Hi.Hello.What's Up?Thanks for stopping by. I'm just sitting over here at my kitchen table watching my girls out the bay window while they play "Sad, then make you feel better", which is basically a game where one sits with arms crossed and a pouty face and then the other runs up with a smile and an original peppy tune to try to make them feel better. THE. CUTEST.So that's my scene today! I'm here to share a few of my favorite brands to shop for affordable denim and I also want to share a few pieces I think are worth splurging on and what things you shouldn't stress the budget over.Leh go.I get my basic black jeans from H&M and they're $9.99. I actually distressed them myself by putting them on one day and taking scissors to the knees. Surprisingly it turned out really well. I actually love the fit of these jeans and haven't found any (even pricier ones!) that I like better.
For lighter distressed denim, I shopped for a long, long time to try to find something super affordable and I finally ended up breaking down and buying these. Y'all. I'm so glad I did! I love the fit on these jeans and the distressing is just right.
If you aren't into distressed jeans, I'd recommend these for a skinny option and these for a boot cut fit. Both are a definite investment but they will last you years. I've had my boot cut Citizens of Humanity jeans for four years and they're still going strong.
I wear my white jeans year round so they definitely get a lot of wear out of them. Because of the light color, it's super important to get a quality pair of white jeans so you can see every little imperfection on your leg right thru your pants. #notcuteI also have a distressed and non-distressed pair of white denim.If you're ready to invest, I'd recommend these
If you're needing a more affordable pair to get you by, I also love these:
And these:
Finally this distressed pair is a great option:
If there's one thing I've learned over the years it's that you get what you pay for when it comes to denim. I wear the heck out of my jeans so investing in the right pair is a must. But that doesn't mean it always has to break the bank!I hope some of these suggestions help and I hope you have a SUPER day!
Brittany's House Project
I'm really, really, REALLY excited to finally be able to share some of the details of my sweet friend's house project! First of all, let me give you a little back story...I met Brittany seven years ago when she was asked to come do makeup for a prom that my sister was going to. All the girls just happened to be getting ready at my parent's house and I was doing their hair. Somehow I overheard Brittany in the kitchen talking about where her fiance, Patrick, lived. She started describing the area and I said "Hey! That's where I live!"We discovered after talking for a bit that she was going to be moving right up the street from me in a matter of months. We reconnected over homemade cookies and our pregnant bellies months later, and our friendship just grew deeper and deeper.Brittany was my go to girl for a late night Starbucks run followed by a stroll thru Target sans kids where we picked up toiletries and talked about the challenges and joys of life and motherhood. If you've followed me on instagram for a while then you've seen what a JOY this precious friend is. She and Patrick are the kind of people that are constantly looking for ways to serve others. It just flows out of their love for Jesus.On September 29, 2015 Brittany's precious husband suddenly died while he was at work, leaving behind sweet Brittany and their three boys (all under the age of 3).I remember that in those first few days after Patrick passed away, all I wanted to do was help my friend. I was desperate to be there for her like she'd always been for me. There are only so many things you can do in seasons like this when the ones grieving their loss are literally surrounded by their closest friends and family. As I cried and prayed over my friend, I begged the Lord to show me what I could do to help lift her. I remember Him speaking so clearly the night before the funeral. He said "Pray now. Serve later."Fast forward a little over a year later to me standing in Brittany's house as our kiddos played outside. We were doing our best to finish five different conversations we had started when Reese walked in and said "Miss Brittany, why did Mr. Patrick die?" My face turned bright red and I was SO embarrassed that I hadn't thought to tell my girls not to ask about Patrick. Before I could even attempt to usher Reese out with a "we'll talk about it later" look, Brittany got down on her knees so she could look Reese in the eyes and said "Oh, Reese, Mr. Patrick went to be in heaven with Jesus because that was God's plan for Him. That's how God is getting the most glory from Mr. Patrick's life. And you know what? God has a special plan for you too! And your life is going to bring Him glory!"In that moment as I was standing in my sweet friend's tiny dysfunctional kitchen looking around at her pieced together decor collected over the years from garage sales and donations, I thought "We could really make this space beautiful for her."As only God could orchestrate things, it turns out that there were other people in her life that were thinking the same thing. Each of us had different skill sets to bring to the table but we all had one common goal: Let's make Brittany's house BEAUTIFUL!A dear family friend of Brittany's just happened to also be the owners of Southeast Restoration. So when our little"redecorating" project became a whole lot bigger, they gladly stepped in to help. And by "help" I mean totally take over in the best way possible!There were some structural issues in the house that needed to be addressed as well as some floor plan challenges, so when Southeast stepped in, they took care of everything. It was like walking into an episode of Fixer Upper! We went all Joanna on the walls and created a totally open floor plan. The precious project manager allowed me to step in and help since I knew Brittany's style of decor and we really wanted the grand reveal to be a surprise!So a few weeks before Christmas, I finally got the go ahead to start purchasing some of the things for the house. Thanks to the incredible support of friends and family, we raised enough to practically furnish the whole house with new items. The generosity of other people is mind blowing!Here are a few before and after photos of the house:
The original floor plan had a corner fireplace but Brittany decided she'd rather have more room than have a fireplace she rarely used. Here it is before.
Taking down the wall allowed even more space for the new layout of the kitchen, which included a huge pantry (totally necessary when you have THREE boys!).Here's the kitchen area before:
And AFTER!
A six foot bar was added for additional seating and the new cabinets are much taller, allowing for plenty more storage.
Dining Area BEFORE:
And AFTER!
One of my favorite parts of this project was being able to re-do the master bedroom. This was obviously a very tender area and one that Brittany really couldn't do herself. I was glad to try to provide a bright and feminine space for her that would feel like a retreat.Master BEFORE:
Master AFTER:
It's hard to even put into words what a joy it was to watch Brittany and her boys walk into their new home for the first time. To get to have a front row seat while her home was literally transformed thanks to the generosity of family and friends was one of the best things I have ever experienced!Just want to say a HUGE thank you to every one of you that gave of your time, money, and resources to make this a reality for my sweet friend. It truly was a labor of love that could not have had a more gracious and deserving recipient.If you ever doubt how much you're loved, sweet Brittany, I hope all it takes is just a quick look around to know that you are never alone and you have a good, good Father that loves you! Source List:Kitchen:Wall Color: 50% Revere Pewter (Benjamin Moore)Counter Chairs: World MarketFarm Table: Made by Family FriendEAT Sign: EtsyTowels: TJ MaxxWhite Vase: TargetDining Table Tray: TJ MaxxHead Chairs: IkeaChalkboard: Hobby LobbyCotton Wreath: EtsyDishes: Pioneer Woman Collection Den:Built Ins: Custom Built by Sam WardCircular Chandelier: OverstockTufted Couches: Joss & MainRug: TargetCurtain Panels: IKEACurtain Rod: TargetMagnolia Wreath: Decor StealsMaster Bedroom:Tufted Headboard: AmazonMirrored Side Tables: AmazonMirror Above Bed: TargetBedding: TargetCurtains: IKEAChandelier: Lowes
The Working Mom's Workout
Hi, friend!
If you're here I'm thinking it's because you're interested in getting yo booty into shape. If that's the case, you're in the right place!But can I also just share that what you do on a daily basis is such hard work. The mom life is good stuff but man can it be hard. So the fact that you're even considering doing anything but collapsing on the couch during nap time while slipping into an oreo-induced coma is worthy of a big ol high five.One thing I found pretty early into motherhood is that when I make working out a priority, I'm just a happier momma. Taking care of yourself is sometimes the last thing on the list of what has to get done but I promise it's worth it.If you're like me, the idea of spending over an hour a day doing anything (especially working out!) is laughable. Maybe your kiddos are in school so you've got some extra during the day time, but over here we are in the trenches of the toddlerhood so any workout has gotta be fast and effective.I try to incorporate three to four thirty minute high intensity workout sessions weekly, plus two cardio sessions.A typical HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout looks like this:7 minutes: (go thru the circuit as many times as you can)15 burpees15 toe taps20 jumping lumges (10 per leg)1 minute plank with a twistREST for 1 minute7 minutes: (go thru the circuit as many times as you can)15 pushups20 stair climbers (literally just climb my stairs)15 commandos50 mountain climbersRepeat the first circuit again followed by the second circuit (28 minutes total)On days when I need to get in my cardio, I like to fast pace stroll 100 pounds of girl child upand down the KILLER hills in my neighborhood OR if Matt gets home early enough (or on weekends) I go for a run. Fun fact: I burn three times as many calories walking for 3 miles with my girls than I do running 6 miles alone. That'll bless ya!Speaking of running, I used to be an avid runner and just within the past year switched to interval training with weights. I'm not hating on running because I really do enjoy it! But while running is a great cardio workout, it's not great on your joints and it's also not (gasp) a super effective form of working out if your desire is to tone up muscle groups and really burn fat effectively. I'm not claiming to be an expert by any means. I just know what I've learned from my research.The goal with working out (especially if you're limited on time!) is to work harder and smarter. If you can't spend two hours in the gym every day, just kick your tail for 30 minutes at home! Some days I workout longer, most days I don't.Just get up and move every single day and you'll be able to tell a difference in your energy level. If you've got really specific goals, write them down and start right away. You got this, momma!
Workout Gear Found Here:[showshopthepostwidget id="2328999"]
NYC Day 2
For those of you who are new around here, I went on a trip to New York in December with two of my sisters and one of my best friends. We were there for a long weekend during the most magical time of year.You can find the recap from Day One HERE. Now let's jump in to Day Two!We woke up pretty early on Saturday morning to make it to our breakfast reservation at Sarah Beth's. We visited the central park south location because we planned to spend the morning wandering around Central Park. I'd highly recommend making a reservation before you go. They get really busy. The fat and fluffy french toast is literally to DIE for. Guaranteed to make you feel fat and fluffy as soon as you finish. I'd recommend splitting since the portions are huge. My sister, Anna, ordered the green and white scrambled eggs so we had something savory (and somewhat healthy) to go with our fat and fluffy french toast.
After breakfast, we walked thru The Plaza Hotel (since it's right next door!) and then made our way into Central Park. Walking thru the park was one of my favorite parts of our trip. There are so many iconic views but it's also just such a beautiful space. I'd recommend visiting Bethesda Fountain area while you're in Central Park. It's stunning! If you visit during warmer months, you could also take a boat ride while you're there.
We took a car back to The Palace to change clothes and get ready for lunch.Funny side story: This particular morning, my sister let me borrow a beautiful Italian coin necklace that was given to her by grandfather after my grandmother had passed away. At some point when I was getting our of the car to go into the hotel, the chain broke and the coin fell onto the seat of the car. When we got up to the hotel room and I took off my coat, the chain fell off but the coin was nowhere to be seen. I FREAKED. OUT. We looked everywhere for it and Mary Margaret said she thought she saw a coin on the seat when we got out of the car. After a very lengthy and difficult process of tracking down our Uber driver (he spoke hardly a word of english), we were finally able to get the coin back by midnight that night. Talk about a heart attack!
After we changed clothes, we got a quick burger and fries at Shake Shack and then walked over to The Met. We passed some beautiful brown stones on the way there. It's amazing what you just stumble upon in this city.
The Met was absolutely beautiful! We decided to purchase The City Pass to save a bit of money on some of the sight seeing we wanted to do. It was well worth it.Once we were done at the museum, we headed back to get ready for dinner. We made a quick stop at Laduree for some macaroons and holy moly y'all. These are to the most delicious things I've ever put in my mouth! Not only is the little store front like stepping back in time to Paris in another century, but these little cookies are heavenly. You must get you some while you're here.
On our second night we ate at Butter in Midtown. Split an entree to save room for dessert. They have a pastry chef on staff and the man knows how to make a dessert. We split the crispy chicken with the sauteed black kale and for dessert we had the raspberry beignets with vanilla dipping sauce. Y'all. My mouth is watering just thinking about how amazing it was!After dinner we walked back to our hotel to change into warmer clothes so we could go gawk at the tree and watch the light show in front of Saks a few more times.We got in bed a little on the earlier side that night since we were all worn out. Plus we knew we had a long day of seeing all the things the next day!Here are a few links of what I wore on Day Two![showshopthepostwidget id="2320007"]Day Three includes our crazy experience having tea at The Plaza, as well as our time spent in DUMBO and what we did our last night!Stay tuned!
Meal Planning Made Easy
Some of you might not know that I grew up in a family of eight kids. My mom (rock star that she is) was an incredible meal planner. She pretty much had to be since we had a tight budget and lots of mouths to feed.I can still remember as a little girl watching my mom plan out our meals two weeks in advance. Then she would make a grocery list and get everything she needed for those two weeks. She had it down to a science and it was an incredible thing to behold.Once Matt and I got married, I remember trying to plan our meals the same way my mom used to do it. It didn't quite work out in the beginning... I was used to buying food for LOTS of people! Let's just say in the first few months of our marriage, we threw away a lot of spoiled produce. Ooopsies.I did finally find my stride and I want to share with you what works for us. I realize everybody has their thing so best case scenario is that you take a little something from this and tweak it to make it work for you.First things first, we sit down at the beginning of the week and talk about our plans. If we will be eating out certain meals, we write them down so we don't end up with extra food we don't need. I then plan out what we are going to need for each meal that week.I love using my Simplified Planner for meal planning. It's so nice to have my calendar, to-do list. and menu all in once place. Not to mention it's just so pretty!
Once we figure out our schedule, I make one trip to the store for the week. Sometimes I get stuff to carry us into the next week, especially if it can be frozen. Most of the time though it's just what we need for that week.A normal week looks like this for us:Monday: Breakfast: Toast with raw honey, scrambled eggs, orangesLunch: Carrots with hummus, rolled up turkey with cheese, apple sauceDinner: Honey baked chicken, green beans, sweet potatoesTuesday:Breakfast: Waffles (frozen organic) with sliced bananaLunch: Smoothie and pretzelsDinner: Kids Eat Free at Fickle Pickle (Yes, Lord!)Wednesday:Breakfast: Smoothie and scrambled eggsLunch: Chick fil a play date with friendsDinner: Baked salmon, broccoli, and brown riceThursday:Breakfast: Toast with raw honey and peanut butterLunch: Black bean and cheese quesadillasDinner: Nachos with ground turkey, shredded spinach, black beans, and cheeseFriday:Breakfast: Cereal and almond milkLunch: Carrots and hummus, turkey and cheese, strawberriesDinner: PIZZASaturday:Breakfast: Chick fil a (don't judge me)Lunch: LeftoversDinner: Date Night!Sunday:Breakfast: Gluten free Pancakes and chicken sausageLunch: Family Lunch after churchDinner: Pasta with spinach and chicken sausageIn addition to all the items I need for meals, I also get snack foods to keep for me and the girls during the day. Matt isn't much of a snacker and with his diet limitations, snack foods are hard to come by!The biggest game changer for me when it came to meal planning was just deciding to actually plan. I know that sounds ridiculous but I spent many years just kind of flying by the seat of my pants. Cooking when I felt like, begging to eat out when I didn't (can I get an amen?). Taking the time to sit down and plan out our week set us up for success in so many ways. We found we were eating cleaner since we were making eating decisions in advance. We also found that we were managing our budget better by knowing week to week what we would spend.I hope this helps to get you off on the right start. If you aren't a planner by nature, just start out planning a few days out of the week. I'll tell you though. This way of planning things out frees up a lot of time in the long run! You might just learn to love it!Happy Meal Planning, y'all!