Monday, March 18, 2024

Swimwear and Coverups



Many of you have talked about how you have warm weather trips on the calendar, and with summer on the horizon, what better time to share a big roundup of swimsuits and coverups!

Most summers, I spend time at our country club or the lake. Therefore, I usually buy and wear the same swimsuits repeatedly. Most are modest because of the atmosphere around parents, kids, etc. 

This year, we are headed to Mexico for a family friend's wedding, and I want to shake it up a bit and find some fun and unique swimsuits for the trip so I have been browsing a lot more than usual. I thought I would share all of the things I have come across for the pool/beach/lake! 

Friday, March 15, 2024

Weekend Wish List



Happy weekend! Hope you all had a wonderful week! Mine was great and pretty 'normal' for the most part! We have some fun plans this weekend! This weekend's wish list is kind of all over the place with no rhyme or reason; enjoy!

Some items of note... 
- This  Pink Swimsuit is inexpensive and so cute!

- This Citronella Candle would make a cute summer hostess gift!

One of you recommended this Glossy Balm to me in lieu of the Tarte gloss/balm/lipstick that I love. It is similar but doesn't have the weird coconut scent. 

- This Colorful Sundress is currently in my cart. I'm considering it for our Mexico trip!

- I love putting air tags in my luggage so I can track it, and this Air Tag Luggage Tag is so cute! Use code SYDNEY20 for 20% off the entire site!

- Eyeing this neutral Flag Sweater. I love it so much!

- This Swimsuit is currently in my cart. I love the higher neck and the textured fabric. 


For your weekend reading, here are blog posts you may have missed from this week:





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Thursday, March 14, 2024

Lately

This cute little delivery, thanks to Rifle Paper Co! They shared a code SYDNEY20 for 20% off through April 30th! 

Is everyone having a nice week? It has been a good one around here! I was in a great groove with work this week, accomplishing a lot which feels good. I got in a few good workouts so far and have been on lots of walks as we have had some great weather again. This weekend, it was cold and snowy but it turned around on Monday. 

I can't believe we are already halfway through March. I truly feel like it was just New Year's Eve yesterday! 

This week, I received the final product for my Beth Ladd collaboration, and I am SO excited to launch it at the end of the month! I have started working on shooting it and creating content around it. I hope you all love it as much as I do! 

Henry got a bath from Pittsburgh Mobile Grooming- it is a company one of you all recommended and I have been so pleased with them! They do SUCH a good job with Henry. I could not recommend them more! 
Tank (under $40)// Shorts (under $45)

Wearing: I wanted to get a few new tanks and shorts for spring/summer Orange Theory classes and I am so incredibly pleased with this tank and shorts set. They are sold separately but come in so many coordinating colors. They're modest without being *too* modest, if that makes sense. The tank is so breathable and very loose, which I like. I love how the two pieces look together. I wore the pink set to Orange Theory yesterday! I sized up to a medium in both pieces. I would say they run true to size, I personally prefer things like this to fit very loosely, so you may want to get your true size and not size up like I did if you prefer a closer fit. The medium shorts are a little loose at my waist but I like that. Are you following me on the LikeToKnowIt app?! You can shop all of my outfits, favorite finds, and more in the app. I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also access all of my posts, here, if you don't use LTK!
Wearing II: Jenn Lake just launched her collection with Sail to Sable, and I just love this white dress that they sent over for me to style! It's so chic and well-made!

Drinking: I thought I'd share my most recent wine order. We were low, so I got some of my favorites! For Pittsburgh people, I ordered via wine.com, and it was usually less expensive than the state store (I compared prices between the two when I was ordering)!

Sale: Love these inexpensive white jeans so much! They are on sale and under $50 (even at full price)! They run true to size! Also, the linen top is one of my favorites and one I wear summer over summer!

Watching:
 I was SO into the Love Is Blind reunion last night. Did anyone else watch it?! I feel like this was the best/craziest season yet. Wow. 

Loving: I've been eyeing these sandals for basically a year. I was hesitant because I wasn't sure how much wear I'd get out of them, considering they are somewhat similar to my Hermes sandals, and they're also pricey. I finally ordered them for myself as my birthday gift (coming up in a few weeks). I am so glad I did. They are even better in person and in person, I can tell they're definitely different in style to the Hermes sandals. These look more structured/ladylike/polished, whereas the Hermes sandals are very casual. I was also concerned the patent would be rough on my feet, but I was so glad to find they're very comfortable. All-in-all, if you are on the fence, I'd say go for it. I have no regrets! They run true to size. I sized up to a 39.5 in Hermes but got my true size 39 in these!

Wanting: This dress
is a good Staud look for less. I'm not a big jean jacket gal, but I am eyeing this one. This pink and green sweater set is SO good. I'm really into these pearl earrings- classic but updated. A favorite pair of sunglasses that I wear all of the time is back in stock! OMG, brides, this dress is so elegant and stunning. Perfect for a shower or luncheon! 
Pittsburgh: We had a fun little date night at Gi Jin this weekend. It's one of my favorite sushi spots in Pittsburgh! It's tiny inside, so definitely make a reservation in advance! 

Amazon Rec: Something that literally keeps me up at night is an article or news story I saw a while ago about grill brushes and how they can be a danger if you ingest a bristle. It apparently happens when the bristle gets on the food, unbeknownst to the griller. I don't think it's common, but it can happen. We love to grill and so I found this grill brush and this grill brush that are supposed to be safer. Have any of you used either before? Both seem to get good reviews and honestly, it will help me to sleep better... I wish I was kidding!! I have both sitting in my cart right now trying to decide between the two. You can find more of my Amazon favorites, here on my Amazon page where I am constantly updating it with all of my finds and top picks from home, beauty, fashion, and more!

Traveling: This weekend, I am hoping to stay low-key with little plans as my mom and I are headed on a fun little trip to the Greenbrier! I wanted to plan something fun for my mom and me as we always have the best time together. I haven't been to the Greenbrier since our mini-moon in August of 2021, so it's been over 2.5 years. I have to say that the Greenbrier was just OK on our mini-moon... honestly a little disappointing. I mean, it was our mini-moon, so we were just elated, but the Greenbrier was not the Greenbrier I experienced even in 2019. But that was still somewhat the pandemic, so I gave them a pass. I'm hoping it's better this go-round. We wanted to pick a place that is easy to get to/driving distance, and there aren't many options from Pittsburgh. You know my mom is the OG Taco Bell lover so I am excited for us to get Taco Bell either on the drive to or from the Greenbrier, ha!!! 

Quoting: 'We suffer more from imagination than reality.' - Seneca // See more of my favorites, here.

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Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Recipe: At-Home Chipotle Inpsired Bowls



Love these plate bowls so much!

We just made these Chipotle-inspired bowls last night, and I meant to share this 'recipe' with you all because we have been making it often! Whenever I share, you all ask for a recipe! I am not a food blogger and don't measure, but the best part about this recipe is that you don't need to measure anything. My husband and I created this because I love Chipotle bowls. I have tried to get that similar flavor for a while, and I think I've nailed it. My husband and I both think this is actually better than Chipotle as it tastes fresher and has even more flavor. The nice thing about this is that, health-wise, there are very few processed foods in this recipe, and it is packed with vegetables. 

The biggest thing about this recipe is knowing that the flavors you are tasting in Chipotle's food are mostly lime and cilantro. I substitute things and bend the recipe as needed based on what I have on hand, but you *need* these two items for this recipe. We use an entire bushel of cilantro and probably four limes, which serves about four people (I love this as leftovers). 

This has a lot of ingredients, so here's your shopping list:
- 3 tomatoes (whatever looks best right now since they're not in season, I typically use Roma)
- at least 4 limes
- one large bunch of cilantro
- Jasmine rice
- 1red onion
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 1 white onion
- 1 bag of frozen corn
- 1 small jalapeno
- 2 avocados 
- 1 lb chicken breast

Add ons:
- sour cream
- shredded cheese
- Trader Joe's salsa (with the yellow lid) 

You'll also need olive oil, garlic salt, regular salt, pepper, and the Spicewalla Carne Asada seasoning.

Pico 
First, we will start with my favorite part of the recipe. It is SO easy!! 

You'll need:
- Tomatoes (I use two Roma tomatoes or whatever looks nicest at the grocery store, considering they are still not in season)
- Cilantro
- Lime
- Red Onion (Traditionally, I think, pico calls for white onion, but I personally prefer red onion and think the purple color makes the pico look prettier)
- Garlic Salt 

Finely chop the tomatoes, cilantro, and red onion. Mix together. Juice from one small lime (if it's a big lime, do half and add more if needed).  Love this citrus juicer. Top off with garlic salt and mix everything together. If I have time, I like to make this in the morning so it has time to marinate together until we eat at dinner! Sometimes, I add in finely diced jalapeno for a nice kick. 

Fajita Vegetables
My favorite part of Chipotle is their fajita vegetables!

You'll need:
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- Half of a white onion

Slice one red and one green pepper. Slice one-half of a white onion. (I toss in a yellow pepper if I have it on hand for color and variety, but it's unnecessary). My husband sautees these in a cast iron skillet with some olive oil (this is the best), salt, and pepper. 

Chicken
- 1 lb chicken

If you can, pre-season the chicken the night before. Season it generously with seasoned salt, pepper, and the Spicewalla Carne Asada seasoning. If you haven't heard of this seasoning brand, check it out; it's one of my favorites. After it has had a chance to marinate in the seasonings, slice the chicken into fajita-style strips. Fully cook in a cast iron skillet with some olive oil. 

Corn
I love the cold corn salsa at Trader Joe's but I actually make this warm! 
- Frozen corn
- Finely diced red onion
- Cilantro
- Finely diced jalapeno

Cook the corn, red onion, and jalapeno in a skillet with a tiny bit of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. At the end of cooking, toss in a bit of cilantro. So easy.

Guac
Guac is not extra in this house!

- two avocados
- garlic salt
- red onion
- cilantro
- lime

Mash up the avocado, and add the juice from half to one whole lime (depending on taste). Finely dice the red onion and add that to the avocado mixture. Add in finely chopped cilantro. Season with garlic salt. You can add tomatoes but I don't like to! 

Rice
I love to purchase jasmine rice from the Trader Joe's freezer section. 

- Jasmine Rice
- Cilantro
- Lime

Cook your rice and then add in a big handful of chopped cilantro and squeeze 1-2 full limes to taste. This is so simple, but it makes a huge difference. 

Once you have everything made, the final step is to assemble your bowl. You can add on:
- Sour Cream (the key is to mix it up with a spoon for a fluffier texture)
- Shredded cheese 
- Cilantro
- Lime 
- Salsa (the Trader Joe's salsa with the yellow lid is my all-time favorite) 

It's a lot of prep work and assembling, but it's nice to have leftovers, and it is truly so incredible. I don't love to cook and loathe longer recipes, but this one is truly worth all of the chopping and assembling.
 

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