Happy National Puppy Day! Hard to believe that ONE YEAR ago Hank was just a little pup! And now...well he is a 70 lb chocolate monster. Love him so much. He LOVES playing ball (in fact he sleeps with his tennis ball), loves going on adventures ANYWHERE (especially with his dad going hunting, fishing or to the lake!), running like a maniac in the yard and LOVES being around people!

I feel like I have been baking cookies since forever. I remember digging out mom's cookbooks growing up and trying all the cookie and cookie bar recipes. I was so excited when she got the new better homes and garden cookbook. I honestly think I used it more than she did...

Always after the PERFECT cookie recipes I follow a gazillion baking blogs and have tried so many recipes - so today I share some of my TOP tips to get that cookie perfection! Which to me entails a big, soft, chewy, doughy cookie that is full of melty and gooey chocolate...

I took out a journal today that I had started last year...I've been wanting to kick start that habit again but have been paralyzed in starting so. I think partially because of what I'm afraid will come out on paper. I'm going to have to face my own struggles, fears and weaknesses. But you can't get "better" if you don't try or start somewhere. That is what I have told HUNDREDS of people when they embark on their fitness journey - so it's time I take my own advice in life.

I don't think any words can even begin to explain the loss of your mom. People ask all the time... "How are you doing?" "How are you handling this?" "Are you ok?" - I don't know how to even properly answer that. I had even PRAYED for the day to come that she could find relief from Alzheimer's disease, but when the day actually arrives it is more painful and more sad than I can begin to even describe. 

Well my last post featured my IBS journey up until this point... and mentioned that I had some blood drawn for a food sensitivity test done. Well...the results are in!

Please don't take this as a "poor me" or a word vomit of my issues - I just more so want to share an update of my IBS Journey and where I've come in the last year in hopes that it gives someone else a clue of how they can help themselves too. 

I've decided that freedom of time is the best things ever. And I mean that. best ever. My days away from nursing at the hospital and I get to set up my day...those are truly the BEST days! PLUS I get to do all my favorite things... baking...time with my boys...and in the kitchen too! So a win win right?

My first time getting into "workouts" was with running and it is something I often go back to - I used to teeter totter on an unhealthy relationship with it thinking I needed to run a million miles every single day - (phew! Thank goodness I found a way out of that!) I have been doing lots of Beachbody programs lately focusing on lifting, but lately running has been calling me back. People often ask my advice on running tips and tricks or even how to get started so I thought this would be an opportunity to give out a little guide to help get you started..or help you get back into things if you have been out of shape for a while.

Since I've been married for a whole FIVE days - In looking back at our wedding day I wanted to share a few things to future brides - and maybe OTHER ladies will have something to chime in too.

This past weekend I worked a 12 hour shift on a weekend versus my usual on call status and spent most of the shift on the floors. I have worked in the recovery room (aka the PACU) for the last five years so it has been a while since I have been on the inpatient side of things. Before coming to the PACU I worked in the cardiac ICU...and spending all day on the floors around bedside nurses, their patients and seeing the interactions ... gave me some thoughts and inspiration to reflect and share. If I had the opportunity to write a letter to my patients - current or the past ... what would I say?