Monday Musings Vol. 10: 10/17/16

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This week has been pretty boring, but that is actually a good thing. I’ve had some time to relax and of course watch hockey!

On The Blog:

• I had planned on doing a post last Friday, but time got away from me.

Love & Life:

• Thursday, we had chicken fajitas and watched the Stars’ season opener.
• Friday, I went to Katy Trail Outpost with some friends. I highly recommend their Texas Mule.
• Sunday, Michael joined me at my mom’s for lunch which was nice.

Professional:

• I pretty much just worked a lo this week.

Recently Spotted:

• I’ve had my eye on this Lauren Conrad Pleated Fit & Flare Dress, but in purple polka dots. I’m considering getting it with a gift card I have.

Crafting:

• I have all the Christmas gifts for the boys done. Now I am just about on schedule on the first girl project. So excited!

Now Streaming:

• Podcast: I need some new ideas. I go through my podcasts so quickly.
• Music: NeedToBreathe is one of my favorite’s right now.
• TV: SO I just found out this week that I won’t be able to watch someof my favorite shows on Hulu. I’m pretty sad about that.

Reading:

• I’m really enjoying the Chuck Colson book.

Hockey:

• The NHL season started on Wednesday and Auston Matthews who was the number on draft pick scored 4 goals in his NHL debut. That is pretty good.
• Canadiens opened their season in Buffalo on Thursday and beat the Sabres 4-1 in regulation.
• The Stars opened their season on Thursday as well. They played the Anaheim Ducks at home in Dallas and won 4-2 in regulation.
• Saturday, the Canadiens played in Ottawa and loss to the Senators 4-3 in a shoot-out.
• The Stars also lost on the road on Saturday. In a high scoring 6-5 game, the Colorado Avalanche was able to come out on top.

Looking Forward To:

• A wine night on Thursday with my friends.
• UTA Terry Scholar and Alumni costume picnic in the afternoon on Saturday.
• A friend’s birthday party on Saturday evening.

Link Love:

• Love Jenn’s work appropriate Halloween costumes, since Halloween is on a Monday this year.
• Love Lauren Conrad’s list of things you should and shouldn’t compromise on in your love life.

 

Monday Musings Vol. 9: 10/10/16

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Happy Thanksgiving! Today is Thanksgiving in Canada and I celebrate every year by making pumpkin cookies. I brought some to work today and sent some with Michael as well.

On The Blog:

• Check out my post about Fall Outfits. My first flat lay post and I think it turned out pretty well.

Love & Life:

• I had a Happy Hour with some of the girls from my small group on Wednesday and it was great to share a margarita and some time with my girls!
• Saturday was my friend, Nancy’s bridal shower. It was the cutest tea party theme.
• Saturday night, I hosted sister night. I always enjoy the time I get to spend with my sisters.
• Sunday, we made pumpkin cookies at my mom’s house.

Professional:

• I attended the TWU Terry Banquet last Monday. It was great to see how the program has grown. The speaker was great and said some really though provoking things.

Recently Purchased:

• I know I said I wasn’t buying anything, but I found this adorable dress at Kohl’s and I needed something for the wedding I have at the end of the month and the UTD Terry banquet.

Crafting:

• I should have the third project done this week! I’m pretty excited to move on to a new one that is different.

Now Streaming:

• Podcast: I have started listening to Molly Stillman’s Business with a Purpose podcast. It is really good and eye opening to see how many businesses really care about helping others out.
• Music: I’ve got Gavin DeGraw and Andy Grammer Pandora on all the time.
• TV: I started to watch Notorious at my sister’s suggestion. I like it quite a bit.

• My small group has started a study on Chuck Colson’s The Good Life. Pretty good so far.

Hockey:

• Friday night, we watched the Frozen Fury pre-season game that took place in Las Vegas. Dallas won so that was pretty great.
• We already have plans to watch the season opener on Thursday.

Looking Forward To:

• The NHL season starts this week!
• I have Small Group tonight. Every time I leave small group, I always feel so refreshed!

Link Love:

• Shay’s list of books she’s read lately is great and I’m wanting to add a few to my list of need to read.
• Tif looks so cute in this essential fall outfit. I wish I could pull it off the same way.

Monday Musings Vol. 7: 9/26/16

I’m so excited because I got to wear sweater to work this morning. I know that this cool down is probably temporary, but yay for sweaters for today!

On The Blog:

• I’m doing pretty well with keeping up with Monday Musings.
• My October Small Goals post will go up at the end of the week.

Love & Life:

• We moved the last of Michael’s stuff on Tuesday and then watched the WCOH Team Canada versus Team USA game.
• I got my hair cut and decided to change up a little by getting thick fringe bangs. I kind of love them!
• Michael’s brother was in town this weekend so we took him to a local arcade and some brewery tours.
• My mom was able to finally go to Kendra Scott with my sister and I to pick out her birthday gift. She got some gorgeous earrings.

Professional:

• I finished my Promulgated Contracts class so I am officially half way through my Real Estate license classes!

Recently Purchased:

• I resisted spending temptation this week and didn’t spend any money!

Crafting:

• My Christmas projects are coming along, but not as quickly as I would like.

Now Streaming:

• Podcast: I love hearing the preseason previews on the Puck Podcast and the reviews of the WCOH.
• Music: Michael shared a Megachill playlist with me that actually really helped with my Final for my Real Estate License class
• TV: Fall TV is back. I watched This Is Us and Designated Survivor. Both so good!

Reading:

• Still working on  The Unbroken Line of the Moon (The Valhalla Series Book 1) by  Johanne Hildebrandt. It’s a pretty interesting historical fiction piece.

Hockey:

• I was so happy to watch hockey again on Tuesday, plus Carey Price was in net for Team Canada.
• Team Canada is in the finals and will be playing Team Europe in a best of three tournament. I think we all know how this is going to end.

Looking Forward To:

• Terry  Officer Meeting
• Relaxing weekend with no real plans

Link Love:

• I loved Cara’s tips on simplifying your morning routine.

 

Monday Musings Vol. 5: 9/12/16

I am ready for life to slow down a bit, but that doesn’t seem to be happening anytime soon.

On The Blog:

• I had a post planned for Wednesday of Friday, but I didn’t get the finishing touches done on it. I am hoping to get it out this week.

Love & Life:

• My mom went into the hospital on Tuesday, so I left work early to go see her. She has had a rough week, but is doing better now.
• Michael and I went to see “For the Love of Spock.” It is a documentary about Spock and Leonard Nimoy. It was really good.
• I went to the baby shower and finished the diaper cover and hat.
• Saturday night, Michael and I went to see La Rondalla Romantica de Dallas for one of Michael’s class assignments. It was interesting to hear a different type of music.

Professional:

• I polished up my resume so I can get it sent out to some places.
• I attended an Terry alumni and current scholar pizza party and UTD. It was great to see how some of the freshmen that I interviewed were doing.

Recently Purchased:

• Bath & Body Works had a sale so I stocked up on some lotion and got a free three wick candle.
• I got two new tops this week. They are just some nice sleeveless work tops that were only $3 each.

Crafting:

• My first Christmas gift project is really taking shape. Hopefully the next two go just as smoothly.

Now Streaming:

• Podcast: My hockey podcast, Puck Podcast, has started their season preview which means the NHL season is right around the corner!
• Music: I’m pretty much in love with the new Gavin DeGraw album.
• TV: I’ve been binge watching The West Wing while I work on my crochet projects. I just got to the season that was aired in 2001 and you can definitely tell there was a shift in thinking.

Reading:

• I need to read more. I’ve just been so busy that reading has taken a back seat to the rest of my life.

Hockey:

• The World Cup of Hockey prelim games have started. I have not had time to watch any yet, but I’m so excited to watch hockey again.

Looking Forward To:

• Terry Luncheon
• Michael’s Move (He will be so much closer to me)
• World Cop of Hockey Officially Starting

Link Love:

• I so want to try this Shay’s Jalapeno Bacon Mac & Cheese. I think Michael would love this.
• I started following Chelsea this week after seeing her September Small Goals post. I love all the pictures she has taken for Nicole over at Writes Like a Girl.

 

Monday Musings Vol. 4: 9/5/16

It has been a pretty busy week with a little of everything. I had quite a few ups and downs this week and a lot of insecurity about my future, However, I am trusting God to get me through everything.

On The Blog:

• I finally got my Port Aransas Beach Recap up.
• I also put out my September Small Goals
• I am hoping to get my first sponsored post up this week, so that is pretty exciting.

Love & Life:

• Michael and I went out on a date on Tuesday which was really nice. We went and saw Kubo and the Two Strings. It was a good movie and I enjoyed the time with Michael.
• Friday night, we had a surprise party for a friend. It was fun to get to hang out with everyone all at once and I got to bake a cake for it!
• We went to a Frisco RoughRiders game while Grandma Michelle was in town. It was a lot of fun to see my family and take in a minor league baseball game with fireworks at the end.
• Sunday night, my stepdad had a party for my mom’s birthday. The taco bar was great and so was the cake. Afterwards, Michael and I headed to Dallas to see a Tom Petty cover band with some friends.

Professional:

• This week I found out that I will need to get a new job by the end of the year. The reasons are complicated, but that is the bottom.

Recently Purchased:

•  I’m on a bit of a spending freeze right now. I’m just trying to make sure I have a lot in savings in case my jobs don’t overlap.

Crafting:

• I’m about half way done with one of the Christmas gifts for my sibling. I;m really excited about them.

Now Streaming:

• Podcast: I need some new podcast suggestions. I’ve been going through podcasts pretty quickly lately.
• Music: I’ve been really enjoying the Discover Weekly playlist that Spotify curates for me every week.
• TV: I’m finishing up Homeland. It is a really intense show, but I really like it!
• Gaming: Overwatch Season 2 has started so all ranks have reset. Time to work on my new ranking.

Reading:

• I’m trying to pick out my September Kindle First book.

Looking Forward To:

• UTD Terry Pizza Party
• Baby Shower for my cousin on Saturday

Link Love:

• I really enjoyed reading Alissa’s thoughts through one day. I could really relate to some of them.
• I want to try all of these apple recipes. I love fall baking.
• I love the way Tif and Becky styled these LuLaRoe pieces. I really want to try some of those leggings.

Port Aransas Beach Vacation Recap

So a little over two weeks ago, I headed to Port Aransas, TX with my dad, stepmom (Michelle), sisters (Jacquie & Tori) and half brother (William) for a 5 day beach vacation. It was really 3 days because two of the days were spent driving, but it was a total of 5 days away from real life. I wanted to share a brief recap and some of the pictures from the trip. The photos were taken by a mixture of my family.

Pre-Trip:

The day before we left, I went to a morning wedding. It was at 10:30 so I figured I would be home pretty early in the afternoon. Turns out I got home around 3 so I had to speed pack and do laundry, but I managed pretty well and packed pretty lightly (for me). All three of us girls spent the night at my dad’s so we could leave really early in the morning.

I can pack light!

Mouse didn’t want me to leave.

Day 1:

We made a couple stops on the way down to Port Aransas. We left around 5 in the morning so we stopped in Round Rock for donuts. We also stopped in San Antonio because Michelle and William had been at a gender reveal party in Tulsa the day before and flew into San Antonio. We also stopped in Corpus Christi for lunch and to do groceries for the week. By the time we got to the condo on Mustang Island, we were ready to relax.

Day 2:

The morning was spent resting and relaxing. We had lunch at the condo before heading down to the beach for the afternoon. The condo we stayed at had private beach access which was really nice. We got to play in the waves and use the body boards. We also went into town and checked out the candy shop there. I had gummy candy (my favorite) for the rest of the week.

We all wrote are names in the sand.

Being Silly on the Beach

Sisters

Outside the Candy Store

How cute is this gummy penguin?

Day 3:

It looked like it was going to rain in the morning so we actually spent the day in Corpus. We did some shopping in the morning and then went to the USS Lexington . It was really cool to tour the ship. The downside is when I dropped my phone on the metal deck and cracked my screen. The lower half of my touchscreen stopped working and I couldn’t unlock the phone. Thankfully, I have a Pebble watch that I can send texts through.

Day 4:

This was our last day at the beach. We had fun building a sand castle and gathering shells from the beach. A storm came in before we did anything in the water, so we spent the afternoon inside. That evening we did go on a sunset dolphin tour that was a lot of fun. My mom made my sisters and me matching dresses that we wore on the tour.

Our sand castle with a lake

Collecting Shells

On the dolphin tour

I really love this picture of me.

Day 5:

We pretty much just drove all day. I got home in the early evening and got ready for work the next day. I did manage to get my phone unlocked which was really nice.

 

Overall, it was a great end of summer trip. I enjoyed the time with my family an d the relaxation of the beach.

H54F: Kelly Cup Champions

Good Morning and Happy Friday! As always, I am linking up with Katie, Tif & Della for H54F. It has been a busy week, but a fun one.

He’s so cute.

1. Last Friday, Michael got me Overwatch as an early birthday present. I think part of his motivation is that he wanted to play it with me instead of just taking turns on his account. I love the game already. My favorite character: D. Va. My battle.net tag is BekMal#1779 if you want to add me.

   

   I may have helped the two little ones gang up on Riley.

2. Saturday, my Aunt Brigid, Grandma Michelle, cousin Lily and family friend Deb came up for a visit from the Austin area. I got to go swimming with them and my step brothers. It was so much fun! Afterwards, we went to Twisted Root for dinner. So good! They stopped at Magnolia Market on their way up and got me a candle and tote bag for my birthday.
3. Sunday, I got to help in my first preschool class at church. I love my church and I was so excited to get to serve in some way. I loved playing with the kids and watching them learn about Jesus.
4. Thursday, during the day, I went to my second IREM luncheon. It’s always great to meet more people in my industry and the food is pretty good too.

   

   High Spirits During the First Period

5. Last night, I crossed one of the few items off my bucket list. I watched as the Allen Americans (my local ECHL team) won the Kelly Cup. It was an intense game, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is their 4th title in 4 years. They won the President’s Cup two years in a row while in the CHL and now have won the Kelly Cup two years in a row as part of the ECHL. I’ve been to quite a few games this season and in past seasons, but nothing compared to watching last night’s post game ceremony. You can see all the pics and videos on my SnapChat: bekahm21.
   

   

I am pretty excited for everything this next week holds. I am turning 25 next Wednesday, but the celebrations start tonight!