Things have been rough lately. I've had to confess emotions to myself that I've never visited before. I've had to be raw and honest and clear. I've had to make terribly difficult decisions, even though I know in the long run, I'm going to be okay.

I've felt at this terrible stand still lately with who I am and where my life is headed. I think I've finally accepted the fact that I can't plan life. I can't even plan tomorrow. I just need to focus on the task at hand and be the best person I can be in that exact moment. I was given some really wise advice from someone this week who told me that if I do my best to live a Christ-like life in each exact moment, God will provide for me in the moments to come. And I'm taking that for exactly what it's worth.

Things haven't been easy, but that's life. I've come a long way from the person I was six months ago when I started this blog and I'm very proud of that. I never dreamed this blog would become what it has to my life and my career. I just wanted an outlet to write. I never expected followers, giveaways, and brand deals. And to think that I didn't dream of this a year ago, I can't even begin to dream of where my life may be a year from now.

Thank you all for your continuous love and support. I apologize for the lack of posting lately. That being said I've got some really awesome posts in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

With all my love,
Cate

Life has been pretty rough for me lately. I've been struggling a lot with various aspects of life that I'm not ready to share with you all, but prayer and computer hugs would be greatly appreciated.

Last night I had the opportunity to meet some special people in my life. Shay Carl Butler and his family are great people who are walking testimonies of our great Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I thank them for opening up their lives and arms to the rest of the world, including me. I look forward to spending time with them again later in the week before they embark on their next adventure.

My favorite Pandora station lately is Summer Hits of the 2000's so I decided to make today's #throwbackthursday a playlist for all of you with some of my favorites. Take a stroll down memory lane to that really awkward slow dance with your 6th grade boyfriend at the after school dance.......

• Crazy in Love by Beyonce & Jay-Z
• Hey Ya by Outkast
• Get This Party Started by Pink
• Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani
• Bootylicious by Destiny's Child
• Lady Marmalade by Christina Aguilera, Pink, Lil Kim, & Maya
• Hot In Herre by Nelly
• All the Small Things by Blink 182
• 99 Problems by Jay-Z
• Milkshake by Kelis
• Sk8r Boi by Avril Lavigne
• Ridin' by Chamillionaire
• Low by Flo Rida
• Promiscuous Girl by Nelly Furtado & Timbaland
• Don't Cha by Pussycat Dolls

On my quest to get fit I decided to sign up for a 5K. I was on the cross country team in high school, which cracks me up now because I can barely run up the street without gasping for breath. I could run ten miles without stopping when I was 14, but then again I was 30 pounds lighter. Even though I hate to run, I decided that giving myself the goal of running 3.l miles by June 21 would get my butt in gear. I found a six week training program that has been going well.

To me the 5K is more about my mental strength and not giving up than it is about being able to run that far physically. I don't care if I have to walk halfway through the race, I'm NOT going to give up. I've come so far in the past 8 weeks and I have so much farther to go, but the only way I can achieve my goals is if I don't give up. I've been drinking 96 ounces of water per day and trying (key word TRYING) to eat healthier to help myself prepare for the race.

Eventually I would love to do a 10K and a Tough Mudder, but those will take time. To meet the big goals, people need to make a lot of small goals, which for me starts with the 5K.

Wish me luck. Any training tips? Comment below!

In the past couple months I have seen and heard a lot about juicing. It's a good way to get fruits and vegetables in and depending on what it is paired with, can be a healthy way to cleanse your body.

Every time I've juiced, I am left feeling clean, lean, and ready to take on the day. When I was ready to finally take my health seriously, about a month ago, I juiced twice a day for a week. I had juice for breakfast and lunch, with a snack and light dinner later in the day. It curbed my sugar cravings and cleansed my body before taking on a clean eating regime (which yes, I sometimes break.)


Juicing protects against cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory diseases. However, if not done properly it can harbor bacteria and lead to food poisoning, so be sure to only make enough juice for one usage at a time. It can also extract fiber from the fruit, so be sure to eat fiber and protein rich foods throughout your day.

While making juice on your own at home is my favorite way to go, it is convenient for others to just purchase the juice already made. I have not tried Pressed Juicery, but know of many people such as Brianna Traynor, Shay Carl, and Carlie Butler, who have had much success with their program. I love the Whole Foods Pressed Juices, especially the Watermelon, and Evolution Fresh juices, especially the grapefruit.

Do you juice? Comment below with your favorite recipes or companies to get juice from.

Tomorrow is a big day for a lot of college students across the country...graduation! Most of the graduations in the area are tomorrow...including mine! Even though I finished school in December, CLU didn't have a winter commencement ceremony, so tomorrow is my special day. I'm looking forward to walking with all my friends and spending the evening celebrating with my family. Here's a peak at the type of outfit you might see me in this weekend (for a LOT cheaper).

I've seen a lot of "what's in my bag" videos done on YouTube by some of my favorite vloggers, but have never seen one on a blog. I've considered doing YouTube, but I enjoy writing so much, so I decided I could do my own version of the "what's in my bag" tag on my own.



My purse right now is a cheetah print tote made by Xhilaration. It was a Christmas 2012 gift from a friend in Colorado and I still use it from time to time. The gifter clearly knew I love all things cheetah. I used to have a matching wallet, but it disappeared in the hustle and bustle of constantly moving around in college. I usually use it as an overnight bag, but have been using it as a purse this week. One reason I don't use it as a purse more often is because it doesn't have dividers or zipper sections inside of it, so all my junk disappears into the black abyss. I tried to find it online to share, but it is no longer being made.


My "wallet" is a wristlet made by Merona. It's another Target piece that is no longer made, but was a great purchase. I can open the magnet part seen and fit my iPhone and on the other side, (I did not show because of privacy of driver's license and credit cards) has a slot for my license, cards, and cash. It's great for a night out when I only want to carry one small piece, but is also nice to throw in my purse and always be able to find my must-haves....granted I put them back where they belong. Target makes great wristlets for situations like this that are all reasonably priced. I believe I got this one on sale for $12.

In honor of Mother's Day, I decided to ask my mom some questions about her life as a parent. She wasn't too thrilled as she tries to remain as far away from attention as possible, but she willingly answered.

What is your favorite part of being a mom? watching how different you four kids are and seeing you mature and develop into adults

What is the hardest part of being a mom? not worrying about your kids

How did you react when you first find out you were having Chris? BEYOND excited

How did you react when you found out you were finally having a girl? very excited...I called my Dad before I even told your dad

What is your favorite memory of you and Baba (my mom's mom)? Our trip to Sunriver when we took her up there and had her experience things she had never experienced, like the canoe ride, bike riding, and playing golf with all the Dimmitt boys. I loved sharing our special place with her.

What is your favorite memory of you and Grandma (my dad's mom)? When I flew to Colorado and first met her, the summer of 1976.

What is your favorite memory of you and Christopher? When we just had Chris, it was really fun to experience things for the first time through his eyes, such as the zoo and reading his favorite book every night before bed.

What is your favorite memory of you and Ryan? Driving across country with him...both ways.

What is your favorite memory of you and Kevin? Taking him to TCU to get all settled in his freshman year.

What is your favorite memory of you and Me? When you made the cheer team in high school, when we took you to the high school at 11pm at night and you and Kevin hopped the school security fence to check the list.

Who is your favorite TV mom? Mrs. C from Happy Days. She's fun and spunky.

Advice to future mothers? Have fun with your kids. Don't take it too seriously.

1. QUOTES: I love inspirational quotes. One positive quote in the morning can effect my whole day. I find them on Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, but my favorite ones are found in The Bible. 
   
2. BOOKS: I enjoy reading books that inspire me to become the best version of myself possible. As many of you know I read the book The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin and have been taking lessons learned in this book to become the happiest I can possibly be this year. First, I tried to gain more energy. Now I'm trying to be the best girlfriend possible. I'm currently reading The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman. I figured out what my love language is (words of affirmation) and I had James take The Love Language Quiz to find out that his love language is quality time. I'm learning how to provide him with better quality time to make our relationship the best it can be.
3. PEOPLE: I have so many positive role models in my life who are strong, beautiful, Godly women. One person I really admired growing up was my grandmother Betty. Although she has passed away, I still spend do my best to be the kind of woman she was. She was the epitome of a Proverbs 31 woman.
4. MUSIC: Just as with quotes, one song can change my whole mood for the day. I enjoy several different types of music, but my favorite is country. I usually start my day listening to Hillsong United on Pandora to start my day reminded of God's great love. I also listen to music on 8 Tracks where I can type in my mood or the type of genre I'm feeling to find the PERFECT playlist. 
5. THE SUCCESS OF OTHERS: Seeing others succeed drives me to do my best. Knowing that Gretchen Rubin was able to successfully complete The Happiness Project tells me I can do it too. Knowing Carlie Stylez can be super fit with how busy she is, I know I can too. 

Happy Sunday! 
I had an AWESOME weekend, yet again. Sometimes I just stop in the middle of all the hustle and bustle and think, "wow...my life is so blessed." This was one of those weekends!

Friday: I had the day off work. I got a great workout in at the gym early, then spent the afternoon with my grandma. That evening I went to dinner with my parents, then we saw Draft Day. The movie had mixed reviews, but I loved it. Great cast, great storyline, very well executed.

Saturday: As if you guys didn't already know that I have the best boyfriend on earth....I DO. We went to a birthday party in the morning, then headed to Anaheim for the Angels game. We got there before the gates opened and were able to see batting practice. We got a ball autographed, my hat autographed, and a photo with Hector Santiago. The Angels beat the Texas Rangers. CJ Cron had a great MLB debut and the firework show afterwards was the best I've seen in my 21 years of life. What a perfect day.




Sunday: I slept in for once! It felt amazing to wake up at 9am. Then I worked. My parents made a delicious dinner and now I'm going to go put in some time at the gym. (My body is NOT happy with me for eating those nachos at the game last night!)

Have a blessed week y'all. Do something each day that will put a smile on the face of other's. Live and love like Jesus.

Wedding season is amongst us and it is getting better and better each year. With the invention of Pinterest wedding creativity is at an all time high. I even have my own wedding board and I'm not even engaged yet. My brother was married in October and a lot of the cute intricate details never could have been possible or even thought up without Pinterest. In today's post I'll show you my kind of wedding planning all via Pinterest.