Friday, March 31, 2017

Friday Favorites #5. {3.31.17}

Hello Friday!!  We made it through another week all in one piece---except for parts of our roof.  #onehailofastorm But I'm happy to be back with my FAVORITE topic!!  Time for Friday Favorites with Erika, Andrea and Narci!


FAVORITE #1

Today I get to do one of my FAVORITE things and sub in PE at my old school.  Can I just say that being an elementary school PE coach is one of the most fun jobs you can have?! But being a PE AIDE (which is what I was) is even better!  You just play all day and don't have to worry about any of the planning, meetings, report cards...it's just all fun, all day.  Even dealing with the not so fun parts like discipline, girl drama (oh the tears...) and rowdy 5th graders is not so bad!  I miss my old job!

FAVORITE #2

Another FAVORITE is my Etsy shop of course!  Here are some of the cute things that got shipped out this week.  


NEW COLOR!  I added this gorgeous navy tumbler to go with the others! HERE

CREATE YOUR OWN!  Glitter dipped mason jar tumblers HERE

Another cute one!  HERE

FAVORITE Water Tracker Bottles!  Tracker on one side and a cute saying on the other!  HERE


Loved the cute little mouse ears she wanted on her cup!  Find them HERE

Some of my favorite little signs!  Perfect for a gallery wall, bookshelf or classroom.  :)

Not listed yet, but I made this one special for Narci as a giveaway prize at her Coffee House last Sunday.  I want to do one in the pretty colors I use for my teacher name signs for my craft room!

Reusable Starbucks Cups HERE (great little teacher gift)

***For all the ordering information in Etsy, make sure to tap on ITEM DETAILS in each listing if you are on the Etsy app or mobile site!  It should answer most questions you have about each product!  :)  The turnaround times for each item are listed under the Shipping tab in each listing as well.***

FAVORITE #3

Wednesday I posted about my FAVORITE Spring wardrobe piece--the nude wedge.  After I posted all these cute ones, I found one more pair that I ended up buying!  Can't wait to get them in!  I love all the texture!

Find them HERE!



FAVORITE #4

Lately, there has been nothing but baseball talk, practice and games going on and my boys are having the best time and getting better each day!  It is so fun to cheer them on!


How cute are Smith, Nixon, Bowen and Mason?!  They got to go out on the field during a local high school baseball game and they all got autographed baseballs signed by the team.  Mason is obsessed with his ball!!  I keep telling him to leave it alone or he's going to lose it.  We'll see how long he can keep up with it!  #Igiveitaweek

An after game snack.  His very first Oatmeal Creme Pie.  He loved it which meant he didn't share. :(


They love to play catch! So thankful they have each other!

FAVORITE #5

And finally, I'm still loving these DELICIOUS SugarBear hair vitamins!  My girlfriend told me my hair looked really healthy the other day and it didn't even occur to me that it might be from these vitamins!  So my favorite beauty product right now (in addition to the best mascara ever, in my opinion) has to be these.  They have 4 out of 5 stars on Amazon and they have been clinically proven to strengthen and speed hair growth! Just make sure to keep them hidden from your kids!  They taste kind of like a chewy Skittle.  It's hard to stop at just 2 a day!!  I'm so hard on my hair in the summer with the heat and the chlorine so I think this will be a great little start to keeping it as healthy as possible.

Find them HERE.


And because it's just fun to show y'all some of the weirdest finds that people are actually paying money for, I wanted to leave you with this.  

Sooooooo.....no.  Friends don't let friends out of the house in these.  Or spend $220 on these!!  In what context would these actually be considered cute?  There are just many conflicting details going on in this shoe.  Snakeskin (because it looks expensive?), a platform (because it's trendy?), laces (to keep it casual?) and a rubber sole with major treads (because it's comfortable and practical...obviously.)

NOPE.  But thanks for the laugh, you amazing designer, you!  

Seriously though.  You know the designer of this shoe thought he/she was super edgy and fashion forward! #soproud #butyoushouldntbe

Hope that left you with a smile!  (And if you have these shoes or think they are legitimately awesome, please forgive me!)

Check out last week's Friday Favorites here if you missed them!  Have a great weekend!!


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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Crockpot Chili & Corn Casserole.

Yesterday, I posted about what we've been up to lately which included a yummy chili and cornbread casserole dinner on Tuesday night.  I still hate to cook.  But I'm a mother and a wife so I do it.  And I also love yummy food. A girl's got to eat, right?

So this winter I made my first chili based off of a few recipes I found on Pinterest.  I like my chili rich and thick.  Watery, bland chili is just not my favorite.  And then there's also the super controversial bean/no bean argument.  I was born and raised in TX and I need beans in my chili!  I know this is a hot topic of among Texans but for ME and my house...we eat the beans.

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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

What's Up, Wednesday! {3.29.17}

Wednesday already.  This week is flying by!  We've been so busy around here since Friday and there is no end in sight!  I've been completely M.I.A. on this blog this week because of it but I'm happy to be back for What's Up, Wednesday with Mel, Shay and Sheaffer!  Here we go!



What we're eating this week:

Monday we had baseball games at 6 (Matthew) and 7:30 (Mason).  None of us were hungry at 5:00 when it was really the only time we had to eat.  So we drove through Chick-fil-a on the way home after the game. #givemeallthePolynesiansauce

Last night, we had crockpot chili and corn casserole.  I have taken several chili recipes over the years and figured out what I like best!  I'll post the recipe soon!  And I love cornbread with my chili and the corn casserole just takes it up a notch.  Throw in a little green salad and call it a day!  So yummy!


Wednesday night we have baseball practice but storms are in the forecast so I think we are all hoping that gets cancelled.  ;)  Mason HAS to have tacos every week so it'll probably be a taco night.

Thursday??  Possibly crispy cheddar chicken and mashed potatoes.  We'll see how that works out. We are supposed to have a game that night.

Friday:  Pizza night

Speaking of eating, I also made this mistake yesterday when I had to run into the store...

Yeah, if you look close, you can totally see where I ripped into the package IN THE CAR.  Seriously, my favorite holiday candy ever.

I will only eat 2 a day.  I will only eat 2 a day.  I will only eat 2 a day.

What I'm reminiscing about:

These popped up in my Facebook memories this week.  

This was Matthew at our staff prayer time in the morning before preschool.  If you follow Narci, you might recognize her two littles, Luke and Presley, in the background!  Erika, Narci and I all used to teach at the preschool YEARS ago!

And this was me, Matthew and my "lil friend".  haha  I loved this shirt!!  I miss that big ole belly.  

I think I'm probably boring my friends to death lately about wanting another baby but not being brave enough to go for it.  I'm 35 now and my kids are pretty independent.  I don't think we can start all over again.  Mason is almost 7.  Matthew is almost 9.  Sigh.  When did I get OLD?!

What I'm loving:

My eyelashes are making me super happy right now.  I got some Lash Boost from Erika a few months ago and my lashes are so long.  They look like lash extensions!  When I combine that with my favorite mascara (here), my eyelashes just make me so proud.  Is that weird? 


This was one coat of mascara at the end of the day.  (So don't judge my bleary eyes and dark circles...haha)  I was just about to wash my makeup off (what was left of it) when I thought I'd snap a pic.  I'll have to remember to take a picture with my eyes done up for a girls night or date night next time.   If you don't want to spulurge for the Lash Boost then at least try out this mascara!  Seriously, my favorite!  (And I've tried A LOT of mascaras!)

Find it HERE

What we've been up to:

Oh my gosh.  We have been so crazy busy!!  I'm going to recap our weekend tomorrow because we had some Spring Carnival fun, I got to hear a friend give her testimony in front of 300 women and we got hit with a pretty major hail storm which was a little dramatic.




What I'm dreading:

Since we're talking severe weather, I'm going to go with dreading tornado season! Spring in Texas (and so many other places in the south) bring lots of severe weather and tornados!  Thankfully, I have never been in a tornado but I've had to sit in my pantry/closet/bathroom/etc with a football helmet countless times over my 35 years.  ;)

This was actually during a Tornado Warning the night of December 26, 2015.  All my boys are ready!  (Sort of.)  We clearly weren't TOO worried since I had to stop for a pic.

What I'm working on:

Right now I'm working on getting several new products photographed and listed in my shop!  Listing new items is a pain in the butt, yall.  There is a giant form to fill out to get it listed correctly and you need pictures which all need to be edited to make them look their best.  It just takes awhile.  So right now I'm looking forward to getting the NAVY version of this best selling stainless steel tumbler photgraphed and listed.  I'm working on it!   


I'd also like to get this super cute sign added as well!  I made this as a giveaway prize for Narci at our Coffee House.  I want to do it in the colors I do my Create, Inspire and Teacher Name signs too.


As always, these gorgeous mulitcolored confetti glitter water bottles make everyone's day brighter!  The confetti glitter moves around and they are just so fun!



And then more signs!  Take a peek through my whole shop here and find me on Instagram for all the latest!


I could go on and on with pictures but I'll stop for now.  ;)

What I'm excited about:

I'm subbing again at my old school in PE on Friday!  I love seeing my sweet students!!  I don't think I stop smiling all day long and I'm pretty sure I give and get about 500 hugs a day when I go back.
The only downside is that this week I have to cram in 5 full days of Etsy orders into 4 days.  It makes for some stressful days..and nights.  

What I'm watching/reading:

I've been binge watching The Real Housewives of NYC on Hulu (which I'm still LOVING Hulu by the way!).  This is not my first time watching these episodes because I've been obsessed with Real Housewives of whoever since they all started.  But it's fun going back and watching them all straight through, from the beginning with no commercials.  So many personality disorders in this group! #goodtv  


Since I've been a bit obsessed with these ladies lately, I decided to buy Ramona's book!  Who knew she even had a book?!  I sure didn't!  But I soooo wanted to read her crazy and what all happened with her husband, Mario when he cheated on her.  She was so tight-lipped during filming and my heart just broke for her when it came out.  She really was blind-sided I think and loved him so much.  It's so sad.  No matter how crazy she can be, she was hurting bad.  



I was disappointed it wasn't available as an audiobook!  Boo.  I'll let you know how it is once I finish it!

What I'm listening to:

Audiobooks of course!  Right now, it's one of Jill Mansel's books called Making Your Mind Up.  I'm still going to plug Audible too because I really do think everyone should try it at least once! I gave my dad a 3 month subscription (good for 3 books) for Christmas and the last I heard he's already on book 5 and he's loving it.  And he was a skeptic.  You can try it here and get 2 books FREE! 



What I'm wearing:

Right now it's mainly all crop jeans, my favorite Skechers Go Walks, and soft tshirts.


Love these for spring!

I love Target for my tshirt fix!


What I'm doing this weekend:

We have baseball on Saturday but other than that, we're playing it by ear!  I know for sure I'll be working a little overtime to make up for not being able to work on Friday.

What I'm looking forward to next month:

Next month my biggest boy and my littlest boy have birthdays!  On the SAME day!  Mason was born on Craig's birthday so Craig will be 38 and Mason will be 7.  They are both getting so old.  ;)  This means I need to start thinking about birthday parties and since we were super lame last year and didn't do a party, I feel like I need to step it up this year.  Matthew's birthday is only 3 weeks after Craig and Mason's and we usually do a joint birthday in late May.  I need to figure it out soon though!

Bonus Question:  What's your favorite spring wardrobe piece?

I think a staple of any spring/summer wardrobe has to be a great pair of nude wedges!  I had the CUTEST pair that I wore in Hawaii...and unfortunately, they were "lost" somewhere between my hotel and my house.  Grrrrrrr....

Nude wedges are so versatile!  Wear them with jeans (cropped, long, or short), maxi skirts and maxi dresses.  Favorite!!


I love these old pictures!  I got to look through my old "Hawaii" album on Facebook and got to do some reminiscing about this fun trip!


Here are some of my current favorites though...







More Jessica Simpson Wedges (she just makes the best ones)


Last ones.  Too cute not to share!

Here's to Spring and warm weather!!  Happy Hump Day!




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Friday, March 24, 2017

Friday Favorites #4. {3.24.17}

Friday Favorites time!  This is my FAVORITE topic to blog about and read about!  I always find cute things on other blogs that I MUST HAVE!!  So be sure to let me know if you blogged about your favorites and hopefully you'll find some cute things on mine!
Linking up with my other Mckinney girls, Erika, Narci and Andrea!

#1:  Skechers Go Walks

First up are my Skechers.  I've worn them so much this week.  I knew they had to be on the list.

I love love love my Skechers Go Walks.  I have two pairs so far (a taupe-y neutral and the ones in the picture below) and I'm in the market for more! I think I need gray or black. I wore my Go Walks walking around the zoo all day during Spring Break and never once had to stop and whine about my feet hurting.  (However, I did whine about being hungry, feeling a little nauseous and having to stand in line for an hour for the monorail).  

These shoes are amazing, though.  They are super light, super soft, kind of stretchy and really padded!  They are so easy to slip on when I need to run errands around town and are perfect for those ball games when it's too cool for flip flops (my fave) but too warm for boots. 

I feel like I've thrown a pair in the washer before too with no problem.  But I can't swear to that.  I just feel like I did at one point...?  Have you?  Do you love yours!?


I have no idea where I got the ones pictured above, though.  Online somewhere is all I know!  One of my friends asked where I got them the other day and I couldn't remember but she mentioned Zappos and that may be where they are from.  Now that I need another pair, I started looking through their site and found these!  And cheers to free shipping!!


While I was on the Zappos website I saw these too.  

Please don't buy these. ;)

No.  Just no.

I'm only linking them because they are hilarious and there is a video of them in action on the website.  Hope I don't offend anyone who thinks these are amazing.  (They aren't.  Don't do it.)

#2 Easter Dress Options

I never made it to Dillards the other day (surprise surprise!) to look for dresses.  So I'm going to just admit that I'll probably never make it to the mall so I'm online shopping.  Right now I have my eye on this one.  




This would look really pretty with a little black shrug too if it was cool on Easter.  What do you think?  Yes?  No?

#3 Anthropologie Shower Curtain

I stumbled upon this gorgeous shower curtain the other day and I can't get it out of my head!  I'm thinking a little bathroom makeover may be in order very soon!  Anything with navy makes me happy!  I really wish the rest of this bathroom came with the shower curtain though...


#4 My New Favorite Earrings

If you see me around town, you will probably see me in one of these pairs of earrings.  I know I posted about them here before but after wearing them a few times, I knew I needed them in silver too.  They are my new go-to earrings.  They are so pretty!  I love that they are big and simple.  Big enough to make me look like I actually tried to look cute (when I didn't) and simple enough to go with whatever tshirt and jeans combo I came up with that day.  

I know gold has been all the rage for the past few years but every once in awhile I want silver!  I've got a fun new bracelet I got from a Stitch Fix shipment a few months ago and I needed nice silver earrings to go with it.

You can find them here.  You will not be disappointed!!

#6 Lip Plumper

As I'm getting older, I'm starting to freak out a little about my face.  Why why WHY can't we stay 21 forever!!??  

For the record, I am not opposed to dermatological intervention.  #botoxforthewin #truth

Anyway, I've recently been on a product kick trying to find things to make me cute again.  Nothing really helps.  But this random lip plumper I found at Target is so fun!!  My lips literally tingle like an electric current is running through them as soon as I put it on.  It is the coolest sensation!! It is unline any other tingly sensation I've felt with other lip plumpers.  I'm totally addicted.  Oh and it does plump my lips too.  ;)


#8  That Inspired Chick (My Etsy Shop!)

Of course, I have to include some of my favorites from my shop!!  Here's what I decided to spotlight this week.  

These skinny stainless steel tumblers continue to be a best seller.  I just got them in in NAVY too and I'll be adding those to the shop later today.  There are just no negatives to this cup.  Skinny and sleek, 20oz, keeps drinks as cold as a Yeti plus it comes in hot pink, white, navy, and mint.  And you can have it personalized however you need it. Check them out here!  (If you are on the mobile or app site, click on "item details" to view the description which includes links to the other colors.)


My blessed signs!!  I love making these!!  They are a perfect addition to a gallery wall too!  Find them here.



Because mornings are just more fun with a little glitter.  And Jesus.  :)


These personalized burlap prints are PERFECT as a wedding or anniverary gift!


To take a peek through my whole shop, click HERE

If you missed my posts on Life as an Etsy Mama and how I (struggle) to balance working from home and just BEING home, find Part 1 here and Part 2 here.  

I'd love for you to follow me on my personal Instagram and Etsy Instagram!

Have a great weekend, friends!

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