FRIDAY FAVORITES

On Fridays I walk with a little more pep in my step, eagerly racing to the end of the work day! Today is no different, and although we have no particular plans for the weekend I could not be more excited! What's on your agenda for the weekend? 

and because this is apparently my new favorite phrase of choice, I think it's basically problematic if I don't order this sweatshirt...

I'm predicting this little gem will be as comfy as it is adorable, so in the shopping cart it goes. And I cannot way to pair it with my favorite black vest that has been the staple in my winter wardrobe this year. 

And speaking of staples, I have been wearing my red wellies at least twice a week in January. They have been a life saver with all of this snow slush melting the past few days. 

And friends, are you feeling the all of the love in the air with Valentine's Day sneaking up? I shared all of my favorite Valentines inspiration on the blog this week here.

Including this adorable card I can't wait to gift to my hubby! Pizza is our go to dinner fav, so it just seemed like the perfect fit.

And yesterday, I shared my recipe for this white chicken chili slow cooker soup. It's perfect for the winter months. I find myself going back for a second or third bowl every time we have it. This time I froze half for a quick and easy meal on a day where we are running behind. 

One of my favorite and funniest moments this week was when I was going to make scrambled eggs for breakfast and couldn't find the eggs. Somehow they ended up in the freezer, so needless to say we ended up eating cereal while the eggs thawed out. I laughed thinking about a few years back receiving this text from my mom...we really are so much alike. 

I also shared this week that David and I are planning a trip to Disney and I seriously could not be more excited!!! The picture above is spring break last year where I went with two of my besties to Disney World and we hit up all four parks in one day! Such a crazy, fun adventure. 

And just for kicks, one of my favorite moments on the trip was after our 15 hour car ride, we finally got the hotel late in the evening, and all we had to do was piddle, but we couldn't figure out how to flush the toilet. We seriously called the front desk asking. I mean I tried sitting on the seat (thinking it was an automatic flush) tried every light switch in the room, we search the bathroom up and down... turns out, the flush was on the top being covered by a roll of toilet paper. Yes, talk about top 10 embarrassing moments.

We recollected ourselves the next day and had the greatest time touring the countries in Epcot. Of course we had to taste test food from every country, because why not? Disney is just absolutely my favorite. Are you a fan, too? 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Thanks for stopping by!

WHITE CHICKEN CHILI

There is just something about the saying "the comfort of your own home" that truly resinates with me. I'm by no means a hermit. I love grabbing lunch with friends or going on a little retail therapy run, but if I had to choose, most often times I would pick just staying home, especially in the wintertime. Are you a homebody too? or do you like always being on the go?

Yesterday my office at work was closed, so I had the luxury of staying in and getting caught up on a few things. I deep cleaned our apartment, made some homemade potpourri (have you heard of this...I'm obsessed!), and stayed in my pj's and slippers most of the day. Since a heatwave has yet to occur, I'm still trying to stay bundled up over here, so I settled on an easy, delicious, crockpot soup for dinner.  

David isn't a huge soup person, but could eat bowl after bowl of this White Chicken Chili. Its refreshing, yet comforting, and light, yet filling.  

My favorite kind of meals are the ones where I can just throw the ingredients into a crockpot.  I love just doing my thing around the apartment, and occasionally getting a whiff of what's cooking in the kitchen. #imallaboutsimplicity

INGREDIENTS: 

3-4 boneless chicken breasts (uncooked)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin

little dash of cayenne pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder 

14.5 ounce can chicken broth

4 ounce can of chopped green chiles 

1/2 cup of sour cream

1 cup of milk (I used almond milk)

3 tablespoons of butter (can substitute using coconut oil)

3 tablespoons flour

15 ounce can white corn, drained (I have used yellow corn in the past, too!)

2 15.5 ounce cans white beans, drained (I prefer using Great Northern, but Cannellini works!)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1 teaspoon Better Than Bullion chicken base 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken breasts on the bottom of a crockpot

2. Add seasonings: chili powder, cumin, onion powered, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper 

3. Add chicken broth, corn, beans, and green chiles

4. Cook on low for 6-8 hours

5. 45 Minutes before serving: In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Whisk in flour and allow the sauce to bubble up and brown a bit. Waiting a few minutes, gradually whisk in the milk and chicken base into the saucepan.

6. Allow the sauce to simmer for 4-5 minutes. Continue whisking frequently until the sauce becomes slightly thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste 

7. Pour sauce into crockpot and stir to combine

8. Now, add in the sour cream and stir again! 

9. Let the chili cook on low for about 45 more minutes if possible.

10. ENJOY!!!!!


Hope you love this as much as we do at my home!!! Have a wonderful day, friends! 

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY

Hello, Friends! Well I feel like I blinked and we are already half way through the week. How's your week going? Is it flying by, too? 

Scrolling through Instagram this week I came across a quote that has stuck with me-"how you spend your days is how you spend your life." Over the course of the last few days, this has helped me to become more intentional about waking up and choosing happiness. I'm hopeful this mindset steers the way I live my life for the remainder of 2016 & many more years to come. But for now something a little lighter- here what's been up the past month! 

What I'm Eating This Week

I never stick to my New Years Resolutions, so this year I promised myself that I was going to dive in and not look back. Well my dive was more like a belly flop and exercising and eating healthy are moving at a snail pace, if they are even moving at all. This Berry Delight Smoothie is on the menu for breakfast at least twice a week though, so I count that as a small victory.

The other 5 days of the week, I'm still kicking off my mornings with the same bad habits I acquired in 2015. How can I even be sad/depressed/angry about it when I wake up with my mouth watering over these tasty homemade Apple Turnovers? 

The recipe for this White Chicken Chili soup will be on the blog tomorrow so stay tuned. Anything I can throw into a crockpot in the morning that allows me to come home to a house smelling delicious with dinner ready to go is just the kind of recipe I adore. 

What I'm Reminiscing About

Our wedding day! I just absolutely loved every last second of October 17th, 2015 and I smile thinking about it often. A day that I will treasure forever because it was the day I became this cutie's wife. To catch our woodland wedding theme click here. 

Oh and my Dad and I did a fun little father/daughter dance that I have been thinking about. Completely out of my comfort zone, and my HUGE train made moving a bit problematic, but you have to check out my dad's moves here-he killed it out there! 

What I'm Loving

 Coconut Oil // Moroccan Oil // Belief Lotion 

Are you struggling to beat the dryness of winter, too? Last Friday, I talked all about the battle I've been facing with my flyways and breakage. It's been a real struggle friends and I was about to give up hope until various friends recommended these products. I instantly fell in love. They have been an absolute game changer for me this winter. 

What I've Been Up To

Coffee dates with my bestie.

Bentley Pup is on week 2 of his 6 weeks of puppy training. As you can tell he is loving training just about as much as he loves his new fleece sweater. 

This month I also hosted a DIY wine sangria and canvas party with some of my friends from college. Although the creativity juices weren't flowing for me and I ended up painting a bulb I now refer to as a donut, i'm still excited about hosting another party in the near future. 

What I'm Dreading

I am heading to the eye doctor next week and I am dreading the idea of possibly needing glasses or contacts! And on a relatable note, this graphic was too great not to share.

What I'm working on

David and I are planning a trip to Disney and I haven't been able to contain my excitement. Like my 8 hours of nightly sleep are greatly being deprived because I just lay in bed at night contemplating what rides we should use our fast passes on, where we should make reservations to eat, ect. The loss of sleep isn't anxiety driven, it's purely from enormous amounts of excitement bursting out the seams. #someonehelpme #itsalittletooobsessive

What I'm Excited About

House Hunting!!! We are hoping to purchase a home in the spring and my mind is already running wild and thanks to Joanna Gaines I have my heart set on a fixer upper! ;)

What I'm Watching/Reading

For the Love is a GREAT read. Highly recommend it to any women out there. It will make you laugh, cry, and want to be a better person. Once I picked this book up, I couldn't put it down. 

What I'm Listening To...

Bethel Music on Pandora all day long friends. And I always get so excited when You Make Me Brave  plays. Loving and feeling encouraged by this song. 

What I'm Wearing..

Similar Fur Vest

My color is sold out but they have an adorable blush color here. And its on major clearance! #score

Red Hunter Wellies

What I'm Doing This Weekend

Hopefully lots of this!!! Lounging around in my PJ's and robe sound just too glorious to pass up. 

Oh & David and I also have a little date night planned for some tasty tacos and a trip to Barns & Noble to pick out new books. All of this blustery snow has us on a reading kick and I am loving it! Do you have any book suggestions? 

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month 

My sweet cousin Courtney and I share a birthday 2 years apart and I have always looked up to her for her hard work ethic and heart of gold. Her and her husband are expecting their first baby next month! So excited to spoil her with fun baby boy gifts and for the opportunity to reunite with my family that I haven't seen in awhile! 

Valentine's Day

I put all of my favorite Valentine's Day inspiration in a blog post here. David and I are planning to celebrate Valentine's Day by spending a quick weekend in Nashville! I'm so excited to see the Grand Ole Opry!



Excited to see what you've been up to! Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Wednesday! 

Happy Wednesday, friends! What are you up to?

VALENTINE'S DAY INSPIRATION

Hello, Friends! I hope your week is off to a warm and wonderful start. The snow is finally melting here, so we are thawing out and my shoe options are finally increasing. #HOLLA
I love my Hunter Wellies, but I'm happy that I don't have to coordinate another outfit with my bright red boots-atleast for awhile. Did you get lots of snow, too?

Well 2016 is off to a speedy start, and Valentine's day is literally right around the corner. Do you have any exciting plans for the day? I don't typically put a lot of attention into decorating my home for the day of love, but this year I am having post-Christmas decor sadness, so I'm hoping to brighten up my space with some pretty hearts here and there, and some pops of pink. Gotta love pops of pink! 

Heart throw // Candle // Door Mat // Berry Wreath // Fragrance Warmer

Balloon Sign // Pillow // Marquee Sign // Garland // Girl's Dress

Mustache Favors // Plates // Favor Bags // Wreath // Straws

And can I really pass up matching pjs with a chocolate covered strawberry pattern? These cuties are seriously stealing my heart. And by the way-am I the only one that feels like when I am wearing matching pj's, I have my life together? ;)

Chocolate Strawberry PJs // Rose PJs

And if you are looking for some adorable Valentine's sweater, check out these three options. All of them are on sale and available for free shipping. I may or may not have just ordered sweaters 1 and 3!

1 // 2 // 3

And what's a Valentine's inspiration post, without a collection of some of my favorite pins from Pinterest.

These gorgeous treats will most definitely be on the menu. 

I will definitely try to make a DIY version of this card, because it's knock your socks off awesome. 

And speaking of knocking socks off, how cute are these to mail to friends and family for a little Valentines pick me up. 

And these candy heart plates and table setting is just too cute and festive. 

Well, thats a round-up of a few of my favorite Valentine's Day things! I'm inspired to go make some heart garland, while chowing down are candy hearts! Have a wonderful day, everyone! Thanks for stopping by! 

BERRY DELIGHT SMOOTHIE

This weekend involved lots of cuddles, hot cocoa, and a some competitive games of Scrabble. Were you hibernating inside to keep warm and stay cozy, too? Sometimes lazy weekends are just what the soul needs. I did kick it in gear for a short 30 minutes to get my heart pumping a bit, though.

I am struggling to actively pursue my New Year's Resolution of eating healthier and exercising more. How're your Resolutions going? Are you still going strong, or you facing constant mental battles like me? I have found that rewarding myself with something tasty after a refreshing workout is just the motivation I need.

After some lunges and push-ups, I threw together one of my favorite smoothies, that I like to call the Berry Delight. 

The recipe is super simple! 

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup of Strawberries

1/2 Cup of Raspberries 

1/2 Cup of Blueberries

1 Frozen Banana

1 Cup of Almond Milk 

1 Cup of Spinach or Kale 

*I add flax seed and a half of an avocado to make it a little healthier 

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place all ingredients in a large blender or nutribullet 

2. Blend for approximately one minute until desired consistency 

*Ice can be added to thicken smoothie & more milk can be added for a creamier smoothie


Hope you enjoy!!!

FRIDAY FAVORITES

Well hello there, friends! It's Friday and that's something to celebrate.

This week has been a busy one for me. Do you ever have those weeks where you literally feel like you need to schedule a time to sit down and eat, because if not, breakfast, lunch, and dinner time are just going to fly right by you leaving your belly growling?

I've experienced many of those days, but luckily, although my week was hectic, I definitely made time to pencil in some quality and relaxing time in the kitchen.

I have never been a cook. As terrible as this sounds, when I was younger, my Dad would jokingly "ground me" from the kitchen because I would waste so many ingredients trying out recipes. I found my niche when I started baking though, and have learned to love it even more the older I get.


We are trying to stay warm here in Indiana and I think fresh out of the oven, sweet treats are the way to go; oh and a cup of joe! This weekend I made homemade Apple Turnovers. Click here to check out the recipe.

To outweigh my guilt of watching the bachelor, I ate a whole pan of Averie Cooks' Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookies with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge on top. Talk about mouth watering. To find her recipe click here. This was definitely one of my favorites this week. And yes, this now officially validates that my New Year's Resolution is down the drain. #farewelldiet #givemeallthechocolate

Are you struggling to beat the dryness of winter, too? Man oh man it's been quite the battle for me. My hair and skin have never been so dry. Luckily I found a few new favorites that I can't get enough of. The Coconut Oil has been saving my lips from being extremely chapped, the Moroccan Oil is limiting the number of split ends and flyaways that stick out all over my head, and this belief lotion is seriously a dream come true and leaves my skin feeling so soft.

Rach & Linds are some of my very favorite people on this planet and they are hilarious. Coffee dates with these girls are just the best.

We showed up with matching new purses after being apart for a few months, so obviously that called for a little photo shoot. Did I mention how funny they are? 

And the two men in my life always seem to keep a smile on my face. And yes, I bought Bentley Pup a new fleece sweater this week because my heart broke watching him shiver when going potty in the snow. I almost bought him red polka dot rain boots too but those didn't fly with the hubby (& he wonders why I prefer to shop alone ;)) 

And speaking of my handsome man, this week was the 3 month mark of marriage. So grateful to have a lifetime more with this sweet soul! To check out our woodland wedding ceremony click here. 

And this picture of me and my dad cracks me up. We tricked everyone and did a crazy father/daughter dance. Right up my Dad's alley. This is one of my favorite pictures and memories from our wedding reception. 

Happy Friday, Everyone!!!! Thanks for stopping by! 

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