Coffee Talk - The Pushing 40 Edition...

Helllloooo my little coffee sipping/gossip loving/vent session LOVES!!!! It's Thursday and the coffee is HOT so let's get to guzzling sipping.....

These past few weeks have really been a reflection period for me...so as I am only oh, a little over 5 months away from the B I G 40....I thought I would mix it up and do a Pushing 40 Edition!!!! ;)

Things you begin to realize as you approach 40:

- Time waits for NO ONE....it's flying by EVERY SINGLE SECOND, so hold on and enjoy every minute. This is particularly HARD for me right now. Freshman year of high school is seriously taking a TOLL on me. Um, 1 - because I'm not ready for her to grow up 2 - because I can't CONTROL absolutely every little thing and that is HARD for a control freak type personality!!! (honesty is the best policy you know)

- Babies grow up to become teenagers - no you can't get rid of them, yes you still need to LOVE them! (see explanation above) For REAL though...if you are lucky enough to have little ones NOW is the time to go ahead and enjoy every morsel of being worshiped. Every non stop chit chat moment. Every wanting to be JUST like you moment. Every toy left out. Every sleepless night. Every whining tantrum. Enjoy EVERY everything because You will BLINK (literally blink) and it will be OVER faster than you can say "I want it all back". I am like a leaking water faucet right now. I can literally pour tears out in a millisecond over this whole transition. I look at her and still see my sweet little baby I brought home from the hospital.....well you know until she gives me that eye roll 'oh God' look and snaps me back to reality. I guess the point here is I went from 24 yrs old to 40 lightening FAST and I think we ALL think we have sooo much time when the truth is it's ticking away uber duber quickly!

- Relationships WILL change no matter how close you were to someone. It's inevitable, it's the nature of the beast. In the past I would let this just EAT me ALIVE!!! (ya know until I was just a carcass) Now I realized that everyone is changing and evolving and you are either changing with people or you are growing apart and either way hurts but it's a part of life. Inhale peace and exhale all the bad thoughts/resentment that may be taking up space in your sweet little mind!

- When you are younger it's ALL about how you look on the outside! As you get older you realize EVERYONE is going to AGE, it's unavoidable (unless you want your face frozen and drooling everywhere that is) So do what you can to stay HEALTHY. Healthy on the inside as well as the outside. Find inner happiness and it will seep through your pores to the outside. Yes we all wish we were super models, the fact remains we aren't...well a good majority of us aren't. ;) Work with what you have! The happiest people are the prettiest people....be HAPPY!!!! For me working out and eating as clean as I possibly can with a total 80/20 attitude is key to me staying healthy!!! Not only do I feel better physically but mentally it is complete THERAPY for me! I don't care if it's a mind game I play with myself or if it's the real deal.....all I know is I am one miserable Beeeeee if I am lazy and eating lots of crap!!!

- Relax and take time for YOU! Do things that you enjoy! Read, workout, take a bath, enjoy a glass of wine, enjoy coffee, color (yes I am partaking in the adult coloring/meditation and LOVING it)....whatever brings you down to being like a noodle, less stressed and puts a smile on your face, take the time no matter how short of a span it is....and DO it!

Alright my loves....there are plenty more words of nonsense wisdom, but that's ALL I got for today!!!
It's editing time and gearing up for a bestie getaway weekend!!!! Have a fabulous rest of your week!!!! XO

Coffee Talk!!

4 Random Thoughts (yep, no time for small talk today, we are just getting right to it!) ;)

1 - This rain, in particular that storm last night....um, I know we needed it, but I'm DONE! That is all!!! Ugh....seriously though when I have a lot to do I don't feel like being sluggish and curled up in a blankie ready to fall asleep! Let there be SUN, darn it!!! (well until I'm caught up on my sessions at least!)

2 - Insanity would be my life this past weekend....7 shoots in 2 days! Um and these were straight up shoots, not mini shoots, so this girl was T. I. R. E. D!!!!! It was such a blast and each of the sessions was so fun and different! I FINALLY have all of the sneak peeks posted and now I am working on finishing up each of the sessions before my 3 this weekend!!! Is it November 30th yet?! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this season but by then I will definitely be ready to hibernate and rock myself back and forth in a corner curl up in a ball and RELAX for the rest of winter!

3 - Fell off the WAGON full force!  Do you ever feel completely out of control in EVERY aspect of your life???? Yeah, that's where I am at right now! From my eating, my working out, my photography, my mental well being, my health, my family.....this list could be NEVER ending so I will stop here, but you get the idea. I am feeling completely STRESSED which leads to me feeling completely, utterly out of control, which leads to me slacking on my workouts, which leads to me putting a TON of crap into my mouth, which leads to me being MISERABLE! I finally woke up today and said ENOUGH is ENOUGH! I am committing to feeling better AGAIN asap! Luckily my next challenge group starts up Monday, November 2nd! I want to be healthy going INTO the New Year, not be a train wreck the WHOLE holiday season and find myself saying 'in the New Year....blah blah blah'. So if you want to jump in and help me stay consistent and accountable, message me! I would LOVE to have peeps along with me for the ride!

4 - My final medical test is tomorrow and I'm hoping this brings the answers we are waiting for!!! If it doesn't well, that's fine we will deal but finding a clear cut reason for some of my issues would be HUGE!!! Fingers crossed!

Well that's a wrap for this round of java.....I am off to edit and prep my dinner for tonight!!! Have a fabulous Halloween weekend with your friends and family my loves!!!! XO

Broiled Parmesan & Lemon Chicken!

Helllooo my loves!! Ok, if you are like me I am ALWAYS on the hunt for quick, healthy dinners for my family! When I found this little beauty my life got a whole LOT easier! I can make this in no time at ALL and it's yummy, the family LOVED it and it's good for you!!! Sign me up!!!! I served this with one of my favs which I just can't get ENOUGH of.....roasted garlic & parmesan brussel sprouts which you can get the recipe for here. Definitely give this recipe a try if you are pressed for time and let me know how you like it!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp - plain greek yogurt
2 Tbsp - fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I always use the thin ones)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, mix together the cheese, greek yogurt, lemon juice & spices. Mix well and set aside.

3. Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer on baking pan. Lightly season each side of chicken with a dash of salt and pepper. Broil a few inches from the broiler for 4 -5  minutes. Flip the chicken over and broil for about 4 minutes more (these times will vary depending on thickness of your chicken).

4. Remove baking sheet from the oven and spread the parmesan mixture evenly on each breast. Broil for another 2 - 3 minutes until the topping is bubbly and golden brown and chicken is completely cooked through.

The obligatory cell pic......;)

Coffee Talk.....The REAL deal!

Ahhhh will I EVER be consistent with our weekly talks AGAIN??!!! Missed another week and here's a run down of what'g going on...(no excuses just the dirty truth!)

5 Random Thoughts:

1 - Life....LIFE gets crazy and life gets REAL! So last week I FINALLY had my long awaited visit with the neurosurgeon. Some of you know and some don't that I had to have a brain MRI done due to different issues stemming from my blood pressure, the retinal hemorrhage I had months back and some numbness and tingling in my arm. So I had the MRI on a Friday morning and by Friday afternoon they had called me with the results saying that there was something on there and they weren't sure if it was an aneurysm or not so I needed to see a neurosurgeon to rule that out. The pit you get in your stomach when you hear something like that is indescribable. You can put on a brave face for everyone you know but you can't stop thinking about it, the unknown is haunting you and you just feel like a hot mess. I was so incredibly lucky to have a bestie in the medical field and even though she doesn't live in PA she has a friend who does who hooked me up with quite possibly the BEST doctor I have seen in all my 39 years!!!! I FINALLY got in to see him last week and he was AH-MAZING! He made me feel so incredibly comfortable and I left there saying he was the most genuine, caring, precise doctor I have ever met. Long story short I have 2 more tests to do next week to definitely rule out no aneurysm, but then he started questioning my high BP and has anyone tested my kidneys? Nope, no one has but my nurse friend has been saying that for MONTHS!!! So he is sending me for a renal ultrasound next Friday. This is going to sound TWISTED but I have NEVER ever wanted something to come back on a test as badly as I do that kidney test! Ok well hear me out...here's why. Evidently you can develop high BP after the birth of a child or after a surgery. I developed high BP after Casey and while I was 5 months pregnant with Casey I had a major stomach surgery so the possibility that my BP is related to this is pretty good. Being on BP meds is something I have struggled with since day 1!!! I detest being on medication and especially for that so if there is ANY chance that they can fix this and I don't need to be on it that would seriously be the most amazing news EVER.  Phew, that exhausted me, but that's what has been going on so if I've been a little quiet or preoccupied that's the deal. I've just had a ton on my mind no matter how much you think it's nothing or everything is going to be fine, you can't put it completely to rest so it's a struggle.

2 - On top of that I have been INCREDIBLY lucky this year to have ALL of my clients returning to me, mixed in with a few new ones and I am CRAZY busy swamped between working, shooting and editing!!! I think I am basically to the point that I am going to be doing shoots for all of my regular clients and will only be taking newborns and maternity as new clients. I don't want to ever have to turn away one of my loyal regular clients because I don't have a date for them. I LOVE the relationships I have built with each and every one of them and their trust and continued business with me is the GREATEST compliment I could ever receive. (This doesn't mean I won't EVER take a new client, so please don't stop referring to me, just that my shoot dates will be offered first to my repeat clients and any dates still available I will offer to any potential new clients) I am COMPLETELY booked for this season and it is the most surreal feeling to say that. I even succeeded in carving out personal time in between this year for my family so I'm not missing out on fall and holiday activities. My last day of regular shoots will be November 30th. After that it will be newborns & maternity sessions until spring. If you would like to schedule something after the new year or you or someone you know is pregnant or have a newborn please message me. Thank you from the deepest part of my heart to all of my clients! You all mean the absolute world to me!!!! Muahhhhh!!!!

3 - So with all of the above going on my fitness has LACKED to say the least! Ugh! I feel like complete crap even admitting it but it happened and there's nothing I can do about it except pick myself up, dust myself off and get back at it. I'm real, life is real and it happens. The biggest thing to realize is I don't feel like crap because 'oh, I'm getting out of shape or oh, I'm a loser' I feel like crap because my body is feeling it. I don't have the energy I normally have. I don't have the feel good endorphins my body was coming to LOVE. I'm not eating as clean as I was. All of these things are making my insides cringe. So I am making a conscious effort to really buckle down and get back at it. I got up today with fire in me to knock out my workout and read some personal development because whether you believe it or not it TRULY helps your inner being. I need to get back to feeling more happy and positive. It's not that I'm HATING life or anything like that but I can feel the change since all of this has been going on and I don't like it. So even though I am a Beach Body coach I am participating in one of my own challenge groups like I am a new challenger, starting a new journey and getting the motivation and accountability I need. Here's to getting back to me!

4 - Family and Friends.....the root of everything.....my everything. I have really been reflecting on what is important to me lately and it's all becoming VERY clear now that our family dynamic is changing with a daughter who is in high school and coming in to her own. Her own life, her own being and I am left looking at an empty chair when we are out to dinner. Yes, this may sound dramatic but when your kids are little you think the time will last FOREVER and then you blink and the polly pockets are gone, the worshipping of Mommy & Daddy is long in the distance and the reality that they will be leaving and starting their own journey sets in QUICKLY. I have seen how much social media can eat up time and suck away my to do list from happening. Oh, I'll just jump on FB a minute and see what's going on and BOOM...hours later and the laundry is still sitting there. The same goes with spending quality time with those you love. So I've lessened my time on there to actually LIVE in the moment with my family & friends instead of worrying about posting it. This may not be true for everyone, so this is just personal to me. I can't balance it well and my time with Hayley is especially limited. Last night I said the heck with editing. She wanted to watch some shows with me and it was the BEST 2 hours of my life, curled up in bed with some Brookside chocolate and laughing with my best girl. For me making the memories is so extremely precious and that's what my focus is on right now.

5 - 2 weeks until we go to NYC!!! Eeeeeekkkkk! I can NOT wait! We went closer to Christmas last year and although we had a fabulous time the amount of people there was pure mayhem so we are going earlier this year in hopes of enjoying it even MORE! Shopping, Central Park, Eating......it should be delightful.

Ok, well that's it. That's the low, down dirty truth that is my LIFE! If I've been distant I apologize, just a ton going on and on my mind. Thank you to everyone for your love & support it's meant the world to me. It's time to hit the editing before work. Have a fabulous day!!!!

Coffee Talk!

Wooo Hoooo!!! It's Thursday.....AGAIN! helllloooo don't just sit there..we can't waste a second more! It's time to gossip! ;)

5 Random Thoughts:

1 - This past weekend was sooo nice and soooo very needed! We had a change in plans due to that pesky little hurricane so Friday and Saturday were spent home with the family. There was jammies, coffee, movies, a little shopping and just good old relaxing (mixed in with some editing catch up)! Ended the weekend on a high note with 3 gorgeous sessions. Have I told you lately how much I heart this time of year and my clients?!! Oh, I did? Sorry, I'm going to keep doing it because I am on a photography HIGH right now! My heart is so full and I am so unbelievably grateful. In this business it's very COMPETITIVE and almost cut throat, so it's easy to get down on yourself, but when you remove yourself from that side of it and ONLY worry about what you are doing and don't do the comparison game, it's like a weight has been lifted and it brings you back to what made you LOVE it in the first place. I'm in LOVE again and it feels so wonderful!

2 - In other EXCITING news.....drum roll because this is HUGE!! (um, well if you are over say 35, are currently or have been in the past a homeowner, and enjoy adulting...then you will appreciate this and understand the excitement) We are FINALLY getting the exterior of our chimney refinished!!!! I can seriously stand outside and scream out of pure happiness! If you know us and have been to our house, that damn chimney is a HUGE eye sore! We have detested it since day 1 and are now finally able to commit and take care of it! Baby steps with this house...baby steps. Don't even worry your pretty little hearts out....there WILL be before and after pics!!!! The countdown is on to the big DAY! (do you feel bad that my life is this sad?!)

3 - My dirty little game came in the mail today and I am STOKED to say the least!!! Cards Against Humanity! If you haven't played it, I HIGHLY recommend it. Um, if you are a pretty serious person and up and up in society, this may not be the game for you! (this in no way means you are TERRIBLE for not having a sick twisted mind, I'm just laying it out there for you) WARNING...it's BAD! Good bad, but BAD!!! LOL! If you are someone who has a very CLEAN mind and doesn't like inappropriate garbage, turn away, it's NOT for you! However, if you are like me and inappropriate should probably be your middle name...PLAY ON! Have no fear, you will LOVE it!

4 - I've been slacking BIG TIME on the taking care of me business. Between photography, working, health issues, being in a funk, other crap on my mind....I've been less than motivated and I am feeling it completely.  My big Dr appt is next week and honestly I just can't wait to get that done and over with so it's one less thing to think/worry about. I know that when I get up every day and get my workout in and do some personal development reading I ALWAYS feel 100% better. I'm working extra hard to make a conscious effort to get back on track FULLY! It's so easy to let life get in the way, but in the end I know I am WORTH it!

5 - Eeeeekkkkk I can barely contain my excitement! Tomorrow I have 2 HUGE guests arriving!! My brother is in town from Florida and yep, our Jersey peeps come in town for the weekend! It is going to be such a fabulous weekend I can NOT wait! Good food, laughs, wine, photos.....it will be a memory making weekend for sure.

Ok, I literally have exhausted myself with this session!!! Phew, I was LONG winded! Sorry lovelies, making up for my quiet weeks, I guess! Have an absolutely beautiful weekend! XO

Coffee Talk!!

It's Thursday and OMG.....It's OCTOBER!!!!???? Where is the time going?  We can't delay anymore....it's time to grab your coffee and hit the gossip!

5 Random Thoughts:

1 - October - pumpkins, sweaters, boots, skinny jeans, halloween, soup, chili, hot chocolate, lattes.....oh this list is soooo beautiful!!! There are lots more but you get the gist...I HEART October!!!!

2 - Last weekend was a weekend of shoots! Everything from a newborn, engagement photos and even MY family's photos!!! Yep, I made my family trek out and do photos with our favorite photographer/my mentor and they turned out BEAUTIFUL!!!! There is nothing more important to me than capturing the memories of my family but even more importantly to do a scheduled shoot once a year with someone other than ME so we can see the changes in our kiddos. In fact we keep recreating one shot over and over and I LOVE seeing how different we all look. The other plus is the fact that my family totally BEHAVES for another photographer and they don't look all ticked off and miserable!!! LOL (hey just being truthful...the struggle is real when your wife/mom is a photographer and has a camera in your face ALL. OF. THE. TIME.)

3 - We celebrated little guy's 11th Birthday this past weekend with family and then his actual BIG day was yesterday. We had a nice little morning with our cupcake ritual and we did surprise him with his present at breakfast since I was working late last night. :)  That kid never ceases to amaze me with his sweet heart. He is ALWAYS so grateful and it makes my heart happy.

4 - 8 days until our NJ loves arrive!!!! EEEEEEKKKKKk! They haven't been to our house for soooooo long, I can't wait to have them with us! We have a fabulous weekend full of fun not to mention their family photos planned!!!! It will be weird to go back to only seeing each other every few months when we were soooo lucky this whole summer to literally see each other almost every month. The upside is there is ALWAYS something to look forward to.

5 - This hurricane business is messing up my calendar for this weekend!!! BOOOOOO!!! Now I have to try to find dates/times to move everyone too. Seriously I would love for it to turn and go out to sea...no RAIN!!! A girl can hope, can't she!??

Have a fabulous and cozy weekend!!! Stay dry!!! XO

Penelope is 3 Months!!!

Ahhhh! I figured I BETTER get this session up here since I am BEHIND....yet again!!! LOL! Also I will be doing this little lady's 6 month pics VERY soon so it's a must to see her ABSOLUTE cuteness at every stage!! She and her little brother are a serious set of LOOK A LIKES!!! It was definitely cuteness overload that day. (our little princess had her SERIOUS face on so Mom may or may not have gotten a crazy workout trying to get her to crack! ;) But in the end she did FINALLY give us a smile!) Mom was on it and purchased some super sweet pieces for the shoot and here are just a few of my favs! See you soon Miss Penelope....get ready to ROCK your 6 month shoot! XO

We had to grab some of her with that handsome BIG Brother!