Till Then Smile Often

April 17, 2013

Oh, How Pinteresting!

Wednesday means just one workday away from a 4 Day weekend!! Woohoo!! I plan to go hiking a lot, finally take out my road bike, do some yard work, donate blood, and get together with family for another birthday celebration and anything else my heart fancies. So let the countdown begin!!

To pass the time till vacation bliss why don’t you enjoy the below pins for this weeks edition of Oh, How Pinteresting! Oh and if you haven’t already, go add me on Pinterest here.

Is this not just the most gorgeous dress?!

I may just have to make ~~one~~ few for my stay-cation!

Yeah nothing healthy about this but holy heck it looks good!

Simply beautiful, not quite this beautiful in Mass but the flowers are trying to bloom.

This just may be a craft project in my very near future!

This is much cuter than the wire ones!

Head on over to The Vintage Apple and linkup!

April 16, 2013

Taste of Tuesdays: Crockpot Porridge and Sad News

My heart is so heavy with sadness due to the bombing that occurred in Boston yesterday. I grew up South of Boston my whole life, going in to Boston for Red Sox, Bruins or Celtics games, concerts, plays, and my Dad works in Boston. I worked in Boston briefly after college, and went in for other work related events through the years. It breaks my heart that this event could change the feeling of such a beloved city. The people are proud, strong, full of life and spunk and I will always be proud to call it home. I hope that everyone who was injured the speediest recovery and those who are grieving have loved ones surrounding them to remind them of the love they have everyday to get them through this tragedy.

SOURCE

Sorry I just had to get that off my chest. Now for what you really came here for, a recipe. So I am working on my overall nutrition. I workout like a fiend but my nutrition is always questionable, or inconsistent. So I am beginning the Eat Clean Diet by Tosca Reno. It is very similar to how I normally eat but with more healthy grains then I am comfortable with but I am giving it a go.

The original recipe can be found here:

Ingredients:

½ cup bulgar wheat ~ 1½ cups steel cut oats ~ ½ cup uncooked brown rice ~ ¼ cup wheat germ ~ 6 cups water ~ 1/2 cup almond milk ~ ½ cup raisins ~ ½ cup chopped dates ~ 1½ tbsp vanilla ~ Pinch nutmeg

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a crockpot, stir and cook on low overnight. Place a 1 cup serving into a bowl. I then added in 1/4 cup of almond milk, 1 spoonful of unsweetened applesauce, sprinkle of ground cinnamon and 1 TBSP of Flax Oil. You could also add in some berries if you would like, I did not this time. You could also add a pinch of honey for sweetness.

PIN THIS

Linking up with Jessica and Ashley.

April 15, 2013

Weekend Update

Happy Marathon Monday!! Those those brave souls who are running in the Boston Marathon, Good Luck! This weekend was filled with so much cuteness. Saturday was the joined birthday party for my two nieces. Since the oldest was born in March and the youngest in April they did a joined party in the middle of the two dates. These two are just filled with so much personality and I think they may be bloggers in training. They are perfectors of the selfie shots.

See what I mean?!

Sunday was all about relaxing for the most part. I went through some new books I got regarding the “Eat-Clean” Diet book by Tosca Reno. If you read Oxygen Magazine more than likely you have read some of her articles or recipes.

Then it was off to Whole Foods and the grocery store to pick up the staples. The “Eat-Clean” Diet is similar to how I already eat with a few differences. To be honest I am a little nervous. I am not used to eating grains regardless of healthy grains or not but I will give it a try.

My smile board for the week…

My nails for the week – Sinful Colors in Hazard

Of course no day is complete without nap times with Seamus.

How is it that he always manages to sneak more than a few toys into the bed? He is a rascal. That pig oinks when it’s squeezed, it is too funny!

I put together this crockpot porridge from the Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook just before bed. It cooks overnight. I will let you know more tomorrow.

What did you get done this weekend? Hopefully more than I did, though I have a four day weekend coming up and I am not mad about that!

Linking up with Sami at Sami’s Shenanigans and Leann at Join the Gossip .

Also linkin up with Postcards from Rachel and Northern Belle Diaries.

You can follow me through Bloglovin’ here.

April 13, 2013

The ABC’s of Kerry

Today I get to celebrate the birthday of both of my nieces. The older niece was born in March and the other share the same birthday as their Daddy, my brother. So they decided to do a joined party in the middle for the larger extended family. So feel free to follow me on Instagram (@tillthensmileoften) for all the birthday pics.

Yesterday I saw this survey on Brittany’s blog and I thought it would be a great way for some of my newer followers to get to know me a little better.

The ABC’s of Kerry:

Addictions: Diet Coke, coffee, peanut butter, and hair products.

Bed size: Queen! Seamus needs space to spread out!

Chore you hate: Mopping the kitchen floors. I don’t know why. Maybe because it’s a two step process, but I would rather clean the toilets.

Dogs or cats: I have had both but I tend to favor dogs. I do miss my precious Jasmine though. (She passed in January)

Essential start of your day: Coffee and protein shake. I also have to read in the morning to help me wake up. So not a morning person. It is a slow process.

Favorite color: Yellow. I have loved Yellow for as long as I can remember. From clothes, to purses, to scarves, to accessories and at least one room in every place I’ve lived.

Gold or silver: Silver! Gold makes me feel like I am in the 80’s circa flava flav.

Height: 5’6. Tall for a girl but always wished I was a bit taller. My Mom is 5’3″ but my Dad is 6’3″ I got jipped! (UPDATE: My Mom texted me to say she wasn’t 4’11” she is 5’3″ I totally call bull on this but next time I see her I will have to measure) LOL.

Instruments you play (or have played): The flute. I had a really mean teacher that squeezed my fingers so bad I didn’t go back after one year.

Jobs titles you’ve had: Cashier, Server, Amusement park worker, Marketing Support, Case Worker, Government Contracts Admin. Okay that made me feel a little old.

Kids: Want them if I ever find the right person.

Live: Taxachusetts. Bean Town. Metro West Mass. Lived in Ohio while in College. Go Bucks!

Mom’s name: Mom! Just kidding it’s Andrea.

Nickname: Lee Lee or smiley.

Overnight hospital stays: Close but not yet. Lots of sprained ankles, sports injuries, severe hypothermia and when I got hit by a car riding my bike were all day trips.

Pet peeve: People who are constantly late. My time is just as important as your time. Also people who don’t follow through on promises or plans.

Quote from a movie: “You sit on a throne of lies” or “You’re not Santa…you smell like beef and cheese” both from Elf. Love that movie!

Right or left handed: South Paw. They say lefties are smarter. Just sayin’

Siblings: I have a sister and a brother.

Time you wake up: My alarm is set for 5:30 am but really Seamus usually wakes me up around 4:45am or so. Even on the weekends.

Underwear: Boy Shorts don’t have a preference from where, though I do have a Victoria’s Secret VIP black card. Like a Boss!

Vegetables you dislike: I am a picky eater so veggies are tough probably Brussel Sprouts or mushrooms. Yuck!

What makes you run late: I hate being late so really not much. I usually calculate in my head how much time I need to get ready, get somewhere and then add in a buffer of like 15 minutes. I blame my Dad for this I learned it from him.

X-rays you’ve had done: Seriously like my whole body! Chest, Arms, Hips, Legs. Cat Scans too.

Yummy food you make: I love to bake and some have said I should open a bakery but I am too scared. Maybe one day. I bring everything in to work though or I would be 300 pounds. I did share some healthy recipes here, here, here, and here.

Zoo animal: Hmm… Panda? It’s been awhile since I have been to a zoo.

This was a lot of fun. Hope you got to see a little bit more into my pesonality. What are some of your Addictions, pet peeves, or favorite movie quotes?

April 11, 2013

Saw It. Pinned It. Did It. – Sunnies Holder

So I have a bit of sad to news to share….Saw It. Pinned It. Did It. is going on hiatus. Now this is only for a few weeks so don’t worry too much. Besides I am sure to have some projects to tide you over. I have a lot of recipes I want to try, and I have a stay-cation coming up which means a lot of home projects will surely be tackled. So stay tuned.

My inspiration for this week came after losing another pair of sunnies. For reals I have like ten pairs and as you will see I could only find 2 pairs in order to take the final pic. I so need this project in my life.

ORIGINAL PIN

Supplies:

Picture Frame – Recommend an 8×10 frame or larger ~ Spray Paint (optional – I used Krylon Indoor/Outdoor in Burgundy Satin Finish – Walmart $3.27 ) ~ ribbon ~ staple gun, nails, or glue gun ~ picture hanger ~ sunglasses of course (if you can find them).

Directions:

1. Remove the glass and backing from your picture frame.

2. Spray paint the frame if want or leave the original frame.

3. Once frame is dry attach the ribbon to the back of the frame with a staple gun, nails, or a glue gun. (I used a staple gun since I had one)

4. Hang up the frame and add your sunglasses.

PIN THIS

See I was only able to round up two pairs. I have no idea where the others pairs are, but when I find them I know where they will go now!!

If you haven’t already, follow me on Pinterest here.

Now head on over to our two co-hosts Steph and Katie. Be sure to check out all the other pin inspired projects completed.

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