In case you all are on the hunt for a holiday or New Year’s Eve look, this one from Express is perfect. Best part is, it is all 50% off right now! When we are shopping for something dressy, or even casual, Express has the BEST finds. Everything is so affordable, and comes in petite, too!
This sequin sparkle skirt is something you can wear for any holiday, or night out! We have on size xs on for reference.
And, of course, if you are all dressed up, you need some meal ideas for the holidays. We thought we would share some plant based dishes we are planning on making!
With Thanksgiving only ONE WEEK away, I thought I would share some things I am thankful for this year, since it is always good to remind yourself to be grateful, and why not share it with you all!
First off, this month is totally flying by, which is crazy. It was just Halloween, right? Before I get into what I am grateful for, I wanted to share this perfect Thanksgiving outfit idea with you all from Express. This cable knit tunic sweater is one I had from last year that I loved SO much that I got it again this year in a different color. I am wearing it with these faux leather leggings that can be worn with so many things. I have size xs in both for reference! *PS- Use code 8144 for $25 Off $100 in-store and online*
There are so many things I am grateful for, but here are some of my top ones:
Having the best family in the world
I have always been close with my parents and Samantha, but each year I get older I really realize how important family is. There is nothing like family to lean on, to share with, to be vulnerable with, and to look up to. I wouldn’t be who I am without them, and I am grateful for them every day, and Lucy, too!
Getting to wake up and do what I love every day
Some days, I still can’t believe that this is my job! I get to wake up and do what I love every day. My favorite part of my job is getting to interact with you all day. No matter how stressed or overwhelmed I feel with my job, I always feel so blessed that this is my life.
Having my health back
You all know that I had a few health issues, a little while ago, so I am so grateful and thankful that I feel so much better now, and have energy to workout, to work, and to feel my best. Once you lose feeling “normal”, you really learn to appreciate feeling well. Always a good reminder to take care of yourself.
Being single and getting to grow as an individual
As much as I hate being single, it really has allowed me to really focus on ME: To learn who I am, what I want in life, and who I want to be. It is not always easy, trust me I have my moments, but I am grateful for this season of embracing the unknown, and looking forward for whatever the future brings.
Forming so many great friendships
Because I have been single, and Samantha isn’t, it has forced me to make newer friendships and continue building the ones I already had. Since I have more free time, it has been great because I have built some great friendships and memories.
Things not working out
This is not an easy pill to swallow at times, but really, things happen for a reason, especially things that don’t go the way you “planned”. I am a planner, so I plan things out in my head, but usually, it is never the way I think it will go. It ends up always working out, just differently, and usually for the better!
So many things this year didn’t go the way I “wanted” them to, but they ended up being so much better this way, and I know there are more great things ahead!
Thank you all for following me on my journey through life, and I love hearing about yours, too!
We have had SO many of you all that have loved these sequin leggings from Express as much as we do! They are so fun for the holidays coming up, or a night out. Right now, these legging, and this whole look is 40% off. *You can also use code 8144 for $25 Off $100 in-store and online!*
It can be kind of tricky and a little overwhelming trying to figure out how to properly style these sequin leggings. You want to show them off, and look cute, without it being overly sparkly and trendy, if that makes sense? We are sharing some tips on styling them below for you all to reference!
Pair with a velvet blazer
For this look, we paired this amazing velvet blazer (you could totally wear it to work, too) over this black cami. Both pieces are on sale right now, and can be worn with so many things in your closet. For reference, we are wearing size xs in everything.
A clean, white shirt is the perfect classic piece to wear with some sparkle. It keeps the attention on the leggings, and keeps it clean and fresh.
Express has the BEST finds for the holidays with so many options from skirts to dresses to fun leggings, like these! We love their price point, and that everything is so affordably and cozy.
If you all follow me on Instagram, which I am sure most of you all do, you know that I have been sharing more about my anxiety, dating life, etc. I’ve also talked about how I have a hard time separating work from my personal life, as it all seems to blend together. I struggle with “allowing” myself to take time off, and no be working. The truth is, it is SO tough for me, and much tougher than I would like to admit.
As I was thinking about it and also discussing it with my therapist, I realized that I have always been this way. Especially in high school and college, I always put a ton of pressure on myself to succeed. It wasn’t good enough to pass or get B’s, I had to have all A’s (which didn’t always happen, much to my disappointment).
I realized that most of this stems from being afraid of failure. I don’t want/like to put work away because part of me feels guilty, and also feels like I am going to be behind, and not be doing everything I can to succeed. I know it sounds silly because everyone needs a break, but like I said, I have always been this way.
Since I know I am not alone in this, I wanted to share some ways to work on this fear of failure (some I am attempting to use in my life).
Shift your mindset
Instead of thinking that you are going to fail, and it will be a waste of time, tell yourself that it is all a learning experience, and it is not failure if you took something away from it.
Visualize overcoming that failure or fear
I, personally, get anxiety when I think about a situation that I think won’t go the way I want it to (major planner over here), or I am just not feeling great about it, I have read it can be good to visualize whatever it may be going well and smoothly. You can also even visualize the obstacles you may face, and how you will overcome them. That seems to put my mind at ease sometimes.
Separate facts from fear
Ask yourself if the things that are making you anxious are really facts, or just you creating thoughts in your head. A lot of times we are all creating stories in our minds that are not even true, and will never be.
On another note, this outfit is perfect for fall and winter, depending on where you live! We will be wearing looks like this for the next few months. We found these amazingly stretchy high rise jeans from Express. They have the best jeans in all sizes, and we love that they come in short lengths, and petite sizing as well. We are wearing size 00 short in these for reference.
We paired the jeans with a cozy cable knit cardigan (wearing size xs) and this silk cami we wear with everything! Seriously such a good layering piece. We have size S in this one for reference.
Express is actually offering 40-50% off right now, so now is the time to stock up!
*PS- Use code 8144 for $25 Off $100 in-store and online*
We had a reader question a few days ago about how to wear snakeskin print, without it clashing or being “too loud”, so what perfect timing since one of us is wearing these pointed snakeskin flats (and we have been wearing them on repeat!). This outfit is one of our favorite ways to wear snakeskin, since we are keeping it pretty neutral.
For jeans, this dark skinny pair has been a favorite of ours. We love how it comes in shorter lengths, so it is perfect for our petite legs 😉 Also love how soft and stretchy these are! We have size 00 short in these for reference.
Keep it neutral
Similar to this look, we suggest keeping your color palette pretty neutral. Think colors like black, tans, olive green, ivory, whites, and greys shades. You want the snakeskin print to be the focal point!
Mix with prints
If you want to be more bold, you can mix it up with other prints. We think a subdued floral print, or stripes would be cute. If you do try this, we recommend mixing it with a print that has a similar color in it. For example neutrals or grey shades.
Pop of color
We think adding a pop of color like a neon pink or yellow would be super cute. Something like a cardigan, scarf, or sweater would be the perfect amount of color!
All black
Of course, you can’t go wrong with all black. A cute LBD or just an all-black look is so chic with snakeskin print.
This fall look is from Express. They are our go to for jeans and fall basics! We love their price point, and how they offer petite sizing, and a wide range of other sizing, too!
*PS- Use code 8144 for $25 Off $100 in-store and online*
Happy Wellness Wednesday! It has been quite some time since we have shared one of these with you all. If you missed our last post, you can check that out here. This week, we are sharing five plant-based side dishes we are trying this month that we are super pumped about!
Many of you all know that we eat mostly plant-based, and frequently share a lot of our boring salad dishes and steamed vegetables in our instagram stories, but we wanted to try some new, and not-so-boring dishes you all can try out with us! If you do eat meat and seafood, you can totally add these as a side dish to your proteins!
Before we get into the amazing recipes we found, we want to talk about this all white look! With summer here, you can’t beat an all-white outfit. When we think of all white, we think of classic, clean, and chic. There aren’t many ways to mess up an all-white look, in our opinions 😉
For this one, we paired one of our favorite white skinny jeans (which are AMAZING!) with an off shoulder white eyelet top–both from Express. These jeans fit so perfectly, and we love that they come in a “short” length, so they fit our petite legs! They also come in a regular and “tall” length if you’ve been gifted with longer legs.
We love that Express offers denim for all shapes and sizes. We are so petite, and have shorter legs, so we love that we can find jeans that fit us right, without having to get any tailoring done.
We are wearing size 00 short in the jeans, and size xs in the eyelet top. The eyelet top is a great summer piece that you can wear with shorts and darker jeans as well. We love the bell sleeves on it!
**PS– they are giving all of you $25 off orders of $100 or more with code 8144.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add potatoes and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and allow to cool for 2 minutes. Cut larger potatoes in half and leave smaller potatoes intact.
Spread potatoes out on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 25 minutes, flipping halfway.
While potatoes are cooking, heat remaining olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat. Once butter is melted add garlic and shallot to the pan. Once shallot has softened (approx. 2 minutes), add thyme, rosemary and thyme to the pan. Cook for an additional 30 seconds, then transfer the mixture to a bowl. Set aside.
Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss with garlic and herb mixture. Place back in the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with lemon zest and serve.
Preheat oven to 415 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Toss cauliflower florets in avocado oil, salt, and pepper.
Roast for 35-30 minutes, until fork tender and slightly browned.
While cauliflower roasts, prepare pesto. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend until ingredients are combined, but still a bit chunky.
Toss pesto with cooked cauliflower until well coated.
Rice the cauliflower. Slice the florets from the head of the cauliflower. Fit a food processor with the s-blade. Place half the florets into the bowl of the food processor and pulse until riced, scraping down the sides once halfway through to catch any larger pieces. Scrape out the riced cauliflower and repeat with the remaining florets.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat until it shimmers. Add the onion and sautee until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally, 5-6 minutes.
Add the garlic and jalapeno and sautee until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, salt, cumin, and paprika and stir into the vegetables.
Add the cauliflower rice and stir continuously until all ingredients are incorporated. Continue sautéing, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower releases its liquid and is dry and fluffy.
Remove the Mexican cauliflower rice from heat. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve immediately.
Roast the spaghetti squash according to these instructions, along with the garlic. To roast garlic, cut the top off, of the bulb, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap in foil. Place in the oven with the spaghetti squash for the whole duration of roasting. Roast the walnuts for 5 minutes if desired.
When the spaghetti squash and garlic (and walnuts) have finished roasting, allow them to cool enough to handle. Once cool, use a fork to release the strands of spaghetti squash and place in a large bowl. Peel the garlic cloves, give them a rough chop, and transfer them to the bowl with the spaghetti squash.
