Five on Friday

It's MARCH. How is it March?! I can't believe how fast time is flying. You know what else flew by? This week. Whew! We are so ready for a fun weekend ahead.

 

one A // We have spring fever over here and I've started shopping for warmer clothes for the kids. I snagged these super cute dresses below for Caroline from Amazon and most of them have already arrived this week and I am blown away by the quality. Most of them are from Fiream, a super cute and affordable clothing line that I discovered thanks to Natasha!

Now girl mamas, tell me where I can find inexpensive spandex shorts (in bulk) to go under these dresses!

 

 Dinosaur Cotton Dress ($10) // Boat Dress ($13) // Watermelon Dress ($12)

Lemon Flutter Sleeve Dress ($14) // Bunny Pocket Dress ($12) // Flamingo Dress ($10)

I grabbed this cute sailboat two-piece set for Thomas for $15 too!

 

one B // The toddler swim line at Target is on point this season!!! This week I picked up some new swimwear while it's buy one get one 50% off (ends tomorrow!!). For Thomas I got new dinosaur swim trunks, shark swim trunks and a rash guard. And for Caroline I grabbed a new rashguard swimsuit. Here's a round-up of my favorite toddler swimwear:

two // I read a super interesting New York Times article this week about switching to grayscale on your phone to reduce your screentime. Basically you cut the colors by going gray and your phone becomes more of a tool and less of a source of entertainment. Anyway, I tested it out as an experiment for a day and it totally worked -- scrolling through a colorless instagram was a lot less interesting. But I only lasted a day before turning color back on.

three // I can't tell you how much fun it's been to receive all your messages on my insta stories in response to my easy dinner posts. SO many of you have sent me snaps of your dinner using my recipe this week and it made me happy, happy, happy! Since y'all love it, I'll see if Chef Caroline is available and interested in posting another easy dinner recipe soon.

Easy recipe this week -- sheet pan meal with parmesan pork chops (pork chops coated in panko and parmesan), honey glazed carrots and broccoli. Throw in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes and dinner is served! And clean up is easy, easy, easy!

four // I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. Matt always says I should go short and I always chicken out and get .025 inches trimmed off instead. Anyway, he sent me these two hair styles and I am warming up to the length. Should I go for it? Stay tuned...

five // This cutie patootie rocked her dentist appointment this week. She loves going to the dentist, which is hilarious to me because I love going to the dentist too...and I know that's weird.

Five on Friday: Makeup Edition

Happy Friday from Wilmington, NC! I'm so close to the beach yet stuck in a conference room since I arrived yesterday to give a presentation, had a late work dinner, a big event this afternoon and head back home tonight. Somehow I managed to write a post every day this week and then ran out of time and topics for my Five on Friday. However, my makeup travel bag combined with some pictures I had from a recent morning spent with my friend and talented makeup artist, Lindsey, inspired me to post about five beauty products I'm currently loving! These are some of my favorite posts to read because I am nosy and love to know what products everyone else is using. Also, I am clearly no makeup professional at all but Lindsey is and her advice is always spot on,  so if you really want professional makeup advice, go check out her blog!

one. Let's start with my favorite product first -- Too Faced Peach Perfect Foundation. This was a new product that Lindsey used on me when she did my makeup. Right after I left her house I ditched my NARS foundation and haven't been happier. This is hands down the best foundation I've ever used. It's a medium coverage matte foundation that doesn't go on thick or cakey -- perfect for warmer months ahead (or anytime really). It's smooth, light and infused with peach and sweet fig cream! I am color nude. Tip: you can buy it from Sephora or sign up for emails from Too Faced and get 20% off your order (which is what I did). Highly recommend!

Too Faced Peach Perfect Foundation: Sephora // Too Faced

two. I can't tell you how many brow products I've tried -- waxes, pencils, shadows, gels, etc. For awhile I was using Anastasia Brow Wiz Pencil but I was going through it too fast and it wasn't a product I could quickly apply without it looking like I had, well, penciled eye brows! Then my whole eye brow world change when Lindsey used Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade (color taupe) on me. This smudge-free, waterproof pomade is truly the perfect all-in-one brow product.

Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade: Nordstrom // Sephora // Ulta

three. Next up, Benefit Cosmetics' award-winning Hoola Matte Bronzer Powder. I received this bronzer from my girlfriend Laura last Christmas and have been hooked ever since. Lindsey used the contour stick version on me when she did my makeup and they are both awesome. The powder is less intimidating to me than the stick though.

Hoola Matte Bronzer Powder: Ulta // Sephora // Nordstrom // Amazon

And a little bonus contour tutorial by Lindsey...

four. Another product gifted to me by Laura! Smith's Rosebud Salve. It's SO good. Just pick up a tube and you'll understand! Although I think I'm the last one to the party on this.

Smith's Rosebud Salve: Amazon // Sephora // Ulta

five. Last but not least, the best kit for natural eye shadows, Too Faced Natural Eyes. I know this product is super popular among the beauty bloggers right now and I can certainly see why! I've been wanting to add it to my makeup kit for awhile now and after Lindsey used it on me I decided to finally scoop it up. She also has a tutorial saved in her Insta-Stories highlight reel using this product.

Too Faced Natural Eyes: Too Faced // Sephora // Ulta // Amazon

Ta-da!

Five on Friday + OOO!

Well it's been a whirlwind of week over here. The past two weeks I've been traveling a lot and work has been busy, busy, busy -- but very excited about all my projects and initiatives!

one. As the primary bedmaker, Matt officially put his foot down on me bringing home any more pillows, so our master bed is finally complete! And I love it SO SO SO much. Details and sources linked below! A full master bedroom post to come soon!

Bed from Craig's List (similar -- love this) // Dresser // Nightstands // Coverlete // Euro Pillows // Velvet Pillow Covers + Inserts // Lamp Base + Shade // Rug // Navy Pillow (monogrammed separately) // Book Page Wreath

two. Fresh Flower Delivery on a Budget! I hope I am about to blow your mind as much as mine was blown when I recently discovered...you can send fresh flowers from AMAZON. WHAT?!?!!? I learned about this in a local Facebook mommy group earlier this week when I was searching for a quality online florist to send a bouquet to a friend. Several moms said they had huge success ordering this bouquet and this bouquet a few times. The mommy reviews raved that the $40 bouquet arrives in bud form and overnight shipping is free! Definitely keep this in mind for Valentine's Day!

But after all that, I ended up ordering from The Bouqs Co. because I had my heart set on this bouquet (and I had a $15 off promo code), but I am definitely trying Amazon next time.

three. We recently ditched the overpriced snip at crewcuts for a real barber for Thomas. Matt is pretty particular about hair and was super impressed with Colonial Barber Shop in Myers Park (recommended by another boy mama)! There are definitely no airplanes to sit in or toys in the corner, but the cut is meticulous (trimmers, scissors, etc.) and we will definitely go back! Highly recommend if you're local!

four. A long sleeve Free People top I have been eye balling for the entire season finally went on sale and I scooped it up in two colors and love it so much. I tried to get a good picture of the split back but I couldn't do the top justice. When it comes back in stock, I highly recommend grabbing one!

five // A sweet blog reader gifted me a custom makeup palette from Maskara Beauty. I hadn't heard of Maskara Beauty before so I was excited to play around on the site and discover the endless possibilities of makeup combinations to create the perfect palette. My favorite item in my palette is the Dahlia blush! It is gorgeous!

OOO! At 5 pm today I am turning on my out of office for next week! Matt and I are heading to paradise for a few days to take a break from laundry, toddler tantrums and insane workloads. It's actually kind of crazy because we booked this trip back in July when I was in a very, very bad place. At that time we were planning dad's funeral and anticipating a slew of upcoming painful holidays and occasions. And if you've ever lost or are losing a parent, you know the toll it takes on your marriage. So Matt and I decided that 2018 would be our year to reset and that would start with a trip away together. Well, that trip is HERE...and guess what? SO IS DAD! My heart is so full and happy to go on this trip and come home knowing I'll get to see my dad just a few weeks later.

We are heading to Grace Bay in Turks & Caicos. Restaurants on our radar include Da Conch Shack, Somewhere Cafe, Infiniti, Coco Bistro, Coyoba, Seven and Cocovan. Let me know if you have any tips or recommendations!

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday!

one // I recently received two pairs of gorgeous leather earrings from Tenfold Collective. Not only am I obsessed with my newest accessories, I love their mission -- to raise awareness and abolish human trafficking.

Better picture, sans photobombers.

two // I am SO proud of myself. Y'all, I completed our 2017 family photo album!! It took me like a billion hours but it's done and I couldn't be happier to add it to our collection. After doing our 2016 album I decided to reorganize how I store all of my photos to make this process easier. For 2017, I created a folder for each month, and within that folder I have individual folders for each activity/event. I design my albums by month, so for January I could quickly compile all of those photos into the book, by event. It made it SO much easier this year. Also, I use Blurb to create all of my books, but I'm not necessarily a huge fan of it. I love their quality, but their collage template options aren't the greatest, so I end  up making my own collages in PicMonkey before uploading them to my books. Let me know if you have a photo album website you love!

 We display our albums in a wire basket in our book cases.

three // Now that Whole30 is behind us, Matt and I are sticking to a low carb diet to lose the last few pounds to get to our goal weights. I'm always on the hunt for new low carb food options and recently tried some Keto products! So far we've tried the shakes (adding in bananas), artificial sweeteners in our coffee and the dry riced vegetables! I was super skeptical about the dry veggies but they were actually SO good and Thomas couldn't get enough of the riced broccoli! We also have some hot breakfast items to try too!

four // I haaaaaaaaave to share the most amazing workout pants I've ever owned. For Christmas I wanted to ask for some new workout leggings and had no clue where to start. Then I saw a post in a local mommy Facebook group with 75+ comments on the best workout leggings...and these High Waist Tummy Control Capris & High Waist Tummy Control Leggings were recommended over and over and over on the thread...and they are from Amazon (with 3500+ reviews)! They come in TONS of colors and are $34 for TWO PAIRS!!!! They are apparently the Zella knockoffs and I am obsessed with them.

High Waist Tummy Control Capris // Top (color discontinued)

five // A few weeks ago Amazon was running a sale on Echo Dots if you bought three. So I bought three because I can't pass up a good deal. We now have one in each of the kid's rooms and one in the kitchen. But it has come to my attention that I am definitely under utilizing Alexa!!! Besides asking her for the weather forecast, playing music, telling us jokes and setting timers, what should I be using her for?! What am I missing out on?

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday! Whew, we've got some serious cabin fever over here today. Just got the text that school is closed for the THIRD day in a row.  

one. I had a lot of requests on insta-stories about my shoes I wore in Florida. I found it so funny because the picture I posted didn't even show the full beauty of the shoes.  Here they are in their full glory...and they are ON SALE...and I am obsessed with them...

 Shoes

two. So I just finished All the Missing Girls...and I didn't love it. I knowwww. I knooooooooow. I'm in the minority because so many of you swore this was one of the very best books. I just felt like it was too slow for me and I kept losing interest! I and can't wait to crack open The Good Daughter tonight!

three. I was cracking up last night at the amount of questions I received about the kitty cat night light that Caroline showed off during her room tour on insta-stories! Truth be told, Matt bought it on his own and when it arrived I thought it was SO weird...but Caroline is obsessed with it -- clearly!

Night Light

four. We made these Whole30 Greek Burgers last night and I couldn't wait until my next Meal Plan Monday post to share them. We devoured ours too fast to even snap a picture.

five. There's nothing like an unexpected snow day to push me to finally scoop up some rain/snow boots for the kiddos. At the sign of the first flurry, I purchased these adorable shark boots for Tom and kitty cat boots for Caroline. Both on sale for less than $20! Also purchased a cute dinosaur hat + mittens set (on sale) for Tom so he wouldn't have to use socks as mittens anymore. #secondkidproblems

Shark Boots | Kitty Cat Boots

Happy weekend, friends!

Three on Friday!

We are en route to Florida today -- thankfully FLYING this time! Dad is doing really well and we want to spend as much time with him as possible while he's feeling great! That being said, things are a little chaotic this morning as we pack our bags and wrestle the kiddos out the door for the airport. So today I've only got time for 3 things! Happy Friday, friends!

one. For Christmas Matt surprised me with some work dresses and this one is my favorite! It's a dress I would have never picked out for myself, in a color I never think looks good on me and at a store I rarely shop at and I LOVE IT. I even wore it twice this week (perks of traveling to different offices).

Dress

two. While uploading all my iPhone pictures to Dropbox I found some pictures from a recent date night at one of our favorite restaurants, Good Food on Montford! This place is so delicious that there's always a line outside the door before they even open for dinner. It's that good...especially the steamed bun. omg.

2017 | 2015

three. I need some book recommendations! So the last time I actually sat down and read a book (that wasn't self-help or a devotional) was during our Jamaica vacation. The last two books I read were The Good Girl and The Girl on the Train sooooo I'm sure I've missed a ton of amazing books since those two came out forever ago. I really like twisty-turny suspense thrillers and really don't like chick-flicks or sad books.

Five on Friday!

Yay for the first 5 on Friday of the year! I can't believe we have been hosting this link-up for more than 3 years now. I think this is my 158th Five on Friday post! I always look forward to writing these posts and I hope you still love them too! 

one. We recently added two perfect little plant stands to the corner of our dining room and I am obsessed. They were custom made locally by Sweet Southern Sawdust and stained to match our floor. I cannot believe how gorgeous they turned out. If you're local, I highly recommend checking Kristen's shop out (Facebook | Instagram)! She has so much more in her shop too. Also, I'd like to give myself a round of applause for keeping this fiddle leaf fig (gifted by my bestie Laura) alive!

 

Stands | Pots | Fiddle Leaf Fig

two. Matt and I took the kiddos to see their first movie -- Coco! It was the best idea and the worst idea ever. Caroline was in absolute heaven. She was glued to the movie the entire time and LOVED every single minute. Thomas on the other hand was a disaster. He sat through one bag of popcorn and all the previews, but once the movie started and his popcorn ran out he was ALL over the place and had to be escorted out of the theater almost immediately. So yeah, Caroline and I had a blast while Thomas and Matt walked around South Park for two hours.

three. I found a life changing pair of leggings. I've been wanting a nice pair of Spanx leggings for awhile now but could never bring myself to splurge on a pair. And then something magical happened...Spanx came out with an Assets line that is sold at Target!!!! I bought a pair of tights and a pair of leggings. The leggings get an A+++++++ and are hands down the best leggings I've ever owned. They suck you in but are still comfortable and are extremely soft. The tights on the other hand were a fail for me but according to the reviews I'm in the minority.

four. Remember when we thought Caroline would never grow hair? Well girlfriend is now rocking one heck of a pony tail. She looks so much older and it KILLS me.

five A. Matt and I started Whole 30 Light this week. I'm calling it the "Light" version because we are following all the rules...but allowing alcohol on the weekends. I know that is completely against the entire point of the diet, but we are dieting for weight loss and not necessarily the reset cleanse. And although it's only been a week we have seen tremendous results in our energy. I also haven't missed any food because all of our meals have been RIDICULOUS so far. For example, my usual breakfast would be an egg sandwich, but on Whole 30 Light we're eating THIS for breakfast...

This recipe is straight out of the Whole30 cookbook but I added tomatoes and avocado. 

Sweet Potato Breakfast Stacks

Ingredients

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½" rounds (I buy the pre-diced potatoes)
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
4 slices of bacon
2 tsp rice wine vinegar
4 large eggs
2 cloves of garlic, minced
4 cups of baby spinach

1/2 cup diced cherry tomatoes

1 avocado

Instructions

1. Add the olive oil to a non stick skillet. Season the sweet potato rounds with salt and pepper and.cook them until they are fork tender - about 3-4 minutes on each side. Set aside and cover with foil while you prepare the toppings.
2. Place the bacon in a non stick skillet and cook until it is crispy.
3. Add the rice wine vinegar to a pot of boiling water. Break the eggs into a small bowl and gently add them to the boiling water. Remove from the heat and cover. 

4. While the eggs are cooking, remove most of the bacon grease from the pan and add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes. Add spinach to the pan and allow it to wilt.
5. Place the sweet potatoes on serving plates and top with a slice of bacon, spinach, tomatoes, avocado and one soft boiled egg.

five B. I know a lot of you are also doing Whole30 so I thought I'd share our other meals from this week because I am obsessed with reading these types of posts right now. For breakfast each morning we've been eating a simplified version of the recipe above (sweet potatoes topped with scrambled eggs and bacon) -- made in bulk and prepped for the entire week. Whole30 is a TON of cooking so I try to prep as much as possible at once. For lunch we eat leftovers from the previous night's dinner.

week 1 dinners:
Monday: Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili
Tuesday: Baked Pesto Salmon with Kale Chips
Wednesday: Avocado Chicken Salad
Thursday: Ground Turkey Taco Bowls with Spanish Cauliflower Rice
Friday: Trader Joes Chili Lime Burgers with veggies

Five on Friday!

Only ONE more Friday until Christmas!!! Can you believe it?!  

one. Last weekend we had our friends Sara and Wyn over for a game night. We played our faaaaavorite game -- The Game of...THINGS! We've owned this game for years and used to play it a lot when we hosted regular game nights before kids. It is SO fun and hilarious. And the more people playing the more fun the game is.

two. I recently snagged a new work dress! The fit is so flattering, the material is really high quality and it's comfortable -- which is important because I drive a LOT for work and like to be comfortable when I travel. Another travel perk? I've worn this dress twice this week in different cities! Oh, and it's on sale right now too!

three. On Tuesday McKinsey hosted her annual gift exchange! There were 18 girls in attendance this year and lots of good gifts.The candles are always the most fought over gifts...and they were again this year. I brought a Volcano candle (stolen 3x!) and left with a Benefit Cosmetics Set (stolen 2x!)!! You can read about how our exchange works here and previous gift exchanges: 2016 | 2015 | 2013

four. We got a little snow last weekend!!! Caroline was SOOOOOO excited. And we were too. It's always a huge deal in Charlotte when we get some flurries. 

Cowl-Neck Sweater (on sale) | Leggings (on sale) | Sueded Booties (on sale)

five. Tom Tom had an eye doctor appointment yesterday! He is obsessed with his Superman Cape right now and insisted on wearing it to his appointment, and to breakfast, and to school yesterday. Although Thomas didn't tolerate the dilating, pressure check, alignment exam or eye exam portions of the visit we got a great report from Dr. D! Now that he is talking a lot more we were able to do an eye chart exam which was really incredible. We started with ginormous pictures of animals on the screen and went all the way down to a size smaller than the palm of my hand. We are so grateful and blessed for such amazing progress.

Happy weekend, friends!