5 On Friday

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you all had the best week ever. It was an all-star week for both Dane and I – busy in the best way possible, because we got a ton done and are heading into the weekend knowing it’s our very last in Hawaii before our big trip to Kenya! But before any of that, let’s talk details of the week and one majorly exciting announcement for me 🙂

1. We will just start with my exciting-to-me announcement….THIS WEEK I PAID OFF MY STUDENT LOAN! People, this is a huge freaking deal for me, because there was a time in my life when I felt like the weight of a 4-year degree was crushing my bank account. I have been overpaying on the loan since I graduated in 2011 and 7 years later that sucker is G-O-N-E! It was a goal of mine to pay it off before I turned 30 and I did it. If anyone else out there feels like student loan debt is something they will never escape, I’m here to tell you that you can do it!!

2. We won’t be in town for Election Day this year, but you better believe we are getting up first thing tomorrow and voting early! This election is so important for a multitude of different reasons, but I encourage anyone out there who might not know the details of their polling place or where to go to look it up now and make an Election Day plan. You can even vote early and polls are open NOW! If you’re voting early, your polling location will probably be different than your normal spot, so just double check online.

3. Yesterday Dane and I entered into a chili cook-off contest at his work and I submitted a recipe that I love to make at home frequently. It’s a really simple meal idea I made up from a few different recipes to create Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. You need 3 cans of Rotel and 1 can of crushed tomatoes, an onion, a jalapeño pepper, 2 cans of black beans and 1 large sweet potato or 2 small ones, diced. You’ll also need some spices and I love using the Calicutts Taco Seasoning – it’s a great blend! To start, saute your onion and jalapeño in a pan on the stove. When soft, add the jalapeño and onions to a blender with all the cans of Rotel and the crushed tomatoes. Purify it! I don’t like chunks in anything, so this is a surefire way for me to ensure smoothness. Take the blended mix and add it to a crockpot or dutch oven. Add in black beans and sweet potatoes and cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6. It’s a really easy dinner as is, but leftovers are delicious too, plus it freezes very well.

4. I saw this meme the other day and could not stop laughing. I posted it to my Facebook page and so many of you out there felt the same. There are some days I use every single one of these in a single e-mail!

5. I went for my first ever HydraFacial at Honolulu Spa + Wellness this week in preparation for my best friend’s wedding next weekend. I cannot get over how different my skin looks and feels post-treatment. It is kind of shocking, because I’ve had facials before in my life, but never one like this. I’m sharing all the details in a post next week, including a photo of all the stuff that came out of my face!

Now let’s chat – how was your week? Have you ever had a HydraFacial? Any big weekend plans? We will be finalizing out suitcases for Kenya and finishing up the last of our laundry, with hopefully a bit of beach time mixed in 🙂

Linking up with 5 On Friday, A Little Bit of Everything & High 5 For Friday