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Reef Sandals

When I say how shocking light these sandals are, I still don't think you can understand until you pick them up! While they look clunky, they are light as a feather. You will see me wearing these all summer long. They fit like a glove, and didn't even take time to break in at all. I think I may just have to buy them in black as well.

Yeti Water Bottles

Day 4 of my February declutter challenge had us tackling our tumbler and cup collections. That experience helped us to see we wanted to do something different there. Instead of amassing a bunch of random cups, I wanted to invest in specific matching ones. One color for me, and one color for Blake. He's got the Yeti coffee mug, a 16 oz tumbler, the 35 oz tumbler with a straw, and now a more travel style water bottle - all in navy. We feel like that covers all the possibilities of travel beverages. He uses the coffee mug the least, but that's great for hot coffee or tea. He uses the 16 oz tumbler everyday for his cold brew. The 35oz tumbler is awesome for water for the day. He fills it up in the morning to use with his workout, and then he transports it to work and can refill it there. The water bottle is the newest addition and will be ideal for our upcoming trips! It's perfect to put in a backpack and not worry about spills. 

Next, I'll slowly be adding the same cups for me to our cabinet. They are obviously pricey, so I'll just get them over time. I went with cosmic lilac. A gorgeous color, but not loud. First up for me is the travel water bottle. I love using it daily, but I specifically had our upcoming trips in mind. 


Homesick Beach Cottage Candle

I'm not usually a candle person! My diffuser is usually sufficient for making the house smell nice. My mom has a Pura diffuser, which is really cool. She got the Beach Cottage scent, and it was the first scent she's used that stopped me in my tracks. It's just a really nice, summery smell. It's a strong candle, so I have been burning it sparingly, and honestly it still throws scent without a flame. 

Plus the jar is really cute! 


Amazon Wrap Dress

Just picked up this black maxi (midi?) dress from Amazon and thought I'd share! It's very versatile! Who doesn't need an easy black dress that can be dressed up or down? 


Vital Proteins Collagen Coffee Creamer

Very excited to try this! I'm on a mission to strengthen my finger nails, and a lot of people say that collagen can help with that. This is a light vanilla flavor, so it's nice to add to my usual morning coffee. 

Gloves

This was purchased specifically for our upcoming Alaska trip. All I own are cheapy Walmart gloves that work just fine here in Florida - but I knew I was going to need something more legit. These are it! They are water proof, and so cozy on the inside. Plus, they are touchscreen compatible. I'm really happy with these, and hope they work well for our trip! Either way, I'm happy to have them for next winter. 

I went with size medium if that helps you shop.

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-Kristen

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Recent Amazon Purchases

Monday, March 18, 2024



In case you missed it, 2 of my cousins and I are attempting to cook our way through the Dinner Tonight Cookbook together. We are taking turns choosing a recipe to make, and are reporting back to each other via text. 

This week's choice was the Beef Lo Mein

Additionally, I made the Kale Sweet Potato Salad as a side dish when we were invited over to someone's house for dinner. 

Both of these dishes were great! The salad especially. Really cool combo of flavors, and so nutritious. It was kind of like a Caesar salad remix. The Beef Lo Mein was a really great dish. Blake actually cooked dinner that night, and while I don't think he loved doing all the steps - it really turned out so well. We added extra ginger since that is something we both love. 

As always, we love using our Always Pan and Perfect Pot! Makes clean up so easy.

-Kristen

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Dinner Tonight Cookbook Club #9

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Just a little photo diary of our 14th anniversary celebrations with our friends and family this past week! We are feeling so spoiled and loved. 14 years is just wild, how are we old enough for this?! 

I've been documenting our anniversaries here on the blog since 2015 on our 5th. I just think that's pretty cool, and a fun way to be nostalgic. 

If you are new around here, I'm a BIG fan of an anniversary celebration. The years pass no matter what, but your marriage isn't guaranteed. It's work every day, and worth celebrating in a big way!
 








-Kristen

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Our 14th Anniversary

Monday, March 11, 2024



The Women by Kristin Hannah

In a sea of WWII historical fiction, it was so interesting to read about a different war time! This story follows Frankie, a combat nurse. I feel like I can't share too much without giving away plot, but she really goes through it before and after the war. The end definitely surprised me, although I feel like it shouldn't have. Kristin Hannah is a great writer, and if you like any of her other books, you'll like this one! It gets pretty dramatic, but that's what she does best. There is some language and some very descriptive war scenes/carnage. 
I'd say this is 4.5 stars, rounded up! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Women was my Book of The Month pick for February! If you want to try BOTM, you can use my link to get your first hardback for $5 and free shipping. 

The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle

I really enjoyed Mike Gayle's All The Lonely People, and I feel like if you enjoyed that book too, you'll enjoy The Museum of Ordinary People. Such a touching story revolving around loss and moving forward. Essentially, Jess is trying to grieve the loss of her mother while deciding what to do with her belongings. While navigating that, she ends up finding an archive of a lot of random personal items in a warehouse known as The Museum of Ordinary People. 
A touching 5 stars from me! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

This is a highly rated fantasy series, and I thought I'd see what it was all about. Basically, Celaena is an assassin who has been prison. She's been released to compete to be the King's champion and win her freedom. But, there is a lot of evil in the castle she's not expecting.  
Mmm, this was just ok to me. It felt repetitive through most of the book, but was exciting toward the end. I'm deciding whether or not to continue the series. ⭐⭐⭐

Meet Me In the Margins by Melissa Ferguson

A rom com set in the book world? On paper this book should be right up my alley. Basically, Savannah works at a publishing company. She's also writing her own romance novel. The publishing company is actually housed in an old Victorian. She leaves her manuscript in a hidden room of the Victorian, and when she comes back someone has edited it for her. I hate to say it but this book was completely average. Some stuff was cute, most of it was ridiculous. ⭐⭐⭐

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-Kristen

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Recent Reads #34

Friday, March 8, 2024



In case you missed it, 2 of my cousins and I are attempting to cook our way through the Dinner Tonight Cookbook together. We are taking turns choosing a recipe to make, and are reporting back to each other via text. 

This week's choice was the Sheet Pan Hot Honey Dijon Chicken!

This was dang good. Super simple to put together, as you'd expect from a sheet pan dish. The spice level is pretty intense, so just keep that in mind if that is something you are sensitive too. We loved this, and will make it again for sure.  

We used our Always Pan Sheet pan which is just the best! So easy to clean up.

-Kristen

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Dinner Tonight Cookbook Club #8

Wednesday, March 6, 2024



E-Cloth Stainless Set

I have long loved E-Cloths! You just add water. Their glass cleaning cloths are top notch. I haven't really found the perfect thing to clean our stove each evening, so I thought I'd give this a shot. 

Grove Co Sponges

A long time favorite, and frequent purchase. These are just great sponges and they don't scratch our dishes. 

Grab Green Garbage Disposal Pods

Another favorite! These pods are so easy to use. You just pop them into your disposal and they really freshen things up. Love the scent. 

Grove Co Microfiber Cloths - Free Gift! 

These are awesome cleaning cloths, and I was so glad to get them as a free gift. I can never have enough. 

Acure Eye Gels

I would like to find a more budget friendly option for these - but for now I will keep repurchasing! There are times you just need to revive the undereye! 

Acure Acne Spot Gel

Very excited to give this a try. I have pretty decent skin, but every once in awhile I end up with a blemish I want to treat. I think this will fit my needs perfectly. 

Dr Bronners Hand Sanitizer

I normally go for the Grove brand spray sanitizer, but it seemed out of stock this go around. Happy to try out Dr. Bronner's. 

Rooted Hand Cream

You might remember this from a recent haul, but I lost it! It must have found it's way into a random bag or something. My hands have been so dry lately, I just needed to get a replacement. 

Grove Co Dishwasher Pods - Free Gift!

These dishwasher pods are pretty good! But, for free, I'm happy to take them! 

Grove Co Upholstery Cleaner

By far one of the best products Grove makes! We recently had a sick pug, and our living room carpet took the brunt of it. So, I reordered this cleaner because it's obviously a necessity with pets. It works like a charm. (In case you are wondering, Delly is doing much much better - our vet gave us some miracle medicine that helped get her right as rain.) 

Mrs. Meyers Concentrate 

A favorite! I use this concentrate to make multi purpose cleaner and floor cleaner. I normally go for the 'bluebell' scent since it's my favorite, but I went for Lemon Verbena this time to mix it up. 

Burt's Bees Micellar Wipes

I've tried to break up with wipes like this, but I just find that on those lazy evenings I'd rather use one of these than nothing at all. They work great and I'm glad to have these back in the bathroom drawer. 

Collagen Sample

I've been thinking about adding some collagen powder to my morning coffee, so what perfect timing to get this free sample. I tried it this morning, and it really didn't taste like anything which was a win! 

Coconut Deep Conditioner Sample 

So excited to try this as well! Now that my hair is so long, I think a deep conditioner treatment would be just perfect. 

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-Kristen

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March Grove Haul

Monday, March 4, 2024



For our anniversary this year, I asked Blake to upgrade my Cricut. I've had my Cricut Explore for a few years now, and boy has it paid for itself. It's the backbone of my Etsy store. With all the abuse I have put it through, I thought it might be time to go for their more top of line machine. (Especially, because I broke the door of my Explore and didn't know how to fix it...) 

I knew I wanted the Maker 3, but I told Blake I didn't want him to spend a bunch of money on it. We found out Cricut does refurbished machines, and that's what I asked for. It was a way to save a few hundred dollars actually. The con of this is you don't get to choose your color. But, they sent me the most gorgeous powder blue color and I couldn't love it more. 

GOSH, what an upgrade. This machine does a few things differently than my explore, so it took a minute to get used to the rhythm of loading and unloading. However, it's quieter and faster which is great. Additionally, it cuts far more materials than the Explore. Truly, the quality of the machine itself is just plain really nice! 

I purchased an engraving blade which is just so cool, and I can't wait to experiment with it. And because I feel more inspired to create now that I have new tools, I also purchased some card making supplies. (My previous machine would have done cards as well, but I never really played with it.) Cricut now has a card making mat which is awesome! I've also enjoyed their name brand card sets. Cricut vinyl is not my favorite by any means, but their paper products are A+. 

Having one of these machines has just made me feel so much more creative as I get older. I was totally that kid with a thousand paper shreds all over my bedroom floor growing up. Hobbies are just so important, even as we get older, so this has really scratched that itch for me the past few years. It's hard because it took some time to learn how to use, and I normally don't like doing things I'm not immediately good at. But, I'm so glad I've stuck with it because it's just been plain fun. I hope this means you'll see some more Cricut creations posts from me in the near future. 

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-Kristen

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My New Cricut!

Friday, March 1, 2024


Time I woke up: My alarm went off at 6am, and even though I hit snooze, I still got up before the 5 minutes were up. 

First thing I did upon waking: I took Delly out. Now that she's older we try to get her outside right before bed, and then again right away in the morning. The other two dogs were totally snoring away. 

Today's weather: It was a weird one. A few rain showers, but the sun was out for the most of the day and it got up close to 80 degrees. 

Something I spent money on today: I am going to a bridal shower tomorrow and was asked to bring a charcuterie board. (One of my favorite things to make!) So, I bought all the supplies to do that. Plus a few other random things like laundry detergent and vitamins. (I adore my Olly vitamins.) 

An out-of-the-ordinary thing that happened today: Hmm. I'm wearing a crop top? That is probably the most unusual thing about today, haha. It's truly the first one I've ever owned. 

Last thing I read (not on the internet): I'm currently reading The Museum of Ordinary People by Mike Gayle

Last thing I read (on the internet): I looked up a manual for the bread maker my sister gave me. (She never used it, and I've always wanted to try it out.) 


Last text I sent: I sent a picture of the shirt I bought for our next Disney trip to my cousin who we are going with.

Last text I received: My friend Mindy responded with 'Thank you' after I sent a text asking about her family. 

Last website I visited: Amazon I think? I've been adding things to the cart for our Alaska trip in a few months. 

Last show I watched: The Mandalorian - Blake and I are rewatching it and we played an episode last night. Admittedly I fell asleep part way through, since I was exhausted after my day!
 
Last podcast I listened to: I don't really listen to too many podcasts, but I do think the last one I listened to was a Bad on Paper episode. 


Last thing I said: "It's workingggggg" - me to my sister on Marco Polo when I got the bread maker working.

Last thing I ate: I grabbed a clementine a few minutes ago! 

What I was doing an hour ago: Hmmm, I think that was about the time I fed the pugs dinner and took them on a quick walk down to the mailbox. 

What I will be doing an hour from now: My mom said she'd cook us dinner if Blake came to help them mount their new TV on the wall. Will work for food, haha.

Current whereabouts of the other members of my household:  Blake should be well on his way home from work. 

One thing I crossed off my to-do list today: Nothing crazy, but I did get some laundry done. I was working from home today, so obviously that was the priority. 


-Kristen

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Snapshot of My Day

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Any Excuse Will Do

I recently heard the expression "any excuse will do", and I can't stop thinking about it. What does it mean? Essentially, it means whatever excuse you want to give will be accepted, but it's still an excuse. 

Now that I've heard this expression, I can't help but notice how many times it comes up. Whether at work, or in conversations with friends, or even with myself - I have been noticing how many times excuses pop up. There is always a reason not to do something! But this phrase has me thinking how it really doesn't matter what the reason is, you could say anything, but it's still an excuse. 

Maybe an example would help. I hosted this declutter challenge in February, and I have a few friends over on Instagram who are doing with me. Almost everyday I have gotten a message from someone in the challenge saying why they weren't able to do that day's challenge. Obviously, I am not forcing anyone to participate, and I did my best to make each day have a simple task that could be done rather quickly. It's totally cool with me if someone can't do it that day, or has to really tailor the challenge to meet their needs - that's the point of it anyway! Truly, it doesn't matter what reason they've provided, I'll accept it. I won't kick them out of the group or anything! However, it's still an excuse, and they didn't make any progress that day. There are several other people in the group, who were also unbelievably busy and still managed to get it done. 

Are some excuses legitimate? Completely. But, for the most part, I think we could find our way out of just anything we don't want to do. It's pretty easy to justify things to ourselves. 

I guess now that I've noticed this, I want to make sure I'm not just giving excuses. Even if I do have solid reasons not to do something, I want to make sure those reasons aren't because I'm feeling lazy, scared, or uncomfortable. Sometimes there are a lot of reasons I don't want to do something, but thinking about this phrase will definitely push me to do it anyway! 

We Live In A Society Where You Touch Your Phone More Than You Touch Your Spouse

Another expression I came across recently is the one above. I don't have a lot to say about it, other than I can't stop thinking about it. While sad, I wouldn't be shocked if this were true about most couples. Our phones and other technology are so essential to our daily lives, but gosh shouldn't we be prioritizing human contact? 

Physical touch might not be your personal love language, but who doesn't benefit from this kind of expression? It's my goal that even if we are just hanging out on the couch on our phones or watching a movie, we will still make the effort to be touching in some way. 

Anyway, just one of those things that makes you stop in your tracks and take note.

-Kristen

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Two Expressions I Can't Stop Thinking About

Wednesday, February 28, 2024


Hello!

Hi friends! I'm Kristen, and this is the Life and Style of an early 30's Floridian living the Best Life Ever, with her husband and three pugs. Runner | Avid Reader | Small Shop Owner

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