Linking up with Ashley and Jessica for Taste of Tuesday!

I love stir fry vegetables. They are both delicious and healthy. This recipe pairs very well with my Kung Pao Chicken that you can find here. I have been subbing out the rice for veggies the last few times that I have made it and it has been wonderful.

Because I am the worst blogger on the planet, I didn’t take any pictures during or after the veggies were made. Blogger FAIL. But, you can use your imagination and know that it was just beautiful, ok?!

What you need:

-Veggies! You can use any kind you want. This is what I used: 1 squash, 1 zucchini, 2 cups of broccoli, a huge handful of green beans, a handful of snap peas, a handful of baby carrots (halved), a half a purple onion and not pictured above were 2 stalks of celery.

-3 garlic gloves

-2 tablespoons olive oil

– 1/4 cup of low sodium Teriyaki sauce

– a few splashes of low sodium soy sauce

-1 tablespoon of  sesame seeds (you can toast them ahead of time, but I just toss them right in there from the jar)

What you do:

– heat olive oil in a large wok or pan

-add the garlic, purple onion and broccoli first, cook for about 2 minutes

-add the rest of the vegetables and cook about 5 minutes

-add the Teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and sesame seeds, cook for an additional five minutes (to your liking, some people like super crunchy almost raw, others like soft mushy…I personally prefer crunchier)

Enjoy!

Well hello there! I had a very eventful weekend full of fun, so let’s just get right to it!!

Friday- My boss was super awesome and let us leave at 3:00pm! We have been slammed lately and we have a lot more stuff coming between now and the end of the year, so he said that we could use a little break. Thank you! That gave me enough time to search for a tiara! Unfortunately, my search was unsuccessful. Target, why you have no princess frilly tiaras in your store?! How were people going to know I was a damn princess without my crown?

When I got home, Chris and I left to go immediately back downtown! We stopped at Todd English Pub for some Junk Chips and a beer to pre-game for Disney On Ice! Don’t judge, we weren’t the only ones having adult beverages before the show! The whole place was packed with people waiting for Disney On Ice!

Disney On Ice!!! Oh my goodness. I cant even put into words as to how awesome Disney On Ice really was! We had front row center seats, basically ice was being kicked up on us that is how close we were. The theme was Disney Princesses and Heros. Let me tell you, this show did NOT disappoint. Mickey and Minnie hosted, and Goofy made a guess appearance. Tinker Bell also was a huge part of the show, her fairy dust started each of the different stories. There was Aladdin, Snow White, The Little Mermaid, Tangled/Rapunzel, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and some new princess I didn’t recognize.  I took over 60 pictures, but they were all with my iPhone so the quality is amazing or anything, but here is a look.

The show was AMAZING!!! If it comes to your area, you have to go! I told Chris we will go every time it is here! I loved every single minute of it!

Saturday – We watched a few episodes of The Lying Games in the morning with our breakfast, then headed over to Chris’s parents house for a bit to pick up a few things and see them. We then got our grocery shopping out of the way and settled in before the Alabama vs LSWho game! The game was AWESOME!!! It rained some during the game and someone was holding up a sign that said “It’s raining national titles out here!”  Between that and “The Fox says Roll Tide” sign….it was super fun!

There is also this. LOL!! Sorry Oregon, maybe next year.

Sunday – Our anniversary was yesterday!!! We had already exchanged presents earlier this month, so yesterday we exchanged cards and Chris took me out to a wonderful dinner at Village Tavern. They have the best crab dip ever! I also got a spinach salad and tomato basil soup that were both delish! We finished off the evening with some creme brulee for desert. Here is to many more wonderful years!

This weekend is our first wedding anniversary! It is hard to believe that it has already been a year, yet it has only been a year. I feel like I have known Chris forever, and I think he feels the same about me. While I believe every relationship is different, and there really isn’t anyone who should be giving out advice to someone on exactly what they should do…there are a few things that I have learned about marriage. These are some things that I have figured out before we got married, but I feel are very important and have been proven to be correct.

1. Communication

Communication is the key to any relationship. If you don’t communicate, you aren’t going to last! I am not a mind reader, and apparently Chris isn’t either. If there is something wrong or something that you want, you have got to speak up!

2. Be a team

You are married, meaning you are now one. You are in this little thing called life together now. You should work as a team. Make decisions together and realize that what you do not only effects you, but your spouse.

3. Accept who they are, don’t try to change them. – I have known this for a long time, but it is important to remember to accept your spouse for who they are. You shouldn’t marry someone, or even be in a relationship with someone whom you want to change. Because you cant change someone, and you shouldn’t try. When you marry someone, you marry them, their family, and all the good things about them and their flaws.

4. Enjoy the little moments. – You do’t always have to make some hoopla out of every day. Enjoy the little moments with your spouse, they can be the most memorable. Some of my favorite times with Chris are when we are having a lazy Sunday watching TV in our pajamas, or out chit chat when we are in the car driving to see his family, a random Saturday afternoon when we stop at World of Beer to catch part of a football game. All those little moments add up to one big, happy life.

5. Never take your spouse for granted. – None of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Appreciate and love your spouse, and make sure they know how much you love them. Don’t stay angry, always say I love you before you part ways for the day. You never know when it may be the last time you see them. Part of this is remembering that they love you for who you are, and you dont ever want to take that love for granted either.

I hope that everyone has a fabulous weekend! We are going to see Disney on Ice tonight!!! I am SOOOO excited!!! Tomorrow is the Alabama vs LSU game, Roll Tide! Then Sunday is our anniversary! You doing anything fun this weekend?

Go link up with Joy for the Friday Five.

It is senior year of high school. My family has lived in GA approximately 2 years, as we moved the middle of my sophomore year, October to be exact. (That was 15 years ago, yikes!) The time to apply for colleges comes around. I have good grades, I could probably get into any school in the state that I choose, UGA, GA State, GA Southern, North GA, the list goes on. I am not quite sure which to choose. I am not from GA. It wasn’t drilled in me at a young age that I was going to graduate from a certain school because all my family did, blah blah blah. In fact, I was the first (and only as of now) in my immediate family to graduate from college, so the standards and expectations were set pretty low.

One day at lunch, my friend Shelley says “So, Nadine….where have you applied?” I reply, “Well you see…errr…um. Well I haven’t. I am not sure where to go. I know nothing about any of the schools here.” Shelley says, “You should apply to West Georgia, I got accepted. We could be roommates!” Shelley may not know this, but she had me at roommates. This would take ALL the guess work out of trying to pick some where and decide where the hell I was going to live. To a high school student that just moved from a small town, going to GA State in downtown Atlanta scared the shit out of me. Who would have thought I would be living in downtown Atlanta after college, knowing it like the back of my hand?! But I digress.

I coolly replied to Shelley, “West Georgia? I haven’t heard of it. Where is it exactly?” Shelley says, “It is in West Georgia, duh Nadine!” We both laugh. She then says, “It is in a town called Carrollton. The campus is really quaint and pretty. I think it would be a lot of fun.” I say, “Cool. I will look in to it.”

That night I went home, applied to UWG and told my parents I had made a decision of where I wanted to go to school. They had a Real Estate department, which is what I thought I would want to major in and I had a roommate already lined up. Winning. UWG was the only school I applied for. I didn’t even see the campus before I decided. My first visit was for freshmen orientation. True story.

So you see folks, sometimes I am just a follower. It turned out alright. I have my BBA in Real Estate, I made some great friends while at UWG and I have many found memories of Shelley and I as roomies in the dorms our first year! Go Braves! Because that is what the mascot was when I was at UWG. Now they are the Wolves. Seriously? Whatever. WEST SIIIIIIIIIDE!

Pic via

I believe in celebrating both little and big achievements, and every day life.

I believe in retail therapy.

I believe that sometimes a cup of coffee is a cure for anything.

I believe that coffee is a must every morning.

I believe that you can never have too many pairs of shoes. Or purses. Or make up. Or accessories. Or scarves.

I believe that sometimes a cookie and a hug is all you need.

I believe that no matter what challenges come my way, I will figure it out.

I believe in love and happy endings.

I believe in the spirit of Christmas.

I believe in educating myself before judging others.

I believe in smiling at strangers. (You never know what others are going through and all they may need is a warm smile.)

I believe in a cold beer.

I believe in watching the sun rise and set.

I believe that you should always feel small standing next to the ocean.

I believe that a firm handshake is professional and required.

I believe in painted toe nails.

I believe that there is a song for any mood or situation.

I believe that we should all live like the person that our dogs think we are.

I believe in bubble baths.

I believe that it is never to early to start listening to Christmas music.

I believe that a cup of hot coco or tea should be offered to those that need consoled. (Just ask Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory)

I believe in smiling. Smiling is my favorite.

I believe that lip stick/lip gloss can make you feel like you have your life together.

I believe that you can take the girl out of Atlanta, but you cant take the Atlanta road rage out of the girl.

I believe in second chances and second impressions.

I believe in forgiveness, but not forgetfulness. Fool me twice shame on me.

I believe in toasted marshmallows by the fire.

I believe in a lot, apparently.

Pic Via