Weekend Recap


This weekend was super relaxing and relatively uneventful considering how crazy the last month has been. On Friday, my work-wife :) Stephanie and I went to dinner at Tender Greens and shopped for a little bit at the UTC mall. It was nice to just hang out and chat!
I stopped at the macaron stand 'lette before Stephanie got to the mall. I took down all 6 of those by myself. Whoops!
I went to Sephora and picked up the Sephora Favorites- eyeliners. So far I have only tried the Smashbox one so I am excited to see how I like the others. 

On Saturday, I worked out at Orange Theory and I am so happy to be back! I was on a weird hiatus for awhile there but I'm back to being addicted. I already signed up for 5 classes this coming week. I need to make it habit once again... it's so crazy how fast your body gets out of the whole workout mode. I spent the rest of the day cleaning, putting up some fall decor, grocery shopping, and running other errands. I know it sounds so dorky but I love getting things checked off my list, it makes me feel accomplished. 
Post-Orange Theory workout selfie
Toasted Graham latte... mmmm!

On Saturday night, I used my beloved Clarisonic, Purity cleanser, and I tried a TonyMoly Brightening face mask. It was super refreshing and so different them the rest of my masks. I'll be using this again soon!


I attempted to make homemade english muffins on Saturday night too and it was a half- fail :( They tasted delicious but they all turned out a little burnt. I wish they looked as good as they taste! 



My outfit for Sunday. It was nice and chilly when I left for church.

I made Giada's House soup from the Food Network magazine. SOOOO GOOD! I'll post the recipe later this week

Soaking wet after church because of the crazy down pour!
Crockpot Pumpkin Spiced Lattes

I spent the rest of Sunday running a couple more errands, watching movies (because of the amazing rainy weather), and I worked out at the track. I ended my night with by Facetiming with Katie, Breyen, and Baby Davey. So fun!!


I'm sorry if the rest of my pictures aren't super exciting but it was a very laid back weekend. It was probably really good for me to have some downtime and not have a bunch of crazy plans. I hope you all had a blessed weekend! 
Happy Monday!

Five on Friday

Whew, this week is almost over! It went by so fast! I'm ready for a nice relaxing weekend with LOTS of downtime. I'm having dinner with a dear friend tonight and I'm ready for so much needed girl time.   I hope you all had a wonderful week... here's to the weekend!
As always I'm linking up with AprilNatashaChristinaKarliErikaNarci, and Andrea :) Happy Friday everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!



One- Scandal


Scandal is back on and I'm so excited! I have been catching up on Netflix and WOW this last season was so crazy. I can't wait to watch the two episodes I have recorded from this new season. Is anyone else an Olivia fan? I would hate wearing heels all the time but I would sure love her wardrobe. She always looks amazing. What's your new favorite show in the fall line-up??

Two- Toasted Graham Latte

photo source

The new Toasted Graham Latte from Starbucks is seriously delicious. I think it's even taken the place of my coveted PSL. Crazy right?? It's not too sweet but still has that rich fall flavor. It's even really good iced! Go try one asap!

Three- My Fall Wreath


I made a wreath this week and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. It's not the most amazing thing I've ever created and I'm definitely still a beginner at the whole wreath thing. I think it's a good start though. :) It adds a nice touch of fall to our front door. Ignore the fact that it's not centered haha. 

Four- Shift Dress

Excuse my awkward selfie face lol... buy the dress here.
I bought this taupe shift dress at Forever 21 not too long ago and I LOVE IT! It's super comfy and so easy to just throw on. I can't wait to wear it with ankle boots when it ever decides to cool down. I know, I know... I'm a broken record, I'm sorry! The dress is also a little longer in the back which is always a flattering look. You also can't beat the under $20 price tag... love!

Five- Glam Glow Power Mud Dual Cleanse Mask

Buy it here

I talked about my fave Glam Glow mask a few weeks ago but I've also had my eye on the Dual Cleanse treatment. I got an email from Amazon this morning with the Deal of the Day and it just so happens it was the mask I've been wanting for awhile. It's normally $69 but it was on sale for $37!! I was so excited and I ordered this bad boy right away. It should be here by Saturday. Gotta love that two day shipping! I'll keep you updated with how I like the mask and how it compares to the other two I've tried. 

I'm looking forward to leisurely drinking coffee while going on walks, baking some delicious cookies, decluttering my house, and getting out all my fall decorations this weekend. Maybe if I wear enough plaid and make my house look like fall the weather will suddenly become cooler?? :) I hope you all have a blessed weekend!

My Monthly Mash-up: September

What I am wearing:

I've been loving bright colored and patterned shorts. They just add a fun element to my typically very neutral outfits. The shirt from above is also a beloved Old Navy favorite from this summer. It's very swingy and comfy while also giving you some sort of shape. Sometimes those baggier tops can make me look larger than I am, but I think this one does a good job of still making me look like I have curves. Unfortunately, they don't have it on their website any more. I FINALLY got to wear a plaid shirt this weekend so I figured that's enough to call it a favorite right lol?? I LOVE  plaid shirts and I plan on living in them this fall. This plaid is also from Old Navy, shocker! 

What I am reading:

I finished three more books this month. WOOT WOOT! I finished Circling the Sun by Paula McClain earlier in the month and I posted a review on it here. Such a great book but a little slow in the beginning. I also finished Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll, which was a serious struggle for me. I've had this book for months but it was also put on the back burner for some reason. I'm glad I finally finished it but I'm unsure if I loved it or not. Once I got into it I couldn't put it down but it was also super disturbing. I like happy books and the ending to this one was just so strange. I have been recommending it to people though so I guess I liked it haha.
 The Idea of Love by Patti Callahan Henry was a super easy read. It was a sweet love story set in the south. What's not to love?? I am currently reading Astronaut Wives Club, Summer Secrets by Jane Green and A Praying Life. I'm really liking all three books even though they are completely different. I know it probably sounds so strange that I read more than one book at a time but sometimes I crave one type or book over the others.

What I am planning:

We have had the CRAZIEST month so I'm happy to say that I only have one planned (okay maybe two) out-of-town weekend(s) this month. YAY! I'll be heading to Tahoe in October for a wedding and then to Vegas the following night for another wedding. It will be kind of a crazy weekend but I'm happy I get to celebrate such special days with my friends. Mark will be out of town for a few weeks but I'm hoping we will have time to go up to Julian for some apple pie and to see the leaves changing. 

What I am watching:

Big Brother is finally over. I loved watching it but kind of got bored of it by the end of the summer. Mark and I have both been loving Fixer Upper on HGTV. Chip and Joanna (the hosts) are seriously the cutest couple ever and we pretty much want to be them lol. They are goofy and fun and just love each other so dang much. Plus their home and the work they do on other homes is incredible! You have to go check out the show if you haven't already. Also, I LOVE Joanna's style... it makes me want to live somewhere cold so I can layer in cute clothes too. 

What I am craving:

I am craving cooler weather. This heat wave just won't stop! I was loving life in Half Moon Bay last weekend because of the perfect weather. It was overcast and brisk in the mornings (just like it usually is here) and the air was cool for the rest of the day.
I am also craving sweets. I've had such a sweet tooth lately and I am in the mood to bake. Since I will have some down time this weekend I plan on making english muffins and some pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. YUM!

What I am eating:

This month has not been the healthiest for me. We have eaten out SO MUCH and I feel like I've barely cooked. I am definitely not one of those girls who chooses a salad when I go to a restaurant. I usually go for a juicy burger and fries. I have no will power lol. We've eaten some delicious food this month though, from sushi and steak on our nights out to Mexican brunch bowls and tacos at home. I'm hoping to be able to cook a lot more this month {cross my fingers}. With Mark gone I usually eat breakfast for dinner several times a week but hopefully I will be able to try some new recipes too. Also, I have still been loving the La Croix sparkling waters and this month my favorite is the passionfruit. So delicious!!!

Crazy About Cookbooks Part 4

I'm continuing my cookbook collection/ wish list series. If you love to cook or are interested in finding out about cookbooks continue reading below. You can find the first, second, and third posts by clicking not the links. **Click the number words to see the post. I hope you enjoy my mini-reviews :)

What I've been looking at...


Juli Bauer's Paleo Cookbook

I have been reading the blog PaleOmg for some time now and I really like Juli Bauer. I love how she is unapologetically herself and she cracks me up with her honesty. She says what's on her mind and keeps it real. She posts recipes all the time on her website and I've tried several of them over the years. She also posts Fashion Fridays which I love! She has the cutest style and her body= goals lol. Does that make me sound creepy? But seriously she is in great shape! I have been looking forward to her cookbook especially because it's paleo. We try to eat paleo at home as often as possible. It's a little harder to do this when we're out and let's be real, I love ice cream and pizza lol. This little guy will be joining my collection sometime in the near future.

Update: Juli came to San Diego for a book signing and I missed it :( I was so bummed that I couldn't go. To check out her book tour click here.

From my collection...



Buy it here

Two in the Kitchen By Christie Dufault & Jordan Mackay

This is what I consider my fancy cookbook. This book is a collection of recipes from different couples and has lots of tips and stories to go with each. They tell you what they first made for their spouse and the kind of meals they like to cook. They also include different ideas on how to cook as a couple or for a party. I love that they set the scene of the party too, for example the kind of music they will play and how they will have freshly poured champagne waiting for their guests. It makes me want to throw a dinner party asap. I consider it my fancy cookbook because they make the meals sound so grown up and elegant. I'm not going to lie, some of the recipes sound very intimidating but for the most part they are totally approachable. I've made several things from this cookbook including this brownie cake. It was so yummy! This is a great one to help step up your cooking game.



My Go-to Side: Roasted Sweet Potatoes


One of my go-to side dishes is roasted sweet potatoes. It's just such an easy side to throw together and always tastes delicious. I change up the spices and other veggies I add to the sweet potatoes but they are always the shining star of the dish. Last week I had a sudden change in dinner plans when I realized the chicken didn't smell just right {yuck!!} so I pulled out the tri-tip and some sweet potatoes. I love to roast the potatoes with bell peppers and onions but I wanted to save those for the kabobs I was going to make later in the week. I decided to dice the potatoes and roast them with olive oil, maple syrup, rosemary, salt, and pepper. It was so simple but also so yummy!

Here is the quick and easy recipe:

4 small sweet potatoes
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
1- 1 1/2 tablespoons of maple syrup
1 teaspoon of rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Then peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into a small dice. Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, maple syrup, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Spread onto a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. **It's important to lay the potatoes out flat so they don't overlap. This will help them cook more evenly. Place in oven for thirty minutes and stirring half way through. Turn up the temperature to 450 degrees for 5-10 more minutes. This will help the outside to be nice and crispy. I learned this trick from Lindsay at Seven Layer Charlotte. She has great healthy recipes and if you haven't read her blog you should check it out asap! I hope you enjoy this simple but yummy side dish.