What I Wore

Hello, my friends!  I am late getting this out today because my sweet girl is home from her senior trip, and I have been listening to story after story!

Check out this Dress Sale going on over at novaeclothing.com right now!

1. Tier  - Purchase $24.99 - $39.99 = $10.00 Off your Dress Only Purchase!

2. Tier - Purchase $40 - $64 = $15.00 Off Your Dress Only Purchase!

3. Tier - Purchase $65 - $175 = $25.00 Off Your Dresses Only Purchase!

All Purchases Over $100 Receive FREE SHIPPING 

No Promo Code necessary!
Ends June 2, 2014.

Look at the darling choices:

 Swimsuit Cover Up Dress

Ruffle Waterfall Maxi Dress

Ruffle Wrap Dress

And I can't resist sharing this new Sheer Floral Sleeves Top . . .

And here are more adorable earrings from lilyasher.com . . .

And last, but not least are two more fun finds from zulily.com . . . 

Which item is your favourite? Need more fashion inspiration? Hop on over to the link-up at The Pleated Poppy.

Blessings and love. xo

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Weekly Menu Plan {26 May}

First, I just want to say that I have thought so much today about all my military friends and especially those soldiers who have given their lives for our country and freedom. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. And in the midst of remembering and having the day off work or school, I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable holiday. We had friends over for a BBQ this afternoon. The weather was as warm as we've seen so far this spring, and we were able to sit outside part of the time, thanks to a slight breeze. The sunshine was therapeutic.

Here's my menu plan for this last week of May:

Monday - Memorial Day BBQ, which included beef sausages and chicken on the grill, corn on the cob (contributed by friends), green beans, dill potato salad and a relish tray. We also had two kinds of cake for dessert (contributed by another friend).

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - PB & J

Thursday - Nachos

Friday - Not sure yet (but Happy Anniversary to us!)

Saturday - Not sure yet

Sunday - Snack-y supper

Sorry, it's not too interesting or varied this week. That's how it goes at the end of the month, sometimes, eh?

Have a wonderful week!

Blessings and love. xo

Coups For Troops - Don't Throw Away Your Expired Coupons

To all my fellow couponing friends in the States: Don't throw away your expired coupons!!! 

You can put your expired coupons to good use, and I wanted to take a minute to let you know how! There is a wonderful organization called Coups For Troops, started by founder Stephanie Almasy in 2011 after she learned that our US troops overseas can use expired coupons in their commissaries and PXs up to six months past the expiration date. They are serving hundreds of military families in 10 countries all over the world. How great is that?

I love supporting our military families. They make so many incredible sacrifices and serve our country in ways that we many never even realize. They truly have my utmost respect and admiration. This is one small but thoughtful way to give back to them. So when it's getting close to the end of the month and you're sorting through your coupon stash, do not throw away any manufacturer's coupons, including Catalinas and Internet printed coupons. Instead, put them in an envelope and drop them in the mail to Coups For Troops. They have Mail-In Satellite Offices all over the country. They also have Drop-Off Locations. Or if you are interested in being matched with a military family overseas, that option is available, as well, through the Direct Mail Program. 

I have personally had the opportunity to send coupons to Coups For Troops a couple of times now, and I love knowing that my coupons, whether they came from the newspaper or from my printer or from an in-store offer, will go to some of our dedicated military families all over the globe, instead of in the recycling bin. 

Blessings and love. xo

Linking up with Virginia Bloggers.

What I Wore

Hello Friends! How is your week going? 

I have more cute ideas for your spring and summer wardrobe this week. Take a look . . .

I love this great Party Mayfair Dress from Boden.com!

Have you heard of lilyasher.com yet? Oh, swoon! Here are their Lime Green Dots Earrings:

This is another of my favourite styles: Pollock Earrings

Check out this fabulous Viva Necklace from ilycouture.com. I love all the colours! 

And don't miss the newest summer item from noVaeclothing.com. I want these new White Boyfriend Jeans! They will go with so many tops and blouses. White denim just says "SUMMER"!

I'm linking up with What I Wore at The Pleated Poppy. Come join the fun!

Blessings and love. xo

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Weekly Menu Plan {19 May}

I'm late posting this week. We've been getting Emma ready to leave on her senior trip, and thus, I'm behind in my blogging. I still cannot believe my baby is graduating from high school. Seriously, it flew right by! {sob} I am so thrilled that she has the opportunity to go on this excursion - and maybe she'll let me share a few of her photos with you when she returns. Go make some new memories, sweet girl!

Here's what I have planned for the rest of the family this week:

Monday - Emma made donuts (again!) and we just snacked.

Tuesday - Salmon with Bok Choy and Apple Slaw (I never got around to making this last week.)

Wednesday - Crock-pot Tortellini with Sausage and Spinach

Thursday - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches, veggie tray

Friday - Homemade Pizza, salad

Saturday - Snack-y supper (Maybe these delicious looking Buffalo Chicken French Breads.)

Sunday - Something on the grill

What are you cooking this week? 

I'm linking up with the menu planners over at orgjunkie.com. Come on over!

Blessings and love. xo

What I Wore

Hello Lovelies!

I'm sharing more fun finds from around the Internet again today! 

From jane.com:

From landsend.com:

From zulily.com:

From purpleperidot.com:

From amazon.com:

And last, but not at all least . . .

From novaeclothing.com:

What do you think? Will any of these cute items make it into your spring wardrobe?

Hope your week is going well!

Blessings and love. xo

Linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. By using my links, you are blessing my family. Thank you for your kindness!

Weekly Menu Plan {12 May}

Hello! Happy Belated Mother's Day! I hope you all had a lovely day and weekend. What's going on for your new week? We are enjoying the warmest weather we've had all spring. I think they're calling for 90 degrees Fahrenheit tomorrow. This rental house happens to have a pool (woohoo!) and the pool company came today to uncover it and start working to get it ready for swimming. We are beyond excited! I envision lots of pool parties and BBQs this summer. 

What's on your menu for this week? Have you switched to mostly grilling or crock-pot cooking, due to the warmer temperatures? 

Here's my plan for this week:

Monday - We are having some amazing leftovers that Emma brought home from the wonderful restaurant where she works! And Emma has been working on this recipe all day, which we hope to have for a fun dessert.

Tuesday - BBQ Turkey Burgers, sweet potato fries

Wednesday - Pan Seared Steak Rolls, salad

Thursday - Baked Southwestern Egg Rolls, guacamole and salsa

Friday - Salmon with Bok Choy and Apple Slaw

Saturday - Snack-y supper

Sunday - Something on the grill!

Have a wonderful week!

I'm linking up with Laura for Menu Plan Monday.

Blessings and love. xo

Relay Foods

(Photo cred: Relay Foods)

Virginia Friends, this one's for you! Allow me introduce you to Relay Foods. 

What is Relay Foods, you may ask? Relay is the online grocery store where you’ll find the things you need from the best local stores, restaurants, and farms right in your own neighborhood. They’ve partnered with folks you may already know to provide all your grocery shopping needs—from basics, to specialty foods, to local produce, to… you name it! Instead of driving all over town - or multiple towns - order online and pick it up from a central location, or even better, have it delivered to your door. Fresh produce, eggs, milk, nuts, honey, bulk items, meats, salsas, yogurt, snacks and more!

I picked up my very first Relay Foods order yesterday and am so pleased with the surprises that came in my box! I wasn't sure what produce may be growing yet, since it's been a cool spring here in Northern Virginia and all that I had seen at our local farmers' market over the weekend was asparagus and lettuce. Maya went with me for the pick up and we were both delighted to find two bags of spring mix lettuce, strawberries, radishes - red and white, kale, asparagus, tomatoes and cilantro in our box! 

I had a lovely chat with Julie, the staff member on truck duty today. She informed me that Relay pays farmers 70 cents on the dollar (which, in case you are not aware, is about 60-70 times more than a regular grocery store pays). That is impressive. I love supporting local farmers.

Does anyone else get excited about the colours and smells of fresh produce? It's all so gorgeous and the strawberries, especially, smelled heavenly. I'm so glad my kids eat veggies. They were just as excited as I was to see what came in our box.

I went straight home and made a salad with homemade dressing for supper. Delicious!

If you are interested in this wonderful company, I want to highly recommend them to you.  Go here to place your first order and receive $30 off when you spend $50 or more. If you have any questions, please let me know.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for your kindness!

What I Wore

Happy Wednesday!

I had a very fun surprise yesterday when my sweet Emma gave me an early Mother's Day gift. Remember when I mentioned that I had put this shirt on my wish list?

Well, Emma apparently reads my blog, or well, maybe I showed it to her online once, or who knows. But she remembered and ordered it for me with her hard earned money! Such a sneaky girl!

I love it and am proud to wear it! And after almost 22 years of marriage, I somehow keep surprising Bob with my chic but eclectic tastes. He laughed but thinks it's pretty cool.

Here are a couple of necklaces I have my eye on, as well. Both are from ILYCouture.com, which is where to buy the "Wifey" tee.

And check out these cute items from NoVae Clothing. They are just adding more and more adorable pieces all the time.

I love colour and coral is such a beautiful addition for your spring wardrobe. This is the 1/2 Sleeve Textured Dolman and is on clearance right now for only $12.99.

The Shoulder Lace Back Sweater Tunic is also on clearance and is only $14.99. This would be super cute with either jeans or leggings.

And how fun is this adorable outfit! I love the Boyfriend Jeans, the Striped Short Sleeve Tunic and the Striped Fedora. 

What do you think? Which of these items do you like?

I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

Blessings and love. xo

Disclaimer: This post contains my affiliate links. I will receive compensation when you use my links. Thank you for your kindness!

The Mom Conference - 2 For 1 Mother's Day Special!

(Sorry, everyone! I had the wrong links earlier but I think I've fixed them all now!)

Guess what, friends!?! The Mom Conference is back with a special offer just for Mother's Day! If you regret missing this fantastic summit for moms the first time it was offered, here's your chance to get it for yourself - and for a friend. 

I enjoyed and learned from each and every Mom Conference session I have had the opportunity to listen to so far. Abby Smith from twistmepretty.com shares some great tips on hair care and styles. I completely connected with Jordan Page from funcheaporfree.com and her budgeting plan and have just started to implement it for my family. Nine year old Nicolas Come from nicolasgarden.com shares how to get your kids to eat healthier. Rich Christiansen form zigzagprinciple.com shares some powerful advice and personal stories on how to raise rock star kids. And SO MUCH MORE!

Mom Conference Two For One Mother's Day Special Buy Now!

Don't miss out on this special, very limited time offer! Now through Sunday at 11:59pm ET, you can get not One, but TWO Mom Conference packages for the price of one. For only $67, you get one to keep and one to share with a friend. How cool is that? Here's what's included for this fantastic price:

Download all 30 Video Slideshow Presentations

(A $997 Value)

Download all 30 Audio Presentations

(A $497 Value)

Download Hundreds of Pages of 

Mom Conference Transcripts

(A $297 Value)

Plus, you get over 20 Bonus Offers with your order!

Order Now

After Sunday, the price returns to $97.

Blessings and love. xo


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Thai Coconut Soup with Bok Choy and Mushrooms

Oh my word. This soup is heavenly. Seriously. I could eat it once a week, which means you will probably see it popping up on the menu plan more often. I started with this recipe, but it was a little too involved (I don't even own a dehydrator)  and too "raw" for my crew. So I came up with my own version and everyone enjoyed it. Several of us went back for second bowls!


Thai Coconut Soup with Bok Choy and Mushrooms

3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
4-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 inch piece ginger, chopped
1-2 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
2 boxes chicken broth
2 cans coconut milk
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
3 tsp. fish sauce
1 16 oz. pkg. rice vermicelli (I wanted rice noodles, and will hopefully have those for next time, but my little grocery store doesn't carry them, so I used regular spaghetti noodles, which worked just fine.)
1 pkg. mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch bok choy, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt Coconut Oil in heavy saucepan. Add in garlic and ginger and sauté for one minute. Add in cumin and turmeric and stir for one minute. Pour in chicken broth, coconut milk, soy sauce and fish sauce. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add in noodles. Cook five minutes. Add in mushrooms and bok choy. Cook 5-7 additional minutes. Taste to check if salt and/or pepper is needed. 

And if you're like me, add plenty of Sriracha! It makes the world go 'round. 

Enjoy! 

Blessings and love! xo

I'm linking up with Good Tips Tuesday, The Gathering Spot and The Hip Homeschool Hop.

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