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You guys! It is the Friday before my vacation and I am a total space case at work. It doesn't help that I was stalking our cottage that we are renting and I just found out it was recently renovated!!! AHHH!!! We are staying in a newly renovated cottage just steps from the beach!! I can barely contain myself. Here's my top 5 for the week:

1. Monday we visited Niagara Falls with Jeff's brother and his girlfriend

2. Yep, this guy. And Ruby's head lol

3. We had a crazy storm hit Wednesday but thankfully our property wasn't damaged

4. Yay for a new haircut!

5. Our cottage!! It used to be like a baby blue color. Isn't this orange so much better!!!! The brightness really represents my level of excitement. I could scream I'm so excited!!!

So as you all can probably expect my posts might be pretty intermittent next week. I'll do my best but I'm not making any promises! Follow me on Instagram for photo updates! @Heida04

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Niagara Falls Phone Dump!

 For memorial day, we went to visit Jeff's brother and his girlfriend in Buffalo., and we had a picnic lunch at Niagara Falls! Neither of us have our passport so we only got to see the American side, but it was still fun.

Oh yeah, and happy 1st birthday to this girl!!! Can't wait to see you in a few days! :)

Chicken Fajitas

I want to share another yummy dinner with you guys, since it was so good, and so easy to make!

I used pretty much the same rub that I used on this chili-lime pork except we didn't have limes so I just used lemon juice. Here's a refresher:

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp paprika

a couple tbsps lemon juice

Salt & Pepper

a healthy shake of Adobo

I threw everything in a zip top bag with some organic chicken breast and let it marinate for about 1 hour. I have a feeling this rub would be good on anything. I bet it would be delicious on shrimp! 

While the chicken was marinating I cut up some onions and peppers. I used one red bell pepper, one poblano and half of a white onion that was bigger than a soft ball!

yes it looks like the Mexican flag on purpose

The I slapped the chicken in the pan, letting it brown on both sides while keeping the inside juicy. After the chicken was cooked I cooked the onions and peppers right in the same pan. That way they got some yummy spice on them, and Jeffry had less dishes to do ;) 

Then it was just a fajita assembly line!

I made my black beans to go along with it but we almost didn't need them. I should really write down a recipe, they weren't as good this time as last time. 

Fajitas are a great summertime dinner that doesn't use the oven. I always have trouble thinking of things to eat without heating up the whole house!

Linking up with Peas & Crayons!

If I Won the Lottery

We recently had a very large Powerball jackpot here in New York, and not long after I stumbled upon this link-up. So it got me thinking, what would I do....

Of course the first thing that comes to mind is the responsible thing. 

I'd pay off all our damn debt

This pretty much sums it up...

Then I would throw my dream wedding

Head on over to my Pinterest and you'll know exactly what I mean
picture found here

That is if I ever get a you-know-what, you-know-where

Do not, I repeat DO NOT image search 'ring finger'. Gross things come up. Just trust me on this one.

 Then we'll find the perfect plot of land and build our dream home

Dream Home Source
Is it weird that I could stare at blueprints all day?

Then the last frivolous thing I want to buy is:

What redhead doesn't need a lil red express??

That's all for today! I hope you had a great weekend, I know I did!

Don't Forget

Although most of us are excited for a three day weekend, making plans for BBQ's and spending time with loved ones, don't forget the reason. Don't forget the loved ones who don't get a three day weekend, or sometimes any weekends at all.

That's my daddy! My favorite veteran, and a member of the Patriot Guard Riders.

Patriot Guard Riders Mission Statement

The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.

We don’t care what you ride or if you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a hawk or a dove. It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn't matter where you’re from or what your income is; you don’t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect.

Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives:

1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.
2. Shield the mourning family and their friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.

We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.

To those of you who are currently serving and fighting for the freedoms of others, at home and abroad, please know that we are backing you.  We honor and support you with every mission we carry out, and we are praying for a safe return home for all.

I hope you all have a safe and happy Memorial day.

InstaFriday

Linking up my Instagram pics with Jeanette over at Life Rearranged!

You can follow me on Instagram at @Heida04

Had an awesome date night Monday, followed by ice cream and a stroll with this cutie pie!

I can't wait ti wear my beach hat on the beach in almost ONE WEEK!!

I've been on a smoothie kick this week. I feel good about getting so many vitamins & minerals in each sip :)

It's been hot this week can you tell??

No more On-Call until July! Yay!!! As you can imagine, being on call is NOT fun

Summer Work Wardrobe Staples

I am  not by any means a fashion blogger, but I have noticed a pattern in my wardrobe lately. It has been pretty hot here in CNY (finally!) so my work wardrobe has transitioned.

Let me tell you about my summer work wardrobe staples. For many, dresses are the answer, and I love dresses as much as the next girl, but I have to be in the mood. And at 8am on a weekday, I am usually NOT. Remember when I told you that I wanted to wear this everyday during the summer? Well I've come up with a similar look, using pieces I already own!

Behold: Colored Denim!

Look 1: Top/Target/Same, Jeans/Target/Similar, Sandals/Just Fab/Similar
Look 2: Top/Kohls/Same, Jeans/Old Navy/Same, Wedges/Aerosoles/Similar
Look 3: Top/Target/Same, Jeans/Target/Similar, Moccasins/Payless/Similar

Colored denim is the perfect compromise. When I'm super sleepy and just want to throw on jeans and a t-shirt, these looks are my go-to because that is exactly what these outfits all consist of! A quick roll at the bottom makes them perfect for warmer weather.

P.S. 10 days til vacation!! It's so close I can feel it :)

That One Time I Bought A Beach Hat

So by now a lot of you know that by this time in 2 weeks I'll be well on my way to skin cancer (I mean SPF 70, sorry mom) on the beaches of Southern North Carolina. And if you don't know already, as each day passes I am less and less able to contain my excitement.

The only thing I'm not excited about? Bathing suit shopping. Raise your hand if you're with me. So while I was at Target buying a bathing suit, this happened:

Now I already know that my sister has an affinity for the floppy beach hat, so I knew what she was going to say. Case in point:

I was using my pasty  porcelain complexion as a reason to justify my purchase as well. I mean if I am going to me spending most of my days on the beach, I should be shading my face right?!

So here's the perpetrator:

ain't she a beaute?

Oh Target..... I don't remember how much it was, I want to say like 12 or 14 bucks. Its straw with gold thread. I mean what's more glam than gold?!

shameless selfie alert

I can't wait to wear this gorgeous thing on the beach!

Linking up with Meighan!

Eating Green

I was going to tell you guys about what we did on Sunday, but the pictures aren't ready yet so instead I'm going to tell you how I get Jeffry to eat green things. Ready for the big secret?? Well it's cheese of course!! Ha! Forgive me that was terrible. 

Anyway, I made alfredo with veggies the other night for dinner and it was yummyyyy! I used this recipe for creamy chicken pasta and followed it pretty closely except I made a smaller batch, and I added the Parmesan cheese right into the cream sauce to make it more of an alfredo.

The set up. This is not a Wegmans commercial I swear. Even though they are the bomb.

I used chicken that I broiled ahead of time and just sliced it and warmed it  in the sauce.

Pasta facial! The peas can be cooked right with the pasta when there is a few minutes left

The finished product

And yes I had my fancy dinner with a lime-a-rita.....

 P.S. be sure to come back tomorrow because I'm excited to be linking up with Meighan for "That One Time..."

Ruby's 1st Play Date!

Welp it's Monday again. I was on call this weekend so I don't even really feel like I had a weekend, even though we did so much I'm splitting it into two posts!

Saturday Jeffry was asked by a friend of ours to help put in his parents dock for the season. He also has one of the most gorgeous Boxers I've ever seen. (They used to live with us so maybe I'm partial too.) His name is Diesel and he is handsome.

So while the boys did the heavy lifting, Ruby had the time of her life playing with Diesel. I was nervous because Ruby hasn't really had the opportunity to interact with a lot of dogs, but I knew Diesel was very friendly and very well behaved, and we had a great afternoon. Here's some pictures of their escapades:

Their first meeting

Ruby is never really allowed off leash because she can get distracted and not come back.
She was thrilled with her new found freedom!

Diesel overseeing

Ruby does not much care for water if you couldn't tell

The dock was a great babysitter before the end was attached

Bein' buds! Ruby followed D everywhere!

Swimming lessons 

Ruby bee-lining it back to dry land 

You can't even see Ruby behind Diesel but she's trying her hardest to keep up!
It's a lot of work when his legs are twice as long!

I'm so glad my baby had such a great afternoon!! I'll leave you with this happy little tidbit :) The tip of her little tail is in the water so she's swimming!

Ruby Air Swimming from Heidi Nickal on Vimeo.