Check that off the bucket list....

This post is a bit late, but better late than never.  On April 11th, I completed my first 5k.  Completing a 5k has been a goal for myself for quite a while. It was a new year's resolution goal.... last year.  I've been running some here and there and going to Zumba regularly. I finally felt like I should just do it.  Man, I am glad I did!  Even though there were times during the 3.1 miles that I had to walk, I finished, and that is what mattered. This particular 5k raised funds for a local agency that helps children of child abuse.  The theme was super hero, which added to the fun.  It also helped that I had a friend starting the race with me and my family was there cheering me on at the finish line.  Brinley, my sister, finished 1st place in her age group... she's pretty awesome. Here are some pictures from my first 5k.

 

 

 

Not only did this 5k benefit children of abuse, I felt a great since of accomplishment when I was finished.

 

After finishing the race, I joked that I was finished with running until next April... but then we found out there is a princess 5k at the end of May... sign me up!

 

 



Mmm... smells so good!

Well, this past week I hopped on the Scentsy train and I am now a Scentsy consultant. So far I'm loving it and the new spring and summer scents are amazing.  If you are looking for something to make practically any space smell better, check it out. You can order online here.

     
                                   

www.brookeriffe.scentsy.us

Opinions Wanted!

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This month I am upgrading my phone.... now to decide between android (what I'm used to) Galaxy S5, or the iPhone 6.  I've never used an iPhone, I've always been more comfortable with android because it's what I already know.  So, opinions and comments welcomed... what are the pros and cons to both?  Right now, all I know for pros is that I know and understand the Galaxy, but the iPhone would be better for listening and storing music.  Okay... tell me your opinions, go!

A list of all sorts

Completely random list of things I'm thinking of... 3,2,1, go!

1. Not sure if I have written about it before or not, but I have been reading a devotional called "Jesus Calling".  These daily devos are perfect because they are concise, but gives a punch and gets you thinking. If you are looking for a simple devotional book that has a lot of good information and is encouraging, I definitely recommend it. You can find it here.

2. I am so over snow.... it has finally started melting and Spring is in 17 days, but it's supposed to snow again tomorrow night, booo!!

3. I have definitely enjoyed being able to watch my siblings in their sports, from football, to basketball and cheerleading... now baseball and softball are just around the corner, can't wait!

4. I've been thinking about opening an ETSY shop for my vinyl personalized products, but I'm not sure if I want to or not yet for a couple of reasons. First, I don't know if I'd have any response, and second, I don't want crafting to become a job instead of a hobby.  Thoughts?

5. God's timing is always perfect, even when we don't understand it.

6. I am still loving my Fitbit!  If you have one and want to become friends you can add me abriffe@gmail.com

7. I am also loving Scandal on Netflix, anybody else?

8. Teaching 4 year olds at church is one highlight of every week- they soak everything in like a sponge... and I get compliments like "Ms. Brooke, your shoes are BEAUTIFUL!!"

9. Driving an hour to and from work has it's pros and cons.  Some days it's not bad, while other days I just want to be off the road and at home.  I do enjoy the extra praise and prayer time I have on the road, though. 

10.  This month, we have planned a parents night out at church, and Preston and I will be keeping ALL of the kids- was I crazy for planning this?  Any fun ideas for occupying kids of all ages are welcome!

11. Eating healthier is becoming easier, but ice cream is definitely my weakness. If it's offered, I cave almost every time.

12. Zumba has definitely become my "escape".  60 minutes to get away from everything else, burn some calories, and have fun while doing it- fantastic! 

13. Speaking of exercise, I'm contemplating attempting a 5k in April.

Okay, if you made it through the pointlessness of this post, kudos to you. Now I'm off to continue working for the day... and then it's straight to Zumba! Have a happy Tuesday!

Snow Day and Photo Dump

There hasn't been too much going on with us in the past month, hence the lack of posts.  However, this weekend, we were given a pretty sizable amount of the white fluffy stuff...

14 inches of snow in about 24 hours.... that's a lot of snow!  Thankfully, my employer was closed yesterday for President's day and also closed today due to the inclement weather.  While the snow doesn't completely excite me, I will definitely take the extra paid day off!  

Between the last two days of being home, my days have consisted of a little cleaning, netflix, soup, playing Just Dance for some cardio, and taking pictures of our pets. 

Here are a few pictures: 

Finally Friday!

Finally, we've made it to Friday! This week has taken forever to get through... but finally the weekend is almost here.  I'm ready to dump some random thoughts:

1. We have  a new member of our family- meet Niko (pronounced nee-ko).  Niko was a surprise this past weekend. Niko is a Maine Coon cat (who will grow to be very large).  My aunt breeds cats and we thought we would be able to get one this summer, but it happened a little sooner.  This is the friendliest cat I've ever seen.  He has done very well adjusting and surprisingly Chloe dog hasn't seemed to mind too much.

2. Of course I can't mention the cat without mentioning the dog... our dog Chloe has cataracts causing her to be mostly blind.  She still has some vision, however from our walk this past Sunday, it was evident that her sight has gotten worse. 

3. I'm ready for Spring... who's with me?  Flip flops, flower beds, and warmer weather- I'm ready to see you again!

4. We already have our vacation rental for this Summer booked and I cannot wait to be back in the Outerbanks!  When I'm on vacation, I like for things to be low key and not a rush. Since the OBX isn't very commercial, it gives us just what we need for vacation- relaxation.

5. I'm excited to say that I have met my January goal for weight loss- trying to lose at least 5 pounds a month... that'd be 30 pounds before our beach trip!

6. I have been going to Zumba a few times a week.  When I am exercising, the most annoying thing is my pants sliding down and having to keep pulling them up.  Well, last night I wore a new pair that I had ordered from Kohls and they were fantastic! I didn't pull at them one time, making it a better hour of exercise because I wasn't worried about my pants.  Only problem is now I want a pair in every color! You can find these capris here.  They do run a little big so I ordered a size down and they were perfect. 

Okay, that's all I've got today.... time to finish out the work week before heading to Brinley's cheer competition this weekend!



(I did not receive any compensation from Kohls or Fila for mentioning the workout capris, all thoughts and opinions are my own, just wanted to share!)

What's new with me...

Woohoo for Thursday, it's my Friday this week! It seems like the last couple have flown by.  With the beginning of the year, I didn't make any resolutions, however there are some things I am doing differently now days.  Nothing over the top, possibly not even worth blogging about, but I want to use it for my own memory.

1. Different foundation and powder
I knew I needed to get different make up because 1) what I had was almost gone, and 2) it wasn't really doing what I wanted it to do.  I have a combination/oily skin type and by mid day my "T-zone" is often oily- which I hate.... Clinique to the rescue. I have been using the stay-matte oil-free foundation and it has been great. Next time I will get a shade darker, though. You can find it here.


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I have also tried new powder.  I have been using loose powder for years, and it's actually what I prefer, but I tried this compact powder, also stay-matte.  I have liked it so far, but will get a shade darker in it as well.



2. Food Choices
I have really been trying to do better with food choices and thinking about calories and food intake instead of just eating what I want.  Watching portions, as well.  I've been logging my food daily with My Fitness Pal and I feel like I have been doing better than I have started trying to do this in the past. I've started prepacking and preparing meals ahead of time and it makes eating healthier SO much easier.  My daily lunch for the last 2 weeks has been raw veggies and fresh fruit. Of course I slip at times, but I feel like it's a step in the right direction. 

3. Exercising
I've always exercised on and off, but what's new this time is that when I don't get to work out because of working late or other evening commitments, I actually miss it.  I've never missed working out before.  I have started doing Zumba again at a place I hadn't been to before and the environment and peers is fantastic!

4. Organization
With my job, there are multiple due dates, clients, etc.  I have created a new organization method for myself to keep everything on track and it is working wonderfully- here's to being on top of things!

5. Current Netflix Obsession
We all have those shows that we binge watch at times, don't we? Just me? Recently we started watching "Once Upon A Time". It is different than something I would usually watch, but it's been pretty good. I feel like it's a really long movie broken up over episodes.  I've also been watching "Gossip Girl", also not something that I would normally watch... it took a while to get into it, but now I'm hooked.

6. New Book
This is where you come in! I've been wanting to start a new book but not sure of what I want to read.  I loved "The Fault In Our Stars" and like stuff such as "Heaven Is For Real"... any and all book suggestions are welcomed and appreciated!