Hey friends! Happy Wednesday!! How has your week been going? 

Our's is moving right along! I realized yesterday that I have done NO Christmas baking. 

This is weird for me! HA! To get things into motion- I went to Aldi and bought all of my baking supplies. I am hoping to get a good start on Christmas cookies this weekend!

Ok! Let's get to the topic at hand! :)

I have a fun Walmart find for you today!

Last week, I mentioned that I needed a dress for a baby shower that I was attending. 

I ordered this dress from Walmart on a whim- and it was a WINNER! (Here's the LINK to it!)

So many things to love about this dress. First- the price point!! It is currently on sale for just under $17.00!! It is made out of the prettiest silk/satin material. It has a slight sheen to it which makes it extra pretty! The cut of it is so flattering for all body types! 

And it is SO easy to dress up or down. 

The color of the dress pictured above is called "magenta shimmer." I wore it with with tall brown boots to the baby shower and loved the combo of the boots with the dress!

To dress it up- just put on a pair of black or nude heels! 

Add a statement pair of earrings and a necklace if you are feeling crazy- 

and you are ready to go! 

I loved the dress so much- I ordered it in this stunning forest green color that is being called "emerald forest." 

THIS is the dress for all of the holiday parties you are attending this month! 

This color is STUNNING in person. The picture on the website does NOT do it justice!

I will most likely be wearing this dress to Christmas Eve Mass! 

Here is the dress on a real person :) ME! 

I wore a really fun pair of funky earrings with it- but if I were dressing this up- I would go with some big and super sparkly! 

This dress is comfortable, under $20, comes in several BEAUTIFUL colors and can be worn so many different ways. 

And- HUGE bonus- it's not sold out on Walmart's website like most of their clothing! HA!

You can find the dress HERE! 

If you end up buying this dress- let me know what you think of it!!

Hey Hey Monday!

 Hey Friends!! Happy Monday!!

How was your weekend??

We had a really great couple of days "off!"

On Saturday, my daughters and I went to a baby shower for a good friend. It was such a lovely shower! It was a tea party theme and my girls just loved all the mini desserts and special sparkling juice :)

Saturday evening, we went bowling for my oldest daughter's birthday- which was this past Wednesday. We haven't been bowling in FOREVER and we had a blast!

Sunday was my birthday!! Let's go FORTY-THREE! :)

Love my silly Cora :)

My birthday request was a Christmas recital and my kids delivered! My mom came over and they put on the best performance!! 

My husband made me the most delicious and totally dairy free cake- and it was SUCH a treat. 

I enjoyed several slices :)

And now it's Monday again :)

I put our meal plan together last night while we watched the Eagles / 49ers game! What a GAME! And not in a good way!

As an extra special birthday present- my husband switched his work schedule around and he is off today!! He told me last night and I was so surprised! And excited!

We have big fun plans today. We're going to workout and go to Costco. HA!

Truly any time we spend together is the best time- so I am really looking forward to our day :)

I feel like I have settled into a good routine with going to Costco.

It's not overly convenient for me to go there regularly- so I have found going once a month works well for me.

I am definitely not a Costco fanatic - but there are several things I buy every month!

Here's my list!

This is what I typically get once a month! I usually only have to get the honey once every couple of months and same with the paper towels. I still can get most of my groceries for a less expensive price at Aldi- but being able to get a good amount of different protein options at Costco is super helpful!

We have a deep freezer- so I am able to buy in bigger quantities because I have the space for it!

Maybe this is helpful if you are new to shopping at Costco?? 

I find that if you don't want to overspend- you really need to walk into that place with a game plan! HA!

Ok friends! Off to have a very fun Monday with my hubby!

Hope it's a great day for you!!

Friday Favorites!

 Hey hey friends!! Happy Friday! AND- Happy FIRST day of December!!

The elves are officially back at our house as of this morning!

A few years ago, tor some reason, I thought it would a good idea to not only invite 3 "adult" elves into our home- but also FIVE baby elves. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!? HA! 

My younger three kiddos love our elves so much and my two oldest daughters are constantly reminding me that I need to move them every night. I am definitely not a creative or elaborate elf mom- but I do have fun trying to a few fun things with our elves throughout the month!

//ONE//

Can I please tell you what is bringing me immense joy these days??

This fraiser fir scented all purpose cleaner by Thymes. I absolutely LOVE the scent of Christmas trees and when I saw this spray- I became giddy with excitement. It is a complete splurge- given this bottle of $16- BUT- the smell is incredible. And it truly feels like such a TREAT to clean off my counters with it every night!! I have decided I will treat myself to one bottle of this magical cleaner every year and I just love that for myself!!

//TWO//

As I was setting up my Christmas porch decorations this past weekend, I realized I needed a new Christmas doormat. I found this one at Target! I wanted something classic and not cheesy.  What is up with all the door mats that say stuff like, "Meet me under the mistletoe" of "No humbugs allowed" ?!? I am just much more of a traditionalist when it comes to Christmas decor! 

Also- I didn't want to spend $40 on something that is going to sit on my porch! 

This one is $13 and it's just what I was looking for! You can find it HERE on Target's website!

//THREE//

'Tis the season for having to think about gifts for all the special people in your life! 

I wanted to share about this cleansing balm that I have been using for over a year now. 

I think it would make a lovely gift! You can find it HERE on Amazon!

It is VERY similar to Beautycounter's Lotus Glow Cleansing Balm if you are familiar with that! 

It is a moisturizing balm that takes makeup off SO well. It is also incredibly moisturizing! I use it in the morning as more of a moisturizer than a cleanser. I think it's a great gift option- especially for a girls' holiday party or gift exchange at work- because it's right under $15! If you wanted to added a little "oomph" - you could this cleansing balm with a some makeup remover towels! Such a useful and fun gift!!

//FOUR//

Homemade hot fudge sauce. Have you ever made it? Charlotte requested hot fudge brownie sundaes- so I made the brownies from my favorite Aldi box mix and decided it would be fun to make the hot fudge! It could not have been easier! And it was SO delicious!  As I was making it- I was thinking what a fun gift it would be to make some homemade hot fudge and pair it with a container of ice cream, sprinkles and whip cream. Wouldn't that be so nice to drop off at a friend's house or bring over to a family get together?

Here's the recipe I used to make it!! 

Did you happen to catch my other blog posts from this week?

You can check out Monday's blog post HERE!

And you can find my "What's Up Wednesday" post HERE!

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend? We have several things going on- all of which I am really looking forward to!! The weather is supposed to be rainy and gross here in Raleigh- so I am thankful we have plans to keep us occupied and not stuck inside!! 

Hope you have an AWESOME Friday and a WONDERFUL weekend!

What's Up Wednesday!!

 Happy Wednesday!!!

How is it the LAST Wednesday of NOVEMBER??? 

So excited to be linking up with Shay and Sheaffer for What's Up Wednesday!

 What we're eating this week...As always- our menu for the week is all about SIMPLE and EASY meals! Especially after the Thanksgiving holiday!Here's what our family will be eating this week!

 What I'm reminiscing about...well...it is my oldest daughter's birthday today!! She is FIFTEEN!! So I have been reminiscing about her!! Just a few days ago, my husband and I were talking about when we found out we were pregnant with her....when she got baptized...when she started kindergarten. It is all still SO FRESH in my memory. And I am so grateful for that! 

It has been the joy of my life to be her mom and I have truly loved every minute of it!! 

What I am loving....I am loving my LIFE! I have always had a disposition of gratitude and optimism..but especially over this last year, I have made a decision to be acutely aware of the goodness and abundance that surrounds me. And it has really been SO life giving!

source: Bob Goff

 

What we've been up to...LOTS of family time!! Which makes my heart so so happy.

My mom hosted Thanksgiving at her new house and it was just SO fun. We hung out with my mom and my brother's family for a good portion of the Thanksgiving break and it was just my FAVORITE! AND my husband was home for a couple extra days- which was SO amazing. I just love being surrounded by my people!

What I'm dreading...I am not dreading anything! I will say- I REALLY dislike the early darkness that comes with the winter months. I literally start thinking about going to be at 5:00 pm. HA! 

What I'm working on...I need to get started on my Christmas baking! I give our school administrators cookie boxes - and between the two schools my kids go to- I have about 10 cookie boxes I need to make! I better get baking!! HA!

What I am watching/reading...I am watching nothing. HA! We are invested in the latest season of The Great British Bake Off- so we have been watching that on Friday nights. Otherwise- we are pretty desperate for our Chicago shows and Blue Bloods to come back!!! In an attempt to try to get back into reading (I am just really not a reader!!!) - I just checked out some Nancy Thayer books from the library. 

First on my list to read is, "Let It Snow." I just need to sit down and start reading it!! 

What I am listening to...CHRISTMAS MUSIC!! I have multiple Christmas playlists on Pandora that I love! One of my favorites is "Classical Christmas." I will play that while I am drinking my coffee early in the morning and it is just the absolute BEST.

What I'm wearing...nothing exciting or notable. HA! I have 5 sweaters and several sweatshirts I wear over and over again once the weather gets cold. The one item that I recently bought was a pair of these leggings. As soon as I wore them- I promptly bought another pair- because they are SO GOOD. I don't own a pair of Lululemon leggings- which are supposed to be the gold standard of leggings- BUT- I would argue that these are just as good if not better!! I own them in the "cassis" and "dark olive" colors! The only issue I have with them is the brand name. HA! Why did they think it was a good idea to name their company "Hey Nuts?!?"

 

What I'm doing this weekend...celebrating!! We have plans to go bowling for my daughter's 15th birthday- which is TODAY! My daughters and I are also going to a baby shower for a very good friend- which we are SO excited about. Side note- what do you wear to a winter baby shower? I don't want to wear jeans. I have a lot of dresses- but all of my bright and happy dresses (which is what I would typically wear to a baby shower) are short/short sleeved/sleeveless. All of my winter dresses are depressing colors. HA! On a whim, I ordered this dress...I am hoping it fits! Dresses this style can sometimes be too short on me.

What I'm looking forward to next month...a super fun birthday party for one of my most favorite friends! It's a surprise and I am just giddy with excitement:)

 And then of course...all things CHRISTMAS! 

I just found out that my sister in law and nephew will be coming to celebrate Christmas with us- which makes me SO happy! My brother is a doctor and has to work the Christmas holiday...so he won't be coming- which is a huge bummer...BUT- I am SO thankful to get some special time with my precious nephew!!

What else is new...I mentioned in last month's "What's up Wednesday" we were looking for a car that will be the "family car" all of our kids will drive. After A LOT of searching- we found a 2018 Honda Pilot in AMAZING condition and got an awesome price on it. Shout out to my husband for being the ultimate negotiator! Also- I need to shout out Kelly, the Car Mom- for sharing so much great advice regarding cars and purchasing them. My husband is very knowledgeable when it comes to buying cars- but even he learned some things from Kelly! Through her advice, we were really able to narrow down exactly what we wanted in regard to size of car, safety and technology features and price! You can find Kelly here on Instagram and here is the link to her blog!! 

And now the fun begins! My daughter gets her learner's permit on Friday and we will be taking the family car out for lots of learning opportunities. It's so exciting (and TERRIFYING)!  

 

And that's it for today!!  

Hope you have the most WONDERFUL Wednesday!!

 

Hello Monday!

Hello friends!!

Happy Monday!!

How was your Thanksgiving holiday?

Our's was truly delightful. My mom hosted Thanksgiving at her house and it was just so fun and special!!

Friday, my brother had some people over for pizza- and again- it was so fun!

Saturday evening, we headed back over to my mom's to help her put up her Christmas tree!

We got so much time together as a family unit as well- which I LOVED. Having Aaron home for a couple of extra days made the kids and me SO happy!

And now here we are...back to regularly scheduled programming- and heading into DECEMBER at the end of this week!

We actually have a pretty solid week of activities, including my daughter turning FIFTEEN in a few days!! 

I can believe it and I also can't believe it. HA!

I loved having the extra time off with my kids...but they were all very ready to get back to school today. I am looking forward to having a couple weeks of our normal school routine before they are all home for Christmas break!

Did anyone else have a HECK of a time coming up with a meal plan this week??

I didn't even cook Thanksgiving dinner and I felt cooking fatigue! HA!

Here's what I came up with for our menu!

My daughter has asked for hot fudge sundaes for her birthday dessert..which I feel is an EXCELLENT choice! I am going to use my favorite box brownie mix from Aldi- but I thought I would try making homemade fudge sauce! I am going to use this recipe from the Crazy for Crust blog. It looks delicious AND super easy to make! 

 There are SO many sales going on. I literally deleted Instagram off of my phone for the majority of the holiday because I just couldn't take all the noise!!

With that being said- I wanted to share about a really great sale. HA!

My girls want to get a few of their girlfriends a little gift for Christmas. They are on a budget, as they buy these presents with their own money :)

We saw that Pura Vida was having a sale- and it is a GOOD one!! There are multiple bracelets on sale for under $5 and lots of other jewelry on sale for under $10. And free shipping!

My girls were so excited to pick out some cute things for their friends!! 

Just wanted to share!! also- FYI: These bracelets make super fun stocking stuffers! 

Love this "check-in"- it's the start of a new week and the beginning of a very FULL season!

Friendly reminder- YOU are in control of how you feel. 

The holidays don't have to be stressful. 

YOU get to decide to say "YES" and you can also say, "That sounds wonderful." or "I would love to help." BUT- "this time, I am going to have to decline." 

Creating margin in your life and protecting your time doesn't happen on it's own :)

Have the BEST day and a wonderful week!!

 

Currently Loving: Friday Edition!

Hey friends!! Happy Friday!!  

How was your week?

We had a really good, nice and fairly "normal" week. Yesterday afternoon and evening was a little nuts- I was picking up and dropping kids off at a variety of activities and sports from 3:30- 9:00 pm...but that's just how it is some days!

I have just a bunch of random links + things that I am loving and wanted to share with ya'll today!!

Let's start with LOVE. 

I LOVE love and I am totally invested in the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce relationship. I am not at all into Taylor Swift's music...it's actually not my favorite at all- BUT! She is beautiful and seems lovely. Travis Kelce is hysterical (I love listening to his podcast) and the two of the them together just make me happy! I am here for it!

My husband and I were talking and we decided that we are so excited for what's happening between Taylor and Travis- because it reminds us of when we fell in love! 

Not that I was a billionaire super star and Aaron was a professional football player when we met...(HA!)- But- that we know that feeling of just being so excited about each other and it's just the BEST!

Anyway- I am on Team Travis & Taylor! Although..I haven't decided who I am cheering for when the Chiefs play the Eagles this upcoming Monday- because I also love Jason Kelce (Travis' brother)!

I read this blog post earlier this week and I just thought it was SO funny. And SO good. I love the idea of "low stake burns." You have to go read the post!! And I am totally going to bring back the saying, "Go jump in a lake!" HA!

I REALLY want a pair of PERFECT fitting black pants. I want to feel like a million bucks in them. The problem is- I don't want to shop for them. HA! And I also don't want pull on black pants. I want them to have a zipper and a button. I want them to be fitted but not crazy tight. I would take a little flare at the bottom- but not a bell bottom. And I don't want to pay more than $50 for them. 

Anyone have any suggestions where I can find these unicorn black pants!? HA!

And to go with my black pants, I want to get this velvet blazer. This type of outfit is so NOT my norm..but I love the color of the blazer and I just think it would look so chic with a pair of great fitting black pants!

Did you see my post from a couple of days ago? I shared all about the makeup I love and use!

You can check it out HERE!

I mentioned that I love the brand Colourpop- especially their eyeshadows!! 

FYI: Colourpop is currently on sale at Target!

They are already super affordable- and right now you can save even more! 

So if you need an excuse to buy a new eyeshadow palette- I have just given you one! HA!

I am on an ongoing journey to find THE DRY SHAMPOO. You know- one that will change your life and allow you to not wash your hair more than once a week. HA!

I literally think I have used at least 15 different dry shampoo brands over the past couple of years! My hair dresser told me she really liked the Amika brand- so a couple weeks ago I picked up this set at Sephora (at my local Kohls). The verdict: I LOVE IT! 

Pros: It smells lovely. It works. It doesn't make my hair feel super crusty when I use it for a couple days in a row.

Cons: It's pricey. This set- which is a full size dry shampoo and a travel size- is $28- which is a great deal- considering the regular size dry shampoo, on it's own, is $28.00! 

It's leaves a little white residue- but it's easy to blend in. 

I am very happy with it- and despite it being a little more than I like to spend on dry shampoo- I think I am going to stick with this brand for the time being!!

Do you have set dates that you allow yourself to do certain things? Like, you decorate for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving. Or you wear your white jeans after Memorial Day. You get the picture! For me- I decorated our house for Christmas last weekend- BUT- I wait to put Christmas sheets on everyone's bed until December 1st. That's also when I get out my Christmas coffee mugs. Well- I have decided life is too short and I am going to get my Santa coffee mug down and use it tomorrow. I am living life on the edge over here! HA!

My son James got my husband and I matching mugs at our former neighbors garage sale a couple years ago and they are just SO precious to me!

I think that's all I have for today! This was quite the random post...but that is very on brand for me. HA! If we were to hang out and have a cup of coffee or go on a walk together- these are exactly the types of things we would talk about! :)

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!! And a FABULOUS Friday!

Linking up with from Andrea and Erica for Friday Favorites!!!  

Favorite Makeup Products!

Hey hey friends!!

Happy Wednesday!! How is your week going so far??

Everything is going well at our house...I am still not adjusted to how DARK it is at 5:30 pm...but other than that- it's been a good normal week!

So....I don't get asked about much. I will get a random question here and there- but I am not in a position where I can I say, "Everyone is wanting to know about _____" 

I am just not that popular. HA!

The one thing that multiple people do ask me about- on a pretty regular basis- is what kind of makeup I use!  I finally took the time to take pictures of all of my products and I am going to share them with you today!

There is nothing professional about this post. As I was putting on my makeup this past Sunday, before church, I literally snapped a picture of everything I used. These are my actual products- so they are USED and well loved- as evidenced in the pictures! :)

I am going to share the products in the order I put them on!

First up- is concealer and "foundation." A couple months ago, this Lancome concealer was 50% off at Ulta. I was curious about it- so I bought it- and I LOVE it! I use it under my eyes and blend it in with a beauty blender sponge. For my foundation, I use this Missha magic cushion foundation. It is a light- medium coverage foundation and I use this brush to apply it on my face. 

After my concealer and foundation has been applied and blended, I use the Airspun loose face powder and this Moira waterproof setting powder to "set" my concealer and foundation. I like a more matte look- and using these two powders achieve that look for me! I apply both of these powders with a big fluffy brush. Here's the one I use!

Next up is bronzer and blush! I love this Island Queen bronzed goddess duo from Moira! For blush- I love this cream blush from Moira. I just put on a few little dabs of the blush after I have applied my bronzer! 

Now onto eyes! I am OBSESSED with these eyeshadow "stix" from Colourpop!! I found them at Ulta- but I just recently saw that Target is also carrying them! And added bonus- I just checked Target's website and Colourpop cosmetics are on sale this week! You can find the eyeshadow "stix" HERE on Target's website and HERE on Ulta's website!

I am also in LOVE with Colourpop's eye shadow palettes. Feeling Bubbly is my FAVORITE!

I first use an eyeshadow stick- or I may even blend two colors together. Then, I will then go over the cream eyeshadow with one or two of the colors from my eye shadow palette. I don't really have a set method- I just decide what colors I am in the mood for that day and then go with it!

This is my TRIED AND TRUE eyeliner. I have been using this for years. It is cheap, it blends great and it stays put! You can find it HERE! I use the color "blackest black."

After I have done my eyeliner- it's time for mascara!

This is my current combo. HA! Yes. I use three different mascaras- and I use them in this specific order :)

Lash princess curl and volume can be found HERE

Lash paradise can be found HERE

Lash princess false lash effect can be found HERE

And for lips- I either put on vaseline, chapstick or some of this Maybelline lipgloss! I love this lipgloss and so do all of my daughters!!

And there you have it! My favorite makeup products that I use every day!

I love makeup. I have since I was in 7th grade! I love trying new products, I love playing around with different eyeshadow colors...it's all SO fun to me!! 

I put on makeup every day. It makes me feel put together. When I feel put together, I am productive and I feel good about myself. I am a firm believer that when you look good, you FEEL good and you DO good.

I know putting on a full face of makeup isn't for everyone - but even just a little bronzer, a small amount of a pretty eyeshadow and some mascara can make such a difference in how you FEEL!

I hope ya'll enjoyed this post and maybe even found a couple new makeup products that you want to try out!!

I hope you have a WONDERFUL Wednesday!!