Friday Faves

It's Fri-Yay!
We made it to Friday & through the first week of school! Glorious!

Friday Faves

Home Decor:
This week I visited a friends house. They just recently finished building their house, so everything was spankin' new! It made me run through the emotions of excitement (because I absolutely LOVE looking through new homes) and anxiety (because I need/want/have to have my house built ASAP). I haven't stepped foot in a HomeGoods in almost a year and I'm getting the itch! BAD! To make matters worse, I follow an Instagram account called Inspire_Me_Home_Decor, and I screenshot numerous pictures to send to Angelo daily. 

OK, not realistic? 

How about this ultimate snack closet?! One can dream.

Check out these 31 Remodeling Ideas You Obviously NEED


Lara Bars:
I have switched back to buying Lara Bars, in place of my beloved Quest Bars. Some of the Quest Bars started tasting too sweet for me and I couldn't even finish one. My favorites are the Blueberry Muffin & Chocolate Chip Brownie. I think the Cappuccino flavor is the only one I haven't tried yet. Call it my mission!

Halloween Costumes
For some reason Halloween has come up at the dinner tables multiple times this week. Penelope keeps telling us she wants to be a lion, and Sophia wants to be a giraffe (again). Personally I think animal costumes on little kids is the absolute CUTEST thing ever. It all started with this..

We wont even be in town on Halloween, so I need to plan a trick or treat session the week before at the local Zoo or Disney. What are some great Halloween costumes this year?

FitSnack
I did a post about FitSnack a couple weeks ago, and I have come to LOVE these monthly deliveries. I have been on the go this week, with school being back in, and there have been a few times I'm starving and grab a FITSNACK right before I race out the door. I will do a August Box Review next week. 

I hope you all have a fantastic Labor Day Weekend!! 

Hopefully the weather gets clear for us to get in a boat day on the water!!

XOXO

Friday Faves

Hey friends!  Happy Friday!

This week FLEW by for me! So much so that I forgot to do payroll yesterday! You know your life is going in 10 different directions when you forget to pay your employees, along with yourself! Geesh. 

Don't worry...all checks were cut at 6 a.m. this morning and everyone got their Friday payday. Does this mean I win the Best Boss Ever award? Probably not. ;) LOL

Before we go on to Friday Faves, you MUST enter all three (3) giveaways that are closing in a few hours! For more details Click HERE!

Friday Faves!

YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer & Blur Perfector

I received these products in my first Influenster VoxBox and have been using them for the past 3 weeks. I don't like to do reviews on skin products until I get to use them for more than a week or so.  I think some things are amazing for the first couple days, then either your face breaks out or it just doesn't seem to work like it did in the beginning.

This wasn't the case with these YSL Touche EClat products.

The purpose of these products is to help one achieve "perfectly blurred" skin, something you'd hope to see by using Instagram filters. You know the look, the perfect soft skin with no visible pores or fine lines. 

The box contained two products: 

YSL Touche EClat Blur Primer 

YSL Touche EClat Blur Perfector

The Primer is a light weight gel/liquid that contain gold specs. (Don't worry, the gold specs don't show up on your skin like Edward Cullen.) It contains 4 nourishing oils, leaving your skin incredibly soft, like velvet, with a glow!

The Perfector comes in a compact case and transforms from a balm to powder when applied to the skin. It can be used 3 different ways: alone as a complexion perfector, to set your makeup, or as a through-out the day touch up product. 

While I liked both products, I absolutely LOVED the Blur Primer! I used the primer before putting on makeup each day. I used the Perfector a few times as a "touch up" tool later in the day and I'm not one to remember to touch up my makeup throughout the day. These products are definitely worth the spurge for me. I took a dangerous stroll through Sephora on Wednesday to purchase a full size Blur Primer. I discovered their YSL Touche Eclat Illuminating Foundation, that I will grab on my next foundation purchase!

 One of us is wearing YSL Touche Eclat, and the other one is drooling... ;)

Watermelon Cake! 

I'm strangely obsessed with this cake I made yesterday. My dad asked for a "refreshing" dessert for his birthday, instead of a traditional cake. I think we may be caked out from eating cake left overs all last week from Sophia's birthday.

At first I was thinking about making individual parfaits, but then I saw this idea on Pinterest and knew it was the chosen one!  I will be making this cake many more times in the future.

Quick side note: You know the almond slivers on the side of the cake? How would you put those on? I did it by throwing them on the cake hoping they'd stick. And it worked, but I know there has to be a better way. How do they make those cakes with the perfectly sprinkled sides? I guess YouTubing it will work.

Plaid!

I'm totally late to the plaid game, but I'm in love. Flannel makes everything look so comfy, cozy, and Fall! Is flannel a Fall staple every year or just a current trend? Either way, I'm ready to rock some flannel!

Around the waist, for hot summer days. 

Forever21

Madewell

15 Ways to Wear Flannel

Can you believe Summer is quickly coming to an end?! For some it's already over and Back to School is real life.  For our household, we have one more week of summer left! I'm going to go over my "Summer Bucketlist" and pick out some stuff to do to end out the summer. 

On the planner this weekend we have a 5k race and a coed baby shower to attend. Plus some boring stuff like laundry...

What's on your weekend's agenda?

XOXO

Fails & Friday Faves

Hey you guys! Happy Friday! 
We've made it another week, phew! 

At the beginning of the week I was so exhausted come dinner time. Monday and Tuesday with the girls was rough. But by Wednesday we found our groove and now it's just a normal day when I have the two girls with me. We're so adaptable!

Sophia has camp next week but then the two weeks before school starts, she's back here with Nelps and I. 

I tried working at the office with them on Tuesday and that was a complete disaster. So now, everything is back at the house with me, like the good ol' days when I worked from home. 

Our routine has been to get out of the house in the mornings, then back home by late afternoon when they're tired and ready for a nap. Sophia has napped once all week, but she knows what "quiet time" means and doesn't (usually) bother Nelpe for a good hour while she rests.

At school during nap time they put on music. I know it works there, and I know a lot of my friends who use music to put their kids to sleep. We've never done it before, so when Sophia asked for "bedtime" music I was up to give it a try. Let's just say things that work at school, don't necessarily work at home. Nelpe kept waking up and looking for where the music was coming from. Then Sophia would grab the phone so Nelpe wouldn't touch it, then they'd start fighting over what music to listen to. It ended up with everyone being more awake and less sleepy. #Fail

Here's another #Fail for you.

I found this while looking for Princess cake ideas for Sophia's birthday.

Sophia has changed her mind 3 times this week about what kind of cake she wants. It was Tinkerbell, then Princess, now Barbie. So, to make sure there are no disappointments, I'm going to order a cake with every single character on it. #WIN

Friday Faves

Lunch dates with my girls
We don't normally eat out a lot for lunch, but these lunch dates with my girls while Sophia is home from school are the best. 

Taco Bus for the win!

Common Grounds Park in Lakeland, FL

Yesterday I promised Sophia a trip to the park. I've been wanting to check out Common Grounds in Lakeland for a while now and we finally made it! I was beyond impressed with the size and cleanliness of this public park!  If you have kids ages 2-12, this is a must do. 

Around the web:

I love this dress! It's categorized as a "homecoming" dress but I think it's perfect for these Summer nights! Found at Windsor for $39.90

Jennifer Aniston tied the knot!

Have 24 hours to spare? Maybe you can accomplish some of these Life Changing Things! 

That's all for today folks! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

We have birthday parties and sun to bath in :)

XOXO

Hyde Park Village & other Friday Faves!

Happy Friday Friends! 

Something funny, well kind of funny. I went onto weather.com this morning to look at the weekend's weather. It said SUNNY with 0% chance of rain and I was like YASSSSS! 

Then after a few minutes I noticed I accidentally clicked on Tampa, KS and not Tampa, FL. Who the heck lives in Tampa, KS?! Well, approximately 108 people do.  You learn something new every day. 

Our weather here in Tampa, FL looks a lot less exciting and a lot more rainy. When will it stop?! 

Friday Faves

Hyde Park Village, Tampa
I did a stroll around Hyde Park Village Tuesday night with some other Tampa Bay Bloggers and it was the first time I went into many of the stores. I'm so glad I had this opportunity, because now I know HPV has so much to offer!  There are events going on every week at the individual shops and the place is really hoppin'! The village is currently going through redevelopments, and I can't wait to see the final design. All I know is that these images make me SO excited for Hyde Park Village's future! HPV is definitely a place to take friends and family if you're ever in the area. I'm still getting everything together for my recap post, so sit tight, it's coming!

Hyde Park Village in the moon light. 

Lulus.com 
is having a HUGE sale right now! I have bought many dresses from this site in the past and here's some SALE items I'm loving this week! Many sale items are going fast, so sizes may be sold out soon.

On sale for $15.00!

On sale for $9.50!

On sale for $32.00!

If the shoe fits....

Around the web:
Toddler gets dream birthday

New workout method based on science! 

When there's murder, war, and famine going on, some people think this is something to be outraged about.  {Jack-hole of the week...Hi Andy Cohen!}


How are your weekend plans looking? Is weather causing any cancellations? I hope not!
Have a great weekend everyone!!

XOXO

Chicken is an animal & Friday Faves

TGIF!

We've made it to the end of the week and it's glorious! Fri-Yay! 

Last night Sophia was full of questions! What's new? But day after day her questions become more and more interesting. It's incredible to watch her become aware of herself and surroundings as she grows. 

Last night we ate White Wine Herd roasted chicken, but I didn't take a picture so did it really happen? :) It did...

I give the girls the drumsticks because they like to eat them like cavemen. Who doesn't? In between bites Sophia blurted out "Is this chicken?! Like the ANIMAL chicken? Like I'm eating an animals that has fingers?!?!" She kept breaking off pieces of the chicken and asking which part of the chicken was it...."is this it's finger?" holding up a random piece of chicken meat.

It took me by surprise because I thought "oh great...now she won't be eating chicken." But she actually finished her plate, was done with that conversation, and on to creating her nightly show for us. The girls dress up every night after dinner and put on a "show" of singing and dancing. Add that to my favorite things ever. 

Friday Faves

Family photo shoots
With the building of our custom house, we took part 1 of a 3 series photo shoot yesterday evening. We will do another shoot when the house is half way done, then the last shoot will be when the house is completed. I love the chaos that is a family photo shoot, or any photo shoot that involves kids. Sophia (almost 4 years old) was a little ham in front of the camera, showing off her poses and dance moves. Saying "take a picture of this!" while spinning around.  Penelope (20 months) was NOT liking the camera at the beginning and wouldn't let go of Angelo. She loosened up towards the end, so I'm hoping Christina, our photog, got some good shots of her without the "I just woke up" grump face. 

Matcha Tea
I jumped on the matcha tea train! Toot Toot! I've been putting a 1/2 - 1 tsp of matcha tea powder into my lattes. I've also looked up some intriguing recipes to make with matcha. It seems I have these weird addictions to gross tasting drinks. It all started with Kombucha. I wouldn't say kombucha is gross but I also wouldn't tell someone "It's soooo good!" either. Samsies with matcha. I bought a Matcha Latte drink from Fresh Market yesterday to compare it to what I've been making at home. Verdict: Mine is better.

F21 Workout Pants
I always ask for workout clothes for Christmas from the husband because that's when I'll get the expensive stuff. I don't know if you know, but a pair of Nike workout pants can put you in the hole $60-$80. Insane! So when I see cute, inexpensive workout clothes I jump....ing jack. 

A Steal at $17.90

Flex Friday!
I adore Nelpe's "flex" face!

Around the web:
Limited Too is coming back!!! Bring on the fluffy pens and blow up furniture! I can only hope my kids will be equally excited about this store as I was growing up. 

Yesterday was National Hot Dog day! Did you celebrate? Sadly, I didn't...BUT I sure want to enjoy some of these places soon!


Tomorrow we adventure over to Fort De Soto for our first triathlon! Is it funny that I'm only nervous for the swimming part? And the only thing that I'm nervous about is having to swim in the ocean. I think I should be nervous about the transitioning parts (swim to bike - bike to run) or that half the running portion is in the sand...but I'm not. I HATE swimming in the ocean. Sooo..this should be fun! 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! See you Monday or follow me on Instagram to get a first look at our triathlon! 

XOXO

Toyota in Tampa and Friday Finds

TGIF! I hope you are all having a wonderful Friday morning (with coffee in hand)!

Who doesn't wake up in a good mood on Friday?! If not,here's some advice. You totally should! Good vibes bring good things! :)

Last night I had the honor of representing Tampa and the Tampa Bay Bloggers at a Toyota event held at the beautiful and historic Columbia Restaurant in Ybor. 

Friends!

Food!

1905 Salad is a MUST at the Columbia and it pretty much consumed my entire plate. #gimme

Flamenco Dancers!

Flan!

No experience at the Columbia is complete without this traditional dessert!

Time for Friday Finds!

Recently I've been obsessed with this tropical leaf pattern! It's literally everywhere I look, apparel, furniture, and decor. 

$49.00 at LuLus.com

ON SALE! $27.99 at MayKool.com

Banana Leaf Chairs to make any office/home feel like vacation!

I want this dress...and that boat...and to recreate this picture. Please?

A Steal! ($29.00) at LookBookStore.com

Everyday is another chance to be better!

Around the Web:

Did anyone have any luck on PrimeDay?

I've been into peaches lately and these quick recipes all look amazing! I will be recreating some of these soon for you!

It's not bacon but it tastes like bacon...AND IT'S GOOD FOR YOU?!

Have a great weekend. I believe it's supposed to be gloomy all weekend here in Tampa, but we will make the best of it!

XOXO

In love with LUSH & Friday Finds

Hey! Whatcha up to today?
It's Friday! I hope you have some fun plans brewing for the weekend! 

This weekend, starting tonight, is full of celebrations! We are celebrating a friend's birthday tonight, then attending a gender reveal party Saturday to find out if our little group of friends is being joined by a girl or boy. The suspense!!! ;)

Have you ever walked into a store or place and walked out feeling like a changed person? That's how my experience was at Lush the other day. I've been there a couple times before but never really talked to someone about all their products. I had 45 minutes to blow, and I'm so glad I spent them in Lush! All the products I purchases are today's Friday Finds!

Friday Finds!
#SaveTheSharks soap
Alisha is obsessed with Sharks and Shark Week. So once I saw this cuteness I had to snag one for her! From Lush.com: "100% of the price of this soap will be donated to grassroots organizations dedicated to the protection and conservation of sharks."

Dark Angels Cleanser
My skin has never felt so smooth! I've only used it twice so far, but my skin feels incredibly soft afterwards. The only reason I don't use it every day is because I've been using the same face wash since high school and once I stop, I always break out. But this has been a great addition to my skin care! They say you can use it all over your body too, so if you're looking for some silky smooth skin (who isn't?!) go get some Dark Angels! It has amazing ingredients (as all Lush products do) like avocado oil, black sugar, and charcoal!

T'eo Deodorant 
Before you go all "ew..natural deodorant?", hear me out. I thought I was done with natural deodorants. I used three different brands and they all did nothing for me. I was sticky and smelly by the end of the day while using each of them. But alas! I've been wearing this one since Tuesday and I have not been smelly and I have not been extremely sweaty either. I've also been working out and running without making the people next to me hold their noses. :) This is the beez-neez of natural deodorants, so if you want a deodorant, without all that aluminum nonsense, that actually works, go buy this! It's shaped like a bar of soap that you just rub under your arms. 

Vanishing Cream

If you know me I'm very very minimal when it comes to skin care/make up. I literally wear makeup maybe three times a week and that's pushing it. My everyday routine is face wash, Bare Minerals powder foundation, and black eye liner. Sometimes, when I'm feeling fancy, I'll put on some mascara. This face moisturizer is now in my daily routine, to help balance my oily face while helping with some blemishes! Sounds about perfect. :)

Other Finds:

THIS outfit for $26! Found by J's Everyday Fashion. 

Check out Meet@TheBarre's Nordstrom Anniversary Shopping Guide

THESE people I feel so #SorryNotSorry for          

Have a big ol' tree in your yard? Strap THIS to it!

Hope you have a great weekend!! ENJOY YOURSELF!

XOXO

Some of My Favorite Things EVER!

Happy Friday y'all! 

It's a beautiful day over here and what better way to start your Friday than with a trip to Target? To answer my own question: I don't know! :)

Some of my favorite activities have reappeared in my life this week and so it just makes sense to make them my FRIDAY FAVES!

Outdoor running. 
Wednesday, on Earth Day, we took a six mile run outside. It was sweaty and glorious! Ever since we moved, we do most of our running on the dreaded treadmill. At first we tried to get a long outdoor run in at least once a week, but then our weekends have been crazy booked and it slowly started becoming an every 2-3 week thing. I can't express enough how much I LOVE running outside and running around new areas and scenery. It just needs to become a priority in our life because it's seriously like a little therapy session for me. My mind clears and it's so calming! No thinking..just running!

Cooking.
I finally got in the kitchen yesterday and boy did I...I spent a whole 3 hours baking and making food! That actually seems like an entire lifetime when kids interrupt you every couple seconds. I made Gluten Free Zucchini muffins and Eggplant Parmesan. I'll be posting the recipes this coming week! 

Faves On The Web:
Full House Reunion?! Stop!

Tampa Made This List!

Just Adorable 

Hope you all have an amazing weekend!!

XOXO

Happy Anniversary to us!

Hey y'all! TGIF!
First, did you watch Scandal last night?! Oh..em..gee! 

Onward..

I'm going to dedicate this Friday Faves post to my husband and our 7 year wedding anniversary! We got married on April 19, 2008 at Tradewinds Resort on St.Pete beach. 

The years go by and we keep building this wonderful life together. We have so much to be thankful for and still so much life ahead of us! 

Every year gets better as we discover more things to love about each other, grow our amazing family, and strengthen our bond that defines forever! 

Cheers to my wonderful husband and our relationship! :)

Other Friday Faves...Because it's the blog law :)

Avocado Toast! This has been breakfast two days this week and it's so simply delicious!! Super healthy and filling too :) Just a piece of toast with a mashed up avocado on top. Salt & peppered to taste.

Margaritas! Who doesn't love margs?! I splurged and ordered one on Wednesday night at Hablo Taco in Channelside. They remind me of Summer, sun, and fun!

Sentimental Coffee Cups? The other day I made myself a coffee in this cup. You're like "whats the big deal?!" WELL, when I was sitting there drinking it, it dawned on me that I bought MY mom this cup like 15 years ago! And now I'm a mom, using it. Is that corny? This post is all about corny!  :) Makes you sit and look back on life for the few seconds before your child drives a toy lawn mower into your shins. 

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend!! We will be running the ColorMeRad 5K Saturday, boat day on Sunday, and taking the weekend a little further with anniversary celebrating on Monday!

XOXO