I realized I have a handful of weddings this summer so what a better opportunity than to shop! (I know, right?, from the girl whose closet is practically overflowing…) I wanted to share a few affordable dresses for Wedding Season! or really any semi-formal occasion of the summer 😉 And generally my definition of “affordable” is under $50!
Polka Dots – Super in for the season, and SO many colors & styles to choose from. Considering these recommendations are for wedding guest dresses you wouldn’t want to outshine the bride! So I linked a few subtle options.
Oversized / Prominent Buttons – Super in for the season! And I’m hoping these stay in style for a while, because I’ve invested in ….let’s say a few!
Jumpsuits – I love a good romper but struggle with jumpsuits due to the length of the inseam (I’m 5’10” just as a reminder) But these are certainly cute enough and fancy enough to jazz up for a summer wedding!
Midi Dresses – Not a maxi / Not a mini / Not even knee length… I didn’t think these would be my thing because I feel like below the knee dresses kind of cut off the leg line. That was until I wore one. Love, love, love!
Lilac – Ok so this may not be the color of the year, but I’m obsessing over it for one of the weddings I’m attending in a few weeks! I love these couple choices from Nordstrom & Macy’s. The AX option runs large, so I’d order a size down. The one I wore fits TTS.
The Little Black Dress – A twist on a classic LBD – Honestly, can you ever go wrong with an LBD? Love the extra detail that these selections offer!
Y’all. I have been in and out of airports more often than I would like the last couple weeks, and have at least 3 more trips within the next month!! Check out my Adventures for details. So I wanted to share my top 12 must have airplane travel essentials with you!
1. The Right Bag – I absolutely love this Vera Bradley Weekender bag. Let me give you a little background. I went to Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and packed for an entire 10 day trip in a carry on! (It helped that the clothes were smaller – it’s warm there, you get it.) But this bag was crucial. It has a strap that allows it to slide onto the handle of your roller bag, and it’s amazing – if you’ve never had one like this before. There is a side pocket padded extra for electronics, separate interior pockets for toiletries, etc., and I just can’t get enough. I’m so dependent on the storage that this bag actually has for any of my trips – foreign or domestic!
2. Neck Pillow– I’m tall and awkward. I hate sleeping on planes, but sometimes you just have to – especially for a trans-continental flight; I love this particular neck pillow because you can adjust the positioning & shape of the pillow, and can utilize it in different ways (around your shoulder, sleeping on your tray table) and aren’t limited to sitting upright with it.
3. Eye Shade – A must for overnight flights, or really long flights you plan to sleep on. I got this cute sleep mask (that I also use at home) for a bargain on Prime!… and then I found the cutest one with sequins!
4. Ear Plugs– (a must on an overnight flight) – Need I say anymore? Not that the white noise of airplane engines won’t knock me out, but the ear plugs help with everything else.
5. Chargers / Battery Pack – I absolutely love this guy because it ALSO charges my Apple watch! I don’t have to take apart my charging station on my night stand, and instead just bring this guy along with me. I prefer the white but it’s available in a black too.
6. Book to Read / Things to Do – I don’t sit still & do one thing very well for more than a period of an hour or two. I love to have a few options available for me, so I tend to take my tablet loaded with movies, series, etc. I’m currently reading “Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered: A Definitive How To Guide” written by the hosts of one of my favorite podcasts. And if you’re not much of a reader, Amazon Prime has some of my faves! (If you haven’t watched the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel – it’s hysterical!) You can get a 30-day free trial by clicking here.
7.Head phones– My preference is wireless. Simply because they keep all the cords out of the way! I love these earbuds, and if you’re looking for a larger noise cancelling headphone, these are cute and affordable!
8. A Water Bottle – I don’t know about you but I absolutely hate paying $5 for a bottle of water at the airport! I always have an empty re-useable bottle with me and then fill up once I’m through security. I prefer one with a screw on lid vs a spout/straw for drinking, and I’m a little anti-plastic if I can help it. I’ve had issues with those leaking on airplanes, (and unfortunately into my bag!) too many times, so I’ve converted. I linked a couple cute reliable ones.
9. Cleansing Wipes – I don’t know about you, but after several hours of travel and multiple planes/airports, I feel gross. If a shower isn’t an immediate option, a quick wipe down with some great little scented wipes can work wonders.
10. Makeup – I may be just a total weirdo over here, but I always carry on my makeup with me. I would hate to lose it or be without it out of inconvenience. And buying all the pieces again would be a pretty penny! I prefer clear cosmetic bags because I can see what I’m reaching for, and this one’s TSA approved. 😉
11. A Great Travel Wallet – This clutch comes with a removable wrist strap, and is designed to carry tickets, passport, cards, and even your cell phone! Love that it’s so stylish and functional. It’s available in over 15 colors, super affordable, and comes with the RFID protection so your info stays safe while traveling.
12. Electronic Organizer – If you’re anything like me, you have multiple devices (iPad, lap top, apple watch, phone charger) that require multiple cords, which can turn your bag into a tangled mess! I love this electronic organizer because it helps to keep all my techy items organized!
And those are my top 12 must have airplane travel essentials! What items do you always travel with? And what did I forget??!
My girlfriends from college & I graduated about 10 years ago (whaaaaa? Where did the time go?) And now that we’re all married…. we need an excuse to get together every year. We went to Oklahoma State (*Go Pokes!), and most of the girls live in Oklahoma and Texas – I’m the oddball over here in Colorado. This year, we decided to get together for a girl’s weekend in hill country!, which is otherwise known as Fredricksburg, Texas.
I flew into Austin, and the girls picked me up for the drive down. They had their hearts set on BBQ so we started at The Salt Lick. Now, I understand this is some of the most famous and delicious barbecue around. This, unfortunately is wasted on me because BBQ is just not my cuisine, but I had a delicious chopped beef sandwich that was absolutely huge – everything is bigger in Texas!, so they say!
We wrapped up lunch and headed on our way to Fredericksburg. One of the girls picked out a charming Air B&B where we stayed. If you haven’t used air B&B yet, give it a shot! I’ve been very impressed the several times we’ve used it for group trips!
Dinner/Drinks on Friday was at a local restaurant & brewery – Altstadt Brewery – We made a reservation for 8:15pm as we’d gotten into town around 5. This was a mistake. This place closes at 9, and was practically empty by the time we arrived for our reservation! Our server was particularly patient and great, but he was the only one of the staff that didn’t seem frustrated by our presence… I had a large pretzel, and a beer flight. This was plenty for Friday because there was wine on the way!
Now, Saturday was our big day! The 290 Wine Shuttle has buses every 10 minutes that stop along a select number of vineyards off highway 290 (where all the wine is 😉). I’m not sure if there’s any way to stop at all of the wineries and return home standing?! So we stopped at a few select ones that are known by their good reputation to kick off our girl’s weekend in hill country! Tours run from 10am-6pm. We chose to stop at 4 wineries and spent nearly 6 hours only exploring four.
This Tuna Melt was Delicious!
But first, lunch. We stopped at this local place called Woerner’s. The menu was very eclectic! All the sandwiches & paninis looked so good it was difficult to choose. I went with a Tuna Melt, which was amazing. I can’t wait to go back for more! The restaurant was shabby chic, and was sort of in the front room of an interior design/furniture store.
One odd thing I noticed about this town was that many of the storefronts served a dual purpose (Hair salon / Coffee Shop; Wine Bar / Retail Store) And it was everywhere! This was one of the little vignettes inside Woerner’s – Yes, our lunch spot!
Baron’s Creek Vineyards- Stop #1 called for a tasting and some Rose! We had to wait to do a tasting, so of course, we went for the bottle…. Loved tasting the wines here, they offer a White/Light tasting and a Red Tasting. I’m the oddball out that got the lighter tasting, which was awesome. Of the wineries we visited, this one was the priciest tasting, but the grape juice was definitely worth the squeeze! 😉
Becker Vineyards– Stop #2 – Offers free tours! We learned so much from our guide about how they make wine (white and rose and red, oh my!), why & how they barrel age, and for how long! Some of them are over 2 years. If you live in Texas, you can find many of these wines locally. 🙂
Messina Hof Winery – Stop #3 – They have a Prosecco flight here which I would highly recommend! Check out my instagram for the boomerang video (Hey, we were winding down for the afternoon, so the photos became fewer & fewer!)
Fiesta Winery – Stop #4 – Such a fun concept, though I wish we had gotten here earlier in the day! The names of their wine and the artwork is so clever. I had a special rose, and tasted a sweet watermelon wine, which was delicious, but a little too sweet for your girl!
We were starrrrving after our day of drinking and went to “the best Mexican place in town”. Not bad, as I’m always on the lookout for good Tex Mex. (Can I have everything smothered in cheese?) Hondo’s on Main
Believe it or not, we were pretty exhausted after our day of drinking so we headed back and hot tubbed it up for the rest of the night. We had an early morning and several of us had a long drive home, so we kept Saturday night relatively calm!
More cheese please! Cheese Enchiladas…. WITH Queso. What?… I was on vacation.
Sunday was time to get up and move out. Most of the girls had quite a few hours to drive home, and so we stopped over for brunch at Rathskeller Restaurant. I had a half order of biscuits & gravy which was plenty! All those restaurant portions are too big anyway! As we were leaving, I noticed that it’s actually into (or next to) the basement of the former town hospital. There’s so much crazy history here!
So what did I miss? Where else would you have gone? And if you have extra time in this part of the world, take some time to peek around Austin, TX if you’ve never been.
Just a heads up: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting me!
Hello Friends, if you know me at all, you know I love a good sale! So, I’m taking you with me for my first *yes, first* shopping experience for the 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.
“Why on earth is it your first?!”, You ask? Well, I never shopped at Nordstrom until we moved to Colorado a few years ago because we didn’t have one locally, and as you already know I’m a tough fit sometimes! Unbeknownst to me, Nordstrom shopping was one of the best things that ever happened to me because they offer both free shipping and returns, and have some of the best customer service I’ve ever experienced! So, keep on reading for my top tips & best advice on shopping the sale. Hopefully it works to my advantage!
I’m a big fan of shopping online because I don’t have to go sifting through racks at the store, when they will inevitably be out of my sizes. Instead I sort by my sizes, and colors, etc, and shop by what’s available in my fit- makes sense, right? At times the in store shopping can feel like a wild goose chase! And with Nordy’s free shipping & returns, there’s really nothing to lose!
More perks: Nordstrom cardholders get to shop 1 week earlier than the general public!, So, this year I went ahead and applied for a store card – strictly for the early access! (Snag yours here & get $60 in store credit if you shop the same day you’re approved!) Early access will open up on Friday, July 12 at 12:30pm EST, and the sale opens up to the public on July 19. The Anniversary sale ends on Aug 4, and prices will go back up! So if you’ve got your eye on something… grab it before it’s gone because it could sell out!
I’m planning on snagging a few on trend pieces for the fall, that I wouldn’t normally buy at retail — and definitely not this far ahead of the cold-weather game! (We just hit summer temperatures like a week ago! – ha!) Be sure to check out the catalog for a Sneak Peak at the 2019 Sale items! Here are a few items from the catalog that I have my eye on:
Be sure to follow me on the Like to know.it app and add your favorite items to your wishlist so that you can grab them as soon as they go on sale! That way you won’t miss out. 😉 I’ll be posting finds throughout the week on my profile.
And because I’m an equal opportunity shopper, I’m linking a few other items I’ve got my eye on that will be included in the sale! What are some of your favorite pieces to shop for?? Or what did I miss??! Stay tuned for more updates to my LTK profile and both the blog for more 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Finds!
I wanted to share a family favorite with you all. I think of this as a comfort food because we ate it so often growing up, but with my background in nutrition, I’ve lightened up the fat and increased the fiber in this healthier version of my dad’s Tater Tot Casserole.
This was one of my favorite meal since I was a kiddo, and I think I learned to cook the original version when I was about 11 years old – or whenever it is that you’re old enough to be unsupervised in the kitchen.
Our OG recipe was made with Italian pork sausage, the creamy soups, and the tots. Pretty basic & straightforward. No frills. As most of my meals involve a strategy to include more veggies, I of course did the same thing to this comforting dish to have all the deliciousness without all the fat and a few added extras. That being said, this is a healthier version of a classic comfort food 😉)
So, to start the tater tot casserole, you will want to preheat the oven to 400 degrees, spray a 9×13″ cooking dish with cooking spray (set aside), and begin cooking the ground meat. I prefer to use a ground turkey sausage, so I have to do less seasoning, but you could totally use a plain ground meat if you were looking to reduce nitrates or sodium, and season to your preference.
Nutrition Tip! – I often hear my patients claim that they use turkey sausage vs pork sausage when trying to reduce sodium, but the reality is that the turkey products are generally only lower in fat, and sometimes even higher in sodium!
While the turkey is cooking, chop your veggies. I like to chop these in varying shapes so it’s not totally uniform. Onions square, matchstick peppers & pie shaped zucchini. I know, I’m a weirdo. But food is all about eating with your eyes, right? Colors, shapes…. ok, ok. I digress.
Once the turkey is cooked and any remaining liquid has been drained, add the pepper & onion, and cook for about 3 minutes until the onions and peppers begin to soften and become slightly translucent. At this point, add the zucchini (and mushrooms), and cook for 2-3 minutes more until the mushrooms & zucchini are only slightly cooked.
Now, I have a protester of mushrooms in my house – but I LOVE them in this dish! So, after the veggies are softened and mixed with the ground turkey, I sautee a few mushrooms just for me, and only put them on half of the casserole.
Once you’ve got all of your veggies cooked, spoon them into the pre-greased casserole dish that you set aside earlier.
Here’s the less healthy part of this recipe – the “cream of” soups. I prefer to use a mushroom and a celery, but you can really use any kind of your choosing. You will then proceed to dollop the creamed soups on top of the meat/veggie mixture until evenly covered. Spread it around like you’re frosting a cake.
After this step, simply place the tater tots on top of the cream soup and it’s ready to put in the oven! Full disclosure, I accidentally bought a smaller bag of tots than I generally do, so you can go heavy on the tots or not. I prefer more potato though!
Cook the casserole for 35 minutes or until the tots are beginning to brown. At this point, remove the casserole from the oven and top with some shredded cheddar cheese. You can go as light or as heavy as you like here – just remember that the more cheese you add, the less ‘light’ the dish will be. 😉 I go heavy or go home…. (This is also how I differentiate the side with the mushrooms. More mushrooms = more cheese…. in my household anyway!) Cook for about 5 more mintues or until the cheese is melted.
Once cooled, dish it up and enjoy! Full disclosure, I was so hungry after making this, I didn’t even garnish it – whoops!
Tater Tot Casserole
admin
A Favorite Comfort Food, with a few healthy swaps & additions
Spray the edges of a 9×13" casserole dish with cooking spray to prevent sticking
Begin by browning ground turkey in a skillet over medium heat until cooked through. No pink should be remaining. Drain off any remaining liquid & discard.
Add the chopped onion, sliced bell pepper, chopped mushroom, and chopped celery and continue to cook until onion becomes translucent.
Once cooked, add to the bottom of a 9×13" casserole dish and spread evenly across the bottom of the dish.
Spread cans of soup evenly across the top of the meat & vegetable mixture, and cover completely.
Top with tater tots placed in the soup in an even layer, and cook for 35 minutes in the 400 degree oven.
Once the tots have browned, remove the dish, sprinkle the 1 cup cheddar cheese mixture over the top and put back into the oven until the cheese is melted, about 5-10 more minutes.
Allow to cool, and enjoy!
Notes
Feel free to reduce the sodium further in this dish by using plain ground meat, and seasoning with salt-free seasonings! Also, my vegetable choices are simply what I prefer. Feel free to add or eliminate per your preferences. *Chopped celery is a great addition!*
Keyword casserole, tater tot
Give it a shot and let me know what you think! Do you have a family recipe for tater tot casserole? (Or do you even call it that?!)
Just a heads up: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting me!
First of all, have you discovered dry shampoo yet?? It was a total game changer for me! Coming from a girl who has super thick, but fine hair, dry shampoo reduced my morning routine (hair washing and all) by 30 minutes! I’ve been using it for nearly 10 years, and don’t know that I could ever go back to the days of every-other-day hair washing. (It seems like such a chore now!) So, here’s my story and my dry shampoo review for you!
As a girl who started with baby powder in college, (just to cover up the greasy roots! on days I didn’t want to wash THE FRONT of my hair…) I quickly graduated to commercially available aerosolized products.
These have exploded on the market over the last few years, so how would a girl know which one to choose?!? And trust me, more expensive does not always equate to better quality.
I scoped out a few budget friendly brands at a few easily accessible stores (Target, Walmart, Amazon Prime — that’s available everywhere right?) But seriously, if you haven’t tried Prime yet, you should invest – it’s totally worth it. Get a 30 day free trial by clicking here. All these brands are available for less than $5!
Full Disclosure:
[As a bit of a disclaimer, I have fine, dry hair, but I have a LOT of it. It’s thick. And luckily for me, I live in a very arid environment, so the lack of humidity allows me to go a long time without a hair wash. I also did not change any of my other hair washing/styling products during this trial except the brand of dry shampoo. A serious experiment y’all!]
And because I’m a great big nerd, these products are scored on my own personally invented star system:
1 Star – Price Point <$5
2 Stars – Availability – Product is readily available (supermarkets, beauty stores vs online order or difficult to find)
5 Stars – I would 100% endorse the product and plan to continue purchasing for myself!
Not Your Mother’s Clean Freak Dry Shampoo – Unscented — ($2.99-$4.50, Amazon (2-pack), Target, 5 stars)
I’ve been using this product for years. I generally buy the unscented style because I don’t want to be too odorus. I’d vote this is a steady go to product for dry shampoo. It’s exactly what you’d expect. Takes the grease away almost immediately, and feels texturizing at the same time. During this trial it lasted me until day 6!! (I know)… and I was still getting compliments on my hair!
Pantene Pro-V Sheer Volume Dry Shampoo ($4.99, Target, 2 stars) This one was immediately strange to me. It’s an aerosol, and goes on damp. It dries quickly like hairspray, but I’m not sold on the product – very mild scent that was not overwhelming. By day 4, the product was no longer leaving my hair with any volume… it looked clean-ish but was very flat. Time for a wash and on to the next!
Truth be told, this one surprised me at first. It had a super interesting odor, which you want to be sure to like because you don’t want to be smelling your hair all day if you don’t like the scent! And I realized I had ordered coconut scented! This one was fair. On use 1 it was excellent, but by use 3 I felt that there was some build up in my hair and I was ready to give it a good wash.
I haven’t used many TreSemme products, but this one was a winner. I give it 4 stars. This product lasted 4 days between washings and smelled great, compared to some products that can smell a little like chemicals. Overall I was pretty pleased with this guy and it initially felt dry and texturizing when I sprayed it on. A winner in my book!
Lasted 6 days! I was really impressed by this product! That’s 6 days including about 4 days resulting in sweaty hair workouts. I’ll add that this product actually made the hair look dry, and not dull/gray like some products can do. I will definitely purchase this product again, and would highly recommend it! This product is not only perhaps the winner of my dry shampoo review, but was also a beauty winner per Allure magazine.
I would call this guy adequate for about 3 days. The smell was great, but I didn’t feel like it added much texture or kept the oil out very long. I used it twice in one day most days I used it; applied in the morning and then again in the afternoon, so I imagine the full container would go quickly if it’s needed twice per day. I’d give it only 3 stars.
Surprisingly, this bargain buy has worked wonders! I’m always skeptical regarding the cheapest buy, and I was not a huge fan of the scent initially, but this product has been incredible! Guys – don’t be grossed out but this brand made it a full week! OMG! By day 7 I was definitely ready for a wash, but my hair still looked decent! – in a top knot anyway. I find that topknots have way more volume with dirty hair & dry shampoo!
This buy was also a fair purchase, and I felt I could only push it about 3 days until I needed to wash it again. Smelled great! Didn’t leave a white residue and is definitely at a good price point. By this point in my dry shampoo review, it was easy to say it was just mediocre and not terribly impressive for my need.
This product did not hold a candle to a few of the others. This dry shampoo was great on first use, but by the second use, my hair was already feeling flat and seemed to be lacking volume, whereas some of the other products ADD volume. I pushed this product to 4 days of use, but probably should have stopped at 3. On the bright side, it does smell nice!
I’d love to hear what your favorite dry shampoos are! Have you tried any of these? Would you have included any others in a dry shampoo review? Any feedback with different hair types? **Wishing less hair-washing for all!
