My companion

Welcome back! How has your week been so far? It's only Tuesday and I feel like Friday needs to be here NOW! It is one of those weeks where I just want to come home and snuggle with my puppy. It doesn't help that I've been feeling sick and my throat has been killing me, but I'll survive!!!

I am going to dedicate this post to the furry baby that fills me up with happiness and joy (sometimes a little bit of anger). Maisey! Maisey is my one year old dachshund puppy. Growing up my parents did not allow us to have dogs inside, so as an adult I wanted to do the opposite.

Since my husband and I moved to Houston, we have been far away from our family that lives about 6 hours away. My husband's aunts live about 30 minutes away, but it's quite a drive so we do not see them every weekend.

I come from a house of six, where I have 3 younger sisters. Growing up with them was tough at times, but now that we are older we are able to appreciate each other so much more than when we were little and fighting over dumb things. It was difficult coping with not living with them since I got married and then moving so far away from them. Being the oldest, I kind of feel like I am responsible for them, even though they are not my children.

These emotions took a toll on me when we moved to this city and at times I felt lonely. My husband's schedule did not work well with mine, so when I was home, he was out. After much thinking, I decided I wanted a puppy. Having a baby is not in our timeline at this moment, so the next best thing was to own a dog.

I was fortunate enough to overhear a coworker say she had some free dachshund puppies. After speaking to my coworker, she assured me she would give her to me for free as soon as she was 8 weeks. I did not know what to buy or what products were reliable since I had never gone through this experience. Thankfully my husband's aunts are dog lovers and they helped me narrow down my list of things I needed to purchase.

The day before my birthday I picked up Maisey. She was a tiny little black jelly bean that was clinging to my shirt because it was cold outside. I fell in love with her since that moment. On the ride home she cried and peed about two times. Distances are ridiculous in Houston!

When I brought Maisey home my husband and I were amazed with her, just staring at her. She was so calm and she quickly took a nap on the carpet. Our initial thoughts were that she was going to be a sweet little sleeping angel. And then, she woke up! PLOT TWIST!

Maisey is NOT a sweet little sleeping angel. She is an energetic, wild, attention-seeking pup!!!! As soon as Maisey woke up we knew we were in trouble. She began running and biting like if she had known us for days.  Since we brought Maisey home, she has been keeping us on our toes. We cannot leave ANYTHING on the ground because it becomes hers and she might find it tasty enough to eat it. We've had health scares with her, just as if she was our baby.

I know Maisey is a dog and not a human, but believe me, this dog has done enough to make us think twice about having children. She's that crazy!!! Obviously we will have children SOME day, but for now Maisey will do. She is always here to greet me when I come home. She wakes up in the morning and turns around so that I can give her her morning scratchies (belly rub). When I'm tired I can pick her up and snuggle with her. She has grown up to be an amazing companion to us and we feel like we are a little family of 3. We spoil her as if she was our child and we try to give her the best life we can.

Rocker Chic 

I never thought that I would ever feel the way I do about Maisey, a dog, but honestly, sometimes I like Maisey better than some mean people out there! Maisey has taught me how to be patient and caring towards animals and I cannot imagine what our life would be like without her.

Our little family

It's time to sign off and take care of this gremlin. She's currently bothering her dad while he's trying to complete his homework.

What kind of dog do you own? Feel free to share your doggie stories. I would love to read them!

Until next time :)

 With her daddy's sock.

Let's see how long this toy lasts.

 Thinking...

 A relaxing Sunday morning

I make this shopping bag look cute ;)

Currently watching: Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (love this show!)

Chipotle Turkey Burgers

Hi again :) I'm back with a yummy recipe for you. I woke up semi-early to purchase a few ingredients for this recipe. I stopped at Whole Foods and at Kroger. I prefer going to HEB than Kroger, but I spent tooooo much time at Whole Foods so I just went to Kroger since it is literally in front of where I live.

So today I fixed up a chipotle turkey burger and it was delicious! When I think of turkey my mind goes straight to Thanksgiving. I would think, "How can people eat turkey when it's not Thanksgiving?" Turkey meat is a lean protein that you can substitute for beef. I'm fortunate to not have high cholesterol, but honestly, I'm not a huge fan of meat. It kind of grosses me out at times. But back to the turkey, it's good! When I'm craving a burger I go for the turkey because I do not feel like I need to roll over to the couch once I'm done. I am full and feel like I can still carry on with the rest of my day.

First I'll give you the ingredients, along with a picture and a follow up with the steps to this burger masterpiece :)

For this recipe you'll need:
plain turkey patties (or ground turkey that you formed into patties)
whole wheat bread
avocado
onion
shredded cheese (I used lactose free since the husband and I are lactose intolerant)
spinach
broccoli sprouts
garlic pepper seasoning
nonstick cooking spray (I use Smart Balance)

For the sauce, you will need:
2 table spoons of greek yogurt
2 teaspoons of chipotle sauce (or mashed up chipotle pieces)
a squirt of Sriracha (obsessed with this!!!)

The spinach and cooking spray are not pictured here, just close your eyes and pretend they are!

Talk about a close up. The seasoning is not this big haha.

Before I start cooking anything, I like to prepare my dressings/sauces just to have them ready. Place the 2 table spoons of the greek yogurt, 2 teaspoons of the chipotle sauce and the squirt of Sriracha in a small dish. Mix it up and voila, that's your sauce. You can add more chipotle or Sriracha if you want. 

Your chipotle sauce should look like this.

I would suggest for you to cut up the onions and the avocado before you start cooking so you can have everthing at hand. Have the bread, spinach, broccoli sprouts and cheese ready as well. 

Once you've prepared the sauce, it's time for the cooking! Turn on your stove top to medium heat. If you get it too hot, you'll burn the patties and the meat will be hard and nasty. Once your skillet is ready spray a thin layer of the cooking spray. I am not a fan of using oil, so I use cooking spray instead. It also makes it easier to clean the skillet. Before you place the patties on the skillet, make sure they are seasoned. The garlic pepper is delicious and it saves me from adding salt to the meat. 

Once the patties are seasoned, take one and place it on the skillet. Cook one side for about 3 minutes and flip. Do not try to flip chef style or you'll end up with a torn up turkey pattie! Let the second side cook for another 3 mintues and at the end squeeze out the "juices" it has. I like to do this to make sure I have as much grease out of the meat. Be careful with the cooking time. Remember that all stoves and pans are different. 

Now that your patties are ready let's prepare them. Heat up the bread if you'd like. I simply place them in the toaster for about a minute. Spread the chipotle sauce on the bread. Place your turkey pattie on the bread and follow with the cheese. The cheese I used is lactose free and it tastes pretty good. I highly recommend it. After the cheese place the onions, avocado, spinach and broccoli sprouts on top. Pile it all on!!! Then cover it up with the top bun, which has chipotle sauce on it as well. Give it a quick squeeze and you're done!

I had one of these burgers and I was full. A good kind of full. I ate my burger with the comfort of NOT feeling like my arteries were clogging with every bite that I was taking. I will also add that it tasted amazing. I love how the turkey, chipotle and avocado flavors work together. 

I have a few patties left over, so I'll take one for lunch tomorrow. I'll top off my spinach/broccoli sprout salad with the turkey pattie. Yum!

For dessert, I treated myself to a watermelon/agave frozen popsicle that I found at Whole Foods. I'm usually not a big fan of watermelon flavored things because it tastes weird when it is artificial. These pops are natural and are sweetened with agave nectar. By natural I mean there were a few white little seeds in there. REALLY natural. I highly recommend them for a fresh snack. 

I hope you enjoy this simple, tasty, healthy and delicious recipe. Let me know if you tried it out or tweaked it to your liking. If you have any questions on the products I used or maybe a step that wasn't clear, don't hesitate to leave me your question in a comment. 

Have a relaxing Sunday afternoon and stay h-a-p-p-y! I'm a little obsessed with Pharrell and his song "Happy." It makes me want to get up, dance, clap my hands off and smile 'till my cheeks hurt :) Enjoy this song and the rest of your day! I'll see you soon :)

"Clap along if you feel like happiness is the truth"

Shopping is my cardio!

     Hello again readers!!! It's been a few days since my last post. I've been gathering my ideas on what I'll be posting in the future. There are so many ideas and I want to write about them all at the same time, but I won't bombard you like that.

     This past week was extremely tiring and I am so glad that it's over. It was one of those weeks where I was counting down the days to the weekend and now that the weekend is here, I am staying in to get some work done. Yay me! This research paper is driving me nuts, but I have to stay positive and just think that it will all be over soon. Soon = December 2014.

     So what have I done to destress? Shop!!! I've done quite a bit of damage, but it's all been for a good cause, or so I believe ;) I receive over 100 emails daily from a whole bunch of stores and it's so easy to fall for all the sales, but I've trained myself to go for true deals where I know I can save quite a bit of money.

     On Tuesday I stopped by Bath and Body Works because they have a sale on thier 3 wick candles. The candles are originally $22.50 and for now they are 2 for $22. I have been enjoying the subtle scents that these candles give off. I purchased Rio Glow which smells like sweet perfumey pineapple. I also got Tokyo Petals and it is what I've been burning daily. It gives off a fresh Japanese blossom scent. I'll link the candles at the end of the post in case you wish to purchase them. Do you have any favorite scents?

     Dillards also had a promotion for the Clarisonic. I have been debating whether or not to purchase it and I finally gave in. The purchase of a Clarisonic came with a gift that included a traveling case and a full size face wash that retails at $27. Stay tuned for an upcoming review of the Clarisonic :)

     Have any of you used the Clarisonic already? Leave me a comment and let me know what results you've had while using it. I'm aiming for clear, throrougly washed skin for a fresh and bright look :)

     Food wise, I've been doing pretty good with watching what I eat. This Friday we had a soul food luncheon at work and boy was there food! I tried my best to stick to small portions because everything looked and smelled delicious. My dinner was small to make up for the extra calories I consumed that day.

     I try not to get in the mentality that I'm on a diet because it sounds depressing. To be honest with you, diets have not worked for me, EVER! I always let them go because I do not like to be restricted and feel like I ruined something. What I've been focusing on is eating smaller portions and letting go of the unhealthy sugars and flour. I do not drink soda, so I do not have to worry about that.

     I know that I need to start hitting the gym in order to see some results, but I've held back because I had a surgical procedure in December. I've been scared to meet with my trainer and do all the crazy things he makes me do. I'm able to bend down and do normal things, but I do not want to feel pain when he makes me do insane workouts. I'm planning on meeting up with the trainer to give him the full update on what happened. I will also be letting you know in detail about my surgery since it's too much to type now. I'm not shy when it comes to talking about my health issues, so beware!

     Well I think this is all that I have for you now. I'm getting ready to pull an all nighter to attempt to complete chapter 2 of my research paper (the 15 pages I had mentioned before) =/ I want to complete it this week so I do not have to worry about it during the week. I will not procrastinate!!!!

     Make sure to stop by again tomorrow for a yummy recipe that I'll be posting up. Have a great Saturday night and see you soon!

                                                    (found this on Pinterest, duh!)

   
   


Links to products:
Bath and Body Works-Rio Glow
Bath and Body Works-Tokyo Petals
Clarisonic Mia 2

*Currently listening to two of my favorite songs:
-Turn It Down by Kaskade
-We're All No One-NERVO 

   

   

The load...

"It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it" -Lena Horne

I came across this quote on Pinterest (my go-to distraction) and it really clicked with me at this moment. I am sure I'm not the only one feeling this. As of recently, I feel that I have a lot on my plate. There's so many things I HAVE to do and so many things I WANT to do. I seem to stick to the things I HAVE to do, but why not enjoy something I WANT every now and then?
As I mentioned yesterday, I have been wanting to have a blog for the looooongest time. So, I did it! I know there's many things that I HAVE to do, but at times I have to do what I WANT!
The truth is that everybody has some kind of stress in their daily life whether it's health, family, work, partner, etc.., but at times there truly is nothing we can do about it. We all carry a load that is identified by our life and the path we are taking. Instead of letting your load break you why not find a way to deal with it and carry on? 
This is MUCH easier said than done of course. You are hearing this come from the girl that worries about every single thing in the world, but it is time to take a chill pill and simmer! What does worrying ever achieve for me? Acne, binge eating and a cranky mood that's what! Gross. Who needs that?!
The truth is that stress will be gone or at least lessened at some point, so meanwhile do not let it break you down. Find a balance between things that you have to do and things that you want to do so that you do not feel as if you are leaving yourself out. You kind of are the important piece to the puzzle here! (Not kind of, you really are) 
It is very easy to lose yourself in the rush of your demands, but stop and allow yourself to have something you want, even if it is a simple thing. Today, my want was taking a long walk with Maisey, my hyper dachschund. As you know, I am attempting to lose weight and I have access to the gym where I live but I wanted to take a walk and get some sun. The weather has been beautiful today so why not enjoy it before Texas decides to go through all four seasons within a week?
I am attempting to change my mentality. A want has always been food (cupcake, danish, you get the point) but why? It is comforting and a quick fix with an unhealthy consequence that's why! Today I chose a want that would benefit my Maisey and myself. Although I did not hit the gym, I did have a very intense walk/jog with her for about an hour. Not bad huh? 
So I'll end my rant here, but I will remind you that no matter what you have to do, do not let it break you down. Find a way to carry it out in the best way you can and show yourself some love with something you want. Have fun and let me know how you deal with stress, I could always take a tip or two :)

*Listening to: Float Away by Robbie Rivera

Just the beginning...

Hello all! This is my very first blog post. I have been wanting to start a blog for quite a while now and I finally went for it. Yay :) 

I would like to take the time to introduce myself:  
I am 23 years old and I live in Houston, TX. I have been married to my amazing husband for three years and together we have a mini dachschund puppy named Maisey. I love music, makeup, traveling, going to the beach, baking and eating!

Now let me tell you about my blog:
I love to write, give people advice and share my ideas/findings with others, so that is some of what you'll find here. This blog will also follow me on my weight loss journey which has been anything but easy. I want to keep track of my progress, share my experiences and hopefully inspire others. 
Cooking is also another passion of mine, so expect to see yummy yet somewhat healthy recipes for you to enjoy. 
I have currently been on a beauty binge (if that's even possible) and I would love to share my thoughts on products that I try out so you can have an honest opinion on what to expect from the products. 

I hope that this blog can grow into a positive and powerful community in which everyone can take a little break to have a laugh or two. 

Now that my blog is set up, it is time to continue running. It is almost time for bed and I need to pack up for work tomorrow (I was off today..woo!) I also have a 10-15 page paper due in a few days so I should probably focus on that too. As you can see, I'm always running, so try to keep up :P

*Currently listening to: Sleepyhead by Passion Pit