Coffee Talk - 2016.....I GOT this!!!

Happy NEW Year's EVE my lovelies!!!!! Seriously, can you even freaking BELIEVE that 2015 is over and we are now looking at a FRESH new year full of possibility!!?? So I took a minute to look at my "goals" from last year because I don't do resolutions since we all know damn well they hardly ever never last!!!! ;)  I have to say I really am doing better at this GOAL thing!! I didn't think I would TRULY accomplish a lot of them, but WOO HOO....I DID!!! Go ME!! (There were of course those couple that ALWAYS seem to carry over! Here is where you can see what I wanted for 2015!

So 2016 let's see what you have in store for me GOAL wise:

• to really commit to my Beach Body business and no matter how well or not well it goes keep pushing on because in the end I joined this for all the positives it had on MY life, getting to help others was just an added "bonus"
• this is a HUGE one for me.....and I have already started the transition as some of you may know.....cutting out the chemical filled coffee creamer and DRUM roll please......making my OWN healthy version of flavored coffee creamer!!! What the?! I know, I know...more on this later! ;)
• to pick up my camera at LEAST a couple times a week and capture my OWN family! This is a carryover from last year because I still feel like I NEED to get better at this. Time is precious and is flying by I don't want to regret or forget a second of it. 
• to embrace 40 with open arms and totally SQUASH the comparison game that is soooooo readily available and EASY to fall into with social media these days
• try not to over book my photography sessions so I can thoroughly keep enjoying it, not feel stressed from it (this is an easy trap as well because I'm a people pleaser and don't always know how to say no....this year will have limited sessions so I can keep my passion alive and my sanity in tact.)
• to live in THIS moment, enjoy the here and now
• to keep reading more personal development books because they have honestly changed my whole attitude and outlook and a girl can use more of that in her life. 
• to keep believing in dreams, wishes and some kind of wonderfuls.

I'm sure I could sit here ALL DAY LONG with goals that I should/could have, but who am I kidding...I NEED to keep it short and sweet. What are YOUR goals for 2016? Whatever they may be go after them with full determination and passion....you never know what might happen to change your path. Happy New Year again.....now go show 2016 who is BOSS!

Salmon Quinoa Burgers

Ok so who LOVES a quick and easy lunch alternative??!!! Um, THIS GIRL does for sure! A couple nights a week I work later and lunch becomes more like "linner" (you know a cross between lunch and dinner) so I try to take stuff with me that has more substance because I don't want to get home ravenous after 8pm!!!  Enter these little beauties.....Salmon Quinoa Burgers! Seriously, the aroma coming from the kitchen when I was making them may or may not have lured a certain teen out of her room because she said they smelled AMAZING!!!! SCORE! (you score big whenever a teen has something positive to say and DOUBLE  points when you get them to VACATE their room!! If you don't have a teen yet, get ready this is what you have to look forward to!)

I digress. Like I said above I HEART quick and easy and these fit the bill for both. I will probably make a few modifications to these because they did fall apart a little easy but other than that I will definitely be making these regularly. Go ahead and give them a try and let me know what you think. XO

Ingredients:

3 cans of Wild Alaskan Salmon
1 tsp olive oil
1 - 2 cloves minced garlic
1 cup spinach chopped
sea salt and ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
2 Tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Old Bay
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup to 1 cup bread crumbs (adjust this accordingly to how your mixture is holding up)

1. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the oil and saute the spinach and garlic.  Season with salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Transfer to a bowl with the quinoa, salmon, dijon,, Old Bay & egg. Mix well and form into patties. You should get about 5 or 6 depending on the size you make.

3. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat sprayed with Olive Oil. Cook 4 to 5 minutes until they are a nice golden brown and crisp. Flip and do the same on the other side.

That's literally IT!!! I had mine with a side of cous cous, but you can serve this soooo many ways. (with a salad, on a crusty bun, by itself....experiment and see how you like it!)

Coffee Talk!!! (The Christmas Eve edition....a few days LATE!!!)

Disclaimer:
(So obviously I had this drafted up for Christmas Eve and I seriously do NOT have time to redo it, so now you have to sit thru my Christmas Eve post!!! Don't judge, the memory is the first to go and evidently even though this was drafted up it NEVER got posted!!! LOL Getting OLDER  wiser SUCKS!!!)

Merry Christmas EVE my loves!!!!! Ahhhh I can't EVEN believe it is here already!!!! This holiday season has been so FULL and I have thoroughly ENJOYED every. single. minute. I wasn't going to do my random thoughts today but heck....I'm already blabbering away so might as well just continue on with our norm!

5 Random Thoughts:

1 - We went to Philly this past weekend with our besties and had an ABSOLUTE blast!!! We hadn't been so this was a first and we definitely will do more next time but our FAVORITE part by far was Winter Lodge at Penn's Landing. There was adult hot chocolate (don't judge, everyone needs vanilla vodka from time to time), smores, cocktails and LOTS & LOTS of laughs while enjoying some ice skating!!!! My family ADORES ice skating.  We ALL really enjoy it no matter how much we are flat on our butts!!!! ;)

2 - Made an appt with a Holistic doctor. Yep, I'm going to try a new route. I have had stomach issues my WHOLE life that are getting worse by the day now and I flat out refuse to go to see my normal Dr, get sent for a bunch of tests and then be put on medicine!!! It's not happening! Not after the year I had so 2016 is going to be a year of BIG changes for me! Lots more info to come!!!

3 - All of the Christmas cards are really rolling in now and it just amazes me and makes my heart happy to see all of the special people in my life from ALL. OVER. THE. WORLD! You never can imagine how many amazing people will cross your path in your life but I am incredibly lucky and so happy to have EACH and EVERY one of you in mine!!! XO

4 - I feel like I may NOT sleep tonight!! For some reason I am OVERLY excited for Christmas morning this year!!! I can't wait to see my kiddos tomorrow morning. We definitely aren't a family who has a tree over flowing with presents but what we do have are carefully chosen gifts that will mean something special to each person. I LOVE LOVE LOVE giving gifts!!! It's my FAVORITE!!! I'm pretty much 100% certain this is the LAST year our little guy will even "entertain" the Santa & Buddy the Elf story so I'm soaking up these memories. Littles go by soooo fast! Enjoy and cherish each little moment!

5 - Arizona....I MISS you. Not because the weather is bad here because we have been EXTREMELY lucky this year, but because you have my heart. That is all.

That's it loves!!! Go enjoy your families and have the most WONDERFUL Christmas spending it with those you love! Make memories. Laugh. Eat. Drink. Tell Stories. Play Games. And then Eat some more!!!!

Coffee Talk!!! The WARM edition...

It's beginning to look feel a lot like Christmas  SPRING!!! LOL!!! Fine, ok, ok.....it definitely is NOT feeling like Christmas! Now quit acting like ME! Quit your whining, grab your mug and let's get to it!!! ;)

5 Random Thoughts:

1 - Let's not act like the fact that we AREN'T frozen solid and bundled up like Eskimos is a BAD THING!!! (of course today is a little chillier) LOL I know ALL you snow lovers are SAD, but this AZ weather lover is seriously in LOVE with these temps!!!!! The 4 letter word could just STAY away forever and my heart would be happy! Of course, you know, that's just my little opinion....to each his own!!!  :)

2 - We had a seriously FUN time with my sister, brother in law and nieces for our Christmas celebration this past weekend! Here's what I did learn.....I LOVE being an Auntie, but I would NOT want my own littles now!!!! They are a TON of work and lots of ENERGY and quite honestly I'm getting too old for that and too TIRED! I get to spoil them, love on them and then send them home. I would call that PERFECTION!!! Long story short the weekend did NOT disappoint...yummy food, yummy dessert, vino, family games, photos......SUCCESS!

3 - I am currently participating in a Challenge Group with my challengers to get my butt back in GEAR!!! Happy to report that my new routine of waking up and IMMEDIATELY pushing play is proving to be a HUGE help in me actually getting my work out DONE!! I used to come down, make coffee, turn on the TV, sit on the couch, turn the space heater on.....do you see what is about to happen here? Couch + Heat + Coffee + TV = COZY = NO WORKOUT!!!!! I always had REALLY good intentions of getting it done. Alarm set, wake up, go down and then BOOM.....if it doesn't happen first thing with me, it's just not going to happen. Not proud of that, just keeping it real.

4 - The news today. Um, yeah, I recommend you don't even bother watching it unless you want to be full blown depressed and at odds with EVERY ONE around you. I used to be really faithful about watching it, but now the world is just so darn scary and everyone is always angry. Let's be nice to each other whether you agree with each other or not. Just agree to disagree. Be adults, set good examples. You know the way everyone should have been raised to be. Instead friends are turning on friends, social media is blowing up with political/religious banter, negativity in full force......please! Life is short. Enjoy it. End rant.

5 - I literally can NOT believe we are half way thru December already!!! Where is the time going? ohhhh and I don't know how I forgot to mention this little tid bit....drum roll!!!!  Just got my test results back from my FINAL test and I am ALL clear! No aneurysm!!!!! So flipping happy that ordeal is OVER! My wish for 2016....to NEVER see a doctor!!! (a girl can dream can't she)

Thank you for another fun edition of Coffee Talk! I seriously look forward to these each week so thank you!!!!! Muahhh!!!

Coffee Talk!!

Well helllllloooo my beautifuls!!! Thursday is here, I'm sipping on some Gingerbread and ready to gossip my booty off!!! ;)

5 Random Thoughts:

1 - All of my fall sessions are COMPLETE!!! Edited and OUT. THE. DOOR.....the feeling?....um, PURE BLISS!!!! Not because I don't LOVE photography or my clients but because I was just flat out EXHAUSTED and totally ready to soak up the holiday season with my little family!!!! Bring it Christmas! What holiday traditions are special to you and your family? :)

2 - So I had a "moment" of feeling like I was in QUICK SAND and there was no way out between working 4 days a week, doing photography and trying to run my Beach Body biz so I started becoming SUPER quiet. My workouts were happening but NOT consistently (hey I'm not proud of it, in fact I feel like CRAP, but I'm turning that around so don't JUDGE!) ;)  I started pulling away from things I ENJOYED and brought me happiness because I was worried about what people were thinking of me. Well, that is OVER!!!! I ended up feeling like a slug, being miserable, negativity crept back in (do you get the gist?) I was getting ALL down on myself. I FINALLY had a wake up call and remembered WHY I got so hooked on Beach Body. Not because I was coaching but because of how it made me feel on the INSIDE and OUT. I miss my challengers. I miss the positive vibes. I miss my coach pals. I miss my general healthy lifestyle. Every once in awhile you just need a good swift kick in the "you know what" to snap your life back into focus. So I'm OVER worrying what others think. Those that matter won't mind and those who mind don't matter!!! Words to live by!

3 - Um, I don't know what is up with this weather BUT you won't hear ME complain!!! That is all. ;)

4 - The Christmas Movie marathon has begun. Seriously ELF, Four Christmases, Christmas Vacation, It's A Wonderful Life, Turbo Man, The Santa Clause, A Christmas Story, etc. etc. etc. The FUN never ends! If you haven't watched any this season.....DO IT!!! It will make your heart happy I PROMISE!!!

5 - Get ready for some adorable pics next week!!! Yep, that's right it's Auntie Loving time this weekend! We have our Christmas with my nieces and their parents, of course! I can NOT wait!!! Ugh, those girls bring a HUGE smile to our faces! Like seriously each one of our faces!!! Especially Uncle Mike's...he's a MAJOR softy when it comes to those girls. And sister time isn't a rough gig either! It's going to be a fabulous weekend I can already tell!!!!

Alright I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Thanks for sticking around with me! I truly appreciate it!!!! XO

Coffee Talk!!

Wooo hooo my loves!!! I'm back after a short hiatus!!! ;)  So no messing around it's time to put your feet up, grab your coffee, and gripe whine wine  ok, FINE....catch up together!!!!

5 Random Thoughts:

1 - Thank you for all the sweet comments on My Pushing 40 edition!! I did want to clarify that it wasn't meant to seem like I was saying that 40 is horrible or anything of that nature. Heck it's coming whether I'm ready or not, it was just purely a reflection of the things I REALIZE as I get older that I may not have realized when I was younger! That's all, not bad, not good....just the things that have become more clear to ME as I come up on this milestone birthday. ;)

2 - Can we talk about how FABULOUS this fall weather has been!!!!??? I will TAKE it! Warmer temps, no snow....YES, PULEEEEEZZZEEE!!!!

3 - I am DONE with my sessions for this year (well the shooting part finishing up the editing as we speak) and with that brings a mix of emotions. I'm thrilled on one hand because I can really use the time to just relax and unwind with my family but on the other hand I'm kind of sad because photography ALWAYS ignites the creative side of my inner being and I really truly adore it. However, my family is first and foremost to me and I worked really hard to make my schedule flexible during my busy season this year to have enough time with them as well as being able to accommodate my clients. It was a seriously AH-MAZING season and I am sooooo soooo very grateful for each and every one of my clients!!!! Thank you all so much! Now it's time to soak up the Christmas month making memories with my loves!!! I will start booking again in January!!! :)

4 - Is anyone else OD' ing on Christmas movies??!!! Hayley & I have been watching them but it's about to become BINGE watching time come this weekend!!! EEEEEEKKKK! I can NOT get enough of the holiday season!  I  will officially finish up my shopping this Friday and the sense of relief and straight up pride that I feel...um, no WORDS!!! I'm usually a last minute shopper...down to the wire, stressing about EVERYTHING!!! Not this year peeps! Bring it Christmas!!!! (and did I mention how EXCITED I am for everyone to see what I got them this year!? I HEART giving gifts!!!)

Alright luv bugs! That's it for today! It's back to the editing grind!!!! Muahhhh!!! XO