Podcasts

Back at the beginning of September, I had a full week off of work. There was no vacation planned, no big trips. Jeremy didn't even have the time off with me. It was just me..sleeping in and doing whatever I wanted at home.

I happened to find my way to the A Dram of Outlander podcast. And I've been listening ever since.

Podcasts are a new thing for me. Sure, I've heard other people talk about podcasts but I never really looked into listening to anything until recently. It seems so old fashioned. Like back in the day when everyone in the family would gather around their one huge radio and listen to their nightly stories.

I've caught the podcast fever after listening to A Dram of Outlander. I've also started listening to a folklore podcast, which has been very interesting. It's been a great distraction, especially while I'm working. Makes the day go by so fast. And, unlike audiobooks, many podcasts are free. So, I'm on the hunt for new and updated podcasts.

Do you have a favorite podcast you enjoy listening to?

Tradition!

It's November 1st.  Halloween has been fully celebrated (I'm still recovering) so now it's time to focus on Thanksgiving and Christmas. This particular West Texas autumn has been more like a mild summer and temperatures haven't even dipped into the 60's during the day. Actually, we haven't even been close to 60. It's 90 degrees outside as I type this.

Since the weather isn't making it easy to get into the holiday season, I've been having to find other ways. I'm going to try and do Fat Mum Slim's photo a day again on Instagram with a 'Thankful' twist. I want to make an attempt at focusing on that idea this month. And I really have so much to be thankful for, so it really shouldn't be all that hard.

I might start wrapping some Christmas presents. Don't look at me like that! Maybe if it was cold outside and I could actually drink hot cocoa and wear a dang scarf this would not be happening. I have to find my holiday cheer where I can.

Hallmark Holiday Movies. Enough said.

How on earth do people in Hawaii do this?!?!?! I guess they just suffer through it.

Look at them. Don't they look real sad?

Anyways, all of this has me thinking about traditions. Traditions are another great way to get yourself into the holiday mood. There are just certain things that only happen at certain times of the year. Like my mom making us banana pancakes. That is a Christmas morning even only. So, I associate banana pancakes with the holidays. My mom started the tradition of letting us pick out or buying us new ornaments every year. I've started that same tradition with my nieces and nephew.

I have fewer traditions that focus on Thanksgiving or traditions that Jeremy and I have started together. Maybe it's time to change that. I'm still thinking on it, but I'd like to start something for Thanksgiving for us. A new tradition. Something else to help me get in the holiday spirit every year.

Tell me, what are some of YOUR favorite holiday traditions (Thanksgiving traditions would be most helpful). Did they start when you were growing up? Or have you and your spouse started new traditions? What sort of events or food make you think of the holidays?

October 2016 Photo-A-Day

Day 1 - Yellow. Day 2 - Blue. Day 3 - Purple. Day 4 - White. Day 5 - Red.

Day 6 - Green. Day 7 - Grey

Day 8 - Orange. Day 9 - Pink. Day 10 - Black. Day 11 - Aqua. Day 12 - Brown.

Day 13 - Gold. Day 14 - Silver.

Day 15 - Favorite Color. Day 16 - Rainbow. Day 17 - Tree. Day 18 - Positive Vibe. Day 19 - Food. Day 20 - Right Now. Day 21 - Stuff.

Day 22 - Chocolate. Day 23 - Wish. Day 24 - Blank. Day 25 - Together. Day 26 - My Country.

 Day 27 - Leaf. Day 28 - Spoon.

Day 29 - Fashion (missed). Day 30 - Star. Day 31 - Bucket List.

Follow me on instagram @justjinny.

Cauliflower Nachos

Jeremy shared a link on Facebook to a video of how to make cauliflower nachos. He thought maybe we should give it a try, so I made some last night.

First, let me tell you, you do not need a video to make these nachos. It is just about the easiest thing ever in the history of ever to make.

So what you need is:

1 head of cauliflower
1 cup fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 tbsp. salsa
3-4 tbsp. guacamole
Olive oil spray
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cumin
Chili powder
Salt and Pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 425.

Line a baking dish with tinfoil, spray it with the olive oil spray. Chop up your head of cauliflower, try to leave the pieces larger to mimic tortilla chips. Spread the cauliflower on the baking sheet. Spray the cauliflower with the olive oil spray. Now, I seasoned the cauliflower with garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. But you can really use whatever you like. Bake for 20 minutes.

Pull the pan out and top with one cup of shredded cheese, put it back in the oven and bake at 400 for another 10 minutes or so (you want your cheese nice and melty, but don't let your cauliflower pieces burn).

Serve up with cauliflower nachos onto your plates and personalize. We used salsa and guacamole to top off our nachos, but again you can get creative (just be sure to add anything extra into your WW tracker).

As the recipe is right here, it was 4 SP for half the pan. Not bad on points, so I could probably add a little chicken or black beans or fat free refried beans OR splurge on regular shredded cheese and it would still be ok on my points. I'm going to be honest and tell you that I don't think there is anything on earth that can really replace regular ol' corn tortilla chips. And I'm not going to tell you this was just like regular nachos, because it wasn't. However, it was still very good and satisfying. I would make it again in a heart beat.

If you make it and change it up any, let me know how it turns out for you.

Frozen Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

Someone (Stacy, I'm looking at you) tagged me on this Weight Watcher recipe for a frozen chocolate peanut butter pie. She told me I should make it and review it on my blog. Who am I to say no?

What you'll need:

A graham cracker pie crust (the recipe actually had you get crumbs and use some butter and milk to make your own crust...but I am lazy)
12 tbsp. Chocolate peanut butter powder (I found mine in the protein supplement/healthy food section of the grocery store)
6 tbsp. water
1/4 cup Weight Watchers whipped cream cheese, room temp
1 Weight Watchers giant chocolate ice cream bar, melted
3 cups light whipped topping

Combine the chocolate peanut butter powder and the water. It isn't smooth, at this point, but just mix it up the best you can. Whisk together the cream cheese and the melted chocolate bar, add that to the peanut butter mixture. It should start to smooth out at this point, but there might still be some lumps. Fold in the whipped topping and pour the whole mess into the crust.

Put it in your freezer overnight or for several hours. I cut mine right out of the freezer and I had to really work at it, so you could probably let this thaw just slightly before trying to cut it to serve.

The recipe says that it's 5 SP for 1/12 of the pie. I am here to tell y'all that eating only a 1/12 piece of pie is an impossible task. So...I cut mine into eight pieces and said the heck with it.

It was worth every point. So good, so easy, and so delicious during a super hot Texas summer day.

It's August!

People! It is officially my birthday month!

Two months ago, I told everyone want I want for my birthday this year. For my 36th birthday I am raising money for animal rescue. So, for June and July I have badgered and begged all over social media for pledges.

My goal was to raise $496, equal the $ amount for every day of this month. And as of right now, I have collected $703.50 in donations! *que the glitter cannons*

We blew my initial goal out of the water. I am amazed and humbled. But, I don't want to call it good. We still have a whole month. And I'm feeling ambitious. So, I'll still be badgering and begging all over social media for this month. Who knows, maybe we will manage to raise $1000.

If you'd like to donate to my big birthday fundraiser, you can do here: gofundme.com/bigbirthday
Every dollar counts and it's all going to a very worthy rescue.

Ask, and you shall receive

 

Black bean and butternut squash enchilada casserole

 

 

What you'll need:

 

2 cups butternut squash, cubed

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 can corn, drained and rinsed

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Salsa, enough to cover the bottom of your baking dish

6 whole wheat tortillas, small

1 cup light sour cream

1 cup enchilada sauce

Shredded cheddar cheese, fat free

Cumin

Garlic powder

Chili powder

Salt and pepper

 

Pre-heat the oven to 375.

 

Line a baking sheet with tinfoil, spray down with non-stick spray. Place the butternut squash and bell peppers on baking sheet. Toss veggies with olive oil and season with cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Roast for about 30 minutes or until the butternut squash is fork tender.

 

On the same baking dish, combine the corn and black beans with the roasted veggies. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Put enough salsa to cover the bottom of your baking dish (I used a 2.5 qt. Corningware dish).

 

Place two tortillas down, add some of the veggie mixture, add some of the sour cream (it doesn't have to totally cover the layer under it), add some of the enchilada sauce, sprinkle on some cheese. Repeat those steps until you have filled your baking dish.

 

Cover with a lid or tinfoil and bake for 25 minutes.

 

Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes.

 

This will service 4-6 people, depending on how big you cut the pieces. We just cut ours into four pieces, so one serving was 9 Smart Points.



Stitch Fix #3 and that's a wrap.

Well, this will be my last Stitch Fix box. It was fun and exciting to anticipate the arrival of my Stitch Fix. But the actual products being sent to me were leaving me slightly disappointed.

I did everything I could have done to convey what I needed from Stitch Fix. I kept my Pinterest Style board up to date. I sent feedback on each item. I adjusted my style profile and price point. And after three boxes, I feel like they were only half listening.

First issue...the items were just too expensive. I let them know that when I would checkout. To which I got a generic email from Stitch Fix suggesting that I update my price point in my profile. So I did before I received this last box. But the price point for my items didn't change. So, while I love the gray top and the distressed jeans and the cardigan. I couldn't afford to keep all of them. I can't spend $48 (which was the lowest price in the entire box) for one item. I just can't. Especially when I feel like I could get items similar for far less at a store here in town. I did end up keeping the cardigan from this box, which was $48, but only because I had a $25 credit that I could apply towards it (thank you, Vicki). At this point, I feel like the only way anyone could continue to use the service is if they work hard to get several referrals to offset the cost of the items (or if they have a lot of spare cash sitting around). And, honestly, I'm a sucky sales person on a budget.

Second issue...my style. I'm not sure how many times I mentioned that I didn't want items that I couldn't wear a normal bra with. But I know it was more than once. And yet they kept sending me items that have necklines and or straps that would require a strapless or converted bra. Listen, I know there are tons of women out there who do not have a problem with wearing a strapless bra or a bandeau or a cami with a "built in bra"..but I'm not one of them. I asked for statement necklaces, and the above is what they sent me. I'm not trying to say the necklace is ugly, just not what I was thinking of (which reflects in the Pin's I added to my Pinterest board). And again, the cost of that necklace doesn't match the size or quality of the piece. I asked for a kimono, for the last two boxes, but didn't get anything of that nature. I asked for a purse, possibly a crossbody, but didn't get any type of bag. And the two pair of shoes they sent me were really quite ugly compared to the styles I have seen Stitch Fix share on their social media accounts.

So, while it was fun for a minute, and I'm still glad I tried it, I sent my email to officially cancel my Stitch Fix account (you actually have to email them to fully cancel your account, by the way). I'm going to stick with shopping via Instragram boutiques.

Did someone say Taco Tuesday?

Ok..ok....so, I didn't exactly make tacos for Taco Tuesday. But it's in the same vein, so I'm gonna' count it.

Salsa Chicken Chulupas!

Y'all, these are so, so good. And so, so easy.

This is what you need:

~ chicken breast, skinless, boneless. I used two chicken breasts (and we have left overs). You can judge if you need more to feed your family.
~ a jar of salsa, any salsa will do. I've been using a chipotle citrus salsa you can find at HEB. It is out of this world good. Now, keep the amount of chicken you are using in mind here. You want it to be fairly saucy, so if you are using a lot more chicken you might need more salsa.
~ box of tostado shells (we used the Ortega brand, Rhonda....she asked me earlier and I couldn't remember)
~ one can, Fat-free refried beans
~ pico de gallo
~ shredded lettuce
~ tomatoes, chopped
~ shredded cheese, Mexican blend
~ cumin seasoning

So, in the morning, throw your chicken (I put mine in frozen) and salsa in a crockpot, top with some cumin. Turn on low and let it cook all day. Now, if your crockpot runs hot, hot, HOT (bonus points if you read that in the voice of Ruby Rhod.....extra bonus points if you know who Ruby Rhod is), you might have to turn it on later in the day or move it to warm later in the day. Use your judgment based on your equipment.

At dinner time, shred up the cooked chicken and return it to the crockpot. Warm up the refried beans on the stove. Once they are warm, slather a thin layer of the beans on the tostado shells. Top with some of the chicken.

After that, you can get creative with your toppings. We used pico de gallo, shredded lettuce, and fresh chopped tomatoes. You could also add some avocado and black olives. Whatever you like.

Sprinkle a little shredded cheese on top and dinner is served.

*Two chulupas is 10 Smart Points

Let's get cooking!

I joined Weight Watchers about a month ago. Since then I've been sharing my dinner plates on my Instagram account (find me: justjinny) with the Smart Points value. I asked on my Facebook page if anyone would be interested in the recipes I try out. I got enough YES responses back to decide that I'd start sharing my recipes here.

I want to pre-face this by advising I am not a real cook...I just play one in my kitchen. Some of these recipes are made up, altered, and eye balled so my measurements and timing might not be exact. You'll have to use your own judgment and cook at your own risk.

Let me start with last nights dinner.

I'm calling it Lemon-garlic spaghetti with broccoli, chickpeas, tomatoes, and sweet bell peppers.

A mouthful, I know.

I wanted to make spaghetti but without the red pasta sauce and with more vegetables (that is really key with WW...more vegetables and fruit for everything). So I did a quick google search for "spaghetti, broccoli, and chickpeas" and browsed around for a template recipe. The recipe I decided to work off of called for 3/4 cups of olive oil..for a recipe that serves 4-6 people. 3/4 cups of olive oil is 50 Smart Points people. It also called for 1 pound of rigatoni pasta (48 Smart Points), a cup of parmesan cheese (14 Smart Points), and 19 ounces worth of chickpeas (12 Smart Points). Obviously I was going to have to modify this a bit.

So here is what I used:

3 servings of 100% Whole Wheat spaghetti (a serving is about 2 oz. You might have a handy way ot measuring out spaghetti...I eyeballed it)
1/2 can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
2 lemons (for the zest and the juice)
Two heads of broccoli, chopped up into florets (or you can buy the pre-packaged kind)
Handful of cherry tomatoes, chopped
1-2 mini-sweet bell peppers, cut into strips
1/4 cup Shredded mozzarella cheese, fat free
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Italian seasoning blend
Garlic seasoning
Salt and Pepper

Start a pot of water to boil, be sure to salt it.

After draining and rinsing the chickpeas, throw those in a small bowl with half of the olive oil and about half of one lemon's juice. Zest a little of the lemon on it too. Add salt and pepper and set the bowl aside.

Once the water is boiling, throw in the broccoli and let them soak in there for a couple of minutes. Remove the broccoli with a slotted spoon to a colander and rinse under cold water. Add your pasta to the same boiling water and let it cook until it's however tender you like it.

While the pasta is cooking, in a large skillet heat up the remaining olive oil (I know it doesn't look like much, but it's enough) and add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until garlic is golden. Add the broccoli, tomatoes, and bell peppers to the skillet and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the bowl of chickpeas and cook until heated through. This is a good time to add more lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning. It's all to taste, so do it up however you like.

Drain the pasta, but keep about 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Add the pasta and the water to the skillet with everything else. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until everything is coated with the "sauce". Now, I'll tell ya'll...there really isn't a sauce, really. It's just not thick enough to be called that. But the liquid does have flavor, so that's what you want to try and get all over everything.

Again, take a taste and see if it needs any more seasoning. Add what you need, you'll notice I didn't really tell you where to add all the lemon juice. It's really up to you and what you like. I like a lot of lemon zest and juice, so that's what I used.

Top with the shredded cheese and serve while warm.
It was very flavorful but light...probably because of the fake "sauce". I like all the different textures with the broccoli and the chickpeas. The recipe I started from didn't call for tomatoes and bell pepper, I just decided to add those in there. For a pasta dish, it wasn't too bad on the points. 10 Smart Points per serving of pasta. The original recipe would have been at least double that. Overall, for a "let's just add this and put a little less of that" type of dinner, it ended up being a pretty tasty meal.

Sometimes..

It's the 4th of July. My Facebook and Instagram account are full of pictures of people doing the normal 4th of July stuff. Everyone is out at the lake watching fireworks, gathering for the family BBQ, getting ready for the pool party. But not us.

Sometimes, when the world gets to be too much..when life gets a little too stressful...we retreat to our love cottage. So, we made big plans for the long weekend which revolved around not having to step a foot outside our house.

We did yard work. We read books. We watched some of our favorite shows. We bbq'ed and made s'mores. We listened to music. We enjoyed our back patio and hammock. We picked vegetables from our garden. We stayed up late and slept in (or at least I did..lol). And each night, we crawled into bed saying 'That was the best day ever'.

Sometimes, doing "nothing" is exactly what we need to recharge so we can turn around and face the world again. Not all the time, but sometimes.

What I can do.

If there is a day to act on the Love in your soul it is today, it is this moment. ~Mike Dolan

The tragedy in Orlando has me and my husband shaking our heads. We have sat in this very office and talked all the way around the issue, over and over and over.

Why did he do it? Was he part of ISIS? Was this a hate crime? Or terrorism? Who was his intended target? Why was it so easy for him to get such a powerful weapon? Why does this keep happening?

I don't know all the details. And, frankly, I don't need to know ALL the details. Because what it comes down to is this. He was a hate-filled man. And he was able to hurt a lot of people with an easily obtained powerful weapon. That's it.

It doesn't matter what color his skin was. What religion he was. Where he was from. Who he claimed to be part of. What his motives were.

He was a man.

He killed a lot of people.

With an easily and legally obtained powerful killing machine.

So, of course, that leads us right into the never-ending "gun debate".

Why do people even need to own those kind of guns? Just because they want to? Because it's their "constitutional right"? Why can't the government find a way to make it a little harder for people to get those guns? Why does nothing ever change? Why do we keep allowing this to happen?

And that brings us to money. The government body will never move towards any type of bill/law that will hinder the NRA's ability to sell guns (any guns...all the guns). Because the NRA has lined enough pockets with enough money to make it so. As long as that type of bribery is allowed to happen in our government, nothing is ever going to change. And I don't see that happening any time soon.

So, after all of that discussion...when he and I have talked it all the way around..to realize that there is nothing we can do to fix this...I'm left feeling broken, sad, disappointed, angry, and useless.

I keep asking myself...what can I do? What more can I do than change my Facebook profile pic and post my thoughts and prayers (hashtagged, of course)? I have no faith in my government. I have no faith that my vote would ever make any difference (because of the money in the pockets...remember). So, on that level, I am totally and utterly pointless.

But, what I can do is always strive to be better to the person next to me.

At work, at the grocery store, in my neighborhood, on my social media accounts. I can always try and be the love that this world so desperately needs. I can always try to remember to look outside of my self-absorbed little bubble and not be shy about reaching out to those around me.

I can always try to be kinder. To be more helpful. To be more loving. To be more understanding. To be more compassionate.

And, like Jeremy says, 'That will have to be enough'.

Big Birthday Fundraiser

Is anyone else tired of all the bickering on social media? I do not want to see another thing about public bathrooms or gorillas. It's not that I don't think topics should be discussed...it's just that on social media rarely does anyone ever really discuss anything. It's more like a bunch of people being in a big room just screaming their opinion at the top of their lungs.

I want to talk about something else instead. Animal rescue. Anyone that knows me knows that I have a huge soft spot for rescued animals. I don't really agree with breeding or purchasing "designer breed" animals for a ton of money. I am 100% pro-rescue/shelter adoption.

My birthday is coming up....in two and half months...but I need the time to try and get this set up and get the word out. Usually I am a pretty big diva princess when it comes to my birthday. I want to celebrate all month and I want ALL THE PRESENTS. And cupcakes. And cake. But this year, I want to try something different.

I want to try and raise money for an animal rescue. I want to try and get pledges, at least one for each day of the month of August. $1 for day 1, $2 for day 2, $3 for day 3, and so on. If I can get one person to pledge for every single day of August, we could raise nearly $500. But if I get more than one pledge for a day, I'll gladly accept that. More pledges equal more money. After collecting pledges for the next two months, I would set up a Gofundme account to be opened at the first of August and hopefully start collecting the pledged donations. At the end of the month, I would announce how much was raised and donate it to my animal rescue of choice.

And that rescue would be A Place to Bark, located in Tennessee. Bernie is an animal rescuing machine. Along with a handful of worker bees she makes magic happen for many, many animals. Please feel free to check out their Facebook page, read the posts and watch the videos. It really is a worthy rescue that can use every single bit of help.

SSSoooo, that's my big birthday fundraising idea. I'm officially opening up the fundraiser to pledges. Just comment your name, email, and which day you'd like to place your pledge. If you don't specify a dollar amount, I'll assume you are pledging the amount of the day you select (August 6th would be a $6 pledge). Remember, a pledge is just that...a commitment to pay the pledged amount in August. To kick it off, I'm pledging to pay $36 towards my fundraiser..since that's how old I'll be!

Target Beauty Box #2

DDaaaaammmnnnn, Jonessa...back at it again with the Target Beauty Box.

Once again, I came home to a Target Beauty Box that I was not expecting. My girl, Jonessa, did me another solid and sent it to me. I have the best BFF ever.

This box seems geared towards skin care. There are four different kinds of moisturizer/skin creams and two facial cleansers. Not that I mind. I've been trying to get myself into a habit of cleaning and moisturizing my face in the morning and the evening. My sister brought me some Mary Kay cleanser and moisturizer that I've been using lately. 

I'm game to try it all, but something tells me you cannot turn back time {Cher knows}. My face is what it is. But I still need to take care of my skin the best that I can. So, I used the CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser and Andalou Age Defying Night Repair Cream last night.

The facial cleanser comes out as a clear liquid and you have to rub it in your hands to get it to foam up. It has a slight soapy smell but nothing overwhelming. It was light and gentle on my face. I'm not a big makeup wearer so I couldn't say how effective this would be to remove all of your makeup. The repair cream came in a sample tube that distributes it like a spot treatment. So it was a little strange to try and get enough to apply all over my face and neck, as the directions advise. But it looks like the normal size comes in a pot, which makes more sense. It wasn't overly greasy and absorbed very quickly into my skin. It also had a very mild scent..almost no scent. Which was a little strange too. I guess if you are very sensitive to scents, these products would be great.

Those are the only two products I've used so far other than trying on the L'Oreal Paris Colour Riche Lip Pen in Matte-r of Fact. I liked this shade much better than the red lipstick that came in my first beauty box. Again, I don't wear a lot of makeup and I don't normally wear lipstick at all, but lip gloss. This is the first time I've tried on a matte lipstick. When you are used to something being a little more shiny and wet, it's a different kind of feeling. But it went on very smooth and stayed put.

I'll get around to trying everything else in the box, but two other products that I am super excited to try are the Hair Food Kiwi Dry Shampoo and L'Oreal Paris Sublime Bronze Towelettes. I'll report back after I try them out.

Stitch Fix #2 {Updated}

I wasn't expecting my next Stitch Fix box until Friday at the earliest. So, it was a nice surprise to come home yesterday and find it waiting for me on the kitchen table.

I like to think of my first Stitch Fix box as a 'getting to know you' box. The stylist are trying to figure me out so I opened it with that in mind. The styling of my first box wasn't spot on, and that's ok. I provided as much feedback as I could in hopes that this next box would be tweaked. And I wasn't disappointed. I can tell that this box has been styled to try and match my taste.

Item #1 - BC Footwear Dash Slip-on Sandal ($60) - {return}

These slip-on sandals aren't really my style. I found them to be a little clunky on my feet. Someone else might love them, they would go with many things. Very easy to just throw on but looks a little more put together than flip flops. But they just aren't for me.

Item #2 - Kut From the Kloth Hadleigh Wide Leg Denim Trouser ($80) {kept}

I mentioned that I was on the hunt for the perfect pair of trouser jeans. So my stylist (who is different than the stylist from my last box) sent me these. The fit is spot on (I'm not sure how they are doing that), but the length I'm not sure about. These are petite and I can't decide if they are too short with heels/wedges (see top photos) because they are slightly too long to wear with ballet flats (see bottom photos). What do y'all think? Would I be ok wearing them with my wedges? They don't look too short do they? If I couldn't wear them with my wedges then I would have to get them hemmed up slightly so I could wear them with ballet flats.

I need your advise!! Help a sister out!

Item #3 - Fun2Fun Katniss Crochet Yoke Top ($44) - {return}

I love the pattern of this shirt. The crochet detail at top is different and unique. I'd probably keep it, but the bottom hem of this shirt was a little tight around my hips and booty. So the style is right, but the fit was just a little off.

Item #4 Pixley Edolie Mixed Material Top ($54) {return}

I like this top a lot. It's more casual than the other tops in this box, which is fine with me. It's comfortable. I like that it has contrasting sides. I know it's hard to see in the photo, but it has a little bit of a hi-low hem, the back hem is longer than the front hem. I could dress this up or down.

Item #5 Daniel Rainn Sheera Split Neck Knit Top ($58) {return}

Another cute top that could easily be dressed up or down. It's not as casual as the top above and it's less of a "tank top" style, so I could probably get away with wearing this blouse to work.

I really loved that all the tops in this box were easy to throw on and go, but they all had really great pattern and color to them. The shoes were another miss, but that's ok. I'm really torn about the pants. They make me look skinny, so there is that, I'm just unsure of the length. I have a day or two to think it over before I decide. Tell me what y'all think of this box.

I ended up returned all the tops. I just couldn't justify the price of them. I adjusted the pricing on my style profile so we will see how my next box turns out. I did decide to keep the jeans. Everyone told me I should, so I listened to them.





If you'd like to try Stitch Fix, please use my referral link to sign up.

The red headed man with a witch for a wife

As we've been watching the Outlander series on Starz, Jeremy has found himself connected with the character of Murtagh. He is no nonsense, extremely loyal, has a robust disdain for all things froofy, and he likes to settle minor disagreements with a good punch in the face. Jeremy says, 'If only all disagreements can be settled that way. One punch and done.'

So, I updated my Facebook status with "Jeremy's spirit animal" and shared this photo:

And shortly after I received this text from him:

{insert a bunch of heart-eye emojis here} *swoon*

 Someone has been memorizing the '10 tips for husbands if your wife is obsessed with Outlander'. 

Vacation Revelations

We recently went to Florida for a family vacation with my mom and sister. My mom turned 60 and what she wanted to do was go to the beach. So, that is what we did.

We had a great time visiting my aunt and the beach was great. I didn't have a concern in the world about wearing my bikini while we were there. I didn't obsess over who might be looking at me, what they might be thinking about me. I didn't feel self-conscious at all...until I saw the pictures.

Photo-bombed by my bat arm

I'm really glad that I was able to enjoy myself in the moment. But..I'm not happy with where I let myself backslide to. If you're a new reader you might not know that a few years ago I lost 60 lbs. At my heaviest (known) weight I was 211. I've done very well at maintaining, for the most part, but I have found over the last year that the weight is creeping back on.

Near my heaviest weight

Near my lowest weight

My current weight

I've put on about 20 lbs from my lowest weight. And it's not like I didn't know it was happening. The scale doesn't lie. But I was turning a blind eye to it, putting on the back burner. Until yesterday..for the first time since I lost all the weight I couldn't wear a top because my arms were too big.

Talk about eye-opener. As I sit here, if I listen to my body, it's telling me it's not happy. I'm not comfortable, just sitting here.

So something must be done. And it will start with re-evaluating what I'm eating and how much of it I'm eating. I wish I could say with confidence that this will be easy...since I've done it before...but I'm not so sure that will be the case.