Monday Oh Monday!

Happy Monday!

 I hope everyone has had a wonderful start to the week. (Whoo hoo to all of us MES teachers... we have another 4 day week next week!) Anyway, this blog post has a purpose. To brag. On myself. Really. I could have made this my FB status... but come on! FB is NOT a journal! This is. 

Here goes...

This morning I got up at 5am. I started my day off with a nice  kick butt SPIN class! It was SUPER WONDERFUL! I am not a morning person. I am actually a morning monster. Seriously. In fact, my husband has brought this up before in pre-marriage counseling. So, with this being said, this is HUGE for me! 

And the bragging keeps going...

Then I came home and made the bed. (Again, in pre-marriage counseling we made a pact that the last one out of the bed should make it. Yeah, that's ALWAYS me. Not today though!) Anyway, again, another HUGE moment. 

I countinued my morning with my daily Green Monster drink which leads to another pat on my back: 

Thanks to this wonderful spinach smoothie, on WEEK 4, I have already lost 6lbs!! HUGE! (for me) 

My breakfast. 4 weeks going strong!

I then got dressed and made it to MES 15 minutes early... GAH. You are thinking that some crazy spirit must have taken over my body over night. Nope. Still me. 

I continued my day by delivering some amazing lessons to some spectacular 4 year-olds. (22 to be exact.) FYI: When I say I did a great job... I mean I did EVERYTHING on my lesson plans. Yeah- sure I was reading some Dr. Seuss while many of them were napping, but I read 4 books today! (Record!)

I had an AMAZING lunch. All fruits and lean turkey! (Oh and Greek Yogurt) But, extra clean and healthy. No chips. Man oh man I love me some chips. However, this day was filled with too much awesomeness for chips. Let's not forget all of the H2O I guzzled  today. :) 

 I kept trucking through my day by attending some CCGPS training until 6pm. I served dinner, and now I'm blogging. I have managed to remind my husband that he is my rock, and I have even rubbed Dub's belly. All after washing the daily dishes. 

"Who are you and where is my mama?"

BOOO YAH! 

I hope you have enjoyed reading about Carley Cain. Ha! I promise I won't blog about how awesome my Tuesday is. But you better believe I will tell you about it on Friday if this week continues on this path!

Love love, 

C^2

A Few of My Favorite Things!

Some of my "blogging buddies" have recently made a post advertising some of their favorite things. I knew I wanted to join instantly. I just really had no idea what to include. I spent a few days compiling a list of some my faves. Here goes!


First on the list, the most important item that helps me start my day off right EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.

My wonderful Keurig. I love it! Truly the best coffee pot ever!!!!!

 What good would my Keurig recommendation be without a HIGHLY recommended coffee? Try this:

Seriously. This is the BEST! I do use many others... but this is my #1 fave. 

 
This next item is a must have on this list. I am sure that this poor lil guy has felt abandoned lately seeing as how I have had ZERO free time:

This is just a regular old school Nook. However, I LOVE it! When I was at the beach this summer I got hooked on a series. Well, I bought each book from my beach chair! I would really enjoy the NookColor, but I want an ipad for graduation, so I'll hold out. Do you have an Ereader?

 As you may know, I like to play outside. In the road. No, really. I have always loved being active. I'm super hyper and need somewhere to put all of my energy, so, I run! I am not really "good" at running, but I can do it. Here is my absolute FAVE running shoe I have ever owned:

BC bought me a pair of these for Christmas. I loved them so much I went and bought a 2nd pair, and BC bought himself a pair. I seriously want a 3rd pair for my birthday. They seriously are THAT WONDERFUL! 

As many of you may know: I love love love my dog Dub. He is seriously our baby. He sleeps in the king size with us, he goes EVERYWHERE with us, he is just the lil babe of the Cain fam. So, this is for him.

This is a dog toy. The brand is Kong. If you have a monster that eats toys... in one second flat... this is the PERFECT toy. You stuff it with treats and peanut butter and let them have it. They work to get the treat out little by little. Dub CANNOT destroy this in 2 seconds. In fact, we bought it over a year ago and he still has it. WE LOVE IT! It is much better than waiting for your dog to pass a squeaky toy!! Plus, it keeps his little active self busy! For a weim, this is important!

I also love cooking so:

This is a full set of Townecraft cookware. This is what I use. I won this set at a bridal show. I hosted a party to learn how to use it, and I learned that I could have bought a small car with this little set. However, it is TOTALLY worth it. It has a lifetime guarantee, and truly cooks the food itself! LOVE!

What are some of your favorite things!? I would love for you to share!!!

Love love,
C^2

Well, Well, Well, Look Who's BACK!

Greetings friends and family! So sorry I had to take some time off, however, I had take the much needed time off to work on my degree. :) College is almost over for me. Praise the Lord! 

This Monday, I am making the VOW to keep up to date with my blogging. Hey, speaking of the vow... My super wonderful husband and I went and saw that today on our wonderful President's Day off. All I can say is Wow! I laughed, and I cried, and all that gushy stuff. I recommend you seeing it if you haven't. My husband never complains about taking me to see a 'chick flick' he says he appreciates a good movie. (He just complains about the high prices. COME ON! $9.50 a person......) He even walked out and said he enjoyed it. The Notebook is still his favorite girly movie.  Anyway, I cried at all of the parts that I am sure was the only person crying at. For example, I did not cry when at the wreck. I cried when he gave her the box of medicine. I mean, I had boo-hoos coming down my cheeks. I wasn't really crying because I wanted something that sweet in my life; I was crying because I am so thankful that I have someone that sweet in my life. I know everyone has an amazing husband. (If he wasn't amazing... you would not have married him, right?!) But, BC is just really... amazing. I really love him. I also love the relationship that we share. For example, here is the "Valentine's Day card" he "gave" me. 

I made this sign to cover the hideous window on the back door. Plus I saw it on Pinterest. :)  He never really writes on it... well once on the day of a race he wrote on it... but... this pretty much made my day! Isn't he the best?!?

In the car on the way to the movie, we discussed what we would do if the other couldn't remember our love for each other. I asked Brandon not to wear the jeans he had on today when he was trying to convince me of our love. I was seriously joking. Seriously. But they are too big, and too baggy, and too light. Every time I wash these jeans, I am tempted to go against my husband's wishes, and chuck them in the trash.  I guess this is why he never sends them to the laundry room...

Oh, did you know that BC is the new hired walking billboard for Under Armour? He is! He doesn't get paid for this gig though... just looks really cool and super trendy!  

UA shoes, pants, sweat shirt, and glasses. Too much. I know.

Just to catch everyone up, I still cannot officially announce the BIG NEWS in the Cain House. I plan on making a very large announcement before the end of February. However, I can tell you that I am not expecting a lil baby Cain. That time will come when God tells us it's time. He hasn't told us that yet. But it sure is fun pinning baby ideas! 

We are also contemplating the idea of another weimaraner. I know, I know. Bad idea. Well, actually this particular breed is meant to have a sibling. Plus, we knew that we would want a pair. But big announcement A will be confirmed before announcement B (new weim baby) will be fully under consideration. But for now... Doesn't this make you want a little baby!?!

 But if we do have another weim, I suppose we will be in need of another recliner! 

This really is Dub. You know what they say about Weim eyes.... :)

I hope everyone has an amazing week! 

Love love, 

C^2

Resolution Update!

I'mmmmm BAAACK! Sorry I have not been as good of a blogger as I wish I could be. Truth is, I am nothing but a slacker. Again, sorry. I have been busy, you know, just being as awesome as I can be. :) Just kidding, no, seriously. As of today, I have been 23 days without a single soda! Wooohoooo! I am really doing this. I am actually very proud of myself. I won't lie, it has often been a struggle. However, I am really starting to feel so much better! I have really stopped "wanting" them. Water, chocolate milk, white milk, and juice has been all that I have been drinking. I really can tell a difference in my body. I highly recommend the change to everyone. Most of my friends only drink diet coke. I did some research and diet coke is actually WORSE for you than regular coke. Just make the change, drop them all!

I also have been keeping my word about running! I am currently training for another half marathon. This past weekend I ran a 5K. This 5K was a big deal for me, because I gave up running for more than 7 months. I am just now getting back to being hardcore. :) Plus, this was Dub's first race. He is my faithful running partner, and never misses a day. So, this was his reward for being such a great partner. He was a CHAMP! I'm not sure if it was our extensive training, or the expensive dog training that made him so obedient. But, whatever it was, I was so proud of him. He was by my side the entire time.

Before the race, nice and dry.

Finish Line! 35:30

After the race, soaking wet!

My friend Leslie joined me for this run. This was her first race ever! I could tell that she was a little nervous, BUT she really rocked it. She actually kept me running 2 minutes under my average mile. What do I mean by this? Well, when I run, I am the slowest runner ever. I average about a 13:30 mile. For this race, we averaged an 11 minute mile. That really isn't fast at all, but to me, we were booking it! Thanks Leslie for showing me that I can run fast  faster.



Before you judge from these pictures, let me tell you about the running conditions we were under. First, it was FREEZING. The weather man said it would be about 76. Yeah, it was a balmy 54. Plus, it was a slight MONSOON! I mean POURING. We were covered in mud. Wet, cold, muddy, BUT SO WORTH IT! I mean, we did get a long sleeve t-shirt. Those are the best, right?

 I hope everyone has a blessed and speedy week! I wanna give a quick shout out to my bro-in-law Blair! He is in Kentucky trying out for a college bowling team! WOOOW! GOOD LUCK ABC!

Do you know of any good races in the area?

Love love,
C^2

Just Another Manic Monday!

Monday! Monday! Monday! Don't ya just love em?! 

Look on the bright side, next week is a 4 day week for all of us teachers. (Sorry to all the nonteachers.) 

Anyway, I hope everyone's Monday was super wonderful. 

This blog has a purpose. It is a new super easy recipe that I whipped together this evening to get rid of some bananas that were too ripe. I love bananas. I eat about 2 a day. However, when the weekend comes, I don't eat them as much, so they get too ripe. I despise bananas that are too squishy. So, this quick and easy recipe is sure to be a winner, and get rid of those bananas that are headed toward the trash.Also, you are very likely to have all of the ingredients in the cupboard.

You Will Need: 

3-4 Ripe Bananas

1/3 cup of melted buttercup of sugar (don't tell coach... but I use Splenda.) 

1 egg  beaten

1 teaspoon of vanilla

A pinch of salt

A dash of baking soda..... sorry. I'm not one to measure when I cook. Call me Julia. :/

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

Small amount of walnuts or pecans.

What You Do:  

(I have a Kitchen Aid, so I try to use if for everything!   However, for this, you really only need a wooden spoon and bowl!) 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Mix the butter and bananas. 

Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and continue to blend. 

Add the flour and mix well. 

Stir in the nuts. 

Pour the mixture into a buttered loaf pan. Bake for one hour.

This recipe makes one loaf. I must admit, it is pretty good! It turned out the prettiest color too!

I promise my table is clean. That white blob is my just one of my early cooking lessons. You don't put hot pans on the table. :(

Let me know if you make it! 

Do you have any tips to share in the kitchen?

Thankful Thursday #1

Happy Thursday! This past Thanksgiving, Facebook did this really cool thing where you could post something that you were thankful for each day of November. Well, my plan this year is to be thankful for what God has blessed me with. So, this week is the first of many "Thankful Thursday" posts.

I am thankful for: 

1. An AMAZING master teacher. She has taught me so much already! Hello, it is day 3! :)

2. Carmex. Gah, I hate chapped lips. Thank you Carmex.

3. COFFEE! I only have one cup a day. I have it when I get to school. My kiddies know that I must have it, or I will turn into a dragon. Student's words exactly. Plus, I am running on ZERO Cola... coffee is a must!

4. My weimaraner. He is the BEST running partner. Thanks Dub for the 2.5 today!

5. Kyle Mooney. He is one of my awesome friends. I love him like a big brother. I can always count on him to help me when I am in need. It started in high school when I needed my oil in the Tracker checked! DAILY. Today he hooked me up with 10 lbs of ground meat. This will last us about six months, and allow me to cook for the wonderful people of Thomson when they are sick, have babies, need a hand,  etc. Thank you so very much Kyle!

6. 63 degree weather! Yay! I got to run without ten layers on! It was nice after the freezing past few days we have had.

7. Perfect attendance today. Yahooo! Friends "Bee"long in Pre-K! (Our class' garden theme.) I love 22 lil babies. Plus, with the warmth revisiting us, we got to go outside... Double Yahoo!

8.  The return of Grey's! Hot Dawg I am excited. However, it is a bit of a struggle to stay awake past 9pm. Lame. I know.

9. Last. But, absolutely the best... My wonderful husband and his ability to make vegetable soup! It was very delicious and healthy! Now we have lunch for about three days! Thanks BC! You da best!

What are YOU thankful for on this beautiful Thursday?

2012, I WILL Love you!

Hello friends! I am super sorry I am so behind. I need to get my act together. I may add that to my resolution list. Speaking of lists.... I suppose you would like to hear about my plans for 2012. I think I am going to work hard on a true "30 Before 30 List" (thanks to my sweet friend Dana's blog) this year, but for now... Here are some of my plans for 2012. I say PLANS because "New Year's Resolution" sounds like a plan to fail to me. Only to me though. Don't let my Nancy Negative tendencies get you down.

THE PLAN:

1. Follow God's plan for me and my family. I have a slight problem with wanting to know every little thing about every little thing. This is something that I need to "leave at the cross." I know that God has a wonderful plan for me. He is always in control, and to God be the glory. I need to remember this. All year... and really FOREVER! 
2. I really want to PRAY MORE. I pray when I need God's assistance. I would really like to learn to pray to thank him for all that he has already assisted me with. For example, (this is really hard to admit)  If I need help with something, I pray that God will help me. Once the obstacle is over, I often forget to thank God. I am going to get better at saying THANK YOU!
3. Change my eating habits. UGH... El Cent you are my #1. Chicken and cheese nachos with mushrooms and onions, I love you. However, you are really starting to hang around my gut too much. I cannot be having that. I am married now, and Facebook has shown me that folks gain too much weight after their wedding. (again, this is probably not you. I swear!) I really, really, really want to be in good shape my entire life. I am seriously the person that is in a better mood when my clothes fit, and I have my normal amount of energy. Being in shape is good for me. I need to always remember this. Plus, a friend of mine just had a baby. She was in great shape. The 'baby weight' seriously remained in the hospital. She walked out wearing pre-pregnancy jeans. Yeah. 
4. Run another 1/2 marathon. I ran one two weeks before my wedding. I was not ready for the awesomeness that it took. This year, I will be ready, and full of awesomeness. I thought I was training for one in Charleston on March 31. However, I am a goon, and it is really only a 10K. So, hey, now I will have extra time to improve my level of awesomeness. But, this means that I have to run a half in the summer. Woof!
5. Love all of the sweet babies in my life the same.  I love being in education. I cannot wait to be a mommy, but, until then, I get to love 22 babies like they are my own. I get to read to them, teach them, and most of all, teach them how to love. I love love love every single day that I walk into the school. I am not just saying that. I seriously miss my sweet kiddies on the weekend. I would never tell my husband this. He may smack me. Hey, he has the right. He teaches middle school! He loves them too! At dinner every night he asks about each of them by name. :) 
6. THE FINAL NUMBER... No more sodas, or alcohol for the entire 2012. I am seriously addicted to soda. I probably drink 3 cans a day. I know. Horrible. No more. It changes this year. This may mean that I have to stay away from the in law's house because they always have the BEST Coca-Cola. As for alcohol: no more for the year of 2012; and probably beyond. I am a naturally "high" person. No, seriously. I can walk in a room and be super excited about something and folks would swear I have been drinking all day. Nope. It's just my personality.  My body is a temple, and I care what I put in it. Plus, I just want to see the benefits of how my body reacts. Today is January 4, 2012. Milk, chocolate milk, juice, water, and coffee is all that I have had. 4 down, 362 to go. 

WISH ME LUCK! 

Now, I know you want to know what we did to ring in the New Year. Well, we went to hang out with some great cousins of ours. Blake and Julie! We went to Athens and stayed at a beautiful hotel. A group of people went to dinner. Yay! Shokitini! My NEW FAVORITE. I love you, UGA rolls! Then we went to the Melting Point and saw an old school rock band. Seriously, I was the youngest person by 15 years. It was so much fun! Here are some great pictures. 

Me and Blake

My cute shoes that I made!

Julie and I

Happy January everyone! Here is proof that it is finally getting cold!

Love love,
C^2