Just 6 Things

Draper James Dress

Ugh, I can't find this dress online to link for you! I have been shopping for some wintery dresses for our Alaskan cruise, and stumbled across this one on Poshmark. I don't think it's right for the cruise (well maybe, I don't know exactly what I'm bringing yet and we still have some time to go.) but I loved it so much I had to buy it. It's pretty perfect for Florida winter, with boots - but I also think it'll be pretty in the spring with heels. 

Hunger Games Movie Date

Blake and I had a midweek movie date and saw the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes! It might surprise you but I didn't read the book. I tried when it came out in 2020, but I just don't think I was in the right headspace for it. But, we really enjoyed the movie! The first movies and books came out when I was in my early twenties. I think I'm about the same age as Jennifer Lawrence, so when I watched the original movies I didn't really recognize how young the kids were that were killing each other. Watching this movie felt totally different - it was a lot more upsetting to see it at my age now. Which is obviously the point. 

I've been laughing at all the Reels on Instagram about the difference between watching the movie and reading the books. In the books, you are reading what's going on in Snow's head - but in the movie, you are just seeing a very attractive guy making these decisions and you end up rooting for him because you don't know how sick he is in the head. 

Anyway, it was a great date! We love love love going to the movies. I cannot believe how expensive it is though. I accidentally ordered these $20 nachos, hahaha. They were actually really good, so whatever. 

Sunrises

Now that the time has changed, we are treated to the best sunrises every morning when we take the dogs out. 

Having Company

We've been having a lot of people in and out the past few weeks. Two friends just stayed for a night each, but then we had Blake's cousin come through and stay for the whole weekend. I just love having company. It's fun to spoil our friends! Ben specifically requested that I make my hummus, and it's such a compliment for someone to love something you make that much. (I shared my recipe here on the blog in 2014!! It's sort of different every time. This time I used fresh Thyme and Oregano from my 'garden' and added red pepper flakes)

FSU Basketball

I went to a basketball game with my brother one random Monday night, and we just had the best time. The tickets are cheap as can be, and it's really fun. The jumbotron antics are such a trip. 

Doggy Sitting

My parents dog sat for my brother's dog Judd for a couple weeks, and we loved taking him on walks! We love our pugs, but we can all admit they are little couch potatoes who don't really go for long walks. (We do walk them, but it's quick and they just do their business and want to go back inside.) This day we took Judd out on the greenway for a few mile long walk and he was so happy. Had to pull a few ticks off him which was crazy, but he had a great time. We did too. 😊

-Kristen

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Just 6 Things

Monday, December 4, 2023

Just Three Things

Online Shopping

SO many sales!! I don't really need anything in particular - but I have been trying to find some jeans all year. It's been such a struggle. I know skinny jeans are 'out', but I cannot seem find jeans that are the right length, rise, and color. The jeans in this J. Crew order were quite disappointing unfortunately. The wash was awfully 80s, and they were so short. I really wish I could buy jeans with separate waist and length measurements. (Is this a me problem? I have a short waist, but my inseam is like over 31 inches.) 

In other news, I've started shopping for my Alaskan cruise next spring. I realized, even though we cruise all the time, it's in the Caribbean and all of my cruise formal outfits are very summery. I just don't think that'll be the vibe. I've seen a lot of fancy wintery dresses out right now, but maybe I should wait until the end of the season and get a discount?  I have ordered a new puffer style jacket for this trip from L.L. Bean so I will report back!

New Office Arm Chair

We have had our new joint home office set up for just about a year now! It's been great, and we really like it. I have been wondering what to do with this little nook though. When this was our guest room, I had my desk in this spot, but when we did the flip flop - it was a place holder for our exercise bike. ( Which I'm debating on selling...that might be it's own post.) 

A friend offered me this leather arm chair, and I was so excited! I thought a reading chair would be perfect in this spot. Blake and I barely got it up the stairs! I just knew our marriage was going to be in trouble. 😂 Just kidding, Blake was a great sport about it. He knew it'd be perfect in this spot, we just didn't know we'd have to go up and down the stairs 3 times before we figured out how to angle it.

It's great! The same friend also offered me a rug, which I was happy to add here too. It's not something I would have picked out for myself, but it does fill a lot of the negative space, and the pugs love it.  

Kitchen Lamp

You don't know you need a cute little lamp in your kitchen, but you absolutely do. It adds such a nice ambiance, especially in the evening. I had this little cutie on our actual kitchen counter, but then moved it to this little side table I have in the kitchen. We only have so much counter space, and I felt like it made more sense here. This table was a bar set up for a bit, but now I've got it as a morning beverage station and it's so sweet. My dad stole my Keurig though, so will be needing to replace that. (Ok, ok, I stole it from him first, he just wanted it back.)

This lamp is from Walmart, but I can't seem to find it on their website. It's the Mainstays line and it was literally $10. 

-Kristen

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Just Three Things

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

November Grove Co Haul

Grove Co Duster

I actually had this duster, but the handle fell apart and I put it back together wrong (apparently losing a little piece) and have been using it all this time anyway. It was time to order a replacement, and now I have 2 dusters to rotate with. I really like this duster because it attaches to the pole handle they have for reaching up high.

Grove Co Tissues - Free Gift

This was my free gift of this order. These are always great to have on hand!

Grove Co Dish Brush

This dish brush was probably in one of my very first orders with Grove years ago! It's a bamboo handle with a replaceable head once it gets worn out. I was on a cleaning job, and realized this house didn't have a toilet brush - and I forgot to bring mine. So my original brush had to be sacrificed! Obviously, I then needed a replacement and here we are haha.

Grab Green Garbage Disposal Pods

These are great! You just toss in a pod into your garbage disposal and it helps freshen it up. The scent is awesome. I use these about once a week when I deep clean the house.

Full Circle Squeegee

Super excited about this (is it lame to be excited about cleaning products?)! I have one in our glass shower for every day use, but wanted one for my cleaning caddy for my cleaning jobs. Love that this one folds up. It's going to be a great help!

Method Toilet Cleaner

No description necessary as this is in just about every order I make from Grove! 

Method Bathroom Cleaner

Another great staple in my cleaning caddy.

Method Antibac Cleaner 

I really like that this cleaner seems to lasts and lasts! I mainly use it on toilets. 

Aunt Fannies Carpet Refresher

I am the first to admit this is overpriced. It's a carpet powder that you leave on and then vacuum up. I only splurge on it once in awhile because it smells so good! It really does refresh your carpet. I have a large living room rug, and recently we got another large rug from a friend for our office. Yay for free rugs! However, that rug smells like it's been in storage, so I wanted to use this powder on it and see if I can freshen it up.

If you are new to Grove, you can use my link to get several free gifts!

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-Kristen

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November Grove Co Haul

Monday, November 20, 2023

Garden of Eden Trail - Bristol FL

Blake and I both had the day off last Friday, so we decided to go on a little adventure! Actually, hiking trails is one of our favorite things to do together and we try to make time for it when we can. Especially now that the temperatures here are more bearable. I use the All Trails app to bookmark future trails we want to try. One that has been on my list for quite awhile was the Garden of Eden trail in Bristol, FL. Bristol is just about the middle of nowhere, but it's very cool in that it actually has elevation. You'd never know you were in Florida. 

I won't lie it was actually very challenging. Lots of steps, washed out areas, and trees down along the route. There was at least one point we had to crawl on hands and knees under a tree to get through. The challenge is absolutely worth it when you get to the peak of the bluff and get to see the view! It's just beautiful. Even a few pops of fall foliage! (Big deal for Florida)

Things to note: 

- There are no facilities at the head of this trail. There is a water station, which I think is very important if you are going to attempt this during the summer.

- Highly recommend a walking stick or hiking poles because you will need something to hold onto both descending and ascending in several spots. Fortunately for me, my husband makes a great hand hold, haha. He helped me a lot and I would say I'm not exactly out of shape.

- If you want to cut down on some of the difficultly, go right when you reach the river loop. The scenic photo op is not too far from the entrance of the loop. We, on the other hand, went left. It was absolutely the least maintained part of the trail. Although, that may have made the view even more of a reward.

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-Kristen

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Garden of Eden Trail - Bristol FL

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Recent Outfits

With the temperatures slowly starting to drop here, I've been enjoying a new variety of clothes! Honestly, most days you'll find me in workout gear or my work uniform - but I had a few cute outfits recently I'd love to share with you. 

This first one is giving Lindsay Lohan Parent Trap vibes, haha!

I adore this dress I got from ThredUp! It's a J.Crew dress, surprise surprise. But, I waited too long to buy it originally and they sold out of my size. So, it very exciting to find it gently used on ThredUp.

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-Kristen

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Recent Outfits

Monday, November 13, 2023

End of the Year Goals

This is our friend's porch - it's SO pretty!

Get Delly Healthy

We've been struggling with Delly the past few months. She's going on 13, and I'm having a hard time accepting that she's a senior dog! She got an eye injury in August that has just been the slowest thing in the world to heal. It doesn't help that we get it so close to better and she ends up scratching it again. We've been really vigilant and extra careful, and I am determined to get her all fixed up for real this time. One thing that's really been helping is a supplement specifically for senior vision. She likes the taste and I think they are helpful in supporting the healing process.

But more than that, Delly really struggles with her mobility. It's gone downhill this last year. We try to keep her active, but it's just sad to watch. Our vet recommended a new arthritis shot for dogs, and my goal is to get her in for a consultation and give it a try. I just want my old dog back ya know? I realize that's just the reality of it, but I really miss puppy Delly. 

Completely Pay for 2024 Vacations

At the start of 2023, I took on a few cleaning jobs. I used to do regular cleaning a few years ago, but got burnt out on it. I decided to take on some new jobs and actively ask for referrals. My regular day job slowed down this year, and we reworked my work days - so these cleaning jobs have been a nice supplement. In fact, I've been able to use all the money for extras so far this year. As of this week, I will have completely paid for our flights and cruise that we are taking to Alaska next year, all using this cleaning money. So, for the remainder of the year (and maybe into January) I'd like to save every penny for another trip we hope to take. Super cool to be able to fund these trips this way. 

Actually, just this month I've taken on 2 new clients so I hope this won't take long at all.

Get Back To Bookstagram

In 2021, I started a Bookstagram account. I read so much, and friends are always asking for recommendations so it seemed like a good way to share what I was reading. Then I hit a reading slump, and it felt like every book I had read for like 2 months straight was just meh. Those were absolutely not books I wanted to share. Which made me get out of the habit of posting! I've been debating about what I wanted to do with the account, and decided to use it to only share my 5 Star reads. That made it feel a lot less intimidating! Plus, I share almost everything I read here on my blog, so a lot of it will just be copy and paste and that makes it easier. My goal is to keep that up (and hopefully have a lot of 5 star books to share!) and be more active on that account. I'd like to see where I could take it. 

Blog More

I know I'm breaking the cardinal rule of goal setting by not being specific here, but I'm not sure how else to say it! I've been blogging since 2014 (this is my very first post LOL) and it's always ebbed and flowed. Some years I posted multiple times per week, and really for the last year I've basically gotten out a single post per week. I don't feel bad about that necessarily, I just know I could be doing a better job at brainstorming and taking pictures for posts. I'd like to give it more effort and share more! 

Workout Again

Exercise will always be important to me. I feel like it's just been on the backburner lately. Most of it is just lack of routine! I'm not training for any races at the moment, so I do know that's part of it. I have no desire to run right now, admittedly. I have been enjoying the Barre classes on the Peloton app, and I think I'd like to lean into that. My goal here is to make a schedule (a reasonable one) and see if I can make exercise part of my daily habits again. 

What are you trying to accomplish before the end of the year?

-Kristen

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End of the Year Goals

Monday, November 6, 2023

2023 Gift Ideas for Anyone!

Gift giving is one of my favorite things. Is there a better feeling than nailing it, and finding the exact perfect thing for someone? Recently, my cousin said that she was just going to call me next time she needed to give a gift because she never has any ideas. So, I thought I'd throw together a post today with some of the things I'm always gifting.

Cheese Board and Date Night Kit

I always have fun putting these together. You can get a cheese board from somewhere like TJ Maxx, or go fancy and get some personalized from Mark and Graham. (Side bar: ANYTHING from Mark and Graham makes a fantastic classy gift. Most of the time I start in the clearance section and find something just perfect.) Once you have the cheese board I like to create a kit around it. I typically do a  'just add the cheese' type of kit with jam, honey, nuts, candy, crackers and wine. 

Aura Picture Frame

This is a 10/10 gift. Everyone has a million pictures on their phone, so this is such a cool way to actually see them. The best part about the Aura frame is that you can add family members or friends to your frame so that they can add their pictures. So, this is a perfect gift for in-laws or parents. My in-laws love their frame, and it's great because my sister in law can always add fresh pictures of the grandkids, and we can send pictures of the pugs. (😊)

Erin Condren Fleece Throws

I've gifted a dozen of these blankets. They are a great price point, and customizable. Who doesn't love a good throw for the couch? There are so many patterns, including Star Wars and one you can upload your own photos to.

Here's $10 towards your first EC order!

Always Pans and Sheet Pans

You've already heard about my love of the Our Place pans here! They go one sale pretty frequently too. I love all the fun colors, but there are also some classic shades you can't go wrong with. Dare I say, I've gifted at least 5 of these pans? But, my very favorite piece in our whole collection is actually the sheet pan. It's just great and we use it all the time. Same thing, it comes in a variety of colors. 

Here's $20 towards your first order! 

Pura Smart Diffuser

I actually don't own one of these myself, but I've given multiple for gifts. This is a plug in diffuser with an app to help you control the scent levels. Their scents though, are where it's at. They have everything! Including popular candle scents like the Volcano scent everyone loves. My mom has 2 of these, one for upstairs and one for down. I absolutely love visiting her when she's got the Homesick Beach Cottage scent going! 

LL Bean Boat and Tote

These tote bags are so timeless and functional. With a bunch of color options and font choices - you can really tailor this to your recipient. I personally have 2 large totes, and 1 medium. With the large totes, I opted for the long handles, and with the medium I went with the short. I feel like the price is just right - and you could gift it on it's own or fill it with some goodies. 

Tell me below what your go-to gifts are these days!

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-Kristen

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2023 Gift Ideas for Anyone!

Friday, November 3, 2023

Just 3 Things

New (and Old!) Dishes and Silverware

Blake and I have been thinking we needed a new set of dinnerware for some time. Several of our plates had become warped somehow, maybe from the dishwasher. We also were missing so many spoons and forks! It was kind of strange. But, you know after having a set of dishes and silverware for over a decade - you expect that you'll need to replace them eventually. 

Recently, my grandmother was doing some decluttering, and asked if I wanted her small set of china that she acquired when she was 16 from a door to door salesman. My mom remembers this being the fancy set they never used! It's a gorgeous white plate with some foliage in the middle and a gold rim. I think they are beautiful - and the only pieces missing from the set are a some tea cups. (Replacements.com is an excellent way to complete sets of things by the way! They've got this set, I'm just waiting to see the tea cups!) 

Anyway, to compliment these pretty plates, we chose an every day set from Target that are just awesome. Such a good price point too. And, for some fun - I went with a gold set of silverware. I love them so much. They weren't cheap, but I'm really happy with the overall look. 

Just a thought here, I really wish dinnerware was sold in sets of 6 instead of 4. I had to buy 2 sets of 4 to make 8, but I don't even have 8 chairs in our house. 

My Cousin's 15th Anniversary Party

We just got back from celebrating my cousin's 15th wedding anniversary, and it was such a great party! I was in their wedding party, so it just felt extra special to be there and see how they've grown. I got to wear my Gal Meets Glam dress that I scored on ThreadUp. 

There was a photo booth that was a huge hit! They came out with a thousand props and then your pictures were printed right then and there. Super fun, and a souvenir I'll treasure! 

2nd Hand Romper Tradition

So weird, but this is now the 3rd romper I've gotten second hand from Sandy's in Gainesville. If you are ever nearby, it's a fantastic resale store. They buy clothes outright, and it's always been a fun way to earn some extra cash. I tried on a couple things while in the store and ended up with a Lululemon tunic top that I think will be great for leggings this winter, and then this cute cute cute romper from Loft. It still had tags on it, so super score. I took this picture because I needed my sister to tell me if it fit okay, since it wasn't my normal size. It's actually one size up, but in petite - so it actually worked well.

I absolutely love buying clothes second hand. Hot tip though, you have to try everything on. And look in different sizes. Used clothing has been washed and worn, so it may not fit like you expect. Also, someone may have donated it because it didn't fit them right in the first place, so it could be an abnormal representation of that size. I say, love it or don't buy it. 

That's it from me! Hope you have a great week!

-Kristen

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Just 3 Things

Monday, October 30, 2023