Happy Wednesday, Everybody! It’s time for everybody to join up today with Shay and me to let everybody know WHAT’S UP this fine Wednesday!
Let’s get right to it! If you are here for my BACHELOR THOUGHTS, scroll down to *WHAT WE ARE WATCHING*.
*WHAT WE ARE EATING*
Since I’ve officially started on my slim down journey this year, we are being very thoughtful about what we cook for dinner.
Teriyaki chicken is one of our favorite healthy meals, and we will be eating this for dinner at least once a week for the foreseeable future. Chris throws huge batches of chicken breasts on the grill, and then we always have plenty of leftovers for lunches too. Click HERE for the Teriyaki chicken recipe.
When eating it for dinner, our side is typically a large serving of mixed grilled veggies. YUM! If you are close to a Market Street, we buy the package of 3 veggie kabobs, throw them in the grill pan, and voila! They have red and green pepper, onion, squash, zucchini, mushroom, and pineapple chunks.
And BONUS: I LOVE using the leftover chicken for protein in a salad. My favorite lunch salad has lettuce, teriyaki chicken, mandarin oranges, pineapple, avocado, dried cranberries, and low fat honey mustard dressing. It’s DELISH. And for a little crunch, I like to throw some wonton strips on top!
I also wanted to share this little hack I got from my friend Andrea. She started making this after she sampled it at Trader Joe’s, she became obsessed, and now I’m obsessed too.
The official recipe (if you can even call it that) is 1 box of the organic Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper soup with 1 wheel of Garlic and Herb Boursin cheese melted into it. I made it that way the first time and OHHHHEMMMMGEEEE, but I realized that the cheese was adding a ton of fat and calories to the soup…so now I only use 1/3 of the wheel of cheese per 1 box of soup. AND IT’S STILL ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.
TRY IT.
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*WHAT WE ARE REMINISCING ABOUT*
I ran across this picture the other day, and my goodness did it tug at my heart.
Chris and I got Scout when we were first married, and he passed when Carter was in 2nd grade. He and Carter were so sweet together, and I love looking back at old pictures of the two of them.
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*WHAT I’M LOVING*
I’M LOVING ALL TOP 5 AMAZON LINKS FOR JANUARY:
#5: A suuuuuuuuuuuuuper soft swingy sweater was a top favorite for me and for y’all! It looks great with my new slighty distressed skinny jeans and my favorite boot cut jeans.
#4: You can still get this darling graphic tee in time for Valentine’s Day. So soft and cute. ESPECIALLY cute styled with ankle jeans and Shoreline Converse.
#3: I’ve been talking about these babies for months, and they are still at the top of y’alls list. Soooo comfy, very warm, and super flattering! I have both black and grey. I wear the grey more frequently because #doghair.
#2: When I told y’all that it was lined with a super soft fleece, you grabbed it. In fact, I’m hearing that many of you grabbed it in more than 1 color and are just as in love as I am.
#1: THE TOP JANUARY LINK kind of surprised me, although I totally get it. These undies are fantastic. And they’re cheap. The end.
And look what came in yesterday! So festive! Click HERE for the earrings. And if the red is too bold for you, they come in white too.
And to get you excited, I want to go ahead and share the links for a handful of other things that arrived yesterday:
THIS TECH SPORT HOODED JACKET is going to be PERFECT with leggings, and it’s only $34. I grabbed the “light grey heather”. I’m pumped.
I pulled THIS RAINBOW STRIPED SWEATER out of the bag when it arrived, and MY GOODNESS it’s cute.
These don’t arrive until tomorrow, but I’m very hopeful that THESE SNEAKERS (GG dupes) are going to be awesome. I ordered the “black met”.
ONE MORE THING. Even though I’d already ordered the above sneakers from Amazon, I saw these below yesterday and now I feel like I need them. They are Vintage Havana perforated star sneakers. I don’t think I’ll ever take the Golden Goose plunge, but these are hitting all sorts of bells and whistles for me. And how cute would they be with the rainbow sweater I just linked above. They’re not cheap, but they’re not $500 either. I think I just might take the plunge.
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*WHAT WE’VE BEEN UP TO*
We went to the ranch a couple of weekends ago with my sister’s family, and we had just as great of a time as we always do.
That’s my nephew Brody on the left, Carter, and Willa and Carson (Chris’s cousin’s kids).
The boys climbed their favorite tree.
And we did lots of fishing. From Friday night to Saturday afternoon, the boys caught a total of about 30 fish, so we had a big fish feast for lunch on Saturday!
They did lots of exploring, and they found this abandoned mini bike and had us all in stitches as Carson rolled out of the woods riding it. You wouldn’t want to see this crew in a dark alley.
Another awesome weekend in the books.
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*WHAT I’M DOING THIS WEEKEND*
Lots of family time planned! Pictures to follow.
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*WHAT I’M EXCITED ABOUT*
LADIES!
I’m incredibly excited to announce that when you come back here on Monday morning, my blog will have received a facelift!
That’s right, AFTER 7 YEARS OF BLOGGING, I’m going to finally have a big girl blog! It’s going to be more streamlined, easier to navigate, and it’s going to look cool too! I’m thrilled with it and can’t wait to share it with you!
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*WHAT I’M LISTENING TO*
Right this second I’m listening to the dryer fluff my clothes. For the 3rd time. #allegedly
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*WHAT I’M WORKING ON*
I’m really excited about a new brand ambassadorship that I’m starting next month. It’s a brand I’ve loved since even before I started the blog, and all of you ladies love it too! It’s a really organic partnership, but I’m excited to finally be formally working with a company that I’ve been such a huge fan of for so many years. I also really admire the company’s passion for giving back.
Any ideas?
You’re looking at the newest Kendra Scott Brand Ambassador, y’all! I’m absolutely THRILLED.
ivory sweater / sunglasses / abalone earrings
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*WHAT I’M WATCHING – THE BACHELOR RECAP*
I’m sooooooooooooooooooo excited that my favorite t.v. shoes have started up again! Last week I got to watch all of my faves: THIS IS US, GREY’S ANATOMY, and A MILLION LITTLE THINGS.
And I’m OF COURSE watching The Bachelor!
Click HERE for my musings from Week 1.
Click HERE for my musings from Week 2.
Click HERE for my musings from Week 3.
And here are my 10 thoughts on this week’s episode:
1. When Chris Harrison gathered all of the girls into the sunken living room and announced, “So….ya’ll are about to go on a world wide adventure with each other and the show, so pack your bags!….FIRST STOP…CLEVELAND, OHIO.” I laughed out loud. Hard.
The excitement was palpable, except the opposite of that.
But don’t worry, the producers obviously sprung for the Cleveland tourism board to swing by and give them a quick little pep talk about why Cleaveland is THE BEST CITY EVER. Because when they arrived in the city, they ran skipped around it, whooped and hollered appropriately, and used words like clean, vibrant, and booming. #welldonetourismboard
2. Time for the first 1:1! For the record, I would like to state that Victoria F. (who originally cried and told us that she struggles with feelings of insecurity) stripped down to black lace lingerie on a cat walk last week and this week she referred to her future self as a HOT MOM. Me thinks Victoria F. is actually QUITE SECURE.
However, she is terrified of heights, and I thought she was going to poop herself when Peter told her they were going up in his plane.
LADIES. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. When listing fears on your Bachelor application, you must be very thoughtful.
Suggestions for fears include: shopping sprees, puppies, spa days, and designer bags. And if there’s an additional NOTES section, go ahead and write something like “I’m especially terrified of guacamole and margaritas. #ontherocks #withsalt
If you’re ever planning on trying out for the Bachelor, please save this for future reference.
3. SPLIT SCREEN:
When Victoria realized her ex-boyfriend was going to serenade them when they danced and made out.
When Chase Rice realized that his ex-girlfriend was the girl he was going to serenade when she danced and made out.
AND THEN VICTORIA WAS SINGING ALONG WITH CHASE while dancing and making out WITH PETER. And Peter was casually like “Oh, you know this song?” And she was casually like “Yeah“. All the while she was quite obviously wanting to casually puke.
After the concert, Chase and Peter had a conversation, but Chase didn’t say anything about his prior relationship with Victoria F. And then I wanted to casually puke.
WHAT. A. FINASCO.
(For the record, whatever ABC intern uncovered this little relationship gem and presented this date idea in a meeting DESERVES A RAISE. AND A PROMOTION.)
4. At dinner that night, Victoria F. fessed up and told Peter that she used to date Chase. And our sweet pilot was so confused. He looked like he was doing quadratic equations in his head. He was sure she meant some other random Chase…or maybe she was talking about the bank? He finally asked “like the singer Chase?” Um, yes. “Like the guy who was doing the concert?” Uh-huh. “You mean, the Chase who was just singing a song on the stage? The one that was playing a guitar and singing?” AGAIN. YES.
And yet he still appeared confused. Bless his heart.
5. Peter finally came to terms with the fact that she in fact DID date Chase (you know, the singer who just sang to them). Ultimately, he was able to move past it, and he gave her a rose.
6. During the group date, the girls played a football game (think full pads and helmets), and they showed no mercy. Stiff arms, clothes lines, full on tackles, and I imagine a mild concussion or two. Victoria P. sat the whole thing out stating she had a back injury and she preferred to be better safe than sorry. In that moment, I felt we could be friends. Spoiler Alert: that feeling was fleeting.
7. LEAN IN. BECAUSE THIS IS WHEN THINGS GET INTERESTING.
That night, during the evening portion of the group date, all of the girls were snuggled up on a sectional waiting for their turns with Peter.
But wait. Did you hear that?
CLICK*CLACK*CLICK*CLACK
Was an elephant wearing tap shoes coming upstairs? Because OMG, I’d never heard anything louder in my life.
But y’all.
It was no elephant.
It was Alayah in stilletos.
CUE THE SHOCK AND AWE.
The girls would have much preferred a tap dancing elephant.
Somebody even declared that they’d seen a ghost, and Alayah blew all the girls a kiss as she rounded the corner on her way to find Peter. By golly, she was back to clear her name.
8. So Alayah started spewing information at Peter about how she was right and good and honest and Victoria P. was wrong and bad and the opposite of honest. In a nutshell, Alayah was claiming that she and Vickie P. were REAL LIFE FRIENDS and that they’d even planned a trip to Vegas together. Victoria P. acted like they barely knew each other and were nothing more than beauty pageant acquaintances. And they were both saying these things in front of each other. And Peter. And God.
In a turn of events that I was not expecting, I found Victoria P. to be a lot less genuine and trustworthy than before. And all of a sudden, I found myself more confused than Peter was with the whole Chase (wait. the guy who was just singing to us?) finasco.
Here I’d been thinking all along that Alayah was a dirty dog. But then it appeared that Victoria P. was the actual dirty dog. The girl was not believable AT ALL.
Because here’s something I know: When people say “my truth“, it’s code for “I’m a lying dirty dog“. And when Victoria P. kept saying “I don’t know what else to say“, it’s because the only thing left for her to say was “I’m a lying dirty dog“. My advice would be to send both of them home. Yesterday.
9. Understandably so, none of the girls were pleased when Alayah returned.
And when Peter gave Alayah the group date rose for the group date that she TECHNICALLY WASN’T EVEN ON, I was worried about his safety.
I feel like I should repeat that.
Peter gave Alayah the rose.
YEP. The girl who he had previously kicked to the curb. The girl that wasn’t even on the date. The girl who most definitely didn’t get beat up on a football field. The girl who apparently used her 2 day exit from the house to do internet research on all the other girls. THAT ALAYAH.
Oh, Peter.
10. When Peter walked into the rose ceremony feeling on top of the world, I wanted to yell RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! ABORT!
But I will say, after watching Victoria P talk to him, I can understand why Peter is having issues with confusion.
Victoria P. was all “I don’t want to talk. Nope, I don’t want to talk to you right now. I’m frustrated and don’t want to talk. But yes, let’s talk.” And then when they walked outside and he asked her to sit down and she emphatically replied “I can’t sit down right now“, and then in the next millisecond, the girl sat down.
So yes, he’s getting mixed messages.
AS AM I.
The end.
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*WHAT I’M WEARING*
I fully admit that I probably need to stop wearing this sweater so often, but what can I say, THE HEART WANTS WHAT IT WANTS.
It’s just so dang cozy! I have this sweater in this camel color and in “pale mauve”, which I would describe as a pretty blush. It’s so cute with my tile bracelets and my new low profile leopard booties. Click HERE to see my full review on the booties.
cozy boucle turtleneck sweater / raw hem jeans/ leopard booties
Here it is again, with my new cross body bag that looks much more expensive than it is. Now there’s only 19 of the bag left, so you need to hurry!
cozy boucle turtleneck sweater / abalone earrings / black cross body bag / raw hem jeans/ leopard sneakers
Did y’all catch my January Amazon Haul last week? It was full of lots of great new pieces, but today I have a couple of variations of what has definitely been my run around town outfit formula for the last couple of months.
I love the joggers and this denim jacket together, so it’s fun to mix up the look a bit with different shirts, jewelry, and shoes.
Here I went with my $13 striped swing tee! I MEAN!
I’m wearing a small in the tee, a medium in the jacket, and a small in the joggers. I would suggest sizing down a 1/2 in the sneakers.
striped tee / denim jacket /must have earrings / joggers /colorful stack bracelets /mesh sneakers ( 06702 Black )
AND GREAT NEWS! You can use the code COLORSTACK40 for 40% OFF these colorful bracelets!
You better get used to these bracelets because they make just about every single outfit better. I wore them all Fall, all Winter, and I’ll be wearing them all Spring and Summer as well.
Almost the exact same outfit, but I switched out the striped swing tee for this blush short sleeve hoodie. I got this same hoodie in a black and white striped version last year, and I wore the heck out of it, especially with my favorite distressed denim shorts.
I thought it looked cute to have the hood and drawstrings hanging out of the jacket. I’m wearing a small in the hoodie.
short sleeve hoodie / denim jacket /must have earrings / joggers /mesh sneakers ( 06702 Black )
When I got home from a day full of errands, I took the jacket off, and I was pretty much wearing lounge wear. The outfit is so comfy I could sleep in it.
short sleeve hoodie / denim jacket /must have earrings / joggers /mesh sneakers ( 06702 Black )
Click HERE for the full January Amazon haul if you missed it!
Or maybe something below catches your eye? Click HERE for the full post!
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What else am I wearing on repeat?
This hooded sweatshirt is crazy comfortable and I really love the fit. It’s not slim cut, but it’s not boxy or sloppy either. The color combination is so much fun (the square is actually a vibrant coral, but it’s apparently difficult to capture in photos).
Oh, and it’s quite warm!
I grabbed a medium to make sure it would be long enough to wear with leggings.
It really is just perfect.
Adidas sweatshirt / huggie earrings / Under Armour leggings / pink Adidas sneakers
I also grabbed it in this seafoam green too.
Adidas sweatshirt / huggie earrings / Under Armour leggings
And I continue to reach for this light weight cardi. I’m wearing a small. Great with jeans and perfect for office wear too.
amazonite wrap bracelet / light weight cardi / white tee
This next picture is my sister, but she was so happy to see that her sweatshirt was ON SALE, so she grabbed a quick pic and sent it to me!
It’s DARLING and it’s 50% OFF! She said it’s super soft, and make sure you notice the super cute ruffle collar. Both the sweatshirt and the sneakers are true to size.
mixed media sweatshirt / slip on sneakers
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To wrap things up, I just want to share a reader comment I received earlier this week.
Thanks for all the great recommendations, Sheaffer!! Maybe you already saw, but Walmart recently restocked their Time and Tru leopard scrunch back sneakers that are under $10! You featured them awhile back and they sold out so quickly and I was kicking myself for not buying them the minute you recommended them! So I pounced this morning Just wanted to give you and all us Sheaffer groupies a heads up before they’re out again! thank you for all you do to keep us all stylin! – Emily
I love it when y’all share information like this with me, so thank you Emily! Click HERE to see the leopard sneakers, and click HERE to see me in the camo version (that’s no longer available).
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That’s all for today, ladies! Now don’t forget to link up and let us know what’s going on with you this fine Wednesday!
Claudia says
Victoria F CLAIMS she’s afraid of heights….but on her instagram she posted a photo of herself skydiving in 2014!! Methinks you’re very right about her! Thanks for doing sharing your thoughts, they’re my favorite. 🙂
Dana Siler says
Thank you so much for all your work to bring us recipes, a bachelor recap,a peek into your family, and of course how to dress! I have loved your posts and have a dog question. I remember when you went to get your dogs and had intended to get one , but decided to get two. Well, we are driving up to Blounstsville Al tomorrow to pick up 2 seven week old yellow lab puppies! We are excited and overwhelmed and the puppies aren’t even here yet! Do you have any advice as y’all have raised two at the same time?
Shay posted about how Andrew trains their puppies based on Cesar Milan’s book ‘How To Raise The perfect Dog. I bought it and have read most of it ( bring on the stress!) thank you!!
Sheaffer says
Hi, Dana! We are super relaxed dog people, so I’m guessing we aren’t the ones to ask. We don’t crate train (I know all the experts say you are supposed to and that dogs actually love it), but we just never have. Our dogs get on the furniture, they get in bed with us, and they are the kings of the house. 😉 The puppy stage was TOUGH, but I’m sure it would have been much easier had we followed more traditional rules. 🙂 So sorry I’m not more help. Congratulations on your new pups!!!! It’s hard work at first, but it’s sooooooooooooooo worth it!!!! xoxo
Dana Siler says
Thanks for replying! I guess it’s a balance between all of it! #labpuppies!
Correna Parkinson says
We have an eleven week old puppy that I am still trying to crate train – so thank you for saying that you don’t! What did you do then to train them through the night when they were puppies? We seem to be really struggling with sleep at night and potty training! 🙁
Sheaffer says
Hi, Correna! They would sleep in our bathroom at night. For awhile, we would set an alarm a couple of times a night to let them out for potty breaks. And then before we knew it, they were just sleeping through the night on their own. xoxo
Erika Slaughter says
I LOVE this recap of your Bachelor thoughts. I totally thought that Victoria was so meek and innocent last week (we’ll that was until she walked out almost naked!!) but she’s not fooling anyone anymore!
Amy says
Such a great recap on all the things. Your Bachelor recaps still have me rolling. Initially I had picked Victoria P to be the winner…boy was I wrong. Hysterical how she said she didn’t want to talk, couldn’t sit…what the heck. Red flags going up all over the place. I’m in agreement get her and Alayah out now.
Kelly says
Congrats on the Kendra Scott Ambassadorship. You were already my personal KS Ambassador as I heard about her jewelry the first time during an Anniversary Sale from you. :- )
Elaine says
Loving your Bachelor thoughts. Your commentary cracks me up and is always #onpoint. And I’m super impressed by your ability to put the perfect picture with the commentary. Thanks for coming up with a way to still entertain us and meet your needs too.
Sheaffer says
Thank you, Kelly!!!! Very sweet of you to say! xoxo
Tara C says
I so love your Bachelor recaps!
Tammy says
I don’t watch the Bachelor but I religiously read your recap. It has me in stitches every time 🙂 Any plans for Connor’s Closet to return? I so look forward to those posts and I miss them!
Sheaffer says
Hi, Tammy! I’ll see what I can do about Conner’s Closet. She hasn’t returned to work yet. 🙂
Sheaffer says
Awww! Thanks, Kelly! I’m SO excited!!!! xoxo
Gail Elizabeth Wilson says
Wow, what a great post – so much good stuff!! Really looking forward to the unveiling of your new site. Don’t know how it could get better, but I’m so excited for you!!
If you get the Vintage Havana sneakers, can you please let us know what you think, size and comfort-wise? I’d love to get them, but need them to be extra comfy and cushy!
Wendy says
I’m terrified of queso, tacos, and naps (in that order)! ??♀️
Laci says
The Bachelor has me all kinds of WHOA MAMA!! Run Peter RUN!!! I really hope some of the girls that are not getting air time are the ones he is actually falling for, my goodness!!
Rhonda Coleman says
I can’t wait to see how you style Kendra Scott pieces and they were super smart to choose you to be an ambassador for them!! You will knock it out of the park Sheaffer ? I already love Kendra Scott and I predict I am about to love her even more! For the record – every time you say “finasco”, I die ?
Kerry says
Love, love, love this post!!
Do you have Pinterest links for your recipes? I’d love to be able to file them away to use later…and so I remember to use them!
The Bachelor recaps are the best! Thanks for taking the extra time to add a bright spot to our days.
Looking forward to your updated blog – I bet it will be beautiful!
Sara Wright says
Your Bachelor recaps are THE. BEST.
Patty says
Congrats on Kendra Scott! I love that brand too.
Patty
Goodbetterbestfood.blogspot.com
Robin says
May I ask what color/brand of lipstick you are wearing in the close up photos? These past few months I seem to have developed an allergy or sensitivity to some lip balms and lipsticks. Raw and swollen is not the look or feeling I am going for. By the way, I look forward to reading your Bachelor recaps even though I have no desire to watch the show.
Leslie says
I am so glad to have your recaps back, even though they are brief! I can understand how much time it takes and so appreciate you sharing your sense of humor with us. It’s a FINASCO without your recap!
Michelle says
Can we just send all the girls except Madison home and start over? I’m sooo tired of the whining and drama! Peter: “Next person that causes drama is OUT!”
Kate says
“He looked like he was doing quadratic equations in his head.” HAHAHA I don’t even watch regularly any more, but your recaps are still my favorite. And will that picture of Jojo’s brothers ever get old? No, no it won’t.
Have a great weekend, Sheaffer!
Jenna Flieg says
Ok, I never comment, but I’m commenting because ABC needs to hire you to report on the Bachelor full time. Your recaps are GOLDEN!!!
Susan says
Thought you’d like to know when I click “About Me” on the new improved format on your website, there are two duplicate pics of you and your family at the top. Perhaps you wanted to insert a different pose for the second one, but they are exactly the same.
Sheaffer says
Thank you so much for letting me know, Susan! It’s actually just the one picture, it just installed twice. All fixed now! xoxo
Erin Lloyd says
Congrats on the Kendra Scott partnership!! How fun!! Love Kendra Scott! So excited for another bachelor episode tonight!! He has himself in a little pickle!! lol