Five on... Monday!

Monday, February 29, 2016

Happy Monday! Hope you all had a good weekend! Mine was half work and half play. I had to go to a work event on Saturday in San Diego which sucked up half of my day. On the plus side, I walked over 13,000 steps/5 miles, so at least I got in a good walking work out while I was working? Then Sunday we ran a million errands including the grocery store, Target, Costco, Old Navy, See's Candy.... ok, well maybe See's Candy wasn't really an errand...

I meant to get this up on Friday, but ever since TGIT has come back, my whole Thursday evening rotates around the TV and I just have no motivation to turn on the computer. I would apologize, but, well, the shows are so good, that I don't feel bad at all.

Anyway... without further ado... my five!

ONE.
Grey's Anatomy.



First things first. HOLY COW. Did anyone watch Grey's Anatomy on Thursday night??? First I was SO CONFUSED with all the bouncing back and forth. But then all of a sudden I could see where they were going and totally texted my friend calling what would happen at the end. I won't ruin it for anyone who hasn't seen it (I hate spoilers!), but if you did, comment below and tell me you did and we can email about it. All I have to say is WHOA.


TWO.
Fuller House.


Again, more TV! I SWEAR I have not been a couch potato the past couple weeks, we just sneak in a couple episodes every so often and make our way through the seasons. However, since Fuller House came out on Netflix on Friday, we totally binge watched it over the weekend! I think I'm about halfway through and LOVING it!


THREE.
See's Easter Candy.
Speaking of See's Candy... THIS is what I went in for. These are seriously my FAVORITE. I look forward to Easter and these truffle eggs coming out every. single. year.


FOUR.
Hanna Andersson pajamas.




You guys. I'm DYING over the new Hanna Andersson pajamas! I seriously don't buy anything but pjs there and while they are rather expensive, they are SUCH good quality and so, so cute! I'm so glad that I waited a bit to post this because when I went back to get the links above, I saw that yesterday only there was a 25% off sale! I also used ebates to get 3% cash back AND found a free shipping code!  (side note : I NEVER buy things from Hanna Andersson online because their shipping is SO expensive and we have a store super close, but with the pj sale and free shipping, it made it worth it!)

I mean, how could I not? How cute are those shorts sets?? And then also, the Mickey ones? If we didn't already have more long sleeves and long pants pjs than we need (because is it ever going to be cold again and we need to wear pants?), I would TOTALLY get them too!

*referral link used


FIVE.
New tank tops.


I've been on the hunt for new tanks to wear under my shirts. I'm all about layering and like the tanks under my shirts to be a little longer than my shirts. I had some from H&M but they got super old and started to rip so I looked for new ones. I found some at Old Navy that I thought I liked, but they ended up not being long enough for my liking (even though I bought the "tall" size). I FINALLY found some that I LOVE at Target! They are your basic Merona women's tank tops, but they are the perfect softness and the perfect length. I think this is the link to them for online, but it's so hard to really know which is which online. I bought mine in store and have been wearing them everyday! I got black and white, but I might go back for more! I love them that much :)

And with that... have a great week!



The Guys Behind the Blog // February Edition

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Last year, I found out through Crystal that Betsy from Heavens to Betsy had this super cool series called The Guys Behind the Blog. Unfortunately it was a little too late to join for March 2015 but I joined in April and have been ever since! While I do talk about Seth often, I don't really know if you all know him very well. Enter : this series. Every month Betsy has different prompts that the guys behind the blog answer.




Here are February's questions :

1 // This year is Leap Year — what are you going to do to celebrate?
Looks at me with a blank stare. People celebrate Leap Year?
I'll be wishing my friend, Ty, a happy 8th birthday since he was born on Leap Day.

2 // If you could create an obscure holiday, what would it be and why?
Looks at me with a blank stare. 
I'd make the day after the Super Bowl a holiday. So we could enjoy it more. Not that we really go crazy now. But if it were a holiday, maybe we could. Give me more beer!

3 // Have you seen the movie Leap Year? If not, tell us about another romantic comedy you have seen.
Looks at me with a blank stare. There was a movie called Leap Year?

4 // Tradition has it that women are supposed to propose to their men on leap day. Would you (or did you) say yes if your girl popped the question?
Ohhhh... was that what that Leap Year movie was about??? 
I have no idea!
What am I supposed to answer?
If I proposed to you, would you have said yes?
Of course!

5 // If you had to have a special event take place on leap day, what would it be (ex: wedding, birthday, birth of your child, etc)?
Looks at me with a blank stare. Did I earn my beer yet?



And there you have it! Thanks for playing along again Seth! And to answer his question, yes he did earn his beer :)


[Stitch Fix] Fix #4

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

I'm on to Fix #4 and I still feel giddy every time that box shows up on my front porch. It's kind of sad, but oh so true. Hey, it's the little things.

I recently found out that you can peek before your fix arrives (when you get your shipping email, you can log on to the app on your phone and "check out" and you can see what you're getting) and as much as I want to know (I'm horrible with surprises), I always LOVE the surprise of opening the box and actually seeing the clothes rather than ruining it by peeking so (so far) I've held out every time!


In case you haven't heard of Stitch Fix, it's basically a personal shopping service. You fill out your online profile by answering some questions about likes/dislikes, style, sizing, etc and then can write a note about what you're interested in as well as link a Pinterest style board to help your stylist know what you're looking for and what you're style is. Then your personal stylist gathers some items that she thinks you'd like and sends them to you. You try them on in the comfort of your own home and decide what you do and don't want to keep and then you have three days to send back whatever you don't want. Easy peasy! The styling fee is $20 and if you send back all the items, you lose the $20. If you keep one (or more) items, they deduct the $20 styling fee from your total and you pay the difference. And if you keep all five items, they deduct the $20 from the total and you get a 25% discount on all the items. Pretty great! If you're interested in signing up, if you want to use my referral code then I'll get small credit to my account and will be forever grateful.

This fix... I wasn't 100% sure about. When I opened the box, at first, I was SO excited. But I think I was just excited it was here. I belong to a couple Stitch Fix Facebook groups and everyone was posting the CUTEST stuff and I was so excited to see my fix. But then it came and when I opened the box, at first I was excited but then I felt a little underwhelmed. I think it might be because I've been eating a few too many Girl Scout cookies a night and was feeling a little self conscious. But! I didn't let that stop me and I eagerly tried on all of my new clothes. I've been dying to have a 5/5 fix and was hoping this would be the one!

Now... on to my fix! (I decided to include as much information as possible in case my stylist (hi Amy!) reads my blog and/or in case I could help other's with sizing and stuff for their potential future fixes)


Liverpool | Mira Skinny Jeans | Size : 10 | $78.00



I was actually SUPER excited about getting these in my fix. It looks like I forgot to take a picture of the waist band, but the waistband is not your typically button and zipper waistband. It's more of a maternity, stretchy type of waistband without looking like maternity jeans (though I did feel slightly like I was wearing my maternity jeans). These jeans were so comfortable. They actually reminded me of jeggings... which I both liked and didn't like. I'm not sure that I'm a jegging person. I am a little self conscious of my legs and the fact that the pants were so tight on my legs is what made me send them back.  They also pulled kind of weird in the back (bottom picture above) and for $78.00, I only liked them and didn't love them. So back they went.

Verdict : Returned.


Mak | Jaclynn 3/4 Sleeve Button-Up Cardigan | Size : M | $38.00




The only thing I liked about this sweater was the color. It was a gorgeous blue color, but other than that... no, just no. I'm not really into button front cardigans like this unless they are longer. I actually have a black one that I used to wear all the time, that I love, but like I said, used to wear all the time. I'm more into sweaters that are fully closed in the front, that you just pull over your head. I felt like it was too short, too tight when I buttoned it, and just not the style that I'm into right now.

Verdict : Returned.


Market & Spruce | Bernadette Lace Overlay Raglan Top | Size : M | $58.00



I was actually really excited about this shirt when I saw it in my fix since Desiree had just gotten the same one and LOVED it. I really like the idea of the mixed media on it and the gray part of the shirt was really soft. I liked the lace because I felt like it looked fancy without looking too fancy, if that makes sense.

But... these were all thoughts before I tried the shirt on. To be honest, as boring as this sounds, if the whole shirt was made out of the gray material, I would have kept it. That part fit well, but I felt like the front of the shirt was too short for my liking and the fact that it was two layers (it's kind of hard to explain but the lace wasn't attached to the white part underneath). I just didn't feel amazing in the shirt. I liked it (and I LOVE it on Desiree!), but I didn't love it on me.

Verdict : Returned.


41 Hawthorn | Queensland Dolman Jersey Top | Size : M | $48.00




They had me at dolman. And the fact that it was solid black didn't hurt either. A year or so ago, I wore so. much. black. Like all the time. But recently I had been wearing more colors (now don't get excited, it's nothing crazy, more like green and blue and gray), so I was excited to get a new solid black top. When I first tried it on, I was a bit confused. It was SUPER long (see middle picture left). But when I tucked it under a bit (middle picture right), it looked a lot better. I never thought I'd like the dolman style, but ever since I received my very first dolman in my second fix I have been in love.

Verdict : Kept.


Pixley | Greenich Striped Knit Top | Size : M | $48.00


This shirt I actually debated keeping. When I first saw it in the box, I was super excited because... elbow patches! I think I had even pinned this exact shirt so I was excited my stylist found it for me. But when I tried it on, I found the elbow patches to be kind of annoying! Since they were made out of a different material than the shirt, it just kind of bothered me when I would move my arms. I was indifferent about the stripes and the navy color and while it was comfortable, again, I just didn't love it. I tried it on with a scarf and I liked it a bit more, but since I didn't love it, I decided to send it back.

Verdict : Returned.


So, if you're keeping track, overall, I only ended up keeping 1 out of my 5 items again. I was slightly disappointed that I didn't keep more but I feel good about my choices. I was also slightly disappointed in my fix and was just left with an underwhelmed feeling.

Buuuut that doesn't change how I feel about the service! In fact, I've already scheduled another fix! I asked for more spring-like items since it's been so hot here recently. I haven't gotten anything spring/summer-like yet (since I started the service in October when it was cold), so I'm excited to see what my stylist sends. I'm slightly obsessed with the service and get so excited about my fixes arriving. I swear it is like Christmas morning every time a box arrives on my door step!

So, tell me... do you agree with my choices? Would you have kept any of the items?

Linking up with Maria at Crazy Together!


http://crazytogether.com/march-stitch-fix-review-link-up-and-giveaway-34/2/






$10 at Target [February] + a Giveaway!

Monday, February 22, 2016

From the very first time I saw Becky do a post on $10 at Target, I was intrigued. I mean, who only spends $10 at Target??? Then I read a little further and realized she gave herself the challenge to only spend $10 at Target on something fun for herself and I was intrigued again. I commented on her post that I loved the idea of her post and would love to try something similar (and a few other people must have too) and this blog hop link up was born!

I'm excited to be back again today co-hosting this link up with Becky and some other fabulous ladies! Yes, that's right, we've decided to make $10 at Target a link up, so if you posted today, please link up with us below so we can see your awesome $10 hauls!

This month I had a little bit of trouble shopping for myself. At first I was planning to go to Target the day after Valentine's Day and get some candy on sale. But then I realized, I probably don't need any more candy (I mean, we're still working on the six boxes of Girl Scout cookies that we bought from my niece), so one Saturday morning, I decided to look around and I was able to find some goodies.


I heard that Essie came out with some new colors so I decided to check them out. My Target only had a few in stock and when I saw this gorgeous red, I knew I wanted to try it. It's called "life of the party" and is #1148.


Here is the nail polish on. It's a real pretty shade of red. I painted both my toe nails and my finger nails on Valentine's Day and they still look almost as perfect today. There's a little growth at the bottom of my finger nail bed, but other than that, no chips! I used the Orly base coat, then two coats of nail polish, and then the Essie gel top coat and it looks almost perfect a week later. I swear by that Orly base coat and the Essie gel top coat now!

In addition to the nail polish, I picked up a couple new make up brushes. I'd been wanting to get new ones for a while, but all the ones I saw at the store or at Sephora were significantly more than I wanted to spend. So when I saw these e.l.f. brand ones at Target for only $1 each (!!!), I snagged some. I've been using them ever since I bought them and I love them! Best $3 I've spent in a while!


As you can see by my receipt, I cheated a little. I had a $5 gift card so I let myself cheat and spend a little over knowing that the gift card would bring me back under. So even though I technically only spent $7.06 of my own money, the total did come to $12.06.

Next month I'm challenging myself to keep my total under $10. Last month I went over (by $0.26) also so next month I need to get back on track!


I had so much fun shopping for myself and am excited to continue this link up! Now, link up and then hop around and check out how the rest of my co-hosts spent their $10!

Becky at bybmg // Instagram // Facebook // Pinterest
Elizabeth at Chasin' Mason // Instagram // Facebook // Pinterest
Stephanie at Wife Mommy Me // Instagram // Facebook // Pinterest

Next month, we'll be sharing our hauls on Monday, March 21st. It's going to be a link up as well, so get your shopping on and then link up with us on the 21st and show us what you got!

Oh and I almost forgot! We're hosting a giveaway this month since it's Becky's birthday month and her blogiversary month! So don't forget to enter below. We're giving away SIX Target gift cards which means SIX people will win! Good luck!





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Five on Friday!

Friday, February 19, 2016

HAPPY FRIDAY!!! This week has flown by since I had Monday off, even though the majority of the week, I had no idea what day it was. And even though it went pretty fast, it doesn't make me any less happy that today is finally Friday! If you read my confessions post yesterday, this is the post I was referring to. The post that was supposed to happen last week but didn't and the week before but didn't. Hey, better late than never, right? Anyway, enough rambling, on to my Friday Five!


ONE.
Pinterest Told Me To's bachelor recaps.
Do you guys follow Sheaffer's blog, Pinterest Told Me To? Sheaffer is the Bachelor Sean's sister's best friend. (Was that confusing? Remember Sean Lowe from the Bachelor? His sister is Shay Shull (Mix and Match Mama - love her!!) and her best friend is Sheaffer).
Long story short, she posts a lot about fashion but also does Bachelor recaps. And they are HILARIOUS. Seriously, if you don't follow her, or you're not into fashion-y things, you should still check out her bachelor recaps HERE!


TWO.
Converse shoes.
Soooo... I have the black version of these, but the more I see other people wearing the white version, I REALLY kinda sorta want the white ones too. Is that bad? Can I justify needing two pairs of the same shoe? I mean, my work is super casual now and I wear Converse, Toms, or flip flops to work everyday, so... maybe I do need them both? I do, right?


THREE.
TGIT.



The TGIT shows came back last week and I was so happy! I love me some Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder. Does anyone else watch these? Grey's was INTENSE and was probably my favorite out of all of them last week. I've been a loyal watcher of that show from the beginning even though it took a turn for the boring in the middle season, but it's back and I'm loving it!


FOUR.
Rose.


Speaking of rose, does anyone know how to get that little accent mark over the e on rose (I have a Mac)? Because it looks like rose to me and it's supposed to be row-say. Anyway, I've been on a rose kick lately. It's definitely been my wine of choice. And seeing as how yesterday was National Drink Wine Day, it seems fitting to share about my current favorites.

My current favorite is the one on the far right, the Espiral. All three of these are from Trader Joe's and Seth got me them for Valentine's Day. I've had the Espiral before (I think he got it for me for my birthday maybe?) and it's been high on the rotation for a while now. The best part of all of these wines is that they are all $5 or less! Does anyone have any good wine recommendations or ones I should try?


FIVE.
Kansas City Mom Blog.

My friend Vanessa guest posted for the Kansas City Moms Blog the other day about Why You Can't Judge a Mom by Her Instagram Feed and I just loved her post! It's so, so true and I find myself comparing myself to other mom's (women's) Instagram feeds all the time. I try not to but I feel like it's just human nature. When you see those gorgeous photos or perfectly staged houses or picture perfect kids in gorgeous little outfits, you can't help but compare what you have to what they have. But in reality, you never know what goes on behind the camera. Maybe that is the only clean corner of their house? Maybe they are in sweatpants with 4 day old dirty hair? Maybe 3 seconds after the picture was taken, the kids tore apart the neat and tidy house? Who knows! And while I hate to compare myself, it is only human nature to do so, but I try to remind myself, like the saying goes, comparison is the thief of joy. And I choose joy.

And with that... Happy Friday! Have a great weekend!






[Thoughts on Thursday] Confessions

Thursday, February 18, 2016


... that I am kind of obsessed with these confessions posts. I feel like it is oddly liberating to be able to confess all these things to the world on the internet.

... that I almost took down our Valentine's Day window clings last Friday... 2 days before the big day. I think I must have put them up too soon or something (probably mid January) because they just started to bug me. I didn't take them down though... but I bet Mason wouldn't have noticed either way.

... that it annoys me to no end when people have on their blogs that they love to connect with their readers and to send them an email anytime if you have a question. So you email them because, well, you have a question and they never get back to you. I may take a day or two to email back, but I ALWAYS respond to emails! Relationships and connections are what I love most about blogging.

... that I have been MAJORLY slacking on the blog. I've had the same Five on Friday post half drafted for probably two weeks and never actually finish it to be able to post it. I had high hopes for last Friday but then TGIT started and Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder won and sucked me back in... maybe tomorrow?

... that I can't stand drivers here when it rains. Yeah, I know, it doesn't rain very often so maybe they just aren't used to it, but seriously, yesterday, it BARELY rained like ten drops and people were losing their minds. It was like they forgot how to drive. Hit the windshield wipers and keep driving! I don't know why I have such little patience for it, but I have NO patience for stupid drivers.

... that I had my FIRST Chick-fil-A milkshake over the weekend and I think I am HOOKED. It was SO good. I'm hoping I can convince Seth to go again this weekend. I got cookies and cream and LOVED it. Any other recommendations?

... that I was NOT sad to see Olivia leave the Bachelor last week. This week's episode was so much more enjoyable without her there!

... that I HATE paying for shipping. HATE IT. I'd much rather something cost more and having the shipping built in and me not know about it than having to add shipping at the end.

... that I also always add enough stuff to my cart to make it free shipping, especially at Old Navy/Gap online. Not that I really ever have that problem since stuff ships for free at only $50. If I had to choose, I'd probably do all my online shopping at Old Navy/Gap and Nordstrom just for the shipping. Oh, and Target, since I'm pretty sure I get free shipping with my Red Card as well.

... that I've had Dunkin' Donuts TWICE in my lifetime. In my defense, there wasn't one even semi nearby until a year or so ago. The nearest one is by Seth's dad's house so the first time we went over after it was built, I convinced Seth to stop.

... that I also have to admit, I wasn't that impressed by Dunkin'. I almost always get a Vanilla Latte from Starbucks, so I ordered the same thing from Dunkin' and I thought it tasted like vanilla syrup. I had it again recently and thought the same thing. I had to use half of that drink mixed with my own coffee at home to make it taste even somewhat drinkable. Am I just ordering the wrong thing? Help! I want to like it, but I think I am a true Starbucks girl. #starbucksforever

Can you relate to any of my confessions?



Valentine's Day Weekend.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Valentine's Day. The love holiday.

I wasn't really planning on recapping Valentine's Day because... well... nothing exciting happened! I was planning on doing a little recap and sharing a couple pictures of our weekend on Friday (you know, a whole week after it happened! ha!) but the more I typed, the more I realized that it probably deserved a post of it's own. That and I haven't done a weekend recap in a while and since it was a long weekend, I figured why not. #livingonthewildside

I used to be a big celebrator of Valentine's Day, but recently, I just don't care as much about the "holiday" as I used to. I'm a firm believer that it is a Hallmark holiday and I would much rather Seth bring home a random bouquet of flowers or my favorite candy because he saw them at the store and thought I'd like them rather than a holiday telling him that he should get me something. That being said, even though I was a terrible, terrible wife and didn't get him anything, he still got me flowers and wine. #hesakeeper

On Friday, we started off the love weekend with a little family date night to Lazy Dog Cafe (my fave!!!) and then a pit stop to Yogurtland on the way home. Mason was SO excited about the froyo that he ran up to get the cup and even pulled the lever down to serve himself. He was doing a pretty good job, but I don't think he was pulling hard enough so I helped him. I filled it just a little bit full, handed him the cup, and off he ran to add some toppings. Poor boy was so excited about the toppings that he put the cup on the very edge of the counter and it fell on the ground. Upside down. And all the yogurt spilled on the floor. Not to worry though, Daddy saved the day, and we were back in business picking our toppings. I should really use that term loosely though because all he wanted was one of those pieces of pre-made waffle cones. The kid is easy to please. Seth and I got our froyo all picked out and added some toppings and we got our to-go lids and we were on our way. Mason ate the waffle cone part in the car and he was a happy camper. By the time we got home, it was time for bed, so Seth put Mason to bed and then we watched part of the OJ Simpson mini series and ate our frozen yogurt. The show is actually pretty interesting to watch. Since I was only ten years old when it happened, it's interesting to see what I remember and what I am learning. It's also ridiculously hard to picture David Schwimmer as Robert Kardashian. All I see is Ross from Friends!



Saturday morning we dropped Mason off at his ABA therapy for a few hours and Seth and I ran some errands -- Starbucks, Target, and Costco. Then he ran a few more errands and I stayed home and tried to organize some stuff. Knowing that I had a nice, long weekend ahead of me made it so I wasn't so rushed to cram everything in to Saturday so we could have family time on Sunday, like usual. We picked Mason up at 2pm, he took a very short nap, and we took him to get his hair cut at 5:30pm. After the hair cut, it was time for dinner and I was craving Chick-fil-A so we drove home, went through the drive thru, and had a little picnic of Chick-fil-A at home. I got my first Chick-fil-A milkshake and my life will never be the same. It was amazing.



Sunday morning we took Bubbie (Seth's Grandma) out to breakfast for Valentine's Day. We hadn't seen her in a while and we wanted to do something special for her. We went to the Pancake House and as always, it did not disappoint. We were pleasantly surprised that the wait was only 10-20 minutes (it gets CRAZY there on weekends, especially holidays). Mason was SO, SO good and played with the crayons they gave him and his Hot Wheels truck the whole time. He usually gets antsy about halfway in and we resort to the iPhone to keep him entertained, but smart mommy brought some Cheerios (in case he got hungry, but this worked too) and we practiced counting how many Cheerios could fit in the back of the truck over and over. Once his food came, Mason scarfed down as many pieces of bacon as he could fit into his mouth at once and I helped him eat some pancakes too (because while I love bacon too, bacon alone is not a breakfast).

Bubbie gave Mason some Valentine's Day money so after we dropped her off at her house, we took Mason to Target to pick out some new Hot Wheels. He's recently been obsessed with them and literally takes a car or truck with him everywhere he goes. After Target, we went home for lunch and for Mason to nap and then we went over to Nanny's house for dinner with her, Papa, and Bubbie. It was a super nice evening out and we got to play outside for a bit and then had some yummy lamb, potatoes, asparagus, and wine followed up with a brownie sundae for dessert. Nothing super fancy or elaborate but delicious nonetheless.





Monday, Seth and I both had off. Mason's ABA therapist came to our house for the session since his school was closed for the holiday and I ran some errands and went grocery shopping. After she left, we had lunch and Mason napped for maybe an hour or so. We had planned to keep it low key and have a movie afternoon, but then I suggested getting ice cream so we were off. And yes, if you're keeping track, we had ice cream 3/3 days this weekend. #sorrynotsorry

We went to our favorite ice cream place, had some ice cream, looked at the fountain, and then left. I suggested going to a nearby park because apparently when you let your kid eat a WHOLE ice cream cone (minus a few licks I took to keep the ice cream from melting everywhere) AND a whole waffle cone, he has a bunch of energy. So, we headed to the park for about 45 minutes and then headed home for dinner.







Overall, for a weekend with no real plans, we sure did a lot! And now I'm left wondering what day it is (Mondays off totally screw me up!) and when will next weekend be here?!?

Happy Wednesday (I think)!


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