Currently: The Big Thaw

Current Book

Why yes, I AM reading another WW2 story.

I have SO MANY books checked out to me right now, 

I am going to have to read like a fiend to get through them all. Darn! {grin}

Current Song

Cover Me in Sunshine by P!nk and her daughter - the girls and I love it!

Current TV Show

Nothing new since I finished Bridgerton!

See the next answer for more about what has been consuming my brain space!

Current Podcast/Audiobook

I tried to limit my phone usage last week, so nothing new here either!

I'm about 25% through the audiobook version of A Breath of Snow and Ashes

and continue to listen to The Office Ladies when I have time!

I also spent SO MUCH TIME listening to Body Pump choreography over the last few weeks that ate up a lot of the time I would have spent listening to podcasts or audiobooks or watching shows.

BUT...good news there...I submitted my full set video yesterday!!

Current Drink

I've discovered a new mixed drink that I am LOVING!

Peach vodka

Lemonade

Whiskey

Simple syrup

I do no measurements and just pour until it tastes delicious.

Drank A LOT of this last week, haha.

Current Food

Brent and I had Sonic for lunch and it was heavenly.

Current Shame-Inducing Pleasure

Must stop stress-eating now that the stress is gone!

Current Outfit

I love these Old Navy joggers SO insanely much.

I wish I had 10 pairs of them.

Current Celebrity Crush

Some of our RBC crew had a baby in May, and they {rightfully so} have been extremely cautious of others. My kids FINALLY got to hold him and everyone died. Emmett has been the star of the show for a while and it was so fun to get to shower him with some much-deserved love!

Current Mood

I would say the predominant feeling right now is gratitude and relief.

Last week was NUTS, and I just continue to be thankful.

Current Anticipation

The kids haven't been in school in 11 days.

Very excited for them to return TODAY!

Current Wishlist

Landscaping services ha.

We have SO many tree limbs in the yard and rotted plants.

Current Movie

Brent and I watched this a few weeks ago.

It was good, not great. Although the ending was a bit wild!

I'm getting REALLY excited for this!

Current Picture

The prototype of the bodice for Drew's First Communion dress.

We weren't sure on sizing so my MIL cut this first, and it fits great!

Shopping trip coming up REAL soon to pick fabric.

I am SO excited!!

Texas, You Drunk

I want to start this post by saying a lot of this post will be in a fun spirit.

My family has been safe throughout this whole experience while others haven't.

We've lost power and have been cold, but we've had plenty to eat, plenty of blankets, and we've been SAFE. Many others haven't, and that isn't lost on me.

I also recognize that the Yankees who read my posts are pros at snow and winter storms and have seen WAY more snow than us. Unfortunately, Texas is equipped for 100+ heat, not sub-freezing temps and snow of this magnitude.

Look at the low on Monday - we ended up having several single digit lows!

@sharonsaysso is one of my favorite IG accounts!

She lives in Minnesota, so this made me laugh really hard.

We kept hearing rumors that water would go at some point,

so I started filling pitchers and bathtubs for us to have drinking water.

At my highest I think we had 20 pitchers and water bottles full.

We had SO much snow - probably the most we've ever had. 

We guessed 8" or more. And lots of broken tree limbs from ice.

You can look at Brent's foot prints to see how deep it was!

I also started searching for all our candles - 

so thankful for my mom obsessively giving me Advent candles!

When we hadn't had power in quite a few hours,

we put our food on the backporch since it was colder outside.

File that under things I never thought I'd do in Texas!

Icicles!

Playing in the snow!

Another night without power so we had a candlelight dinner!

So romantic! Ha!

Stitch Fix #3

It has been literally YEARS since I've done a Stitch Fix order, but with my successes at finally losing some weight, I decided to place an order. Plus, my neighbor/friend, Susie, has been working there for a few years and was quitting so I wanted to see what she would pick for me, ha. If you want to see my other fixes plus the Fix I did for Drew, click HERE.

Here's what Susie sent me in my Fix!

1. Daniel Rainn - Liona Flutter Detail Blouse - Size S - Kept

2. Democracy - Stacey High Rise Fray Hem Skinny Jeans - Size 6 - Kept

The minute I pulled this shirt out I knew it could be a keeper, 

and it fit PERFECTLY.

I love flowy tops and the colors and style were awesome.

These jeans were also really great! They are so soft and fit just right.

3. Bobeau - Bartie Hacci Ribbed Sleeve Knit Top - Size S - Kept

This shirt is SO soft and perfect for so many options.

Hanging out with friends, date night - you can wear it a lot of ways.

4. Lush - Warren Split Neck Blouse - Size S - Kept

This top is perfect for work and so many other things.

Church, date night, anything! The color and fit were also awesome.

5. Market & Spruce - Bambi Belted Cargo Jacket - Size S - Kept

The best part about your neighbor doing your Fix - 

we had just talked about my need for more jackets!

PLUS she knows my favorite color is pink. This was a huge hit!

Bottom line: This was a great fix! It definitely helped that one of my best friends picked these pieces for me because she knows my wardrobe well and knows my likes/dislikes. I love that we had been talking about me needing more outerwear, and boom, I get a jacket, ha. She picked items that were perfect for me, and now I'm super sad she doesn't work for Stitch Fix anymore!

Five on Friday

Random assortment of fun on Friday!

ONE

Apple Music

I am probably the last person on the planet to talk about this,

but I finally started using Apple Music, and I LOVE it.

I made a Christmas playlist with all my favorite songs.

I'm listening to my favorite movie soundtracks during the day.

The girls are always able to get the Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, or Ava Max song they want.

Yes, it costs per month, but I think it is AWESOME!

TWO

Hair Wand

I finally got a hair wand!

I love how easy it is to use and the results. Big fan here, HUGE!

THREE

Middle Schoolers Be Like

Please I beg you to please watch this video. I haven't laughed this hard in so long. This is every interaction I have with Trent these days.

Bonus points if you can tell me why this especially tickled me. {grin}

FOUR

We are getting a piano!

Growing up we got a piano when I was maybe 5 or 6?

My sister and I took lessons for almost 10 years.

I have always wanted our kids to learn to read music and have wanted a piano.

But I assumed it was a want that would go unfulfilled. BUT!!!

Brent's mom's church is renovating and we are getting one of theirs, I am so excited!

It's really only in need of a good cleaning, it's in great shape.

And I've already cleared out a space for it.

Brent kept telling me 'no' all while he was plotting with his mom, that sneaky man.

Drew is going to start taking lessons very soon from a mom in our neighborhood, yay!

Needs a good cleaning but isn't she a beauty?!?!

FIVE

Drew's First Communion Dress

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Drew had her First Reconciliation in preparation for her First Communion this spring. And that my mother-in-law was making her dress.

I wanted to take a short trip down memory lane first. {grin}

This is Drew's Baptism wearing a gown made by my mother-in-law.

And now this dress has been worn by 3 little girls!

~Drew ~                      ~ Beau ~                   ~ Paige ~ 

So to say I'm excited about Drew's First Communion dress is an understatement.

We picked a pattern based on a few dresses I was loving.

As I looked at my favorites, I noticed they all had some similar qualities:

empire waist, long, flowy, lace/sheer overlay.

Then I found this pattern! And with a couple of different versions, I think this nails it! The length of the yellow dress, the flutter sleeves of the floral, and the overlay on the white dress. And my mother-in-law thinks it'll be simple!

I can't wait!!

Our Love Languages

In honor of Valentine's Day, I thought it would be fun to talk about what I perceive the Love Languages of the Gurley family to be!

For anyone who doesn't know, there was a book written a long time ago that talked about people having a 'love language' meaning the way they received love. And the author hypothesized that when a couple has different languages, they can often not recognize that their partner is showing them love. I think this is a great idea because you might need to give love to your partner in a way that is different than how you want to receive love!

Now here are the 5 love languages and my descriptions of them based on reading the book 100 years ago:

1. Physical Touch - This can be hand holding, snuggling, hugs, sex - just receiving physical affection from your loved one.

2. Quality Time - Spending time together - date night, watching a movie together, having a discussion, etc.

3. Acts of Service - Doing something for your loved one - changing the oil in their car, folding the laundry, doing that chore they hate, you get the idea.

4. Gifts - No brainer here.

5. Words of Affirmation - Offering encouragement, sending a card, actively listening are how you show love through words of affirmation.

Now with that probably TLDR background, how do I think each of my family members want to receive love?

Brent - My husband is definitely a Physical Touch guy. Now, don't get me wrong, he does enjoy spending time with me and appreciates gifts and all that, but his is easy!

That time I spoiled him on his birthday!

Allena - Here's what's funny about me. When I read the book and look at the different love languages now, I think they all sound like me. I really think I'm an equal opportunity love languager. Give me a hug, tell me I did something good, make dinner, buy me flowers, have a date night...I'll take anything!

Me with a little blue box on Christmas!

Trent - At 11 years old, I would say Trent is definitely a big fan of gifts! I constantly worry he doesn't feel enough love from us, and I'll ask him if he wants to do something together, or I'll tell him something nice {which I can tell he does appreciate}, but that kid loves STUFF! 

So excited about a gift, ha!

Drew - She is like her daddy and loves affection. She is constantly wanting to hug and snuggle and cuddle! To the point sometimes where you're like PLEASE LET ME HAVE SOME PERSONAL SPACE! 

Paige - Our littlest love is probably a little more like me and has a mix of things she likes, but I am going to say her #1 is Quality Time. She is constantly wanting to play games or read or help - just basically be together with me. That may change as she gets older and continues to find her own independence, but this is who she is now!

Seeking attention, ha

What is your love language? Do any of ours surprise you?

Body Pump

I hinted in my last Currently that I had something exciting going on that I hadn't shared yet over here on the ol' blog. And I finally got the news I was waiting on, so I'm ready to share!

I AM GETTING CERTIFIED TO TEACH BODY PUMP!!!

I have loved group fitness FOREVER, and you guys know I am constantly gushing about my studio, Jazzercise, and the other classes offered there. I've also secretly wanted to be an instructor for a long time - it looks like so much fun and such an amazing group of ladies I wanted to be teaching alongside.

Well, I finally bit the bullet and talked to the owners about it, and here we are!

I had a weekend-long training last weekend where I learned everything I need to know to get certified. I had to submit a video before and after training. The before video was so the instructor could see what my knowledge level was pre-training. The after video determined whether I passed training or not, and I found out Sunday that I passed the training portion!!

I now have 2 months to learn a full-set and record myself teaching that set. I get graded on that video which determines whether I become certified. What is very cool is I get to start teaching with other instructors now, so I've been on the stage a few times getting comfortable and it has been so much fun!

I, of course, had to get approval from my real job and my boss was great about it. I'll be teaching at 5:30 AM once I'm certified {oof, that's early, but honestly it's the best option with a full-time job}, and I can't wait!

Who's going to come to class with me?!?! {grin}

My Library Holds

I saw this post on Stephanie's blog and KNEW I had to do a similar post! I've shared in the past that I largely read on my phone and read books via 3 different library memberships and also occasionally check out physical books from the library in our town. So here's a quick look at what I have on hold at these various libraries!

And this is in addition to the 1 physical book and 3 e-books I have checked out currently {and let's not talk about my physical book pile}. Ha!

Public Library - Physical:

Our library is currently closed to the public, but you can reserve a book and do curbside pickup when it's ready. I reserved maybe 10 books yesterday for the kids for Black History Month and some are ready today, yay! But here's what I have that isn't ready:

Totally random but Brent and I were watching The Office {he's never seen it},

and now it's no longer on Netflix! So we need to finish Season 4.

Now...onto my digital library holds! I currently don't have anything held from my friend's library {hi Kathryn!}, so these are just my own 2 digital library accounts. As a reminder, if you have a valid Texas ID {driver's license or government ID}, you can create an account with the Houston Public Library's digital database for free!

Public Library - Digital:

Reserve placed: January 15, 2021

#1 on 11 copies

Reserve placed: January 4, 2021

#4 on 3 copies

Wait time: About 4 weeks

Reserve placed: February 3, 2021

#2 on 2 copies

Wait time: About 4 weeks

Houston Public Library:

Reserve placed on November 6, 2020

#16 on 4 copies

Wait time: About 8 weeks

Reserve placed: December 25, 2020

#4 on 2 copies

Wait time: About 2 weeks

Reserve placed: January 4, 2021

#18 on 2 copies

Wait time: About 18 weeks

Reserve placed: November 10, 2020

#43 on 12 copies

Wait time: About 7 weeks

Reserve placed: January 4, 2021

#50 on 7 copies

Wait time: About 14 weeks

Reserve placed: January 4, 2021

#20 on 2 copies

Wait time: About 20 weeks

Reserve placed: November 6, 2020

# 60 on 14 copies

Wait time: About 9 weeks

Looking at all these listed out has me so excited! What's on your holds list?!?!

Monthly Musings: February 2021 Valentine's/Love

I am really starting to love this Monthly Musings link-up and this one is all about Valentine's Day and Love!

1. How do you show love? What is your love language?

I think I am a very affectionate person and love to give hugs and kisses. I'm a terrible gift giver, I can't ever think of anything creative and get stressed out, so I don't enjoy that. I'm also pretty selfish so doing things for others doesn't often occur to me, ha.

I would say I'm an equal opportunity person when it comes to my own love language. I will take any sort of affection or attention and be happy. 

With my forever Valentine

2. Do you have any fun Valentine's traditions?

We decorate a little around the house, give the kids a small gift - think book or small toy, and the girls usually dress-up in something heart-themed or red/pink.

Little presents with love notes for my little loves!

3. Favorite Valentine's memory?

I have 2!

First, I've copied my parents in that they got Patty {my sister} and me a small gift for Valentine's Day that they set on the fireplace. I remember one Valentine's as a little girl where Patty and I got these little baby dolls that were supposed to look like newborns and they had a slit in the back for you to put your hand inside like a puppet to make the baby doll move. I LOVED that doll! 

Second, I remember my first Valentine's Day with Brent. We went out to eat and he gave me a James Avery ring. It felt so special to be celebrating this holiday with him! We'd almost been together for a year, and it felt so momentous! 

4. Favorite Valentine's treat?

I am for anything made from sugar, I'll take it all! A few years ago - well probably more like 10 years ago - Starbucks did a Valentine's cup, and I loved that! I'm a huge fan of themes. {grin}

5. Do you wear Valentine's Day fashion?

I have on-and-off over the years. I love themes and and found matching shirts that are super cute for the girls and me to wear, I'm so excited! On-and-off over the years, the kids have had shirts, and the girls still like it, but I am 105% certain Trent wouldn't wear one. {grin}

6. Valentine's Day...like, love, or hard pass?

I'm going to say like. I don't LOVE it like I do Christmas, but it doesn't annoy me or anything. I think it's easy for me to feel this way as I've been in a relationship for over half my life and can understand for others how it is not a fun day.

7. What do you think is the most romantic song?

I'm partial to mine and Brent's wedding song which is Alabama's There's No Way.

But I also love Etta James' At Last, Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling in Love, The Beach Boys' Wouldn't It Be Nice and God Only Knows. Lots of great romantic songs out there, but those are what are popping to mind!

8. Dine out, take out, or cook on this Valentine's Day?

I imagine we'll do take out. I will take any excuse not to cook or have a messed up kitchen. {grin} And with 3 kids, it's hard to plan a date night on a day like Valentine's Day.

9. Pink or red?

Pink is my all-time favorite color, so this is a no brainer for me - all things PINK!

10. Flowers or chocolate?

I think this goes with anything being my love language - if this is a gift, I'd be happy with either! Given my addiction to sugar, I'm probably more inclined to want chocolate in general, but flowers do make me very happy.