Alabama Weekend

I spent last weekend in Alabama for my little sister's high school graduation. I flew home on Friday and back again Sunday. Though a short trip, it was well worth it! Almost all family members were present and it was so good to catch up! I have always been thankful for my family, but my love and respect for each one of them has grown so much this year. They have rallied around me, supported me and prayed with me every step of the way. It was so good to see all of them and tell them a big Thank You!


My family moved to Alabama a month before I went away to college in Virginia. I only spent one summer in Alabama, but met some fun friends while there that I do keep in touch with via facebook and twitter. It was good to see some of them as well!

Erin and I -- I wish I could hang out with her more often!


I met Clay in 2005 -- he is heading off to law school next year.

Ashlyn is attending college in Alabama this fall. I am so proud of her!

Sipping Stats: Caloric Beverages

Who doesn't enjoy sipping on something yummy? Whether it is hot chocolate in the winter, a Frap during the heat of summer, or just a regular soda, sometimes thinking about that beverage's caloric stat can slip our minds. Before you know it and two Mountain Dews later, a fourth of your daily caloric intake is shot on just beverages. Something that is not even filling! Not cool... or healthy at that. During this post, I hope to present the wake up call for many drinks that we may drink on a regular basis as well as present healthy alternatives at our favorite drink stops!

I often have morning meetings at my local Starbucks. I roll in with my laptop and portfolio, set it down, and click clack right to the ordering line for some crack, a.k.a. coffee. My favorite beverage at Starbucks is a Grande Skim No-Whip White Chocolate Mocha. I drink them multiple mornings per week. It measures up to 350 calories and boy, am I glad I looked it up because I would still be denial today that there could be that many calories in it (even without whipped cream!). On days when I get a WCM (white chocolate mocha), I am always sure to monitor and track my other caloric intake for the rest of the day. I do take a big hit with the 350 morning java, but I will allow myself to have it as long as the rest of my day is in check.

What sparked this post is the June issue of Glamour magazine. An article called, "Spot the 2,000 Calorie Drink!" gave a lot of insight and will serve as a huge wake-up call. Luckily, the 2,000 calorie drink was not something I've ever had (it is the Cold Stone Creamery Gotta Have It Peanut Butter and Chocolate Shake by the way), but I was astonished as I kept reading. I love good dessert just like the next girl, but it reminded me to constantly be in check of what I am drinking/eating.

I am not saying at all that coffees or fraps are to be banned for life. No way! However, be mindful that when you do order them, try to make them as low-cal as possible and watch the calorie intake for the remainder of the day. Beverage calories count too, and can add to the waistline if not kept in moderation.

To make a drink as low-cal as possible, I strongly suggest opting for skim milk and no whipped cream! Whipped cream can tack on an additional 75+ calories and twice the fat grams. Also, if you have the option between blended or iced, iced will always score fewer calories.

Do you ever find yourself swinging by Smoothie King after a morning workout to load up on a "healthy" (or so you thought) smoothie? Though there definitely are smart choices there which I will get to in a moment, let me first share with you that the 32 oz. Slim-N-Trim Strawberry Smoothie contains 562.5 calories and 108 grams of sugar!

A healthier alternative is the 32 oz. Gladiator Strawberry smoothie which contains only 270 calories, no sugar, 1.5 carbs, and ... 45 grams of protein!

If you are a smoothie-junkie like me, invest in a good blender and make them at home! I made a yummy, nutrition-packed smoothie for breakfast this morning. It contained 200 calories and it was huge! I used 2 cups of strawberry yogurt and 1 c. of mixed frozen fruit. I poured in a tiny bit of skim milk and blended it to perfection. So good and very low in calories and sugar!

I hope this post served as a friendly reminder to watch out for those caloric beverages. They do tend to add up quicly so pick and choose when to indluge in that next coffee, smoothie or soda.

Nutrition Pages are your friend! Check the facts before ordering a beverage you may spend a full week working off!

Graduation and Decor

It was Grad weekend at my Alma mater. One of my best friends, Meghan, finished her MBA and wanted to walk! It also worked out for her husband, Eli, to be on leave from the Army during graduation week. They came up for the day and it was so good to see her since I had not seen her since her wedding in September. We have been friends for five years and we laugh at all that has happened since we met outside of our dorm building 5 years ago. We label a lot of moments as "another milestone". We are excited to have many more.

Follow Meghan Blog!

Okay.... sometimes I get into little ruts where I am on a mission and won't stop until the mission is complete. I have been wanting to do a little TLC to my bedroom and decided to just get it done this weekend. I've been on the lookout for bedside tables and lamps for a few weeks and found exactly what I wanted this weekend.

(New myAgenda! Can't wait to start using it in August!)

Well, I think they look great, but it did mean that I had to do some moving around of other things I have. I crack myself up just thinking about what I did, but hey, it's quite the improvising method! So, I got out my handy tool kit and went to work.

This is the awkward little white desk that just doesn't match anything. But, I still need it for all of my paperwork, etc.

So, I moved it into my CLOSET!

My roomate and I were cracking up calling it my "workspace". I am so glad to just have it out of my bedroom area because I like things to match .... perfectly.

I also re-arranged some wall hangings in my bathroom.

I blog.

A few days ago, I came across Kelly's blog with a post about why she blogs. I let that thought simmer in my mind this week. I started this blog August of 2008. Danielle, at the Florida Brides Blog, was my first comment! Little did I know the journey I would experience in this almost-two-year time frame!

I love having a blog -- a personal blog. At times, I have been criticized by professionals who know I have a personal blog. They point out that I may have a hard time holding an online professional appearance with this Running in High Heels journal so easily accessible (though I obviously do not advertise this on my LinkedIn account, but you get the point). But knowing that I have over 2,000 hits weekly and am touching lives that way, means so much more than a piddly professional blog that may be read by 200 in one year. I've been blessed with a story...and for some reason, you all choose to read it! For that, I will continue to blog for many years to come, Lord-willing.

I blog...

I blog to share about my relationship with Jesus Christ.

I blog because it is fun!

I blog because it has allowed me to meet so many great girls! (one pictured below!)

I blog so that my family can keep in touch with me.

I blog because it is a unique way to share my life with those who actually care to know about it.

I blog because I am a professional 40-60 hours a week and I value the small 5 hours to be girly!

I blog because I want to be an encouragement to others.

I blog because I want to lift up those who have gone through the same thing I went through who may not be as strong as I have been able to be. I want them to see that it will BE OK!

I blog because I know I will be thankful I did so years from now.

I blog because it is much quicker than writing an actual journal. Who has time for that?

I blog because I want people to see God use good and bad times in life to teach such great lessons and cause such a reaction of faith.

I seriously cannot wait to keep this blog going. I know there will come a day when I can transition this blog back to starting a life with a wonderful man God has for me and planning a fabulous wedding. There will also come a day when I get to document my sweet little babies when I become a mother. Oh, how I will value this blog to be able to look back throughout the years and see God's hand in my life each step of the way.

I blog because it's almost a big storybook. Except, it's non-fiction.

It's every bit of real.

What have I been up to?

Working out a TON! Since joining the gym again, I am focussing on weight training to really tone up for summer and really...beyond summer. I have incorporated a lot of protein into my diet.

Buying some of the things that I won't be getting via my Target registration. haha! Who says I can't have some of these fun things anyways? I love my new red Keurig!

Shopping! 8 new dresses so far this season....

Spending time with girlfriends!

This picture and the next document the beautiful scenery I take in each day on my commute to work. It is gorgeous! When everything first fell apart, I dreaded this hour-long commute. Now, I am thankful I had it. It has allowed me some serious time with the Lord through prayer and praise. With life being so busy, I am thankful to have two full hours a day to dedicate to fellowship with my Savior.

I mean... who wouldn't want to experience this beautifulness each morning?!

I have known Hannah and Katie for three years and I met Ema in February. They are a fun group of girls!

This picture was taken before the Fray concert last week. These girls are my LIFE and it is so amazing to see the Lord work in all our lives since we are all at different stages and have different needs and situations. I love them with all my heart!

Settle Me Now

It is midnight and I am wide awake. Could it be from the Diet Coke I popped open at 11:45? Probably so. Then again, Diet Coke runs in my veins on a daily basis, so I should not expect quite the caffeinated reaction so late. It must have to do with what I just read in scripture during my devotions. I know I said I was taking a blogging break for May, but this nugget of info was just too good not to share with you while it was fresh on my mind!

Hi, my name is Brittney, and I am a stress ball. Okay, phew, I feel better. Stress has always been one of my main spiritual and emotional weaknesses. I let too much pile up or I worry about things that I have zero control over. At times I can take something new that should be exciting and stress over how its going to work or happen instead of enjoying it.

Oftentimes, stress can put a harsh damper on our spiritual walk for we turn to other forms of satisfaction that could possibly be sinful instead of relying on the Lord.

When my engagement was so abruptly called off, I immediately went into "What next" mode. Do I move? Do I run? I wanted to get out of here asap and start afresh. But running does not do anything..... I realized I had to stand up straight and face the pain and hurt straight in the eye and deal with it.

The last two months have flown by because I have been so hurried to figure out my next step. I'm......well.... exhausted.

I attended church this past Sunday. Even though I was a bit down at first to be attending alone (friends were all out of town), I ended up being thankful that I was sitting by myself. I had zero distractions. It was just me and God. The message was incredible and I knew that I must apply it to my life asap.

I like to stay busy and active. I work a full-time job as a marketing director, I write freelance for a lifestyle magazine, I am in the early stages of writing a book, trying to get in the best shape of my life at the gym each day, and I am hoping to launch another cool thing soon, Lord-willing (cannot share!).....all to say that life is busy. However, I learned Sunday that there is a difference between being busy and being hurried. Having a hurried heart can be the enemy and I must constantly eliminate the feeling of hurriedness from my life. It will inevitably lead to stress if not managed or caught in time.

I was brought to tears at church Sunday as the song "Settle Me Now" was sung. I prayed that the Lord would help me to rest. I don't need to worry about why my life has taken such a huge turn. I don't need to worry about what my next step will be. I realized the more I keep worrying and stressing about it, it means I may be missing something God is trying to teach me now or show me now or grow within me here. Right now. In this moment.

Settle me now - Don't let me miss this moment

You've got so much to show me
And I know, I know I need you
Settle me now - Oh Lord please draw me closer
Let me feel your presence
Reach beyond my doubt and fear somehow
Oh, settle me now

Jeremiah 29:11,13 - "For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."