I’ve been struggling with what to write about as of late. I am in the midst of my baby boy turning 3 on Friday – cue the tears; starting my first round coaching the FASTer Way to Fat Loss; getting over being sick with what I swear was the flu – but the test was negative – and planning the next few months of travel and kids’ camps in a new town …all while trying to be a wife, mom, friend, daughter, sister, household manager and blogger. HAHA….I guess, you can say like the rest of us – I’m living my life!
Madison, MS in the Spring!
With the warming of temperatures and the layers of clothing becoming lighter, I find myself migrating to not only new items to wear, but also cook-eat-do! So I thought “Why not blog about a few of my favorite things for Spring?” It’s really got no rhyme or reason, but hey – Spring is all about renewal and resetting and if I can dish out a new idea for a family who it helps with their day-to-day lives, then I’ve done what I came to do! (Crossing arms profoundly with a nod)
Spring Faves
Let’s start with clothing – because I am a lover of the fashion. Come Spring, and especially with my kids being home more, I gravitate towards EASY styling options (jeans, tee, canvas slides OR dress and sandals). I have recently discovered that white jeans are easier than said to stay clean (I use Oxi-clean and wash them after every wear – I don’t recommend that if you do not have toddlers – but moms get it. White attracts sticky hands and brown residue that children seem to acrrue by living.) My favorite pair has been these Old Navy Mid-Rise Distressed Rockstar White Jeans . For around $25 or less, you can have a pair of white jeans that don’t show every lump/bump and underwear line. Also, a BIT of distressing makes for a little interest, but I have tried highly distressed white jeans and for some reason they feel too trendy for me. I have worn these on the repeat the last few weeks and for the price, I actually bought another pair – they are that good. Loads of great reviews, too. In fact, for my curvy ladies, check out Maddy Gutierrez’s review of her white jeans try-on. She loves the Old Navy High Rise white jean option, but I say – give it a shot!
Now – for the tee shirts. I have a mix of favorites, but I always go back to these for short sleeved V-necks! They are just a high quality, inexpensive tee option that I have loved for years. For a sleeveless option, I really love these because I can wear a regular bra with them and they drape nicely with shorts and skirts. They are a bit pricey for a tank; however, they tend to go on sale every few weeks. I found that I kept reaching for them day after day so mine wore out after a year; but I will probably get a gray, black, and white again for this season. I haven’t gotten these in yet, but I do want to say that I am excited about my order of these two under $5 tees. I really dislike crew neck tees on me because I feel like the unisex-fit is really unflattering, but for $4.99, I will tie a knot on the bottom and hope for the best! I got the leopard and the snakeskin print for Spring/Summer.
For the shoes – I am going to shy away from the espadrilles and the wedges and the sandals, because honestly, I have a ton I love but every woman is particular about her shoes. But I do have to highlight these babies – because I feel like they are a good duplicate for a much higher-end shoe and for under $17, I have worn them five times in the last week and they are super comfy! I also posted them on Instagram the other day and everyone loved them and couldn’t believe they were a #walmartfind! Plus, we are not quite in open-toe shoe season, so these are great for comfort and a cute look!
FOOD
With my newer gluten-dairy free lifetyle on the FASTer Way to Fat Loss I have been eating and cooking with a new found creativity and everything has been so delicious! I actually started a Pinterest board just for the things I’m trying and I am really making things I’m pinning! (First time ever!)
Things I am loving:
EGG ROLL in a BOWL (for the recipe click on it!) The first time I made this, I was a little skeptical. It looked like rabbit food. BUT OH MY GOSH – it’s delicious! I tweak it a bit (because I’m not a huge cabbage person) by using a Stir Fry veggie kit with broccoli, kale, carrots, and cabbage and by using a combination of lean ground beef and 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage which adds flavor. Also, if you haven’t started using Tamari sauce instead of soy sauce – you need to make the switch! It’s so rich and salty, but none of the swollen feeling after eating it!
EATING EVOLVED Cashewmilk Chocolate bars ….UM, basically, these are the best things ever. It’s tastes like a mix of milk and dark chocolate that is DAIRY FREE! I order them by the box at $38, which my husband thinks is absolutely crazy, but he devours them by the BAR on the regular – so who’s crazy now? If anyone remembers that my birthday is coming up on May 26th (which I tend to celebrate all month long), I would literally do a happy dance if someone ordered me a custom chocolate bar box – I LOVE macadamia nuts, almonds, raspberries, and sea salt. (HINT, HINT). Seriously – this company is just all kinds of awesome. I follow them on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest for all sorts of great recipes that are Paleo-friendly.
Truly Rosé Spiked Cider This is only for the 21 and up crowd, loves. (Which by the looks of my analytics – I only have fans of 21 and up. Not cool enough for tweens yet.) This stuff is so delicious, refreshing, and light – It will be my POOL drink of choice this summer. I prefer it in a glass because it just feels classier that way, but trust me – it tastes great either way! Plus it’s slightly pink and pretty and makes for a great Instagram photo – so get a case of it to share! Plus – low carb and only 100 calories – YES Please!
Kind of food-beverage related, my friend Heather just turned me on to Alex, The Macro Barista on Instagram and ya’ll he breaks down Starbucks’ drinks based on Macros! GENIUS! I’ve already found a bunch of things I am going to order in a very I-know-what-I’m-doing-voice. Check him out!
Completely random – unrelated NEED-to-KNOW tidbit
Bryan told me the other day that I needed to set my Emergency Contact info in my iphoneX. I looked at him like he had three eyeballs. Then he blew my mind with the update I hadn’t known about for years since having my first iPhone.
How to add emergency contacts to your iPhone or Apple Watch
- Launch the Health app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Medical ID tab.
- Tap Edit in the upper right corner.
- Tap Edit Medical ID.
- Under Emergency Contacts tap Add emergency contact.
- Select a contact from your list.
- Select a Relationship.
***MIND BLOWN! So now, if I’m ever unable to open my phone or am found unconscious or god-forbid dead, the emergency response team has a way to contact my husband and mom. You can even list if you are an organ donor and what blood type you are. How cool is that?
So, that’s my short and sweet update on some things I’ve been loving lately. I have some other things I may post in a couple days – more kid-friendly things like clothes and shoes and activities that we’ve been enjoying over Spring Break last week!
Oh and for those wanting to get in on my next round of the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, I start a new round on April 1! That may be my last round before the end of summer – since I plan to head to South Carolina with the kids and spend some time at the beach – but if you are interested, just click here!
