Monday Morning Motivation

Monday mornings have always been a bit of a 'catch-up' day for me. So, when the storms rolled in this morning, and the thunder started rumbling, I poured myself a hot cup of coffee and started going through my emails from the last 24 hours.

I love the feeling of getting my week started with a bang. And recently, it's been difficult for me to have that feeling of excitement since things around here are much slower than I am used to. But I've got NPR on the radio, its less than 107 degrees, and my to-do list is getting out of control!

There are new client searches to get started, closing details to organize, wedding vendors to respond to, offers to be written (!), and a million little details in between.

Setting the tone for your week early on is a great way to ensure productivity, something that is easy some days and nearly impossible other days. Usually I wake up and get the coffee started, put some essential oils in our diffuser (peppermint, sweet orange, and eucalyptus since it's been so hot), and turn on NPR (or HGTV) so that my brain has a chance to wake up as I'm getting ready.

Then it's on to the emails, and phone calls, and texts. I absolutely love my Day Designer planner because as I'm going through everything I have an easy to fill out blue print for my week! Each day has a timeline progressing in half hours, a notes section, a to-do list chunk, and a spot for top goals (because let's be honest...the top three things on your list are the ones that HAVE to get done).

Some days those are the ONLY things that get done, but that's life. Especially when you are awake half the night because your 70 pound dog is sleeping on your head because the smoke detector is beeping in the guest room and it is the single most terrifying thing he's ever heard.

But! I will get everything done today! And I will do it with a smile on my face because I am thankful, and alive, and motivated woohooo! (How's that for a Monday mantra??)

What are some ways you get started on the right foot on a Monday Morning?

The ABC's of Real Estate: EMR

Most of you know that I am a Realtor by trade, but for those of you who didn't know...I am a Realtor by trade! I've been working a lot over the weekend to revamp my company's Facebook page where we are constantly posting events, listings, market trends, and other helpful tidbits. Check it out and give us a like! I am happy to answer any questions you have :)

Emilie Morgan Realty

What's on the Menu: Fourth of July (Part 2)

It's actually, officially INDEPENDENCE DAY!! However, we celebrated too hard all weekend so I am celebrating by watching Captain America and trying to force my dogs to snuggle as they run about the house barking at fireworks (high five)!

heh heh heh 'Merica

We did have a great BBQ yesterday and were able to spend time with our wonderful friends, eat some amazing food, and drink too much beer. We were ALMOST outnumbered by dogs since all of us are in that awkward 'we don't have kids yet but treat our dogs like they're babies' stage, but the humans won out in the end.

J and I got up early so he could start marinating the ribs in a new homemade sauce (Pineapple Habanero), and I had to get the biscuits and veggie burgers crackin.

The veggie burger recipe is from one of my all time favs Thug Kitchen. They are super easy to make, and only require a few ingredients that we usually have laying around the house:
-3 cans white beans
-an onion
-cumin, chili powder, paprika
-jalepenos
-bread crumbs

All you have to do is bake them for 30 minutes and they are good to go!

The biscuits are another favorite of ours from the Foster's Market Cookbook.
They are amazingly buttery, and cheesy, and delicious! And, they are good for several days after so you can heat them up and have them with breakfast and dinner.

We also had sides galore thanks to our amazing friends, and everyone was stuffed by the end of the night. I for one will be doubling up on Pure Barre this week, especially since Wednesday is Glow Day at the Pensacola Barre studio! (and who doesn't love doing pilates covered in glow paint??)

Here are some photos from our festivities...

Sweet Friends 

Men & Their Fire Sticks

Dog Pile Up

Poodle Mama

Cop & Tuck 

Lovely Milton Ladies

Happy Fourth of July friends! Hope everyone had a wonderful, safe long weekend :)

Let's Talk Food: Our Fourth of July Menu (Part 1)

If BBQ is not synonymous with Independence Day, then I don't know what it, which is awkward because I'm a vegetarian (most of the time). When we cook any meat in our house I am adamant that it comes from our local butcher so I know exactly what farm the meat came from, how the animal was grazed, and any other horrifying details they choose to give me that day.

J is actually kind of a master griller so it makes my vegetarianism quite difficult sometimes. For this weekend, we compromised though with a menu of delicious dishes and sides that cater to all diets! Even my lovely friend who is gluten/soy free (love ya girl!).

With that being said, here is a list of our favorite cookbooks that we whipped out for the occasion!

1. Foster's Market Cookbook
2. Thug Kitchen
3. 12 Bones Smokehouse: A Mountain BBQ Cookbook

These cook books are staples in our kitchen and you should definitely check them out!

For today's cookout J mixed up some of the 12 Bones Chicken Rub and marinated a pork butt in it over night (thank you little piggy butt!) You slow cook the pork in the oven for 4 hours on 275 so it comes out perfect for pulled pork sandwiches or tacos!

The we made the 12 Bones drop biscuits. This is our first time using this homemade biscuit recipe since the Buttermilk Biscuits in Foster's Market Cookbook are so delicious but I'm excited to see how they turn out. Instead of smoked gouda we used chipotle gouda for an extra kick.

12 Bones Chicken Rub

Gouda Drop Biscuits

Kitchen War Zone

What are you cooking for today's festivities??

Happy 2nd of July!

Let the Festivities Begin...

I'm sitting here drinking a G&T, watching Shark Week, snuggling with my dogs...the usual, and I literally just realized that today is Thursday and not Friday. Which is weird because this morning I knew it was Thursday (according to my FB post) See below...

What I'm getting at is that it is BASICALLY Friday now so everything is good, but things got weird there for a while. 

This weekend will be filled with fireworks, junk food, and lots of red, white, and blue down here in good old Florida and I can't wait to spend time with good friends and pig out (aka wear daisy duke overalls, drinks lots of beer, and yell "MERICA" a lot while holding fiery objects). 

In order to prepare for this weekend of unhealthy eating and laziness I went to Pure Barre, did 3 crunches, and didn't eat any cookies (yet...the night is young...but since I'm calling in Friday early I guess were good). 

I've also been very busy updating my Fourth of July Pinterest board, #becauseamerica and you can check it out here for funsies :)

List of the Day: What makes for a good Fourth of July Experience

1. Friends: this one is obvious. You need people to party with, and who better than people you like to be around!! Especially since people will be drinking and we all know everyone gets annoying when they holiday drink so it's good to surround yourself with people you like regardless of their mental state.

2. Game: Corn Hole, Bocci, Volleyball, flip cup...you name it! This is a holiday celebrating America so obviously we need to incorporate a little bit of friendly competition. And beer.

3. America Jello Shots: Maybe this isn't a must for everyone but I always like to include it to really drive home the point, aaaaand it reminds me of tailgating in college. 

4. Greasy food to soak up the alcohol: This IS a must. Grills must be involved. And it's best to alternate greasy food, drink, greasy food, drink, just to be safe. You know the drill. 

5. Nalgene of water: HYDRATE YOUR BODY SO YOU DON'T HATE YOUR LIFE THE NEXT DAY!!! We are not 23 anymore. Hangovers hurt. They make you sad. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. 

So, everyone stay safe! Don't drink and drive! And wear your protective eye gear if you are the master of firework ceremonies!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND!!!

Top 5 of the Week...and GO!

1. Outlander EVERYTHING. If you've not read the books and are looking for an amazing series that takes over your life, this is it. Also, the show. It stays so true to the books and the characters are perfect. We definitely splurged on the Starz Amazon addition just for this show...

Get your copy here!

2. Victoria's Secret bathing suits. We have all heard the sad news by now that they are discontinuing the swim line after this summer. Time to stock up ladies.

3. Beauty Counter make-up. My friend Christine is a rep for this company and she got me hooked. These products focus on natural ingredients, cruelty free composition, and healthy skin. I'm in love.

4. Day Designer. These planners are absolutely on point. They have dedicated areas for your weekly goals, notes, appointments, and to-do lists. Also, they have weekly and monthly spreads which I need so I can figure out what month I am in...

Find yours here :)

5. Pure Barre. If you have never taken a Pure Barre class, you should. As a dancer I thought it looked like a joke and then I went to a class and it broke me. Like literally, broke me and I couldn't walk for 3 days. Now I love it (and hate it). It hits all of those weird hard to reach muscles and you will feel immediate results, aka pain. Do it!

So, there you have it! The top five for this week! Go play!

First Day of Summer

Summer is in full swing here in the sunshine state. Daily thunderstorms pop up and cool the air for a grand total of 10 minutes before you feel like you're swimming through a hot tub again. And in the mornings we wake up to condensation fogging the windows while our AC works overtime to keep the stifling heat out.

When I was younger summer was my absolute favorite. School was out. There was no end to all of the awesome summer activities one could do. We could go to the quarry with floats and Cookout milkshakes, and spend the day floating on the water. We could make the quick two hour drive to wilmington for a beach day (complete with ice cream on the boardwalk and henna tattoos from Wings). Sometimes we would just walk up to Duke Gardens for a picnic. No responsibilities. No obligations. Just pure, easy fun.

And every night there would be something going on. Some house party or camping trip or movie night. I'm not sure if it was the monotony and routine of the school year that made summer seem so magical or if it was something as simple as a REAL season change, unlike what we have down here!

I just got off the phone with my best friend back home and we laughed and talked about how being 'adults' is probably the dumbest thing we have ever done. So many things that used to be exciting and crazy no longer hold that appeal. Probably because we now have responsibilities, bills, and obligations to worry about.

I don't know when that change occurs, and you become somewhat jaded and uninterested or unfocused on what used to make you happy. It's probably a different age for everyone depending on your job, family or what have you. But it's always the same, things start to appear less shiny and fun, like an old toy.

All I know is that I think it is utterly ridiculous to feel obligated to do something or not do something simply because society says its what you are SUPPOSED to do. Of course there are things you can't ignore like your water bill or feeding your dog - but who's to say that you can't still enjoy the things that you used to?

I may be a realtor who is responsible for selling people homes, but I can also enjoy taking an afternoon to float down the Blackwater on an inner tube with friends. It's okay to spend a Friday night in reading an amazing book that you can't put down instead of going out drinking. It's also okay to go to Disney World as an adult and take picture with your favorite princess. The balance seems to evade us in favor of the mundane the older we get, and I am guilty of letting that happen to me regularly.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, on this first day of summer 2016, think back to the basic, simple, every day things that make you happy. Sit on your front porch with a gin and tonic and a good book, get out into your garden and plant some new flowers, call up some old friends and have a dinner party, go for a hike, watch a movie you haven't seen in a while!

Take a minute to breathe and consider that child-like feeling you used to get when something really exciting was about to happen. Then go out and do that!

Happy Summer <3

Adult Disney

Ever since moving to Florida for flight school a year ago, J and I have been trying to pick a weekend to go to Disney World and have the ultimate adult Disney Weekend. Both of us went as young children but hadn't been in 10+ years, so as you can imagine, we felt very strongly about this trip. However, with everything going on down here we never managed to get enough leave or have all of our ducks in a row to make the trip happen.

But! Last week when I got back from NC, J handed me an envelope and told me to open it...and inside were two 4 day park hopper passes that he had gone out and gotten, spur of the moment, for us to use this weekend! I miiiight have the best fiance ever.

MAJOR. Bae. Points.

Needless to say, if there is one thing more magical than Disney World as a child, it's Disney World as a childless adult. We only had two days so we made the most of it by doing Disney Springs for dinner and shopping Friday night, Blizzard beach and Epcot on Saturday, and Magic Kingdom (my fav) on Sunday morning. We definitely didn't get to do everything we wanted to do but luckily we have two days left to you at some point in the near future!

If you are looking for a super fun trip to take as an adult to stir up your inner child, or you just love rides, water parks, and happiness, you need to do an adult disney trip. Not to mention...you can drink beer at the parks when you are old. BOOM. You're welcome.

So, here are some pics from our epic Disney weekend...and yes, we wore mouse ears.

Magic Kingdom!

Being children at Blizzard Beach

Obligatory Castle Pic

Me forcing J to take a car selfie 

Found my veil. Done.

Random people we took shots with at Epcot

Epcot

Pensacola Bucket List

I woke up early this morning, my mind racing with all of the things I need to get organized and taken care of in the following months. The saying "Home is where the Marine Corps sends us" sure is proving true! J selected his platform and it looks like were going Ospreys! Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to be going on another adventure, and VERY happy that this platform guarantees us a small chunk of time in our home state, but it's always a lot of work planning for a PCS especially when one is also planning a wedding. 

The way things are looking now, we will have a few more months here in Florida though so I will be able to wrap up the sales I have going on, spend time with our wonderful friends, and do all of those fun PCS things like; inventory our house, find renters for it, attempt to obtain housing in TX from afar, gather all of our records for the move, find a new job, and...pack. 

I'm definitely becoming a bit of an expert on packing, if I do say so myself ;)

We also decided to come up with a Pensacola/Milton Bucket List to accomplish before we go, and here is what we have come up with so far:

1. Go to a Blue Wahoos game
2. Kayak the Blackwater
3. Pensacola Bay Brewery
4. Florabama *cringe*
5. Beach it up!!
6. Irish Wakes at Maguire's
7. Bands on the Blackwater
8. Pensacola Lighthouse ghost tour
9. Tube down the Blackwater
10. Blue Angels Air show

What are some things were missing?? Any recommendations? 
xoxo

Also, for tips on PCSing check out my pinterest board HERE :) 

For those of you who were wondering...this is an Osprey! Cool, hunh?

Weekend Favorites 4/22-4/24

Wow. I have been terrible about blogging recently, and really there is no excuse other than life. We are currently playing that oh-so-fun marine corps game of 'hurry up and wait' to see what platform J will be assigned for flight school and where that will send us in the coming months. Because of this, I have been cautiously tempering my inflow of work in case we will not be here in a few months. Thankfully the wait will be over next week and then we can make a game plan! Honestly, it's not the moving around and last minute orders that are the most frustrating, it's the waiting! But then again, patience is not a quality that I possess in any graceful fashion so that doesn't help my case...

In the meantime, while we wait PATIENTLY, here are my weekend favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Favorite Shoes: Just ordered these beauties from the J-Crew New Balance collection. They are so pretty and when I realized last week that I had managed to puncture a hole in my nice sneakers I decided to take the plunge and buy them 

Favorite Podcast: This talk by Liz Gilbert (author of Eat Pray Love) knocked my socks off. I have felt this way my whole life and hearing her talk about following your curiosity instead of forcing a passion was so incredibly moving for me. Hummingbirds Unite!

http://www.supersoul.tv/supersoul-sessions/elizabeth-gilbert-flight-hummingbird-curiosity/

Favorite Movie: This weekend J and I watched the Princess Bride which was so much fun because it was a childhood favorite for both of us. Every time I watch this movie it gets funnier, and I have so many good memories associated with it :)

Favorite Book (currently): I am STILL reading Brian Greene's book The Fabric of the Cosmos, which is shocking because I'm normally an incredibly fast reader. But this damn book is taking me forever because I have absolutely no background in physics and I have to read every single paragraph multiple times and then put it down and think about how I know absolutely nothing (Jon Snow...) about the world around me. It's awesome though. I think I'm starting to get it...maybe..youtube videos help. 

On a separate "book note" I just ordered Elizabeth Gilbert's new book Big Magic and the first book in the Outlander series so I can't wait to get my hands on those!

Favorite Recipe: This weekend I have made the homemade Bean Burger recipe from Thug Kitchen twice and we are still not sick of it. Even if you are not vegetarian or vegan you NEED this cookbook. The flavors are amazing, the recipes are easy, and they are cruelty free...reduce your carbon footprint...blah blah blah...you know, IMPORTANT THINGS. 

  

On that note, hope you all had an amazing weekend. What were some of your weekend favs??

Em

Pep Talk Time

Life has been pretty crazy the past couple of weeks, but the good kind of crazy. We nailed down the last few details for the wedding; venue, photographer, lighting, hotel, bridesmaid dresses, MY DRESS, the DJ, basically everything! My business has been taking off like crazy with the spring market (thank you little baby jesus!), I had to travel for various reasons to Nashville and Durham, and of course life in flight school is as unpredictable as always! 

Life is good! It's crazy thinking back to when I was in my early twenties and didn't have a clue where I would be in a few months, and especially not in a few years! I definitely did not think I would be living in Milton Florida, marrying my amazing best friend, or running my own Real Estate Business. But here we are! It's funny to think about the curve balls life throws at you. 

There have been lots of ups and downs (mostly ups!), I've made amazing new friends, strengthened old ones, stepped out of my comfort zone career-wise and personally, and grown a lot as a person. I have started learning how to COOK! Which is probably hilarious to those who grew up with me :)

The other day in the car, J and I were discussing the different potential duty stations we could be sent to and what it would mean for me and my career. I got a little bit frustrated because it seems like the second you get established and comfortable in a new place its time to pick up and move again. It takes so much time and money to start a business and the thought that I will have to keep starting over can be daunting at times. Also, one can't exactly sell real estate in Japan. 

But then J looked at me and said, 'what do you mean you would have nothing to do? You can do anything you want.' Just like that, so matter of factly! And I realized, he's right. It's so easy to look at the military life through a negative light. But in all honesty, these moves allow me to have the freedom to change things up and follow MANY dreams, not just one! Soooo we get sent somewhere I can't sell real estate? I can go back to school, learn a new trade, travel, do an archaeological dig. 

I think it is so important for us ALL to realize that life doesn't have to hold you back. You don't have to stay in that job you hate, you don't have to have one career your whole life, you are NEVER too old to go back to school, you SHOULD travel often and learn about new cultures. If you wake up one day when you are 57 and decide you want to be a photographer, sign up for lessons! If you want to quit your job, sell your belongings, and travel the world: do it! 

If there is one thing I've learned this year, it's that you can't limit yourself based on what you think you are 'supposed to do'. Recently (in politics and in general) it has come to my attention how absorbed we as humans are with putting people into boxes and categorizing them. And when something doesn't fit in a box we fear it or reject it. If everyone worried a little bit less about what was 'acceptable' or 'normal' and focused more on being a good person and being happy, the world would be a better place. 

You can be a business owner, real estate broker, archaeology loving, yoga-doing, mom, animal activist, occasional vegan dieter, wanderluster, who sometimes has no clue whats going on. (or whatever). 

I guess what I'm saying is, think about what makes you happy, I mean truly happy in your soul, and do that! Don't get so caught up in the technical details of everything that you forget to see the beauty and opportunity in each situation. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend!