LIFE LATELY

We are over half way through January...woo hoo! Although, for January it has been pretty warm this past week and it looks like it's going to continue into next week, but we do live in Tennessee so just because it's warm this week doesn't mean it couldn't snow next week and shut everything down for the day lol.

This past Saturday Reagan had her first grooming appointment. It was very much needed and we can't get over how adorable she looks with her new cut!! They even put a bow in her hair...I about melted into the floor when I saw that, and if you think I'm crazy Matthew was already a puddle of mush in the floor. I'll be honest I was not a fan of dropping our girl off at the groomers for a few hours, but they assured me she would be fine. It did end up taking them FOUR hours because they were so busy, so I will definitely try to be the first appointment the next time she goes. After I dropped her off at the groomers Saturday morning I ran a few errands, and of course, I had to get her some new toys because I felt bad for leaving her at the groomers lol. She loved her new tennis balls and took a big nap when she got home. Getting groomed can stress a girl (and her mom) out!

My birthday present from Matthew this past year was a new purse that I picked out from Target. I absolutely love it...it's the perfect size for me, I love the colors and feel like I can use it year around. While I was browsing in Wal-Mart this past weekend I saw the same purse hanging up in the purse section and I was floored! I have been noticing that Wal-Mart was stepping up their game with their clothes and jewelry but when I saw the same purse for about 40% cheaper than the one Matthew got me I couldn't believe it. There were a few small differences (a smaller zipper on the outside and smaller compartments inside), but nothing that would not make me want it. So all of this to say if you're looking for a cute purse and you don't want to spend a lot check Wal-Mart's purse section out. Also, if you don't already, then follow this Instagram account!

My sister got a new car the this week and wanted to take me for a ride in it so we decided to make a Jeni's run for some ice cream! It was so fun and of course, delicious!!

I got a scoop of the brambleberry crisp and juniper & lemon curd...YUM!

I've been eating fruit in the afternoon as a snack and yesterday I added a small grape juice and made this my dessert after lunch...I needed something sweet but didn't want to buy any chocolate or junk food out of the vending machine so grapes and grape juice it was!

I picked these veggie burgers and these sweet potato fries up the other day at the grocery store to try and I actually really liked both of them! I was very hesitant about both because I've tried sweet potato fries before and didn't like them, but these were really good. I asked about them on Snapchat and had a few people respond that they really liked them, and Ashley told me that there are spicy sweet potato fries, so I'll have to get those next time for Matthew to try! 

Reagan will let you know when she wants to play now and it's the cutest thing, ever. She jumped in my lap and stared at me with her toy in her mouth until I would play fetch with her lol. 

I stopped by Dollar Tree the other day to see what Valentine's Day goodies they have and found these heart shaped doilies and thought they would make a cute banner for our mantel. Target's dollar section had a few options for a Valentine's Day banner, but I just didn't love any of them so when these doilies caught my eye I scooped them up. So many come in a pack that I had some left over, so I decided to do a simple Valentine's Day tablescape with them as well. Using what I had already and then adding these. I liked how it turned out and will share soon!

And one last picture of our girl because she is just the sweetest puppy!

Happy Friday Eve!!

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LIFE LATELY

10 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

These post are always fun to read, and I have some new friends around here so I thought it was a good time to do one of these posts. Here are 10 quirks you might not know about me...

1 | I have two middle names because my parents didn't think they were going to have anymore kids after me...they ended up having three more daughters!

2 | I have awful vision. I got glasses in the first grade and contacts in the 6th grade. Each year at my yearly visit to the optometrist, they tell me my vision has gotten worse. We actually have to have a small little night light in our bathroom so I can make it to the bathroom in the middle of the night without running into anything. Whenever we are staying somewhere other than our house I have to make sure there is a clear path to the bathroom as well, because if not I will definitely run into it or fall over it. I'm not sure what legally blind is, but my prescription is -7.50 in both eye. Seriously, it's so bad.

3 | I hate cilantro. I know there are people that either love it or hate it, and I am one who hates it! I can't eat anything with cilantro in it, and if we go to a Mexican restaurant and their salsa has too much cilantro in it, it's banned from my list lol.  

4 | I am a morning person, and I have been my entire life. My mom said once I was born she and my dad never had to set an alarm clock anymore because I woke up everyday by 7:00 at the latest. Even now I can't lay in the bed past 8:00 or I'll get a headache. It doesn't bother me too much though, the mornings are my favorite time of the day, and when I have the most energy.

5 | I lived in the same house that I was brought home from the hospital to for 21 years, and loved it. My parents got married and immediately moved in my with grandparents, and for six months they used every single paycheck to build their house. It was a two bedroom, one bath house until I was around 4 years old. Before my sister, Mady, was born my dad and uncle added on to our house, and then before my other sister, Samantha, was born my parents added on again. It is now a seven bedroom, three bath, and three car garage home! I love all the memories that I have made (& still make) at my childhood home.

6 | I hate silence. I listen to music throughout the day while I work, my radio is always on in the car if I am alone or I am talking on the phone to someone, and if I am home alone the TV is on for background noise or I have music or a podcast playing on my phone. When I lived by myself, I used to fall asleep to a white noise app.

7 | I hate cold weather. The only I somewhat like it is between the months of September-December. If I could choose the weather (lol) then it would be summer weather until September 1st - December 25th. So basically, I only like cooler weather around fall time and the holidays. It could be 80 degrees the day after Christmas Day and I would be 100% okay with it. My least favorite time of the year is January-April. The weather is always so dreary and all the trees are dead and ugly. It's pretty depressing.

8 | One of my life long dreams is to build a house to raise our kids in. It might be because I lived in the same house for 21 years, and almost every single childhood memory was made there, and I would love, more than anything, for our kids to experience that.

9 | I hate the word moist. I don't know why, but whenever I hear it I literally cringe. You know when it's really hot outside and your hair is sticking to your neck and you can swear that you feel your makeup running? That's what I think of when I think of the "M" word.

10 | I have a type A personality which means I am a planner by nature. I make to-do list daily, usually multiple ones at that. I love planning things out and thinking ahead about future events or trips, and I can never leave the office on a Friday with any emails left in my inbox. I make sure every Friday morning that if there is anything still lingering in my inbox then I am working on getting that out of there first thing. I also have two planners, a personal planner and a work planner...but recently I just created my own personal planner for 2017 so that it is tailored to me specifically. I may or may not be a little too excited to use it already.

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10 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

IN MEMORY OF MY COUSIN, JOHNATHON

Yesterday afternoon my family lost a cool little dude with the biggest heart. It was sudden and very unexpected.

This picture was from a few summers ago.

As expected, my family is taking this very hard and the next few weeks will be tough on us all. Please keep my family in your prayers over the next few days, and hug your loved ones tight.

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IN MEMORY OF MY COUSIN, JOHNATHON

ABC'S

I have been seeing these ABC posts floating around the blogging world recently, so I thought I would join in on the fun! Here are the ABC's of my life, currently!

A – Age: 23

B – Birthday: September 11th

C - Color: blue (my favorite color changes all the time)

D – Drink: I love a good cherry-vanilla coke from Sonic

(Most girls get Starbucks on their wedding day, we had Sonic drinks)

E – Eyes: brown

F – Flashback: our wedding (any excuse for a wedding picture!)

G – Gent: my sweet husband of 8 months and 4 days :)

H – Hobby: calligraphy, blogging, baking/cooking

(Follow me on Snap Chat to see all my cooking/baking fun: shelbycoats)

I – Indulgence: white chocolate/coke

J – Job: administrative assistant/office manager

K – Kids: someday!

L – Loves: God, my husband, our family, our friends, our church, our new town, our new home, early mornings, Sunday afternoon naps, nail polish, warm weather, date nights, hosting/planning events at our place, crafting, decorating, patio dinners, the beach!

M – Music: I listen a little bit of everything, and I have a playlist for just about everything. Some of my playlists on Spotify include: Getting ready for the day, Work Day, Cleaning the house, Cooking in the kitchen, monthly playlists, etc. I'm usually always listening to music lol.

N – Nickname: Matthew calls me "Shel", my youngest sister, Macy, calls me "Shelly" (she's the only one who calls me that lol) and the rest of my friends call me "shelbs" 

O – One Wish: That someone would come in and do all of our house projects for us within the next 2 weeks...for free! LOL now that would be a dream, I tell ya ;)

P – Pets: not yet, but hopefully we'll get a dog at some point. Still not sure if it will be this year or next.

Q – Quote: 

R – Residence: Good ole' Tennessee :) 

S – Siblings: 3 sisters, 2 brothers-in-law, 1 sister-in-law

(My sisters in the top two pictures, my SIL in bottom left, and my BIL's in the bottom right)

T – Temperature: it is definitely spring here in Tennessee- cool in the mornings and warmer during the day!

U – University: I married into a Mississippi State family, so I better say Hail State ;)

V – Vehicle: Nissan Altima 

W – Worst Habit: picking at my nails. This gets on Matthew's last nerve lol but I am actually getting out of that habit, finally!

X – X-Rays: only on my teeth at the dentist :)

Y – Yuck: mouth noises. I absolutely hate hearing people chew or swallow.

Z – Zoo animal: Elephants

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ABC'S

FAVORITE FACE PRODUCTS

I always love seeing what products other people use. If I find something interesting others use I'll spend a good length of time doing research on it and then decide if it is something I want to try out. 

I have always had a problem with acne. My dad had it growing up and my sisters do, too. I have been seeing my dermatologist for about 4 years and about a year and a half ago he put me on a low dosage of birth control to help with my breakouts. BC along with a prescription has helped keep my breakouts at a minimum. Back in the middle of the summer my prescription on my acne medicine ran out and with wedding planning and very few breakouts I thought I didn't need it anymore so I didn't get it another prescription. Well about 2 months ago my face decided to break out again, I immediately made another appointment with my dermatologist and she prescribed me a something new to try as well as a cream I apply nightly. She said it could take a while to show any results and I am FINALLY starting to see some. October and November my face was breaking out so, so bad. So I am very thankful it is actually starting to work. Since last January I have really upped my cleansing routine. Taking more time and remembering to wash my face every single night. As bad as I know it is I used to skip washing my face every now and then...not often but every now and then I would fall asleep early and forget. I have gotten into a nightly routine as well as a morning routine that really works for me. It's all about making time! So here's a roundup of some of my favorite skincare products that work for me. They might not work for you, and they just might! Take time to read reviews, pay a little extra where it's needed, save where you can (Amazon vs. grocery stores...always check prices before you buy somewhere!) use what works for YOU and your skin, not what's popular. I learned the hard way a long time ago, that the newest product out won't always work for me. I'm allergic to Benzoyl Peroxide so whatever product I use can not have ANY Benzoyl Peroxide in it what-so-ever. And since I normally have oily skin any product I use has to be oil free or else it just won't work for my skin type. 

First I'll start with Neutrogena Cleansing Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover. I wear water proof mascara so it's hard to take off my eye makeup without this! I just discovered this product a couple of months ago and now it's a necessity! I just dab a little bit on a cotton ball and wipe my eyes with it, it works wonders!

Next I use these Clean & Clear Night Relaxing All-In-One Cleansing Wipes. I use this all over my face to remove most of my makeup. Unfortunately this doesn't remove all of it but it takes a good bit off! They are oil free which is a must have for me, and they have a great fragrance. 

Next I use Neutrogena Oil-Free Deep Clean Cream Cleanser. This is one of my all time favorite face washes. It's oil free, and I love the way it leaves my face so clean! It's great and I use this every night before going to bed.

After I wash my face I ALWAYS apply moisturizer. I usually apply a little more to my face in the winter than in the summer. I started using Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel Cream about a year ago and I absolutely LOVE it. I love the way it makes my face feel. It's very light, oil free, and makes my face feel so smooth. My makeup even goes on so much better if I apply this first. It's a little on the pricey end but it's much cheaper on amazon. This also lasts me around 5-6 months which I love...a little goes a long way with this stuff. I apply this on my neck as well. 

In the morning I wash my face with Clean and Clear Oil Free Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub. It has a tingling/cooling sensation, and the micro beads exfoliates your skin. This is THE best way to get myself awake if I am having trouble waking up, and I've noticed it helps reduce redness on bumps. I just keep this in the shower and wash my face every morning in there. The hot water from my shower opens up my pores and this is the first thing that hits my face every morning. I love the way it leaves my skin feeling so clean! Of course after this I apply my moisturizer. 

So that's what I use! I didn't realize it, but I guess I only use Neutrogena and Clean & Clear lol. I am on the lookout for a good toner, so if y'all have any recommendations let me know! Do y'all use any of these products? Anything I should look into using? Let me know! :)

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FAVORITE FACE PRODUCTS

10 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

I have a few new friends around here so I thought I would do a fun little post about some things y'all might not know about me. So here are 10 things most people don't know about me!

My favorite date, my favorite necklace, and my favorite dress‪. 

1 | I hate when my feet get cold. 

I usually wear two pair of socks with my boots in the winter just so my feet don't get cold.

2 | I lived in the house I was brought home to from the hospital for 21 years, until I moved to Cookeville. My family still lives there, and it always makes me so happy to go back "home". I know we are married now and have our own place that we call home, but I think Matthew and I will always call our parents home, home. 

3 | I always have to have a candle burning when we are home. They are just so relaxing and can put me at ease in seconds. Matthew has caught on to this very quickly and when he gets home before I do he usually lights a candle right before I get home...melts my heart every single time. 

4 | I absolutely HAVE to set two alarms every single morning. I sit a "warning alarm" as I like to call it, 10 minutes before I really have to get up. So if we have to get up at 6:00 am then I set my alarm for 5:50 am. I hate getting straight out of bed as soon as my alarm goes off so that 10 minutes lets me ease into it lol. #diva I know.

5 | I am not a coffee drinker. At all. I have tried and tried to make myself like it, but I just don't think it's going to happen. I'm not too sad about it, I don't have to worry about it staining my teeth! If you ever see me with a cute coffee mug, it probably will have apple cider in it or hot chocolate. Those two I can drink all day long. 

6 | My title at work is Administrative Assistant but more and more people are starting to call me Boss....and I'm not stopping them #youcancallmequeenbee

Just kidding, of course, but seriously. 

7 | I probably spend about 1.5+ hours a day looking houses for sale online. Zillow, Redfin, Movoto, and Trulia can be found in my History every.single.day.

8 | I can't sleep on a pillow, but I have to have a pillow with me when I sleep. Matthew thinks I am the craziest person, ever, but it's true. I have the flattest pillow that is probably 20 years old and I lay my head on it until it's time for me to go to sleep and then I put it up against my headboard and throughout the middle of the night I will pull it down in my sleep and lay on it for a little bit at a time. I usually never wake up sleeping on it though. Matthew didn't believe me when I told him I did this until we got married and he saw me moving it in my sleep lol.

9 | I used to hate not having plans for the weekend growing up. I remember being in high school and if we didn't go somewhere or have plans for the weekend I thought my life was over. I would beg my parents to just go grocery shopping or driving around in town so I could get out of the house and actually have something to do. Now, I feel like it's the exact opposite. A weekend with no plans? Sounds like the best thing ever. Not leaving the apartment all day? YES, please! I could get so much done if I didn't have to leave. I told Matthew the other day, I think we are actually becoming grown-ups lol. Sure we have big boy and big girls jobs, big boy and big girl bills to definitely make us feel like grown-ups, but the thought of having absolutely no plans makes me extremely happy.

10 | Apparently I am a violent sleeper...about a month after we were married I kneed Matthew so hard in his side while I was asleep that I dislocated one of his ribs and he had to go to the chiropractor for a few weeks. #wifeoftheyear

I honestly had no idea I even did it and every since then I have been so self conscious about it that if I am moving my knee up in the middle of the night I wake up and immediately put it back down so I don't knee him again. #newlyweds

And because I just love this picture from yesterday's post!

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10 THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT ME

5 crappy thoughts I will most likely have today

Everyday I think we all have at least a few crappy thoughts, it's only human and sometimes when we are having those crappy thoughts we tend to let it put us in a bad mood and that can sometimes lead to thinking we have it bad or we have a bad life. I saw this quote on Pinterest and it was like a slap in the face for me.  

  Something I have been working on since the summer is that when I have a crappy/negative thought I need to replace it with a positive thought, and I am surprised with how lately every time I think of something negative I automatically think of something positive to replace it and I tell ya it makes for a better attitude and day!!   1. I have so much to do blah blah blah the classic line I use when I am stressing out about something. This is probably a daily thought. I need more hours in the day or I am going to be up so late  or I just want to relax   2. Why do I have to work full time while everyone else my age is a full time college student This is one I have struggled with A LOT lately. I just want to be a full time student or It's not fair that they don't have to work and can go to school full time and their parents pay for everything   3. I'm tired My everyday thought when my alarm goes off and definitely around that 3 o'clock stretch during the week at work.   4. I want her wardrobe and makeup That shirt is too cute I need new boots like hers mine are old How does she get her makeup like that??   5. My lunch is not satisfying Am I really going to eat a ham and turkey wrap again? I just want a salad or pasta  

  1. You are LUCKY you have friends and family to keep you busy!! Last year at this time you didn't have the SOC in your life and you were going home everyday after school & work and you were bored out of your mind. So what if you go to bed late you are young, enjoy it and you can relax later. Enjoy this season of life, you aren't always going to have all your close friends living within 5 minutes of you and all these fun events to go to.   2. YOU HAVE A JOB.  A good one at that, why are you whining?! Many people are searching for a job to provide for their family and you are complaining about working? Be thankful you have a job and can pay for everything!! This is what YOU wanted and knew you would have to work your tail off to live on your own and go to school but you are in COOKEVILLE, remember that.   3. You're alive and healthy!! and having fun everyday with people who you love. Who doesn't get tired? Suck it up and stop whining.   4. These are just material things. You are fortunate to have as many clothes as you do. Be thankful for what you already have. Some people in parts of the world don't even have a jacket to keep them warm.   5. First off are your really thinking this?? Over thousands of people are literally starving to death everyday and you complain about your lunch? I feel like I need to crawl in a dark hole every time I think this.       How do you focus on staying positive? The moral of this post is this, Be grateful for everyday. Be positive. Be happy. EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.   and if you need a little bit more to get your Friday going, this should give you a good laugh. Obviously I would choose b.

     

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5 crappy thoughts I will most likely have today