My Perfectly Pretty Mess

Life can be messy

My First Stitch Fix Box

Hi Friends! I hope you are having a great week so far, we are trucking along with Whole30 and have been feeling pretty good. It is only day 2, so we will see how I feel soon!

I had heard about Stitch Fix and had wanted to try it, but I never pulled the trigger. I had been talking to a few moms lately and they were talking about it and were overall pleased, so I decided to go for it!

Have you heard of Stitch Fix? If not- “Stitch Fix is an online styling service that delivers a truly personalized shopping experience, just for you. Fill out your Style Profile and a personal stylist will hand pick pieces to fit your tastes, needs and budget—and mail them directly to your door. Each box contains five items of clothing, shoes and accessories for you to try on at home. Keep what you love, send the rest back in a prepaid USPS envelope. Shipping and returns are free—even for exchanges!” That came directly from their website!

Happy mail days are the best! I was so excited to open the front door to this box!

Let’s open it up and get started! I asked my stylist to send mom friendly fall transition pieces and she really hit the nail on the head! You can help your stylist by filling out their survey on their website and also by pinning outfits that you love on your Pinterest boards! (Also, I promise I will practice taking better pictures of myself- or have Bill do it next time!)

1- Kadet Contrast Binding Detail Top- $48

When I first saw this top, I thought it was super cute and that it was for sure going to be a keeper. I was thinking it would be cute with shorts now or jeans and a cardigan later. I think it is the sleeves that is throwing me off and I just don’t love it! Unfortunately, this is not a keeper!

2- Darby Knit Dress- $34

So I am torn on this dress! I like the color and the sleeves! I don’t own anything that color, which is a plus. I also love a good little cotton dress. BUT it is on the shorter side and that just isn’t super practical with small kids! For only $34 I am leaning towards keeping it for the occasions that it would actually work for! What do you think- keep or send back?

3- Just Black Channing Distressed Skinny Jean- $78

These jeans were so comfortable, almost like wearing leggings! However, I am returning them for two reasons. One- I still stick to the no white after labor day rule! I know I am like the only person in America that still sticks to it, but I just can’t! I tried and felt so uncomfortable! And two- the last time I wore white jeans they had three different types of stains on them from the girls! I’d love to try a pair of these jeans in a different color because they were SO comfortable!

4- Papermoon Halls Brushed Open Cardigan- $54

This is so soft and a really good fit! This will be such a staple in my closet. This is another color that I do not really own much off. The possibilities for this one are endless! KEEPER!

5- Z Supply Charletta Knit Top- $36

To be honest, when I put this shirt on, I thought no way! I liked the shape of the shirt, but wasn’t a fan of the pattern! After putting it on, I’m liking it! It is a great length and can be worn with jeans, shorts or leggings. I feel like this shirt would just be a good throw on shirt! I’ll be adding this one to my list!

If you haven’t given Stitchfix a try, you should! Feel free to use my referral code.

Be sure to let me know if you try it out or have any questions!

Whole30

Happy Monday, Friends! I hope you all had a great weekend! My weekend was spent recovering from a little ER visit last week. (I’ll explain later in this post). If you follow me on Instagram, you saw that my husband and I have decided to jump on the Whole30 bandwagon. At first, it was going to be me doing it solo, but somehow I’ve convinced him to do it with me!

There are a couple of reasons that I decided to give it a go. One– I wouldn’t mind getting the rest of this baby weight off. Not sure you can even call it baby weight when the “baby” will be 2 in a few weeks! Two– over the last 3 weeks or so, I have been having horrible headaches and I’ve never really been one to get headaches. They were so bad on Thursday, that I ended up in the ER to make sure there wasn’t something serious going on. Everything is fine and I am going to be following up with the neurologist this week! Three– I just haven’t felt good! I’ve been tired and just blah. I mentioned some of that in this post. After doing A LOT of research, I’m hoping Whole30 may help with some of this. I feel like my body just needs a reset!

Today is the first day, so I don’t have any tips and tricks for you YET! I plan on doing weekly updates with what we’ve been eating and how we’ve been feeling! I’ve also weighed myself and taken measurements so I can share the results with you in the end!

I’ll end on the fact that I am going to miss my wine! It’s only 30 days though and I’ve done it for two pregnancies so I can make it! Also, black coffee is just not the best! I’m hoping I’ll adjust to the taste! I added cinnamon and that helps a little!

Hope you all have a fabulous Monday!

Thoughts for Thursday: Fall Fashion

We made it to Thursday! Sorry for getting this post up so late, our day ended up not being what we had planned. Everything is good to go now though! This week has gone by so fast and I am happy to say that I have gotten a lot checked off my forever long to-do list! I don’t know about ya’ll, but I am about 95% done with summer. I love our lazy mornings and filling our days with whatever we want to do, but I am over the heat and ready to get back into our routine. I have always loved and thrived on a routine. I think the girls do too, they like to know what is next. And now that I think of it, so does Bill. I guess we are one of those families. I am also ready for fall and everything that comes with it! Chilly mornings, football, pumpkins, fall activities and the clothes! I just love a cozy sweater and leggings! Who doesn’t, right?

This week on Instagram I asked some fellow moms what their favorite fall staples were for their closets and I got some really good answers! I feel like I live in workout clothes, and it MAY be time to change that up a little! (At least one day a week. HA) Before I share their answers with you and pieces that I either own or found online STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING and go follow me on Instagram here. You wont regret it, I share lots of pictures of my ridiculously cute kids! Also before I start, I should disclose that I am not a fashion blogger as I am sure you will be able to tell! Ya’ll ready to get started??

Cardigans

Cardigans were brought up several times! I personally love a good cardigan. They’re great to throw on over my Pure Barre clothes aka my every day clothes. They’re also great with jeans or leggings. Here are two that I purchased from the Nordstroms sale. I’m going to send one back, I would love your opinion on which one I should keep! I will be living in whichever one I keep! It is amazingly soft and so comfy cozy!

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Long Tunics

I browsed through my closest and I was surprised that I didn’t really have any of these! They would be great to throw on with leggings and flats or boots with fun jewelry and you’d be set! I’ve linked a few options for you below!

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Chambray Shirt

Has anyone ever found a chambray that they love? I have one from Loft and from Gap and to be honest, I don’t really love either one! I asked on the post for recommendations and it seems that no one had really found one that they loved, so I guess I am not the only one with that problem! Someone recommended checking out Madewell, and I do have a couple of pieces from them that I really like so I jumped on their site and this is what I found, chambray ex-boyfriend shirt!

Jeans

Before I start with jeans, I will say that I believe you get what you pay for when it comes to your jeans. So with that being said, I have a few brands that I stick to with jeans and they’re on the pricier side. Last winter I picked up a dark wash distressed pair and a black pair of these and they’re so good! I would highly recommend them!

Booties

So the only booties I have in my closet are these Tom booties that were popular a few years ago! Are those still even in style anymore? When booties were brought up a few times, I decided to look and see if I saw any that caught my eye. I think I found a pair. What do ya’ll think of these? Barris Block Heel Booties My only concern is that they’re suede. Suede and toddlers make me nervous. All it will take is one trip to Chick-fil-A and they’ll be covered in spilt milk and ketchup! Who am I kidding? I probably wouldn’t even make it out the door before someone gets something on them!

Leggings

Ladies, I drank the Kool Aid and bought the Zella High Waisted Leggings while they were on sale and they are the bomb.com! I would suggest taking a sip of that Kool Aid too!

I also own two pairs of these and they’re really good too! They suck you in and you can bend over without worrying about anyone seeing your panties!

The Spanx leggings are supposed to be amazing, but I personally do not own them!

Dresses

A few people mentioned swing or t shirt dresses! Here is my problem with those. How do you sit on the floor at story time or bend over without constantly worrying. And my kids love to lift my dresses up when I wear them! I personally have always loved dresses and I own more dresses than anything else, but I feel like I am in a place in my life where they just aren’t practical for everyday wear. With that being said, I own more Lilly Pulitzer dresses than I care to admit but we are talking fall so here are a few options!

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Joggers

These were brought up probably the most out of anything anyone recommended! I was out running some errands yesterday and having lunch with my memaw and ended up picking up a pair since everyone said how great they were! They only had navy in my size, but they ordered me a black pair and they’re currently on the way to my house! I can see these being on repeat!

I picked these up at Lululemon but a couple of mommas recommended Athleta too! I’m not sure why my feet look so funny in the picture above! This just shows I’m not a fashion blogger or a very good photographer! I will work on it before I show you my feet again! So sorry!

One last thing- do you use Ebates? If not, you need to ASAP! You get money back for things you were going to purchase anyways! Every site that I visited while searching for these items, with the exception of Nordstroms (they used to be on there, but aren’t anymore for whatever reason) was eligible for cash back on Ebates! We’ve made $65 since we signed up and we always forget to use it on Amazon and Etsy! You can use this link to sign up! Just FYI- I will be compensated if you sign up and use the link I provided after you make a purchase!

I hope you all have a fabulous Thursday!

I’m linking up with Annie and Natalie today for Thoughts for Thursday!

Happy August

Ya’ll!! How is it already August? We have 17 days left of summer! I feel like we need to cram all the things into those 17 days!

Do you set goals? I typically don’t. I feel like I have a running to-do list, but never sit down and write down my goals for the month. I think I will change that now!

Here is a list of things that I am going to (at least going to try) to accomplish this month:

Print and send Millie Cate’s birthday invites. That really needs to be done like yesterday! I will send them to get printed TODAY!! At least they’ve been ordered and I have the pdf, right?

Establish our new routine. With Brynlee going to pre-k full time and Millie Cate going to preschool two mornings a week, things are going to change. Let’s not forget about dance for each girl and gymnastics for Brynlee!

Complete Emily Ley’s 30 Day Simplicity Challenge. You can find the details here:  THE EL SIMPLICITY CHALLENGE: 30 DAYS OF SIMPLICITY. I started it December and failed horribly! I WILL stick to it! I’d love for you to follow along with me! Drop me a note in the comments if you’re interested!

Workout 3-4 times per week.

Stick to my Weight Watchers plan.

Organize girls closets/playroom and guest bedroom. We are having a yard sale in a few weeks and I need to get my hiney in gear!

Those are probably enough goals, right? Do you have any goals for the month? I’ll report back and let you know how I did!

This and That

It’s Monday…again! Why do the weekends go by so quick? We had a pretty lazy weekend, which was nice after all of the traveling we have done this summer! I’m personally ready to get back to our routine! The only thing on the calendar was brunch with my Bunco group- and I didn’t take one picture because we were too busy chatting, eating yummy food and drinking mimosas!

We’ve had such a busy morning, which is the reason the post is going up so late! I had my alarm set to get up and go to Pure Barre this morning, but some random person kept calling the house phone in the middle of the night and after that I had a hard time getting back to sleep! (I know, we are probably one of the few people left that still has a house phone!) Good thing I choose to sleep in, the girls slept until 8 and 8:30! I’m sure not going to complain about that! Their treat for an easy Monday morning was making purple pancakes with sprinkles mixed in! They love to help in the kitchen. Am I the only one who cannot make a pretty pancake? Maybe that should be one of my new goals!

After getting dressed aka the girls trying on 45 outfits, we headed to the library for story time and new books! Why are they so opinionated at such a young age! SO thankful for uniforms for Brynlee next year!

Next was the Target and the mall, we had to run into Ulta to make a return! Well…one kid left with red lipstick and the other left with hot pink glitter gloss! These girls and their makeup may be the death of me!! I know I probably shouldn’t let them wear it, but it’s not like they wear it every day! Just around the house! Judge away. Last but not least was Chick-fil-a and the indoor playground! Momma is tired!

Today started my new Emily Ley Simplified Planner and I could not be more excited! There is nothing like a clean planner and new pens!

I’m off to do laundry and clean the kitchen aka catch up on the latest episode of Below Deck Med! The next two days will be filled with cleaning out and organizing the girls closets and tackling our disaster of a playroom! Be sure to follow me on Instagram for the fun!

Happy Monday!

Friday Five

TGIF!! We made it! Most people think that SAHMs do not care when the weekend is, but that is just not the case! We love when daddy is home for extra family time and an extra set of hands! Let’s get into my Friday Five.

One: Pool days with my girls are the best! I feel like we don’t go enough, but you know packing lunches and sunscreen can be a chore. Also, lets not forget all of our trips this summer! We’ve been a busy crew! We plan to spend the last few weeks of the summer pool side!

Two: Traditions are one of my favorite things! We have loosely been following pizza and family games on Friday nights. It was much easier in the fall/winter but we will start back! It will also be easier once Millie Cate gets a little older! This is one of our favorite games! What are you’re favorite family traditions?

Three: What did you order from the Nordstrom’s Anniversary sale? I posted a sweater on Tuesday that I ordered and got an email on Thursday that said that they couldn’t process the order. I found it again and tried to order it, fingers crossed that I don’t get the dreaded email again. I wasn’t able to re-order in the right size, but figured I could exchange it for the correct size later! I also snagged the Live In High Waist Leggings for $35! Just too good of a deal to pass up…sorry Bill!

Four: Do you use Ebates? If not, you need to start now! Since we have been using it, we have earned $64.82 on things we would have purchased anyways! You can use this link, Ebates, to join now!

Five: I’ll be honest, I don’t love reality TV! All of the fights make me a little uncomfortable! However, Below Deck Med has changed that forever! It is my FAVORITE! Are you watching? You need to start if you aren’t! It comes on Bravo!

Today I am linking up with April and Christina for Friday Five.

Hope ya’ll have a wonderful weekend!

 

 

 

Thoughts for Thursday: Bachelorette in Savannah, GA

Good afternoon! I’m going to let you in on a little secret! I was hoping to do a long post about how much fun we had and all of the details of every second of our long weekend but….that’s not going to happen!

Instead you’re going to get some good photos and maybe some not so good photos that will show we had the best time! I’ll be happy to give you suggestions based on where we stayed, ate and played!

Enjoy!

It was an amazing and much needed weekend!

I’m linking up with Natalie and Annie for Thoughts for Thursday!

Whip It Up Wednesday: Cheeseburger Egg Rolls

Well friends, we have made it half way through the week! I don’t know about you, but I am already ready for the weekend. We don’t really have any plans, but sometimes those are the BEST weekends!

When I was previously doing Weight Watchers, after I had Brynlee, I used to make a lot of recipes using egg roll wrappers. I have been in the mood for a cheeseburger (when I am not?!? ha.) So I was thinking I would try to incorporate the two. I always like to try new recipes and Pinterest is usually my go-to. I jumped on Pinterest, but nothing was really catching my eye. This is where my Cheeseburger Egg Roll recipe came to life!

Ingredients:

1 pound of 93/7 ground beef

Steak Seasoning

2 teaspoons of mustard of choice- I used yellow.

2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons of dill relish (use whatever flavor relish you like and however much you’d like)

1/2 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese (picture below shows a cup of cheese)

12 egg roll wrappers

Coconut oil spray

 

Assembly for these is pretty easy!

Brown hamburger. Once hamburger is done, add Worcestershire sauce and steak seasoning. I would add as much as you’d like to give it flavor, just remember it can be salty! Let that cook for a few minutes until most of the liquid is out and add your mustard. Stir until everything is combined and add it into a mixing bowl.

Next add your cheese and relish. Stir to combine.

Now you’re ready to start wrapping! Lay out your wrapper and grab a little dish of water. Place two heaping tablespoons of your mixture into the center of the wrapper. Fold up the bottom corner so your mixture is completely covered. Then dip your finger into the water and dampen the three remaining sides of the wrapper. Fold the left side in, fold the right side in and roll into an egg roll shape. (If this is confusing, just ask and I can help or just google how to roll an egg roll!) Place roll onto a greased baking pan. After all 12 are wrapped, spray them all with coconut oil.

The final step is to cook them and you can do that one of two ways. We used our Air Fryer. I cooked on 400 for 5-7 minutes flipping half way through. You can also cook them in the oven on 425 for 12-15 minutes flipping them half way through. Once they’re done, you can dip them in ketchup, mustard, BBQ, Ranch or really whatever you’d like!

This is SUCH an easy weeknight meal or would be perfect for get togethers! For those of you that follow Weight Watchers, these came out to 3 points each!

I think you’ll love these once you give them a try! Tomorrow I’ll be sharing pictures from our trip to Savannah!

Five Favorites

I’m back! I was really hoping to hop on here yesterday, but true life- I just couldn’t get myself together! Momma can’t hang like she used to be able to! We had such an amazing weekend in Savannah, GA! I’ll share more this week!

Time to share some favorite things of mine!

One: This ended up in my cart on it’s way to me once it comes off of backorder!

Barefoot Dreams Cozychic Lite® Coastal Hooded Cardigan

I mean, how cozy does that look? I will go ahead and apologize to those that see me on a regular basis, because I will be wearing this 24/7.

 

 

Two: A little over a year ago I discovered Beautycounter and I quickly became obsessed! Not only are their products wonderful, but their mission is too! You can read more about their mission here: Beautycounter’s Mission

These are the products that I CANNOT live without- Essential Nourishing Collection, No. 3 Balancing Facial Oil, Charcoal Cleansing Bar and No. 3 Balancing Facial Mask

**Full disclosure- I am a Beautycounter consultant. I started because I LOVED the products that much. I’m happy to answer any questions and I promise the blog will not be about Beautycounter all the time!

 

 

Three: Stop what you are doing and go buy the Power Air Fryer XL right now! It has been life changing for our family!

Not only can you make dishes healthier by using this, but cleanup is so easy! The recipe that I am sharing tomorrow is cooked in our AirFryer!

 

Four: Last week I picked up a PopSocket and so far have really liked it. Brynlee is in love with it because it makes watching her makeup tutorials on YouTube easier! She is just too much! I couldn’t find the one I have online, but you can find several color options here: PopSocket

 

 

Five: I’m probably one of the last people to here about these, it usually works that way!

Embarrassing confession- I heard Despicto for the first last this week! Hey- its not my fault that it isn’t on the Trolls sound track! Anyways- Spiked Seltzers are AMAZING and my new favorite summer drink! I couldn’t tell you how many cases of these 13 girls went through this past weekend!

In my opinion this brand tastes the best, but it is the highest in Weight Watchers Points (5 smart points) so I probably wouldn’t continue to buy it! I will probably go back to White Claw when I run out of these!

Well, thats it! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

 

Thoughts for Thursday: Brain Dump

Hi Friends! This morning I am jumping in the car with two of my besties and we are headed out of town for our friend Cameron’s bachelorette party! Be sure to follow along our fun on Instagram!

I’m linking up with Natalie and Annie for Thoughts for Thursday!

Today I am just going to share with you the randomness that is going through my head!

How many of you are friends with girls(and guys) that you grew up with? My closest friends are my oldest friends. Right now I am drinking wine with one of my first friends from kindergarten! (Obviously I am not writing this post Thursday morning, it is Wednesday night and we are having a sleepover before hitting the road in the morning!) I love these girls more than life itself! Excuse my pregnant face in the picture! And no, not pregnant it is just an older picture!

 

Speaking of friends, why is it so hard to find “mommy friends”? I have a few friends that I have met since having the girls and have felt instantly connected with, but man it’s hard! I posted this picture over on Instagram this week, it is too true not to share!

 

Which is worse: packing for vacation or unpacking? I think I hate both equally! I have found a few tips that make unpacking a little easier. For one, put all of your dirty clothes in a bag and when you come home put them straight in the washer! Also, anytime we go somewhere that has a washer and dryer- I go ahead and knock out some laundry so it is clean and ready to put away when we get home!

 

 

I was in desperate need of a new makeup bag and picked this up today! How cute and functional is this? It is such a good size and so many pockets! And it was $9.99- can’t beat that!

 

And last but not least, I already miss these two and can’t wait to see them on Sunday! 

Have a fantastic Thursday!!

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