It's my birthday! 28 things to do while I'm 28

Today is my 28th birthday, so happy birthday to me and happy Labor Day to all of you! Random tidbit about Kristin: I was actually born on Labor Day in 1984 - how appropriate, right? I guess my Mom took the day literally, ha! It's a pretty sweet day to be born because 1) I always get a day off on or around my birthday and 2) college football returns the week of my birthday every year. Pretty darn lucky.

It's hard to think that I have been an "adult" for 10 years now. Where has the time gone? Do you ever feel like time is spinning out of control? I do. Most of the time, I'm okay with it, but sometimes I'm like GEEZ, when did I enter my late 20s - better yet, when did I enter my 20s?? Since when am I a working adult and I'm not in college? Since when could I drive a car unsupervised? (okay, to be honest, I can't remember what it's like to not be able to drive wherever I wanted. But you get the idea). But here I am: I went to bed last night at 27, and woke up at 28. Time marches on, so we have to enjoy each and every day!

Anyway, carrying on...I thought that a great way to kick off the year of 28 would be to set 28 goals - or "to-do's" if you will - of things I'd like to check off this next year. I'm a list maker and often find myself scribbling things on my To-Do list  just to cross them off (i.e., Oh I already washed that load of towels? Allow me to write it down and immediately mark through it). So here is my list, loosely organized in seasonal order starting in September: 

1. Go apple picking for the first time ever
2. Start baking for fun on a regular basis again  - and share with my neighbors and work peeps
3. Discover a new TV show that Alex and I both love
4. Send at least one "just because" snail mail note per month
5. Make my goal weight in time for my reunion (it's in 8 weeks, people!!) ...and maintain it
6. Have a great time at my 10 Year High School Reunion :)
7. Start planning and saving for a big vacation with Alex (we're thinking Italy in 2013!)
8. Go on a weekend getaway to a place we've never been
9. Start and finish our engagement and wedding showers/parties/bach party/etc scrapbook
10. Send out more Christmas cards than last year
11. Create a Household Budget and stick to it
12. Plan a surprise party for someone
13. Update my Passport with my married name - and then USE IT!
14. Paint the Study and attach the bookcases to the wall (safety first)
15. Have a Pinterest Party
16. Plant bulbs in the winter and watch them bloom in spring
17. Host more than one dinner party throughout the year
18. Get rid of one piece of clothing for every one new piece purchased
19. Use our wedding china
20. Organize the Golf/Work-out room and make it more usable 
21. Run a 5K (scary - I hate running)
22. Get serious about our savings
23. Host a big, old-fashioned summer cook-out
24. Learn how to play golf
25. Attend a dressy/fancy event with the hubs and get all gussied up
26. Have a true girls' weekend
27. Build regularly scheduled massages into the budget (it's for my health, I swear. I SWEAR.)
28. Be more spontaneous and try not to sweat the small stuff. Life is too short!

And with that, I begin my next year! (Actually, getting technical here, my next year begins at 8:31pm). I have had a terrific weekend in Florida celebrating with my favorite people for the last 3 days. We just rolled in from our 7-hour road trip. Tonight, Alex and I are going to lay low, eat some pizza, watch a little Bachelor Pad and play with the pups. I wouldn't have it any other way! Feeling incredibly blessed! 

Just a little snapshot of my fur babies today while we're on the road. They're great passengers and are content to be amidst all the junk in the trunk. Penny especially likes to scale the mountain of crap in the rear (haha). Anyhoo, although they really are my children, my REAL future babies (one day) will have slightly more legit child restraints, promise. Although I'm sure it will be tempting to put a screaming toddler in the back on top of the Vera Bradley rather than directly behind my head. But that's a worry for another day!

Happy Friday, lovelies!

Friday's Letters

Dear Lesley: I can't wait to see you and your baby bump this weekend. It makes me a little sad that this will be the last time I will see you before you are a MOM! Life is changing and it's so exciting! Dear Lindsey: I can't wait to see your new place and meet your new roomies! Dear Mom: I can't believe you slipped and broke your arm this week. Poor Mommy. As someone who has broken both arms, I definitely feel your pain. Dear husband: You are thisclose to what you want and I couldn't be prouder of you. Dear Gainesville: I'm coming home! Dear Penny and Ellie: please be good little passengers on the trip this weekend and please behave yourselves at Aunt Lesley's. Dear birthday: thanks for coming around again on Monday - while I'm thankful you're here (it beats the alternative), can we stop counting after next year? Dear Lord: thank you for loving me, for forgiving me, and for blessing me far beyond what I deserve. God is so good.

When I was little, I dreamed about the man I would marry. I pictured a handsome guy who opened doors for me, took me out on nice dates, and loved me unconditionally. I also pictured a Gator fan. Well, 4 out of 5 ain't bad I guess.

Yes, I am a die-hard Gator girl: I grew up in Florida cheering for my Gators, and it was only natural that I chose UF for college. I loved it so much I went back for grad school. And then I met a South Carolina graduate who is as much a Gamecock as I am a Gator, and I had to go and fall in love and everything. Sigh. What's the worst that could happen when two worlds collide, right?

Since both our teams play in the SEC, it's inevitable that our teams will play once a year. And on that Saturday each year, we don't speak. Just kidding, sort of - the truth is, we usually sit across the stadium from each other (for realz) or we do something totally random, like the year we went to the movies during the game instead.

giving each other a hard time last year at the game in Columbia

Overall, we have come to appreciate and respect each other, and we just thank the Lord that the other is not a Florida State Seminole or Clemson Tiger (not hatin', just sayin'!). Therefore, Penny has both a Gator and a Gamecock cheerleading uniform to don while watching games, and I'm sure Ellie will acquire some sort of equal-opportunity game day bandana or collar before long. We try to go to at least one Florida and one USC home game each year. And we really do cheer for each other's team (except for that one Saturday every year).

tiny Gator princess

And starting tonight...it's College Football season, y'all! I get pretty into into it, not gonna lie. 

in a nutshell...

New for our house this year is a fancy-dancy dual-team wreath for our front door. I really struggled with what to do about the team pride situation. Have 2 wreaths and swap out every few days during football season? Stay totally neutral? Fly two mini flags out front to announce our allegiance? Then I perused Etsy and got the idea for this House Divided wreath and went to town. 

team spirit!

Now our neighbors will have no doubt who we cheer for in this house. They might be confused as to how this partnership ever came to be; alas, I love my Carolina boy and he loves his Florida girl. It might not be a match made in college football heaven, but we live happily in our house divided.

It's OK Thursday

It's that time again! It's OK...

• that I have almost completely fallen off the calorie counting train this week. Correction: I have been counting calories but not watching what I eat, like at all...
• to look forward to Mondays because that's when Bachelor Pad comes on
• that I want to order my new Erin Condren planner NOW but that means I wouldn't use my current EC planner for the rest of the year, which makes no sense
• that I want to act like I'm 21 again while in Gainesville this weekend, but am scared to death I will look like one of those "old people" we used to comment about when I was in college...you know, the ones who wear orange and blue non-stop all weekend and try to hang with the college kids
• to buy bananas for the sole purpose of letting them get realllllly ripe so you can make banana bread. And chocolate-banana bread. 
• to look forward to "sleeping in" tomorrow morning until 8:30am (today is my Friday, holla!) before hitting the road for Florida
• that college football starts TONIGHT and although I'm pumped, I know life is about to get crazy and I won't have a chill Saturday for the next 3 months

Have a fantastic Thursday, peeps!

Friday's Letters

I'm on a roll...here's another link-up: Friday's Letters from Adventures of Newlyweds!

Dear friends: I'm excited for a fun weekend at the lake and making memories. I hope we wear enough sunscreen and don't drink toooo much wine! Dear husband: I love you and I am so proud of you for all the effort you are putting forth right now for your career. It is all going to pay off! Dear Ellie: I know you are technically still a puppy and all but must you slam into me at 35 MPH while I am sitting and relaxing on the couch? Dear office building: WHY do you freeze me out? Yes, it's August and hot outside but that doesn't mean it has to be slightly above freezing inside. Dear 28: I see you - you are creeping up on me and are about to pounce. I will make the most of my last 10 days as a 27-year-old! Dear college football: I love you and I can't wait to spend my Saturdays with you starting in just 8 days. It's been too long, my friend.

Happy Friday! 

It's OK Thursday!

I LOVE the "It's OK" section in Glamour Magazine, and Neely at A Complete Waste of Makeup has a link-up every Thursday. Today's a great day to begin!

So here we go. It's okay...

• that I want to get my Fall decorations out of my attic and it's August 23
• that I have already planned out my front door wreath rotation through the end of the year
• to be REALLY FRUSTRATED that school has started back and the traffic is nutso, adding 10 minutes onto my morning commute. Kids don't need edumacation, right?!
• to save some of my precious calories (via my calorie counter on my iPhone) for a glass of vino at the end of the day instead of more food
• that I really want to find a cute new orange and/or blue dress to wear to the Florida game next weekend, even though I already own several and this is probably the only game I will attend this year
• to feel like I am behind on my Christmas shopping and we have 4 months to go
• to want to blow my diet on consuming an entire Papa Johns cheese pizza. By myself. In one sitting. (So far, I have resisted. Go me.)

 Have a wonderful Thursday (tomorrow's Friday!)