything you wanted right this very moment (no consequences, no fear, etc) what would it be? I would pack mine and Hubby's bags and we'd book a flight to somewhere tropical and take a really long vacation! Gahhh, wouldn't that be amaze? I'd prefer to relive our Bahamian Honeymoon if at all possible!

9. What has been the most challenging moment in your life? For sure, the most challenging moment of my life was when I realized and acknowledged (out loud) that God is in control. It sure would be nice to have things go my way in life, but that's just not how it works. God has the final say. And yea, that scares the crap outta me... but at least I can rest easy knowing that he has a plan.

10. Summarize yourself in one word. Passionate. Without a doubt, I am the all-or-nothing type of lady. Sometimes to a fault. But regardless of what I do, it's with passion. Examples: 1) I love my husband like crazy. 2) When I shop, I shop hard. Hehe. 3) I clean the house to excess once I start with one little area. And 4) If you negatively interfere with my life, I will cut you out so fast you won't know what happened. Sooo if that tells you anything, I am surely a passionate woman.

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That's all I've got for y'all. Hopefully I didn't bore you to tears. Come say hi whenever you want to. And thank you to Mrs. Jessica for letting me overtake Blissfully Miller for the day!