Thanksgiving 2014 - My Little Fam

The hubs and I are spending Thanksgiving at the beach.  It's a first for us.  But I must admit, I'm LOVING the holidays in a new place!

We started the trip off with a date night:

We've had some lazy time at the house:

We've also hung out at the beach:

And we've played some games:

We've cooked dinner each night.  Last night was Easy Cheesy Chicken Bake.  Tonight we're cooking Salsa Verde pulled pork.  For Thanksgiving, we're doing beef ravioli.  

This trip has been perfect so far.  I wanted some fun time with my little fam and it has been just that!

I hope you have a great Thanksgiving as well!

A Long Week and a Beautiful Fall Day!

I'm a teacher.  I'm constantly in need of sleep.  

That's evident in this pic from recess yesterday:

I put in a 12-hour day Thursday.  Then we had 

"Careers on Wheels" Friday morning in the 

30-something degree weather.

The kids had a BLAST learning about all the different careers!

I came home last night and fell asleep around 8:30.  I was done.

I woke up this morning and treated myself to a white chocolate 

mocha (in the holiday red cup, of course).  And that cutie 

patootie coffee sleeve - it's from the talented and awesome 

Squirrels!  Check out her Etsy store for more adorable styles.

And now to enjoy this beautiful Fall day!

Fall at School

It's November and the leaves are doing their thing...

I noticed the trees Friday while leaving work and had to snag a pic!  I tried to take one with my iPhone and it didn't do the colors justice.  

I brought my Nikon to work today and snagged this one {above}.

Seeing these gorgeous colors makes me want to take a trip to the mountains.  The colors are always spectacular this time of year!

3 Weeks No Cheats {Day 1}

I'm joining up with Rachelle at For Blogness' Sake for her next round of 3 weeks no cheats!  

Here's what I can't have: 

- soda 

- alcohol

- chips

Here's what I must do/have:

- workout 5 days a week

- do yoga Thursday night

- eat fresh veggies every day

I'm hoping this 3 weeks will turn into a new lifestyle.  

I only get one chance withy this body and I want to do it right.

Feel free to join in!  You can snag the check off calendar on her {blog}.  

- Dana

Fun Times in Lake Tahoe!

The hubby and I recently traveled out to Lake Tahoe.  

What a gorgeous place!  Once there, we met up with my hubby's mom, his stepdad, his sister, and the sister's BF.  They all live in Chicago, so we don't get to see them as often as we'd like.

We stayed at Harvey's on the Nevada side of Tahoe, but it's literally steps from the California State line.

We took a trip on the Tahoe Queen.  Here are some of the shots: 

My sister-in-law and her BF

Me and the hubs

We also stopped by several state parks and historical sites.

rainbow trout

stellar's jay

Emerald Bay

Tahoe's own truffula tree!

We also did a drive around the entire lake.  

We found a gorgeous vista point to take pics at:

We had tons of great food too!

- sushi at Off the Hook

- a fancy diner at Harvey's 19 Kitchen/Bar

- an amazing sunset dinner at Edgewood (golf course near Harvey's)

We're already planning on going back to Tahoe in the near future!  We'll know next time to bring lots of outdoor/hiking clothes.  That's the best way to see Tahoe!  My camera bag is a beast to lug around, but it's worth it when you get shots like the ones above.  :)

- Dana

Cascade Springs Nature Preserve

The hubs, pooch, and I made the trek out to Cascade Springs 

Nature Preserve last weekend.  It was well worth the 40-minute drive.  

With several different hiking trails, a waterfall, and a river, the park offered 

a wonderful afternoon for taking pics and getting a little exercise.

If you're in the Atlanta area, check it out!  I'm excited to go back in the Spring.