Maxxed Out

What happens to your credit cards when you spend too much money at TJ Maxx. Earlier this week I went to TJ Maxx/Homegoods for a cake stand. I left with a cake stand, 2 big decorative glass jars, 2 blazers, 2 shirts, 2 ties, and socks for B. And I almost returned the cake stand.

No self control, I tell you!

1. I did this pseudo juice cleanse this week. I still ate solid foods, but breakfast and lunch was just juice. I posted some of my favorite recipes on Tuesday.
2. That is one of the big glass jars I got. It now serves as my nail polish storage.
3. Since it's still freaking cold outside (its almost April, weather, get in the game!!), I layered up with my favorite H&M blazer and one of my new shirts!
4. Thursday, B was back from his road trip so I decided to celebrate with some wine. Juice cleanse, shmoose cleanse!
5. And since B was home, that meant that I actually made a real dinner. I find myself having jelly beans, granola bars, and/or steamed veggies when he isn't here. I made one of my eMeals dinners, veggie and black bean chili. Delicious!

Other than that, this week was pretty ho hum. I get so bored when B isn't here. I spent one night organizing socks. ORGANIZING. SOCKS. Ugh...it's depressing. B enjoyed hearing about my sock organizing adventure, though. He lovingly referred to it as Sockalypse (like a sock apocalypse). I think it was really more of a sock rapture because some socks were taken and some were...left behind (high five obscure modern Christian literary reference).

Aaaaaaaand I'm done.

I hope you had a fun week! By fun, I mean I hope you didn't spend your nights organizing socks. 

Linking up with H54F and That Friday Blog Hop

Easter Menu

Are you having a small get together or a large brunch buffet this Sunday for Easter? Either way, I commend you! I know how stressful it can be to host any holiday celebration, no matter how big or small.

Fortunately eMeals is here to help! They are sharing 2 amazing recipes for you to try this Sunday!

First, these delicious sounding Orange Muffins.

Click here to print

Even after Easter, these muffins would be great for any breakfast or brunch. I mean, orange muffins and mimosas? Perfect!

Next, a holiday classic, the Broccoli Cheddar Casserole.

Click here to print.

Hmmmm...cheese....what every Easter buffet needs.

And, for Easter, eMeals is offering 10% off any plan! Just enter the code "EASTER". You can read all about my experience with eMeals here. Long story short, it makes my life so much easier! So sign up now!!

Cake Mix Hack

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you probably know that I love to bake. A lot of times, I actually take a lot of joy and pride in making a recipe from scratch. Other times, I don't have the time or the patience.

 

I wanted to make some Springy cupcakes to bring to the office for Easter, but I didn't really want to spend the time making the batter and icing from scratch. So I hacked a Duncan Hines vanilla cake mix and icing and turned it into a lemon cupcake with blueberry icing!

The only ingredients I added to the cake mix were lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla. Then I added thawed and mashed frozen blueberries and vanilla to the icing. If I make a cake from a box mix, I like to add vanilla anyways, just to add more flavor.

Why didn't I just use a lemon cake mix, you may ask. Well, have you had lemon cake from a box? It tastes very artificial. By adding fresh lemon zest and juice, 1) I can control the lemon flavor and 2) it tastes natural not fake.

Moral of the story, if you want to make a fancy tasting cake but don't want to mess with making a cake from scratch, just add some fresh fruit. Like lemon, lime, orange, raspberry, strawberry, mango....the list goes on.

Easy Lemon Cupcakes with Blueberry Icing
Ingredients 
Cupcakes
1 box of your favorite vanilla or white
zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 2 lemons (about 1/4 cup)
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
4 egg whites (replaced 3 eggs)
6 oz. Greek yogurt (replaced 1/3 cup oil)

Icing
1 package of your favorite vanilla icing
1/4 blueberries, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar, as necessary

Directions
Cupcakes
1. Preheat to 350 degrees and prepare a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a small bowl, mix together all wet ingredients.
3. In a large bowl, pour in the cake mix. Pour in wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
4. Using a spoon or ice cream scoop, scoop cake mix into the cupcake pan.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before icing.

Icing
1. Pour the icing into a small bowl.
2. Add the blueberries and vanilla and stir to combine.
3. If the icing thinner than desired, add powdered sugar until the desired thickness.

Linking up with Pinterest Power Party, The Bloglovin Collective, and Thursday Thoughts

We have a winner for the Kate Spade Giveaway!! Is it you!?

Third Wheel

There is a third wheel in our relationship. It’s not a person. Although sometimes it seems like it has a life of its own. Sometimes B gets jealous of it. Sometimes I pay more attention to it than I do him.

I bet you have a third wheel, too. (Hint: you’re reading it right now)

It’s the blog.

B lovingly refers to the blog as ‘Blog’. As if it were a person and its name was Blog. Most of the time when B speaks of Blog, it is in this context:

“Maybe I would have told you if weren’t spending so much time with Blog.”

“When are you going to be done with Blog so we can watch How I Met Your Mother?”

“If you are going to work on Blog, I am going to go play video games!”

“Would you be happier if I left and you could be alone with Blog!!??”

Okay, he didn’t say that last one. But it does kind of sounds like I am cheating on him, doesn’t it?

I have offered multiple times to cut back or quit blogging completely if it would make him happier, but he knows that blogging make me happy, most of the time. And more than anything it is a creative outlet. I would probably be baking, crafting, and shopping just as much without the blog. But instead of telling you all about it, I would be telling him about it. And let’s face it, he’s not that interested.

Maybe I haven’t quite mastered the art of balancing blogging with the rest of my life. I don’t really know if that is possible, since the blog is about my life.

Every time I whip out my phone to take a picture of something, B is quick to remind me that, “…studies show that you take pictures of what you love. How many pictures of me have you taken?”

I definitely never intended this little blog to become a third wheel. I guess I didn’t really understand how much work it is if you want to post something 5 days a week. I commend all of you bloggers who post multiple times per day every day. I don’t know how you do it.

I do know that he is proud of me and this little blog, though. Other than being jealous of the time I spend on the blog instead of with him, he is completely supportive. He took pictures of me for an outfit post a couple weeks ago, and at first he was reluctant because it meant leaving the couch, but once he started taking pictures, he got really into it.

For those of you that feel like you have a good balance between your blog life and your real life, how do you do it? Does your significant other gripe about your blog?

Linking up with Random Wednesday, Wildcard Wednesday

Juiced

Things might have gotten a little out of hand last week. There was a lot of wine, a lot of sweets, a lot of bacon fat. I don't regret any of it, but my it kind of takes a toll on my body now that I am old and crotchety (see yesterday's post).

I felt like I needed to do something good for myself, so I decided that this week I would cut out all processed foods and increase my intake of fruits and vegetables. So I broke out the juicer and got my juice on.

Honestly, juicing is kind of a pain. It takes a lot of time to prepare and buying all the fruit and veggies gets kind of expensive. But it is so worth it! I feel so refreshed and energized. I haven't had any caffeine all day and I never felt drowsy. To make it a little easier, I washed and prepped all my fruits and veggies on Sunday, so during the week I can just pop them in the juicer.

If you have a juicer, I hope I will inspire you to break it out and get juicing. To get you started, here are some of my favorite recipes.

Sunrise juice, so named because it is my favorite juice to have in the morning, is incredibly refreshing and energizing. Plus, it is amazing for the skin.

Ingredients
3 carrots, washed and end removed
1 orange, peeled and quartered
1 lemon, peeled and halved
1/2 grapefruit, peeled and quartered
2 apples, cored and quartered

Directions: throw everything into the juicer.

 

Beets might not sound like the most appetizing vegetable, but they pack a pretty mean nutritional punch. When combined with other sweeter and stronger flavored fruits and vegetables, you won't even realize you are drinking beet juice.

Ingredients
1 beet, peeled and quartered
1 orange, peeled and quartered
1 carrot, washed and end removed
2 apples, cored and quartered
5-8 strawberries, tops removed

Directions: throw everything into the juicer.

This green juice is like a salad in a glass. Unlike other green juices I have had, this one is actually pretty tasty. The lemon and melon balance out the bitter kale to make a very refreshing and delicious drink.

Ingredients
1 handful spinach, washed
1 handful kale, washed
1/2 cucumber, quartered
2 stalks celery, washed
1 lemon, peeled and halved
2 apples, cored and quartered
1/2 cup honeydew melon, rind removed and cut into chunks

Directions: throw everything into the juicer.

I hope you try these recipes out. Also, if you have some favorite juice recipes I would love it if you would share them!

Linking up with Google Friend Conect, Just Beacause Tuesday

Kate Spade bangle giveaway going on now!

The Weekend I Realized How Old I Am

I came to a really harsh reality this weekend. I am getting old. I am becoming one of those crotchety old people who talk about "Back in my day...", "Kids these days...", or "They just don't make things like they used to...".

Okay, I didn't say the last one, but I probably thought it. I guess that's what happens when you turn 28. You become crotchety.

1 & 2. We drove down to Columbia, SC for a wedding shower, but B made us stop at one of his favorite restaurants as a kid, Rush's, for a milkshake...even though it was 40 degrees outside. 
3. I just love the wrapping paper we got for our shower gift so I had to take a picture of it. Isn't is pretty? I could wall paper an entire room with it!
4. After the shower we went out on the town. Unfortunately, this town is a college town, which means most bars are college bars. We had to stand in line to get into the bar, then a group of co-eds cut us in line. That I wasn't too upset about, but it was the attitude that we got back from one of the girls (named Raven, no less), that put me over the edge. We exchanged a few choice words and I think she was totally ready to fight me.
5 & 6. Sunday we all pretty much felt like crap. We can not drink like we used to. So B and I just spent the rest of the day watching basketball, mourning over our busted brackets, and cutting up fruit for all the juicing I am going to do this week.

Told you I have become old and crotchety!

How was your weekend??

P.S. I am guest posting over at Confessions of a Northern Belle about my best Spring Break ever. Which, now that I think about it, will only convince you that I have always been old and crotchety...I promise, I used to be fun!!

P.P.S. Sorry for the excessive use of crotchety.

P.P.S.S The Kate Spade Giveaway is still going on, so go enter now if you haven't already!!!

Linking up for the GFC Collective, Weekend Shenanigans, This Weekend I

Blog Madness Round 1 Standings

64 teams down to 32. Round 1 of March Madness is complete. And we have a couple stand out brackets already. I guess I am not surprised that the brackets of 2 of my awesome co-hosts.

Here are the standings:

Yikes. My bracket isn't doing so well.

But there is still a lot of basketball left to be played!!

Spring Birthday Madness

This is my favorite week of the year. Not only is it my birthday, but it is the start of Spring and March Madness. Literally 3 of my favorite things.

This week did not let me down.

1. I traveled for work Monday thru Wednesday, so that was kind of lame. But when I came home I had a stack of packages waiting for me! I should go out of town more often!
2. One of them was from Kate Spade, and I tried to open it before I even got back to the apartment (I am noticing a theme to my birthday)
3. Even Google got in on the action. Thanks Google!
4. Thursday night, B took me out to a really nice dinner at this restaurant I have been wanting to try since we got here. It. Was. Wonderful. I am still full...and maybe a little hungover.
5. When we got back from dinner, I came home to some beautiful flowers from B's parents. They are now sitting on my desk to remind me that it is Spring, since the weather hasn't gotten the message.

How was your week??

You should go enter my Kate Spade Birthday Giveaway going on now!!

Linking up for H54F, That Friday Blog Hop

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

This muffin recipe came from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite cookbook. I will admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. This recipe replaces most of the sugar and fat with bananas. And I am not a huge banana fan, especially when baked.

But these muffins were a pleasant surprise! I mean, they taste healthy, and they do have that banana taste, but they are pretty good.  And I don't feel that guilty about eating 2...or 3....or 4 with my coffee.

Below is the recipe that I used that is slightly modified from the cookbook version. But only slightly. You should check out Gordon's book if you like making healthier dishes. He has a lot of good tips and recipes in it.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
1 ripe banana
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 1/4 almond milk
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup blueberries, rinsed and drained

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin tin with liners.
2. Peel the banana and mash with a fork in a bowl, set aside.
3. In a large bow, mix the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
4. In a smaller bowl or measuring cup, mix together the milk, yogurt, egg, butter, and banana.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients into the well. Slowly mix together until just incorporated. Don't over mix.
6. Add the blueberries, and fold in.
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
8. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before eating.

Also, go enter my Birthday Giveaway for a super cute Kate Spade bangle!!


Linking up with the Pinterest Power Party, The Bloglovin Collective, and Thursday Thoughts

Kate Spade Giveaway!

Happy Birthday to me!!

And Meredith. It's her birthday today, too...so stop by and tell her "Happy Birthday"!

Because it's my birthday and I like giving stuff away as much as I like getting it, I am giving away this super cute Kate Spade bangle!

I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to giveaway, but once I saw this gem, I knew this was it! It is such a fun color for Spring and Summer and incorporates the Lucite trend that is everywhere. I almost bought 2 so I could keep one for myself.

There aren't a lot of rules for this giveaway, I just ask that you send a little tweet out to the Twitterverse, which you can do once a day for additional entries (but it is not mandatory to tweet every day).

I hope you win!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

What I Want B to Wear Wednesday

If I could change one thing about B it would be his wardrobe.

Maybe you feel the same way about your significant. I don't know that B's wardrobe has really evolved since college. Yes, he bought a bunch of suits and work clothes after graduation, but nothing has really been upgraded since.

The other problem is that B has never really shopped for himself. All through high school and college his mom bought him clothes. Let's face it, his mom still buys him clothes. I don't know that he really understands how to shop for himself. It doesn't help that he is abnormally tall and skinny, so he can't shop in regular stores nor in "big 'n tall" stores. On a recent shopping excursion, even I got frustrated with the limited options he had.

So I have decided that I am going to, slowly but surely, make over B's wardrobe from this to this. Those shirts and pants that are old, ripped, stained, faded, stretched, or (God forbid) pleated will be tossed (or donated). Gradually. Not all at once or B will catch on.

Then every once and a while I will "find" a pair of long pants on sale at Banana or a shirt will magically find it's way into B's closet. By this time next year, he will be dressing like a whole new man.

Here are some looks I would love to see B in.

His Casual Wear by lbralla on Polyvore

For the weekend or just when he dresses down I would like to see him in a more fitted shirt. He tends to wear extra large shirts for the length, but they are really baggy on him. Also, I think its time for those cargo shorts to take a back seat for something a little more mature.

His Casual Friday by lbralla featuring chino pants

B doesn't really have a casual Friday anymore, but he does dress up his casual look if we go out on the weekend or for church. I am on a mission to get B to wear some fun socks (a la RG3), and I think he's actually up for it!

His During the Week by lbralla featuring dress shoes

B has to dress up for work during the week, and while he has quite a few nice suits, I would like to see him in something a bit more tailored. Suits are a huge investment, so this transition will take the most time. In the mean time I can get him some fun ties and maybe some French cuff shirts and cute manly cuff links.

I know, I know...this is kind of manipulative. Don't judge me. I bet you want to make over your man, too. Unless you already have a guy who has a keen fashion sense, then you lucked out! I, on the other, hand have an almost 30 year old that dresses like a frat guy. I think he's actually open to the idea of a "makeover". He has asked me on several occasions to go shopping with him (music to my ears), and will ask for my advice when getting dressed to go out. On a recent shopping trip he even was looking into buying a pair of colorful shorts.

I really am rubbing off on him.

So, be straight with me, am I being a crazy girlfriend fiance for trying to make him over? Would you make over your significant other?

Linking up with What I Wore Wednesday, Random Wednesday

My Thoughts on Video Games

B plays video games. Halo, Call of Duty, FIFA Soccer, Arkam City. You name it, I bet he's played it.

I do not care that he plays video games. Actually, I will go one step further. I like that he plays video games.

No, I am not trying to earn brownie points or anything, I just don't really see the problem with B letting off a little steam now an then and playing video games.

Granted, B does not play into the wee hours of the morning or shirk off cleaning the kitchen to play his games. He is pretty responsible with it and doesn't go over board. It is a way for him to decompress after a long day at work. And now-a-days, these games are so social, that he will be playing and talking with his friends back in Dallas. It is probably the only way he keeps in touch with them. 

But I do feel like B gets unnecessarily judged when I mention it to other girls. I have had some tell me "I am so glad my husband/boyfriend/whatever never got into video games" or "You still let him play video games?"

Yeah, why wouldn't I? It's like any other hobby. I don't have a problem with him playing golf, why would video games be any different. And really, how different is it from spending hours on Pinterest?

No different at all, I say! Except for the violence.

Pinterest can be so violent.

I also appreciate that he does other things that I am not involved in. Maybe it's the only child in me, but I like having my "me" time. And when he goes off and plays Call of Duty or whatever the game of the moment is, I know I can spend a few hours on the blog, browsing Pinterest. or anything I want with out him bugging me or begging for attention (definitely the only child in me).

So, what do you think? Am I crazy? Does your significant other play video games?

Honeymoon Plan D

This weekend, B and I had a very serious talk. There was some bickering. Some name calling. A few F-bombs exchanged.

What were we discussing?

Where to go on our honeymoon.

Basically, B wants to go everywhere. South Africa, Brazil, France, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Argentina, Hawaii, Bora Bora, Aruba, the Caribbean.

Normally, he is the rational one in the relationship so I get to be the frivolous one. But now I am forced to be the rational one, which does not suit me well.

We are getting married in October and taking our honeymoon over Thanksgiving week because I don't have a ton of vacation time like he does. But taking a honeymoon so late in the year means that our options are limited. And needless to say, funds are limited as well. So basically we need to find some place we both want to go to, we can afford to go to, doesn't take forever to travel to, and where the weather will be decent.

Do you know how many places that eliminates? A LOT!

We have narrowed it down to 3 options. We are going to keep an eye out for deals and if plan A doesn't work out, then we will fall back on B, and so on. Here are our options:

Plan A: Argentina

Los Andes, Mendoza, Argentina

Neither B and I have been to South America, so that is a huge plus. Our time frame actually works in our favor for Argentina because it will be their Spring, almost Summer. Also, if we can find a great deal on airfare, then the trip could be very reasonable. Argentina offers a lot of great travel options like beaches and wineries, plus we could explore their cultural and historical sites.

Plan B: Tuscany

Tuscany, Italy

The weather may not be balmy and it may not be a great place to just sit on the beach and relax, but we could probably find a pretty good deal on airfare if we keep an eye out. I have been to Rome and surrounding areas a couple times, but would love to go back. It is a huge con for B though. He would rather go somewhere I haven't been. But I think B would love to explore the area and all the history that comes with it, and honestly I would love to see it through his eyes.

Plan C: Hawaii

Maui, Hawaii

A lot of pros for honeymooning in Hawaii. Same currency, cell phone service works, great weather, relaxing beaches, affordable airfare. The list goes on. B has family friends that own a condo out there, so we could even try to get them to gift that to us for our wedding, which would cut back on some major costs. But both B and I have been there before and I think we would would like to see some place new.

I guess we really can't go wrong with any of those. Plan D, if all else fails, is to just go to the beaches of South Carolina or Florida and live it up BIG.

Did you have this kind of trouble picking out a vacation spot?

Linking up with Travel Tuesdays, Google Friend Conect, Just Beacause Tuesday

Orange Pants

I wore orange pants this weekend. Twice. The same orange pants. Don't judge.

 

1. The weather was beautiful on Friday, so I skipped right over spring and wore a bright and summery outfit.
2. We had such an exciting Friday evening we were home, eating pizza, and watching Fashion Police by 11:00.
3. Fueled by pizza and the beautiful sunshine, I ran 6.6 miles on Saturday morning. My legs, back, and feet are still killing me.
4. My nails got a St. Patrick's day makeover.
5. I was a walking pastel Irish flag on Saturday.
6. What is a St. Patrick's day weekend without beer? More than a little disappointed it wasn't green.

 

7. B and I got our friends a pretty awesome wedding shower gift. I think the groom will love it. The bride will hate it. 

 8. I tried on a bunch of shorts at Loft on Sunday. No, I did not buy all of them, but I wish I could have.

9. I dropped my phone and not it looks like this. <insert sad face here>

10. I picked up a little something something at the mall. Might be for the giveaway on Thursday...just saying. 

Also, I am hosting a March Madness bracket challenge with some blog friends going on right now! Check it out here.

Linking up for:

Weekend Shenanigans
The GFC Collective
This Weekend I