My Favorite Sunrise Smoothie

Now that the weather is beginning to warm up a bit, I am much more likely to make a smoothie for my breakfast after a good work out. I don't know about y'all but I love a good smoothie. I can drink one down and feel full and satisfied {if I am having one for lunch I usually grab a handful of crackers to satisfy the crunch}! I tend to make one favorite over and over again until I am tired of it. {My old favorite was the Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake}. Lately, I am much more into cramming it full of fruits. This is my latest....and y'all, it is amazing!! I made one for Stephen yesterday and asked him what came to mind as he tried it. He said tropical drink. So, if you want a really refreshing treat and want to pretend you are beaching it for the day, mix one of these up. There is something so refreshing about the combination of pineapple, orange and banana. Feel free to mix up the proportions as well according to your tastes. If you prefer more banana, use a whole one instead {I usually stick the other half in the freezer for another smoothie} and use less of the pineapple. If you think it is too thick, add a little more water. I love that about smoothies- SO easy to tweak to your liking!

 I use my Magic Bullet to make all my smoothies. I've had mine over a year, use it all the time. It's held up great. I have also used it for grinding oatmeal, chopping spinach etc. If you are looking for an entry into the smoothie appliance world, I think it's a great one to start with!

SUNRISE SMOOTHIE

1/2 ripe banana

1 heaping tbsp honey vanilla greek yogurt

1/2 cup frozen pineapple pieces

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup water

6 small ice cubes (or 3-4 regular size cubes)

Place in blender or smoothie maker...blend. You can add ice, water or oj according to taste. Enjoy!

Two, Dresses and Easter Eggs

My big boy turned two!!! I really cannot believe it. 

We had the best time celebrating him last weekend and he loved it too. He especially loved digging into his chocolate cake. We got him his own big cupcake to demolish, and then a separate cake for cutting. Before dinner, I placed the big cake on the dining room table and at some point soon after, my sister noticed that half of the truck was missing off the top of the cake. My little puggle...DIXIE....had gotten on the table and snatched part of the truck and the back of the cake. What a bad girl!!

Weeks, you have made me a better person. You light up my day each morning with your sweet smile and giggles. You are so determined, so sweet and the most lovable thing on this planet. I cherish our Mommy and Weeksie cuddles {and selfies} even if we are the only ones that ever see them. I am so proud of you munchkin! 

{last summer}

Megan mentioned this adorable dress last week and I was so intrigued. Available here for full price, or available here for a fraction of the price...as in $22. I love the print and love the price even more, so it is on it's way to me! Fingers crossed its truly the good deal it seems like.

I saw these adorable Easter eggs and I really might have to make a big bowl of them for the kitchen table. So cheery and fun, and a little different! I especially love the little pineapples! 

We had a GLORIOUS Spring day yesterday and barely came inside. It was awesome. Hope you all had a great weekend!! 

Wednesday Wisdom

Need a mid-week pick me up? Me too. Come along friends....

Have a great day y'all :)

J.Crew Wish List

All the sudden I am loving some J.Crew. Funny, because there was a brief time earlier this year when their Spring arrivals were not really looking that appealing to me and I could only find a few things I really loved. Doesn't hurt that everything is 25% off through today, right? Use code SPRINGSTYLE at checkout, oh and free shipping too!

Metallic Marcie Sandal

I had two gift cards with some money left on them so I ordered these! I am so excited. I think they will be so versatile, from pairing with white jeans to sun dresses. Loving this style for this year.

Jet Set Geo Shell

Would be adorable with white jeans...I love a cute blouse/top with white jeans. It is by far my go to outfit during Spring and summer. 

Sleeveless Side Zip Top

This is such a Katie top. It reminds me of this super cute top I wore the week of our wedding for a party. It was the same fabric but had a big bow swooping across the top. Still adore that thing. 

Indigo Gauze Popover

At first, I thought this seemed a little dark but this color is everywhere for Spring. It really is crisper than the traditional chambray. Of course, it would look fabulous with white shorts and tan or metallic sandals.

Fringe Tassel Earrings

These are another that didn't scream Spring to me at first, but now they are speaking to me. I would put them with a white dress or a pale pink. I can't say no to tassels.

Fish Board Short

Lastly, how cute are these shorts for the little man? Adorable.

Also, I mentioned these before but I love this pretty coverup in lilac and this beaded top which is already on sale, plus you get the additional discount. 

Happy Tuesday! Hope it's a pretty day for you all!

Geraniums, Watering Cans + Garden Stools

We had a little taste of Spring this weekend and it was so sweet. For years, my favorite season has been Spring until lately. The last several years, we have had really rainy, dreary and cold Springs...which is not what I usually resonate with my favorite season. Other than allergies, I love everything Spring: I am smitten with flowers and plants budding, warm days and cool nights, the feel of the sun, pastels and bright colors and switching up to lighter summery meals. We have wrapped up our bathroom project {for now} and are looking forward to working on many outdoor projects soon. I am thrilled to get outside and focus our time there. As I mentioned before, a majority of last year was spent weeding out the old, and now we will have time to plant the new and make it our own.

Last week, it was another freezing cold one with plenty of days full of fog and misty rain. Enough to make me scream! I was in serious need of a dose of Spring and I spotted some geraniums at Wal-Mart of all places. I remembered a sweet neighbor lady telling me last summer that she has had the same potted geraniums for at least 8 years. She places them outside in the summer and takes them in during the cold fall and winter. Eight years? That is practically a pet! I seriously doubt mine are going to make it past the summer but I am willing to give it a go. They are brightening up my kitchen like nothing else right now and I love it. I also found three Snowball Viburnum plants on clearance and quickly scooped them up. See my post on those here, I so miss mine from the old house! Anyway, I am seriously looking like a crazy indoor plant lady with my geraniums, Christmas cactus and several others I don't even know their names. Since I have all these plants, I'm definitely adding a brass watering can to my mud room ASAP. I mean, these are decor, but they serve a great function. Sooo cute. And, if you are on top of your game, go ahead and scoop up a pretty watering can {or two} for Mothers Day! 

clockwise: Vintage Polished Brass Watering Can /  Dainty Copper Watering Can / Brass Plant Mister /

Rusty Watering Can {only 12.95!} /  Copper Watering Can {only $23!} / Copper and Brass 2 Gallon Watering Can / Metal Turkish Watering Can 

In other news, I also added a "pin it" button on my images..finally! Duh!! Sorry these things take so long around here. {Hover over the photo and the "pin it" button will appear in the top left corner}. It's hard enough carving out some time to pull a well thought out post together, but it is so enjoyable when I do.

If you stop by Wal-Mart, check out their garden stool section as well. Because they look amazing in beautiful colors, are pottery-ish and are a whopping 39 dollars. I'm trying to decide where I can put one!

Shop Bop Sale Loves

The Shop Bop Sale started yesterday and there are some fabulous finds as usual. For those not familiar, take 15% off your order of $250, 20% off $500 and if you are really looking to spend...{lucky you!} take 25% off $1,000. Use code BIGEVENT15 at checkout. I would consider upcoming Spring events you need a dress for, and staples like a great pair of sandals for this sale. Here are my favorites....

Flat Thong Sandal

Oh hey, pretty little sandal. You would look good with a simple dress, going to evening cookouts, or just to work. Love!

Moore Thong Sandal

If you want to invest in a pair of Tory Burch sandals, you should consider doing it now! They are hard to find on sale, last forever, year to year. I've had my favorite pair for years!

Romper
Love this simple romper! Great price even with out the sale discount. Sooo cute.

Shirt Dress
Adore this shirt dress. I love a simple dress that you can dress up or down. It's already on sale and you would get the additional discount!

Ruffle Strapless Dress
I borrowed my sisters dress that was very similar to this, several years ago. Absolutely loved it. This color is SO pretty for Spring!

Recipe Update + Meal Deals

Last week we had an icy {not snowy..ugh} afternoon and it was the perfect opportunity to run by the grocery store for my favorite taco chili recipe. Once I was inside Harris Teeter, I noticed the meal deal of the week was on ingredients that were obviously meant for a pot of chili. 

Have you ever paid attention to the meal deals at Harris Teeter? I try to make it a point to check them out. They feature "meals" you can throw together that are at a reduced price when you buy all of the items {about 5-7 items for less than $10} , usually based on the time of year. For instance, last week it was chili, during the summer time it might be based around something you can cook on the grill.

Anyway, I still wanted to make my taco chili, but I ended up buying everything on the meal deal {7 items for around $9...all items that I needed for my chili, with the exception of sweet tea} It was ironic how almost every ingredient coincided, except the meal deal included ground turkey, and my recipe called for several chicken breasts. It was a no brainer to swap those ingredients and try out something new at the same time. I still had to pick up a few other things but it was a huge bargain in my mind!

To see the original recipe with my changes, see here. {Fun fact, by far THE most pinned post and pageviews of my blog ever. Crazy?!} The only thing I changed was using ground turkey which I cooked about an hour before serving and just added it to the chili. I also used what I had left of the frozen corn in the freezer, not matching the entire quantity I needed but it worked out fine. I haven't made this chili in a while but I think I am hooked on the turkey version. It was amazing!

Have you used a Harris Teeter Meal Deal before? I'm definitely going to keep my eyes peeled from now on for ways I can incorporate their deals into our meal planning. By the way, this was in no way sponsored, just really fond of this deal :)