Five Things I'm Loving Right Now...

Here are a few things that have caught my attention this week...

I wanted a couple of new cover ups for the pool this summer. How cute is this one? And, it is under $30 and comes in different colors and prints!

from Swimsuits for All

Next up, if you have dry hair, this Aveda shampoo will change your life. The longer my hair gets, the more it tangles. The more it tangles, the more it looks bad. The more it looks bad, the more I want to cut it off! This shampoo feels like conditioner! It is amazing! I had a sample from my hairdresser and used it every other day and found it had the same effect. Great news, since it isn't cheap!

I want this shirt in my closet. But first, I want it in my size. It is darling! I want to wear it with white pants and pink flats!

from Mod Cloth

As an event planner, my feet hurt onsite! I stand and walk a lot. On the flip side, I am home all day and barefoot and my feet hurt. So, I visited a local store specializing in shoes for people with foot problems. You know the one, with more Birkenstocks than you knew existed. I tried these on and loved them! I wore them Saturday night and both girls with me wanted them, too! They look like cute wedges on the outside, but on the inside, they feel like perfect! Lucky for me, the store was having a big semi-annual sale!

Bussola style sandals

Finally, on Cinco de Mayo we made watermelon mojitos and they taste like vacation. I want them to transport me to a beach in Mexico. Trust me!

We used Fancy Ashley's recipe here and used coconut rum instead of Bacardi and then added in fresh watermelon. Delish!

Starbuck's Peach Green Tea Lemonade Recipe

I am an iced tea girl. I like it cold and sweet.

I drink black tea or southern sweet tea at Starbucks most of the time. But, this time of year, my favorite is Peach Green Tea Lemonade. It is the most refreshing drink on a hot day. 

I don't like that it costs over $4 for a Venti. It is such a waste. So, when I heard I could buy Peach syrup in the store, I hatched a homemade plan! While buying the syrup, I casually asked the friendly barista how many pumps they use and she gave me the recipe!

Starbuck's Peach Green Tea Lemonade

Fill your glass with half of the lemonade of your choice and half of your favorite green tea. I found both of these at Target.

Then, you'll give it a few pumps of Starbuck's Peach Syrup. They use 3 pumps for a tall, 4 for a grande and 6 for a Venti. I used 4 in my mason jar.

Stir with a cute straw and enjoy knowing it tastes great and you just saved about $3.50... and you are still in your pajamas!

Table of Many Colors

 Check out my bright and sunny new kitchen table and chairs! The chairs were my birthday present and were such a tough choice! I looked everywhere online. Ordered silver ones from Target and returned them because they were so short they went under the table when pushed in. They I ordered aged yellow chairs online and canceled that order before it shipped. Finally, I found orange ones on Amazon and have loved them since I hit submit! My table was another story...

 We first bought this table and chairs in 2012 and I loved it. But, the black tabletop became a nightmare. It showed EVERYTHING. Every crumb in the fold down cracks. Every smudge of food not cleaned off. And, eventually, every fork poke and scratch. I couldn't get it clean to save my life. 

So, two years ago, I used some chalk paint and made it a clean and crisp ivory. It was good for a few months and then with a scratch or fork poke (seriously, I should figure out how to make my child stop poking the table!) the paint came off and the black came through. Once again, it looked dirty all the time. No matter what I did.

So, I grabbed a sander, some coarse sanding sheets and went to town on the tabletop. I had no idea what the wood would look like underneath. I had no idea how long it would take or if I could break the seal of the black paint it came with. I also had no idea it was red underneath the black. Holy moly I sanded for days.

And I discovered this gem. Real wood in good condition. This is the wood after being wiped down with a wet paper towel. When dry, it was pretty dull. I knew I wanted low maintenance and sealing it was going to be necessary. I asked my Instagram followers what I should do next and a grey stain with white wash with the overall vote. Back to Lowe's I went!

I selected a Minwax Weathered Grey stain and applied it and wiped it with a lint-free cloth. They sell bags of them for cheap.

After it dried, I went back over that with a 50/50 mixture of Annie Sloan Cream chalk paint and water. Again, using my rags I rubbed it on and wiped it off. 

Finally, to keep it looking the same after lots of wear and tear, I used a satin polycrylic by Minwax and applied 6 coats with a paintbrush. This provided a even minimal shine, seals everything in to prevent drink rings and give it the professional finish I was after. I kept the base black as originally purchased.

It is a fun new spot for dinner conversation with my family. Speaking of, we've added Jesus Calling for Kids to the supper table. It is a simple kid-friendly devotional that we do over dinner. I love reading it with Abby and then processing it with her. Last night we talked about how God is always good, but no one else is ALWAYS good. It allowed us to talk about needing Jesus when we aren't good and sin and giving grace to others when they aren't good. I highly recommend it at the dinner table. 

Two other things I am loving right now- silicone muffin cups for my Mix and Match Egg Muffins. Cleaning the muffin pan before these cups was a pain. So easy now!

Finally, I'm loving my new Blue Jean candle. It is springy with citrus and greens and clean with musk and patchouli. Loving it!

Happy Spring!

New Favorite Shoes for Spring

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen that I bought two new pairs of shoes recently. I used to buy shoes once a week, but staying home means a different budget and I haven't bought shoes on a whim in ages. 

Here are my new favorites for Spring...

These Converse are great! I have wanted a pair for ages, but didn't want them to be traditional shoes that require socks. I love that these are more like a flat. They don't come in half sizes, so I went 1/2 size down.

I have seen this style of shoes in multiple stores this season. I loved these from DSW because the leather is really soft and they show the right amount of toe. They also come in brown and a metallic gold. 

Finally, I am a TOMS girl! I just love them year round. I bought these new chevron ones from Jonathan Adler while on vacation in Dallas for Spring Break. Lots of cute new styles for Spring from TOMS!

Happy Mommy Box

Have you heard of the Happy Mommy Box? I saw it all over Instagram recently and had to check it out! It is a monthly subscription that sends you a box of goodies and includes a treat for the kids! You can subscribe for 1 month or 3 months at a time. It is $29/month which includes shipping. 

There is a wait list as these boxes have gotten pretty popular! So, you get on the wait list and an email is sent telling you when the site is open and you can sign up for the following month/3 months.

Here is my February box- my first one! The box always includes a print (the chalkboard moon 5x7 print), a magazine, coupons and then treats for Mom and child. They do ask your child's age. Abby received play-doh and some robot tattoos and vitamins. 

One of the best parts- they try to feature small Mommy based businesses in the boxes, like the two bracelets I received. Super cute and fun to support others in the working Mom arena.

I can't have a Happy Mommy Box every month, but I'll certainly do it every now and then!

If you aren't looking for yourself, this would be super fun to gift to a friend who is a new Mom!

Let's Talk "Fresh" Herbs

I love cooking with fresh herbs, but without an herb garden in my backyard, I feel like the herbs often cost more than the meal. That frustrates me! Here are some creative solutions I have found:

Have you seen these 5 blade scissors for cutting fresh herbs? They are inexpensive on Amazon and you'll find that when you do buy fresh herbs, you'll use up every little piece because they cut so easily. Plus, you won't dread dealing with herbs since the scissors are so fun and easy! I chopped up cilantro fresh from my cool shower cap storage for tortilla soup in less than 1 minute. 

When I talked about herbs with some of my friends in MOPS, another Mom mentioned these frozen herbs. They are in what looks like ice cube trays and you can pop them out into your dish and they will melt and incorporate into the meal. Plus, they are only a couple of dollars and last forever. For my local friends, I've seen them at HEB at 1431/Parmer and at 620 and Anderson Mill. They have lots of different herbs to select from.

I have fallen in love with this orzo recipe and make it often using this basil paste instead of fresh basil. It is found in the produce section and it basically finely chopped basil in olive oil. It works great and lasts forever! I've made the orzo 4 times and still haven't used all the paste up. 

Do the cost of fresh herbs frustrate you too? Hopefully these can be found in your store and help you, too!

My Trader Joe's Grocery Review

We just recently got a Trader Joe's in the big city next to the suburb I live it. It is a big deal that they came to Texas and everyone has been talking about it for months. My friend and I took a little field trip there a few weeks ago. We both did our research looking online at the top selling products and things we HAD to purchase. We each spent just under $100 and came home with new things to try with our families. 

A couple of general comments- the store is small, but I think we are used to everything being large in Texas. It was a nice size though because I found everything I really needed there. I was amazed that everything I looked at was filled with things I could pronounce. I get headaches from corn syrup and loved having so many snack options made with real sugar! Plus, so many things were the same price or less than the everyday grocery store. I spent less, bought organic, and skipped lots of chemical junk. 

Let's talk about how it tasted!

Here is my stash we can talk through top left to right and going down....

International Chocolates- these are a gift, but I know she will love trying all the different ways chocolate is made, flavored and sweetened around the world.

Sprouted Wheat Bagels- sprouted wheat is less processed wheat, so that is a good thing.

Marinana Sauce- this was good and without corn syrup! Why does tomato sauce need corn syrup!

Sweet Chili Sauce- I love this on my cilantro chicken and it was less expensive than HEB, so I bought it. Tastes the same!

Charles Shaw wine- this wine is only $2.99/bottle. It is known as Two Buck Chuck. My husband drank it and liked it. Great to have on hand. We bought three bottles for the price on one that he normally drinks.

Let's talk about Midnight Moo- I was most excited about this. My daughter loves chocolate milk and I hate what is in chocolate syrup. This one is totally natural and she loved it. It is thick and takes a little work to break up in the milk, but worth it.

Cookie Butter- looks like peanut butter, but it is made with ground up gingerbread cookies, cinnamon, and coconut oil. AH-MAZING! No wonder this stuff has it's own Facebook page. Tastes great on waffles, bagels, animal crackers, and even ice cream!

Candy Cane green tea- this smelled wonderful and tasted great. It is strong and great for the holidays. 

Dark Chocolate Peppermint Jo Jos- these are dark chocolate covered peppermint Oreos. Enough said. We ate them just fine. :)

Chicken Tamales (under the Jo Jos)- we loved these! They were great for a quick and good dinner on Christmas eve after church. We will buy them again!

Honeycrisp Apples- these are like the cadillac of apples- super sweet and always expensive. I bought an organic bag for the price of one large apple at the grocery store. 

Strawberries- I first bought strawberries organic last summer and the difference is very noticeable. The color, the taste, you'll be able to tell!

Garlic Herb Chicken Sausage- this was so tasty and not greasy at all. Perfect protein for a busy night.

Bagged Kale- it is washed and torn and ready for this salad! Plus it was only $1.99 as opposed to $3.99 in the grocery store.

Cheese Tortellini- we ate on this bag for days! My daughter and niece liked them and they reheated well the next few days. I just tossed in a little olive oil and Italian seasoning.

Spinach Sour Cream Dip- this was all natural and tasted just like the over processed dips I would normally buy. It tasted great with carrots. My only complaint- it is best by the day after the day I bought it. I should have looked!

Edamame Hummus- Marcus didn't think this had much flavor. He tasted the bean part of the hummus more than the edamame part. They had tons of flavor options, so I'll try a different one next time.

Dark Chocolate Almonds- oh my heavens- these were awesome! Covered in dark chocolate and then sea salt and turbinado sugar. Really tasty!

Mac and Cheese- this really did taste like homemade. It was an easy side that I will buy again!

Let's talk about the taco seasoning mix. I've made my own and while it is easy, I don't always have enough on hand to make a big container for future uses, but I hate seeing all the sodium and junk in taco seasoning. Check this one out- all the things I would have put in there myself. Hooray for that! Plus, it was only 79 cents. Love that!

Mandarin Orange Chicken- this might be my favorite purchase- easy to make, tastes great over rice, and my daughter ate seconds!

Ground Beef- we used this in a casserole and it was no different from the grocery brand we buy. It just cost a little less and was in a flat container which stacked so easily in the freezer.

I love having Trader Joes nearby and am certain I will visit at least once a month to stock up on my favorites!

New Favorite iPhone Photo Editing App- in time for Christmas!

 I seem to only take pictures with my iPhone anymore. I never pull out my nice camera unless we are on vacation or taking family pictures all together. I am always so jealous of the beautiful iPhone pictures I find on Instagram, Twitter, etc. So, I did a little asking and a little research and have a new favorite app- PicFx. The app costs $1.99.

Here is the straight from the phone/no filter picture I took a few weeks ago.

And, here are just a few of the PicFx filters I played with. There are a TON more!

Love! I also use A Beautiful Mess for text overlays and Diptic for collages.

Any other photography apps I should check out?

What I'm Loving Right Now

So many cute things I am loving right now!

These boots just might change my life. I have looked for wide calf boots that are cute for years. Not even kidding- years. I own a pair and they look cheap and plasticy to me. Big calved girls can be fashionable!

I was at Nordstrom recently and told the sales guy my problem when we wanted to bring out some boots for me. He took the challenge and told me he had the perfect boots for me. They worked! They zipped right up and over my skinny jeans. Oh happy day!

The Sam Edelman Penny Boot has the wide calf in all the right places. It isn't tight just above the ankle and too big just below the knee. I love them. One thing he taught me with boots, look for one layer of leather so that they will stretch for you. The higher end boots have an inner leather layer and so your stretch is more limited. I bought this whiskey pair, but they also come in black.

I love this striped tote from Gap. It is trendy and reasonably priced at $49.95. Gap is always running sales, so I am hopeful it goes on sale again before Christmas. The hard choice will be deciding which color!

Are you shopping Jane.com yet? It is a daily flash deal site that I love far and beyond all others. It is clothes, jewelry, kid stuff, chevron, crafts, monograms, I love it all! They will email you and the deal changes daily. 

I am a little obsessed with bubblegum necklaces! These are all over Etsy, blogs, and I even bought tham for under $7 on Jane.com. They are big and chunky and super fun for little girls. My 4 year old loves them and everyone notices them on her.

I am all about scarves this Fall.I love throwing on a scarf over a solid sweater. It just makes it more fun! Plus, I think it covers my fat a little! :) This plaid one from Gap is super soft! I also love a couple from Francesca's- they have sequin sewn into them. Beautiful!

Are these not the cutest little Chukka booties you've ever seen? I love the wedge, the wing tip detail and the tassels on the end of the ties. Plus, they are under $100. That is great for boots!

Finally, I can't believe it but my hair touches my shoulders! I have the slowest growing hair in the world. It has taken 2 years to touch my shoulders from a pixie cut. Don't even get me started on the fact that the pixie is coming back into style. How annoying is that? 

So, since my hair is the longest it has been in 15 plus years, I am discovering all kinds of fun hair accessories and I love these Sweaty Bands. They are a fun print on top and velvet on the bottom side and then a thin piece of elastic at the base of your head. They stay put and look cute! I bought mine at Nordstrom, but you can find them online in numerous places.

Anything you are loving this fall that I need to know about?

New Favorite Watch

I have been looking for a cool pool watch all summer and I found one just in time for our end of summer vacation- Puma Bubble Gum watch in green! 

I can't tell you how much cuter this watch is in person- the face is big which I love. The green is the perfect Kelly with a touch of lime. The blue is a bright sky blue and looks perfect- like grass and the sky. It is light. It is really soft. I love it!

See the Puma Bubblegum watch at Zappos. Plus with fast and free shipping, you could be wearing it on Tuesday!

Noonday Collection Party and Giveaway!!!

I am so excited to share Noonday Collection with you all and give away an AWESOME bracelet from their catalog to one lucky winner! Isn't this bracelet beautiful. I just love it. Read on and learn how it can be yours!

Have you heard of Noonday before? It is based upon the scripture in Isaiah 58 that says, "... then your light will rise in the darkness and your night will become like the noonday." The founder wanted to live this scripture and started the company to open the worlds, lives, and opportunities for communities living in "darkness". You can watch this video to learn more.

Noonday: Kampala, Uganda. from Jessica Honegger on Vimeo.

My friend Judy Maguire is a brand new ambassador with Noonday Collection and I want to support her new adventure and the women she is supporting in Ethiopia, Ecuador and Uganda. Do you want to put girls through university in Uganda, empower women in India and transform communities in Ecuador just by purchasing super cute accessories?

Look at these super cute outfits that Judy put together for football season with Noonday accessories made by women in Ethiopia, Ecuador and Uganda ! I am a little partial to the Texas Tech outfit, but I also love the Nebraska scarf and the Texas A&M belt!

I have been carrying the catalogs in my purse for weeks now and find something new I love each time. Here are my very favorites!

I love the floral belt and yellow and gray Scarf. The belt would be super cute with colored skinny jeans and a white t-shirt. The scarf looks so soft! I would love it with a grey sweater, jeans, and TOMS.

I think I have to own this Tassel bracelet! It is so unique and would be cute with turquoise bracelets stacked with it!  I also love the beaded cuff- I think it would give a great pop of color on a simple outfit.

Noonday has lots of earrings, but these Green and gold earrings and sunset beaded earrings were my favorite! They are such a conversation piece and to imagine women hand beading these in another part of the world! It would be such a prompt for prayer when I wear them.

The Gold Chevron necklace is my other must have! I need a trendy long gold necklace to just throw on and it this will go with everything! I also love the colorful beaded necklace and it is only $32! Hooray for that! 

Noonday also has stuff for the home like this colorful dotted Tea towel and these beautiful salad tongs. I need a good pair of salad tongs for when I entertain and have a big beautiful bowl of greens on the table.

If you want to order something, you can easily do that online and Noonday will ship it right to you! Visit www.judymaguire.noondaycollection.com to place your order! Just put my name Anna Jenkins in the Trunk Show Host field. 

There are lots of ways to enter to win the contest! If you place an order, be sure to come back and add that into the Rafflecopter giveaway! 

I will draw a winner on September 16th and notify them. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway