My April Bella Box: UNBOXED!!

I'm SO excited you guys!! I've been shopping with Nobella Grace Boutique for a few months now and last month they revealed that they would be doing a Bella Box Styling Service! This is similar to a monthly clothing subscription but WAYYYYY BETTER :)

What it is: a monthly box that arrives to your doorstep! 

• You email Nobella Grace at: nobellagrace@gmail.com with Bella Box in the subject line. Explain that you are interested in subscribing. 
• Then they send you an intricate survey that asks tons of questions about your style, size, what you like, what you dislike, etc. Fill it out and be as detailed as possible! Then send it back! 
• Next, head over to the website: www.nobellagrace.com and choose the Bella Box category! You can choose from two monthly boxes: Petite or El Grande. The Petite box includes two items valued at $75-$100 for only $50!! The El Grande box includes four items valued at $150-$200. 
• Here's the best part though...these pieces will be chosen EXCLUSIVELY for you! They also won't be available on the Nobella Grace website, so these are one-of-a-kind pieces!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!? 
• I chose to order when I please instead of signing up for every month. The cost is the same :) You must order though by the 8th of each month to receive it for the following month (i.e. I ordered by March 8th to receive April's Bella Box!) 
• Each month the owners of Nobella Grace will head to LA's fashion district shopping specifically for the Bella Box subscribers! With surveys in hand, they will be shopping with YOU in mind! Both lovely ladies of Nobella Grace have fashion degrees (and amazing fashion sense to boot) so you are in GREAT hands! 
• Items that are included in Bella Boxes range from tops to bottoms to dresses to accessories. It's a surprise monthly box that you are sure to love!
• The first week of each month, Bella Boxes will be shipped out to all the amazing subscribers! Straight to your doorstep! It's like a present...from you...to you :)

For more information, check out: http://www.nobellagrace.com/bella-box/

So now for the good stuff...MY APRIL BELLA BOX!!
When I opened (actually ripped with force) my USPS envelope open, here's what I found...

The cutest little tote with my items inside!~ I chose the Petite box, so I received two one-of-a-kind items!!

Then there was the adorable little note with a coupon code to use for next month's Bella box!

Then came the best part...my ADORABLE items!! Here they are (selfies included :))

The cutest EVER comfy top with peach aztec details and hi low hem. I also love the side slits and the fabric is to die for! Moms everywhere need this top!!

The most precious little dress with lined skirt and tie waist! The colors are super vibrant and "spring ready" and the little triangle cut out at the top is such a fun detail. Can't wait to sport this dress out to lunch with friends or on a Sunday to church!

I love both these pieces so much!! I'm so happy I signed up for this month's box and can't wait for May!! I will definitely be a repeat subscriber!!

My OTHER Nobella Grace order came in today too...I really may or may not have a shopping problem! These were some of the items I talked about in my last post when I featured Nobella Grace!

Hi Spring! I'm ready for you! FLORALS ANYONE? Obsessed with them all, but the kimono is my favorite...swoonnnnnn! 

Seriously though ladies, go check out Nobella Grace, sign up for the Bella Box, and prepare for your closet to love you!

Until next time

xoxo,

J.

Nobella Grace Boutique!

Hi again everyone! If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, you know I have a HUGE love for boutiques. I LOVE "shopping small"! I especially love when the owners behind these boutiques put their whole heart and soul into it! 

One day I was surfing Instagram and I got a notification that a new boutique wanted to follow me: Nobella Grace. I didn't really think anything of it, because I am avid shopper, I get boutique notifications quite a bit! This one was different though! I started to look through the posts and realized everything was my style...laid back, mom friendly, stylish yet comfy. I looked on Nobella Grace's website and the prices were amazing! Also, free shipping when you spend over $50! I LOVE FREE SHIPPING (All of you online shoppers know what's up ;))!! I got super excited! I followed back and began to chat with the owner, Kristi, on the posts of items that I was interested in. I asked about the fit, the quality, the pricing, everything! Then we started talking about everyday stuff!

Come to find out, Kristi used to live in Arizona! We actually went to the same elementary school and both lived in the same neighborhood as kids! Weird coincidence right? I was baffled. Not only was she one of the sweetest, most down-to-Earth people I'd met through Instagram, but she also had the cutest little boutique based out of California. Even more cool, she was a wife and a momma too!

Anyways, I started shopping with Nobella Grace that day! If you know me at all, you're not surprised. She was having a sale! How could I not??? I've been shopping with her ever since!

If you don't already follow Nobella Grace, they have a Facebook page and Instagram account! Both are updated daily! Follow both and show her some love! Also, pick out something nice for yourself on www.nobellagrace.com! You deserve it!!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nobellagrace
Instagram username: @nobellagrace

Here are some of my FAVORITE items she offers! Can you guess what trend I'm loving for spring? That's right! FLORAL!!

Kate Embroidered Top in Coral: 

http://www.nobellagrace.com/kate-embroidered-top-coral/

Also available in Ivory: 

http://www.nobellagrace.com/kate-embroidered-top-ivory/

ONLY $28!! 

I have the Ivory one and I'm in LOVEEEE! So cute with skinny jeans and wedges or a maxi skirt for a laid back look!

Mexicali Blues Dress: 

http://www.nobellagrace.com/mexicali-blues-dress/

ONLY $34!!

I NEED this dress in my life! That's right, I said NEED! I'm headed California this June and how cute would I look on the beach wearing this? FREAKIN' cute! Well in my head, I do! This is on my Nobella Grace Wish List!

Floral Kimono Cardi:

http://www.nobellagrace.com/floral-kimono-cardi/

ONLY $30!!

This item is on it's way to me! YAY! I love kimono cardis for spring! So cute to throw on when it's breezy outside or to dress up a plain jane maxi dress. OBSESSED.

Floral Tank:

http://www.nobellagrace.com/floral-tank/

ONLY $24!!

HELLO MOST PRECIOUS TANK TOP EVER! I'm dying over the colors, the floral print, and the sweet little crocheted shoulders. This tank top will be worn on repeat until people notice I've been wearing it once a week all spring and summer. Hopefully people DON'T notice...

Floral Mint Top:

http://www.nobellagrace.com/floral-mint-top/

ONLY $27!!

If you know me at all, you know my favorite color is mint and my favorite spring trend is floral. This top was MADE for me!! Can't wait to put this top on! The thing I love most about this top...besides EVERYTHING of course...would have to be the flowy fit. It's so flattering. It's the type of top you can dress up or down. That's versatility at it's best!

Now surf the site and tell me what YOUR favorite Nobella Grace item is in the comments below! Can't wait to hear!!

Until next time

xoxo,

J.

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.

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.

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

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

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