A Very Valentine's Day Love Story About A&J

It may be Valentine's Day, but it's really just another Tuesday in our household.

I am excited for E's school party and the valentines she has for her classmates, but the hubby and I will not be doing anything special this year. In fact, this weekend as I was checking out at Old Navy I made the comment about how he should not worry about a present as my purchase is considered a Valentine's gift.

I bought work out clothes, yall.

I imagine some of you are cringing at the lack of romance, but that's what I wanted....and Old Navy has some inexpensive, but cute choices.

Last week I linked up for Girl Chat with a few other bloggers and shared our Valentine's Day plans. I also provided a few ideas for the kids, guys and gals in your life. I solemnly swear that they are not as cringe worthy as cheap work out clothes. #yourewelcome

However, I couldn't let this day pass without a special post for Boo Boo Boppers a.k.a. J on this blog. It appears that someone had a lot of time on their hands and created a post in honor of February 14th that asks you to fill out a brief survey about your relationship. I won't participate in things on like that on Facebook, but am more than happy to hijack the idea and share it on the blog.

So today, I'm linking up again and sharing a fabulous peek into the love story of A&J.

Who's oldest? 

J is older in every sense of the word. He's about 1.5 years older than I and acts like it. He drives like an old man and can't hang like he used to. Even B.K. (before kids) he was the first one who wanted to leave the bar, house party or go to bed, even when the party was at our house. ANYONE who was stationed with us in Texas can attest to this fact.

When you go to bed and the party is at your own home....

Who was interested first? 

I guess he was. His friends and my friends were chatting it up at Starbucks one weekend night. He got my number, lost my number, but his friend took down the number of one of my friends and was able to get my number to give to J. Did you follow all of that?

Same high school? 

Nope, but we met my senior year. I married my prom date.

Most sensitive?

Me, hands down - and I'm not even that sensitive.

Worst temper? 

Tough call. It depends on the situation. He can snap like a crazy person, but it takes him a while to get to that point. I however, do not have the patience that he possesses and lose it much easier than he does.

Fendi Foo is by far the angriest.

More social? 

ME!!!! Although he's not anti-social at all.

Clearly.

Hardest worker?

J, without a doubt. He gets up at the crack of dawn for a ten hour shift then runs a lawn care business that he started, which is a full time job in itself. In between that he gets to be a husband and father who assists with household chores. No one works harder than him and I am so stinking proud of his dedication to it all. I truly believe the USAF played a LARGE role in his work ethic.

Hey Adams.

Most stubborn? 

We both are, but I probably take this round.

More sarcastic? 

Are you serious? 110% me, fo sho.

Who makes the biggest mess? 

J, but he will eventually clean it up. This man does the dishes almost every night. It's my love language.

Wakes up first? 

J. His work schedule has created a monster who cannot sleep. When E was a newborn, she was a loud sleeper. Her grunting and breathing was troublesome for J as it kept him awake. You know how they say when the baby cries the mom gets up, but the dad will sleep through it? Nope, not in this house. He's always the one to hear her and has to wake me up. These last few weeks he has awoken to E on the monitor, helicopters over the house, cats throwing up, etc. We need fresh ambs.

Bigger Family? 

J, which is bizarre as he is an only child and suffers from O.C.S.

Who sings better? 

Helloooooo. It's Britney, <insert bad word>.

I'm like the ringleader I call the shots. 

Hogs the remote? 

We both can. Now we just stream everything and use separate devices if need be. Gosh, that sounds awful. But seriously, cancel your cable, buy an Amazon Fire TV stick and download Kodi. Your life will forever be changed.

Smarter? 

Totally depends. If you ask him he will say I am, but I disagree. It truly depends on the subject or situation. We balance each other out.

College graduation and I still didn't have a ring.

How long have you been together? 

FOREVER. I met him when I was a senior in high school. We dated (sometimes off mostly on) through my four years at Auburn and most of his time in the United States Air Force. He proposed shy of five years of dating and we married the following year. This September marks our tenth wedding anniversary! It is crazy how much older I feel after doing the math for that. Marrying him was one of the best decisions I have made and I love him so. He puts up with a lot from me (and others) and our little family is so blessed to have him.

I hope you celebrate your special someone year round and not just one day a year. Life is short and it's important to appreciate your loved ones at all times.

Has anyone else participated in this little survey? If so, feel free to share via the comment section below. If not, you can absolutely steal it from my post.

And of course, Happy Valentine's Day!

*Linking up with Lindsay's Sweet World for Tuesday Talk. 

Whole 30 Meal Plan: Week Three

I cannot believe the weekend is over. Sometimes I really believe that a small part of me becomes depressed when I start getting my household ready for Monday.

This weekend went by far too quickly. Friday was low key so I was able to catch up on some of my shows from Bravo. My sweet husband woke up with E and took her on adventures (a.k.a.breakfast from Chick-fil-a and window shopping at Sears) while I relaxed in bed, cooked a delicious breakfast and caught up on Grey's Anatomy. E and I traveled to the park for a playdate and three mile run while my husband was busy bringing home his new toy, a '67 Mustang.

On Sunday morning we went to church and then took a field trip to the ER - yes, THAT ER. During service, J started having excruciating pain that mimicked a gallbladder attack. The funny thing is, he doesn't have a gallbladder. After chugging a GI cocktail and waiting multiple hours to receive his lab results, he felt better and we were given the all clear. Shout out to my fantastic neighbor who watched E for a few hours! Needless to say, our Sunday afternoon was spent scrambling around the house trying to get things done.

One of the items I HAD to do once the hospital released us was head to the grocery store. If I don't get groceries for the week, then I set myself up for failure on the eating healthy plan. This is particularly important as I am on my last week of Whole 30! Technically Valentine's Day is my day thirty, but I may continue on for a couple of days. Aside from grocery shopping, the most important thing I do to aid in a successful Whole 30 round is meal plan. Since I've shared my first two weeks of meals with you, I couldn't hold back my plan for week three, but will admit it's pretty boring.

Whole 30 Week Two	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Monday	Coffee with NutPods Creamer Aidells Chicken & Apple Sausage Apple w/Almond Butter Roasted Veggies/Mashed Potatoes	Chicken Salad Veggies Nuts	Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Broccoli
Tuesday			Leftover Instant Pot BBQ Ribs Veggies
Wednesday			Grilled Steak Green Beans
Thursday			Leftovers
Friday		Leftover Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Roasted Broccoli Nuts	Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Roasted Squash
Saturday	Eggs Veggies Bacon Coffee with NutPods Creamer	Leftover Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala Roasted Squash	Wendy's
Sunday	Leftover Pork Chop Brussels Sprouts Coffee with NutPods Creamer	Chipotle	Grilled Steak Dijon Mustard Green Beans

Keep in mind that I make modifications to each recipe to ensure it is 100% compliant with Whole 30. For a list of all things Whole 30, feel free to browse some of these posts:

Why I Started Whole 30

Round One Week One Meal Planning

Round One Week Two Meal Planning

Round One Weeks Three & Four Meal Planning

Round One Results

Whole 30 Recipe Index

Whole 30 Food Processor Fun

How to Survive Whole 30

Meal Planning & Grocery Shopper

Whole 30 Meal Plan: Week One

Whole 30 Meal Plan: Week Two

And here's to hoping for a super quick work week!

*This post may contain affiliate links. 

Girl Chat - Valentine's Schmalentines

Back in college, I had a couple of friends who would throw an annual Valentines Schmalentines party. Since I primarily dated my husband for the majority of my college experience, I technically had a valentine when February 14th rolled around. However, my valentine lived half way across the country so I was always available for the Bacardi filled strawberry shots (topped with whip cream) at the Valentines Schmalentines shindig. 

Years later and this day continues to be thought of as a Hallmark holiday in our home. Don't get me wrong, I have a little Pinterest board that hosts numerous recipes and decor, but we hardly celebrate Valentine's Day. Staying true to tradition, we have no plans to celebrate this year. Since it's on a school night, I'm on Whole 30, and we have a concert date night coming up in a few weeks, we will be bumming it at home. How romantic.

Don't fret though, I still have a couple of Valentine's Day plans for my sweet toddler and some ideas for that special someone in your life! 

Toddler

E's school has a party each year and I am so excited to announce that I am AHEAD OF THE GAME for the first time in forever! Did that little phrase spark a song in your head? Sorry about that. 

Since everyone typically gives something edible for the party, I always try to do something a little different. Last year E gave out small containers filled with bubbles and a tag that said, "You make my heart bubble, valentine!" We also have to sign up to bring something to the party and somehow I ALWAYS get stuck with sandwiches. This party was no different, but I used a heart shaped cookie cutter to make the sandwiches a bit more festive.  

I thought about making my White Chocolate Cherry Cookies this year, but signed up for juice instead.

This year I designed her card after one of her favorite books. Can you guess which one?

I am pairing it with these "wild" masks:

I'll be sure to post the complete valentine on Instagram so feel free to connect with me on there so you don't miss it. 

For E's gift we are keeping it rather simple: a book, some bows and possibly a pretend make-up kit. 

Guys

A gift for the husband is always a bit trickier since he literally told me today, "I'm fine with a card and maybe some candy." While I know he doesn't expect much, I did come up with a few ideas for that special man in my life:

• Atlanta Falcons gear - Win or lose he loves his team!
• Detail service for his truck - He's not the type of guy who spends hours cleaning it, so why not have someone else do it?
• Tickets - I think this is usually the best type of gift! Find a fun event and turn it into a date night. Need some ideas? We've done football games, concerts, local comedy shows, murder mystery dinners and the WWE. Yes, I am embarrassed to admit that. 

Ladies

I have no idea if any guys read my blog, but if you are in need of a gift for your lady companion here is what I would be happy with:

• A deep clean for the house - Get her out of the house and give yourselves a break! Approach with caution though...you don't want her to get offended. Most likely she will be in the same club as I am. #yesplease
• Gift cards - I accept any and all donations to the spa, Sephora/Ulta, Amazon & Target. 
• Date night in a jar - Fill a jar with twelve different date night ideas. It can be fancy schmancy or something low key like a coffee date at Starbucks. Women appreciate thoughtful gifts and it buys you sometime before you have to pull out the wallet! 

Well folks, that sums up my plans for Valentine's Day and gives you a few LOVEly (get it?) things to think about. I would love to hear your thoughts on kid valentines, gift ideas and any other things you would like to share for this Hallmark holiday! Feel free to comment below or if you are a blogger, link up with us for some girl chat!

*Linking up with Lindsay's Sweet World for Girl Chat.

**This post may contain affiliate links.