All About Moi

Found this nifty questionnaire on The Dansha Diaries and since I thought it was cool I decided I would do one all about me!

All about moi:
NICKNAMES: The Famous Ashley Grant, that’s about it as of
late. My maiden name led to nicknames that I shall not repeat. Kids can be
cruel….
BIRTHDAY: 08-14 (I would give the year but that would, like a
pin to a balloon, burst the illusion of my real age.)
ZODIAC: Leo
HEIGHT: 5’4.5 – Yep! I’ve got a half in my height!
EYE COLOUR: blue
HAIR COLOR: dark brown but I’m thinking of dying it auburn again
HANDED: Right
FROM: Pineville, KY but have lived in Tampa, FL
since I was a one year old.
PETS: Sadly none, but I will change this once I get a place
that doesn’t charge RENT for an animal!!!
FAMILY: Just a few on my husband’s side but too many to count on mine…
PERSONALITY: Awesome! DUH! I’m wild and loud and crazy and
fun.
LIKES: Writing, taking pictures, blogging, traveling
(although I don’t do it enough yet- planning on changing this too!), cooking,
crafting, hanging out with the hubster!
DISLIKES: Stress, uncertainty, controversy, loneliness
FAVORITE ACCENTS: Australian, Southern a.k.a redneck- feels like home. LOL!
FAVORITE ANIMALS: Cats and dogs! They both have qualities I love so it’s a tie
between the two.
FAVORITE BOOKS: 4 Hour Work Week by Tim Ferris  and My So CalledFreelance Life by Michelle Goodman
FAVORITE COLORS: Hot pink and black-together not separate!
FAVORITE COUNTRY: America for sure, but I have not
traveled enough of the world to make that my final answer.
FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK: Sunday- I always seem the most
relaxed on a Sunday
FAVORITE DRINK: Diet Pepsi- don’t judge!
FAVORITE FLOWER: Carnations have always been my favorite.
FAVORITE HOLIDAYS: Christmas – I prefer giving gifts over receiving though
FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR: Cookie Dough!
FAVORITE MONTH: January- new beginnings!
FAVORITE NUMBER: 2
FAVORITE POSSESSIONS: My laptop and camera
FAVORITE QUOTES: “The stuff you own ends up owning you”
“If you don’t like what you are doing, change it!”
“It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan.”
FAVORITE SHOES: My sneakers. They’re the most comfortable!
FAVORITE SPORT: To watch- football, but only live. To
play- none- I have no coordination!
FAVORITE THINGS TO DO:  Travel to new
places, eat new foods, try new things, explore
THREE THINGS THAT SCARE ME
1. Spiders and snakes
2. The dark
3. Death
THREE THINGS I’D LIKE TO LEARN
1. How to make a million dollars and then actually do it!
2. Spanish
3. How to be more independent
THREE THINGS ON MY DESK
1. Laptop
2. My cell phone
3. A caffeinated beverage!
THREE PARTS OF YOUR HERITAGE
1. German
2. Cherokee Indian
3. English
THREE THINGS I SAY THE MOST
1. Saysa Rawr! (Don’t ask. LOL)
2. Oh hai!
3. Not sure what else I say the most. Haha
So now you all know a lot little about me!

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

 

Virgin Sangria Recipe

I found an awesome mocktail recipe for Virgin Sangria (below) that I’m dying to try. As soon as I make another coupon list I’ll be heading to the store to buy the materials to make this yummy looking drink. According to reviews it’s a hit. Looking forward to trying it 🙂

What’s your favorite mocktail recipe?

Virgin Sangria (Source for Recipe)

Ingredients:

– 3 cups unsweetened grape juice

– 3/4 cup apple juice concentrate

– 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

– 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

– 1 small unpeeled lemon, sliced and seeded

– 1 small unpeeled orange, sliced and seeded

– 1 small unpeeled apple, cored, cut into eights

– 1 3/4 cups club soda or 1 3/4 cups sparkling water

 
Directions:
1
Combine all the ingredients except the soda/sparkling water in a large pitcher.

2 Stir well, and chill.
3 Add soda/sparkling water just before serving.
4 Serve over ice in wineglasses.Source for Recipe

My Deepest Regret….

My biggest regret is how often I have neglected to live in the present moment. Rather than enjoy every single day to it’s fullest, I was always thinking about upcoming things. I can’t wait until I get to high school became I can’t wait until graduation became I can’t wait until college became I can’t wait to get married….you get the idea….

Too often I have looked forward to something rather than being happy with my current state of, well, being. I keep saying things like I can’t wait to go to Europe, I can’t wait to get a place of my own, I can’t wait to be blah blah blah…. If I died today would they put on my tombstone “she couldn’t wait for this”? That’s a scary thought. Am I just going to keep fast forwarding my life until that final day of my life comes? I don’t want to live like a person rushing to die!

I realize that I have taken many things for granted. So, I’m planning to do something I’ve never REALLY done before and that’s stop looking forward. Yes, I’ve said this in the past, but I’ve got to commit to living in the current moment and being 100% content with where I am right now.

I’ve got a lot of things I want to do, but planning to do them should not be all I think about. This way of thinking has kept me in a deep depression that I hide from the world. I constantly think about the things I haven’t done, haven’t achieved, haven’t received, and it keeps me feeling a sense of lack that makes me so sad.

I should instead be looking at what I HAVE done, what I HAVE achieved, what I HAVE received and be grateful for the abundance of things in my life I overlook and take for granted daily.

I saw this awesome photo on facebook and plan to really commit to this:

No more regrets! I forgive myself for always trying to fast forward my life and am excited to be here today and be here every day from now on. I will keep working towards my goals and dreams but I will not center my life on the future anymore. I will be grateful for all that I have right now and be grateful for all that I receive in each moment for the rest of my days. Tomorrow CAN wait, let’s enjoy today while today is still here!



Source for image above.

Why Mondays are Awesome According to The Buried Life

cute happy Monday image

Found this on the facebook page of The Buried Life and loved it so much I HAD to share it- “I know today is Monday and you assume it’s going to suck, but according
to statistics, there will be over 5,000 weddings, 10,000 childbirths,
and 42 million hugs occurring today throughout the United States. Also
today, there will be at least 4 people that will win the multimillion
dollar lotteries, 600 people will get promotions at work, and 3,000
people will lose their virginity. There will also be 600 dogs adopted,
35,000 balloons sold, and 800,000 skittles eaten. Plus, the words ‘I
love you’ will be said over 9 million times. So again, I know today is
Monday and you assume it’s going to suck, but just smile, because
according to statistics, it should actually be a really nice day.”

Have you heard of the show The Buried Life? The premise is simple. What Do You Want to Do Before You Die? This simple question spawned what is now a more than 6 year journey of four young guys trying to cross items off their bucket list. One of the coolest things to me about their journey is that for every item they accomplish on their list they have to help a stranger accomplish something on the stranger’s list.

I just finished watching Season 2 last night and immediately went online and purchased their book and I can’t wait to get it and read it!!! These guys are a massive inspiration to me.

Like them on facebook and while you are there, like me too 🙂

Source for image above.

This post may contain a link to an affiliate. See my disclosure policy for more information.

 

5 Things I Have Learned From Sarah Jenks

Have you heard of Sarah Jenks? I confess, I only recently learned about her. However, now that I know who she is and what she does, I’m a fan!

The Reader’s Digest version about Sarah Jenks is that she is an advocate for the empowerment of women who teaches them to “Live More, Weigh Less”. Regardless of where you are now in mind, body and spirit, her goal “is to change the landscape of the way women relate to their bodies and to redefine what it takes to be happy.”

Do you see why I became an instant fan? Ah, she is amazing. Watching her free training videos got me pumped up enough to make changes in my own life too.

Here are 5 Things I Have Already Learned From Sarah Jenks

1. You should not wait until you have lost weight for your dreams to come true. Instead of focusing so much on all the things you will do “when you are thin” do them now! Why wait on the weight?

2. You should not be working out. Instead, you should be moving and having fun and getting in tune with your body. Why pump iron and hate it when you can go out dancing and have a blast? Why get bored on a treadmill when instead you could join a friend for a walk on the beach. Moving your body is way better than “working out”. If it’s a chore, it’ll be a bore!

3. Diets don’t work. Sure, you can lose weight but eventually you will give up on your diet and possibly gain all the weight back, if not more.- I can DEFINITELY relate to this. I was on a crazy diet last year and once I could no longer stand being on it, I went right back to my old eating ways and gained every last damn pound back. No! I’m not proud of it, but it proved to me that Sarah is right, diets simply don’t work.

4. You can make a change right now! You can begin doing things to make your dreams come true regardless of where you are in life.
5. Getting spiritual can help you “find the magic in everyday life”. Connecting with a higher power, meditating and just getting in tune with your mind can help you find your happiness regardless of your situation.

 

 

Things Pinterest Taught Me: Things to Do With Peeps

peeps

Last year I wrote a post called Things Pinterest Taught Me: Things to Do With Cadbury Eggs. This Easter I think it’s a Peeps kind of day 🙂 So, here are five things you can do with Peeps

1. Peeps s’mores!!! Pinned HERE and Here is a recipe to make them.
2. Dip Peeps in Chocolate and make Peeps Pops or Tuxedo Peeps or even Peep Kabobs!

3. Make a beach party peep that is “swimming” in Jello – perfect for Florida. Check it out HERE!

4.  Use your peeps to adorn a sunflower cake, a cupcake or even a cupcake peep push-pop.

Like the Cadbury Eggs post, if these ideas don’t tickle your fancy you could always just settle for eating them right out of their package =) Happy Easter! May your Peeps be a plenty and may all their calories not stick to you!

Follow me on Pinterest HERE!

Source for image above


Things Pinterest Taught Me: Things to Do With Cadbury Eggs

Anyone who knows me knows lately I’ve been OBSESSED with Pinterest!!! Oh my goodness! Some might say I’ve even been PINSPIRED!!! Since joining the site I’ve made organizers, thrown out clutter, made homemade laundry detergent (future post coming about it!), made a knockoff of febreze, windex and hand soap and so much more!! I frikkin’ love the site. Lately on the site I’ve been learning a ton about Cadbury Eggs. In the spirit of Easter weekend I decided to share with you the things I’ve learned you can do with a Cadbury Egg!

1. Cadbury Cupcakes! Pinned here. Blogged about here. The shear genius of this is hard to deny. Add one Cadbury Eggs to the center of 24 chocolate cupcakes before baking and then add another after you ice them for a double dose of awesome with each cup of sugary heaven!

2. Cadbury Brownies! Pinned here. Blogged about here. Okay, so these brownies don’t ACTUALLY have any Cadbury Eggs in them, but they are inspired by them and the filling made for them is supposed to be very similar to what you would find inside an egg…


3. Make a turducken! Pinned here. Blogged about here. This highly caloric concoction may push you into a diabetic coma and frighteningly enough requires the use of power tools but effectively calls for shoving a mini Cadbury Egg into the body of a peep and then shoving those two into a hollowed out chocolate bunny.

4. Drink your egg! Pinned here. Blogged about here. The Caramel Cadbury Egg martini recipe calls for 1-1/2 ounces Baileys Irish Cream with Caramel, 1/2 ounce crème de cacao, 1 ounce caramel syrup, 1 ounce cream and 1/2 tablespoon Hershey’s chocolate syrup (plus extra Hershey’s chocolate syrup for rim). A few shakes and the garnishing of a Cadbury Egg on the side and there you have it!

5. Go gourmet with Cadbury Egg Brulee! Pinned here. Blogged about here. Four ounces of mini Cadbury Eggs, some heavy cream, eggs, sugar, elbow grease and some time in an oven will leave you with a ramekin filled with chocolatey goodness ready to devour!

If these ideas don’t tickle your fancy you could always just settle for eating them right out of their package. Happy Easter! May your Cadbury Eggs be a plenty and may all their calories not stick to you!