Three Things From The Weekend

Hey y'all! Today isn't a typical Monday. We got our first big snow of the season yesterday and there's no school today. Who knows when my kiddos will go back to school?! Basically, North Carolina shuts down when we get a significant amount of snow. But, I'm not complaining! I love snow and I absolutely love these slow days at home with my family. I'll be sharing more about our family's snow day traditions here on the blog tomorrow! 

Today, I'm sharing three things from the weekend. Since we knew we would get stuck at a home for at least a couple days, we took full advantage of our Friday and Saturday. We squeezed in as much much fun and food as possible (which is basically our two favorite things to do together as a family)! 

1. D O W N T O W N  A S H E B O R O | My husband has some extra days that he needs to use before the end of the year so he took Friday off. The girls were at school so we had a date day together! I dragged him to my workout class, we did some grocery shopping, and then we had a lunch together at The Table. I go there weekly but he rarely gets to join me. We had the best sandwiches, soup, and peppermint lattes. Their food and atmosphere never disappoints!

The girls were in our local Christmas parade (this was Julianna's fifth time) with their dance studio. After we dropped them off at their float, we went to a couple other places downtown, including The Painted Batter. They have the most delicious (and super pretty) sweets! We grabbed a treat for us and for the girls before finding a place to watch the parade. 

2. D A Y  T R I P  TO  W I N S T O N - S A L E M | We have been wanting to visit a few places in Winston-Salem, about a 45 minute drive from where we live, so we finally went on Saturday. I have literally had Sweet Potatoes on my food bucket list for over a year. We had tried to go before but it was closed. Well, it was worth the wait and it didn't disappoint! Sweet potatoes, like you would expect, are in almost dish they serve. You can get a basic sweet potato, loaded with all kinds of unique toppings like pineapple! I got the chicken and sweet potato waffle fries with hot honey. It was delicious! My husband got the pork chop sandwich and it had peanut butter on it! It sounds strange but it was actually a really good combination. It was also on a sweet potato bun! Overall, we give it two thumbs up and we will definitely be going back soon!

We also visited two super family friendly breweries in the downtown area. We love trying new craft beer and we loved both of the places we tried! We went to Wise Man Brewing first and we loved the atmosphere. The parking situation here is great because they have a big parking lot. Easy parking is important to me, lol. We also visited Fiddlin' Fish Brewing Company and they had a lot of really unique beers! I loved the Major Winston's Wheat. We have been to a lot of breweries and these two were two of the best we have ever been to! We loved the beer and the family friendly vibe. 

Our last stop was George's Grecian Corner for dinner. I am a big fan of Greek food so I love trying new to me places! I got my go-to chicken souvlaki and it was so good. The food was prepared fresh and the staff was super friendly. This is a family owned restaurant and has been in business for many years. We will definitely be back when we are in the area again!

3. T RA D E R  J O E ' S | Anytime we are in a town that has a Trader Joe's, we have to go! It's just the most fun grocery store of all time. We love sampling the food and drinks! My kids also love going there because you get prizes if you find the hidden stuffed animal in the store. The unique food and drink options plus the gorgeous flowers and plants, keep us coming back! I stocked up on some of my favorites while we were there, including the peanut butter cups, tomato basil pasta sauce, peppermint pretzel slims, wine, and soup! I also added a few new items to my cart to try out. What are some of your favorite items to buy at Trader Joe's?

Thank you so much for visiting! I hope you have a great day!

S H O P  T H E  P O S T:

Currently Loving

Happy Friday! I hope you've had a great week! We are expecting our first big snow/ice event this weekend so I'm planning a few days of cozy clothes and snacks, of course. I feel like cozy is certainly the theme of what I'm currently loving this week. All I want to wear right now is comfy leggings and oversized sweaters! Anyone else?!

Which of this week's picks is your favorite?!

1. S L I P P E R S | I feel like a good pair of slippers are essential this time of year. Who wants to want on a cold floors without fuzzy leopard slippers on their feet?!

2. L E G G I N G S | Like I said, I'm currently living in leggings! I love the high rise leggings from Aerie. They are budget friendly and fit so well!

3. S O C K S | Camp socks are a must have for wearing with leggings and boots. They are cute AND they keep your feet extra warm!

4. B O W | How cute is this velvet bow scrunchie?! It makes the average ponytail so festive!

5. H O O D I E | I bought this hoodie last weekend and it's so good! I sized up for a more relaxed fit. It's perfectly leggings friendly, too!

6. S W E A T E R | Oversized sweaters until spring. I love this cable knit one, especially in gray!

7. E A R R I N G S | These earrings remind me so much of a similar, more expensive pair that I already own. I love hoops and especially love that these have a little sparkle as well!

8. B O O T S | I have been loving hiking boots and I think this pair is adorable. They would look so cute paired with the camp socks I shared above!

Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

S H O P  T H E  P O S T:

Instagram Roundup

Happy Wednesday! I hope you've had a great week so far! During this busy season, I am trying to stay present and take in all of the little moments. This is easier said than done! But, I am trying to be more intentional about making sure the time I have with my family is quality time. During December, I can find myself just going through the motions. Checking things off my list. I used to put so much pressure on myself this time of year for things to be "perfect" but really that doesn't exist. Not in December and really not ever. My word for this past year has been joy and I have been earnestly seeking joy, on the hard days, the good ones, and the everyday mundane. 

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 ESV

Today, I'm sharing my weekly roundup of outfits and photos from Instagram, including my front porch picture. I don't really do much red in my decor in general and I have a pink front door so I have to get a little creative to make my front porch look festive. I love how it turned out and I'm pretty sure I am going to stick with it all winter long! 

Oversized sweaters are my favorite this fall and winter! This particular one is made out of the softest chenille fabric. I love it!

Hello, new favorite hoodie! It has a longer length (perfect for leggings) and side pockets. Size up one to two sizes for a cozy fit. I had to get this!

Leopard is a neutral! I love mixing leopard and stripes together.

My festive (and budget friendly) front porch! 

Another of my favorite ways to pattern mix: plaid and leopard. Neutral colors make pattern mixing so much easier to pull off!

These sunglasses are my new favorite. A classic style that I think would work for everyone!

Thanks so much for visiting! I hope you have a wonderful day!

My Favorite November Purchases

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend! 

Today, I'm sharing my monthly roundup of my favorite purchases. Like I've mentioned before, having a life and style blog means that I definitely purchase more clothing and accessories that I would if I wasn't running a blog part-time. But, I love finding pieces for y'all that make you feel good and that are practical for your every day life. I like being able to find pieces that are available for you to buy right now so that means that I shop often. 

But, I have also been focusing on investing in classic items that can stand the long haul in my closet. Sometimes (actually quite often and this applies to more than clothes), quality is much more important than quantity. Even though last month was my birthday month, I really didn't buy much. I am trying to be more thoughtful in my purchases and do less impulse purchasing. I've also cleaned out so much stuff house wise and clothing wise. Decluttering is really therapeutic for me!

G L I T T E R  H E E L S  A N D  E A R R I N G S | One of my favorite ways to dress up a look or make it look brand new, is with accessories! Take a basic black top and a pair of jeans plus budget friendly glitter heels and fun earrings for a casual, festive outfit. I have been wanting a pair of glittery heels and I love this pair. They are super affordable and so comfortable to wear! I found the fit to be true to size. These hoop earrings were my Kendra Scott half price pick for my birthday month. You can get any piece for half off when you shop in a Kendra Scott store during your birthday month! I can't personally wear heavy earrings but these don't bother my ears at all. I love them!

B L A C K  J E A N S | My old pair of black jeans had seen better days so I upgraded to this high rise pair. I also own these exact jeans in a dark blue color and they are my favorite! They don't stretch out during the day at all but they are super comfortable and very flattering. These jeans fit true to size (I got a regular length and I'm 5'5") and I would highly recommend them! 

B A N D A N A | Right now, I don't own many bags. I have found that I just really love my Madewell totes and a couple other bags so I pretty much got rid of all of my other ones. The leather on this transport tote just gets better with time! To make my bags feel new, I love adding scarves and bandanas to create a new look. This cute leopard one was under $10!

O V E R S I Z E D  S W E A T E R | This sweater is definitely my most favorite purchase this past month! I love the neutral color and I really love that it's long enough to wear with leggings. I have literally worn this sweater four, maybe five times since I got it mid-November. I got the size extra small/small because it does fit oversized. It's a great piece for fall and winter!

B O O T S | I have been wanting a pair of hiking boots were a good balance between something you would legitimately go hiking in and the boots with the fur. I hit the jackpot with this pair! They are under $40 and perfectly casual for everyday wear. I usually wear a 8.5 but I got an 8 in these (mostly because the store was out of my normal size) and they fit perfectly so I would say they do run just a little bit on the big side.

Thank you so much for visiting! Have a great day!