Friday Five | 9-4-26

Rearranging Furniture

I was totally the kid who loved to rearrange her bedroom growing up. Our home doesn't have a lot of flexibility when it comes to furniture placement. Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but we've had everything pretty much set since we moved in. To keep this story short, we ended up with a very large fiddle leaf fig tree. Its glorious, but not something I would have purposely bought! It's so big, and our place is on the smaller side. Over the weekend we were able to reconfigure our living room a little bit and I love the fresh feel! Now the tree feels a little more on purpose. 

Oceanside Lavender

Not a huge candle girl, but I will say I'm loving this one! We had my niece for a week this summer, and we took an excursion to the mall. I got an instant head ache in Bath and Body Works - but somehow left with a few lotions and this candle. I put it under our candle warmer, and it smells SO good. I'm a sucker for lavender though. 

Grove Haul

It's been a minute since I've gotten a Grove box! This was a fun one. I got my seasonal Mrs. Meyers order. I really like to do acorn spice for the fall! Additionally, I got a new flat mop combo thingy from Ecloth. Very impressed! Grove came out with their own version of these cloths and I'm really excited about them too. They work great! 

Shop The Haul:

Focaccia

I have so enjoyed my Sourdough journey! It took so long to 'master' the traditional sourdough loaf. I've only just now started venturing into other sourdough adventures. One thing I have fallen in love with is focaccia! It's very simple to make and SUCH a crowd pleaser. I made some for friends the other week, and she asked me to make a bigger batch for a party over the weekend. I can't wait to get into the fall season and experiment with cinnamon or desserty flavors. 

Etsy Frustrations

I need a little vent. I closed my Etsy shop earlier this year just to focus on other pursuits. I had many many messages of previous customers hoping to reorder matching labels to their previous purchases - so I caved an reopened. Starting in July, the post office has lost multiple (more than 6) orders! July also marked a price hike in shipping for USPS ground. The problem is, Etsy doesn't love it when you don't offer tracking numbers, and if it weren't for those tracking numbers I would have been lost in helping with those lost orders. 

I tried not to raise my shipping prices because people are quickly turned off by that. We live in a free shipping world! Amazon gets you stuff shipped for free the next day. But, I caved and had to raise them a bit when I actually made zero dollars on a small order because their shipping costs were some how higher than the average order and I had to cover the difference. 

Additionally, I've had some customers leave less than 5 star reviews because they didn't read the listing description and got something they weren't expecting. I've dealt with extremely needy customers as well who are not happy with ultra custom requests. Tweak after tweak after tweak for a $5 item. 

I dunno. I'm obviously just annoyed! Then I get sweet reviews or someone who has loyally ordered from me for years. Or the direct deposit, that's nice too. Blake is telling me to close it again, and I will have to before we travel next month so maybe I just won't reopen for awhile. 

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

Friday Five | 9-4-26

Friday, September 4, 2026

Old Navy & Halara Haul

My closet has really transformed this year! My sense of style has evolved a little, but so has my body. After losing a little bit of weight doing 75 Hard, I find myself in sort of an awkward stage with clothes. Quite a bit from my wardrobe is a little big, but I didn't quite lose enough to go down a size. With our Italy and Greece trip coming up I knew I was going to have to buy a few things. 

Halara has some great travel pieces, and I grabbed a few of their bottoms to hopefully mix and match. I really like the linen feel! I went with my normal size medium in all of them, and opted for tall. One of the colors did not come in tall and I am taking it to the tailor today because it's too short. I'm 5, 6" - not that tall, but my inseam is like a 33. Halara's sizing chart was right on.

Tops are a major struggle for me! Definitely between sizes. Additionally, I'm sort of a contradiction because even though I have a tall inseam, my torso is actually really short. I'm loving the crop top trend we've been having because I can get shirts that are an appropriate length for me! 

Old Navy had a big back to school sale so I took advantage of that and ordered 10 tops. Well, 9, one was for Blake. Old Navy can be hit or miss. I find their sizing to be extremely inconsistent. I returned 3 tops, exchanged one for a different size and kept the others. So a success! 

Make sure to activate Rakuten if you shop on Old Navy online! We like free money.

Ok, here's the haul!

Ribbed Snug Tee - Black Coffee & My trusty Levi Shorts! I have these shorts in 3 colors as well. I've been gravitating toward brown a lot this year! (You'll notice that as you scroll down.) This is a great tee, it's stretchy but snug too. 

Bestee in Earth Brown Stripe and my Wantable jeans. This outfit I have in mind for our trip as well. I also purchased some New Balance sneakers that I really need to break in before all the walking we are going to do. (Direct link to jeans)

The 'You're Gorgeous' decal is available in my Etsy shop!

It doesn't get any more effortless than this! This is the double layered scoop neck top in black coffee, and I did size up in this top. These are the Halara pants I'm almost sure you've seen an Insta ad for. They are fab! They are most certainly high waisted, and I did get the tall size.

The snug tee in Earthen and the Halara straight leg linen feel pants in deep secluded blue. So comfy and easy!

The double layered scoop neck again, but in the navy color, and paired with those same Halara pants but in dune mirage. This particular color pants look sheer when held to the light, but on the body doesn't seem to be a problem. I also purchased these pants in the color dark earthy brown - but those are on their way to the tailor! 

Shop This Post:

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

Old Navy & Halara Haul

Monday, August 31, 2026

Friday Five | 8-28-26

One | Office Chair

I got a new office chair, one big enough for me and the pugs to fit in! It's so huge, it's a little ridiculous. The dogs just want to be glued to me all the time, so when I'm working upstairs they just whine. This chair is designed to be one for gaming. You can sit criss cross, or extend a foot rest from the bottom. It's insanely comfy! 

Two | Baby Squirrel Rescue

While pet sitting last week, their cat got a baby squirrel in the back yard! It was terrible, but the little guy wasn't too hurt. I put him in a box at the base of a tree and hoped it's mom would come back. But, she didn't, and the heat index was well over 100 degrees. We have a local rescue in the area that works with native wildlife. They held my hand over the phone with what to do, and they directed me to a drop off location that wasn't too far down the road. I gave them all my information so I really hope to find out what happens to this little guy! 

Three | New Defined Dish Cookbook! 

I'm not a big cookbook person. Making up recipes is my preference. But, Defined Dish is the exception! I absolutely love all 4 of her cookbooks. We keep them all within reach because we are so often making our favorite recipes. Alex just released a new book, and it finally arrived! I pre ordered it months ago. Very excited to jump into this one. The recipe on the cover looks SO good.

I actually shared my reviews about 15 meals from her last book on the blog!

Four | Half Marathon

Well, I did it. I signed up for another Half! I really mulled it over, but ultimately decided to go for it. I do my best work when I have a goal and a deadline. This one is local, and will be on February 7th. My favorite training plan is 20 weeks, so I knew I was going to have to pull the trigger since that's soon. 

I have a lot of thoughts to get out about this, but I know listening to someone talk about running isn't that great. This time will be different. I will have to wrap my mind about running it on my own, and I think I'm going to go about training a little bit differently too. Post 75 Hard, I have higher expectations of myself. Plus, running 10 pounds lighter than last year will be something I hope will help! 

Five | Strange New Worlds

SNW is one of my favorite shows on right now. I really really have enjoyed the show and have happily recommended it to everyone. This season though is SO wild?! The first episode was fabulous, and then each subsequent episode was such a 180 in the genre jumping. And then puppets?! I'm just so confused! 

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

Friday Five | 8-28-26

Friday, August 28, 2026

Nashville Inspired 15th Anniversary Party

Over the weekend we celebrated my sister and brother in law's 15th wedding anniversary! I threw them a party at a local brewery and did a Nashville theme. They love going to Nashville, and my BIL is a musician. This idea came to me months ago, and it was really cool to see it come to life! 

We kept it simple and just invited friends to come, hang out, and have a beer. I made a Spotify playlist, and my mom made a slideshow of cute photos of the guests of honor. (Pro tip: make sure there is a picture of all the attendees in the slideshow! People love to see themselves.) 

We had the food catered, and we had a super fun photo booth! My big splurge was hiring an artist to put together a balloon arch and backdrop. It blew me away and was truly the centerpiece of the party!

It was pretty easy to make some centerpieces! I got some discoball vases and some planters from Walmart that look like cowboy hats. Some heart shaped glasses and bandana printed napkins were just some cute extra details. 

When I got an Instagram ad for these pants back in January, I knew I had to buy them for the party. They are actually really great jeans, and I may just buy some in regular denim!

Shop This Post:

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

Nashville Inspired 15th Anniversary Party

Sunday, August 23, 2026

New Bedding From Quince

The quest for the perfect bedding for our bedroom seems like it never ends! How often you are supposed to wash your bedding is probably up for debate - but we sleep with our dogs, so we launder all the linens frequently. Because of that, it seems like our bedding just doesn't last! 

We did invest in some great sheets from Target about 6 months ago, as well as a duvet set. I do like the duvet, but it's a 2+ person job to reassemble! Plus, while our house stays at a comfortable temperature, it's Florida! The thick blankets were just not working for us these last few months. A quilt set is much more functional. 

After lots of looking, I chose this fantastic set from Quince! I have to say, I was blown away with the quality. When you have a king bed there is always a bit of sticker shock when it comes to buying bedding, but this is absolutely a case of you get what you pay for. 

We went with the color Ocean, which is a gorgeous deep teal. It ended up working great with the decorative pillows and lamp we already owned. I'm so happy with this choice! I wrestled with it, because I loved so many of the options. Big fan of not letting one purchase snowball into another. For example, we didn't want to replace the gray curtains (although I would like to change them out, I didn't want to spend the money on that right now.) which I would have wanted to do if we went with another colorway. We also had to contend with what masks pug hair well...

Have you purchased anything from Quince?! I bought a few linen items this year and love them. This is my first purchase in the home category!

Shop This Post:

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

New Bedding From Quince

Tuesday, August 4, 2026

75 Hard Complete!

We did it! I'm so happy to report that Blake and I completed the 75 Hard Challenge last week. I was fairly confident we would be able to do it, but it's still a bit of a surprise that we were able to accomplish all the tasks for 75 days. 

The 75 Hard Challenge is a 75 day challenge where you have to complete several tasks each day. You must drink 1 gallon of water. You have to do two 45 minute work outs each day, and one of them has to be outside. You choose a diet to stick to, and can have no cheat days. No alcohol. You have to read 10 pages of non fiction each day. And you also take a progress photo every single day. If you miss a task you have to start over from day one. 

Thoughts

Overall, we are SO happy we did this challenge. I think there were days when it was extremely challenging, but for the most part we got into the routine and it just felt normal by the end of it. My body got used to all the water and the movement and almost needed it. I'd rename it to the 75 Inconvenient Challenge. All the task are just plain inconvenient. 

I dealt with an injury during this challenge - and I'm happy to say that's all better now! So frustrating. But hey, if I can have food poisoning and an injury and still complete the challenge, that's something. 

Results

I know that's what you're here for! Blake and I both lost 10 pounds. I don't have his measurements off hand, but I know we are having to take in most of his work pants by an inch. I am down one inch in every spot, except my hips which lost 3 inches. 

I wasn't going to share my Day 1 v Day 75 pictures, but hey what the heck, here ya go. 

Non Scale Victories

By far the greatest result from our challenge has been becoming closer as a couple. I've enjoyed doing this together, and especially loved our daily walks. It's awesome to work towards something together! 

Seeing all our clothes fit better is also very exciting. I have quite a few pieces that are just too big now. 

Going Forward

There are several things I'd like to keep doing post 75 Hard. Reading 10 pages isn't high on the priority list for me, because I already read a lot. I also don't think a progress photo every day is needed any longer. But, I would like to continue working out daily and walking when possible. Some days we really phoned in our 2nd work out because it was late at night, going forward I wouldn't force myself to do that. 

I want to keep up with my calorie deficit and the water intake! One of the days last week when the challenge was over, I noticed myself getting a headache. I hadn't had one in so long, and I realized it was because I hadn't had a lot of water yet. My body has really gotten used to the gallon of water and I think it needs it.

Many people do a second round, or do Phase 2 of the official challenge. We knew our week after 75 Hard was going to be crazy, and it was. I felt so off track so quickly! Starting August 1st, I plan on doing my own challenge rules for 50 days. That gets us to our Italy trip, and I want to go into that feeling great!

In conclusion, I'm really happy I did this challenge! I think it would be awesome for any one. Every single person I've spoken to about the challenge has given me all the reasons they couldn't possibly do it themselves. That's reason enough to me that they should try, but I know the reality is not many people can do this. People just don't like to do hard things! It's hard! It's another reason reaching the end feels so satisfying. 

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

75 Hard Complete!

Wednesday, July 29, 2026

75 Hard | Day 50 Check In

We dog sat my sister's pup Sammy this month, and she was very confused by all of our living room work out sessions!

We are still in this thing! Blake and I are just over day 50 of the 75 Hard Challenge. The 75 Hard Challenge is a 75 day challenge where you have to complete several tasks each day. You must drink 1 gallon of water. You have to do two 45 minute work outs each day, and one of them has to be outside. You choose a diet to stick to, and can have no cheat days. No alcohol. You have to read 10 pages of non fiction each day. And you also take a progress photo every single day. If you miss a task you have to start over from day one. 

For my diet I have chosen to have a calorie deficit, with at least 100 grams of protein each day. For my outdoor workouts, I am doing a walk, and then changing it up from day to day for my indoor workout. 

75 Hard has an official App and that's what I'm using to keep track of each task. Our first day was May 4.

Thoughts

I know for sure I could not have gotten this far without a partner. Blake has kept me accountable and helped get me moving many times. I'm so grateful he decided to do this with me! 

With my 25 day check in, I said the water had been the hardest part. I'm happy to say this has gotten a lot easier. It's still something I have to consciously track throughout the day, but most days I have finished my water far before dinner. Interestingly, I'm still thirsty even after getting through a gallon! It's June in Florida, so I'm sure that keeps me from feeling hydrated. 

The 35-40 day mark is what I believe to be the hardest so far. In the beginning, you have a lot of excitement and newness to your routine. Although I haven't gotten that far yet, I think that it will be really hard to give up closer to the end. That mid point is just tiring, without the shiny newness. 

Obstacles

I'm still dealing with my bursitis, and that has been mentally exhausting. It's so frustrating to not be at 100%. It seems like it's getting better overall and will just take time. I feel that I could have pushed myself harder this past month, if it hadn't been for my injury. One thing that has been helping is deep stretching, so I think I will incorporate more yoga as we near the end of the 75 days.

As I mentioned, June in Florida makes this challenge difficult for a few reasons. The weather here has been SO rainy, which is great for the earth - hard for the schedule. We've just had to keep an eye on the radar every day and made adjustments to our outdoor workout plans. 

Results

Well, it's not over yet - but we are seeing results! I haven't lost much more weight since the 25 day check in, but my body is changing for sure. The definition in my arms is actually pretty impressive (to me anyway). 

People are also noticing changes, which is a big benchmark. Clothes are fitting better...etc.

Laundry is still a challenge, I can't believe how many work out clothes we are going through! 

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

75 Hard | Day 50 Check In

Friday, June 26, 2026

Friday Five | 6-12-26

Happy Friday!

1. Grove Co Delivery

I used to share my monthly Grove orders all the time, but honestly I haven't been ordering too often. Grove was perfect for me when we lived in a smaller town with not much variety at the store. Now that we live in a bigger city, I can get most of the products I like in our Walmart pick ups. But! There are a few thing I still love to get and that makes those orders feel more special! 

One of the main things I was SO excited to get was my favorite Mrs Meyers summer scent - tomato vine! It's such a specific smell, and I feel like IYKYK. I also really love the Sea Salt scent from Muse Apothecary, and got a set for our guest bathroom.

I do have a $15 referral link if you'd like to give Grove a try.

2. Another Delivery! Butcher Box

Okay, so literally everyone we know is getting a Butcher Box gift box for their special occasions this year. Food is so expensive, and who doesn't love receiving something so practical? I don't do BB every month, but maybe quarterly. I love love love the quality and having a freezer stocked up. 

Some of my favorites: the apple gouda sausage, their bacon, ground beef, and our free steaks! Blake bought me a grill for our anniversary this year, and I have enjoyed it so much. It's a small Blackstone, and really easy to use. Grilled food just tastes better. 

My link gets you a free box and free ground beef for life! You do have to pay shipping and be a new customer. PLUS, if you activate Rakuten there is a lot of cash back available for BB.

3. Fresh Work Out Clothes

Since we have been doing 75 Hard, I can't believe how much laundry we are going through. I have quite the collection of active clothing, but it became clear I needed to replace a few items. Specifically, sports bras! My favorite sports bra for running is a Fabletics high impact bra. I don't like to wear those for weight training, and don't really need that much compression for things like walking. So, I found this one on Amazon and it's just perfect! I ordered 3 colors and have found myself grabbing them straight out of the dryer. 

4. Mocktails

Recess makes the best canned mocktails! I've enjoyed trying all the flavors, but the Mule is my favorite. Just delicious, and there really is something to the adaptogen element. I always feel more relaxed after drinking one. I brought these with us to the Keys, and my family enjoyed drinking them too. Although they said they'd be better with a little alcohol in them, hah!

Blake and I enjoyed grilling last Friday with our yummy drinks! I ordered the margarita sample pack to take with me to the beach next week. 

5. Recent Reads📚

Long Bright River by Liz Moore - I really loved God of the Woods and this book had great reviews. Mickey is a police officer in Philly, who works in a pretty rough area. Her sister Kacey is on those same streets, struggling with addiction. Kacey goes missing, around the same time as a serial killer is in the area. I don't really think I've read many books from the perspective of the police, so this was interesting. It got a little redundant but I enjoyed the few twists and turns. 

Good Joy Bad Joy by Mikki Brammer - LOVED this one. Joy is a woman in her late 80's, she's always done the traditional right things and played it safe. Her best friend Hazel is the opposite - she's traveled the world and lived a full life. But she just got a very sad diagnosis. Joy decides to live a little and do a few 'bad' things to be more like Hazel. This is so sweet and tender! Warning you will cry at the end. 

The Shippers by Katherine Center - I really love a few Katherine Centers, but have also been kind of underwhelmed by a few so this was a toss up. Ultimately, I think there were some strong moments of this book and it was cute! But, I really think the cruise element was so underdeveloped. Like this could have taken place anywhere, the setting was not flushed out. And the main male character was wearing sweater vests to the Bahamas? I dunno, it just felt like maybe KC has never been on a cruise. 

The Good Lie by AR Torre - Gwen Moore is a therapist for people who might become killers, or have violent tendencies, etc. She deals with the really bad stuff. There is a serial killer in their area, and a victim has escaped. She starts to work with a lawyer named Robert who's own son was one of the victims. Robert doesn't believe the accused is the real killer. Overall this was fine, there were some good twists, but I haven't gone out of my way to recommend it to anyone. 

Shop This Post or my Amazon Storefront:

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

Friday Five | 6-12-26

Friday, June 12, 2026

75 Hard Challenge | Day 25 Check In

Challenge Details

The 75 Hard Challenge is a 75 day challenge where you have to complete several tasks each day. You must drink 1 gallon of water. You have to do two 45 minute work outs each day, and one of them has to be outside. You choose a diet to stick to, and can have no cheat days. No alcohol. You have to read 10 pages of non fiction each day. And you also take a progress photo every single day. If you miss a task you have to start over from day one. 

For my diet I have chosen to have a calorie deficit, with at least 100 grams of protein each day. For my outdoor workouts, I am doing a walk, and then changing it up from day to day for my indoor workout. 

75 Hard has an official App and that's what I'm using to keep track of each task. I'm so grateful my husband decided to do this with me. We looked ahead at our summer and saw that it was doable - so we went for it! Our first day was May 4th. 

Why This Challenge

In the last year I've set my mind to two big goals, and have been able to reach both. I think it's like the ultimate human experience to accomplish something you have to work hard for! 75 Hard is described as a mental toughness challenge, something that really impacts your personal discipline. I love that! I felt that this challenge can give me that sense of hard work and accomplishment, and if I get some physical benefits I'm all about it. 

Thoughts

Blake and I are officially 1/3 of the way through our 75 Hard, and I felt like it was a good time to reflect. A month is enough time to really see some results, and I definitely have. 

The hardest task by far is drinking the water! It was so overwhelming at first, and we were constantly running to the bathroom. The habit has become easier, and my body has gotten more used to the amount of liquids. I have found having an electrolyte packet at some point in the day seems to help with water absorption. 

The workouts have been no problem, I've actually loved walking each day. This challenge has been 1000 times easier because we are doing it together. I've enjoyed our walks so much, and I feel like our communication has been fantastic with this quality time. 

Reading has always come easy to me, so that's no biggie. The progress photo we do first thing in the morning so that's been a cinch too. I've also been able to stick to the calorie deficit as well. It's not an extreme diet and something that I consider sustainable. I know others have chosen harder diets for their challenge. 

Regarding alcohol: I have actually already given up alcohol. I haven't been drinking for about 8ish months, so this isn't a big deal for me. I haven't decided if I'll go back to alcohol one day, but for now it's not something I miss at all. Blake on the other hand, gave it up for this challenge. I'm grateful it's a change I had already made because I can see that being a really tough hurdle for someone trying to do this challenge. 

Set Backs and Challenges

Well it's not supposed to be easy, but there are several challenges to overcome with 75 Hard. Scheduling is everything!! We have to look at the weather right away each day so we can plan our outdoor workout. We've had to walk in the rain and late at night more than once. 

I also had a set back in that I ended up with bursitis in my left knee. It's an inflammation, and while I don't think I did anything outrageous to earn it - I definitely haven't had a single rest day. Fortunately, with the help of 2 doctors I think I'm better. Thankful for modern medicine! 

This challenge is all about self discipline, so that will be tested every day. None of these tasks are impossible, but very inconvenient. 

Results So Far

Obviously we aren't done yet, but a month is enough to see some progress! I have noticed SO many positive benefits. My skin is so clear, my fingernails are stronger (!!), I feel physically stronger and have noticed a few new muscle definitions, I have lost a few pounds, we are sleeping better...I really could go on.

We have also increased our laundry by a ton! I have a lot of work out clothes, but actually had to buy a few new pieces because of all the increased activity. 

-Kristen

This post contains affiliate and referral links! | Blog Disclosure

75 Hard Challenge | Day 25 Check In

Thursday, June 4, 2026