This year has been such an awkward year. I had to really dive deep and research my gifts this year.
Because this year has taught me the need to simplify our home.
We don’t need a bunch of “junky” items that will be used a few times and then tossed to the wayside.
Invest in items that we want and know that we will use going forward
These three items are a little pricey, but I know that they are absolutely worth the investment. Plus, these three have flex pay options, so if you do not want to pay all at once, you can choose to have it broken down into 4-5 easy payments!
First up in this Nespresso coffee system! Right now it is being offered as a DOORBUSTER at almost $100 off of the original price bringing it to under $200. This single serve coffee maker along with a travel mug and milk frother makes for the best coffee station. I am obsessed with my frother and I paid almost half of what this entire bundle is selling for right now! Such a great deal!
Next up is the Dyson hair dryer. Ya’ll, I did not want to fall in love with this thing. I have always been a $25 blow dryer gal since forever! But, I took one of these babies on a test drive and I almost had tears in my eyes when I gave it back to my neighbor. This hair dryer is worth the hype! I have fewer “fly aways” and less frizz. Plus, I haven’t used my straightener since I made this investment. Now I have to say, it is a pricey at $399… but I found a 5 flex pay option that made the purchase worth it. I am obsessed with this hair dryer!
Finally, the Coravin wine preservation system! This has actually been on my list since last Christmas! I am the only person in my home who loves wine and I hate to open a bottle just for myself. I’ve looked into other wine preservation systems and well, they have just never really appealed to me. I want an option where I can tap into a bottle and enjoy a glass of red one day and then two weeks later have a glass of white. Especially since we have not been entertaining as much this year and it looks like much of next year will be the same. I actually questioned several friends who do own this system and they said that it is 1000% worth it…so fingers crossed Josh is reading this article and I will have one of these under the tree this Christmas!
This blog post has been a long time coming. It’s something that I have become passionate about over the last several years. I feel like I need to give some back story for this post, though. When I was in my teens, I had terrible acne. I ended up doing three rounds of Accutane over several years and while it did its job and cleared up my skin, it gave me the worst joint pain. I remember being in tears because I wanted to dance but my body hurt.
Fast forward to 32, I had just delivered my last baby and noticed a few zits popping up that were out of the ordinary. I selected an organic skincare line to try and it was like kryptonite on my face. I developed a full blown case of cystic acne all over my face. After my dermatology appointment, I walked out with a game plan and a warning that if the suggested regimen didn’t work, that the next step was a round of Accutane. My mental response was “hell naw.”
First let me preface by saying, find a derm and an esthetician who is passionate about helping you find the perfect skincare regimen. The brands and products that work for me may not work for your specific skin type or budget.
Last week I noticed that my skin was really irritated, I had a case of “maskne” along with dryness and irritation courtesy of cold/dry air moving through the area. An esthetician friend noticed and suggested that I try the new EltaMD Skin Recovery system. Let me tell you, I have been using it for a week and it is a game changer!
The Foaming Facial Cleanser is my favorite gentle enzyme cleanser. I have actually been using this for years. It’s much more sensitive than it’s drugstore counterparts. Those leave my skin feeling dry, but this cleanser does not.
The second step in the regimen is the Skin Recovery Toner. I have to say that I usually don’t use a toner. The ones that I tried in the past always dried out my skin and burned a little. This one however, does not. Its calming and soothing.
The third step is where you use all of you corrective products and serums. I would get into detail here, but I am working on a dedicated post specifically on my favorite serums in my arsenal.
Next is the system is the Skin Recovery Serum followed by the Skin Recovery Light Moisturizer. Of course, I apply my favorite UV Clear sunscreen in the AM.
These products are specifically designed to help repair damaged skin and have done wonders to my dry and irritated skin over the last week. It is the perfect addition to my winter skincare arsenal.
I am linking everything for you down below, I do earn a small commission from these links. However, I am a huge believer of shopping local for my skincare. Check with you local derm, med spa or aesthetics office. Let them know your issues and what you would like to try!!! And a little tip, ask them if they have any samples. Sometimes they do and you can try the product out for a few days before you invest!
I am so excited to share this reveal with you! I stumbled across the inspo photo on Pinterest around the same time that we were finishing up our massive paint project earlier this summer. Our powder bath had just been OK, the previous owners replaced the builder pedestal with a tiny sink/cabinet that couldn’t even hold the smallest bottle of liquid soap. It was time for it to get the boot!
As much as I fell in love with this inspiration photo, I could never locate it’s origins. I wanted all the links, but I just couldn’t find them. As much as I would sleuth around for links, it was impossible! But, the challenge was on! First off, I knew that I wanted a reclaimed cypress counter top for two reasons. 1. Cypress is a hard wood that is water resistant. 2. I wanted that little piece of Louisiana in my home. I contacted an old friend of ours in Louisiana who is in the construction business and I knew he could point us in the right direction of locating some reclaimed cypress. Josh went to a warehouse not far from our old home and picked up several beautiful reclaimed pieces. The rest of the pieces fell into place after a lot of price watching and curbside pickup!!
After we ripped out the old fixture, Josh began framing up the floating vanity, and affixing the top boards so that we could install the sink fixture. After we installed the sink, he affixed the front panel on the vanity and installed the new light and mirror… well the rest is history. The entire project took a weekend and we are so much happier with this space. Right now, if you asked me my favorite room in our home, it would be my powder bath! Check out the finished product!!
When I first saw the OG cloche on Pinterest, I knew I had to have it. Heck, I was willing to pay the price to have it to add to my Halloween decor. For those who have been reading my blog from the beginning, you know that butterflies have been my thing ever since losing my mom a little over 2 years ago. Well, as luck would have it, the cloche was sold out. I then came across a DIY article and thought it was a sign from my mama, it was time to DIY this thing at a fraction of the cost and pull out that old bottle of “liquid gold” and honor my mama and some of her favorite craft supply products!
Now, here is where I took that idea and put my own spin on it. I took these butterflies (I used two sizes ) and spray painted them black along with these plant sticks (you can use wooden skewers as well but I didn’t have any on hand). I have to say that I prefer the butterflies that are made with feathers, it adds texture to the project and takes it to the next level. The dollar store canvas butterflies went in the trash because, well they just looked cheap!
See the difference in the butterflies in the photo on the right?! Trust me, you will want to use the type linked below!
Next up, you will want to take a disposable paint brush and liquid gold leaf and “dry brush” each butterfly front and back. You still want black peeking through to give dimension and add some drama to the piece. My bottle is really old. Like probably 15 years old and bought it with my mama, old. I keep it on hand and use it every so often for home decor projects. Truly, a little bit goes a very long way and its way easier than using the sheets of gold leaf.
Ok, now here is the part where I forgot to take a photo to document this step. You are going to want to rip off the wire on the bottom of the butterfly and hot glue the skewer onto the bottom of the butterfly. I suggest angling them upwards like they are getting ready to fly off. Make sure the hot glue is totally dry and set. While the butterflies are setting, cut a square of floral foam to fit in the inside of the cloche. I then hot glued the foam onto the cloche base. Next, I took a pair of cutters (I used my husbands wire cutters for this step) and cut the wooden plant sticks one at a time to various heights. I started off with the tallest one and made my way down. I wanted to fit as many as I could in there without it feeling too cramped.
Ok, now its time to put the finishing touches on this beauty! You are going to take Spanish moss and cover the base! Set your glue gun temp to low and have at it. You want the entire base to be covered in moss! I took an extra skewer and used it to push the moss into the hot glue to make sure it is adhering properly! Then you give the moss a “hair cut” to your liking and cover with your glass cloche!
I have to say, this gilded butterfly cloche is my favorite piece of Halloween decor this year! Now it’s off to finish decorating so I can post this year’s decor reveal! Happy crafting!
One of my favorite retailers currently has their entire site on sale for 30% off. Use code PREFALL2020 My favorite go-to handbag is part of the sale, so you know that I just had to share! I love a good dupe and a good sale!! I’ve gone ahead and linked some of my fav fall transitional pieces. Even though we are still in the throes of 100+ degree temps, I’m manifesting sweater weather and cool Texas evenings!
It’s that time of year, y’all! The Nordstrom sale is one that I look forward to all year! Now while I could go absolutely crazy with all of the great deals, I’ve learned the best way to shop the sale is to go in with a wish list and a budget! It’s so easy to get carried away!
First we are going to start with my absolute must have yearly staples! These pajamas are EVERYTHING! Seriously, stock up! I’ve tried the copycats and they just pill. These last and will always be my go-to PJs! My next staple is a comfy blanket! I am a total blanket person and I will splurge for amazing blankets! I’m so excited to incorporate these into my decor this year! My favorite dry shampoo and texturizing spray is currently bundled at a great price so I will be grabbing another set to keep on hand!
Next up are some of my beauty favorites. If you have followed along with my blog from the very beginning, you have read about my very first Jo Malone London experience! I am obsessed with this line of scents and layering them to create different scent profiles! I am linking a few amazing deals that are the perfect starter set and travel size bottles that not only last a while, but are the perfect size for travelling! I plan on grabbing this big bottle of Woodsage and Sea Salt body wash because I have fallen in love with it and am currently out of my smaller sizes! The next item is this makeup mirror! I have owned this for a little over 3 years and is the greatest mirror that I have ever owned! It’s lightweight and easy to travel with and it comes with both a magnifying attachment and a phone attachment. It is a great investment piece and is a steal of a price right now! Next up is this Tula bundle! Its the perfect selection for those who want to try this skincare out! I can tell you that I love all of the products in this kit! Especially that eye stick!!!
Lastly are my must have fall transition pieces! First off, I will be grabbing these jeans! I recently purchased a pair of white denim and now I am grabbing these while they are on sale! They are so buttery soft and flattering! I am grabbing another pair of Spanx leggings in a smaller size. Last year I sized up according to reviews and they were too big and constantly rolled down. This year I am ordering my true size! This camo jacket is the perfect lightweight piece for the mild Texas falls and it also cinches in the waist for a more flattering fit! Next up are these cute booties! I always look forward to a pair of cute new booties every fall. I love that I can wear these with shorts and dresses now and with denim and chunky sweaters when it cools off! Sweaters, oh my goodness, I love sweaters! I love the large cowl neck on this sweater and I love how chunky this sweater is! I’m not sure if I will keep one or both, but I cannot wait for sweater weather!
I hope you liked all of this year’s picks! Head on over to my IG and my Like to Know it for more up to date Nsale coverage as I will be consistently checking stock and creating collages based on what is in stock throughout the sale. Happy Shopping!!
Out of all of the rooms that I have painted in my lifetime, never did I realize how complex this process can be! When we moved into our home 4 years ago, we knew that it needed some TLC. Even though the previous owners had an interior designer help them with the décor of the home, there were just some tastes that were not for us. I mean, HELLO aqua venetian plaster in the master bath!!! It took two years of being nauseated every time I walked into my bathroom before I took a gallon of Kilz and a paintbrush to those walls! It was so taste specific and gross that I had no problems covering up a job that I know cost thousands to apply! This is where our dilemma started. The pretty white that I chose to paint these walls did not coordinate with our floors and trim (insert face palm)! I mean, I don’t even have a before photo of this room because it was THAT. BAD!
When we first started painting our bathroom, I chose a popular white color that didn’t coordinate with our almost 10 year old off white trim and brown-ish tiles and features. Since, I have been staring at those walls trying to figure out where I needed to go next. Thankfully, I have located a pretty creamy white (or possible a blush white) that will coordinate and I will be tackling this project, next!
Okay, so lets talk the technicality of paints… did you know that all paint colors have undertones? I myself happen to be sensitive to purple undertones. I would look at the dark greige on my walls and see the purple shades… If you know me, you know that purple is one of my least favorite colors (I blame my mama for this one). So, it just bothered me. But this is not totally why we repainted these walls. See, in 2012-2013 -ish, Benjamin Moore reformulated their pearl finish paint and guess what is on my walls?! You betcha! We had walls that we couldn’t touch up, with 4 boys, that was not an option. I had so many little white dings that stood out like a sore thumb and It drove me batty!
Lets talk LRV! So aside from undertones you have a paint’s LIGHT REFLECTING VALUE. On a scale from 1-100, the LRV tells you how much light will be reflected in your room. 1 being super dark and 100 being bright. I knew that I wanted our main living area to have a LRV of at least 65 because our space is lacking in recessed lights and adequate light fixtures, but that is a “whole nother” post, y’all! Plus, our previous paint color was in the mid 50 range so I knew based on that, we needed a color with a higher LRV!
For instance, my breakfast nook and dining area went from an LRV in the mid 50s to an LRV of 78! They now look fresh and crisp and tie in perfectly with my kitchen. We went with Benjamin Moore Navajo White, mostly because that’s the color of our kitchen, but this is where I actually started researching all of this. Our trim in our home is Sherwin Williams Navajo White which is a creamy, yellowish color with yellow and brown undertones. Remember our Master Bath, the trim totally clashed with the BM White Dove that I attempted to paint it. I’ve figured out that yellow and purple undertones look best on the walls within our home.
That being said, I used Kylie M Interiors website to cross reference every greige color that Pinterest suggested. This cut down the amount of sample cans that we purchased. We narrowed it down from 5 to our top 2 in TEN MINUTES! We were torn between BM Classic Gray with a LRV of 75 with passive purple undertones. Passive means that the undertone is livable and very unnoticeable, if anything it should reflect the tiniest bit of pink. Our second is BM Edgecomb Gray with an LRV of 63 and its a greige that pulls a little more on the beige side. While Edgecomb Gray is what we would normally lean towards, we have gorgeous custom burlap curtains that I want to pop in our living space, so we were so torn!
Ultimately, we chose BM Edgecomb Gray and we have lived with it for the last four months and I love it just as much now as when it first started going up on our main walls! It is the perfect traditional creamy shade and compliments our brown tones throughout our home while still giving it a much needed update and brighter look. We did break up the monotony by painting our breakfast area, kitchen and dining room BM Navajo White and we could not be any happier! Now off to the next projects! Re-painting our master bath and a powder bath remodel!
I hope this blog helps you on your journey to finding the perfect paint color! I have since used these tips to pick out colors for our other rooms and I cannot wait for those big reveals!
Hey, Mama! How are you doing over there? If you’re like me, you are trying to juggle kids being homebound for 4.5 months and counting. We got through distance learning, and we all hoped that we would resume some sort of normalcy by now. Boy, are we surprised that it seems like we are in the long haul for this rona crap. Yes, I know COVID-19 is real and very serious, but I still refer to Rona as a b*tch. She is, I’m still bitter that she’s here, and I’m sorry.
My kids are tired of me entertaining them, they are tired of not seeing their friends, outings have a 10 minute mask limit before someone loses their sh*t, and well we are a house full of crabby pantry-raiding boys over here. Well, all except Hayes. He is young enough to where he will play with his BFFs Buzz and Woody and watch Bluey, Blues Clues and Thomas the Train on repeat while snuggling with me on the couch all day long.
Let’s get real here. We are all tired of being tired. My husband is essential and has pretty much been business as usual, and well I maybe… kinda snapped at him last week. I snapped because he had one of his socially distanced meetings on the golf course on his day off. I knew he had to have this meeting for work, but I also knew how I was feeling and I snapped. We had a long conversation about my feelings and agreed for him to set aside time to stay home with the boys. Ya’ll, I realized I was becoming depressed. That is not me at all, I have never been depressed a day in my life! Even when I was going through some dark times, I never felt blues like this that I had a hard time shaking. I love my kids dearly, I love my large chaotic circus of a family. I don’t like being the mama who has a short fuse, who constantly wants to be alone tucked away from everyone. That is not me! Normally, I am an introverted extrovert. I love being home but I also love being around people, socializing and entertaining! We are doing our part by not going to parties and large social gatherings (man, I miss those). Yes, I’ve had driveway happy hours with my besties (cautiously of course) and date nights on the patio with my hubs and those have been wonderful, fleeting moments of human interaction, but I needed something more.
That “more” was my husband working from home yesterday. He worked all morning and got the important stuff out of the way and then I left once he was done. I left the house with my hair curled, a full face of makeup and dressed up in something more than an oversized shirt and cutoffs. I had an appointment for a mani/pedi to fix my ratchet nails, they were terrible ya’ll! My nail salon was very clean and I felt totally safe. It was pretty much empty and had one lady who was devoted to wiping down and sanitizing every surface and taking every precaution. And I felt like a brand new woman after being pampered a little. I grabbed a diet coke and decided to turn my music up and sing at the top of my lungs and just drive. I picked up all of my curbside errands without feeling monotonous and took a little walk around an outdoor shopping center, and you know what happened? I came home refreshed, I didn’t feel burnt out or depressed. I came home and actually enjoyed fixing a homemade supper for my family.
Why am I writing this post? Well I know that I’m not the only mama struggling with life right now. I have had 2 conversations with friends just yesterday and I know they were feeling the same way that I was. I know there are many more mamas out there struggling and trying to keep it together. Who are trying to survive this “new normal.” (Man, I really hate calling it that!) If you are feeling burnt out, tell someone, figure something out. If your husband isn’t available to help you, phone a friend or a grandparent! We are the rocks of our family and it’s so important for us to be present both mentally and physically. Take the solo drive, whip into the drive thru for a peaceful treat, blare your music and sing at the top of your lungs, make yourself a mani/pedi appointment, and take a walk where you can peacefully take in some new scenery (or feel like you are doing some retail therapy)!
This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers”. The opinions expressed below are my own.
So, 30 days ago, I started a journey. A journey that I hoped that would help me achieve one of my goals, and that was to increase my traffic to my blog and other social channels. Honestly, I was nervous to get started. I mean, what if I failed and this didn’t work for me? Then a friend visited the day that I received this book, and he picked it up and said “Oh, I need to read this one. I love Russell Brunson! I’ve been a huge follower of his since I knew that I wanted to own my own businesses! He is an amazing and successful entrepreneur who helps his fellow entrepreneurs and gives them amazing information to help them succeed. I use his methods in my businesses.” That was the moment I had total faith that this book would lead me on the right path to achieving some of my goals!
The biggest problem that most entrepreneurs have or think they have isn’t about their product or services; it’s getting their future customers to discover that they even exist. The key is getting your dream customers to find you. This was my biggest take away from this journey. I now have the tools that I need to build the right foundation to work on getting my brand in front of my dream customers! Russell Brunson is a genius in his methods and absolutely everything that he mentions in this book makes sense! I know because I’ve already tried a few of these methods and have had some of my best success yet!
Traffic Secrets helped me to plan my ultimate game plan and get the ball rolling on several different methods in order to be at the front of new trends and set up my funnels to where they are ready to get myself out there, as well as following up and staying at the front of my desired audience. Russell Brunson reveals the classic and foundational direct marketing techniques that will allow you to be at the front of new trends and see opportunities that are invisible to everyone else. This book is GOLD y’all! This is a resource that I will be referring back to for months and years to come. Why? Because I’ve already executed a few of these methods and I’m already seeing results. Especially within the social channels that I have utilized the least within this last year and a half. I know I have a long way to go, but I know that the tools that Russell has talked about in this book will work, and I am so excited to do the footwork to get there!
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These opinions expressed above are my own experiences while participating in the Traffic Secrets 30 day challenge by Russell Brunson.
This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.
Alright y’all! It has been a month since Josh and I started our new lifestyle change and we are both loving our results and cannot wait to continue this new lifestyle change! (to follow along with our journey click here, here and here)
Joel Marion really hit the nail on the head with this program. It has been something that we have both been able to stick to and plan to make this a lifestyle change! We are feeling better and sleeping better. We don’t feel deprived of carbs or sweets and crave healthy fats. We no longer have to force ourselves to eat breakfast and are able to follow our body’s natural rhythm of eating later in the day as well as having a large dinner as a family.
This quote from the book has been one that we have experienced to be true and we are both excited with the results that we have experienced. “In general, healthy fats can also help increase feelings of fullness and satisfaction because they regulate appetite through a number of mechanisms, including the release of appetite hormones. What’s more, combining fat with fiber has been shown to further increase the satiating potential of fat. The satiating power of fats is often one explanation offered to describe why some weight loss trials have shown that low-carbohydrate (and higher-fat) diets tend to lead to greater weight loss than low-fat diets.”
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