Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Two Recipes You NEED To Try!

Ok guys, so I'm going to be really honest. I don't cook. At all. I'm really not good at it. Even with a recipe, I am always one step away from burning the house down. Well, maybe not that bad. But still bad.

With that being said, my husband (Mike) is an AMAZING cook. He is always taking recipes and spicing them up and adding his own ingredients to them. They always taste great!

We are trying to make dinner more...and by using the word "we", I actually mean him. LOL! Anyways, here are two recipes we tried last night and this evening. These are simple and DELICIOUS! Give them a try and let me know what you think!!

Spaghetti with Cherry Tomato Sauce
This recipe is a great main dish. Just add a Caesar salad and some garlic knots! You will be set!

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of thin spaghetti (we used angel hair)
  • 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound of cherry or grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (we used dried Italian seasoning instead)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (add more for serving)
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and pour pasta into a large serving bowl.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil and add the garlic, whole cherry tomatoes, and chili flakes. Cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the cherry tomatoes start to burst open. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and parsley (or Italian seasoning :)). Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, stir to combine, and pour mixture over the pasta, scraping out all the pan juices. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and toss to combine. Serve with extra Parmesan over the top and feel free to add more lemon juice (we did!)

P.S. Next time we plan on adding shrimp or salmon to put some protein in the mix! Try it out!!

 Sloppy Joes
This recipe is great when you're searching for comfort food. Add some homemade french fries or take the easy route and use frozen waffle fries like we did! Yum in the tum!

Ingredients:
  • 1 lb of lean ground beef (we used 93%/7%)
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 3 teaspoons brown sugar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, onion, and green pepper. Drain liquid.
2. Stir in the garlic powder, mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season with salt and paper.

P.S. Put this delicious mixture in hamburger buns (the yummy ones from the deli). If you want a kick, add Cholula Hot Sauce: Chipotle. It adds a delicious BBQ flavor and brings out the flavor of the meat!

Until next time
xoxo,
J.

Monday, March 24, 2014

I'm backkkkk

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long! Life got busy...and I got lazy. Anyways, I would like to start my blog back up and cover lots of different topics. Ones that are close to my heart would be: fashion, family, parenting, recipes, and fitness. If there's anything else you would be interested in reading, feel free to let me know!~

First up, I've been getting a lot of questions on my Instagram and Facebook regarding why I sell my clothes. I'd like to share some insight into why I do it. So first off, from a very young age, I've always loved to shop (I blame my mama ;)). I can't help it. The thought of a full closet, with tons to choose from, makes my heart happy. You can call it a hobby or an addiction (my husband and friends would probably say the latter lol!) Anyways, I really enjoy it. Online shopping is my new thing...which is hard because online shopping can occur 24/7. So those nights when I can't sleep or those days when I'm stressed out, it's my comfort. With that being said...I'm a stay at home mom. Yes, I babysit, but in case you didn't know, babysitting doesn't bring in tons of money. I really love it, so that's why I do it. Anyways, sometimes I feel guilty shopping because I need to use the money I make towards bills, not pretty things that hang in my closet! So I've found a way to not feel so bad. I sell items I no longer wear and in return, I can buy new gorgeous items that I love. It's a win, win. I know sometimes people get frustrated because I sell stuff that's only been worn once...or maybe never been worn. "Why are you selling that? It's super cute. You've never even worn it! That's silly!" But haven't you ever bought stuff that you thought would be great, then just didn't work out for you? Why not give that item to someone else (for half the price!) so they can wear it and love it instead? That's what I do. It's a way for me to make some money to use towards new purchases.

I'm definitely considering creating a new Instagram "closet" to post pictures of items that are for sale. Hopefully, it will aid in people who WANT to see those items and possibly purchase. And also prevent people who DO NOT want to see them. Lately, I've gotten some pretty negative comments... "What...do you think you have your own boutique or something?" "I'm going to unfollow you if you keep this up." All of it really makes me laugh. Ok, unfollow me! Geez! Do you know how many political posts I scroll past daily on Instagram and Facebook? A LOT. Do I like seeing them when a lot of my friends have different political views than I do? No, I don't. Politics are awkward. Do I unfriend them or unfollow them because of those posts? No, I don't. I love my friends and sometimes you just have to look past the things that aren't so pleasant to you instead of ruining friendships over it. It will make you a much happier person in the end. I promise.

Ok, that's it for tonight. I promise my other posts will be much happier and positive, but I just had to get that off my chest :) Thanks for reading!

xoxo,
J.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Halloween Fun!

Today was a great day! Started off my day with winning a giveaway by a very talented crafter: Jessica Jelly. I won the wreath picture below! I am so excited to receive it and display it on my door! Even better, it's totally a year round wreath, so don't be surprised when you see it on my front door 24/7 ;)


It was also an amazing family day.  I didn't have to work...YAY!! We got the house cleaned up and went grocery shopping for the week. Actually, hopefully these groceries last more than a week. Groceries are SO expensive! I don't even feel like we get tons and tons, but we always pay a bunch. Darn Safeway...that place is a rip off. Too bad, it's the closest grocery store to our house!


After cleaning and grocery shopping, we got ready for church. I wore the comfiest maxi dress I own. The boyfriend maxi in charcoal from Kiki La'Rue! They have a great sale going on right now! Use code: 20finalsale for 20% off your purchase (25% off in you're a KLR addict like me ;)) Visit www.kikilarue.com to start shopping now!


When church finished, Mike had to stay and practice for his concert on Wednesday. Vincent and I headed to my parents to decorate pumpkins and have dinner. This little cutie pictured above is celebrating his 2nd Halloween. Man how time flies!


Here are our pumpkins! I'm not a huge fan of carving them...they mold too quickly! Also, it's difficult with a toddler running around. Instead we just used sharpies to decorate! V had a ball and I was able to combine two of my favorite things...polka dots and chevron!


Last, I will leave you with a picture of me and my sweet boy. He's honestly everything to me! He sure does know how to drive his mama nuts, but he's the best thing that has ever happened to me! Hope you all had a great weekend and are celebrating this fun holiday with loved ones! Happy Halloween!

Until next time,
xoxo
j

Thursday, October 24, 2013

The past few days...


I know I haven't written in a few days and I apologize! I've been busy! Babysitting Tuesday-Thursday definitely keeps me busy during the day and exhausted by night. I've also been trying to fit in some time to get out of the house and also try to make it to the gym. That's a lie, I only went to the gym on Tuesday night. I will go tonight though! I think...

Anyways, Tuesday night I went out to dinner with my family and the big discussion was my ticket. What am I going to do about it? Why didn't I say something to the officer? I need to stick up for myself...blah blah blah. First of all, I'm scared to death of the law. I seriously froze when I was pulled over. I could barely tell the guy my phone number. Second of all, what am I supposed to say to him? "You're lying. I didn't run a red light." I mean, I really don't think I should have been given a ticket. I don't feel I did anything wrong, but maybe I did? So enough about that, I have to take stupid driving school, but maybe I'll learn something. Like how to NOT run a red light.

Yesterday was Wednesday and after watching three kiddos all day, I was ready for some WINE BAR GOODNESS. We went to Postino's and had some delish bruschetta, bellinis, and sandwiches. It was just us three sisters. We rarely get to do stuff like that anymore, now that two of us have kids, so it was good to get dressed up and go out!

Tonight I will be seeing my good friend Sherry for some yummy dinner and girl talk. Vincent is coming with us too! Cross your fingers that he's a good boy (he usually is in public...most of the time. I think)

Until next time
xoxo,
j

Monday, October 21, 2013

Silver Lining

So today was a TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD day! First of all, I had to work...I like my job and all, but I have been working so much. Between babysitting 3 days a week and working at the restaurant 3-4 days a week. I'm exhausted. I submitted new availability a few days back, so hopefully I can get a better schedule in the future. Not only did I work, but I worked a double. Ummmm excuse me? A double for the girl with a husband and baby who wants to work PART TIME. I was super confused when they told me to take a break instead of go home. To top it off, my tips were not okay...$7 for a 4 hour shift? I'm supposed to raise a family on that money! Hopefully the money for the rest of my shift (5 hours) is decent...

Here's the icing on the cake though...I got pulled over on my way home (after a 9 hour shift) and got a ticket for "running" a red light. Basically I pulled into the intersection to turn left (no arrow, just a green light), yielded to oncoming traffic) and made a left turn on a yellowish red light when I found it safe to do so. I'm sorry, what was I supposed to do? Back up? Anyways, I can't figure out if I should fight it or just shut my mouth and take driving school...

My day pretty much sucked right? Well, when I called my mom in tears and said how bad I felt and how crappy my night was, she told me to look for the silver lining. At the time, I couldn't, but now I think I've found it.

The Silver Lining
When I came home my son was asleep and rested on my chest. Best feeling ever. Then before bed, we did some "gymnastics" and read some stories. After Vincent went to bed, Mike made me some dinner and talked to me about my ticket and a plan of action.

Moral of the story? I'm blessed. I should be happy I didn't get into an accident instead...or that my car wasn't stolen...or that I didn't get hurt. Stuff is going to happen in life that sucks, is downright terrible, horrible, and no good, but there are SO many other things in life to be thankful for. So take a minute and just THANK GOD for all you have, instead of wishing all that terrible stuff wasn't happening to you. I just did.

xoxo, j


Saturday, October 19, 2013

KIKI LA'RUE MAIL DAY!!

So you've already read and know about my OBSESSION with Kiki La'Rue, but seriously KLR mail days are the best ever! Well yesterday I received my 10th order, so I'm officially a KLR addict which means I get an extra 5% off my order from now on! SO EXCITING!!

Anyways, in this particular order I received the Renee Sleeveless Top in Black/White (Only $15 Ladies!! Snag one while you can!!), the Native Land Cardi in Wine (soooo soft and AZTEC!), and the Boyfriend Maxi in Charcoal (hello comfort and looking pulled together at the same time!).  I worked last night so I was unable to have my normal fashion show that I do when my package arrives. Instead today, when Vincent napped, I decided to not only try on the clothes, but also put together some outfits. I often buy all of these cute clothes, but sometimes am too rushed to actually style them properly when I go to wear them.  I created two "looks" for each piece, creating six looks altogether. Each piece has a look for work and a look for play. I will break down each outfit below as well as provide links to the items! Hope you enjoy :) xoxo

WORK:

The Morgan with Cami Straps Maxi in Mocha: http://www.kikilarue.com/the-morgan-with-cami-straps-maxi-mocha/
Steve Madden Flats in Cognac (similar here): http://www.stevemadden.com/Item.aspx?id=102023&np=605_740


Jewelry by: Lia Sophia www.liasophia.com


Renee Sleeveless Top in Black/White: http://www.kikilarue.com/renee-sleeveless-top-black/
Black Gold Studded Flats (similar here): http://www.stevemadden.com/Item.aspx?id=101797&np=134_378


PLAY:

Navy Long Sleeve Piko Top (currently sold out) Wine would look gorgeous too!: http://www.kikilarue.com/piko-top-long-sleeve-wine/
Brown Heeled Boots (similar style here): http://www.stevemadden.com/Item.aspx?id=96123&np=716_749



Black Heeled Boots (similar style here): http://www.stevemadden.com/Item.aspx?id=101666&np=716_749


Renee Sleeveless Top in Black/White: http://www.kikilarue.com/renee-sleeveless-top-black/
Black Motorcycle Boots (similar style here): http://www.stevemadden.com/Item.aspx?id=98232&np=716_749

Thursday, October 17, 2013

my love/hate relationship with the gym

I'm one of those people that I love working out when I'm doing it, but it takes a lot of motivation to get me to the gym. Also, it's super easy to talk me out of going to the gym. For example...tonight, my husband said "let's go to dinner" when I had every intention of going to work out. That's all it took, suddenly instead of planning my work out, I was planning what I was going to eat at San Tan Brewery and what Kiki La'Rue outfit I was going to wear. 

For your information: I ate like a pig...appetizer: soft pretzels, main entree: mac 'n cheese burger with fries, and dessert: chocolate peanut butter ice cream. I feel like I'm going to barf. 

Here's what I wore: KLR of course!
It's called the Midwest Mama Cardi: 
http://www.kikilarue.com/search.php?search_query=midwest&x=-1365&y=-7 and comes in burgundy/taupe (pictured) and black/white. Also, the Native Land Cardi you see on that page should be here tomorrow. I freakin' LOVE aztec!

Ok, so back to the gym. Moral of the story is, I really need to get more motivated to work out. I'm thinking a new playlist, workout plan, and diet plan would definitely help! Any recommendations are welcome :) Below I've complied my love/hate list about the gym. Feel free to write your own in the comments...I'd love to hear!

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE GYM:

  • It helps me de-stress
  • I like to "sweat it out"
  • I usually feel amazing afterwards
  • I like to listen to fun, motivating songs
  • It's something I do for myself

WHAT I HATE ABOUT THE GYM:

  • It's tough to fit into my schedule
  • Sometimes I don't feel like sweating
  • I don't always feel motivated to go
  • I have a hard time going to bed after I workout
  • I stay sore for a day or two after I workout making me walk like I just got off of a horse or not be able to lift my arms above my head
So it looks like my love/hate relationship is 50/50. Leave me some motivation in the comments section!

Until next time xo,
j