Breakfast for Dinner, Yes Please!

Last night, we decided, spur of the moment to have breakfast for dinner. So, we went to the store and got turkey bacon and sausage, bagels and cream cheese and everything else I already had. 

For the pancakes, I realized I didn't have normal eggs or milk, so I substituted with the Vanilla Almond Milk and Egg Whites, the boys liked it so much more than what they were like normally. It was kind of interesting. They were really good and a bit healthier (favorite combo). I, also, got to use my skillet I got for Christmas for the first time. I forgot how much I loved that thing!

These bagels have cream cheese and chopped up olives on them. There is a bit of a story behind these bagels that make them very sentimental to me. Aside from the fact that they are delicious, my biological father used to do this when he was alive and it's kind of a thing with my sister and I to eat these. They're delicious as well! I think you should try it. I'm thinking of having a blog post about different bagel toppings, will keep you updated!

i

I only ate the bagels (I ended up giving everything else to Cody, I was way too full).

Blogging Etiquette

Our Golden Retriever named Pyrite

30/365: Blog Etiquette. Not something that most people would think about. There are a few unspoken etiquette rules, not everybody has to follow them, it's personal preference. I chose to follow some rules on my blogs. 1. No cussing, I want my blog to be appeasing to people of all ages and for their parents to be ok with it. 2. Not sharing too much personal information when it comes to relationships and personal problems. The internet isn't my diary. My diary is my diary (and Im not saying I have anything against people that do that, but its my personal preference for my blog). 3. Nothing inappropriate and vulgar, be it picture or content wise. 4. And to not talk bad about anyone or thing. 

I really believe in being careful about how you portray yourself on the internet. It is there forever. While you shouldn't be fake, there should be only so much you share.

Anyways, have a good evening!

Painting the Laundry Room Cubby

So, last night I decided in the spur of the moment that I wanted to finish a project. I didn't want a complicated or long one so I decided to just paint in our laundry room cubby. In the area of this house there isn't any windows or lighting so to brighten it up I decided to paint it white. It took me under an hour, but I got it done.

Did anyone notice that our washer and dryer are backwards? Whoever built the house was left handed. haha

Originally, this cubby had closet doors on it. We ended up taking them off, 1. because I didn't like them and 2. because we couldn't open the washer and dryer doors to get the close in there. Now, I don't like them wide open, so I am trying to figure out a neat way that both Cody and I will like (if you have any ideas leave them in the comments).

So, wallaaah! I like the paint color in there. This picture doesn't do it justice, but it looks really good. I can't wait to start adding more shelves and making it more convenient for use. Eventually, I want to get the drawers that go underneath the washer and dryer, but I just haven't had time to go and do that yet. I want to add wood shelves in several different areas and even a clothing bar in there to hang dry whatever I need to. I'll update photos and the process whenever I get done with it. 

If you get inspired to do something, just do it. You'll be satisfied with it when it is done and it is best to keep the creative side of you active!

Inspiration is Just a Thought Away

27/365: Live an inspired life. It's your choice the kind of life you live. Do you live for yourself or for others? Do you live to inspire yourself and later on in life down the road when you look back, your proud of what you did? Don't get me wrong, helping others out isn't a bad thing, but living for them is completely different. Basically, it's your choice to live life inspired, to be creative, to be happy. It's hard to find inspiration all the time and to constantly be creative and sometimes we have to take a step back and reevaluate things and get yourself back in creative and inspiration mode.

reorganizing, sometimes it just needs to happen.

28/365: One pair of eyes will see two different things. The way you look at life, a photo or even a painting. For example, our home: most people would walk in and see that it is a horrible mess (and most of the time it is), but I see something completely different. I see our life, in a big disoriented mess. It's obvious boys are in our house, it's obvious we eat and we have dogs and that we are still fixing up the house; to me that's awesome, to other people, its just a mess. 

ootd work attire

schoolwork. want to be an entrepreneur? Oy

29/365: Don't apologize too often on the internet, especially on your blog. It's not good when for when reading and we know, everyone makes mistakes. No one is perfect. If you make a mistake, just fix it. If someone notices it, apologize privately to them, but not publicly (unless its something legal). 

Bathroom Makeover

It's not actually a makeover, but a few layers of paint and some different wall art really spruced up the tiny half bath downstairs.

I'm a huge believer in paint. A fresh coat of paint can do wonders for a dull room or even a piece of furniture. So, that's what I did with this room. The walls were originally a really dull peach color, which wasn't my favorite. We chose this green originally for the kitchen, but I changed my mind and decided to use it for the bathroom. It's unexpected and actually looks pretty good. 

I found this wall art at ross for $5.00 each, which was definitely in my budget. So, I got them. I love them.

I found this at Ross, as well, in their outside section. I've had it for the longest time and couldn't decide what to do with it and when we moved into this house, i figured this was perfect. In my opinion, it was just right. 

I still need to replace the light fixture in here, but I can't decide what I like the most when I go shopping. If I want to change something, I want to make sure that if I'm spending money, I'm getting my money's worth and I wont want to spend more money on it to change it later. 

What are some projects you are working on or have worked on?

More

23/365: Buy local. It might not mean a lot to you, but to a small business owner, you know that these people are 1.trying to make a living and 2. doing what they love. Either go to the flea market or find local places, even local coffee shops and make a purchase. Small businesses really make the world go round when it comes to our economy. I support them 100%. Think about it next time you go to buy something that a local person might make. It'll make a world of difference.

 24/365: Small details (action) make the world of difference. /Remember that next time you act. Are you acting positively? Are you helping someone?

 25/365: We are at the 24 this weekend, and it is my first time going. While we were there I learnt that even the tiniest thing can change a persons day. Even something as insignificant as a smile. That one thing can change a person's whole day. And (like the commercials) it is contagious and they will pass it on.

26/365: I'm not the best painter, but a little paint goes a long way. I love the color white, and I love the color red. So, I painted the horrible looking tile in our kitchen backsplash, white. I painted the tan electrical outlet coverings, red, just for that pop of color. I, also, painted the countertops. There is a special kind of paint for it, so I went and got it and I painted our previously blue countertops grey. I like it. 

Not much of a lesson, but it still works. 

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

Hot Sauce - to desire (completely optional)

2 tsp. Chili Powder

1 clove ofGarlic

2 tsp. Garlic Salt

2 tsp. Cumin

2 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Pepper

2 Cans Black Beans- Drained and Rinsed

2 Cans Navy Beans- Drained and Rinsed

2 Cans Pinto Beans- Drained and Rinsed

2 Cans Red Beans- Drained and Rinsed

2 Cans Light Red Beans - Drained and Rinsed

3 Cans Diced Tomatos

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 2 hours on High

Instructions:

Take the drained beans and the cans of diced tomato and put them in the crock pot on low temperature (my crockpot only has four settings: off, low, hot and warm). Stir it together until its completely mixed. Ad 2 tsp of chili powder, garlic salt, cumin, salt and pepper and 1 clove of garlic. I like things spicy, so I added 6 dashes of my hottest hot sauce (it made it super spicy). Stir all together and let sit on High temperature. Over time, season to your preferred taste ( I added a lot of seasonings afterwards).

Chili!

It tasted absolutely delish! It was spicey, but tasty! Enjoy! xoxo Brittany

Open Minds and Hearts

19/365: Keeping an open mind and heart makes it easier to accept the challenging things, people and situations. It makes life more exciting and interesting when you keep yourself open. It keeps you less negative, less evasive and more into what you do.

planning station!

20/365: Quality over quantity. Especially if you want to promote your blog. I learnt that from Elsie Larson's Blog Love E-Course. It doesn't how many blog posts you post, quality is the most important part to keep consistent viewers.

21/365: Plan ahead. It takes time to put together a quality blog post. That is a super huge struggle for me. Time. Honestly, it's time management and sometimes I just don't feel like it. But it is good to know and learn that it takes time to do things right the first time. 

Blogger's journal

22/365: Journal, a lot. Carry one with you. If you have any ideas while your out, instead of trying to focus on remembering them (or even texting them to yourself), write it in a journal. I keep one just for blog ideas, so that later I can go back (especially when I am in a blogger's block) and I'll have topics that I can work with easily.

pretty lights in the living room. (ill share a home tour at some point!)

Major Slackage

I don't even know if slackage is a word, but I officially decided that I like it and I'm going to use it. And since I have missed a few days I'm only going to do 2 right now and then update later, because then I would post something a mile long and I wouldn't even want to read it and I love to read.

17/365: Keep your head up while things are down. Simple enough, right? But, not something we put to use every time we are down. Me, especially. I'm not afraid to admit it. When something doesn't go my way or if something happened that is horrible (my grandfather is a great example) keep your head up. When you let yourself get stressed out, it causes major problems: weight gain, acne, problems in marriage and friendships and the list can go on and on. The best thing to do is to keep composure. I, personally, write. If it is a situation that happened, I write the pros and cons and I balance it out in my head. If it is a person, I write a letter to them, come back later and if I decide it's not worth sending, I don't. There are several ways to get through things, whether its focusing on something else or even writing. 

I think of our new puppy, Meeka, we got her in the worst state she could of been in, but she keeps pushing and growing, and has become the toughest out of all our dogs and she is only 5 weeks old. For 2 weeks she tried to be able to jump on the couch, and she finally made it. It's something very simplistic, but its a good example.

Another, would be my grandfathers battle with cancer (I don't have a picture of him). He is staying so strong, it is absolutely incredible! It's very inspiring for me to not get flustered over the tiny stuff.


18/365: Along with that, attitude is everything. Absolutely everything. It drives me nuts that it is as simple as putting a smile on and staying positive to not have a negative day. Crazy, right? If you stay positive, the people around you will be positive. If you keep encouraging people they will be encouraged. Of course you will have down days, but keep your eyes on the prize and keep a positive attitude. Life is way too short to be negative.

About Me

I've realized that I haven't really shared much about myself. So, here goes nothing. My name is Brittany Lynch and I enjoy everything that is beautiful about life. Honestly, I think that life is like a piece of art, and depending on what you do with it makes it its own form of beautiful. And I love to capture it on camera. 

I love to run. I try to, as often as possible. I'm also turning into a health nut.

Also, an avid tea drinker.

and espresso drinker.

Our family is small, well outside of all the aunts and uncles and grandparents and mom and dads and brothers and sisters and whatever other kind of family is out there. At home, it's just Cody and I, well and his brother and his friend that always over. And you know what? I love it. I don't always show it, but a house full of loud people is what I've always wanted. I forgot all our children, well our pets. We have 3.5 dogs (pictures below of 1.5, the others aren't photogenic). If you've seen any of my previous posts, you saw what the .5 means in the post here, and we love that bundle of joy who is getting so big! Anyways, we have a dauchsund, a golden retriever, a german shepherd mix and our little pup. So, I guess you can say I always have a full (and dirty) house. But I love it.

And other than work and school that's what I spend the majority of my time with. My crazy family, and our home. It's soothing in an odd way, a way I didn't think I would accept, but I do. My family is my life. 

I, aside from my family, love to paint and create and do almost anything. And, at that I love capturing photos of it. So, naturally, I thought a blog would be a way to share it. And I will, over time, I guess. This is a really exciting thing for me. Tell me about yourself? I'd really like to get to know about the people that read this! Comment, please!

Talent!

16/365: "Having a talent isn't worth much unless you know what to do with it."

I don't have much talent, or skill for that matter, but what I have learned about my talents, I love doing. I love to take pictures, paint and cook. I really like to paint pictures for my home; a lot of them are sayings and what now. I also want to use photos to decorate the walls. My goal is to capture our life and display it in our home, some how. 

Anyways, before I chase too many rabbits. I'm basically "translating" this to be about homing your talents and obviously figuring out how you are good with it and what you want to do with it. Over the course of this next year, I want to sharpen my photography skill and learn different ways to display our photos in our home. 

Cody does photography as well and I am really looking forward to be able to grow in our photography together.

More of what I Learned

I've been busy lately, to say the least. But, I haven't forgot about my blog!

Here are my lessons for the past few days (and two completely random photos).

11/365: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. Relying on one thing to get you where you want in life, isn't always the way that people succeed. Going through all different avenues to achieve your goal will help you 1 be more well rounded in what you want to do and 2 may even get you to where you want quicker. 

12/365: When blogging, choose features that fit your blog. These days I have been doing Elsie's Blog Love e-course (which I highly recommend for a new blogger). I have learnt so many different things for blogging. In Session 5, she talks about having focused features and having quality over quantity. It's true. Why blog about something that doesn't fit you? It's obvious to blog reader's when you are blogging about something you don't love and something that doesn't fit you. Think about it. A blogger's writing style shows everything. For example: I picked Weekly Lessons, New things in Life, and Food as my three main things. Then, I picked different ways to portray those things. Mind you, I will blog about other things here and there.

13/365: As a blogger, don't follow the crowd. Be a trendsetter. Not a follower. Which, in the beginning can be hard as you are trying to find your own voice. But, search. And you will find.

Picture from my mile a day challenge. Keep running guys!

14/365: Multitasking isn't always the best or easiest thing. Time Management is better. Give yourself time throughout the day for each activity you have planned. This is something I'm really teaching myself. It can be trying to try not to multitask and to learn to time manage. But, to me, it is vital to not go crazy.

15/365: Take 5 minutes out of your day to breathe. I've been getting really stressed lately and my guy gave me some advice about taking time out of my day. I have work, school, and other things to maintain. So, I've decided to start enjoying my drive to work, my nightly tea and even watching the guys do crazy things. It's  extremely important to me to start teaching myself this now, so whenever we start having a family I can start enjoy the little things more (which is a new years resolution/goal of mine).

Super duper thrift find for $2.99. I love it. Outfit post later?

Dog Park

Today, we went to the dog park with all of our dogs. Pyrite (the Golden Retriever), Topaz (the Dachshund), Kora (the German Shephard Mix), and Mica (the husky mix) really enjoyed it. It was fun. I love seeing them run around so much and then when we come home they are super exhausted and sleep the whole afternoon. That's my favorite. I enjoy the weekends with my animals, it makes life fun. 

Ok, Now I'm really going to go finish pressure washing. Drag! haha

It's all about Copywriting

8/365: Copywriting, I brought it up a little bit yesterday, and I basically want to stress how important it is to understand the law as a writer. Actually, I really recommend the book The Law (in Plain English) for Writers by Leonard D. DuBoff and Bert P. Krages, II. There are pro's and con's to copywriting. Pro's: it protects your works from being copied from others. Cons: if the laws are too strict, you can chill your creative side. Writers use other writers works to learn, quote or even to help create their writing style. 

Copywriting is basically the act of copying someone else's work and taking it as your own. Illegal, unless you ask for permission or give them full credit. 

Now, if you are "working for hire" then the work you write is NOT your work. It's belongs to who you are writing for. Why? because you aren't writing it for yourself and your own things, your writing for someone else and that is the point of writing for hire. They hire you to write for them. Basic.

9/365: Goes with the above.. Write about what you love, it makes it easier to write. There is a market somewhere out there that will enjoy what you are writing about. But, that doesn't mean you need to be closed minded all the time, sometimes expanding your horizons makes you learn new things you'll enjoy writing about. I'v figured that out first hand.

10/365: Ok, if you are blogging, and you aren't having fun blogging or loving what you are doing, then you need to figure out what your real niche is. Your niche is what you are good at and what your blog is all about. Find it, I assure you, you'll have more fun writing.

11/365:Take 5 minutes out of your day to actually listen to the music, smell the roses and savor your cup of coffee. You will be less stressed, more peaceful and more ready for the day!

Ok, I'm off to pressure wash the walkway, have a good day!

Casual Days

Today has been one of those days that start off wrong then it turns around.. I slept bad, had a bad hair day (that is more often than not) and a few other things. I end up having to call out of work for a court thing, and worked out until i felt like vomiting, and had a Herbalife shake that tasted like Mint Chocolate.To me, it ended pretty promising.

Anyways, here are a few pictures and I'll share lessons later!

The other day, I had a meeting with my boss at a local restaurant. It serves breakfast from 7am - 2pm and has dinner till close. I had to take a picture because it was my first time, the food was cheap and its my new favorite. It's called Gourmet Kitchen. Check it out.

This is my puppy. Her name is Topaz. I love her so.

Camera

The other day, we got a lovely new camera. It's a Nikon D-40 and we absolutely love it. We love to take photos and edit them. Cody shares this hobby with me and I love it. Enjoy a few of the photos we started with; they're before and after edits, kind of. 

This is part of my new challenges for myself in the new year. Hopefully we will see progression

Help Me Support this Lovely Lady!

photo cred: i don't know

Help me support my new fellow blogger, who is actually my cousin and good friend. She is fairly new at this, as in this last week. She is engaged to her best friend and is very excited about getting married. Crazy story: She had wanted to blog for a while, but had never gotten around to it. And when I had started back up. she had gotten inspired to actually start one. Crazy how stuff like that works. Go support her, please! 

Thanks, have a great night!

Lessons..

Photo credit to Cody Corley. He truly is a blessing.

6/365 
Don't keep your expectations too high, especially while blogging. You can't expect to make tons of money in your first month or a million views in a month (unless if you have a secret, then you should tell me). Basically, you can't expect immediate results. It takes a lot of patience and networking. My goal as a new blogger is to double my page views a month. Realistic, right? Probably. It possibly wont happen right away and I know that. But, it's a goal. So, it's teaching me patience.

A barrel from a winery when I was in Europe. It was in Greece. So good, ah!

7/365
It's very common for new bloggers to make mistakes. I have. The key is to learn from other people's mistakes. Use them as lessons. A really good idea is to follow other blogs,let them show you whatnot to do and also to inspire you. Don't ever copy work, especially if you don't ask permission or give credit to the original blogger. I made that mistake and someone came to me and confronted me about it. I changed everything because of that and vowed never to make that mistake again.

Good luck!

A Day of Reflection, posted late

Today (as in Sunday) I decided to set aside for thoughts, reflections, relaxation and planning. These past few weeks I feel like I have been kicking my butt. So, yesterday, I decided to clean the entire house (well, at least as much as I could), so that I could do this today. Unfortunately, today is flying by and I seem to be getting nowhere, which seems to always happen.

 You know the feeling when you look around and see a lot of unfinished projects and things you wish you could be doing, but know that right now you just can't? I'm at that point. It's like I have hit a road block. Have you every felt like that?

 I'm going to be incorporating a lot of new technique's and trying a lot of new things, so bear with me. I'm not the best at what I do, but I am constantly striving. Oh, with that; I am starting school back up this semester and I am thoroughly excited and ready for something new. 

I'm super excited to use this bad boy (my Minolta film camera), I can't wait to share some of my photos and experiences with learning about it. I look forward to that.