In case you missed this week’s series, check them out here:

• FFF Features: Kickboxing, OIAJ, Naptime Pic
• Self-Love Reflections: Seeking Control

I loved this weekend! It had the perfect amount of productiveness, fun, and relaxation. Saturday morning started with my workout that I shared over the weekend. Then, I headed out for groceries and to get my eyebrows waxed. I needed some eyebrow grooming and now I finally feel like a woman again. Funny aside – the guy who waxed my eyebrows said I have a Scottish accent. Ummm…no. Sorry, dude.

After getting things done Saturday during the day, we had a fun afternoon ahead. Our good friends’ little girl turned one!

A kid’s birthday party may not sound like a good time to many of you, but I love these little get togethers we have.

A) Get to hang out with so many of our friends all at once.

B) All the kids keep each other entertained.

C) Good food is always involved.

I had a snack plate of chips with some corn dip, 7 layer dip, and a veggie bar. X2 because I had to go back for seconds. Plus, a Belgian Shock Top beer. It was a party after all.

D) Birthdays mean cake.

My friend Angie always has a co-worker make cakes for her special events. They are heavenly! This one was a chocolate amaretto cake. As good as it sounds…and looks.

Makenzie made a new best friend during the cake cutting. Grandma “D” (my friend’s mom) served M her own small piece. Enter sugar rush.

See? Kiddo birthday parties are a great time! It was the highlight of our Saturday. After all, Saturday night all we did was eat some pizza and watch the movie Life As We Know It.

Cute. Predictable. Peter fell asleep. You know you wish you had my life. 😉

Question of the Day – Eyebrows - Wax? Tweeze? Threading? Au natural?

I didn’t go to bed until 2 am Monday night. Tuesday morning? Whatever it was, it was a time way too late for me. I had to pick up Peter from the airport and due to some inclement weather…

…his flight got in 3 hours late.Then, just as I was climbing into bed at 1 am, Braedon woke up to eat. Ain’t that just dandy? I should have been a very, very sleepy girl all day Tuesday. Yet, somehow, the day turned out better than expected. I got through quite the workout and a fun play date.

Yesterday morning I hit up the gym for some upper body weights and a run. I did the following upper body workout:

[how I create my strength training plans]

I felt okay but dragged butt the entire time. Soooo slooooow. I figured I wouldn’t have enough energy to do much with my run. Couch to 5K called for alternating 5 minutes of running with 3 minutes of walking. I started off slowly but then kept managing to increase my speed over the course of the workout. I still banged out 2.8 miles in 30 minutes, which makes this beginner runner very happy. I love when a workout turns out better than expected. Such a fabulous feeling!

After my workout and a short stopover at home, we visited a park with some friends for a walk and lunch. We walked for about 40 minutes, then settled in for a picnic. I love picnics. Fresh air. Fresh food. Totally works with my beliefs on making life better.

I had to make due with what we had for transportable food, so I went with a Morningstar Farms Garden Veggie Burger on a sandwich thing with some roasted pine nut hummus, spinach, and tomato.

It turned out better than expected! I coupled it with some snackage in the form of baby carrots, grape tomatoes, and sliced strawberries.

My friend & I had some cutesy dates.

Aren’t they adorable?! Perhaps even cuter…

Every time we come to this park and feed the ducks, I always get a flashback to doing the same with my mom at our local park when I was growing up. I love my mom! For those of you wondering, she is doing very well. The diagnosis seems better than expected as the doctors believe they diagnosed her very early. She feels great, remains positive, and continues to learn as much as she can to face her MS head-on. If I can be even half the woman and mother she is, I will have grown into someone better than I ever expected.

Question of the Day – What has turned out better than expected for you lately?