Friday – After work, Chris and his friend Ryan DJ’d live over the air for awhile. While they did that, I did some cleaning to get it out of the way for the weekend.

Saturday – When we woke up Saturday morning, we were feeling Waffle House. We haven’t been in forever, so Chris called his parents up and we met them over there. After, we came back home and got ready for the day. We headed to Bargain Hunt and What’s on 2nd. We Didn’t find anything at Bargain Hunt, but we scored a Turbografix game console at What’s on 2nd for a super sweet deal! We also found a few regular Nintendo games for super cheap that we don’t already have. I am fairly positive that game system was the only one we were missing from our collection.

After that, we met up with Laura and her husband at World of Beer!

We ordered up some great food! Craft Beer Battered Shrimp and Pickle Chips. Both were absolutely wonderful! I am SO glad that they started serving food there finally. With all the yummy beers to try…you need some grub!

Laura challenged me to a game of adult Jenga. Holy crap. It started getting scary the taller it got and when they fall…..they fall! It is so loud! We had so much fun! We each won one round. and the last round we played we both got to the point where we couldn’t find anymore blocks to pull so we just walked away!

Charles, the floor manager whom we have gotten to know over the past several months came and sat with us after his shift. We always know if he is working, we are going to be taken care of!

After several hours of awesome beers, it was time to change the scenery and get some burgers! We headed over to Jack Brown’s Beer and Burgers and sat out on their patio. Chris and I both ordered The Cowboy and split a side of fries. I finally ordered a desert. I haven’t done that in a loooooong time! Fried Oreos were calling my name! I have never really been into the friend stuff like that before, but you guys….holy yum. It is basically an oreo wrapped in funnel cake. I just can’t even explain how amazing it was!

After our burgers, we headed over to Crestwood Tavern after deciding the the 41st Street Pub was way too loud and filled with annoying people. We couldn’t have picked a better place, because we got a free show!

The girl in the pink shirt sitting on the left of this picture was the most annoying person on the planet. We watched her try so desperately to get one of the many guys that are standing around there to take her home. It was so entertaining and my side and stomach hurt from laughing so hard! Apparently, she worked in the medical field of some kind…which is quite scary….and said things like “I won’t even touch their air” When referring to work. Ummm…..ok?! How do you not touch air?

We also had some random guy come sit with us and he was telling us all this crazy crap about how he used to do drugs and I don’t even know what else he said but it was insane. Bennett’s facial expressions were HILARIOUS and Laura and I could not stop laughing.

Chris and I didn’t get home until after 2am. Whaaaat?! I dropped my old lady status for the night and it felt good! We had such an amazing time and I hope that we can do it again!

Sunday – We started the day with a great breakfast. I meal planned and grocery shopped, and made a quick stop by Sephora where I had a super helpful person help me pick out a new foundation and bronzer. I love when someone will take the time there and really help you! We spent the rest of the day doing a few things around the house, watching SVU and reading my book! It was lovely.

I made myself this Greek salad for lunch.

I also painted my nails, I am loving all the fun, funky colors lately!!!

I have really enjoyed linking up with the lovely Amanda for Friday Favorites! Plus, I love seeing what everyone’s favorites are for the week! Let’s get to it, shall we?

Favorite Tunes: I have been listening to Too Close by Next a ridiculous number of times this week. I can’t help it. Bask in the awesome!

Next up, Chris has mix cds that you can download for free! Jump on that if you need some new work out material, commute music…or if you just want to back your ass up!

Favorite Moment: I don’t have a picture because I am a blogging failure, but I got to have a quick blate with Laura from Alabama Graffiti! We met for happy hour at Side Bar and chatted it up over beers. I even got to meet her husband for a few minutes too! I love when I meet a blogger in person and we just hit it off. I have a few blogger turned IRL friends now and it makes my heart super happy! I smell a couples date in the future!

Favorite Purchase: Dress from JCPenney – $23 A.N.A. Brand – I had a coupon for $10 off $25 and I really hate to see $10 free dollars fly out the window! I need some new clothes, bad. All my dresses I have had for awhile and most of the straps are stretched out so they don’t stay up and I have to wear my jean jacket over them. (Big chest probz)  Not cute when it is 90 degrees, you know? I paired this dress with a cardigan and a necklace to make it work appropriate.

Favorite Pet Pictures: I am throwing one of Gracie in here this week! The dogs told me they are feeling neglected on the little blog, I quickly reminded them the Olivia has never written a post and they instantly felt better. Gracie, can you be any sweeter? I think not.

This is a blurry picture of Olivia, but you can really see her striping. I love her tiger stripes!

Favorite $5 ever spent: I was at Petsmart picking up dog treats the other night. As I was walking through the middle aisle, I saw their Martha Stewart line on clearance. I found springy frog toy for $4.97! I brought it home and set it on the living room floor. Little Livy started playing with it instantly….and kept at it for an hour and a half straight. Swatting, pouncing, tackling! I had no idea that she would love it so much! It really keeps her entertained and wears her out!

The only downside? It has a bell on it, which is part of the appeal to Livy. Anything to annoy the shit out of me is her jam. I want to rip it off…but I know it wont be as fun for her. The things we do for our pets!!!

Friday Funnies: Let’s face it, that is why you are all here…

Annnnnd Chris shared this on his blog yesterday and I could NOT stop laughing. So I am stealing it:

Liz is hosting a fearless link up. It isn’t just a today thing, you can link your story up at any time. You see, Liz is one of the most motivational bloggers I know. She keeps it real, shares her struggles, her victories, and her story with the interwebz day in and day out. She stays true to herself and has so much passion and drive. To me, she screams fearless.

I knew I had to link up, but to be honest, I didn’t think the word fearless described me at all. In fact, fear tends to hold me back sometimes. Fear of failure, even fear of success are very real to me.

But then I started thinking, and I am fearless in some ways. As a blogger, aren’t we all a little fearless? Coming here every day and sharing our lives with the world wide web. We tell stories, we laugh, we have our serious moments. We are completely vulnerable to criticism and mean comments.

If I hadn’t started blogging, I wouldn’t have “met” all of you amazing people! I interact more with my blogging friends than I do my IRL friends! And you know what, some of my blogging friends are becoming my IRL friends!!! I have overcome some of my social anxiety and have actually met a few wonderful people in person!

Then I got to thinking more. When Chris and I started dating, he lived in Birmingham and I lived in Atlanta. After one month, we were engaged and I made the decision to find a job in Birmingham and move. Some people might have thought that was crazy talk, but the fear of taking the chance was squashed by love and the hope for true happiness. If I weren’t fearless in that situation, I would never have found true love.

Then there is this journey that I am on to be the healthiest me that I can be. For months I would say that as soon as this happens or as soon as we get some exercise equipment in the house, I would start working out. It was always something in the future. The truth is, you don’t need anything to work out. Just open your front door and get moving. Get down on the ground and do some crunches. Do what you have to do. Hell, Meighan picked up cans of squash and started lifting weights the other day. The thing was, I was afraid to start.

What if I started and didn’t see results? What if I gave up and quit? What if someone saw me struggling during the work out? There were so many thoughts that flooded my mind that it crippled me from starting. One day I woke up and said enough!!!! I can’t keep wishing for something to be to actually happen if I don’t actually put the work in. I got up the very next morning and started the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. A program that I had started and quit two times before.

I just did it. I woke up every morning and did the work outs. I hated every minute of it, but I felt so proud when 6:00am rolled around and I had already had my work out in for the day. Once I finished that program, I moved on to RIPPED in 30, then T25 and today I started the last phase of Body Beast. I can’t believe that a year later I am still waking up every morning during the week at 4:30am and working out. That I am seeing definition in my arms, my back and my legs that I haven’t seen since college. That I am getting stronger every day. That I cut the entire back yard last weekend without struggle. I can’t believe that I joke around with Kathy and a few others in “bro talk.” I am freaking lifting weights every morning. Who am I?

That my friends, is what fearless means to me. To be able to do something that you didn’t think was possible. To overcome the fear and doubt that you have and put your heart in to it. Am I completely fearless? Hell no. But you know what, it is a start. I have determination my friends. I have the drive to want everything that I could dream of. I think if we take baby steps, we can do anything that we dreamed we can.

Now that I am fearless in love and on my journey to be healthy….I hope that I can channel that into other aspects of my life. I have dreams my friend, and I am going to over come the fear and make it realty!

If you need some inspiration in your life, or want to read some motivational stories, go hop over to Liz’s Fearless page. I have a feeling that we are going to read some incredible stories today.

Whale, Whale, Whale (spelling is correct, look below) what do we have here!? Apparently it is time to link up with Kathy and spill all of the secrets.

–Whale Whale Whale is one of my favorite memes ever. I can’t help it. The first time I saw it, my husband had sent it to me and I couldn’t stop laughing. It makes me smile every time!

–I told you guys last week I get on a food kick, and right now it is peaches. I have been snacking on peaches like crazy business. I can’t eat a peach without singing the peaches song though!!!! Please tell me you know the song!!! (I am not talking about Peaches and Cream by 112, as good of a song as that is.) I am speaking of Presidents of the USA Peaches.

Millions of peaches, peaches for me. Millions of peaches, peaches for free. You know it is stuck in your head now!!!!

–Speaking of Peaches and Cream by 112, I was senior in high school when that song came out. I had no clue what it meant and sang those lyrics loud and proud all the time. It is crazy to look back on songs that I used to sing along to when I was younger and had no clue the meanings. Just a young, naive Nadine. What did my parents think? Probably that I was an idiot. Ignorance is bliss.

–It made me feel really good last week when I admitted that I had to Google what turn down for what meant…and all of you had no clue either!

–I was getting dressed Monday morning and i thought to myself, this outfit would look so cute with my nude Michael Korrs wedges! I put them on and looked in the bathroom mirror. These wedges are like 4 or 5 inches tall. I said to myself out loud, of course, “Nadine who are you kidding…these shoes are going to have you cursing yourself in about an hour…go get the fancy flip flops and stop pretending you care.” I listened to myself, thank God.

–I am way to exciting and impatient every week for Pretty Little Liars. Why must I like that show?!?! It is absolutely ridiculous and we never get any damn answers!!!

Confessions in ecards:

We all have our happy place. The place where all is right in the world. The place where you can clear your mind and just enjoy life. The place that brings a smile to your face. The place whose beauty you never take for granted. For me, that place is the beach.

Atlantic Ocean, Georgia

Growing up in Pennsylvania with not a lot of money to take big vacations, the beach was just a place I saw on TV or in pictures from my friends. The ocean was just a picture, the sound of waves something I only heard when I put my ear up to this huge shell my grandmother had at her house. The first time I ever saw the ocean was when I was in high school, after we moved to Georgia where the ocean was about five hours away.

My first experience was at Savannah and Tybee Island.

My mom, sister and I(me in the pink.) Savannah, GA

I will never forget the first time I stepped out onto the beach and felt my sad under my feet as I walked towards the waves crashing in. It sounds cliche, like the song, but it is amazing how small you feel standing next to the ocean. How truly beautiful and amazing it all really is.

I fell in love with the beach and the ocean on that trip, and my love for it has only grown stronger over the years. There have been several beach trips since then. My mom and I took a trip to Orange Beach on summer when I was in college, just the two of us. We had such an amazing time. I remember laying on the beach with her, dreaming about how one day we wanted to own one of the houses down there and we could visit as often as we liked.

One summer, I went to Destin and Panama City with some friends. We spent all of our days beach side and all of our nights scoping out the cool restaurants in the area, listening to Matt Nathanson in the car as we drove around. Every time I hear a song off that album, I am instantly calmed by thoughts of the beach.

Perfecting beach selfies before selfies were a thing.

Chris and I try to visit Gulf Shores Alabama every summer….at least once.

Yup. The beach is my happy place. I love to just get away for a few days, hear the waves crashing in, watch the sun rise, and sit in the pool and think about absolutely nothing,

Where is your happy place?