Puppies and Happiness: Thinking Out Loud #82

Happy Thursday! It's been a heck of a busy week and I think I need more than a weekend to recover. A vacation to Maui would probably do, but that's definitely not in the budget (reporter probs)🌸Anyway, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!

1. Last Thursday was National Puppy Day and it was a fantastic day! My social media feeds were filled with loads of puppies which was such a nice change. Normally my feeds are filled with news, but seeings tons of puppies just made my day. Of course I had to share some pictures of Cora. I miss this goofball more than ever, but my parents send me pictures all the time and I know she's in good hands💜

2. I did a story a few days ago with a group promoting international happiness day. I didn't even know that was a thing, but they had a massive wall with sticky notes where people could write how they share happiness with others. I added a note of my own and of course I said I bake with others😜Ironically I had just brought in brownies to work that morning.

3. I'm still experimenting with waves in my hair. I do love beachy waves, but it just takes so long to do with long hair and time isn't always on my side in news. I'm still trying to figure out what hairspray works best for making my hair stay wavy, if anyone has suggestions for a long lasting hairspray please let me know!

4. A few days ago I did a story of a five year old girl who started her own lip balm business. She, along with a little help from her mom, makes all natural and vegan varieties in a ton of flavors. She was sweet enough to give me one and it's probably the best lip balm I've ever owned. It keeps my lips moisturized for hours, but with other brands I always feel like I have to reapply. They ship them so if you're interested you can check them out here.

5. Getting back into the running groove is a lot harder than I thought it would be. Granted I knew I wouldn't be able to jump back in and just pound out 12 or more miles, but I definitely thought it wouldn't take this long. I'm still doing pretty short mileage, per my doctors orders, but of course it's frustrating. I want to get back out there, train, and run races, but it's definitely difficult to slowly build up. My doctor wants to make sure my meniscus is totally healed so I don't risk the possibility of tearing it again. I'm trying to be grateful and take the small victories as they come, but I'm impatient and want to run😬 

6. Despite the cooler than normal weather I'm craving pressed juicery😍I wish they had locations in the midwest, but sadly they don't. So basically I need to take a trip out to Cali ASAP or just move out there. Pressed is made from all fruits, veggies, and nuts so it's good for you. It's also crazy delicious, definitely try it if you haven't👌

7. Harper Lee is the best💜I've always loved To Kill A Mockingbird, but the more I learn about her the more I love her. She was an incredible lady and this quote is so true. If you've never read anything by her check her out.

Have a great Thursday and a terrific weekend!

What is your favorite book and why?

What is your favorite way to share happiness with others?

Sore Legs and Puppies: Thinking Out Loud #81

Happy Thursday! This week flew by and I'm definitely not complaining😁I finally get a little bit of nice weather to enjoy for my weekend so I'm pretty excited. Another reporter wanted to check out Orangetheory so I'm heading back this morning and I'm looking forward to another butt kicking workout💪Before I babble too much, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud! 

1. I'm slightly obsessed with Orangetheory Fitness now. A coworker and I went and it was so much fun. We were pushing each other the entire time and when our legs were shaking at the end we couldn't stop laughing. I've never been one to work out with another person, but Orangetheory is still independent but has that support aspect. It's really fun and I highly recommend trying it! The only downside is it's expensive to join, but dropping in every once in awhile is a nice change to the usual workout routine.

2. The friend I went to Orangetheory with talked the next day and we were both shocked to not be super sore. I loved that after the hard workout the coach cooled us down really well. He was joking that I'd need to use a scooter at the grocery store because the day before orangetheory was leg day and I went a little harder than normal, which was definitely not my best idea.

3. This may come as a shock, but I did another story with a dog😜I got to meet Katie comfort dog who spent time serving in Parkland Florida after the shooting. Her handlers were all amazing and Katie was a total sweetie. I have so much love and respect for the work that Lutheran Church Charities K9 Comfort Dog team does. The dogs are so well trained and the handlers are all amazing people. I'm so blessed to have a job were I get to meet so many remarkable people. 

4. I've been working on wearing my hair with curls more, but it's just so much work! Any thoughts ladies? And any tips on how to get curls to hold in the mist/rain? 

5. This quote is so true, but can be so hard to do. Sometimes it seems like everything is going wrong for you, but going right for someone else. It's so easy to be envious or jealous of that person because they seem to have it all. Instead of being jealous of that person be happy for them. While it may not seem like the easiest thing to do in the moment, rooting for someone else's successes feels good. Besides, when you're celebrating a victory maybe they'll stand along and cheer for you. But always be good to be people even if they're not good to you. 

Have a terrific Thursday and a fantastic weekend!

What's your favorite way to workout?
What are you looking forward to the most about spring?

OrangeTheory & Llamas: Thinking Out Loud #80

Happy Thursday! Holy smokes it's been a crazy week. I feel like I need a few weeks vacation just to catch my breath from the whirlwind of activity that's happened in the past few days. It's been a ton of fun, but I'm also glad it's the weekend! Anyway, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud. 

1. On Saturday I got to jump into an OrangeTheory Fitness class for work. I gave a first hand account of what I thought of the class after testing it out. I can honestly say it was a BLAST! If you're competitive and want to push yourself, orangetheory is definitely for you! Even though the instructors say it's not meant to be competitive when your heart rate is on the screen and you see everyone else's up there too you're going to push yourself harder. You get one class free so it's worth checking out. I'm going back this morning with a coworker and I'm super pumped about it💪

2. I got to hangout with this cutie yesterday afternoon. She's a comfort dog with lutheran church charities and she goes into the local police department one day a week to visit with officers and victims. She was the calmest dog I ever met, plus she's a total sweetheart. Dogs just make everything better💜

3. I got several questions about where I got my workout clothes from when I posted this picture in my instagram stories. My leggings and shirt are from Carrie Underwood's Calia line at Dick's Sporting Goods and my shoes are Nike. As far as I know the leggings are not made anymore in that print because it was a limited edition print. All of her line is really fantastic workout wear, it is pricey, but it's good quality.

4. One of my stories this past week I was doing a live shot and kept getting stared down by a llama. His name is Bob and all I could think about was the children's book series Llama Llama. I can still recite all the words to llama llama red pajama from reading it so many times to a little boy I used to babysit for🙈 

5. The struggle is so real! Leg day was two days ago and I still feel like I'm dying. I just might die at orangetheory today🙆I had to climb a zillion flights of stairs at the state capitol hours after my lift and I thought I was going to cry...anyone else feel the leg day pain?!

6. This week I've really been trying to embrace being brave. There's been a lot going on both personally and professionally and I'm trying to tackle it all head on. I don't want to miss out on any amazing opportunities, but I'm also the type to leap before I look. I love a good adventure and there's some really exciting stuff coming up that hopefully I can share with you guys sooner rather than later! Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone. It's in the moments where I have stepped out that I've learned and grown the most.

Have a terrific Thursday, a great weekend, and a very safe St. Patrick's Day🍀🎉🍀

What's your favorite workout? 

Do you do anything fun for St. Patrick's day?

Puppies, What Else Is New: Thinking Out Loud #79

Happy Thursday! It has been such a good week. The weather has been all over the place, it was sunny and 71F one day and then snow and 50 mph winds the next. I'll never figure this place out, but despite the wacky weather this week has been a lot of fun! Being a news reporter keeps life interesting because every day is something different. There was a LOT of puppies this week which is always makes for an amazing day! Anyway, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud!

1. Hands down my favorite part of the week was going to a dog yoga class. Nothing beats puppies and yoga and then combine the two = HEAVEN😍The class was a fundraiser for a local dog rescue. This little puppies mama was going to be put down at a shelter in Kansas due to overcrowding even though she was pregnant. The dog rescue from Nebraska drove down, saved her and she had her puppies. The pups are only eight weeks old so they're still too young to be adopted away from their mama, but the rescue was looking for homes for them. This little fella was so scared I coaxed him out of the crate and he just plopped down in my lap and we snuggled for awhile. I wanted to take him home because he was the sweetest tempered dog...actually I wanted to take all the puppies home, but my landlord would probably have a heart attack with seven pups running around. I have some more pictures of the adorable pups on my instagram if you want to check them out!

2. Today is a very special day because it's my big brother's birthday!! Even though I can't celebrate with him because he's out in sunny SoCal (and I'm stuck in snow) I still want to wish him a very happy birthday! He's always been a terrific brother and while we don't get to see each other much anymore living in different states he's still pretty ok😜Happy Birthday bro!!

3. One of my coworkers has been bugging me to make the brownie cookies I shared back in November. They're so easy to make and they're always a big hit when I bring them to work. Besides, nothing brings a little cheer to the office more than some goodies!

4. I love small businesses. One of my friends works way out in the middle of nowhere Nebraska. She told me about a great little boutique that has really cute clothes so I looked them up online. SO MANY CUTE CLOTHES! They have tons of deals too, plus when the dress I ordered arrived they included a hand written postcard! No big businesses will do that. The store is called the 308 boutique, if you're in need of a cute outfit check them out! Plus they ship seriously fast. I got my order in two days, that's amazon prime speed folks!

5. Something else I'm loving recently is ThredUp. I hate going to the mall to shop, but working in TV I need a variety of clothes to wear because I can't wear the same thing everyday. I'm a bargain hunter too so I decided to try it out. I ordered two shirts that were brand new with tags on them and they were so cute. This top (it's a pale pink not orange) got so many compliments. I wore it hoping to channel some spring vibes, but if you don't want to spend a ton check it out. I'm not really into the whole second hand thing (germophobe problems even though I know everything is cleaned), they have a TON of clothes that still have the tags on it!

6. Did anyone else participate in the Lemons for Leukemia challenge? One of the reporters brought it up to all of us in the newsroom and we all jumped on the challenge. We took photos and videos of us doing the challenge and even shared viewer photos. It was all to raise awareness about the need for bone marrow donors and a world record was set for the most people signing up to be donors in 24 hours. One of my coworkers and I both love lemons so we were all about the challenge and happy to step up for a good cause.

7. I love this quote! I think it's so easy to compare ourselves to others, especially with social media. Love yourself for who you are and everything you can do. Embrace your flaws because those are what make you YOU. Incase you haven't been told who you are is pretty dang amazing!

Have a terrific Thursday and a great weekend🎉🎉🎉
What is one thing you're looking forward to about the weekend?

How do you celebrate birthdays?

Margs, Naps, & Puppies: Thinking Out Loud #78

Happy Thursday!! It's been another insanely busy week for me so I'm glad it's my weekend so I can take some time to unwind. There was a lot of puppies this week at work, which I'm more than ok with😁There was also a few days of glorious weather that have me itching for spring🌷 Anyway Let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud so you can see the cute puppies for yourself!

1. PUPPIES! I had probably one of my best days at work EVER this week. For one of my stories I got to go to a dog show. It was a giant fundraiser for a local organization that raises therapy and leader dogs for people in need. They had a playpen set up with some of the puppies that were in training and I was literally in heaven😍one of my coworkers texted and asked if I was going to come back and I said no😂there was also tons of rescue organization there with dogs for adoption, I wanted to take them all home, but I'm pretty sure my landlord might have a tiny problem with that...

2. This sweet girl had a major sniff fest when I came home from the dog show. I don't think she was too happy I smelled like a bazillion other dogs. but I'm pretty sure she forgave me. Nothing beats coming home and having this sweet pup wait for me. Maybe her owners won't notice if I steal her😬

3. Last Thursday was national margarita day so a few friends and I hit up a local Mexican restaurant. I love a good margarita from time to time, but holy cow it was so strong! I've never had one so strong, so I kept it to one and downed a lot of water. It was nice to just have a chill evening hanging out with friends because in the news business getting everyone's schedules to match up can be near impossible.

4. Speaking of Mexican food, I had to go out to the middle of nowhere Nebraska for a story. I was starving. I could not wait any longer to eat and the options were slim. I took a chance on a tiny Mexican restaurant and it was so good! I got carry out because I was in a rush and no joke my food was ready in less than five minutes. Let alone their refried beans were homemade and so good! If only this place wasn't so far away I would definitely be hitting it up more often.

5. Anyone else wish there was naptime at work?🙋After working over 12 hours on Saturday I was dead on Sunday. It was a pretty slow news day too which made it way worse. I'd rather be busy because then the day flies by, but when it's slow the day just drags on and doesn't help the exhaustion. Now if naptime was a thing at work, I'd be 100% ok with that.

6. I love historic churches. There's something so timeless about their beauty. There's a ton of old churches in Nebraska so it's kind of like a treasure hunt when I stumble upon a new one. Now I sound like a total nerd, but I swear old churches are beautiful and are definitely under appreciated. 

7. Starting over can be SO scary, but if I've learned anything in this crazy career of mine, it's that starting over is amazing. It provides an opportunity for growth and change. If I hadn't started over in a new city and a new state where I didn't know a single person I wouldn't be the person I am now. I would be missing out on some of the most amazing friendships I've ever had. Yes, starting over is scary, but it can be incredibly rewarding. 

Have a terrific Thursday and a great weekend everyone🎉🎉🎉

Have you ever started completely over? Would you ever want to start over?

If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be and why?