Image Map

November 30, 2015

A Week of Thankful Family Fun

Morning, friends. Anyone struggling after a long weekend? *raises hand* Le Husband and were actually in Cincinnati all week for family time so I'm definitely on the work struggle bus. We drove up last weekend, went to the OSU game [dagger still] then enjoyed LOTS of fun family time all week. There was some remote work done, but for the most part it was a week of chill time and lots of delicious food. I'm so grateful for such a wonderful married into family and loved all of the holiday cheer together. While it's tough to split the holidays, it's fun having yearly traditions.

Here's a lil bit of our week long holiday.

* A pirate birthday celebrating for a very special three year old. 

* The fabulous LEGO HAT Kathy made for my lil nephew. He looks so cute in it but hates pictures #dudes.

* Our annual zoo lights trip and our annual picture with the pretty twinkles in the background.

* Lots of baby snuggles with our six month old nephew. His leg rolls are so delicious and his smile is precious. I LOVED getting my baby fix while babysitting multiple times during the week.

* Even though it isn't a full body shot, I was able to snap the elusive holiday picture with Le Husband. He's not a big picture guy and usually we're too busy catching up with family to pose for pictures, but I grabbed one right before we left. #atleastwehaveitdocumented

* Thanksgiving day was full of family, fun and of course food. I stuffed myself silly at brunch and dinner and took home a few servings of leftovers to enjoy during the rest of the week. 

* Extra baby snuggles at the dinner table.

* My Thanksgiving outfit was a hit and one I plan putting on repeat later in the year. #cheerstoplaid

* As is my goal every year,  the first round Christmas cards went out the Friday after Thanksgiving. I can't wait to start hearing from friends and family, mail this time of year is just the best. 


Not pictured:

+ The time I walked into a pole and the bump that showed up afterwards. #ugh

+ Our five trips to the gym to stay on track workout and food [hah] wise.

+ A hellacious Monday working from Ohio when things were on fire at work. Glad I was able to help but working from home and losing a vacation day was not fun. #betterbelieveImgettingitback

+ Lots of Dunkin Donuts coffee and trips to the store. 

+ Dogs, dogs and more dogs.

+ Our crazy back roads trip to and from Cincinnati. #whattheheckgps

+ Naps on naps on naps.

+ Football on football on football. WAY TO GO BUCKS! Way to CRUSH *ichigan!

+ Finally getting to see Sportyspice after her engagement. We toasted with champs and I gave her a bride bag I bought two days after I found out her boyfriend was going to propose. #yaysissyboo

I hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving holiday and would love to hear all about it. Any new recipes to share? Sending EVERYONE some extra coffee and sparkles today, rock out your Monday!

November 26, 2015

For It All, I Give Thanks

I am {THANKFUL} for: My Family

I am {THANKFUL} for: My Husband

I am {THANKFUL} for: Kickball

I am {THANKFUL} for: SISSYS


I am {THANKFUL} for: Friendships that keep me sane and happy.

I am {THANKFUL} for: My Health
Thankful to be fit!

I am {THANKFUL} for: Our military who protects us at home and around the world. #becauseofthebrave

I am {THANKFUL} for: MY BEAUTIFUL AND FABULOUS BLOG FRIENDS!

Wishing each and everyone of you a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday. Whether you're with family, friends or celebrating away from those you love, please know I'm sending you a hug and loves of pink love.

Happy Thanksgiving, sweet friends!
 

November 25, 2015

Joy Bombs

[source]

Current JOY bombs in Pinkland are...

.:. A warm scarf on a long car ride. Not only was it cute, it was quite functional.

.:. Happy, laughy and fun blates with fabulous girls. I had so much fun meeting y'all :)!

.:. The tiniest hint of a tan on my skin from my weekend in the sun.

.:. Lighting a new candle.

.:. Baking and cooking with family. Holiday kitchen time is the best kitchen time.

.:. Unexpected warm days in the fall. I love bright sunshine.

.:. Planning fun surprises for special people. I love trying to make someone's day better.

.:. A cup of hot cocoa topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, sprinkles and a bit of chocolate #cheers

.:. Just because flowers and notes.

.:. A team meeting getting canceled, cheers to an hour of my life not wasted.

.:. Sweet text messages from dear, dear friends. #youknowwhoyouareloves

.:. Nephew snuggles and lego playtime. #ilovebeinganaunt.

Wishing you and yours a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday and safe travels! < 3

inspirationfoundhere

November 24, 2015

Talking to Ya Tuesday

Morning, ladies. I hope you are doing well, cheers to a short week and Thanksgiving only two days away. I am more than ready to stuff myself silly with delicious food and bask in family love and fun. Today's post is short and sweet, as I'm sure there are very few readers this week. My Sephora goodies came in last week and I thought it would be fun to share vlogstyle since we've seen multiple collage style posts recently. #videoitup #iliketotalk #hangsheadinshamefortheums

Thoughts after using a few products for a week:

+ Black Opium smells amazing and is the front runner for my new perfume purchase. #love

+ Naked on the Run is FANTASTIC. Everything [minus brushes] in one set and the colors are true to the Naked palette. This will be my go to for trips because it has everything I need and is in a strong case.

+ I've used the UD Eye Shadow primer a few times and THINK it helps. Do y'all use the brush to apply it fully or just dab it and then use your fingers? I'm still trying to figure out what works best.

+ The L'Occitane hand cream set is pretty fabulous. I love all of the scents and they keep my hands from feeling dry. This would be a GREAT stocking stuffer or present for a friend, useful and pretty too.

I'll keep y'all posted on the rest of my products as I use them. What were your favorite purchases from the sale? If you didn't buy anything what are your favorite makeup products?

November 23, 2015

MY SISSY IS GETTING MARRIED!

Sportyspice is engaged, y'all! Her boyfriend popped the question on Friday and we are all beyond THRILLED! Babyspice and I have been SITTING on this secret for over a month and we are so glad the ring is out of the box. I am so excited for her and cannot wait to continue the engagement celebration and help plan her special day!!!! #sissysgettingmarried
The Proposal!

Her superbowl…I mean ENGAGEMENT RING!
The rest of my weekend was pretty tame compared to the engagement. Le Husband and I sported the drowned rat look at the OSU game [ugh on the loss]. I'm sitting 50/50 for game attendance, thankfully they won the national championship for my first game ;)! Hopefully we can get it together and beat the big blue next week.
Drowned rat, party of two

brrrr, brrr, brrr
I hope y'all had a great weekend and have a short week. Don't forget to enter Pamela's blogiverasry giveaway, here! I'll catch you tomorrow with a fun makeup swag vlog! Rock out your Monday!

November 20, 2015

A Thankful Friday Five

Morning and HAPPY FRIDAY, friends! Cheers to the weekend, yeah? Today in place of the normal Friday Five, I figured I'd get in one last THANKFUL post. Normally I post these on Thursdays, but yesterday was all about TREATS.

I'm Thankful for Early Celebrations: Yes, early! This year is Thanksgiving with Le Husband's family so my family celebrated earlier this week. It was a delicious dinner of ribs, potatoes, casseroles, cornbread, rolls and of course Mama B's famous Oreo Ice Cream cake. We laughed, told stories and of course stuffed our faces. I'm so thankful for my wonderful family, they are so supporting and loving and I'm so blessed to have them! #bradybunchfamily #antondas


I'm Thankful for Health: Last year around this time I was dealing with some unexpected news that threw my family for a loop. Thankfully, this year things are fine and everything is well. I am so THANKFUL to be healthy and to know those I care about are healthy as well. My body is in the best shape it's been in awhile {thank you WHOLE30 and hard work} and I'm so grateful for each and every day I greet the day happy and healthy. #getouthereandmove #happytobehealthy

I'm Thankful for Inspiring Words: LOVE YOUR LIFE!
[source]

I'm Thankful for Great Information: I love learning new important things and silly facts.

+ Elise shared a FABULOUS post on creative ways to address Christmas cards. I've already started practicing :)!

+ Are you making these house guest mistakes?! #neverarriveemptyhanded #EVER!

+ Have you heard of Man Crates? My BOFF posted about it earlier this week and I think the concept is genius!

+ Fantastic article explaining the end of being a collegiate athlete. #withoutthegame #imissitstill

+ 40 Airport secrets only insiders know, good read for those traveling over the holidays.

+ Check out these gifts that give back. #almosttheseasonofgiving

+ Is your show canceled, renewed or ending?!? Find out *here*!

I'm Thankful for the LAUGHS: I hope you enjoy them, too!
[source]

[source]
[source]
 
[source]
[source]
 
[source]
[source]
[source]
I know many people take next week off blogging -- I'm not so come see me -- so I wanted to wish y'all a fabulously wonderful Thanksgiving. Safe travels to those making their way to visit family and best wishes for a delicious feast. Those of you still around I'll catch you on Monday < 3!

**linking up  Here  here herehere and, this week**

November 19, 2015

Treats for Your Thanksgiving {Review} + A Giveaway!

Thanksgiving is right around the folder and I am so excited about all the food just around the corner. Thanksgiving dinners, snacks and treats compile some of the tastiest food of the year in my opinion. I love bringing desserts as hostess gifts or meal contributions because, come on, it's the best part of the meal, right? Sometimes the creative juices are flowing and I can concoct something super festive, but when they aren't I scour the internet for the prefect contribution to the part. Enter, Treat House [storefront or online] and their unique and delicious collection of rice krispie treats.
[source]

What is Treat House you ask? A family company started after an incredible bake sale haul, the idea for Treat House began to and the rest is history. Treat House is committed to the customer and all treats are Kosher dairy and they even have gluten, dairy and nut free options. They are located in NY and NJ, but have no fear friends, they ship their delectable treats nationwide so you too can enjoy sweet creations.

My treats arrived in the cutest most functional container. Have no fear of crushed goodies, Treat House does an incredible job ensuring everything arrives intact. You can even freeze the treats in their original packaging if you get them earlier than expected, how fantastic, right? I actually tested the freezer suggestion and they tasted as fresh as right out of the box. My taste buds are pretty picky so I was initially skeptical but pleasantly surprised to find no difference in taste.


For my set of 12 I chose the following flavors [two of each]: Caramel Sea Salt, Chocolate Pretzel, Birthday Cake, S'Mores, Cookies and Cream and French Toast. Ever treat was impeccably decorated and tasted INCREDIBLY delicious. I'm a HUGE fan of rice krispie treats and these were the best I've ever tasted. The marshmallow icing had just the right amount of sweetness and the flavoring of each treat was in every bite.





Le Husband is NOT a big sweets fan and even he was insanely impressed by the taste and flavoring in each treat. I even had  to put him on a limit because someone tried to eat one of my S'More treats, heck no buddy. I worked hard on Whole24 so these bad boys were my reward and I wanted to enjoy as many as possible.

I'm pretty sure I'll be receiving favorite gift giver status this holiday season because these babies will be making appearances to some of my nearest and dearests. If you're heading to a Thanksgiving [or Christmas] holiday gathering and want to bring a unique hostess gift or dessert please use Treat House. Your hostess and your taste buds will thank you. 

***I was provided a 12 pack of treats from Treat House for this review, but all opinions are my own***



\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ 
For the next week, I am teaming up with Pamela from Sequins & Sea Breezes and 20 other fab bloggers to give away a $325 Nordstrom Gift Card to celebrate Pamela’s two year blogiversary! This giveaway is just in time for the holidays, so you have the chance to give yourself {or someone else} a little treat for the holidays! The more ways you enter, the better your chances are! The giveaway ends on Friday, November 27thth, at midnight and the winner will be announced on Monday, November 30th. Good luck and be sure to check out all of these fabulous blogs!


Hosted By:

The Gorgeous Co-hosts:






$325 Nordstrom Gift Card Giveaway

Linking up with *kristin*& *annie*& here 

November 18, 2015

Real Life {Part Deux}

[source]
Wouldn't it be lovely if life was pretty tea cups and peonies? Or bon-bons and cupcakes? A dreamy photo is fun to look at, but we all know that quite often behind pretty pictures real life lurks. And today, I'm sharing real life with y'all. The messy, the crazy and the ridiculous.

Today, real life is...

|| Christmas cards ordered early but still in the box.

|| Clothes on the guest bed because we were too tired to put them away...three days ago.

|| Rolling eyes when a back is turned instead of commenting out loud.

|| Taking 25 selfies to get one good enough to post on twitter or on the blog.

|| Three bowls of popcorn after dinner.

|| Falling asleep before thanking God for my blessings of the day.

|| Suitcases STILL in the bedroom from our trip.

|| A refrigerator with no organization because we have TOO.MUCH.STUFF!

|| Make up on the face at red lights.

|| Watching an extra show on a school night, curled up together on the couch and then promptly falling asleep. 

|| Phoning in a blog post...or two.

|| Hitting the snooze button too many times and wearing an up-do three days in a row.

Linking up for confessions
*volumeonehere*

November 17, 2015

Pork Overload {Recipe Files} & Whole24 {Round Three}

One of the tough things about Whole30 [in my opinion] is the lack of CRUNCHY foods. You aren't allowed to fry anything so even though meals are super tasty [ Salmon w/citrus salsa, Spaghetti Squash, Zucchini Poppers] they are all pretty soft. My palate was craving some crunch and after perusing recipes I came across the two below. BOTH are super easy and really jazz up food in my opinion.

Porkitos aka Prosciutto Crisps: 
I found this recipe via Nom Nom Paleo and it is super simple. I'm talking you need five things simple: prosciutto, tin foil, cookie sheet, wire rack and your oven. Full disclosure, Whole30 prosciutto is NOT cheap, but understand these cracklins can be used in multiple different ways and don't contain those nasty sulfates in regular prosciutto.

Nom Nom has great step by step instructions, but here is the quick and dirty. Preheat oven to 350. Spread out prosciutto pieces on a tin foil covered cookie sheet [to keep clean up to minimum and to keep prosciutto from sticking]. Place sheet in oven for 10 -15 minutes and watch your crisps the last few minutes so they don't burn.

When they are done, remove from oven and place pieces on a wire rack to cool. They will crisp while cooling so don't fret if they still feel soft when you move them from the pan.

Once they cool, place in an airtight container in the fridge to keep fresh. I added pieces to my salads, deli roll ups, eggs, and sometimes just snacked on a piece when I wanted something crunchy. Easy, tasty and functional, YUM!

Bacon Wrapped Dates

What You Need
Dates [preferably pitted]
Whole30 compliant bacon [tough to find but is available at Whole Foods]
Backing Sheet
Tin Foil

Make sure you buy the pitted dates, otherwise you'll have to slice into each one to remove the pit [totally the pits, hah]

Cut your bacon in half [or thirds depending on how many dates you are wrapping] then wrap your date with a piece of bacon.

Place on cookie sheet [on tin foil to make clean up easier] and bake at 350 for 10 - 20 minutes. You want the bacon to be a bit crispy but you don't want to overcook the dates.


When the dates are done, remove the pan from the oven and then remove the dates from the pan. Place them on a paper toweled plate to get rid of the excess fat. Note: These are on more one the DONE side because I HAAAAAAAAATE soft bacon, seriously grosses me out. Many other versions are a lot less crisp so make sure you don't over cook them.


Plate up to serve a party or place in air tight container to store in the fridge. I will have one or two a day for an extra special treat while eating Whole30. The sweetness from the date and the smokiness from the bacon is perfect to curb any form of sweet or crunchy craving. If you REALLY want to up the ante - and aren't eating Whole30 - stuff the dates with a lil goat or manchego cheese for a deliciously gooey center.

Whole24 aka almost Whole30 part three. 
Yup, part three y'all. Well, kind of. I skipped the last three day because we were in Orlando for kickball and I was meeting THE GIRLS for a HH. Ain't nobody got time for Whole30 on a blate, right?

After a super diligent winter and spring I really let my diet and fitness routine go over the summer. All the weight I lost doing my previous Whole30s was right back on my hips because I was indulging in whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I'm talking Starbucks for breakfast, Chipotle for lunch and Z burger or pizza for dinner. Yeah, it was bad and I paid for it in my bathing suit and in my energy. I knew something had to change and really wanted to get back on track before the holidays. I like to indulge in homemade treats and a few extra glasses of champs during celebratory times and KNEW I would feel like doodoo come January if I didn't get everything in check. 

I CONFESS, this was not a complete Whole30. I only ate a Whole30 diet for 24 days so I did miss out on the extra six days of benefits. I also did NOT follow the true Whole30 template. There were snacks -- healthy ones -- and I did not adhere to the portion aspect. I simply ate ONLY foods allowed on the Whole30 program [which you can find *here*] and tried to limit my complex carbs as much as possible.

This round fluctuated between being the easiest of the attempts and the hardest. Easy in the fact I knew what was coming, I was comfortable with the program and I had a list of foods I enjoyed. Hard in the fact I was doing Whole30 while Le Husband was just counting his macros and I also weighed myself everyday. Watching Le Husband eat whipped cream, homemade pasta noodles and Pollo Rico rice was NOT fun at all, but I stuck to my guns and didn't cheat which made me feel awesome at the end. Checking my weight everyday was awesome in the beginning because I lost four pounds almost immediately, but after week two my weight pretty much plateaued which was TOUGH when I was eating so clean. There was a point during the last week where I turned to Le Husband and said "If this wasn't the last week, I would quite just now because this is so frustrating". I totally understand why they don't let you weight yourself until the end of the Whole30 program, it would be SUPER discouraging the first time to watch numbers fluctuation so much. 

Here are my Round Three results:

I honestly thought my weight was going to drop more because of everything I packed on, however this round I was still lifting heavy and doing BODYPUMP classes and training so I leaned up more than lost weight. Two inches of my stomach was awesome and almost two off my dorito was even better. Le Husband even told me he noticed my dorito last week so that was great to hear as well. FYI: We call the dorito the spot where your body starts to triangle down to your waist, kind of like a Dorito chip. Basically it is two inches above the belly button if you want a point on the body to measure.

Overall this program helped me reset and get me closer to where I want to be health and body wise. I am ADAMANT about continuing Whole30esque [90% -10%] until Thanksgiving and then will only indulge in homemade treats and a few drinks splurges here and there. Whole30 is work, good work, but still work so I don't want to go off the train like I did this summer. I already gained two+ pounds back after my eating bonanza in Orlando so it's back on the healthy train until Thanksgiving. I'm slowly wrapping my head around not getting to my goal 'weight' because of my muscle, so now my goal is to stay lean and keep these abs as long as possible. #babyabsshowingupfinally #pleasedontleaveme
These are me flexing, my abs do NOT look like this just standing. #iwish

Have you tried Whole30 yet? If so, what did you think? Are you interested in trying Whole30? I personally think everyone [except prego mamas and vegetarians] should try it once, just to TRULY understand their body. I've had quite a few people ask me about my experience and I have NO problem chatting via email about my thoughts. You can check out my previous Whole30s *here* and *here*!


linking up here here here here here and here today 

November 16, 2015

Running Around & Chilling Out

Morning, friends! I hope you are well and had a good weekend. Mine was a wonderful combination of go, go, go and chill out and rest. Saturday was fast and furious and Sunday was errands and relaxation so I'm ready to tackle the week. Right now the weather looks fabulous and I have a bunch of fun stuff going on in the next few days so I'm smiling and enjoying life.

Let's check out the weekend in review. This weekend I...

… snapped up some amazing deals during the Sephora sale. My treasures are set to arrive today and I can't wait to dig into my beauty buys. I'm stoked I was able to nab the Naked on the Run before it sold out and I'm looking forward to my first foray with Butter nail polish. The Cartier, St Laurent and Fresh products were all samples and I'd love to hear thoughts if any of y'all use them. #ilovemakeupsales #soexcitedfornewperfumeandlotion
… Saturday morning we were up bright and early for the Army Turkey Trot. Daddy and Babyspice rand the 10K and Mama B, Sportyspice, Le Husband and I ran the 5K together. Well, Mama B took off and WON her age group and the three kids stuck together. This year was SO MUCH better than last year both weather and race wise and it was fun tackling a race with those I love. Cheers to Mama B winning a turkey and Babyspice winning a PIE for 2nd place #funfitfamily!
The family that runs together, looks cute together. 

… treated myself to amazing banana french toast at Silver Diner. #sooooogoood

… drove home, showered then headed to my hair appointment. It was just a color touch up and trim but  it made me feel fabulous. Is there anything better than an hour or so at a salon?
Love the color touch up and new mousse
… bought a new mousse that I LOVE so far. Check it out if you're in the market. 
Purchase *here* or at a salon

… hung around the house and then got ready for dinner with a bestie. Was super excited to wear two of my favorite fall pieces. Loving my plaid pieces and of course my fabulous faux fur vest. 
Just a bit of fall fashion
… met up at a DC favorite for dinner. I hadn't seen my bestie in awhile and it was wonderful catching up with her wedding plans and life. Even though things have changed we're still able to pick up where we left off. #friendsarefunandsoaredrinks
Oh sangria, how I love thee.
… had a freak out moment when the Metro stopped running trains to my stop. So grateful for my amazing husband who drove to come pick me up in DC. #wtfmetro #thankyouhoney

… slept in Sunday morning and then attacked the laundry monster while prepping chili for dinner.

… caught up on some readying and blogging.

… went for a beautiful fall day bike ride with Le Husband. LOVING this mild fall weather.

… Snapped up these beautiful babies. So happy with my new rain/snow boots! #cheerstoreisales


… ate delicious homemade chili while watching football and catching up on our shows.
hashtagmyhusbandrocks

… tried out *this* recipe. So yummy, can't wait to try another twist on it.
I used chocolate instead of white chocolate, mmm, mmm, good!

… skipped out on my soccer game because my shin still hurts from two weeks ago.

How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?

Linking up with these beautiful ladies whoop whoop