To Michigan and Back: Thinking Out Loud #95

Happy Thursday! It's a hectic week and I'm all thrown off because I'm normally off Thursday and Friday, but I'm working this week. Plus traveling has me confused, basically I have no clue what day or time it is😂Other than that I've got it together...sort of. Anyway let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud. 

1. Thanks to my cousins wedding being on a Friday, I got to celebrate my birthday at home this year. I kicked off the day with a run, but didn't get much celebrating in. Doctors appointments and wedding rehearsal kept me busy but I got plenty of puppy kisses from Cora so I was a happy camper🐶 

2. Even though I wasn't at work for my birthday my coworkers still gave me some love. One of my best friends at the station sent this picture to me of the sign in the stations entryway. I really do work with the best people💜

3. Another reporter at the station is equally as obsessed with dogs as I am. Whenever we go somewhere and spot a cute dog we will snap a picture and send it to one another. I spotted this fluffy pup at my boyfriends softball game. When his owners would cheer he would howl, it was adorable! 

4. I spent tons of time with Cora while I was home. I had to soak in as many puppy kisses as I possibly could while home because I have no clue when the next time I'll be home is (next year, maybe?). Playing with her in the yard and in the lake was so much fun. She's totally crazy, but I love her to pieces. Really who wouldn't love that sweet face?😍

5. It's was POURING in NE when I got back from MI. The rain was nonstop for several days, but at the end of all the rain we were treated to this beautiful rainbow. For awhile it was a double rainbow, but I didn't have my phone with me to grab a picture in time. It was nice to enjoy a peaceful moment and soak in the beauty of a rainbow. It's not too often we see them in the midwest.

6. This is a poem from the book Love Her Wild by Atticus. I'm semi-obsessed with his work. It's all so beautifully written and so relatable, I keep his book by my bedside so I can read one or two every night. My favorite ones are dogeared so I can quickly flip to them. My boyfriend knows I'm in love with Atticus' work so while I was away he snapped this photo from the book while he was at Target and sent it to me. This is one of my favorite ones💜

Have a terrific Thursday and a great weekend🎉🎉🎉

Puppies and More Puppies: Thinking Out Loud #94

Happy Thursday! This week has felt odd working a short week, not feeling good, and then flying home for a wedding tomorrow. Good news is I can soak in plenty of Cora time, bad news is I do miss home which is kind of crazy that I think of Nebraska as home now. I didn't think I would ever think of it as home, but that's exactly what it's become because of the people there and loving my job. Anyway, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud! 

1. I'm spending a few days at home for my beautiful cousins wedding which means I'm soaking in all the Cora time I can get. She pounced on me the second I walked in the door and was super hyper when I took her out to play. I'm just glad she remembered me😂

2. Speaking of cute puppies look at this little fella! His name is Shep, he's only three months old, and is a total lover😍My boyfriend took me to the local humane society to look at pups since I was missing Cora and we came so close to walking out with this guy. We were both convincing each other and talking each other out of it at the same time😂He was the friendliest little fella, it was so hard not to walk away with him. 

3. I flew home yesterday and holy smokes was it rainy! Driving to Omaha in the early morning with the rain made both of us sleepy. While I'm super excited to see my cousin get married to her amazing fiancé, I'm already missing my boyfriend, friends, and my newsroom family. 

4. I am not missing the heat though, holy smokes🔥the past few weeks had been so hot. Working outside was miserable. No one told me Nebraska was so hot and I was definitely not told about the wind. The funny thing is Michigan feels cold compared to the heat I've been dealing with for weeks now. Funny how things change.

5. Banana bread is here! I had gotten quite a few requests to share my banana bread recipe so I finally posted it. It's a simple and quick recipe to make that doesn't take an hour (or more) to bake. My boyfriend and everyone in the newsroom gave it a big stamp of approval. If you make it take a picture, tag me on instagram, and let me know how you like it! 

6. LOVE.LOVE.LOVE. I don't have much else to add to this because it says it all. Like my parents always said love God and love others.

Have a terrific Thursday and a fantastic weekend🎉🎉🎉

Quick and Easy Banana Bread

Happy Monday!! Normally I'm not a fan of Monday's, but between having a great recipe to share and getting to go home in a few days for my cousins wedding it's a good day👌

I haven't baked in quite a long time, but I needed some baking therapy so I whipped out a classic: banana bread. My boyfriend is a massive banana bread fan so I had a very willing taste tester. He along with all the newsroom gave it a big stamp of approval, plus I had a few requests to share the recipe. It's super easy and quick to make, which is always a plus because no one has time for something to bake for an hour or more. If you make it take a picture and tag me on instagram! 

Banana Bread

• 1.5 cups gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup sugar (can add more if you like it sweeter)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup melted vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 3.5 bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan with tin foil or spray with nonstick cook spray.

In a large mixing bowl combine all ingredients.

Pour batter into loaf pan and spread evenly. 

Bake for 35-45 minutes. Every oven is different so I always air on the side of caution and use less time. 

You can tell the loaf is done when you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean. 

Allow the bread to fully cool before slicing. 

Office in the Sky: Thinking Out Loud #93

Happy Thursday! Maybe it's just me, but this has been such a long week. I've had a ridiculous amount of overtime at work and it's been HOT. Same old story I know. It's about to be a crazy hot weekend, but I have a ton of super fun plans so I'm not going to let the heat slow me down🔥Anyway, let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud! 

1. The part I love most about my job is everyday is something different, I don't ever have a typical day at the office. One of the coolest stories I've done was this week about a group offering free flights to kids to get them interested in pursuing careers in aviation. One of the pilots took me up in his private plane, it was like a cessna for any aviation people out there. He flew me around and I got to see a few towns and some farms, the view was just beautiful. I feel so incredibly blessed that I have a job I genuinely love and look forward to going to, even on days where I have a zillion hours of overtime. 

2. Baking therapy is the best. I had a million things to do on my days off last week, but what did I do instead? Bake banana bread🍌It was an awesome stress reliever and I took it into work and it was demolished within a few minutes. I'm going to share the recipe next week because I got a few requests when I shared a pictures on instagram, plus it's super easy to make!

3. Less than a week until I am reunited with my puppy! I'm so excited to see her (and my family), plus I get to see my amazing cousin get married. Her wedding is the entire reason I'm going home. It's a very quick trip since I don't get much vacation time, but I'm excited to have a few days to relax and catch up on puppy snuggles. Cora will be far more interested in playing, but I'll hold her down and make sure to get some snuggles in😂Just kidding!

4. The flowers my amazing boyfriend got me are still looking so beautiful. I smile every single time I walk in the door and see them💜He's so good to me and most definitely a keeper. I'm not a big gifter, but he never fails to surprise me with the sweetest gestures and it blows me away every time. To any single ladies out there, being single is 100% worth the wait. Find a man who loves you enough to show up at 7:30 on a Monday morning with flowers or a note just because he wanted to see you before work. Gifts are not necessary, but he's a true gentleman and everyday he gets better. That's the kind of guy you want. Don't settle for anything less.

5. Holy guacamole! No one prepared me or gave me a warning of what storms are like in the midwest🙆living in Michigan my entire life I thought I was the midwest, but most definitely not. The other day we had some pretty strong storms, which I found fascinating. Watching the storm roll in and seeing how quickly the sky goes from sunny to almost black was really interesting, and mildly frightening. The longer I live out here the more I find myself becoming a weather nerd because you see so many different types of weather out there. Nerd alert, I know. 

6. I love this quote so much💜Working in the field I do I wear a ton of makeup all the time. The first thing I do when I go home is take it all off. I always apologize to my boyfriend and friends for looking like a bum when they see me off work. He threw me by asking me why I do that because he likes me without all the makeup because it's me. He doesn't mind all the makeup of course, but he said he likes when I go zero makeup and rock my crazy, naturally wavy and curly hair. It blew me away because to a degree I've gotten so used to seeing myself with a ton of makeup on that when I take it off I see imperfections and scars. Guess what? Those things don't matter to people who love you. You are beautiful just the way you are. No makeup or hair straighteners needed.

Have a great Thursday and a terrific weekend🎉🎉🎉

Love is in the Air: Thinking Out Loud #92

Happy Thursday! It's been another HOT week in the midwest. I'm pretty tired of these crazy hot temps and the humidity, holy smokes. I thought Michigan was humid, but at 100 degrees humidity it another level😳I'm talking hair frizz for DAYS. Anyway let's jump into this weeks thinking out loud! 

1.This week has been tough with things happening back home with my family and some things happening at work. Bright and early Monday morning I open my front door to find my amazing boyfriend standing there with this stunning arrangement of flowers. I was totally speechless I was not expecting anyone at my door at 7:30 on a Monday, with flowers no less. He's so unbelievably supportive and thoughtful. I'm beyond lucky and blessed to have him in my life. 

2. If you don't follow puppiesmakemehappy on Instagram you totally should. They post a ton of super cute memes about puppies and I relate to basically all of them😂This one made me giggle because it plays off the old song and I'm pretty sure any dog owner can relate. 

3. This fall my brother is getting married in California, so I'm pretty excited to get to spend some time out there. It will definitely be a quick trip since I don't get many days off work, but I'm hoping to sneak down to Newport Beach (aka my happy place) for a few hours. If you have any recommendations for places to eat or things to do in Fallbrook, CA comment and let me know👇

4. This has become my favorite poem of all time💜It's so beautiful and so true. Sometimes the right person will walk into your life when you least expect it and turn your entire world upside down. They will make the world a little brighter, make you laugh a little louder, and wipe your tears when you cry. There's no such thing as a perfect person, but there's a person who's perfect for each of us. You'll know when that person walks into your life. You'll look at them and all the air will be sucked out of your lungs and they'll knock you off balance, but they'll be right there to catch you before you fall. Those are the people you want in your life. 

I know this is a short TOL, but it's been a long week and a nap sounds pretty good right now😴have a great Thursday and a terrific weekend🎉🎉🎉

1. Do you like surprises, why or why not?

2. What is one trait that is super important to you in a relationship?