Hey there, Friday! The amount of work that has come in this week is comical (as in I laugh every time my email dings so I don’t cry), the amount of technology problems I had this week is frustrating AF, and the amount of times I promised Zoe that I would do something “later” because a fire needed put out is…well it is sad but I am trying to make it up to her.
We did manage to make our first trip to the library! One of my favorite memories when I was younger was my mom taking me to the library. I remember walking around and being amazed by the number of books I saw. I was so proud of my first library card too, I actually think I have it in a box somewhere.
It is safe to say that Zoe is a fan! We have been choosing a different library book for bed each night this week…and reading a few during the day as well. She was so cute on the drive over, telling me how the library worked and that she knew these books were just being borrowed. She has asked me when they are due back, and when we can get new ones. I just love her enthusiasm for it! Our city playground area is right next to this, so hopefully one morning we can do both if it isn’t too hot. But we definitely plan to make regular trips for books all summer long.
Favorite Purchase: When we were walking around Target, I saw this dress. It was the only on there and it was my size, so I grabbed it with the thought that it was probably going to be returned…like 95% of the dresses I have tried from there this year. To my surprise, I actually liked it and decided to keep it! In most Universal Thread dresses, I find that I need to size down. With this one, and how it cinches in at the waist…I decided to try my normal size. That worked out perfectly. Oh, and did I mention it is still on sale?! I think tomorrow is the last day for the sale.
Favorite Recipe: I have shared this recipe a few times, but when I took a picture of my dinner on my stories the other night, a few asked me to share it with them….so I thought I would drop it here again. Sriracha meatballs. This comes together and cooked in about 30 minutes, and if I leave the sauce off a few…Zoe will eat the meatballs with ketchup so its a win all around. I serve with egg fried rice. Delicious!
Zoe wanted a fun snack earlier this week, and I think I delivered with these Apple Nachos! This isn’t a recipe so much…as just a suggestion for something fun and sweet. I just put some peanut butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds to get it drizzle-able and drizzled some on the apples and then sprinkled with mini chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. It was perfection.
Favorite Workout: I did this one earlier this week, it is a good one! I like that it incorporated some ab burners in it. This one is about 10 minutes longer than their typical stuff, and I am here for it.
Favorite Quote:
Favorite Funnies:
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Linking up here.
I hit a book lull this month. I flew through Malibu Rising in just a few days right before the linkup in May, and then it took me two weeks to get through one little romcom book. I don’t get it?? I just chose scrolling my phone over actual reading for awhile, it wasn’t really the books fault. And now I am three weeks on Imposter Syndrome and only 1/3 of the way through. They are still setting up character back stories and stuff 100+ pages in and I am bored. I really liked the premise of the book, and I am determined to finish it. I just don’t know when. I started Hello, Summer on audiobook this past week and I am further along in it than something I had been reading for three weeks….so there is that. I will hopefully have it ready for the next link up. Do you have ups and downs in reading? Linking up with Steph and Jana.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I liked the concept, and I liked the friendships between Julia, Andi and Kat. I really loved the side characters like Patrick and David, Harry and Sally. But if I am being completely honest, Luke and Julia fell a little flat for me? I am not sure what it was, maybe they were no developed enough? Or their relationship blooming wasn’t all that relatable or real?
Bottom Line: This passed the time just fine, and I definitely had a few LOL moments. It was a cute read, but nothing I would rush to get to.
**I received a copy of Too Good to Be Real from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**
If you are a mom, there is a good chance you have watched…or a friend has sent you one of the MOMSOHARD Youtube videos. Kristin and Jen crack me up!!!! I love the friendship they have together, and how open and honest they are about not having it together all the time…and their daily struggles. This book was like connecting with old friends. I enjoyed it, and it was one I picked up and put back whenever I felt the urge. I read it over several months and finally finished it up this past week.
Bottom Line: If you follow them on YouTube, chances are you will like this book. This one would probably be really fun to do on audio!
Well, we survived our first dance recital!!! Even though this was Zoe’s second year of dance, this was her first recital. She did so well, I am so proud of her!!! Being a dance mom can be….intense. Between running her back and forth between the concert hall where they were preforming and the backstage area where the dressing rooms were at the right times and all that was a bit much! I got over 12,000 steps in that day, and didn’t do much besides recital!
Zoe and her friends were adorable in their outfits. Her class was part of a scene of a storybook, so they were Little Miss Muffet for their ballet number. For tap, they danced to Rock-a-Bye Baby and had the cutest purple sparkly outfits. They girls were so sweet backstage, holding hands, hugging each other, wanting to have their pictures taken together. The moms in our class are all so nice too. One of my friends made a comment about how all of us sounded so awful and mean while we were actually dressing the girls and doing their makeup and such. Sorry for the things I said in the dressing room! Haha! But it was such a great experience, Zoe had so much fun. She really loved watching the older girls preform between her numbers too. She cant wait to be able to dance like that. (Our studio is from ages 2.5-20.)
Before the recital, we met my mom and sister in Uptown to have dinner. We tried to eat at Southern Kitchen, but the wait was too long….so we ended up at Your Pie. It was pretty good. I ordered a peaches and prosciutto pizza. It had ricotta cheese as its base, and a delicious balsamic glaze drizzled on top.
We had ordered Zoe a bouquet of roses to give her after her performance, and our recital fee comes with a program….so that will be a nice keepsake for her to look back on. I am hoping that she ends up with at least a few of the same girls in her class next year. They all do so well together.
Sunday was a rainy day, so we spent most of it at home. Zoe and I hung around and played in her room for awhile. We went on a car ride, and decided to eat lunch at one of our favorite Mexican spots, La Cazuela. They seriously have the BEST street tacos. Their queso is also the best around. Zoe was so excited to go there, she had told us earlier that she was wanting tacos. Girlfriend cleared her plate.
That is really all there was to our weekend. Zoe and I did some grocery shopping at Target last night to prepare for the week. Is anyone else tired of meal planning, cooking and doing dishes? Ugh! It was so nice to eat out twice this weekend and not worry about it for those two meals. Coming up constantly with fun things to eat and stay relatively healthy (minus the times we ate out) is so exhausting. I poured over three cookbooks yesterday afternoon, and nothing was popping out at me.
It is supposed to rain pretty much all week. Ugh! Our grass needs it though. We haven’t joined the library in our town since we moved. I am still a member of our old city one. I am thinking about trying to take Zoe one day this week to sign up and let her pick out some books. I think it would be a great summer activity with her since she is home with me. Our local candy store is doing summer reading themed candy boxes right now too! They had a Hungry Hungry Caterpillar, Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter box so far. I definitely want to incorporate some of our reading with what they are doing to make it extra special for her. With all that, and summer dance starting in a few weeks…at least she will have some fun stuff to do! We also have her signed up for one week of camp this summer. It is just a few hours for 4 days, but she is really excited about it. Do you have any fun summer plans or trips coming up?
Are you officially an adult when it starts pouring and you think, “I am glad it is raining, the grass really needed it?” That was me yesterday. Follow me for this and other riveting thoughts.
This week just flew right on by. I know it was a short week, but wow! This afternoon I have to drive downtown for dress rehearsal with Zoe. Tomorrow is her dance recital! I know she is excited. She worked so hard this year, and I am proud of her. I am sure I will be sharing a million pictures of her this weekend. I also have low key dance mom anxiety. Hair, makeup, outfit changes, leaving in and out between numbers at the right time to find the fitting rooms. Hopefully I will be a pro after this year.
Favorite Purchase: I know I shared this dress a few weeks ago, but I picked up another color and wanted to throw it out there again. This tiered dress with the ruffle sleeve is good! It is under $15, and I receive compliments every time I wear it. Definitely size down, as it tends to run pretty big. Even a size down, it fits loose on me.
Speaking of dresses, Lindsay shared a round up of great summer dresses and swimsuits! Be sure to check it out, I think there is something for everyone on her list.
I saw someone on Instagram post a link to the jeans they were wearing in a photo, and they were from Mott & Bow. Has anyone tried these? I saw this graphic at the bottom of their site, and I was blown away!!!! Why can’t more brands do this? It is genius. The pricing is a little high, but not crazy.
Favorite Supplement: I was taking collagen powder in my acai bowl every morning. I ran out a few weeks ago, and decided I would wait to repurchase and see if I noticed any differences not taking it. I am about 3 weeks without and my hair is super dry and brittle on the ends, my skin is all itchy again and my knee and hips hurt SO BAD. Sooooooo it is safe to say that it was working and doing its job!!! Now, when I first started taking collagen powder, I got Vital Proteins and performed a similar test. I noticed no difference. I have since tried SR and Thrive Market collagen powders, and both have shown great improvements.
The reason I switched from SR to Thrive is because Thrive is organic and grass-fed. It is supposed to help with your hair, skin, nails and joints. I always get the unflavored kind and mix it in my acai bowl or smoothie at breakfast. If it is the weekend and I am having something else, I can mix it in my coffee. This time around, I might try Ancient Nutrition, as it has three more types of collagen than SR and Thrive. It is also supposed to support gut health. I will report back, but can confidently recommend Thrive to anyone who is looking to get started in collagen.
Eating: I didn’t get anything fun at Aldi this week to share. We have changed up our meal planning this week and focusing on anti-inflammatory foods. We really need to cut the crap out of our daily lives. By crap, I mean the processed shit, sugars. We are also cutting way back on red meats as well. Really sad about that, as you know I love my burgers. I will say….we made some turkey burgers on the indoor grill the other night and they were pretty damn amazing! Anytime I make burgers at home, I skip the bun and just do fun toppings like avocado or a new sauce I make up.
Favorite Workout: This is definitely a total body workout! I was feeling it in this one. So good.
Favorite Funnies:
Haha that last one, right? Have a great weekend! Linking up for Friday Favorites.
I have really been enjoying my FabFitFun summer box, so I wanted to share what I got! Definitely a few solid winners in this one. If you don’t know what FabFitFun is, it is a seasonal box that is sent out four times a year. You can be a seasonal member, meaning that you pay $49.99 per box each season. Or you can be an annual member, and pay $179.99 for four boxes up front, once a year. If you are an annual member, you get the perk of being able to choose your box first and make the first batch of shipping. You also get to customize more options in the box, and get first dibs on the add-on sales and other events that they offer. I was a seasonal member all last year, and decided to become an annual member this year.
This summer box is the first time annual members got to select all 6 items!
If you are interested in signing up, you can use my link and save on your first box. I would also get a credit to my account.
They used to put the retail prices in the magazine that comes with the box. Mine did not have that this time, so I looked up online what I could find and made notes. This is what I picked for my box!
PMD Microderm – I am shocked at how much I am liking and using this!!! I always had interest in a facial cleanser like the Clarisonic. But I didn’t want to have something that needed replacements often. I had the Foreo Luna mini for awhile, but I was never consistent with it. I didn’t like how it was held in the hand, I wanted something with a long wand. I know I have only had this PMD 2 weeks, but wow!!! I am really enjoying it. It comes with a clear little stand to sit on the counter. There are four different settings you can use, and I just feel like my face is so much cleaner when I used this. It feels so nice, and my skin is so so soft after. This alone is worth double the price of the entire box.
retail price $99
OUAI Detox Shampoo and Scalp Brush – I actually already owned this detox shampoo, and it is my favorite. I also love their scalp scrub and leave in conditioner. When I saw this was an option, it was a no brainer for me. This bottle is huge and will likely last me a year, since I only use it once a week or once every other week. I love the scent and how clean my hair feels after using it. This is amazing at removing any product build up.
retail price $30 for shampoo, I can’t find the scalp massager, but other prestige brands are $16. You can find some for as low as $8 so I will even it out at $10 – $40 total
African Botanics Shimmering Gold Oil – I used to love shimmer powder or shimmer oils in the summer when I was in my twenties. Who doesn’t want shimmery skin?? I thought this was just a fun add on. The actual retail price for this stuff is $$$$. It is extracted by farmers and has Marula Oil, which is known for its anti-aging benefits and packed with four times more Vitamin C than an orange. It protects against free radicals, stimulates circulation and boosts collagen. So I guess that is why it costs so much? It is really pretty and it has a nice smell. I don’t know that I would pay full price for it though.
retail price $65
SOAR Selfie Ring Light – I have a large ring light on a stand that I use for Zoom meetings on my laptop. I really notice a difference in the lighting and how I look on camera when I use it. I thought it would be cool to have this portable one for my phone if I ever wanted to take it and use it anywhere out.
retail price $29.99 – This was made exclusively for FabFitFun, and I feel like when that happens, they inflate the “worth” price. I found similar on Amazon for $11.99.
This last customization had several different options, pairing a few items together or allowing you to select just one thing that was worth more. I chose the set that included a lip butter, foot file and pineapple tray.
Seraphine Botanicals Fruit Butter Lip Mask ($25)- This stuff is seriously amazing. The scent reminds me of an air freshener I used in my car in college…but the texture and application of this is wonderful. I keep it on my desk and use it throughout the day. It makes my lips so soft!!! It lasts quite awhile on too. This will be a repurchase.
Barefoot Scientist Pedicure File ($15)- I chose this set for the lip mask, so this was just a nice added bonus. It is useful, thought I already had a foot file. I do like the handle on this one.
Blush Pineapple Tray ($14.99)- Just another added bonus. You can purchase this on Amazon for $14.99, but I saw it on Walmart’s website for $29?! What?? That is crazy to me. It is really cute, but not something I would pay a ton for.
retail prince $54.99
One of the other customizations for this was the Verso Botanicals Super Eye Serum that gets really good reviews. I decided to add it on for $10. The size I got retails for $60 and I have seen the large one for $80. I have to say that so far I am really enjoying this. It as retinol in it, which can make my skin really dry and flakey, and it has not done that under my eyes. I will report back after longer use, but this might be a new favorite for me. And that says a lot, as I find most eye creams do nothing for me.
They also added in a bonus 3-pack of Liquid IV. I found a 6-pack for $13 so I am calling this a $6.50 value. Chris and I have actually consumed all of these already. I really liked it and will definitely be purchasing more in the future. This was a nice add in that really added value to the box for me.
The total value of my box was $329.48 of the regular items I received. For the $10 extra add on of the eye serum, it brings my box worth to $389.48. I am very happy with all the items I received. Again, the PMD cleaner alone is worth twice the value of what I paid for the actual box. I will use everything in it. The two things I could have done without were the foot file since I already have one, and the pineapple tray which is just frivolous and something I wont use much. It would be a cute item to gift to someone with their favorite cocktail items or a hostess gift or whatever. Zoe was actually really excited to see it, and she wants pineapple ice cubes in her drink…so I will be keeping it.
If you got the FabFitFun box this time around, what did you think? I cant wait to see what they offer for the fall box. I love getting these treats four times a year. If you have any questions about boxes and how they work, let me know. I will give you my honest opinion, and can share what I have had in previous boxes. I am not paid or sponsored by FabFitFun, I pay for the annual membership on my own.
