Hippie Status

I love my pearls and heels as much as all the other southern girly girls... can I get an amen... BUT, I am a total nerdy hippie at heart.

I started brewing my own kombucha tea! I am obsessed with the natural probiotic health benefits kombutcha has to offer. Since I love it so much I decided to make my own. There is currently a glass jar of "tea" brewing with live cultures in my home office... hippie status #1!

Hippie status #2, I am an Earth Fare, Whole Foods, no GMO, no preservatives, all natural food loving kind of girl. I have celiacs disease which means I cannot have gluten, food dies, or some dairy. Due to my diet already being restricted I began gravitating more towards GMO and preservative free foods. I can tell a HUGE difference. When we eat clean, both Jeffrey and I have more energy and have zero bloating. I never look at carbs, sugars, or fat. All I care about is no preservatives, it is so freeing. We have been "clean eating" for 2 years and gluten free for over 5! Since then Jeffrey has lost over 30 pounds and I am now smaller then I was in college and even high school!

Hippie status #3 is essential oils. I have jumped on the band-wagon and I am never getting off. We have been diffusing tons of oil mixtures and I have noticed a big change in our sleep patterns. My favorite mixture is eucalyptus and peppermint. The other night I was pretty stressed so I put some lavender across my forehead, I kid you not, in about 10 minutes I was completely calm. If you know my hyper-active self, that is amazing!

I have become a pilates hippie woman which brings me to hippie status #4. I am "that person" who checks her posture and makes sure her spine moves in all directions each day. My pilates instructor is basically amazing and I can tell a difference in the way I stand and sit. My favorite piece of equipment is the jump board. We have a love/hate relationship!

Lastly, hippie status #5, is vitamins. I have been taking Juice plus, fish oil, catalyst, and on guard (by essential oils) everyday for 4 months. I am so alert and have completely eliminated the 2:30/3:00 crash. Y'all, I feel so clear headed, it is crazy. I had no idea how foggy and tired my life was until I began taking vitamins. In addition to that, I have not been sick once. Not even a cold! Lets all go knock on wood please. This mixture works great for me, but I would suggest trying different (all natural) vitamins until you find the right blend for you.

So there you  have it, five reasons why I am a total hippie in heels. I would highly recommend trying any of these options, they will do nothing but help you and it can't hurt to try. If you would like anymore information about anything please contact me. What quirks do you have?

-Kelsey 

Game-night!

Please excuse my horrendous appearance, I just get so excited about game-nights.

One of my favorite things to do in the entire world is game-night. There is nothing better than snuggling around a table with good friends in competition. It's great. I may not be the most competitive and I hardly ever win, but I love board games, card games, heck I like any game.

It should be no surprise that Jeffrey and I rang in the new year with friends by, you guessed it, playing games. Here are a list of my five favorite games:

5. Flux // This was one of our first card games given to us by friends in Raleigh. This is a game where the rules are always changing so it keeps you on your toes. I love that we can play this game 100,000,000 times and it will always be different.

4. Pandemic // In this game you literally save the world from virus. I like to pretend I work for the CDC when I play this game. The most appealing thing is Jeffrey and I can play it together without a large group of people.

3. Coup // What I love about this game is, YOU GET TO LIE!!!! I hate lying and I cannot lie to save my life, but I love this game. I think the fact that everyone is lying and that it is acceptable makes it okay for me. If you don't have this game, it is a must have!

2. Cards Against Humanity // I mean, come on, who doesn't like this game? It is amazing, don't lie!

And the #1 game-night game is..... *drum roll please*

1. Exploding Kittens // This game is not as horrible as it sounds. The idea is to not explode so you have cards to make other players draw cards. It is an exciting game full of suspense. Defiantly a must have for any game-night.

All of these can be found on Amazon.
What are some of your favorite games? I would love to add more to our game-night repertoire. Happy gaming blogging world!!!

-Kelsey 

Reality!

Jeffrey flies out today (Monday, for those of you still on "Holiday time") for his new job and will be gone longer than usual because he is the "new" boss and it's a "new" project during a new year. There is a lot of "NEW", which means I will be manning the house in Charleston... aka, "new" is EVERYWHERE! I do not like "new", I do not like change, yet, God has always given Jeffrey and I "new" and change constantly. With each "new" and with each change, our lives get better and we improve and grow. This "new" will be no different. Now, lets do a running count on how many times I used the word "new"... no? okay! Moving on.

Now that my rambling is done, on with my point. With all this "new" (there is that word again) and change, I wanted the week before Jeffrey left to be magical and wonderful and full of love and snuggles. Please, excuse me while I go laugh hysterically in a corner... here is the reality!

Kelsey's fantasy: Snuggling on the couch and watching funny movies laughing together.
Reality: Jeffrey watched a ridiculous movie only he could understand and I, Kelsey ran around the house cleaning and organizing like a mad woman.

Kelsey's fantasy: The house is clean and we paint and clean together getting ready to sell our home.
Reality: Our house is still a mess and we are almost halfway done painting.

Kelsey's fantasy: We cook breakfast together and talk long into the afternoon.
Reality: We cook breakfast (WIN!), but then we get hooked in the show "Making a Murderer" and we binge watch the show until at least 3:00 which wastes our day. Oh, and we never really talked unless it was about our awesome lawyer skills obviously.

Kelsey's fantasy: We go on runs together and talk while we enjoy the view of the bridge or beach.
Reality: We didn't run! Read above where we basically binge watched Netflix.

As you can see, my Disney-romance-brain has a very skewed version of reality. Although reality is very different then what I want, I would not trade the reality we have for anything. Marriage is hard, it's vulnerable, and it can be down right frustrating sometimes. At the end of the day if my reality is being Jeffrey's wife in a messy house with full, lazy bellies then I am one happy girl! Happy New Year! May your reality be all that God has intended.

-Kelsey 

#lifegoals

Time flies when you're having fun! I cannot believe it is almost 2016. Whoa, where is time going? Although it is not quite 2016, the year is proving to be a good one for the Nelsons! Here are a few things we have to look forward to:

• Jeffrey has a new job he is SO excited about!

• Our home is going on the market mid-January.

• I love my current work place and will begin a side job as a client manager in January (so excited).

• I am excited to continue Pilates and see my body change even more.

• 2 cabin trips have been booked (can you tell we love a mountain getaway)

• We are planning a trip to Ireland in September!!

• We also have a trip to Texas to visit friends in the works.

• My sister-in-law and best friend are getting married in 2016.

As you can see, we have a lot of new and exciting things planned already for the new year. As a type-A goal setter, I have been thinking a lot about my goals and what I see for Jeffrey and I in the New Year. Since we had LONG car rides from SC to GA, then GA to VA, and then from VA to SC (did I mention we travel a lot?) we talked a lot about the new year and goals. Mainly I talked and Jeffrey listened. Here are a few of the goals we "discussed".

Kelsey:

1. Join a bible study group.

2. Learn about client management and grow in the new opportunities ahead.

3. Read more books.

4. Learn to cook.

5. Stop planning the future and trust in God, His plan is much better then mine anyways.

6. Learn to fully trust and believe #5.

7. SAVE money!!! We are going to do two more Live Well and Spend Zero months!

8. Craft more.

9. Take care of my body: pilates, eating healthy, taking vitamins, and drinking more water

10. Learn to brew Kombucha Tea. 

Jeffrey:

1. Join a mens Friday AM Bible study.

2. Get two software certifications 

(sidebar: y'all, he is already working toward one and has only been on the job 3 weeks... what a hardworking man!). 

3. SAVE money!!! We are going to do two more Live Well and Spend Zero months!

4. Balance work life and home life.

5. Make time for dates.

6. Teach Kelsey how to cook.

7. Did I mention SAVE money?!?!

8. read more.

9. Brew more beer and try new recipes.

10. Travel!

Jeffrey's side of the family does a Nativity each year! Jeffrey and I were Joseph and Mary.

Making goals is such a powerful tool to improving your life. Jeffrey and I are BIG goal setters. When we set goals, we make sure they are obtainable and we never give a timeline. We always make sure they are things we would like to slowly integrate into our already hectic lives. We also make sure our goals will better us as individuals and as a couple. What are your goals for 2016?

-Kelsey 

2015 Ultimate Wish List

Y'all I have been talking with the ladies I work with about Christmas wants and wishes for over a month now. I kid you not, teachers know how to make a mean list or 100! After TONS, I mean TONS of lists, sticky notes, debates, and research (y'all, I told you I was crazy organized/type-A) I present my 2015 Christmas wish list!

If we lived in a perfect world all of these would be under my tree. AAAAAAAA-AND, since we don't, I will be pleased with any one. After all, it is about giving. So if you're in a giving mood, here are a few items I wouldn't mind having.

1. Tory Burch flats

2. Diamond earrings

3. Fit Bit Surge

4. Lululemon yoga pants and tops

5. Anything Pilates related... I am obsessed!

Oh Kitchen-aid, Oh Kitchen-aid

Oh Kitchen-aid, Oh Kitchen-aid how lovely are your mixers! But really, someone should make a song out of that because holy-cow, how amazing are kitchen aid mixers. Jeffrey gave it to me a few days ago as an early Christmas gift. Have I ever mentioned how amazing my husband is? Well, he is SO incredibly amazing!

I made Peppermint Chocolate Chip "heaven" Cookies! If you like peppermint and chocolate these are a must try.

ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
• 2 ½ cups gluten free flour (I used cup 4 cup)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 large candy canes, crushed
• 12 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare sheet pans with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and the extract and combine well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Mix well and add to the cookie dough. Combine well.
4. Add the Candy canes and chocolate chips and mix just until the candy has been incorporated.
5. Scoop by the rounded tablespoon onto the pans, leaving lots of room for the cookies to spread (because they will spread quite a bit.)
6. Bake the cookies for 10 minutes and then let them cool for a few moments on the baking pan before transferring them to a cooling rack or counter top.
7. These store really well in the freezer!

What recipes do you love?

-Kelsey 

Tacky Christmas Sweater

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my job? Well, I love being a first grade teacher and my co-workers at Palmetto Christian Academy. One of my favorite festive traditions is the "ugly" Christmas sweater contest. We had such a contest at PCA last week. The teachers pulled out all the stops and we had a great fashion show during chapel. The kids LOVED IT! Y'all, I even won 2nd place!!!

How to get tacky!

1. Buy an ugly sweater at Kholes after you have visited a million other stores a the last minute,

2. Wear a tree skirt as a skirt. They were made for people not trees obviously. 

3. Put on your obnoxious red pants to seal the deal

4. Get ribbon curls and tie it in your hair

5. Strut your ugly self in holiday glory!!!

The amazing PCA 1st grade dream team!!!

Merry Christmas Blogging world! May your sweaters be tacky and your hot coco be sweet!

-Kelsey