This and That

It's Monday again. I hope you all survived the weekend. By the time Sunday evening rolls around I feel like I'm just trying to survive with my sanity.  It was a pretty early bedtime for all of us and now I'm feeling refreshed and ready to start a new week.

 Our weekend was pretty laid back. Emmett has been bugging me to take him to play tennis, so on Saturday we gave it a go. Wouldn't you know that as soon as we arrived he ran onto the court, fell down, and scraped down knees. I thought it was going to be over before we had even begun but Emmett pulled it together and we played. Emmett worked on serving and volleying back and forth with Pierce and I, while Oliver napped. I'm not a a good tennis player but it was fun volleying the ball back and forth with him. The playing came to an abrupt end when Pierce hit the ball into the light which ricocheted onto a sleeping Oliver. Let me just say, he did not enjoy being woken up like that. He proceeded to wail while we packed up and the entire way home. I finally got him to stop by giving him a popsicle. I've never given him one before and it made him feel better instantly. Behold, the power of the popsicle.

Look at the cute face. He's getting so big. I don't want to forget all the sweet things he does, like picking and smelling the flowers while we watch Emmett's t-ball practice.

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Do you Cartwheel?

Do you love Target? That's a stupid question... everyone loves Target. They have cute products, good quality, adorable decor, and reasonable prices. What's not to love? I can easily spend over an hour roaming the aisles checking out all the new products.
So have you heard of or used Cartwheel? It's an app that you use in store to get additional savings and it is awesome. The deals change all the time, so you need to check back often. Some deals last several weeks while others are only good for a day. You can sort by category or you can check the items in your buggy by scanning them through the app. If there is a Cartwheel deal it will pop up so you can save it. When you go to checkout, just pull up the app and click "checkout." The barcode will come up which can be scanned at the register.
Now through Saturday you can save an additional 30% off women's shirts, shorts, outerwear, and dresses when you use the app in store. That makes for some pretty awesome deals. This week is the perfect time stock up on some spring essentials like tanks and tees. They have loads of colors to choose from the quality is great.
I wanted to share a few items that will be going home with me once I get the opportunity to make it to the store this week.

Plaid Shirt Dress

Printed Crepe Tunic Dress

Lace Scallop Hem Blouse

Dark Wash High-rise Shorts

Floral Print Ruffle Romper with Overlay Dress

I also have a Target Redcard so I save an additional 5% every time I shop plus free shipping on all online orders. Love it!!!

You're Making Me Blush

If you went through my closet you'd see just about every color of the rainbow, but you'd also find that one is missing... pink. I've never been a fan of the color so I rarely wear it. Well wouldn't you know it, I may be changing my attitude towards pink. This spring the blush colored products are all over place. Apparently it is the must have color for this spring/summer, and I actually like it. It's not the god-awful hot pink monstrosities I run screaming from. Blush is soft and feminine. It's this year's nude... the new neutral. Since my heart is softening slightly for pink, at least this very pale shade, I've rounded up some the looks I'm really liking and wouldn't mind owning.

Tone Tone Round Sunglasses

Cross Body with Tassel

Lace Midi

High Slit Maxi

Romper Room Nail Polish

T-Strap Heeled Sandal

Linette Drops Earrings

Prismatic Highlighter

Drapey Spaghetti-Strap Dress

So what do you think? Are you ready to try out this trend?

One thing you did not see on my list are blush colored pants. I'm pale and when you wear a flesh toned color on you bottom half you can risk appearing naked. I saw someone the other day doing just that. I swear when I first saw her I though she was wearing an extremely short romper with all that leg hanging out. I stopped Pierce and asked him if he could believe how inappropriate her outfit was when he brought it to my attention that she was wearing pants. They just happened to match her skin tone... this is such a bad look. Don't do it. 

Shop the Selfie

I've gotten some really awesome goodies in the mail lately so I though I'd share them with you. All these pieces are extremely affordable (nothing over $25!) so you won't feel guilty picking up a few for yourself. I can't wait to get the opportunities to take some proper pictures in these outfits but I couldn't wait and had to share them with you now.

This yellow floral halter is stunning with two splits in the skirt. I have a feeling this will be on repeat all spring and summer. 

Cold shoulder dress in navy with scallops, one of my favorite trends for spring!

I had to include a picture of the front and back of this blue striped criss cross back dress because it is so pretty. This dress is the perfect mix of preppy and southern... love it!

Scallops again, this time on a lightweight lbd. So fun.

Please be nice. I'm very self conscious of my thighs so I'm not comfortable seeing myself in a swimsuit but I loved the pattern of this tribal print cutout swimsuit and wanted to share. 

This v-back tassel dress will be a perfect beach coverup and the material is super soft. 

Off-the-shoulder dresses are on trend this spring. This flouncy off-shoulder dress is a cute one for trying out the trend. It's a little short and not slimming (billowy) but the style is cute. 

All these pieces come from SheIn. I read the reviews and sizing before I ordered so when I tried all these items on the fit for most was what I expected. I anticipated that the scalloped dresses would be short, and they are, but not too short. I'm 5'5.5"(5'6" on a good day) and I'm wearing a small in all the dresses. The swimsuit is a medium and it fits well, and I usually have to go up a size in swimsuits. I also ordered THIS swimsuit but I will not be keeping it or sharing a photo of me it. It was bad. Let's just say that this suit is not for moms who breastfed. It was very low cut with lots of side boob and no support. Ugh... but, considering it only cost $11, I'm not too worried about it. Overall my online deal shopping was a huge success. 

One of my favorite reasons to shop SheIn is that they office a wide variety of styles at affordable prices so I'm able to try out several different styles and trends without breaking my budget. Who doesn't love a great deal on new clothes? Happy shopping!

Weekend Activities and Serenity Now

Warning... A quick vent before I get into to the weekend wrap-up. 

Is it strange that after some weekends I look forward to Monday's and going back to work? It's not that my work is the greatest thing but weekends can be so exhausting. Emmett and Oliver must save up all their energy for Pierce and I because they run us ragged both physically and mentally. I know when I go to work I will have quiet time where I won't be assaulted with barrage of questions and demands.

Serenity Now!

Thank goodness Pierce and I usually get a few hours of one on one time before we pick up the boys on Fridays because otherwise I don't know when we'd ever find that time. After we put the boys to bed we are both spent and I just want to zone out and chill or pass out. Does anyone else feel this way? How do decompress and how do you find the time to do so? Do you have any recommendations on how we could find this time during the day when the boys are around? Neither of them take naps and it's more frustrating trying to get them to take one than just letting them stay up. 

I don't want to be a grump to the kids or my husband but there come a point on the weekends when the demands, back talk, sass, and questions become too much. Help a mother out? 

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Now onto the fun stuff that wears me out... don't get me wrong I love the activities even though I know there will be attitude and entitlement will follow. 

Pierce and I finally took the time to bike the West Ashley Greenway. It was a beautiful day and a great way to get in some cardio. I'm sure Pierce regretted letting me lead because I book it. I did slow down a little so he could catch up and I could enjoy the scenery. 

I just had to share a for photos of my little man at t-ball practice because he's so stink'n cute. He's getting so big and his skills this year have improved greatly since last year. I have a feeling it's going to be a good season. 

After t-ball we decided to head downtown to do some exploring. We started at the library which was hosting a super hero training day. Emmett made his own mask and cape.

Practicing his feats of strength. 

Oliver eating is so sweet... pinkies out. 

Faster than a speeding bullet... at the Hunley at the Charleston Museum

Ended our exploring at Magnolia Cemetery. A little morbid but extremely interesting. Next we come here I'm bringing my big camera because there are some many beautiful details in the tombs, headstones, and ironwork. 

Exploring attire: shirt // jeans // shoes

Yellow Fever

It's starting to feel like spring again around here and I don't just mean all the pollen. With the warm weather finally returning, so too come the spring dresses which I'm sublimely happen about. I love bright colors, and yellow is probably my favorite but don't think it always work for us fair skinned gals, and yet I thought I'd give this one a try because I liked the cut of this dress and the ruffle sleeve. I added the blue necklace and accessories to break up the yellow and I think it works. I love yellow but think it best on darker skin tones, so I'm so glad this one works for me. 

Ruffle Sleeve Shift Dress- on $14!!! // Necklace (no longer available) Similar

LRL Tote (similar) // Sunglasses // Bangle // Pumps (similar)

This dress is one of my Shein finds and definitely a winner. The material this thick but not heavy. I'm wearing a small (runs tts). Like I suggested in my previous post on Shopping Shein, I checked reviews and sizing recommendations so I had a good idea that size-wise it would work for me... and it did.

Tomato, Feta, & Orzo Salad

A few posts back I talked about how to carve up a pork loin to make several meals. Well I thought I’d share one of the recipes I made to go with one of the cooked pork loins. Although the weather is cool right now, this salad is the perfect addition to springtime meals. It goes great with grilled meat and veggies. 

Tomato, Feta, and Orzo Salad

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp honey

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and pepper

Salad:

10 ounces orzo pasta

6 cups chicken broth

3 roma tomatoes, diced

4 tbsp green onion, sliced thin

3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1 cup baby spinach, chopped

1 cup feta cheese

Directions:

Mix together all of the vinaigrette ingredients and set aside. Cook the orzo in the chicken broth as directed or until tender. Drain well but do not rinse. Let cool to room temperature. I added a little of the prepared vinaigrette to the orzo as it cooled to keep it from sticking together. Once cooled, add the orzo to the other salad ingredients and toss. Mix in vinegraette. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed. Salad can be served immediately or you can refrigerate to allow the ingredients to marry together. 

Note: you can add slivered almonds or pine nuts for an added crunch. Recipe source is from Mel's Kitchen Cafe with a few slight modifications. 

This lovely salad went together wonderfully with my grilled pork loin which I prepared using this recipe. I served the meat and salad along with sautéed barbecue corn, which is so easy. The kids love anything barbecue flavored. 

A couple other suggestions of menu pairings for this salad:

Marinaded Chicken Kabobs

Best Garlic Bread

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Fresh Peach Pound Cake

Enjoy! This is a winner. I can't wait to try it again this spring with these other recipes.

Weekend Recap

Did you guys have a nice weekend? Mine was good. I could have done without the cold on Sunday but all in all it was a good one so I thought I'd give you a little recap. 

On Friday Pierce's aunt invited me to the Nora Jones concert. It's been so long since I've been out, much less to a concert, I couldn't pass it up. Nora's voice and musical talent are astounding. It was a good time and I really enjoyed catching up with family. 

What I wore, sorry for the bathroom pic but I was on the way out and it was dark and this room had the best light. I have to mention this... Did you know you can shop TJ Maxx online now? What the what?!? Game changer because I love the Maxx which is where I got this top. 

 blouse (similar) // jeans- cuffed // watch 

On Saturday, Emmett had his first t-ball practice. He's on the team with a couple of the same kids from last year so that's nice. It's always fun to see how much the kids have grown. Now if Emmett can just focus and not run the bases when he's supposed to be playing in the field but I guess that's a four year old for you.

After that we met up and had lunch with my mom who came down to spend a little time with us. Me, my mom, and Oliver did a little shopping after lunch. When we got home I prepped for dinner and made the snickerdoodles I posted about a while back.

Me and my mom after a little shopping

My mom came down with the intention of us going out and practicing our photography skills. A couple of years ago I took a landscape photography workshop with BlueHour Photo Ventures which was amazing. Paul, the instructor, had contacted me to let me know they would be back in charleston this weekend so I could meet with them. I was pumped to join and asked my mom to join in as well but it ended up being so could and rainy that we didn't make it. I hate that it didn't to work out because Paul is an awesome instructor and has created such beautiful photos and shares his wisdom to teach others to do the same. Here are a couple of his photos. If you are interested in landscape photography I definitely recommend his course. They travel all over the world so check it out and see when they will be near you or at a location you'd want to visit. So long as you have the basic equipment and a little knowledge, Paul will help you with everything else. 

See, didn't I tell you his work is amazing. He also sells prints through his site if you're interested. 

 The tour package for Iceland looks awesome... that would be a dream place to photograph

Since we weren't able to make the photo session work, we did a little shopping before my mom headed back home. 

We were pretty much shut-ins for the rest of the day so we took it easy. With the fireplace going, we played cars and games for most the afternoon. These two are so sweet with one another. Even though Oliver isn't old enough to really participate, Emmett humors him and let's him have a turn and play along with us. I love how much they love one another. I hope it continues as they grow. 

 We played Head Bands. It's a good game for kids Emmett's age. 

 Ollie has claimed this old ottoman that is pretty deflated. I had it stored in the guest room and was planning on refilling it but apparently it is his new favorite place to sit and chill. He drug it out of the guest room and made it his spot in the living room. It is the cutest thing watching him figure things out and this one that he figured out all on his own. 

After supper and bath, we hit the hay. I'm still getting used to the time change and 6am came way too soon this morning. I hope the week goes by quickly but I have a feeling it's going to drag. 

So that wraps up our weekend. 

One more thing... today is the last day of the Friends and Family sale where you can get an additional 30% off most everything at World Market. Just use code FRIENDS.