Choice Beverages Lately

My beverage consumption of late has been quite frequent and very, very cold. This humidity never agrees with me. My hair is in a constant state of a frizzy mess atop my head.

Making huge batches of ice tea (unsweetened only, please!), and black coffee to have on hand in the fridge for immediate consumption is a must during these hot, irritable, and muggy months. And I cannot seem to get enough water! Good thing I'm in the midst of a water wellness program at work. I'm drinking it on the rocks infused with whatever fruit I have on hand that day...lemons, berries, cucumbers, mint, limes, peaches, Granny Smith apples...

It's National Iced Tea Month

Among these must-have beverages, I'm also enjoying my morning smoothies. These are a great perk to my early (and hot) mornings. My latest obsession includes peaches and cottage cheese. When I was little I loved to eat sliced tomatoes or peaches in a bowl of cottage cheese as an after-school snack. But not together. Hmmm, I do enjoy Peach Caprese, though. I'm going to have to think about this one....

Side note: Mama preferred her cottage cheese with pickles.

I got the cottage-cheese-in-your-smoothie-idea from Katie over at Dashing Dish. (You have to visit her site and try out her tasty protein shakes.)

I like to use frozen fruit because then I don't have to add ice, which gives me a richer flavor. The addition of cottage cheese gives it the perfect milkshake consistency. Indulgent, for sure.

Peachy Keen Protein Shake

Serves 1 generously, or perfect for sharing with a friend as an afternoon snack

1 c unsweetened almond milk (or unsweetened refrigerated coconut milk would work well, too)
1/4 c cottage cheese
1/4 c plain Greek yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
1 c frozen sliced peaches
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
(Optional: add honey to taste if you like it a little sweeter. For me, the fruit sweetens it enough.)

Place all ingredients in a blender; combine until desired consistency. Enjoy in a chilled glass!

To quote my Grandma Bays, "It's so humidity outside!" God bless her.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Seriously?! and a List {Blog Series}

Y'all will never believe what happened! Don't worry. I took plenty of pictures.

Around 1 a.m. this past Wednesday, Mr. B and I were alarmingly awoken by a drunk driver running into our deck. Praise the Lord no one was injured and the house (other than siding, gutters, and minor window scrapes) wasn't damaged. All of the neighbors were out conversing with the police and firefighters, while a paramedic warned us to not come out our front door. After heading out the back door and assessing the damage, we are very thankful we had a deck in the first place. If not, I'm sure the car would have landed in our living room and halfway up the stairs.

Apparently, the drunk driver came flying out of the park entrance across the street and forgot the road ended. Instead of turning, he came straight into our neighbor's yard, crashed into our deck, restarted his car, took off through the rest of our yard, and into the other neighbor's yard before making it back onto the street and fleeing the scene. (Be thankful for your neighbors.) Not only did this kid take off, he then walked back up to the scene and tried to give the police false information. The police followed him back to his house, which is caddy-corner to our own house(!), and discovered the damaged car hiding in his garage. Yes, he was heavily intoxicated, refuse to take a breathalyzer, and has four other accidents on his record, along with prior arrests for drug possession.

To top it all off, he is driving with stolen plates and NO CAR INSURANCE. Y'all, these winners are hard to find.

How is he still allowed to drive?!

FAN-freaking-TASTIC.

Needless to say, we are not happy campers over here. After multiple conversations with our insurance, we're in the process of making a claim, waiting for the insurance people to come out and take pictures, and finding a contractor to rebuild our deck. Oh, and the deck is beyond repair and needs to come down completely. We were informed this cannot be done without cutting into the siding of our house. There is a very high possibility that are particular color of siding is no longer available. Therefore, we may have to get new siding for the ENTIRE house.

It's very hard to observe this pleasant young man and his mother across the street every day, and neither has had the decency to even contact us to apologize or anything. Mr. B's desperate self-control is admirable.

But what's most important here is no one was hurt. The house is fine. The deck and grill can be replaced. Thank you, Jesus!

Ai. Yi. Yi. The joys of home-ownership.

On a lighter note, I stumbled across another list gem while catching up on Jessica's blog. You know me and my lists, especially lists about what's going through my head as of late. After this week's events, I'm not sure y'all may want to know. But, alas, I need focus elsewhere. [It's more of an extension to my "Currently" posts.]

Eating / Corn on the cob and a lot of it. Ice cream. Ice cream. Ice cream. And juicy peaches perfect for cobbler.
Drinking / Two things. Homemade Strawberry Lemonade. Cashing in my free drink reward and splurging on a Venti Caramel Frappy with 5 shots of espresso and praying the barista is kind and gives me my extra cup of overflowing goodness because.I.desperately.need.it (see above scenario).
Practicing / yoga yoga yoga. one of the only thing that makes me feel sane. <--- borrowing Jessica's exact words. You would not believe how little I'm able to fit in my mat time between the new puppy, Summer Reading craziness, and the unfortunate demolition of our deck. Mr. B has, on more than one occasion, found me in tears. When asked what's wrong I admit my stress is quite high and I haven't been able to practice for more than 5 minutes. I'm really needing to just head out and hit up a yoga class ASAP. However, these less than 10-minute pilates videos are great for my business.
Mastering / a handstand. I'm participating in the #summersplits2014 yoga challenge and while the whole point is to master the splits, I'm realizing mastering the handstand first would be quite helpful.
Learning / to LET go. and to LET GOD. Seriously need to work on this (which is usually what I'm doing when I'm practicing my asanas).
Trying / to choose easier and faster weeknight meals. It's summer and I should be happy just throwing together BLTs and salads. But my inner cook wants to always try something new...ugh.
Playing / volleyball in our backyard. Mr. B, I think it's time the net goes up!!
Finishing / my intention was my summer bucket list, now it's a new deck before summer ends. Reading / Written in My Own Heart's Blood. Drop everything. Put every other book aside. The newest Outlander installment has been released and found it's way onto my desk yesterday morning. Now, to find the time...I'm sure sleep may be sacrificed!
Remembering / life is short. Things could be worse. Material things don't matter. GOD IS GOOD.
Wearing / SUN DRESSES!!!! Sun dresses GALORE!
Cooking / grilling up some pizzas. It's too dang hot to cook. Oh wait, we are currently without a grill :(
Working / Summer Reading programs. This may be the only time I will actually get my yoga in! I'm excited.
Traveling / to Maine this October. Mr. B and I really need to sit down and decide where exactly we'd like to go. Any suggestions?
Wanting / more hours in the day. But realistically, more coffee and ice cream would suffice.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Jessica, a Shout Out!

The Birthday Girl

Us 2 years ago

It's my best {girl} friend's birthday!

And she's in sunny Florida, soaking up the sunshine, practicing yoga on the beach and picnic tables ( <--- I'm so proud), and enjoying multiple beverages from my favorite place. You go, chica; do all your favorites. (And apparently all my favorites. This is why we're besties.) Love you, and can't wait to celebrate when you get back.

Happy Birthday, Lady.

Circa. 2006

*Note this will be updated with a more recent photo once we get our acts together upon your return. What is up with this adult life? ;)

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Breakfast Lately

This handsome boy barely gives me time to pour a cup of coffee in the morning, let alone to actually make breakfast. And I love breakfast. It's my favorite meal of the day. (...unless there is ice cream in my near future, then that, yes that is my favorite meal of the day. It may be for breakfast; I am not above that. Or it may be a mid-day snack, or a late night treat. Whenever. It's my favorite.) These days I'm scrambling around just to throw random items in my lunch bag in hopes I'll have enough for some sort of breakfast dish at my desk. Errr...I mean at the table in the break room.

Lately, I've been relying on my Greek yogurt bowls. I mix together a scoop of plain yogurt, a handful of berries, a spoonful of natural almond butter, and a little sprinkle of granola or nuts, and TA DA! Breakfast. It's to the point where now I'm just keeping containers of yogurt and berries in the fridge at work, along with my jar of almond butter, of course. Which, by the way, I'm running a little too low on for comfort.

I need my morning protein, and if I'm not getting it from my yogurt than I'm tossing it into my favorite Via Shakes. However, the blender is so loud Mr. Darcy starts barking while Siamese just glares at me because all of this unnecessary ruckus is disturbing her beauty sleep.

Of late, I'm just happy to make it out the door with enough time to run into my favorite place and grab an iced coffee because it's so dagum muggy I can't even think let alone do anything because the actual act of doing something makes me want to not wear clothing because when I open the fridge to find a container of Fruit Punch Kool-Aid where once was my homemade iced coffee stock for the week, and it's only Wednesday, I don't have time to brew a fresh pot because...well, see above.

And now the house is empty of our beloved protein powder.

And I was doing the happy dance all last week because when I stopped at Starbucks for a GIANT iced green tea (because it's so dagum muggy....) I saw they were having a buy one Via box, get one free deal. Jackpot. What a beautiful moment in the middle of a busy week. Glorious. Until this Monday rolled around and I ran out of protein. Now my Via packets just sit there and taunt me every morning.... However, I'm sure by the time we get around to buying more protein, I'll be out of my almond milk, or I'll pull out two empty ice cube trays because Mr. Darcy is just loving his ice cubes right now. You wanna know why? Because it's so dagum muggy....

Hold on a sec while I run to the fridge and add almond milk and more ice cube trays right next to the triple underlined protein powder. Oh, and I should probably get more yogurt and almond butter...and berries, yes need those.

Anyhoo, now that I've taken up the better half of the short moment you set aside to read this post this morning, let me get to the main point. In all my rushing around, toy-throwing, and random-ingredients-grabbing glory, I stumbled upon this tasty protein-filled breakfast. In the mornings, I enjoy making random egg scrambles, and lately I've been tossing together leftover ground turkey with some eggs and whatever vegetables I have on hand. It's quite filling, tasty, and quick. My most recent three favorite words, aside from Mr. Darcy, potty, and sit.

Double Protein Egg Scram-lette
serves 1

1 egg
1 egg white
couple drizzles of vegetable or chicken stock
couple spoonfuls of cooked ground turkey
1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
a handful of kale
sprinkle of nutritional yeast (or cheese, if you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Splash in some stock and saute the kale. When kale is almost wilted, add in ground turkey, stirring until warmed through. Meanwhile, lightly beat egg, egg white, and yogurt in a separate bowl. Lower heat, if needed coat pan with cooking spray, and pour in the egg mixture. Now I always start out with an omelet intention, but it usually ends up less pretty and more of an egg scramble (hence my new word, scram-lette). Do whatever works for you. Mix it together, flip it over, pour it on top, whatever floats your boat. When the egg is cooked and everything is warmed through, sprinkle on the nutritional yeast (or cheese, if you have it). I think tomatoes would work well with this dish but, alas, I was out. So if you have 'em, and you like 'em, add 'em. Serve on a plate and dig in. (Or, as I may have to revert to soon, throw in a wrap and head out the door.)

Of course, don't forget the drizzle of hot sauce. Enjoy!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

What I'm Reading

The Body Book. I.could.not.put.this.book.down. Cameron Diaz's knowledge, up-front writing style, and blunt honesty is refreshing, educational, and highly motivating. I've never been a huge fan of Diaz, but her book made me respect her a lot more. It's nice to see celebrities with brains, interest, and knowledge of their body and healthy lifestyle....not just a "look at me, I'm famous with a great body, buy my book so you can be skinny like me" view. FYI, "skinny" does not mean healthy or fit. She actually gets into the science of why our bodies are unique, what they and our minds need to be their best, and so forth. I learned a few things I didn't know or didn't realize I should probably know why my body does that.... I would recommend this book to ANY woman, no matter her age whether she's 16 or 61. An important read, I promise, with vital information all should know.


Another celebrity-authored book I finished recently was Ellen Degeneres' Seriously...I'm Kidding on audio. She is the narrator, and why anybody wouldn't listen to it is beyond me. Oh, Ellen. She's hilarious, and she kept it clean and enjoyable. Although we don't have the same views on certain things, I adore her...the woman, the role model, and the loving and caring person she is. I don't care who you are or your beliefs, everyone should be as kind as Ellen. She hits on some great points layered under her comedic thoughts and rambles. Definitely, definitely listen to this audio for a great laugh. Her chapters on yoga and meditation had me in tears :)

The best thing about The Swan Gondola was the beautiful, eye-catching cover. I really, really wanted to like this book. It was May's book club read, and I really, really wanted to find something I enjoyed just as much as previous book club reads, like Seraphina and The Night Circus. Schaffert's book has been compared to Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus, which I absolutely adored and the audio is fantastic, and Water For Elephants, which I did not. Honestly, I found this book, what I did read of it, to be a struggle. I wanted to give up around page 98, but since I was reading it for my book club I pressed on. I finally put it down at page 220 (almost halfway). I was bored, didn't feel anything for or care about the characters; most of which were very two-dimensional, but the scenery and the 1989 Omaha Fair descriptions were lovely. But even they became too much, and soon I was bored with the scenes and plot. I really wanted to like this book, but from reading others' views and hearing about what I missed, apparently I didn't really miss much. I would NOT compare this to The Night Circus, other than the fact a fair and circus are similar and there is a romance plot. I have not read anything else by Timothy Schaffert and am not planning on in the future. (BUT I do appreciate the amount of research he did for this book.) After a little discussion, I was happy to hear I wasn't the only one with these thoughts....

Lastly, I picked up My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife because I came across it on my Good Reads account. Sara Horn's diary-like book discusses her struggles and successes with becoming more of the wife she feels she needs to be, the famous Proverbs 31 Wife we've heard quite about. This book wasn't quite the devotional I thought it was going to be. She sets out on a year-long journey, but I found it slightly disappointing because she doesn't seem to try very hard at being a Proverbs 31 Wife; I felt the book to be a bit whiny at times and lacked scripture references. With that being said, I still enjoyed her writing style and reading about her [failed] attempts; it just needs to be promoted a little differently, I think. Still this would be a great choice for a book discussion with a women's Bible group. It's more about the heart than the doing, more about paying attention to how you treat your husband and why, and how to focus on him first. This was a decent introduction on the subject.


With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

My Beautiful Month

In case you aren't on Instagram, or don't follow me, here's a peek at my Insta-Life lately.
[*All photos are taken from my Instagram account.]

I.can.not.get.enough.of.him.

Happy 6th Birthday, Harley!

Bring on the heat.

This local ice cream joint is definitely worth the wait.

Loving the new jewelry from Premier Designs! (Don't mind my tired face. Mr. Darcy has me sleep deprived.)

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Sunday Sweets

Meet MR. DARCY.

Y'all, I have been waiting FOREVER for a puppy dog of my own. (And now I can finally cross off the first thing on my 30 Before 30 list!) I am a huge dog person, and I love these four-legged family members. And from where I come from, they are family members. And we've had many of them, with plenty of love to go around.

Side note: a running list in my parent's household includes JoJo (Cocker Spaniel), ----> failed attempts with Chance (Chow-Chow/Lab mix) and Teeny (Dachshund) until we found the perfect fit with Sammy (Chihuahua), then he passed and my parents gave me...in order...Ice (Siberian Husky), Sheldon (collie), and Tiki (Jack Russel/Lab mix). Since I've been out of the house, my parents have had Franklin--a.k.a. Chopper (terrier mix?), Rizzo (Maltese/Papillon mix), and after her unexpected passing now have Gibbs (mix?).

[Don't even get me started on other beloved family members' pets which names include, Tippy, Taffy, Lucky Charms, Monica and Chandler, Buffy, PJ, Jake, and Stewie...to mention a few. Did I mention we love our puppy dogs over here? Did I mention I love finding out pets' names? I think the pet's name says a lot about its owner.]

I'm sure you can imagine my disappoint when I met Mr. B, almost seven years ago, and discovered he was the proud owner of Siamese. Yes, this....cat. I'm not a cat person, never have been. This probably stems from the first cat [and LAST cat] I ever owned at the age of eight. Her name was Bootsy (because she was all black except for her four white paws) and she was nothing but a living terror for the month or so we had her. She kept trying to get out of our house, tearing down the screens, biting people, and finally we set her free. She continued to haunt our neighborhood for years.

Whoa, big sidetrack. Anyhoo. On Friday we picked up this cutie, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, and he'll be nine weeks old tomorrow. I love him to pieces. I mean Be.Still.My.Heart.

Oh, Mr. Darcy, you are just precious on a stick.

Since we were picking him up near my hometown, we had to stop and show him off. Mama and my aunt fell all over him. How can you not?! Just look at that face. And those stubby legs. And that BUTT! Once we arrived home, two hours later with no accidents or issues, the neighbors and in-laws were all over him. Mr. Darcy is definitely not shy, loves the outdoors, and enjoys car rides. Siamese is handling this new four-legged intruder quite well actually. When we entered the house, she hissed at him to let him know who's boss. She is constantly following him around, keeping a close eye, and glares whenever Mr. B shows him any attention. I think we have one jealous lady. Mr. Darcy was scared of her that first night, yet after a good night's sleep he's now quite curious of her. But we're keeping them at a distance for now....

We made it through almost 24 hours without any accidents. And, as of now, we had only one little incident. Can I brag a little more on this sweet boy? In less than two days, Mr. Darcy knows how to fetch and bring back, tug with his toys, knows where his food and water bowls are and the times he gets his meals, and is bell potty-trained. Two days, my friends. Two days. And this morning, he now knows his name. Corgis are brilliant dogs. I am one proud Mama.

And these two...I can't get enough of watching them together. Best buddies.

However, I can't get anything done! Mr. Darcy loves playing and chewing, but you need to be right by him. If you walk away or turn your head to look at the phone or the TV or a chipmunk running across the driveway, he immediately stops what he's doing and nips at your heels (herding you) until you give him 100% of your attention. And I can't pick him up and carry him around. Oh no, this little boy is too busy exploring and chewing everything. He does not have time to be held. He gets all squirmy, and his stubby legs get going. If he's tired or scared then, by all means, cuddle away. Mr. B keeps telling me to put him in his exercise pen (THE best purchase ever--but more on that later), but I feel bad keeping him confined if I don't want him to nap. But his puppy-self needs many naps.

And, y'all, oh how he loves his tennis ball and carrots.

Heads up! Puppy pictures galore will soon be all over this blog, I'm sure. :)

I'll post a puppy update soon. Until then, I'll be over here trying to keep all my fingers.

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi

Mid-Week Ramblings {Blog Series}

HUMP DAY!

Today, I'm playing along with the recent 20 questions floating around the blog world....even though I participated in another one last month. But Q&A's are so fun.

1. What brings you the greatest joy?

Knowing I am a child of God and am surrounded by love.

2. What are your vices? 

Ice cream. Coffee mugs. Shoes and sundresses.

3. What is on your nightstand?

A few things, which Mr. B constantly grumbles about when he dusts. But I can't help it; I mean, a nightstand is supposed to have things on it, right? Besides a lamp? (Said lamp is apparently for looks only, according to Mr. B. who, again, grumbles when I want to read at night and he wants to go to sleep. Ai yi yi...) So, with all that being said, here's a short tour: said lamp, wedding picture, a book with daily inspirational quotes and scriptures, a gardenia-scented candle, favorite Aveeno moisturizer, lip balm from The Body Shop, my Bible in its Vera Bradley Carnaby Good Book case (in case wondering minds wanted to know), the current Yoga Journal, and water.

4. Do you have a secret talent? 

Ummm, no. But I do think I have a gift with words :)

5. What is your greatest indulgence?

Cheesecake. Probably once a year, and I usually request it as my birthday "cake."

6. What should every woman try at least once in her life? 

Focusing on improving/creating a personal relationship with God. The strength and understanding she will come to know from His truth is life-altering.

7. What makes you laugh? 

Mr. B. This man....I pee my pants daily. Possibly too much information, but I love to laugh. I come from a very comedic family.

8. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?

I grew up wanting to be a singer, then an actress, then a singer, then an actress, and back and forth I went until graduation day came and I went off to Kent State as a journalism major. Yes, I'm sure God, too, laughed at my plans.

9. What is on your bucket list?

To go horseback riding. I've never been. I don't think riding the pony at the county fair when I was little counts.

10. What is on your feet right now? 

11. How did you make your first dollar? 

At a local diner/ice cream parlor called Miller's. I was your local car-hop gal (minus the skates).

12. What superstition do you believe in?
I don't believe in superstitions. However, I am in full belief that when you see a rainbow, God is promising you something.

13. What items in your closet do you wear the most?
Probably my various dress pants for work and cardigans/jackets. I'm in need of layers because my body temperature changes multiple times hourly. I'm usually cold. (In warmer weather, it would be my sundresses ---> see #2.)

14. What is the best gift you’ve ever received?
I'm not materialistic at all, but I would have to say the best gift was my high school graduation gift from my parents. Daddy made me a hope chest. I had no idea and was surprised completely.

15. What is on your liquor shelf?
I don't drink, except for the occasional glass of wine here and there...so nada.

16. What is on your kitchen counter?
I'll tell you one thing that isn't on my kitchen counter. A coffee pot. Because I have a beautiful coffee bar.

17. What would you never leave home without?
Sunglasses! It's Ohio, people. The weather changes every five minutes.

18. What movie has the greatest ending?
Inception

19. Who is on the guest list for your ideal dinner party?
Ummmm....these two.

20. What is one thing you wish you had known when you were younger?
How unhealthy pop and processed and fast food are for you!!!! Ugh. Especially when childhood is such an important time to build healthy habits.

Cheers to a fabulous rest of the week!

With Love and God Bless,
Brindi