things I've learned in 2015

it's the last day of 2015 which hasn't completely sunk in yet! I feel like this year literally flew by. 2015 was an amazing year where I made a lot of memories {see 2015 highlights posts} but I also learned a lot of things as well!

Here are 10 things I learned in 2015

1. Working out

•whether it's going on a walk/run through trails on a Sunday, or going to my local gyms H.I.I.T class, I LOVE working out! I love how I feel after as well, and the results are just a cherry on top!

2. Volunteering 

•this year, I learned that I love helping others. going to the veteran center, or helping at a local middle schools dance practice, it's one of my favorite ways to spend my time! it makes me feel so good and it's also fun, especially with all of the experience you get out of it.

3. God

•this year, I found a church I love and I also found Christ in a way I never could've imagined! I've always believed in God and I've always known about the Word and Christ but I never took time to actually study it and live by it! this year I started attending church and I realized how good of a mood it puts me in it and how it makes me feel so light and refreshed. I've came so much closer to God, and I've also learned I love sharing His Word to other people!

4. Drive safely 

•I've had my fair share of wrecks this year, and one speeding ticket.. okay, this is kind of a funny lesson I leaned this year. DON'T SPEED. 2 of my friends and I were going to Henderson, a few towns over, and I was driving and I was going about 16 over and a state trooper pulled me over and gave me a ticket. it totally wasn't worth getting to our destination a little faster considering I had to go to court all the way in that county, twice, and to make it worse I hid the ticket from my parents for awhile which was completely idiotic in my part. which leads me to number 5..

5. Honesty 

•this year, I learned the hard way that being honest is probably the most important things out there. it's so much easier to just straight out tell the truth then to try to hide the truth.

because regardless, the truth always comes out anyways.

6. Being lame

•this is probably a really confusing one, but this year I learned I love to be lame. I love to stay in and watch Netflix, or spend the night hanging with my cat. or even just Pinterest and blogging all night! it's not lame to me, but to most people it is. I found out I'd rather have friends who want to sit down and do a bible study and binge watch Netflix with me then friends who'd rather go out and party.

7. Medical field

•this year, I also discovered I had a love for the medical field, and it's what I want to study in college. I'm not sure exactly what I want to do, but regardless I know I want to be able to help save another persons life by doing it!

8. Relationships

•this year, I've accepted that I'm not ready to be into a steady relationship. I have so many more things I want to focus on like my future, my friends, and most importantly: bettering myself. I'd rather wait until I find the right guy that God gives me rather than trying to force a relationship to happen.

9. Blogging

•last but not least, this year I learned I LOVE to blog. I've had this blog for over a year, but it wasn't until these past few months that I've put time and dedication into my blog. it's such a fun past-time, and it works out perfectly considering I love to write.

these things and lessons I learned this year, i'm going to carry over into 2016 and see what I can get out of it! 

bible study group

starting a bible study group is a way to become closer with your friends and God at the same time. there's nothing better than being able to dig deep into the word but also have 3 of your bestfriends by your side to do so! 

today, 3 of my bestfriends came over and we started our bible study group.

•my 3 awesome God loving friends in blessed with! {L-R: Josie, myself, Emilie & Bri}

We started the John bible study section on shereadstruth.com {best bible study site EVER}. We read the first chapter of John and asked one another for our inputs on what we read, that way we would be able to share our thoughts and give eachother new interpretations!

•here are my bible study notes from the group session! I originally wrote them in regular black ink and wrote them normally, but whenever I rewrite my notes neatly and in creative ways it helps me

understand and remember them better!

I'm beyond happy to have friends that I can sit down and study the Word with! I hope everyone had an amazing day! 

2016 resolutions!

I'm always so iffy about doing New Years resolutions! I feel like it's so cliché. in 2016, I'm determined to stick to my resolutions for once and make them happen!

1. bible study once a week with my friends to build a closer relationship with them & God

2. start scrapbooking

3. make my bed everyday 

4. start a inspiration wall

5. start working out in fun ways with friends! {tennis, cross fit,  kickball game, disc golf, etc}

6. become more organized

7. start going to the Veteran center once a week again

8. start cooking more things on my Pinterest board

9. start crafting once a week for my room!

10. start & end 2016 with the same people

What are your New Years resolutions? Let me know in the comment section below or tag me in yours on Instagram @kaitdmarks! 

2015 highlights

2015 was such a awesome year. I learned so much this year and made so many memories. It's a year that I will never forget for many reasons! I wanted to share some of my favorite moments of this year with you guys.

•I started the year off with one of my BFF's Emilie! She also has a blog {http://xoxo-emmm.blogspot.com/}

•Dance Regionals for Junior year! We won 1st in our division and got a standing ovation from the crowd. this photo was taken in honor of one of my BFF's Shanice who was a cheerleader and passed away on Janurary 15, 2015, #shaniceinspired 

•dance state! We won first in Hip-Hop, first runner-up in Pom, and were honored to win overall grand champs of the whole competition. There were hundreds of teams! 

•dance nationals! we ended up ranking as the 3rd team in the nation! 

•my sisters shot book party! I traveled to Lexington KY just to celebrate for her 21st! 

•prahmmmm! my bestfriend Katie and I pose for a picture before dancing the night away 

•Easton Corbin concert! we traveled to Oak Grove KY to watch him give a concert! 

•my 17th glow stick pool party!

•senior year dance camp! we won superior award and for personal awards I was rewarded by being a all-American nominee! 

•our 3rd time traveling to Florida together! my BFF Abby!

•my mini me Kenzie! this year her and I have became inseperable and it's probably one of my favorite things that's happened this year! 

•first day of senior year pep rally!

•the Big O concert! Jake Owen & Corey smith! ahh {L-R: myself, Bre, Katie & Emilie}

•togas! first home football game, where this years team also broke the 8 year losing streak our school had! GO STORN

•homecoming parade! this day Emilie also won HC Queen! 

•our fourth FL trip! fall break!!

•first wedding I've ever been too and I got to be a bridesmaid in! my favorite flower girl! 

•our senior year FFA national convention! Glad I got to spend it with Jo!

•traveled to Nashville and took home first place!

•senior year North central game where we showcased our Hip-Hop! Recieve a standing ovation and amazing feedback! {L-R: myself, Olivia, Emma H, & Maddie}

I hope everyone else had an amazing 2015! These were just few of my many memories I made this year.

at home workout: Winter edition

whenever you hear the word "workout" you probably either get super excited or want to throw up. 

I actually love to workout, I love how I feel afterwards and there's nothing more rewarding then seeing your hard work turn into results! 

if you're like me though, getting motivated to go workout is tough, especially if you have to drive half way through town to get to your workout place. I created a at home workout that will give you results! no equipment needed besides two 5 lb weights and some dedication!

>>>WORKOUT<<<

Arms

-no weights

•arm circles: 2 minutes

•arm raise ups: 1 minute

•arm raise downs: 1 minute

•arm claps: 1 minutes 

-weights

2 sets 

•arm curls x 15

•shoulder shrugs x 15

•pull in's x 15

•tricep dips x 15

•tricep kick backs x 15

•push press x 15

•hammer curls x 15

•lateral raise x 15

•front raise x 15

•shoulder press x 15

Abs

-everyday see how many sit ups you can do in one minute

•50 regular crunches

•50 bike crunches

•plank taps x 15

•toe taps x 15 each

•20 V ups

•cross body mountain climbers x 15

Fun abs: look up uptown funk abs, it'll be gymnastic people doing it. 

Legs/Butt

PILATES PILATES PILATES

-I can post a Pilates routine later on or just get on YouTube and find one to warm up!

•calf raises (feet straight) x 25

•calf raises (invert feet) x 15

•calf raises (feet outwards) x 15

•calf raises (feet straight) x 25

don't put your heels down at all during those ^

•fire hydrants x 30 each leg

•kick backs x 30 each leg

•donkey kicks x 30 each leg

•donkey pulses x 30 each leg

•glute bridges regular x 20

•glute bridges leg up x 20 each leg

•glute bridge double ups x 20

•glute bridge pulse x 30

•regular squats x 50

•squat kick ups x 25 each leg

•squat pulses x 50

•jump squat: x 20

•stair climbers: 25 right first 25 left first

*do abs EVERY DAY

*arms every 2 days (if you do it on a Monday, don't do it until thursday again)

*legs/butt every other day 

I hope everyone is having an awesome winter break and can spend there days doing this workout! 

NYE style guide

New Year's Eve is a very important day for fashion because of two different reasons!

1. It'll be the last soirée of the year

2. It will set the tone for the new year

Majority of the time, throwing together a outfit for a night out takes hours! so throwing one together for New Year's Eve is easily said, a pretty difficult task.

Here are some outfit choices I chose for three different events!

1. NYE date night

Celebrating the final fling of 2015 and the first fling of 2016 with your boyfriend?  Date night outfits can be extremely stressful! Here are 2 style go-to's you can look at to help to put together the perfect date night outfit! 

•this could be seen as a simple casual outfit, but the faux fur vet pieces it together! 

•this dress is a dress he will NEVER forget! pair it with some red lipstick, a smoky eye and some heels and it'll be a night to remember with the girl he will NEVER forget! 

2. Family Night

Going to a family party on NYE? No worries, staying in is totally acceptable and being able to ring in the New Year with your loved ones will be a time to remember! Here's 2 outfit choices for the ones that are kickin' it with their family this NYE! 

 

•this first outfit is simple but so cute! bubble vests are ALWAYS a must!

•this maroon dress is simple but still dressy! the adorable scarf and boot cuffs totally take it to a level ten of adorableness!

3. GNO

•this is how I will be spending my NYE! girls night out! whether it's all getting together to watch the ball drop or to go to a NYE party, a girls night out with your BFF's is always a recipe for a good time! here's 2 outfit choices for the girls who may or may not remember who they kissed at the party when the clock struck 12! {LOL}

•this outfit shows that you're there to have fun, but you can walk in heels while doing it! if heels aren't your thing, switch it out with a cute pair of animal print flats! the off the shoulder style is super cute and is also very flattering!

•if you wear a dress like this, you will be the girl of the night! you'll be the one girl everyone will remember regardless of how many mixed drinks they ordered! I also think it's extremely important to bring a little sparkle into the new year, don't 'cha think? 

I hope this style guide was helpful! how're you spending your NYE? let me know in the comment section below!

getting ready for 2016

whenever I was in first grade, we had our computer passwords as our first initials and then our graduation year. back then, 2016 seemed SO far away! even in my mightiest dreams, I couldn't grasp that one day it was going to actually come. but here in about 3 days, 2016 will be here, and I'm not sure how to handle it!

here are my tips on how to prepare for a new year!

1. Improvement

•this is probably the most important thing, is to think on how you can better yourself by reviewing the mistakes you made in the previous year! when the clock strikes twelve, will you be ready for a start over?

2. Resolutions

•probably the most clichè thing EVER: New Years resolutions {this will come in a seperated post}. my tips on actually following up with your resolutions are:

-make an inspiration board! sticky notes, sticky notes, sticky notes

-make them realistic

-write them down! put them somewhere you will see them daily

-don't overdo them

-keep a journal to keep up with your progress of your resolutions 

3. Define 

•define what you want your new year to be. maybe pick out a word to describe 2016! 

my word: fearless

I hope everyone enjoys their last few days of 2015 and can take these tips to help prepare for 2016! 

winter fashion tips- cozy & chic!

being a fashion lover, I think my favorite season for fashion is winter! I feel like the summer months are more for natural looks and less clothes while the winter months are for looking cute and cozy! here are my top 5 favorite style tips to keep warm and to look cute while doing it during the winter time!

1. Blanket scarfs 

•this style is sweeping through every boutique and retail store in the U.S! there's so many different colors of these scarfs you can get and pair them with any type of outfit just to dress it up a bit! and if you get tired throughout the day, you can always take it off and take a quick nap! LOL 

2. Bubble vests

•whenever I was a kid, I absolutely hated bible vests. anytime mom would give me one to wear for warmth, I would throw a huge hissy. I thought they were uncomfortable, and that they made me look like a lard! now, I absolutely adore them and think they're so stylish and can top off any outfit! you can even get them monogrammed which adds a bit of a personal touch!

•my fashionable friend Abby 

3. Leather

•yes, I said it. when I hear leather I think of Grease! this winter season, channel your inner Sandy! whether it's black, brown or a spunky color, leather added to the right outfit is always a good idea! 

4. Red lip stick

•"red lip classic thing that you likeeee" yes, I think of Taylor Swift for this one! if red isn't your color, any dash of color on your lips will add an effect onto your outfit that will make you selfie & #OOTD ready! 

5. Sweater

•bundle up! there's nothing more comfortable then a big oversized sweater! with a sweater, you can throw on a pair of skinny jeans, pair them with your cutest boots {or flats}, throw on some lips and you can dress it up or dress it down however you want! 

I hope everyone enjoys these tips.. Stay warm and stay stylish

Christmas festivities!

Sorry I'm a little late to post about my Christmas festivities! I've been super busy with my family and just simply enjoying the holidays.

During Christmas Eve and Christmas, I had a plan to take multiple cute pictures, but I didn't.. I was having too much of a good time with my family to worry about taking a picture of everything!

I do want to show you guys the pictures I did take and give you an over view of each of my family get-together's!

Christmas Eve

every year, my family has a tradition of all coming to my parents house, exchanging presents, eating a lot of food, and watching home videos of us opening presents from the past like 18 years! 

all of my siblings came over, and firstly we opened presents. my sister Jen is literally the wrapping-Queen {unlike myself}

•her awesome wrapping skills 

• these are homemade bracelets that I'm in LOVE with. my sister Jennifer found the idea from a co-worker and passed it onto me, so I think I know what I'll spend the rest of my Christmas break making! 

•adorable Kate Spade bow bracelet my sister Erin gave to me! 

•my sister Erin & I on Christmas Eve! {we look alike, I know.. L-R: myself, Erin}

Christmas Day

with little sleep the night before, I woke up about 10 and came downstairs to a tree full of presents! I was so happy. after my parents and I finally drug Erin out of bed, she came downstairs and we opened presents! 

Later that day, I had a little bit of a photo shoot with my dog & my cat and let's just say I'm Christmas card ready for next year! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful past few days and that everyone's heart is as full as their stomachs, because I know mine is! 

my motivators

for anyone who knows me, they know I LOVE all things fitness. I've been wanting to actually start competing in bikini and physique competitions and I'm going to start my training at the first of the year!

In this post, I just wanted to write about 2 of my favorite competitors.

1. Heidi Somners

my ALL TIME favorite! I'm completely addicted to her YouTube channel. She gives amazing workouts and I just love her lifestyle. She proves that hard work can transform any body! 

2. Janet Layug 

this is my second favorite! she's a bikini competitor and also helps endorse gifted nutrition. she won miss hooters international in 2014 and won the Australian Arnold Classic this year! she's absolutely gorgeous and is definetly body/life goals!

hopefully my fitness life expands during 2016, and I can't wait to keep you guys updated about it! merry Christmas Eve eve! 

weekend before Christmas

firstly I wanted to apologize I haven't posted in awhile, I've been totally busy filling up the Christmas spirit! 

I love this time of year because everyone is so giving and just all-around happy.

I want to look back on my weekend starting from Friday and tell you how it all went! So here's a recap of the past few days I've had! 

Friday 12.18.15 

ugly Christmas sweater day 

this is my favorite school day of the year! Everyone comes decked out in Christmas spirit, and also every year in the Ag shop we all cook and basically feed the whole school breakfast & lunch! It doesn't matter if you don't own a piece of camoflauge or if you wear a bow tie and sperry's to school, all is welcome! 

•some of my school bestfriends & I in our sweaters! {L-R: Kayla, Abby, Emilie, Katie, Karen & myself}

•my friend Josie and I slicing potatoes for the meal in the Ag shop! 

•we pose for a cute Ag shop family photo! {L-R: Skylar, Katie, Aaron, myself, & Isabelle} 

•my friend Karen and I take a picture showing off our festive holiday spirit! 

Saturday 12.19.15 

Christmas party!

•some of my BFF's and I pose around Mackinsey's tree for a picture! {L-R: Haley, Mackinsey, Karen, & myself}

•group photo! we let the boys in this time {L-R: Zach, Haley, Mackinsey, Nate Karen}

Sunday, 12.20.15

Church Christmas party

•3 of my all-time favorite people! Everyone needs a group of uplifting people in their lives & God blessed me with these three. I am so thankful for them, and every moment of laughter they give me! {L-R; Abigail, Karen, myself, & Abby}

•what a dysfunctional photo! {L-R: Mackinsey, Abigail, Kole, myself & Josh} 

Tuesday 12.22.15 

Veterans Center

even though Tuesday technically isn't a holiday, this was just too special not to share. 

•the man in the photo came to the Veteran's center party. He wasn't a resident, he just wanted to come out and show his support for the residents since he told us he would be there eventually. he came up to us and told us how happy he was that we came out and volunteered because most people our age would not. he had us all take a picture, then gave each of us a $20 bill and told us merry Christmas. of course we all tried to decline, but he wouldn't let us. he made me thankful that I woke up today as went out there to volunteer, and he gave purpose to all the afternoons I spend out there with the veterans by making me aware of how thankful these men truly are for it! having the opportunity to meet him was definetly a Christmas miracle.