Amazon Favorite Finds

/ Leave a comment

I’m sure everyone loves their Amazon accounts, but I also love seeing what everyone buys!! I’ve found some great deals and sometimes forget that I can easily purchase items online and have it there in 2 days.  I have to say my favorite use for Amazon is when we vacation! Last summer I ordered a box of pull-ups and a big thing of wipes down to SC when my mom got married.  It was so convenient! Granted, I’m super pumped to not be spending money on those any more, but it’s the simplicity of that, right?!

I figured I’d share a few of my favorite/current Amazon Purchases just in case you may find them helpful too!

Him:

Core Water – My husband strives to drink 2 of these waters a day.  Having Crohn’s he is always trying to stay hydrated and get in extra electrolytes etc.  This is basically the only water he drinks, so it must be darn good!  I do drink it occasionally, but it’s a little pricey and I don’t mind my Brita water.  The other plus is that the cap is a cup, so he likes to let the kids drink out of that if they’re thirsty.  No slobber and no spills! #winning

White tees – A guy staple right?  I thought these were good quality and an even better price.  He wears a v-neck tee daily and those things tend to wear out quickly.

Me:

Rose Gold/Marble Phone Case – I’ve gotten a ton of compliments on this fab phone case! I hate buying new ones, but this price ($11.99 PLUS a coupon!!) I couldn’t beat it. Plus it’s pink, pretty and my old one fell apart, so this was a good buy!

Dandy Blend –   So I think I’ve mentioned a few times that I can’t drink coffee because of my reflux.  Well, I stumbled upon this Dandelion brew and you guys, it’s amazing! Sometimes you just want that coffee flavor/feel and tea just doesn’t do it.  Apparently you can cut coffee and go to this without any symptoms but I can’t verify that.  I can say that it’s tasty and I have been enjoying with some NutPods creamer.  It is excellent iced too! Dandelion is wonderful for your liver as well.

Collagen Peptides – My knees/joints seem to get sore and achy more often.  I guess I’m getting old or something, but regardless, I try to slip this into my tea, smoothies or dandy blend. It has no taste and it’s supposed to be so good for you. I have a Matcha Peach flavor too, but this can go in anything due to the no flavor.

Workout Top (Lululemon dupe) – There’s an extra 5% coupon on this too! I did see fellow instagrammers wearing this and it’s definitely worth a share and the buy! It’s so cute; I got the black and I love the tie back with the mesh.  Fun, sporty and makes me feel a little like a bad ass when I’m at the gym. I got a small. (I’m 5’7 currently 140 lbs) It comes in different colors and is only $15.99!! Washes well, and I hang dry.

Off Shoulder Romper – Again I saw a few bloggers with this and my friend Ann scooped one up as well.  It’s the perfect thing to throw on and road trip in, or even travel by plane!  It’s comfy and all you need are cute sandals, a pair of statement earrings and clutch to look totally put together with zero effort!

Dry Shampoo –  I have tried super expensive dry shampoos and I still come back to this brand. I love that I can order it on Amazon and save money, plus not walk into an Ulta and spend all my money on more makeup I don’t need.  I find that I can get a day or two extra in between washings because this stuff is so good.

Kids:

Bubble gun – these were actually a gift to our friends’ kids, and they loved them!  Their daughter turned 3 and she just loved it! They tend to sell these for more money at fairs, carnivals etc and so they just brought the one we gifted so they didn’t have to buy one when we all attended a festival not too long ago.  Can’t go wrong with bubbles as gifts for kids!

Tie Dye Chalk – This was a gift as well, but I just thought it was cute add on for Summer.  There’s nothing better than kids chalk drawings and this was a fun extra with the tie-dye element.

Dance Costume Bag  – I dragged my feet on buying this and I don’t know why.  With clear pockets, a lot of them, and everything zippered up, this is a MUST have for any Dance mom!  I finally grabbed one for her rehearsal/recital and it was so nice to see everything clearly when we scramble to change from costume to costume.  It held her shoes, tights, costumes, makeup and bows.  Total game changer; now I need one of those racks to hang everything on!

Thermos- I only wish I bought this sooner! Brooke doesn’t love sandwiches, though she will eat them.  She does love leftover pastas, macaroni and other warm lunches, so this was honestly the best purchase for her! She says that it keeps her meatballs warm just like out of the oven! I know in the Summer months this isn’t going to be popular, but mamas, grab one for Fall!!

What are your favorite Amazon buys? I would love to know!

#FactsOnfriday

/ Leave a comment
  • TGIF!! I’m excited for a busy weekend– #embracingthechaos
  • It’s the last day of May; like whoa!
  • I feel like I’m winning at life when I close all my Apple watch rings & make my steps hit.
  • I need to stop eating ALL OF THE THE THINGS
  • I am LOVING my mani/pedi color!!
  • Having a me day was much needed.  (mamas, do NOT forget to #doyou!!)
  • Summer can hurry please!
  • My neighbor and I are using Pinterest to come up with some Summer Bucket List ideas for the kiddos.
  • This week/weekend are SO busy, but I’m still trying to enjoy the moments.
  • We have a wedding this weekend and we need to wear flats–SOS!! Where to find a pair stat?!
  • Joe’s been asked to speak at another AFG conference and be on the panel—New Orleans, here we come!
  • Next week I have a ‘book club’ meetup–cannot wait to have some girl time!
  • I can’t believe I only have the Summer and one year left with Bradley home with me. Where does the time go?
  • Summer songs are out in full force!! (Hello, “Bad Guy”)
  • I’ve been so bad at reading lately; I did get further into one during my pedicure today.
  • I’m overly excited for a spray tan (tan fat looks better than pale fat hehe)
  • We are looking for more houses to buy as we are almost at full capacity!
  • I’m obsessed with this Dandyblend faux coffee.  It tastes so good and helps fill that desire for coffee! It doesn’t give me reflux issues and I can drink it at night without having trouble falling asleep.
  • I’m still loving the work I am doing on myself (even when it’s hard, I know it will be so helpful and benefit me in the long run!)
  • Brooke had her dance rehearsal Wednesday and I balled.  My daughter was SO flipping amazing on stage and literally lit up the whole show. I am so proud of her!!
  • I’m listening to an amazing book called The Big Leap (e-book is free with Amazon prime!)
  • I’m in week 2 of my step-bet and still have a love/hate relationship with it.
  • The dogs love when I’m stepping because they get lots of extra walks!
  • Monday I start the Tastefully Simple 14 Day Reset.
    • No joke, I’m scared! Hahaha Only because I love me some grains. Like legit love. This will be tricky, but I have faith!
    • I’m not sure what will be harder, no vino or no starbs (sad face!)

Weekend Wrap Up

/ Leave a comment

Flew by, didn’t it?! It always does.  Friday was a nice start, as Joe had off and Brooke went to school.  After I made everyone breakfast, I sipped some pre-workout and hit the gym.  I didn’t do anything crazy, but I did some cardio and bi/tris. I love this new top from Fabletics! It’s a pretty color, comfortable and fits well.  I grabbed a small.

Friday afternoon we did our final walkthrough at our Canandaigua rental.  It looks so good!  Aaron from Canandaigua Contractors LLC did a phenomenal job.  He had a lot of work to do, re-do and really do it right.  The flooring is stunning and we adore the open kitchen/living room.

It will look so cute with some pops of color with accent rugs, some plants & furniture.

I love that there are windows at the kitchen sink, and we continued the subway tile as a backsplash here as well.  It has a beautiful flow and we are so happy for the newest renters to call this home!

Last but definitely not least, the bathroom is clearly the favorite!  Subway tile, the tile floors, new vanity, toilet, lights– camera action!  Seriously my favorite bathroom we’ve done to date.

I got my Advocare goodies and about died when I saw that this was the sample.  Grape Spark was my absolute favorite, but since I can’t seem to drink Spark (or coffee) any more, I was so sad.  Around Christmas they launched a little sample bag of fun Rehydrate flavors and Grape was inside!! The kids and I pretty much fought over that flavor! I can’t wait for it to be available for Summer!

I finished up this amazing book Friday night.  I did not want it to finish too quickly, but like all good things it had to come to an end.  SO GOOD!! It’s about a fictional 1970’s rock band and it’s told from the band character’s point of view.   This CBD tea is tasty too!

Sunday morning I took this beautiful dancer to her photos.  She is dancing to “Material Girl” and “Glow”– some Disney princess song, super cute!

After dance pics, we of course hit up Starbucks!! She looks way too old here!

While we had our fun girl time, the boys (and Bailey!) were at the land hunting for Dinosaurs.

Is this not the perfect photo?! This dog is a huge amount of my stress, but I do believe it’s mostly because she belongs here.  She needs this place to roam and run free.

Our afternoon was so low key— I did some blog planning and just felt creative and inspired to get some posts organized, yay!  It was nice to just ‘be.’

Dinner Sunday night was courtesy of Joe!! I had something kind of planned, but asked if Joe could run to the store to get some ingredients to finish dinner…well after he watched some show with Gordon Ramsey, he was convinced he needed to make chicken wings!

He did some of the “OG” wings.  It’s a BBQ rub, smoked for an hour in the smoker and then grilled to get a little crisp.

THESE however, may have just up-leveled the wings yet again.  He saw Ramsey use corn starch and it made the wings a little extra crispy—-whoa nelly!! SO good! It gave them a real ‘fried’ feel, and yet he still smoked & grilled.

This is what I had going in the slow cooker– which is SO yummy!  Now we have this for Cubans and it even tastes like Chipotle’s carnitas.  I will make some rice and make a bowl or something!

I did take a small walk with Holly after dinner and I am so happy the weather is starting to turn.  I think sometimes we don’t think walking is really doing anything, so I am here to remind you, it’s so good for us!! Our bodies are made to move.

 

Happy Monday friends!

 

Weekend Review!

/ Leave a comment

Where does the weekend go?!  I feel like it was a great mix of work and fun and even a little rest!

Friday we had a list of things Real Estate to do.  I was not feeling my best, so I made the extra effort to look cute, hoping it’d help me feel better.  Leggings with OTK boots at least look a little more put together, with little to no effort!  This top from Saint James Boutique was super comfy too!

Bradley, Joe and I went to check on some properties and had lunch downtown.

Saturday I hired a babysitter and was able to sneak out and get some girl time in with my friend Kristin!  She hit up her spin class and I managed to get my 20 minutes in at the gym.  We fueled up with these delicious Super Bowl (Chia pudding) dishes.  I am totally recreating this again!

Saturday night I had no desire to cook, but I pulled out this cookbook my stepmom got me and had all the ingredients.

It was pretty good!!

Sunday I got up and got my steps in at the gym nice and early so that I could spend the day with the fam!  She wanted a picture with me.

We went over to grab our lockbox at one of our properties we ‘sold’ and Brooke was so proud of herself for reading this sign.

After that we had lunch at our favorite place, The Revelry.  I snapped this cute photo of my loves!  They all enjoyed chicken and waffles.  Mama enjoyed a Wedge Salad, since the disco is coming up haha!

The bartenders always mix a mocktail up for the kiddos and they loved them.

Sunday night I felt like something light and fluffy, so I jut did baked Cod with lemon, butter, wine and white Jasmine rice.  I added some Brussels Sprouts for good measure.

Sunday night we were in bed quite early so I decided to download some Chic Lit to help me fall asleep.  I love reading and am immersed in several Real Estate books and am super excited for Rachel Hollis’ Girl Stop Apologizing to come out tomorrow!   I scooped up this book per Emily’s reads.   She is inspiring as she read over 100 books last year!

img_1796.png

And this?  All the feels.  So very, very true.

img_1779

 

How was your weekend?!

GYM TIME = ME TIME

/ 2 Comments

I will be the first to admit, it’s so hard for me to stick with a strict workout schedule. I was in an amazing groove last year when we joined the YMCA, but decided last August that I’d cut that expense and that we didn’t need to pay that much since I knew Brooke would be in school full time.  I figured I’d go back to some at home workouts and be just fine…

Well to be honest, it wasn’t.  I did do a Stepbet which helped me keep active early Fall, but once the weather turned (I don’t love the cold, but mostly the ice! It gets so darn slippery out there!) I was definitely not as active and was losing muscle, gaining fat, not fitting into my clothes and feeling like POO!

So I decided to take matters into my own hands (stop being a victim) and checked out a local women’s only gym that is less than half the price of the Y.  Sure it doesn’t have all the cool amenities for the kids, no pool, no gymnasium, no “Mystery Cavern” but you know what it does have?  A small, clean child care center with lovely ladies who love on my kiddos.  And for $2 an hour, per kid, I can’t beat that!

I mostly noticed a huge difference in my needing to be around other women.  Even if I’m not necessarily socializing, I feed off that positive energy especially in a class like Zumba or Turbokick. I am loving my small group trainings I do once a week where I am pushed beyond my comfort zone and literally feel like it’s a personal training sometimes when the group is super small.

Some days I don’t feel like going, but I still push past it.  I may only walk on the treadmill for a half hour and then sit in the dry sauna for a bit.  I can’t tell you how amazing the heat feels on my skin, bones and muscles! I make sure to drink lots of electrolytes as I noticed I felt a little dehydrated after some intense workout sessions or the sauna.  I also use the time to maybe sit in quiet and plan out my day or read a few pages of a book.  I usually only book an hour with the kid room, so I use it wisely.

I love cute hats and headbands to help hide the dirty hair and plus I sweat a lot!! I also have been dropping Bradley off at Preschool, going to the gym and have managed to get home and shower before picking him up again! I feel like a total rockstar on those days.

This week is February break and I feel a little bad I scheduled the gym every morning, so there haven’t been any lazy days, but honestly? I feel so great afterwards and the kids got out of the house, played with other toys/kids and I just explain how mommy feels better working out! I think batman enjoys himself a lot too.

They are the reason I push harder every day.  I know that I need to be in great shape so that I can keep up with them for the rest of their lives!  I also want to model how important is is to take care of our health, at any age.

I never regret working out, but I always get down on myself when I break that promise to myself.  I have made sweating a non-negotiable lately and while things do come up and I may not workout every day, I will say that I am active most days!  Prioritizing myself has really lifted my spirits and made me do everything else so much better.

I know that my to do list won’t get ever be complete, but skipping a workout never helps the overall cause.  I do listen to my body and rest when I need to, but having access to a treadmill in the dead of winter I believe is helping me with some Seasonal Depression issues. (Not that I’m diagnosed, but I do believe lack of sun and the abundance of cold is hard sometimes!)

I still want to checkout some different classes, but it’s a great rhythm I’m in right now and I’m proud of myself for putting myself on the top of my priority list. I don’t know why it is so hard as a mom, but the saying is true. You can’t pour from an empty cup.