Thin Mint Brownies

Today I am linking up with Tamara and Brianna for Tasty Tuesdays!

What's a girl to do with extra boxes of Girl Scout cookies? Well, throw them in a recipe of course! This brownies were so yummy that David, who is not a fan of mint flavored things, had more than a few;-)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 sleeve Thin Mint cookies, crushed

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line an 8 or 9-inch square pan with foil and grease.
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and cocoa until combined.
Add sugar and mix.
Add eggs, one at a time, and mix until mixture is blended.
Stir in vanilla, peppermint extract, flour, and salt.
Fold in Thin Mints.
Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, be careful not to overbake!
 Remove from oven and allow to cool before cutting into squares.
Enjoy!

Emergency Products

Every girl has her emergency go-to products. The ones she couldn't possibly live without and would have to replace if she went on a far off trip and happened to forget one or two (been there, done that, stopped at Target). Here are a few of my must-haves!

I've searched high and low for the perfect mascara, and I think I've finally found it! It lengthens and adds volume without adding a lot of weight. Not to mention, there is no clumping! The fact that David's aunt is a Mary Kay rep is an added bonus:-)

Every Southern belle knows that pearls are the perfect complement to any outfit. I can put mine on with a fancy party dress or to wear with my ball cap running errands. Regardless of what I wear them with they add a classy component to everything I wear!

I've been using this stuff since high school, and there is no hope of getting me to switch! Everyone wants to perfect light moisturizer with SPF, and it's here. I feel my skin absolutely glow whenever I put it on. It evens out my skin tone and makes my face baby soft. Couldn't be happier!

Lip balm is something else I've searched high and low for in my lifetime, so when The Momma introduced me to Burt's Bees I knew there was no going back. It protects and soothes my chapped lips without a lot of weight.

Another great product The Momma introduced me to! Aren't mommas just the best?? This is a great face wash for all skin-types, especially my combination skin. It removes my makeup and cleanses my skin without a lot of lather. Not to mention, my skin doesn't dry out! Score!

What are some of your go-to products??

Friday Letters [06.08]

It is a FANTASTIC Friday with Ashley over at Adventures of Newlyweds!

Dear John, We are so excited to celebrate your graduation and many accomplishments this weekend! I remember when I first met you you were a wee little 8th grader and now you're all grown up! We know you are going to succeed in all avenues of your life. NC State better watch out for the next Mobley!

Dear students, So long, farewell, you know the rest. It's certainly been a year of ups and downs, but we made it! I wish you the best of luck in high school and beyond. Don't ever forget to "stay gold".

Dear body, You're killing me here. Between the pulled muscle that I thought I had finally overcome to the pure exhaustion this past month, I'm a little disappointed. What can I do to get you to rally a bit more?? I'm tried of feeling like ick!

Dear readers, Can I ask you a favor? Would you be a dear and vote for my plate?? The always sweet Amanda at Sweet Tea Paperie is hosting a contest for the best plate designs. The winning three will have their plates made! Pretty, pretty please vote for "Lauren M". It's the precious pink and green one. Is anyone surprised by that??
 

Dear David, Thank you. Thank you for your patience with my crazy these past few weeks. Thank you for reminding me to laugh and not stress so much. Thank you for making sure I realize that our time here on this earth is precious and we should make the most of it. Thank you for being you.

Sometimes and Always

Today I am linking up with the sweet Megan from Mackey Madness for Sometimes and Always!

Sometimes: I got to the grocery store for a few things.
Always: I come out with more than I intended to buy.

Sometimes: Daisy's incessant whining makes me want to scream
Always: I hold it in because she is precious

Sometimes: I tell myself I'm not going to get dessert
Always: I eat some sort of sweet treat.

Sometimes: I crave takeout for lunch at school.
Always: I wait til the weekend to go out with my hubby!

Sometimes: I have grand plans of not drinking caffeine after lunch.
Always: I end up drinking tea or coffee or both!

Happy Tuesday all!

Shopping For A Sweet Cause

I have a very serious question for y'all. . . What girl doesn't love shopping? Now an even more serious one, what girl doesn't love shopping for a good cause? I thought y'all would think along the same lines as me. Well, do I have an opportunity for you! All day today you have the superb opportunity of supporting a great cause by shopping!

The super sweet Jodi is up against a pretty nasty beast-MS. She's not the type of lady to let it get her down, though. Instead she is completing a 50 mile walk to raise awareness and money for research and is asking us to shop  to raise money in support of her. There are two great ways to show how much you care.

Click this link to shop at the super precious Sweet Tea Paperie and Amanda will donate 25% of the proceeds!

Click this link and choose Jodi Dwyer as your hostess at checkout. 50% of the proceeds will be donated!

Be sure to check out their great selections and shop for an AMAZING cause!

Bits of Splendor Monday [03.19]

Happy Monday one and all! I am linking up with wonderful Laura for another Bits of Splendor Monday.

Today's link-up coincides perfectly with this past weekend's St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Don't you just love how that works out:-) I've always loved any holidays, no matter how big or small, but St. Patrick's Day remains one of my favorites. I'm not particularly sure why. Perhaps it's my Irish heritage (I do have blonde and practically see-thru pale skin) or it's the fact that everyone wears green to celebrate (my favorite color!). Who knows the real reason, the fact of the matter is I love it!

We celebrated by heading to our new local favorite, Afton Tavern, with a few friends. This was one of those stellar times when new friends meet old friends and everyone gets along famously. Hooray! We all settled in for mugs of green beer, deliciously greasy food (I did run that morning. . .), and a few good basketball games. A few pictures from the night:

Festive brews!

Our only picture from the evening.

The pretty flowers behind me

Brian listening intently to Scott

Scott returning the favor and listening intently to Brian

The stellar set-up!

David decided to be anti-social that evening

It was a marvelous time of relaxing and enjoying the many blessings God have bestowed upon us! Where are you finding bits of splendor in your life?

Bits of Splendor Link-Up!

I'm linking up with Laura over at Bits of Splendor for this Monday's Bits of Splendor Monday! 

I read her fabulous blog on a regular basis and felt compelled to link-up today thanks to the fabulous day that was had yesterday. Laura blogs about the its of wonderful, or splendor, that she finds in her day to day. I fully believe that it is the little moments in life that make life the incredible thing that it is. If we are too busy racing around only focusing on the big details, we miss all the little ones!

Yesterday I posted about the precious baby cow one of the "Sammies" has blessed the farm with. It was so exciting for this city girl to see the calf stumbling around after its momma. It was so cute with its adorable face. Too bad Momma Sammie was not interested in letting it come near the fence. I'll be back out there this afternoon with carrots and apples to see if I can lure it over for a better picture! David and I are also taking name suggestions. We have the Chick-fil-A cow (I'll give you one guess what it looks like), the Sammies (two brown cows that we can't really tell apart), Big Ben (a BIG mean-looking black cow), and Bambi (this was the littlest one last August when we moved in and he reminded us of Bambi).

Look closely and you can see the baby getting some lunch!

The day got even better as it warmed up. I had quite a lot of school to do (the work of a teacher never ends!) but I was able to move to our front porch by the afternoon. I plunked myself down in one of the fabulous rocking chairs my husband made. I sat there for hours catching up on school work and soaking in the Vitamin D. The only thing missing was a glass of wine but I figured that wouldn't be a good idea considering I was working on some grading!

The day of wonderful continued with a delicious supper of grilled pork chops, baked sweet potatoes, and roasted asparagus. Mm mm mm! It was the perfect meal to finish off the weekend. David and I then snuggled up on the couch to catch up on our new favorite show-Kitchen Nightmares. Never seen it? Get on hulu now! Gordan Ramsay is so lovingly harsh you can't help but love him for what he's doing. We discovered this weekend that hulu has THREE seasons of it! If we don't answer our phones in the evenings for the next few weeks, you know why. . .

How do you find bits of splendor in your day?

Friday's Letters [03.02]

Happy Friday y'all! I am linking up with Adventures of Newlyweds for another edition of Friday's Letters.

Dear Kellie, Happy Birthday beautiful girl! When did we get to be so old?? Can't wait to celebrate our platinum anniversary soon:-)

Dear Weekend, Thank you for arriving. I am positively stoked to rest and relax this weekend, though we all know Davido and I will get too antsy from laying around and will find a project to work on.

Dear Wardlets, Y'all are too wonderful and I miss you terribly. Come visit soon!

Dear old lady body, Please stop aching. I'd really like to make it through a run without having to stop halfway through and walk.

Dear IKEA, Thank you for the ridiculous amount of inspiration your mock rooms provide, but please stop tempting us with your "easy" projects. We all know those wooden rods do not fit as easily as they should. You're not fooling anyone, you brilliant Swedes.

Dear Co-workers, Thank y'all for the many awesome ways you remind me not to take life too seriously. Without your reality checks I might go a little crazy at times. Then again, crazy seems to be our norm :-)

Top 5 Tuesday-Pump Up Music!

Today I am linking up with just peachy on my favorite songs that pump me up for a good workout! I posted a while back on how I was a "wannabe runner". What does that mean? I'd love to be someone who runs daily to stay in shape and even complete a 5K or two, but unfortunately something always happens before I can accomplish that. Right now I'm trying to conquer stress fractures thanks to the steroids from my minimal change disease thinning my bones. The fun never ends around here:-) When I can run, here are a few songs that get me pumped up:

Ready To Run

Dixie Chicks

Not your traditional running song, but it gets me started!

It Will Rain
Bruno Mars

Another unusual one, but I get into a rhythm with this one.

OMG
Usher (featuring will.i.am)

This was also the song stuck in my head on my wedding day. Odd? Perhaps, but it got me pumped up!

Don't Stop Believing 
Glee version

If you don't understand how this one made the list, I'm not sure we can be friends!

Firework
Katy Perry

Another good one to pick up my pace.

I also found this stellar website that helps you find play lists to match your pace and speed. Awesome! What gets you pumped during a workout??

Our Love Story Link Up

In honor of Valentine's Day I am linking up with From Mrs. to Mama to share our love story!

1. How long have you and your significant other been together?

Our second wedding anniversary is in June, but we've been together almost five years. Wow, time sure does fly!

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?}

Boy met girl freshman year of college.
Things just didn’t line up so boy and girl became friends.
Boy and girl went home for summer and hung out a few times.
Boy and girl went back to school and went on their very first date to Crapplebee’s.
Boy and girl started dating.
Girl’s sister has liver transplant and their relationship went through heavy stuff pretty quickly.
Boy and girl learn more about each other and their faith
Boy and girl fell in love.
Boy and girl have to do the long distance thing temporarily and hated it.
Boy and girl got engaged.
Boy and girl graduated from college.
Boy and girl got married!
A year and a half later boy and girl are still ridiculously in love:-)

 

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

Almost two years

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? 

Our wedding was medium-ish. Around 175 of our family and friends celebrated our special day with us.

 

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share!

I don't know if I can remember them all! Bubba, Bubbsy, Lovey, Babycakes, and I'm sure there are a few more that I'm missing. 

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

-His strong faith and unmatched love of Christ.

-The way he supports me in anything and everything I want to do.

-His sense of humor and how he keeps me laughing at every turn. 

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

 The silly boy tricked me into meeting him at the lake near his apartment where he told me how much he loved me. Then he got down on one knee and asked me that magical question. I said yes and the rest is history!

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?

Neither and that is completely OK with me! I'm not a big fan of mushy gushy stuff either.

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?

Can I say both? It definitely depends on my mood.

 

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere?

Go on a mission trip together.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day. 

Since his birthday is so close to Valentine's Day we always celebrate both together. This year we are celebrating at home by cooking a special supper together. I couldn't be more excited!

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?

Like I said above, I'm not really into the mushy gushy stuff so I'm going to go with no. I'm just excited for a night relaxing together!

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love. 

Communicate! Talk about everything:-)

 

14.  Show us a picture of what love means to you.

Tag . . Again!

Happy Friday blog world! I hope this day finds everyone in a wonderful place. Lucky for me, I was tagged again! This time around it was by Beth at Sweet Southern Pearl. Be sure to pop on over and say hello:-)

1.  What is your favorite thing about blogging?
I love sharing the fun of our lives and all the love I receive from my readers. When I started I had no clue all the friendships that could begin!

2.  If you could pick ONE artist to listen to for the rest of your life, who would it be and why?
Ahhh, such a tough question! Hmm, probably the marvelous T.Swizzle (Taylor Swift for you normal folk). I love all her stuff!

3.  What is one quality you look for in a significant other?(this is a repeat question but I liked it)

A strong relationship with God. That is one of the biggest things that drew me to my sweet hubby.

4.  If there was only ONE season in the year, what would you want it to be?
SPRING! Hands down, Spring is my favorite time of the year.

5.  Heels or flats?
There is a time and place for everything, heels and flats included!

6.  What is the best vacation you've ever been on?
This is a tie. Either our honeymoon to Disney World or our week in Charleston, SC for Spring Break last year. Both were incredibly special for different reasons!

7.  What's your favorite perfume/scent?
I don't really wear perfume because I just love the smell of lotions. 

8.  Favorite outfit (type) to wear?
Sundresses and Jacks:-)

9.  What's your life motto or a quote you live by?
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. I remind myself of this each morning as I walk into school.

10.  What do you think is the best quality to have in a friend?
Support. The support of a true friend can take you anywhere.

11.  What's your favorite television show?

Another toughie! Our "shows" are Modern Family, Once Upon A Time, The Office, Glee, and New Girl. Wow, didn't realize we had so many! I'd have to say that Mod Fam is my most favorite of them all.

Tag, You're It!

A while back I was tagged by the sweet Ashley over at The Christian Wife Life and the precious Tamara at T times 3 for a fun little blog game. I figured I'd wait a few days and ponder the questions before I answered, so here goes!

the rules. . .

one: you must post the rules.

two: post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

three: answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

four: tag eleven people and link them on your post

five: let them know you've tagged them!

fun facts. . .

 one: I'm a sucker for anything chocolatey and pepperminty

two: I'm a total book worm. 

three: I'm still trying to figure out what I want to be when I grow up

four: I am old lady who struggles to stay up past 10pm

five: I'm a bit of a bossy boots/control freak. Must be the oldest child in me. . .

six: my husband is my best friend

seven: Billy Joel's "Greatest Hits" is the most played album on my iTunes

eight: I do not enjoy the month of January and start the countdown to Spring as soon as Christmas is over!

nine: I have known some of my best friends for twenty years!

ten: If my husband would let me I would adopt every abandoned pup at the pound

eleven: Oddly enough, I really enjoy grocery shopping.

questions . . .

(I'm answering some from Ashley and some from Tamara!)

1. Where is your favorite place to shop?

Target, Gap Outlet, Old Navy, J Crew, and anywhere I can get a good sale!

2. What food could you eat every day?

Sweet potatoes, mm mm mm

3. What is your favorite animated movie?

For the longest time it was "Monster's Inc" but nowadays I'd have to say it's "Up" because the old man on there reminds me of my Pappy!

4. What was your best subject in school?

language arts, what a cowinky dink that is what I teach:-)

5. What shows are you watching these days?

Mod Fam, Once Upon A Time, New Girl, and The Office

6. What is something you collect?

Anything with pineapples on it. For those of you non-Southerners, pineapples are the traditional sign of "welcoming"

7.Where is the furthest place you have been from home?

I went to the Grand Canyon with my best friend Kelley and her parents in high school

8. If you could go on vacation to anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Right now Savannh, GA is on my radar or anywhere tropical 

9. What is a TV show that you absolutely won't miss?

Jersey Shore. That show is such trash!

10. Do you have any "favorite kid" names planned out for your future children? (C'mon, we all do!)

We have a few in mind, but I don't want to spoil the surprise;-) 

11. What is the first thing you do in the mornings?

Run.

 Since most of my sweet blog friends have already been tagged I'm going to leave it open to anyone else who wants to do it! 

Cover 2 Cover Book Club #1

 Today I am linking up with the wonderful Ashley and Crystal for a book club link-up! The marvelous book?

 How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

by: Jordan Christy

1. What do you think is the most important piece of advice that Jordan Christy gave in this book?

 I think the most important piece of advice that the fabulous Jordan gives us is to consider how we are living for our daughters. I don't have any daughters yet (or children for that matter!), but it is certainly something to consider. Why don't we live a better life for them now so when they come along we are ahead of the game?

2. What do you think is the most obnoxious “Stupid Girl” characteristic?

Selling out to please others!

3. There were SO many great quotes in this book. Do you have a favorite?

I loved quote at the beginning of the Conclusion form Eleanor Roosevelt-"It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness". I think this is telling us to stop whining about what is wrong with the world and do something to make it right!

4. What do you hate most about how our modern day media portrays women? Which celebrity do you dislike the most?

I hate that women are portrayed as stupid and materialistic. What's even worse is when women play into it and make that stereotype worse!

 5. Jordan Christy said that one of the best ways to cultivate a healthy self-image is by celebrating your positive and unique qualities. If you have the time, take the “9 Types” Personality Test here: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/dis_sample_36.asp Did you discover anything new about yourself? Which type are you? Which traits do you feel are most representative of you?

I am split evenly between Type Two (The Helper) and Type Nine (The Peacemaker). Both of these fit right into who I am! As an oldest child I have always been a nurturer and the mama duck keeping all the ducklings in a line. Here is a little more on each of the descriptions:  

-Helper: The caring, interpersonal type. Twos are empathetic, sincere, and warm-hearted. They are friendly, generous, and self-sacrificing, but can also be sentimental, flattering, and people-pleasing. They are well-meaning and driven to be close to others, but can slip into doing things for others in order to be needed. They typically have problems with possessiveness and with acknowledging their own needs. At their Best: unselfish and altruistic, they have unconditional love for others.

-Peacemaker: The easy-going, self-effacing type. Nines are accepting, trusting, and stable. They are usually grounded, supportive, and often creative, but can also be too willing to go along with others to keep the peace. They want everything to go smoothly and be without conflict, but they can also tend to be complacent and emotionally distant, simplifying problems and ignoring anything upsetting. They typically have problems with inertia and stubbornness. At their Best: indomitable and all- embracing, they are able to bring people together and heal conflicts.

 

 6. What are the top 5 things on your Smart Girl list? (goals to become a more articulate, knowledgeable, and well-rounded person.. see Jordan’s list on page 62)

This is actually something I've been praying about a lot recently. A few items on my "smart girl list":

1. Pursue higher education-not quite sure how or when, but do something!
2. Connect more often with our families
3. Go on a mission trip
4.   Travel to new places
5. Become more creative in my cooking

 7. One of Jordan’s suggestions for staying out of a rut with your group of friends is to travel together to your “signature cities.” If you have time, take the signature cities quiz here: http://www.testq.com/career/quizzes/84-whats-your-signature-city You will have to make an account to get your results, but it’s definitely worth it. What’s your signature city? Have you ever been there? Do you ever see yourself visiting your signature city in the future? Would you ever consider traveling to your signature city with your group of friends?

My "signature city" is Savannah, GA. I have never been here, but was talking to David the other day about making a point to visit Savannah in the new year! Savannah as my "signature city" makes sense, though. I mean, I love anything and everything about charming Southern cities with great history. Can't wait to visit soon!

 8. Overall, what did you think about the book? What was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite?

Overall, I thought this was a great book! I really enjoyed it and plan on passing it on to a few friends. My favorite parts were the ones on manners and living with class, because that is something I think all women can achieve. My least favorite part was the part about dating because it wasn't really applicable to me anymore! 

As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.

Audrey Hepburn

Blog Love!

I am elated to report that I have received my first blogger award-wahoo!! Many thanks to the marvelous Brianna over at Adventures of the Southern Wife. I know I've said it before, but I'm going to say it again (and probably a bunch more times!) I am so thankful for all the wonderful people I have connected with in the blogging world. Who knew so many stellar ladies were out there??

The Rules for this award:

1-Nominate 15 fellow bloggers.

2-Inform the bloggers of their nomination.

3-Share 7 random things about yourself.

4-Thank the blogger who nominated you.

5-Add the Versatile Blog Award picture on your blog post.

The following are my must-reads. Don't know them? Make them a part of your list too!

1. Addison over at Carolina On My Mind

2. Abbie at Eight Days A Week

3. Ashley over at The Christian Wife Life

4. Robin over at Our Semi Organic Life

5. Abbie at So Ouisie

6. Ryann over at joy, joy, unspeakable joy

7. Lauren over at Wifestyles

8. Caitlin over at Peaches and Pearls

9. Pamela at Pamela's Place

10. Lauren over at Finding Community

11. Kara at Matt and Kara Adopt

12.Lauren at Not Your Average Southern Belle

13. Rachel over at just peachy

14. Claire at Life in the Sweet Virginia Breeze

15. Last but not least The Life of Delta Daisies

Seven random things about me. . .
1. I'm a bit of a homebody and love nights curled up on the couch with my two loves!
2. I love to bake-anything and everything!
3. I do not like the cold weather. In fact, I think that after Christmas it should be summer again.
4. It's not a good day until I've made a to-do list (hello, Type-A personality)
5. I positively adore all holidays and am constantly looking for things to celebrate.
6. Charleston, SC is my favorite place in the world to visit!
7. I am so immensely blessed by the wonderful people in my life!

Thank you again to Brianna and to all the wonderful ladies whose blogs help keep me merry:-)

Christmas Came Early

It's already been a very MERRY Christmas here at the Mobley house. Why, you may ask. What has made the merry Mrs. Mobley even more merry?? Well. . . Christmas came early and it came in the form of an ipad2!!!

My posts for the next few weeks may be few and far between until the newness of our new toy wears off. I apologize in advance! I already have an iPhone and use a Mac (yea, you could say I'm kind of obsessed with Apple products. . .), but I'm new to the iPad. My question for y'all is, what are some good apps for the iPad? We've already picked up a few for news (USA Today and CNN) and a few for viewing (Netflix and Crackle), but we're in search of more! Any suggestions??

Also, I'm linking up with the wonderful Latte Love on an awesome Blogger Map. Want to see what local bloggers are near you in your travels?? Link up too!