Our Screened In Porch

Ty and I moved into our first home last August and we immediately had the idea of screening in our porch.  We already had a covered patio, so screening it in should be easy, right? Well, props to Ty and my Nana and Pa who made this all happen. They also had great helpers along the way including my Dad and some of Ty's friends - thank you all!  We finished the porch in early November so we didn't have much time to enjoy it before it became bitter cold.  Fast forward to now... We've been hard at work cleaning, decorating and getting this gem of a porch ready for spring!  We finally finished all of our tidying and decorating this weekend.

Our screened in porch is one of our favorite aspects of our house by a mile! I never considered us DIYers but my husband is slowly showing me he can do just about anything... :)

Before

This is a picture right before they started building, and this is how the porch looked when we moved in.

No lie... This is how our porch looked all winter. It was too cold to be outside for very long and I wanted to brainstorm the possibilities for decorating...

After

Ty also built this fountain inside of our porch. Go Hubs Go!

We are in love with our new space and have pretty much lived out here since getting everything finished. There's nothing like working on your first house and accomplishing a big project together!

The Perfect Protein Shake

So, this whole working out + eating healthy thing does something to your body. It makes you lose weight.  Well, losing weight wasn't my intention but it happened. In an effort to make sure I consume enough calories, I started adding in a protein shake. I never dreamed it would taste like something straight from heaven.

I searched the internet and combined a couple of recipes and this is what I got:

The Perfect Protein Shake

1 banana
1 cup fat-free milk
1 scoop of Peanut Butter Chocolate Whey Protein Powder (from Walmart)

1/2 TBS. peanut butter (I like the Smart Balance kind)

4 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender and mix for 30 seconds.  Pour into a glass and enjoy! 

This amount filled my mason jar up perfectly to the top!

This shake tastes almost exactly like the Peanut Paradise smoothie from Tropical Smoothie. If I was blind-folded, there is no way I would be able to tell the difference.

Fitness: New Workout Clothes

Shopping is one of the things that I do very best.  I can shop for anything... clothes, shoes, make-up, house decorations, nail polish, shampoo and even buying new workout clothes gets me excited.  In fact, it's amazing what new workout clothes does for your motivation.  The other day I was in Old Navy getting my nephew some birthday gifts and I happened to swing through their active section and was pleasantly surprised at all of the goodies.  Here's what I picked up...

These tanks are my new favorite workout tops. They are loose and comfortable. I love that they are not skin tight..  who wants a skin tight shirt at the gym? Not me. I got the neon yellow and a bright coral.

I love compression pants for working out... I like the way they hold you in and feel snug. These will be my spring staples for workout bottoms.  They come in bright, cheerful colors that will make working-out easier. I promise!

I also got an adorable, light-weight pull over hoodie.  I cannot find it online.  It was on sale and only $15.00.  I recommend you check your store because it is so worth it.  It's the perfect pull over for night time walks.

When it comes to workout clothes, you really only need a couple of good bottoms that are versatile in color and season.  I prefer to have more tops that I can mix and match with neutral bottoms.  If you're in a work out slump, stop by Old Navy and pick yourself up some new things.

The biggest thing that I've learned with workout clothes is that you don't have to spend a lot of money.  My top three places I buy from are: Old Navy, Target and T.J. Maxx. I even found my current tennis shoes from T.J. They are New Balance and have held up great, but I do have my eye on these...

Have a fabulous week!