In April, right before our bridal shower and wedding, I made a BIG mistake. I decided that it would be a totally good idea to try and touch up my own roots with a YouTube video tutorial and box dye! It was really orange and horrible. The night it happened Greg walked in the door from work to find me in the bathroom with all of the supplies (evidence) around me, used up, and with orange hair! … Read More »
Him and Her Golf Outing
Greg and I do a ton of activities together! We honestly just love to play and be together, and having all of these activities that we can do together brings us closer and makes our relationship what it is. We constantly want to add new activities, too, and then we are like oh my gosh our garage is going to be so full with toys (I can’t imagine what it will be like when we have kids lol)! Between the kayaks, hunting equipment, fishing poles, golf clubs, and camping stuff we have a lot of stuff to play with, and we are always trying to squeeze just one more thing in!
Anyway, we got our first round of golf in for the season, and it was ahhmazing! Perfect day and we actually had a pretty good round. Greg’s drives were totally on, and I think I’m finally getting the hang of using my wedge. Greg was giving me some one on one coaching on the course that totally helped. He would show me exactly what to do and then I would copy his moves, and my hits would be way better. We also played best ball so his drives and my puts helped us get a pretty good score- our teamwork was on!
I also think golf is the perfect activity for a couple to start together. I love it because you get to be out in the sun, wear cute, preppy outfits, it’s sporty, and I am obsessed with pink golf balls! It’s also relaxing because you can take it slow or fast depending on your mood, and the golf course is such a great place to connect with each other- I think it’s a little oasis of peace!
Having a hobby you can share totally brings you closer. You get to spend time together, get competitive, and work towards new goals together. My current golfing goal is being able to drive the ball further because I want to be able to get over the water hazards, and Greg wants his drive to be super straight.
After a weekend full of fun together Greg and I miss each other more than ever when we have to go to work! We’re always texting each other like “I can’t wait to see you again” or “only 4 more hours until we get to eat dinner together :).”
Hope you’re all having an amazing Saturday night! We went to Noodles for dinner and are currently watching some Netflix!
My Golf Gear: Wilson Women’s Golf Clubs / Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls / Callaway Golf Glove
Greg’s Golf Gear: Ping Golf Clubs / Titleist Pro Golf Balls / Callaway Golf Glove / Nike Golf Shoes /
Nautica Polo / Nautica Deck Shorts
Wedding talk, fishing, and love at Weldon Springs
Wedding planning and fishing.These two things have definitely been our main focuses these last couple of weeks, and it has been magical! That is just the best way I can describe it. Today, we started out the day with a yummy homemade breakfast and then went to try on suits for the big day!… Read More »
Gilson Beach Dreams
We fished Lake Michigan in one of my favorite areas ever when we were up at my parents this past week! With a taste of spring in February, Greg and I took full advantage. We drove to Gilson Beach in Wilmette. Oh, and on our drive there we were listening to the top country songs of 2017 so far, and you have got to give God, Your Mama, and Me a listen! Just give it a click, and you can watch the cutest music video, too. We are playing it on repeat at the moment :).
We went in the evening time, and it had started to cool down. Luckily we had a blanket and Greg’s jacket in the car so we could still go on our little adventure.It was so fun walking in the sand and climbing the rocks to get to our fishing spot. All I could think about was how lucky I am to be with Greg taking in this beautiful scene and fresh air together. The water and sky were both iridescent, and we could even see the Bahai Temple! It was the perfect backdrop for Greg to tie a lure and throw his line.
We stayed there until it was almost dark, and one of my favorite parts was this cute little gate we had to walk through to get to the pier. It was one of those swinging gates, and Greg was so sweet when he made sure I wouldn’t get stuck!
Anyway, I hope you all have an amazing rest of your weekend and can totally relax! Greg and I are busy cuddling on the coach at the moment because it’s back to winter for now.
My outfit: sweater similar here – jeans – cowgirl boots
Greg’s outfit and gear: jacket – jeans -tackle box similar here – lure – fishing pole – reel – line
A 21st Twin B-Day!
My little brother and sis turned 21! Greg and I went to Chicago this weekend to celebrate with them, and it was the perfect weekend. Sweet family time, laughs, hugs, and spring in February, and two birthdays!
We drove in Saturday evening after Greg got off work. We got ready at my parents house, and Olivia and I ended up matching perfectly. We had both had gone shopping for outfits to go out to dinner in, and we both picked out fluffy shoes and blush! It was so cute and perfect. It was like we had a total sister thing going on lol.
After relaxing and getting to hang out a little we headed downtown to the Kerryman. We were all really excited to try this restaurant because my dad, Kevin, Greg, and I had won a gift certificate to it in a raffle in an Irish golf outing we had played in together. My mom made our reservation for 9 because if it’s made any earlier when Greg and I come up it’s always a huge rush or we’re late for the reservation, and she never wants us to be in a rush on the weekend, which is really cute and thoughtful. 🙂
Well, by the time we got there for dinner the Kerryman was already in semi-club mode. It was really funny because it was noisy, and there were people everywhere. We sat down for dinner, and then the lights above our table started flickering. We all started laughing because we were not expecting the restaurant to also be a total party place, but honestly it was kinda perfect for a 21st b-day celebration! Ooh, also, the food was really, really good!
After dinner, we wanted to explore a little. Kev, Liv, Greg, and I decided to take a walk and find a bar to have a cocktail at. I loved walking downtown with all the pretty lights holding Greg’s hand. The city can feel like total magic, and it did! We ended up having a margarita at this quiet Mexican restaurant after almost going to a piano bar… apparently Kevin did not have the right shoes for that place lol. Quiet, little places like that are the best, though, because you can have the best conversations with the people you are with, and we did! We were all laughing and just having so much fun together.
Kevin, Greg, and I ended our night in front of a fire back at my parent’s house at 5am (crazy!!! lol) because we were just having the best time!
Cauliflower Crust Pizza
One of our favorite things to do together is try out new, healthy recipes. Greg and I cook most nights of the week, and we always try and make our dinners yummy but also good for us. We totally love the veggie substitute craze because we can swap them in for some of the heavier, not so good for you ingredients. Zoodles (zuccinni noodles) were our first experiment. We started making those for spaghetti and meatballs and chicken alfredo a while ago, and they were soooo good! We barely missed the noodles! Then, Greg really stepped up the game with eggplant lasagna, and then he found a recipe for cauliflower crust pizza, and we had to try it!
Our cauliflower crust pizza turned out really, really good. It tasted almost exactly like real pizza, and we are definitely going to make it again. Plus, getting to have pizza, eating a bunch, and still feeling good afterwards is a total win, so I thought I’d share our recipe and how we did it.
Here are the steps:
First, Greg chopped up the cauliflower really small. You can do this in a food processor, but if you don’t have one, chopping a way like we did works really well, too.
Next, we steamed the cauliflower so it was soft enough to moosh up. We mooshed it all up in a bowl with an egg, a little cheese, and some Italian seasoning, aregeno, and basil.
Then, we formed the crust on our pizza tray. We had put coconut oil on the tray so that the crust wouldn’t stick, but it still did a little bit. I think next time we’d put parchment paper down to solve that problem, but the main thing is that the cauliflower layer should be thin. (Ours was a little too thick in the middle).
Once this was done we put it in the oven for 35 minutes at 400 degrees. At this point I was dying to see how the crust was going to turn out, and Greg turned the light on in the oven so that I could keep peeking. 🙂
Finally, we took the crust out, put our marinara, cheese, mushrooms, peppers, and pepperoni on it, and popped it back in the oven until the cheese melted. You can use whatever pizza toppings are your favorite, that’s just what we were feeling that night!
…and then we got to eat it! We ate it with forks because the crust is still cauliflower, and our center was a little too soft, but the edges were perfect and tasted exactly like thin crust pizza! If we could’ve gotten the whole pizza to taste like the edges it would’ve been perfect. I was laughing because when I was eating the middle I kinda felt like I was eating cauliflower with pizza toppings on it, but cheese and pepperoni would be good on anything so no big deal! But honestly with that little adjustment, we both feel like the cauliflower pizza is a total winner and a must try!
If you make one, let me know how it turns out, how you liked it and who you shared it with! 🙂
The Most Magical Time of the Year
Christmas is one of our absolute favorite times of year! Last December, Greg and I got engaged on the 23rd so Christmastime will always hold a special place in our hearts. On Christmas Eve we hunted and then got all cleaned up, and went to Greg’s aunt’s house. His whole family was there, and it was so fun seeing everyone. When we got home on Christmas Eve we still had presents to wrap and lots to get ready because we hosted Christmas Day for our families! Greg and I made a pizza, wrapped presents, and then we dozed off on the couch for like an hour before we went to bed lol.
When Christmas morning came, we got up early together and exchanged gifts just us two and had some coffee and cuddles together. I put on Christmas music (I like the Jessie James Decker Holiday pandora station), and we cleaned and cooked together, with the help of Greg’s sister Katie before our families came. Greg is a master chef in the kitchen. He did most of the cooking because he is such a pro. Seriously, everything he makes in mouthwatering. I always try and copy his cooking, but his always turns out better. I was really just in charge of cleaning up and making the gluten free brownies for Greg’s grandpa; brownies are my speciality lol. Oh and my sister, Olivia, made the green bean casserole.
We were super excited to have everyone over at our place for Christmas, and it was really special and fun. We had my mom, dad, my brother and sister (Kevin and Olivia, Greg’s grandparents, his dad and dad’s wife, Colleen, and his two sisters (Katie and Emily). It was so nice having everyone together to eat, have some drinks, yummy desert, open presents, and have some good sports on in the backgrounds thanks to my dad and brother :)! My mom made pretzel jello, which Greg loves. Greg’s grandma made the most amazing salad, and Olivia made a turtle cheesecake that turned out like it was professional! Christmas always makes me and Greg feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and we definitely felt that way being able to share all the fun and create really special memories with our families together.
Birthday Wishes and Kisses
This past weekend I had the best time celebrating my 23rd birthday with Greg and my family! I love love love birthdays. They always feel so special, especially when you get to share them with the ones you love the most. I also think getting older is fun. It’s like each new birthday comes with a new year where you get to experience new things and learn more. It is so awesome! Plus the older people are, the more wisdom they have to share, which is so special. I have been so lucky to have so much wisdom and good advice shared with me.
Greg and I had the best weekend. I opened my presents early on Saturday when we first got in because my mom and sister were so excited to give them to me and I was so excited to open them (so cute). None of us can keep presents a secret! Then on Sunday we went out to this cute little breakfast place called Elly’s with my brother and sister. Afterwards we went to the mall and window shopped and held hands. 🙂
On Sunday night we went to a restaurant in Rosemont called Hofbräuhaus. It was a German restaurant and super yummy. The boys got their big beers which I think are called steins. We also all had the yummiest meals. It is just the best when we can all get together and really enjoy each others company. There was also a lady singing German songs, the waitresses had on the little German outfits, and there was lederhosen, which made the restaurant even more festive! I think Greg could totally rock a pair of lederhosen.
It was also snowing a lot; this is one of the best parts about having a winter birthday. Sometimes you get snow! After dinner we enjoyed the pretty Christmas lights… but just for a second because Greg threw the hardest snowball at me lol so we got in huge snowball fight! I think I won because I threw one at him and he tried to block it with his hand and it exploded in his face lol. We then ended the night with some chocolate ice cream and the coziest car ride home.