Weekend Recap

Friday night, mom and dad swung into town for a quick visit. We hung out at my apartment for a few minutes before walking down to Lime Leaf for dinner. Fun fact, every time my mom comes into town we eat there. You can't beat their veggie spring rolls and shrimp pad thai. 

Saturday morning, the Junior League of Spartanburg hosted their first annual Storybook Breakfast at the Piedmont Club. It was a magical morning filled with lots of fun for kids of all ages. All of the tables were decorated like various storybooks, we had characters on hand to interact with the children, and a local author came to read her book. I served as vice-chair of this event and after almost a year of planning it was so neat to see everything come together!

I'm already looking forward to next year!

Saturday afternoon, I jumped in the car to head to my cousin's wedding. The reception was at the bride's house in Anderson. How cute are they walking into the reception after having dinner on the veranda? 

 Her dress was absolutely stunning! 

The food was delicious, the band was great, and the flowers were beautiful! It was so fun to spend the evening surrounded by so many family and friends. 

Sunday, I took mom and dad to church with me which was a treat. After stopping by a brunch, they headed back to the low country while I headed back to Spartanburg to get ready for the week ahead and bake some delicious things in the kitchen (recipe to come). It was a jammed packed weekend but so much fun! 

Fun Facts Friday

1. I finally finished reading The Girl on a Train. It was good but it did not suck me in like Gone Girl did. However, I am interested in working my way through this list of 12 Books to Read if You Loved "Girl on a Train."

2. In anticipation of spring weather, I pulled out my OPI Cajun Shrimp nail polish. Too bad it's back to 40 degree weather this weekend.

3. Last weekend, mom and I competed in the Beaufort Twilight Run. I am waiting on the pictures to be posted before I blog about it.

4. While I was home, mom brought out both dark chocolate and milk chocolate Mini Cadbury Eggs. Naturally, we had to have a taste off. We both agreed that while we generally prefer dark chocolate, the milk chocolate wins.

5. The pollen is out in full force in the upstate and my asthma is going crazy. I am so thankful to work on a college campus where I have access to the wellness center. On Wednesday morning, I woke up feeling like I was about to have an asthma attack. I called the nurse at 8:30 and by 9:30 she had seen me and called in a prescription.

6. Publix had a sale on Lecroix this week so I picked up a few cases including the new to me flavor Peach Pear. It is my new favorite. It tastes like summer in a can. So refreshing and light!

7. On Monday night, I hosted small group and served a ham and onion quiche for dinner. I've enjoyed having the leftovers for breakfast this week with some fruit. So fancy for the workday!

8. I'm pretty excited about these J. Crew shorts that I scored from a Facebook consignment group for $25.

9. I've got a big weekend ahead of me. Mom and dad are coming into town tonight for dinner. Tomorrow is a big Junior League event that I'm the co-chair of followed by my cousin's wedding. Sunday, we are going to church and brunch before I come back to set up for my Big Business Launch with Rodan and Fields on Tuesday!

10. Happy Friday!

The Friday Five

1. Watching:

I started watching State of Affairs on the NBC app this week. It's Scandal-esque in nature and I was hooked after the first episode. 

2. Eating:

These things are delicious and addicting. One of my roommates in DC used to eat them all the time. I bought my first box last weekend and will definitely be getting more.

3. Listening to:

Jason Derulo "Want to Want Me"
Catchy song, weird video.
I apologize in advance for getting this song stuck in your head.

4. Recipe I'm pinning:

The Pioneer Woman's Chicken Broccolini with Mustard Cream Sauce. 

I'm sure you could lighten this recipe up (or not depending on your mood).

5. Things I'm loving:

The sunrises this week:

His mercies are new every morning. - Lamentations 3:23

This quote:

Happy Friday!

Exciting News!

I am excited to announce that I have signed on with Rodan + Fields as an Independent Consultant!

I've been thinking about it for a while and after much thought and discussion I decided to go for it. 

So what is Rodan + Fields? It is a skincare company created by the same doctors as Proactiv. They've created four regimens to treat a variety of skin conditions:

• REVERSE for the appearance of brown spots, dullness and discoloration
• REDEFINE for the appearance of lines, pores and loss of firmness
• UNBLEMISH for acne and post-acne marks
• SOOTHE for sensitive, irritated skin and facial redness

If you are unsure which regimen is right for you, you can use their solution tool to receive your own personalized recommendation. They also offer ESSENTIALS (like daily body moisturizers and sunless tanners) as well as ENHANCEMENTS (like the micro-dermabrasion paste). I am currently using and loving the Essentials Daily Moisturizer, Redefine Regime, and Redefine Multi-Function Eye Cream.

Not only are the regimens great on their own but you can also mix and match the products to combat a variety of skin problems. For example, you can use the micro-dermabraion paste with step two of Soothe to treat Keratosis pilaris (the rough, red bumps on the back of your arms). 

So what does it mean for me to be a consultant? I am now selling the products but unlike other companies, I don't stock inventory. All sales can be completed online through my website. You can order the products at retail or you can sign up to be a preferred customer. Preferred customers pay a one-time fee of $19.95 and receive a 10% discount on all orders as well as free shipping. Preferred customers are automatically enrolled in autoship but that is something I keep track of and we can easily delay the orders as needed.

I promise not to bombard you with social media posts and I have no intention of posting about this regularly on my blog. I just wanted to let you know about this new endeavor. I did add a clickable icon underneath my about me section on the right hand side if you ever want to easily access my website. I am happy to answer any questions about being a consultant or send you a product sample if you want to know what all the fuss is about. Just let me know!

Weekend Recap

On Friday night, I headed to Columbia for a St. Patty's Day get together at my cousins' house. I am so thankful that I am back in SC and can easily make it to things like this. My aunt went all out with the decorations and even served shepherd's pie for dinner. We had the best time just being together and we stayed up way to late just talking and laughing. Unfortunately, we didn't take any photos.

Saturday morning, we had a big breakfast before heading out for the day. We stopped by my grandparents' house before grabbing lunch and doing some shopping. I had not been to Columbia since the Anthropologie and J. Crew opened so we made sure to swing by. I wasn't planning on getting anything but these two sweaters caught my eye along with my favorite jeans which happened to be on sale. I hate jean shopping so to find a pair that fits on the first try and is on sale is a cause for celebration.

Portico Pullover

Slouchy Merino Sweater
This was on final sale! 

By mid afternoon it was time for me to head back to the upstate so I could make it back in time to babysit. I needed a little pick-me-up so I swung by Dunkin' Donuts. Shout out to Courtney for posting that their Cookie Dough Iced Coffee is back! It's a good thing that the Dunkin' Donuts is not convenient in Spartanburg or these treats would become a habit. 

Sunday, I headed to Greenville for church and ended up hanging around for a while after the service mingling with people. After my weekly trip to Trader Joe's I was starving, so I swung by Zoe's for lunch. I've been loving their Tossed Greek Salad. It comes with all my favorites - grilled chicken, greens, pasta salad, caramelized onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, feta, olives, Zoe's dressing, and pita bread. 

I decided to take advantage of the gorgeous weather that afternoon and go for a run outside. This was my longest run outside to date and it was a struggle mentally. I knew I was in trouble when I checked my mileage within the first half mile. Here's to hoping the endorphins/adrenaline kick in during the race on Saturday. 

I capped off the weekend by watching the Terriers get selected to play Arkansas on Thursday in Jacksonville. I may be biased but I thought we had the most school spirit of any of the teams they showed. I won't be making the trip but I will definitely be cheering them on from here. Go Terriers! Conquer and Prevail! 

Fun Facts Friday

1) On Monday night, we headed to Asheville to watch the Terriers play in the SoCon Tournament. It was a last minute decision and I am so glad that we decided to go. The Terriers pulled out the W and we are heading to the Big Dance for the fourth time in six years!

2) We find out on Sunday where we play. I am crossing my fingers for Jacksonville. We played there my junior year and my dad and I went to cheer them on. It was such a fun memory!

3) I don't know about you but I am having a hard time adjusting to the time change. It probably doesn't help that I have had plans every night and have not gotten home before 8 pm. The late nights/early mornings are starting to catch up with me. I'm hoping to rest some this weekend. 

4) For Valentine's Day, my mom gave my a copy of Tim Keller's Jesus the King. I started it a week or so ago and cannot recommend this book enough. I've been trying to read a chapter a day and I can honestly say that it is changing my life.

5) I've got some exciting news in the works that I hope to share next week. Stay tuned!

6) I made this Paleo Breakfast Casserole after Charlotte posted the recipe on Instagram. (I followed her directions but added asparagus and peppers.) It made more than I could eat in a week so after doing some research I decided to freeze the rest. I put individual servings in their own container before putting them in the freezer. It has made breakfast this week super easy. I've taken a serving out the night before and put it in the fridge to thaw. The next day I simply reheat in the microwave. So easy and so delicious. 

7) I am loving Mumford and Son's new song "Believe." I've been listening to it on repeat. 

8) I treated myself to this exercise top from Carrie Underwood's new line Calia. I'm excited for it to arrive. 

9) This weather has been such a tease. I am so ready for sunshine, warm weather and spring clothes. I've been eyeing some cute dresses and tops. I should probably go through my spring/summer wardrobe and figure out what I am missing before I start buying new things.

10) Happy Friday! 

Lately

Life has been a little crazy and my posts have fallen by the wayside so I figured we could catch up with a lately post. 

I've still been using my spiralizer. I made these Sweet Potato Buns with Almond Butter and Honey for breakfast. The buns themselves are pretty versatile so I want to try them with grilled chicken or a hamburger. 

WAC hosted their annual Black and Gold Ball a few weeks ago. My students did a great job planning the event and it was fun to see it all come together.

I curled my hair for the evening and thought it was comical how many people did not recognize me/had to do a double take.

We've had some crazy winter weather over the past two weeks. One of the nice things about living downtown is that the city not only salted the sidewalk in preparation for the ice/snow but they also plowed the street.

I'm feeling pretty good about my upcoming race. I'm up to running 4.25 miles outside and 5 miles on the treadmill. I came down with the stomach bug last week and had to take a few days off from exercising. I'm hoping it did not set me back too much. 

I house sat/keep three teenagers over the weekend and had a little too much fun playing mom. We had big breakfasts, baked lots of yummy things, and had the best time just hanging out.

I experienced my first pj day at Bruster's. Nothing like rocking a onesie for free ice cream (and no, I doubt actually own one. I borrowed it). 

And these are just a few things that have been happening lately.