Spark and the ICU

Just wrapped up my LAST clinical of the semester and I am thrilled! Being in the ICU was an awesome experience.  I'm fairly certain that I want to be an ICU nurse after my experiences there, though I'm keeping my options open until I've gone through Pediatrics (still thinking I'd love the NICU too!) and Maternal/OB.  Just a few of the things I saw/did during this rotation: someone's eyeball popped out, patients crashing/coding, ventilator patients, female circumcision, and limb amputation.  Crazy, right? I loved every second!

Now that I'm home from what I hope will be my last night shift ever for a while, I'm going to nap hard before B and I head to Austin for Thanksgiving.  We'll be packing up the pups and spending a few days in my parents' house which is currently under renovations. Cross your fingers that the crew is hard at work putting in baseboards and a toilet today! Otherwise, B and I will each be on a couch and we'll be using my parents' master bathroom for all our necessary business. 

PLEASE let us have more than one toilet in the house!

Before I slip away to La La Land, I am giving away a FREE box of Spark!  Yup, a whole box of Spark, in whatever flavor the winner wants.  All you have to do is join up with Sami and I for our Holiday Clean Up AdvoCare 10 Day Cleanse!  Your entry for the giveaway is your purchase of the Herbal Cleanse. When you buy from me, I'll automatically have your name put in the drawing.  Purchase by Monday, December 2nd to be eligible.  Winner will be announced Tuesday! If you buy a whole 24 Day Challenge then I'll have to come up with an even better giveaway - maybe Spark and some Slam? We'll see!

Sami and I will be starting the cleanse on Monday, but you can always start a day or two late and just follow along. Use #HolidayCleanUp to join in on the fun!

Happy Pre-Turkey Day! Get your sweatpants ready!

xoxo,

Cait 

PS - The giveaway for $40 cash is still going on at JustJacq. There are just over 100 entries which means you've got a great chance at winning it just in time to spend it on some cute holiday accessories!

I did it! And some other exciting news!

First, I have to say THANK YOU for the love and the kind words of support this weekend when I ran my first half marathon! I plan on writing a full recap later this week but I cannot say enough about how much it meant to me to see your messages, your texts, your "likes" and the support on the blog, Facebook and IG.  I never would have had the balls to attempt this if it weren't for the blogging community that helped me believe I could do this.

I have never been happier or colder!

This week is going to be a busy one for me, just like it will be for many of you.  It started with the half marathon, continued on Sunday with a family dinner to celebrate my birthday, and now I'm about to get ready for the first of two consecutive night shifts before we head to Austin on Thursday for Thanksgiving.

To say I'm worried about slacking off now that my BIG GOAL is over and done with combined with the holidays and holiday drinking that is right around the corner would be an underestimate.  I just work better and feel more balanced when I have something I am working towards.  I haven't pinned down the next race or event yet so instead I'm focusing on my diet.  I love enjoying the holidays, which means feasting and drinking to my heart's content with my friends and family. But just on the holiday.  Not for the four weeks between holidays, Cait!

To combat the holiday weight gain, Sami and I are hosting another round of the AdvoCare 10 Day Cleanse.  We'll be starting it on Monday, December 2nd so you still have plenty of time to order! (Order by Wednesday with 2 day shipping and it should arrive Saturday.  I've found that 2 day shipping, for whatever reason, is usually only $1 more than regular with AdvoCare!)  I'll be posting a shopping list and some meal plans over the weekend so you can plan accordingly. On instagram, tag all things cleanse related with #holidaycleanup so we can all see what each other is doing to be successful!

If you're interested in doing the entire 24 Day Challenge, you would finish that on Christmas Day (or a day early, if you'd like!).  The 24 Day Challenge starts with the 10 Day Cleanse which means there is always time to decide that later.

Basics for the 10 Day Cleanse:
- Comes in Citrus or Peaches and Cream
- Drink the fiber shake the first 3 mornings and the last 3 mornings
- Take the Probiotic Pills on mornings 4-10
- Take the Herbal Cleanse Pills at bedtime for days 1-7
- Cut out alcohol, soda, creamy sauces, sugar, candy, fried foods, processed foods, white flour, and partially hydrogenated oils (personally, I cut out all daily and gluten since it just agrees more with my system!)

The cleanse is NOT a starvation diet or a crazy juicing plan.  You eat real food! Just not crap food!  I always work out on the cleanse and I'm typically eating more food than I usually do, just making better choices about that food.

I'd love to answer any questions or concerns you have about the cleanse! Leave me a comment or shoot me an email: yfgblog@gmail.com.

Hope you'll join us for the cleanse! Time to clean up our holidays, ladies!

xoxo,

Cait

PS - I'm part of a CASH giveaway over at Just Jacq! Enter below or on her post. Ends Nov. 30th!

$40 Paypal cash straight to you! 

 

To enter, simply enter through Rafflecopter. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today is the day!

Well friends, I'm heading to Shiner for my first half marathon! 

AAAAAHHHHHH! 

It's a blustery 46* currently and drizzling. I'm dressed in layers and have what I hope are all the essentials: handheld water bottle, gu, spark, music, garmin, headband for my ears and fingerless gloves. 

Feel free to stay in touch with me throughout the day through IG (@cregan85) and twitter (@yfgblog). IRL friends, I'd love some encouragement texts ;)

See you on the other side!

Xoxo,

Cait

So what Wednesday

Halfway through the week, people! We can do this! Lot's going on so I'm linking up with the lovely and hilarious Shannon.

This week I'm saying So What if....

- I've driven to Starbucks for coffee twice this week in my pjs, no bra, teeth not brushed. Early mornings call for desperate measures! It was drive-thru and I went straight home to work on studying (Monday) and an online test (today).

- every time I hear that Ariana Grande's song "The Way" I think it's mid-ninties Mariah Carey.  Tell me you don't think the same thing?? (I can't figure out how to put a song in the post and I'm running late, but just google it!)

- I spent valuable study time on Monday evening spending time with this adorable little man.  It's my version of YOLO.  I will not remember the grade I got on one test but I will remember the time spent with this sweet boy and my wonderful friend.

- after swearing off the Reese's from Halloween they devils showed up at babysitting last night. Chocolate and peanut butter was good enough but dark chocolate and peanut butter? Let's just say thank goodness the bag hadn't been open yet.

- I just said I was taking a break from gift exchanges. This ornament swap (last day to sign up!) is calling my name!

- I still want to wear UGGs even though most people think they're UGGly in addition to the recent accusations the company is under regarding their practices.  I probably won't purchase additional pairs but I can see the value in throwing away shoes that I like, there are expensive, and that are so comfortable.  Read Jesi's post for more info.  And oh yeah, UGG tweeted us so we're basically famous.

Running late! Any other good exchanges going on for the holiday season?

xoxo,

Cait

teeth whitening and booty lifting

Didn't think those two things went together, didya?

Well they do because they are both things I need your advice on.

I have noticed that there is a direct correlation between the amount of studying I do and the color of my teeth.  Don't get me wrong - I have very good teeth hygiene.  My momma paid waaay too much money for orthodontia for me to neglect my toofers.  But, I drink a lot of coffee and the occasional soda. Especially with these dang night shifts I keep getting assigned.  And, OH YEAH, I'm getting married in less than 4 months and these pictures will be with us forever! Not to mention they are costing a pretty penny. 

Not my mouth, but I wouldn't mind those results!

So I figure if I'm putting all these effort into eating mostly healthy and working out fairly regularly, then I should also put some effort into my teeth.

Tell me! What methods do you use for whitening your teeth?  I'm open to any and all suggestions, from the pinterest-inspired home concoctions to a kit to an in-office sesh.  However, my bank account suggests that I should start on the inexpensive side of the process. The way I see it if I start now which something that is inexpensive and may or may not work, then I have plenty of time to figure out how well it works and then resort to something expensive but immediate closer to the date, assuming my results aren't quite where I'd like them.

So hit me with your best shot! (fiiiire away... gotta love Pat Benatar!)

If you can give me something to do, I'll even post some progress pics along the way.  I know you guys love to see a #transformationTuesday and let's be real, everyone loves to see someone's before because it makes you feel better about yourself. 

Now what's this about booty lifting??

Well, it has been pointed out to me rather rudely might I add by my adoring fiancé that my butt isn't quite what it used to be.  I'm lucky that B is an ass-man and he would prefer it err on the side of Kardashian rather than Moss. However, I want a tiny, perky, lifted booty.  Tiny being the key word.  Since working out and losing some weight, my butt has shrank. But now I'm feeling a little Miley-esque and ain't no body got time for that.

For reference, here is the range:

Too big, too flat, and just right: Goldilocks and the quest for the perfect ass

Has anyone out there tried one of those 30-Day Squat challenges... and seen actual results?  Or are there some targeted moves I can do? I love my Pure Barre workouts and they are helping, but not fast enough for me.  When I search this I get crazy results so I want to hear from real people! 

Alright, let me hear about your teeth and booty tricks!

xoxo,

Cait

Fall Cara Box reveal

You know it's a good Cara Box when you've used most of the items before even photographing them like a good blogger.  

My Cara Box partners were Lisa at Something Infinitely Interesting and Angie at My So-Called Chaos.  Check out what I sent Angie! Both were wonderful partners. This is my second experience with Cara Box and I would recommend it to everyone. You meet some amazing ladies out there! I love picking out gifts for someone, but seeing as my time and money are limited these days, I'll probably sit the next round of Cara Box out. If you're interested, head over to Kaitlyn's blog and check it out along with her sweet new baby girl!

Like I said, this Cara Box was wonderful! The theme was Best of Fall and I got my box a few weeks ago and immediately used so many items that I had to search around my house (and car!) to find everything for this post! 

Febreze Falling Leaves candle

This candle was the first thing to be put to use and as you can tell, it's almost gone! It smells just like fall but is very subtle. I love to have candles lit around the house but only if the aroma isn't in your face.  Lisa, this is amazing! I need to go out and buy more so I won't be without it when it finally dies out.

How adorable are these little fall themed window adhesives?  If I was still teaching, these would have gone up in my classroom immediately. Instead they found a home on my dry erase calendar in my "office" i.e. the dining room. I love them!

And here are the rest of the Fall-themed goodies:

C9 by Champion Hair Elastics (pack of 3)

Fall "Welcome" sign

highlighters for my nursing studies

adorable wooden flower-topped pencil

"Let's Bake" notepad

floral infinity scarf

fall tea sampler

Aubergine nail polish

tall socks (2 pair) 

These hair elastics are pretty fantastic. I'm a little skeptical of hair bands because I have pretty fine hair that gets oily quick which means most hair elastics easily slip right out with any level of working out. But I'm happy to report that these have stayed put through multiple barre classes and a 5-miler.  Plus they come in cute colors!  

I've yet to use the polish (other than testing it out on one nail) but I've already planned to take it home with me over Thanksgiving. Every time I'm in town, my mom treats me to a mani/pedi so you better believe I'll be using this polish!

These socks are perfect for wearing under boots. Am I the only one who wears tall socks on top of my skinny jeans to make it easy to slip into tall boots? Cause these are perfect for that. And they're cute! My only other pair of tall socks is on its last leg seeing as I've worn them to death the last two winters. Hopefully the weather will cool back down soon so I can actually wear my boots and when it does, I plan to accessorize with this scarf. The picture doesn't really do it justice. Half of the infinity scarf is floral and the other half is this great black and white gauze-like material. Cute and versatile!

Have you ever participated in Cara Box? In another exchange? Tell me about it! And make sure to visit the other ladies!

xoxo,

Cait

outfit twins and an award!

Left: Audrey | Right: dress: Banana Republic, cardigan: LOFT, belt: J. Crew, flats: Aldo

If you didn't see this on my IG last night, I unintentionally dressed very similarly to one of my favorite bloggers yesterday!  If you're not reading Putting Me Together then you are seriously missing out. I had on this outfit all day before sitting down to study read my bloglovin list and came across Audrey in a similar outfit! I already liked my outfit but this sealed the deal. And I'll probably definitely be repeating it with boots once the weather here finally cools off.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who snaps pictures of myself in outfits to see how it looks, even when I have no intention of posting it anywhere!

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Sam at Sam Ispa Loquitur finally answered my Sunshine Award questions! Thanks girl! I love her style and she's doing a really fun challenge right now called take one, pass one. Basically, she is taking one item from her outfit each day and using it again in the next day for a completely new outfit. Much like Audrey, Sam is big into remixing pieces and wearing them in unconventional ways. Plus, her red hair is amazing!

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My girl Jesi nominated me for the Versatile Blogger Award!  THANK YOU! Jesi and I met way back in college when she was roommates with my good friend, Alex, from high school. I went to visit Alex in Chicago and met Jesi. Fast forward a few years, and we were both placed in Houston with Teach for America without realizing it.  Though we weren't too close at the time, the wonders of social media have kept us in touch and now she is blogging!

VBA rules state that I should share 7 interesting facts about myself and introduce you all to some lovely blogs.  Pretty sure I did that with these three ladies (Audrey, Sam, & Jesi)!

7 Interesting Tibdits
1) I know it's crazy to have more dogs than people, but I desperately want B to buy me a Frenchie.  A little boy pup would be perfect with our girls!

Harley, our English Bulldog, and Milli, our Boston Terrier.

2) Despite living in Houston, I love love love winter coats. I've probably got 4 nice ones and I asked for this one for my birthday.  Which means I could wear each one approximately once per winter here.
You can save 30% using code BIGSALE on that coat, this shirt, this fabulous skirt and more through Nov. 15th.   Free shipping with any order overs $75!

3) My dream vacation would be to go skiing. Last time I went was well over 10 years ago.

4) I love the snow but hated living in it.

5) Washing dishes is oddly soothing for me. But I will gladly do any chores to get out of cleaning the floors. Vacuuming, mopping, sweeping? Nothankyou.

6) I played the piano for 7 years when I was younger and wish I had never stopped.

7) At least once a week I have to drive home after leaving my neighborhood to make sure I actually closed the garage. Pretty sure this qualifies as OCD but it's the only behavior like that I exhibit so I just deal with it.

Tell me an interesting fact about you!

xoxo,

Cait

SEVEN!

I posted this picture on IG last night and was pretty tickled with my caption.  If you need a refresher, watch this clip here.  And if you still don't get it, where were you during those 10 glorious years?

I'm pretty sure my face has looked like this all evening.  #sorrynotsorry

But seriously, SEVEN? The most I had run previously was 5 miles.  And the last time I ran was over a week ago.  So to say I'm on cloud nine or a runner's high or just damned pleased with myself is an understatement.  Because honestly, I was getting a little scurred about the upcoming half marathon as my training has been grossly offtrack derailed. Get it? Trains, track, rails? I crack myself up! I really think I could have gone 8 miles, but I had to shower and get to babysitting.  My goal is to run 8-9 sometime midweek and then 10 next weekend. If I can go those runs done, then I don't think I'll embarrass myself too poorly at the Shiner Beer Run.  And if I do, at least Meg and Kristen will be there to drink some celebratory beers with! Anyone else planning on running? Shoot me an email so we can meet up!

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1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory?

My birthday always falls near (or on) Thanksgiving, so I have loved this holiday for as long as I can remember.  As a child, I loved it for the obvious birthday reasons - cake, presents, a party.  But as an adult, I love it because the holiday is about taking time out of our busy lives to be grateful, spend time with loved ones, and enjoy delicious food.  No other pretenses, no gifts, just quality time with friends and family.

2. What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Pumpkin pie, hands down. With Cool Whip, none of that ReadiWhip bs. I also request it for my birthday cake.  See #1.

 

3. What is a Thanksgiving tradition you and your family have?

Is it considered a tradition to shuffle between your mom's and dad's houses because they're divorced? If so, that's my tradition. 

I went back and reread this.  It comes across as jaded, but that's not how I meant it. I love having a large family and cherish being able to spend time with both sides.  My family is much happier being divorced and having since remarried. But we really just don't have any traditions other than celebrating Thanksgiving meal twice.

4. Show us a favorite Thanksgiving picture (or 5) from years past.

Turns out, we don't take pictures at Thanksgiving.  But we do snap pictures of huge wine bottles in Costco while shopping for Thanksgiving dinner.  Looking good, Mom!

5. What are you most looking forward to about this Thanksgiving?

The obvious - spending quality time with my family in Austin while on break from nursing school.  This also may be the first year that B spends the holiday with my family!

Hope y'all have enjoyed your weekend. Tell me about what you did!

xoxo,

Cait

this is getting out of control

Guys, I need an intervention. I have a growing obsession with animal sweaters

No, not sweaters for animals. Though I do have a sweet spot for animals in clothing.

Sweaters that have animals on them.

Top: fox sweatshirt // french bulldog sweater // owl sweater // squirrel tee

Bottom: fox tee // dog sweater // fox sweater // deer tee

Right now you can use code ONSAVENOW at oldnavy.com to save 15% on your entire purchase (options 1 & 4-8). Ends 11/7 (TONIGHT!).  The fox sweater is mostly sold out online but you might have better luck finding it in your local store. I scored the last one at my store which was a L and it is perfectly slouchy for leggings and boots!  Old Navy also offers free shipping for any orders over $50.

Piperlime (option 3) is offering 25% off some winter attire with code WINTER. I'm not sure if that sweater qualifies. And even though I didn't show any Gap options, they are offering 30% off everything in stores and online with code GAPFRIENDS through 11/11. No restrictions. If you've been eying camo pants like me, now is the time to get them!

Are you feeling the animal sweater trend? How would you style it?

xoxo, 

Cait

project procrastination

I have a final tomorrow and am burnt out but nowhere near done studying, so what's a blogger to do? Make some coffee and blog until her focus returns!  Thankfully, Ashley and Neely put out some great questions for this week's Sunday Social and it doesn't require too much of my precious and limited brainpower.

1. What is currently on your wishlist?

What perfect timing! My birthday is later this month and then Christmas is around the corner.  I sent my mom my annual Wish List today so I'll just give you the highlights here.

Frenchie sweater // cookbook // leopard flats // socks // giftcards // vest // watch

Please note: no one I know can afford those actual shoes. But a girl can dream!

 

2. Share a new app you've recently discovered that we all need.

TimerCam and Men's Wearhouse Group Manager are pretty sweet little apps. And free!  Granted, you only need that second one if you're planning an event with suit rentals required. But I love that I can check in on which groomsmen have yet to get fitted and then email them reminders straight from my phone. Helps keep this bride's sanity in check. 

3. What is a new fall TV show that you've added to your DVR?

Well, B has taken over the DVR (despite resisting it in the first place) so I mostly watch shows on my iPad.  Speaking of apps, if you don't have the ABC, NBC and CBS apps then I'm pretty sure you're not iPadding right. I am loving Trophy Wife.  I have loved Malin Ackermann since 27 Dresses and I want to be Diane when I grow up.

4. Share your social media links so we can follow you!

instagram: @cregan85 (my fav)

twitter: @yfgblog

Bloglovin'

Pinterest

5. What is a TV show, movie or song that you could watch or listen to over and over and never get tired?

Could this be anymore obvious?*  Didn't we all spend our formative years (and hungover college days) watching Friends and SATC reruns nonstop?

*If you didn't get that Chandler reference then how are we friends??

Alright, back to studying.  This girls needs to learn a whole lot about the liver before 9am.

xoxo,

Cait

day late and a dollar short

Does anyone else's grandmother say that?  My grandmother is full of little sayings like that and I find myself repeating them more and more these days. So in sticking with that, here are my 5 for Friday... on a Saturday.  Enjoy your weekend!

1

Meet my new love: soy cinnamon dolce latte, no whip. Not normally a fan of soy milk but Starbucks doesn't offer almond milk (at least, not to my knowledge). And this drink it AMAZING.  Do yourself a favor and skip the PSL in favor of this!

2

I cannot get enough of Katy Perry's new album, Prism.  It is so good!  I would list out my favorite songs but it would just turn into the entire song list. Seriously, go get it. And then blast it while you drive to Starbucks to try the soy cinnamon dolce latte.

3
We finally got our suits reserved at Men's Wearhouse! The associates were absolutely wonderful to work with so I highly recommend them.  We're going with a charcoal gray suit and white shirts, but only the pants and vest. No jackets.  Unlike other suit rental locations, Men's Wearhouse only charges by the individual pieces so that saved some money for our guys.

4
The wedding party shoes arrived for the guys! B saw this picture online and decided that was the route he wanted to go, so white Vans for all our guys.

5

I interviewed for an internship program last week and I thought the phone interview went really well.  Apparently, I was the only one who thought this. Received word this week that they are not interested in moving forward in the interview process.  Well, that must mean that there are better things ahead for me, right?

Hope you're all enjoying your weekend! I'm about to head into my LAST night shift for this course and I cannot wait to get it over with!

xoxo,

Cait