Catch Up!

I am going to use few words because I have tons of pictures. This is what we have been up to for the past 2 weeks!!!

Work has consumed me. It was a little hectic but after seeing happy students and happy teachers it was all worth it. I love my job and couldn't ask for a better place to work. I can't even begin to say how much I love my co counselor. I swear she is like my non-asian Chi Omega sister! We have enjoyed many nights scheduling, hyped up on Starbucks, and dancing to Usher's "Yeah" among rapping and doing 80's dances. Our leadership team has been awesome and so has our sweet principal!!! 

Leadership team building at Shenanigan's

Pearls and Go-Karts

Pro/Con List: Should we eat out for lunch???

Counselor Staff Development

The sweetest principal EVER!

Remember that time I thought it was Friday on a Thursday and I  told everyone??? No sleep and scheduling does that to you!

Convocation...pumped after an amazing speaker!! Love Rockwall ISD!

Love Mama Meyers (our 7th grade registrar) and her thoughtfulness....she is wonderful!

Why are our teachers so amazing??? They are inspiring....and give me candy!!!

Between that I tried to enjoy some family time!! It was nice spending time here and there with both kids and individually!

Her and her baby had to have curlers

Kids' first banana split....ever!!!

Big Bow Selfie

Sweet Friends

Don't you wear aviators, a cape, and an old hospital gown around?

Mommy-Daughter Pool Day

Much needed pool time!

One of my faves! Love how much of a boy he is!!

She looks so big!

Reading EVERY ice cream flavor at Dairy Palace...there were only 32!

Oh Fall....I am so ready for you! Joey and I are ready to make a Hobby Lobby trip!

Rainy days are the best when you match!!

Ella wanted to make sure she was invited to Grayson's party!!!

Someone whose name starts with a G is soooo excited for football season! Roll Tide!

Then today, the kids headed back to school. I always get so excited yet so sad this time of year. It is such a fun time of year yet I know the year will fly by and the kiddos will be one year older. It is a blessing but is hard for this momma's heart.

We had to make a Starbucks stop. He wanted to get cake pops for his teachers.

Grayson and his super sweet teachers

Ella helping me at Schedule Pick Up night. She knew there would be cheerleaders and wanted to dress up!!

Cousins at Breakfast

Grayson before heading out to Meet the Teacher Night

My old teaching partner and dinner buddy...love her!

So that's it! I hope you all had a great start back to school for you and your kiddos. I know I will be praying for the amazing staff members at our local schools and for the kiddos. Hope you get a chance to kick back....maybe do some fall decorating....and relax before we are in full swing again!

Friday Favorites: Back To School

The past two weeks have been super busy times 10! Scheduling as a middle school counselor keeps ya pretty busy!! I have actually missed blogging...it is almost therapeutic to sit down and type away, so here I am!!!

Today I am linking up with Andrea over at Momfessionals for her and her blogging buddies' Friday Favorites! I thought it would be perfect to blog about some of my Back To School Friday Favorites!!!

#1 A Glen Coco Shirt
I saw someone wearing this in the West Village and I knew I needed one. This is from Mean Girls and if you haven't seen it...you must! It's so funny how this one line is infamous and so funny. I could totally see this as a shirt to wear to work on Fridays with a cute little jacket, jeans, and wedges....or in the fall TOMS booties.

 

#2 Tucker and Tate Denim Vest
How cute is this denim vest for Ella??? I could so see her wearing this over a long sleeve shirt or dress with leggings and her Wellies this Fall. The link is for a big girls' size but I may order a bigger size because she is getting so stinkin' tall. I love this brand from Nordstrom and have bought the kids a couple pieces and they hold up so well. VEST HERE

#3 Minnetonka Classic Fringe Boot
Lauren could quote me on this....last year I said I did not like this type of shoe for Ella. Yet, after seeing cute little outfits on Pinterest, I so want these for Ella. I think they would look precious with a solid dress and super fun tights this Fall or with skinny jeans and a cute sweater. You can find them HERE. 

 

#4 Peek Genius shirt
I thought the look of this shirt was pretty cute and cozy and Grayson loves tshirts and jeans...such a classic boy!!! You can find this HERE.

#5 Boys' Under Armour HeatGearPolo
I bought Grayson one of these when he started golf and now that he hopes to pick back up in the Fall, these would be great. They wash well and the material wears well, too! You can find it HERE. 

#6 TOMS Paseo Boot
I think these would look so stinkin' cute on Gray. These would be perfect for church of with jeans and a long sleeve tee in the fall/winter. Joey is kind of weird about Grayson wearing TOMS but these are rugged, vintage looking which I love!

#7 Aleteo Dress from Athropologie
This is something I definitely want to watch for when it goes on sale. I love this dress so much and all of the detail and I know it would perfect with some cute fall boots. It would be perfect for work with a little denim jacket!


Those are my Friday Favorites and I hope you all have a great weekend. I will head into party planning mode for Grayson's 7th birthday after all of the beginning of the year stuff at work is done!

Friday Faves

If you are reading this...I know it's Saturday. Some of you may be laughing because there were a couple of days that I didn't even know what day it was. It has been super busy at work with scheduling and beginning of the year stuff starting up. Our teachers came back yesterday which is my favorite day!!! I love seeing our awesome teachers. I am blessed to work at a school with some amazing people! Joey has been holding down the fort and I have to give him props for feeding and bathing the kids every night!!!


I have some VERY random Friday Favorites this week! Just a heads up.....

#1 Egg White Muffins

 

I saw this recipe on Pinterest and saw that it was packed with protein and was gluten free. You can do so much with these. All you need is:

-Egg Whites (I used a large sized container of All Whites)

-ground turkey (cooked, drained, and seasoned)

-low fat shredded mozzarella cheese

-other add in's (I used purple onion, fresh peppers, and mushrooms)

-PAM Spray

1. Spray a muffin pan with PAM and preheat your oven to 350

2. Cook, season, and drain your ground turkey meat

3. Add your ground turkey, cheese, and other add in's (I did ground turkey and cheese only for my hubby and added veggies for me). I also added some Nature's Seasoning. I did about a tablespoon of ground turkey and a teaspoon of the other ingredients.

4. Pour your egg whites in until each muffin cup is about 3/4 full.

5.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

I made a couple of batches so we could freeze them. These are low carb and high protein. Joey loved these so much and ate them for breakfast and sometimes dinner. You could totally add cheddar cheese, sausage, or bacon but since we both watch what we eat, we went with healthier alternatives. It is only about 100 calories for 2 muffins. They are very filling with some coffee and fruit.

#2 Bare Minerals Lip Gloss in Spark Plug

If I could only live with one lip gloss...this would be it. I love the Maverick color by Bare Minerals but this one is so neutral and perfect and adds a glow. It is a great color for the day and night.

#3 Sweet Co-Workers & Friends
When you 're a working mommy and wife....sometimes it can be hard to balance. It's always nice having sweet co-workers who go out of their way to help or make you feel special or appreciated. Having amazing friends who talk to you when stressed or do nice things for you is such a blessing!!!

#4 Bigelow Green Tea
I drink coffee in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon if I need to stay away for something or have a lot of work to do but every single night whether it is summer or winter, I drink a cup of hot green tea. I add fat free milk and one stevia and it is perfection. There were a couple of times this week that I was feeling super run down and as if I was about to get sick so I would drink a cup before bed along with a Vitamin C pill and I felt great the next day!!!

Growing up, we drank authentic green tea from the asian market but now that I don't live at home, I drink the Bigelow Green Tea which is really good.

Hope y'all have a fabulous weekend. I hope to lay by the pool, watch movies, get a manicure, and do nothing but cuddle with my kiddos!

Don't forget to check out Lauren's blog, she shared an awesome story from another blogger about mommy hood. You can check it out HERE.

Trendy Thursday: My Fall Wish List

Hey y'all! I have had a super busy week this week. I planned on blogging last night but ended up being at work until 9:30 p.m. I even had posted a pic on Facebook thinkin' it was a Thursday night...haha! Hot mess, I know!!

Today, I am featuring my Fall Wish List. I LOVE Fall and am so excited. I love the scents of Fall (apple, pumpkin, cinnamon...oh my), pumpkins, light jackets, cuddling up with the kids and being outside, and decorating for Fall!!! Bless Joey's heart...I have already been telling him about the fall decorations we NEED for the house!!!

Some of you had messaged me about the egg white muffin recipe I posted on Sunday. I will be posting about that tomorrow for Friday Faves!!! So check out the blog tomorrow for that!!

Wish List Item #1: TOMS Desert Wedge Booties
*Note to Self: Never say I want to look at TOMS booties at Nordstrom with a 6 year old and a 4 year old. They will laugh hysterically about Tom and his booty. Haha!

I am loving the herringbone and leopard. I will probably start out with one pair! I love me some wedges and how cute would these be with mustard yellow skinny jeans!!!

Wish List Item #2: Mustard Yellow Skinny Jeans

I love these and if any of you see these anywhere, PLEASE let me know! I am on the lookout!! How cute would these be with a black tee, denim jacket, and one of those pairs of TOMS wedge booties! Love!

Wish List Item #3: Kate Spade Sunglasses
I think I am finally ready to take the plunge and get nice sunglasses. I have had the same $12 pair from Nordstrom for a year now and I think I am prepared to buy nice sunglasses. I have had my heart set on these Kate Spade sunglasses but have been waiting until I could take care of a pair.

Wish List Item #4: Kendra Scott Charm Necklace
When I got this email yesterday, I about squealed in my office!!! I LOVE this!!! Kendra Scott now has a create your own necklace with charms and stones. I really want one with a J, M, G, and E with maybe some stones in between!!! You choose gold or silver, charms, and stone colors.

You can check it out HERE to see all of the options and make your own!


So that is my Fall Wish List!!! Don't forget to check out the blog tomorrow for Friday Faves!

Mommy Must Have Monday: Getting Ready!

Lately, I have received some messages about things I use to get ready in the morning so I thought it would be great to address it all in one post! Now, I want to start by saying I don't do anything fancy....I don't use anything cool....I just get ready.

I wake up between 5:15 and 5:30. Now I used to take showers every night before bed and let my hair air dry while I watch a movie in bed, work, or blog. Now I LOVE waking up early and taking a shower in the morning. I am not sure how this will work out when we are all on our normal routine but we will see. I love feeling like I am waking up and having time to myself. I listen to music and just have some quiet time to get ready...it's so nice. Now, of course on the nights I work out...I totally take a shower before bed. Haha!

Here is the shampoo and body wash I use. These are just from Walmart. I have used high end shampoo and body wash and to me, I really like these.

The Shampoo is called Ogx Thick and Full Biotin and Collagen shampoo. It is amazing on my hair. I have fine, flat hair but I swear I notice my hair has seemed thicker and fuller. I love the way it smells and feels.

 

Now for body wash, as you can recall from last posts, I have to be careful. Joey had bought this kind months back and I was a little nervous because it was scented and by Softsoap. I always use Oil of Olay or whatever is labeled super sensitive. I have loved it. The smell is amazing and it has been great on my skin. 

After my shower, I comb my hair and spray this heat shield on my hair. Again, it is from Target or Walmart...nothing fancy. It works well and I swear it smells exactly like Bath and Body Work's ol' sun ripened raspberry. It is Professional by Nature's Therapy Heat Shield Thermal Spray.

Then I put on lotion. Again, I usually have to be careful and use Eucerin or Cetaphil but I picked this up last time and I am IN LOVE!! It moisturizes so well and gives my skin a glow. It is Suave's Moroccan Infusion body lotion. This seems to moisturize my skin pretty well through the day.

 

Then I start my makeup. I try to let my hair air dry a bit while I put my makeup on. If you missed my makeup post, you can check it out HERE. Once I finish that, I start on my hair. I do velcro rollers sometimes for extra volume but other days I just blow dry it and straighten it or curl it. For straighteners and curling irons, I always use Babyliss. Joey ordered me these after reading reviews on them. I know...he is so cute. 

You can find the straightener HERE. It is the Babyliss PRO Nano Titanium 1". 

You can find the curling iron HERE. It is the Babyliss PRO Nano Titanium 1 1/4" curling iron. It is the best curling iron I have ever used for my fine hair. 

 

After my hair is done, I usually spray it with John Frieda Luxurious Volume. I switch between that and the Healthy Sexy hairspray which I love. 

Then I get dressed and accessorize. Then I usually put hand cream on after using all of those products and washing my hands. I used Bath and Body Work's Shea Cashmere. It is definitely a must have for me! This last time, I bought the silk kind and I like it but I think I prefer the original one. 

Then I spray myself with perfume. I love having a variety of perfume and I just love seeing the pretty, glass bottles on my dresser. So girly and classic. Lately, I have been switching between Victoria's Secret's So in Love and Banana Republic's Wild Bloom. I am on the hunt for a new perfume...so please leave any suggestions!!!

 So that is my routine in the morning. I will leave you with a very weird, random story....haha! This stands out in my mind vividly. When I was about to deliver Grayson and had been in a hospital bed, in labor, for close to 9 hours...I felt yucky. I remember the nurse attending to me seemed so put together. Her makeup was done beautifully, her nails were nice and done, she smelled amazing, and just seemed so well taken care of. This is weird, I know. But that day, I realized the importance of taking care of yourself. Does it matter how you look? No, that's not what I am saying. But I think people notice how we take care of ourselves. I think it's just the fact that you care in how you present yourself. So....literally....from that day I wanted to leave the house put together and smelling good. Not because I care what people think but because I realized it made me feel good about myself.

Don't forget to check out Lauren's blog HERE and tomorrow I will be posting a day of eating and some recipes!!!