Spring Favorites

Yesterday and today were both forecasted to be not-too-great weatherwise, which of course means that I donned long sleeves and it turned out to be warm, sunny and gorgeous.

So Spring is here, and hopefully we have more warmer days ahead! When I think of Spring, I think of a few things:

1// Carolina Cup
The Cup is one of the best and most Southern events of the year. Held in Camden SC, these horse races are all about the tailgating and not so much about the horses (sorry, guys). Last year I was too pregnant to go, and this year is also a no-go, but maybe down the road I can throw my sunhat back on and join the masses for a day of mimosas, cute sandals, some dollar-bill betting, and a little sunburn.

Yes, a Lilly koozie is a definite must for the Spring, and if you don't have one yet, who knew you could pick them up here ... and only $6!

2// Spring Planters

I do have to give Walmart props for having a pretty good garden department! I picked up some snapdragons, violets, lavender, dusty miller, and tulips the other day. Our planters and pots were in baaaad shape. They are now looking all spruced up again. It's nice to feel proud again of the front of our house!

3 // Patio Cocktailing

The baby goes to sleep at 7(ish) these days, and there's still plenty of light out to enjoy a little back patio sittin' and sippin'. I want to recreate this easy pineapple upside down cake cocktail that I made last year. It was simple and yummy!

Your top three Spring favorites ... GO!

Monday Catch-Up

Mondays are always a little rough on us, yes? 

I am back to working in the office on Mondays which means an early alarm clock so I can get completely ready before the baby wakes up. I then have an hour with her to get her fed, clothed, and ready for daycare before I head into the office. It's the craziest day of the week, but if I can make it through the day, the rest of the week is just a little less hectic.

We took this past Friday off of work and went to the mountains to visit my in-laws. It was a great escape and I just loved seeing the way they adore Camille. Her two cousins really love helping and seeing all of the cute things she does.

Saturday night we had a babysitter! We had a sushi date at Sushi Guru and then saw the Charlotte Symphony perform a Led Zeppelin tribute. 

I did buy the L'Oreal primer spray I mentioned last week and am on day three now of using it. Love, love, love the smooth results and it is not weighing my hair down at all. If you purchase it online, don't forget to go through Ebates ... you can currently earn 4% back on drugstore.com, 2% back on target.com, and up to 2% back on walmart.com. I was texting a girlfriend this weekend about some tickets we want to buy, and even Groupon is on Ebates with 6% back .... if you need an invitation to join Ebates, click here. If you purchase anything online, it's worth signing up!

What was the best part of your weekend?

Five On Friday

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join me, Darci, Christina, and Natasha!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

O N E
The weather has been lovely this week - sunny and warm for the most part! Yesterday was just a bit crisp but it was the perfect time for me to break out my new seersucker vest from The Palm Tree Boutique. Love this cute vest which is perfect for transitional weather. They have it in blue seersucker, like I have, and also in pink seersucker. I adore it! Now, should I get it monogrammed?!

T W O
So, I am already getting really excited about Camille's Easter basket (which is d-o-n-e!) and she has quite a few fun treats in her basket. I considered all types of Easter basket options and was prepared to spend a pretty penny on a timeless one, when I found a green felt basket with a pink gingham tulip applique on it for $4.99 at Walgreens. I snagged it and went ahead and bought plastic eggs, grass, and other basket fillers at the same time. Sooooo unlike me to just scratch it off the list and actually make it easy on myself. But I'm loving knowing that her basket is filled and done!

via

T H R E E
One very appropriate item found in her Easter basket?
These.
Can never have enough these days.

F O U R
When I was little, on special occasions my sisters and I used to love ordering a Vanilla Coke from TGI Fridays. Guess what is super easy to recreate at home ... and tasty, too? I put about a tablespoon of vanilla extract over ice and top with Diet Coke. DONE AND DONE.

F I V E
Happy Friday, and soak up every minute of this weekend!

via

TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!

Makeup and Skincare Updates

I know I love to talk about makeup and skincare with girlfriends ... how about you? Here are some quick updates.

I am still loving my Clarisonic Mia 2 (here on Amazon). Around the same time that I started using that nightly, I also implemented the hot lemon water habit and switched my nightly moisturizer for organic coconut oil. I'm not sure which step to attribute it to (or maybe it was the combination of all three!) but I really saw some nice improvements in my skin. I'm not doing the hot lemon water daily any more, only sporadically, because I've really needed plain ol' coffee recently!

Thanks to everyone who recommended the It Cosmetics CC Cream. Mine is from Ulta, and if you are shopping online you can go through Ebates you can get 6% back (join here). I love the SPF 50 in this product and it's a heavier coverage look but not a heavier feel. Some days I do switch it up and just wear the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, but I always top my CC cream or tinted moisturizer with this mineral powder. It's been my favorite for years.

I raved about the $3 Elf blush in the bright pink color that's similar to Bobbi Brown Pale Pink, but it has not lasted very long at all, and half of it broke out of the compact. So, as soon as it's dunzo, I'm splurging again on Pale Pink. It's pricier than I'd usually spend but completely worth it -- my last compact of it lasted several years. Which is probably a no-no in the makeup world, but oh well.

One of my aunts is a product junkie like me and we like trading beauty finds. She recently texted me that this L'Oreal Blow Dry It quick dry primer spray is amazing. She said that it doesn't weigh her hair down, that it gives you a salon blow-out look, eliminates frizz, cuts drying time down, and recently earned rave reviews from Allure magazine. 

I tend to think L'Oreal can do no wrong ... that section is my first stop at the drugstore when I am looking for new, lower-priced beauty finds. 

Lastly, I've been using a sample of the Aveda Dry Remedy Oil on my hair every day before blow-drying it and really enjoying the smoothness it adds. I'm going to try it for a bit longer before deciding on whether to buy it for myself. 

Hit me up with your latest beauty find!

Independence.

Know how sometimes you just sweat the small stuff?

And then you have a night that totally puts it all into perspective?

That was last night for me. A dinner devoted to helping war veterans realize that there are groups out there completely dedicated to them. Dedicated to their welfare, their wellbeing, their growth, their independence, their right to a happy and healthy life. Dedicated to helping them navigate the murky waters of pain management, PTSD, and medical issues. Helping them to not be part of the scary statistic that each day, twenty-two veterans' lives are lost to suicide.

This isn't a political post and this isn't a sponsored post. I am just so, so proud of my friend Sarah and all she is doing for this valiant group of men and women. Brava.

St. Patrick's Day Fare

Last night, Ian and I sat down to a dinner of corned beef and cabbage and a big glass of Guiness! It was fun getting in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day.

via Crafty Texas Girls

(pssst - this is a free printable!)

I also made this really fun snack from Cory at Playdates & Prescriptions ... Lucky Charms rice krispie treats, yes please!

Are you adding a little green to your menu this week?

Saturday Sip + Shop: St. Patrick's Edition

Sip:

Green Apple Sangria
recipe from Made With Happy

Shop:



Eliza J Halter Maxi
Available here (and Prime eligible, free returns!)

Five On Friday: Facewash Fave, Birthday Girl, Finger Foods

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join me, Darci, Christina, and Natasha!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

O N E
First of all, happy 31st birthday to my middle sister!

T W O
Lately I have been loving the Philosophy Miracle Worker lactic acid cleanser (here). Not only can you use it as a basic face wash, but you can also put a thin layer all over your face and leave it on for 3-5 minutes to work as a gentle exfoliating mask. My skin feels so smooth afterwards. Gotta love a dual-duty beauty product!

T H R E E
Remember the three-ingredient peanut butter cookies I made recently? (Real quick: cup of peanut butter, cup of sugar, one egg, chill dough, roll in balls, press down, criss-cross fork to make hatch-like indentions in top, bake 350 degrees for 12 minutes.) Well, I made another batch this week, and I added in a few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the mix.

Chocolate peanut butter.

Mind = blown.

F O U R
We have been experimenting around with finger foods for the baby, because I guess I'm coming to terms with not being able to spoon-feed her purees her entire life. She is enjoying raw squash (depending on the day), soft carrots, banana teething biscuits, yogurt melts, string cheese, puffs, thin apple slices, bananas, and smooshed blueberries. She also tried peanut butter on wheat waffles last weekend!

This stage also means that I really need to invest in a great mop.

F I V E

F-R-I-D-A-Y. That is all.
This girl is ready for the weekend!!!!!

TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!