Style Me Pretty

Another week has gone by and that means another week of outfits suggested by Alison @ Get Your Pretty On!

Click on the days 1-2 and 3-9 to see previous outfits.

Again, remember I work in a business casual office Monday-Friday, so most of my outfits have to be modified.

{day ten}

coral scarf/navy and white striped shirt
navy skirt/leopard flats

{day eleven}

floral scarf/pink button down
navy dress pants/boots

{day twelve}

coral sweater/white tank

black and white striped dress pants/black boots

gold link necklace

{day thirteen}

I was pinspired instead of using the outfit suggestion.
See all my pinspired looks for the month this Friday.

{day fourteen}

 sweatshirt/green tank
bf jeans/white converse (not shown)

It was a lazy Sunday, and it was cold.

{day fifteen}

floral scarf/denim jacket
black and white striped tee/black maxi skirt
leopard flats

When I picked up X from school on this day all of the girls there complemented me on this look :) Totally made my day!

{day sixteen}

red sweater/heart necklace
black and white striped dress/hunter boots

Another rainy day in Ohio.
Today called for boots!
And don't ask me why my knees look so weird in this photo! :/


Linking up with Sarah @ Tucker Up & Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW,
and Alison @ Get Your Pretty On for I Feel Pretty.

As well as all of the ladies listed below :)

Deena @ Shoes to Shiraz
Jordan @ Just Jordan
Shaunacey @ Confessions of a Frumpy Mummy

 Katie @ The Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life

 Beth @ Fast Life Slow Life

 Vanessa @ X-tremely V

 Anne-Michelle @ May We Be Allergy Free

 Teresa @ Two Babies and Me

 Sarah @ Foxy's Domestic Side

Carrie @ A Lovely Little Wardrobe

 Carly @ Faith Family and Frugality
Lana @ Two Teens and Their Mama

Healthy Life ~ Cinco de Mayo

Next week is Cinco de Mayo!

It is also the theme for our next small group dinner :)
We aren't hosting this time, but I am still bringing a couple of dishes.

I have been looking all over Pinterest for the items I want to make and I think I have narrowed it down to the following choices.

All sound yummy!!!

Mic and I are not a big beer drinkers, so I usually BYOB everywhere we go.

I found the this photo below and the recipe sounds delicious!

source

Ingredients

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup grapes

2 cups fresh strawberries

1 bottle Strawberry Wine

1/2 cup Triple Sec

1 cup Vodka

2 cups (give or take) Sprite

Mix ingredients together and chill for a few hours before serving.

Garnish your glass with any of the fruits if desired.

Do I really need to eat anything other than chips and salsa?

The answer is yes!

Especially if I want to drink that yummy Sangria ;)

Since the main dish(es) will be provided I am thinking about bringing my Chipotle Lime Rice.

source

It goes with everything and is so good!

You can make it a bit healthier by using brown rice instead.

No meal is complete without dessert!

 source unknown

How yummy and simple do those strawberries look?

And if you are making the Sangria above they are already on your shopping list!

Just dip a little more than half of the berry in melted white chocolate. 

Then immediately dip the tip of the berry in a bowl of green sprinkles.

Set berries on wax paper and let harden before serving.

To speed up the process you can place them in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

If I feel a bit more ambitious I may make these beauties...

source

Click here to see more of my Cinco de Mayo board on Pinterest.

I am adding things daily :)

Do you have any go to Mexican recipes?

Have you tried any of the above recipes?

Or if you have a skinnier version I am all ears!

The Weekend & Favorite Things

Linking up with Bella and Lisa today for

This weekend was filled with lots of movie watching with X.

To be more specific...

we watched Cars and Cars 2 all three days!

Over and over!

He cried when it was time for bed and he couldn't watch anymore.

He was worried for McQueen when he was in last place in the race.

And I swear I heard some "vroom, vrooms" from him while he was sleeping :)

In between all that movie watching I had barre class on Saturday morning, 

followed by an outdoor session of couple's yoga on Saturday night.

Afterwards, we all enjoyed some good food and drinks at The Wishmaker House again.

It was another night of good friends, good stories, lots of laughs, and making more memories :)

My in-laws kept X for the night, meaning this mommy was finally able to get a good night of sleep!

And sleep I did!

We stayed out pretty late (for us) on Saturday night, so by the time we went to bed it was after 2am!

I probably could have slept all day Sunday if able.

We woke up at 10:15am on Sunday!

I can't tell you the last time I slept in!!!!!

It was glorious!

This having X sleep over at Grammy and Grampy's house is great! lol!

Of course once we picked X up and brought him home we were right back to watching Cars! :)

It wasn't super warm out, but it was nice enough to make dinner on the grill.

We enjoyed some yummy ribs, corn, and watermelon for dinner and then called it night :)

What did you do this weekend?

Now onto Part 2!

Time to link up with Andrea & Erika for the Favorite Things Party!

One of my absolute favorite things this past month is the the Merona tanks from Target!

They come in a variety of colors (20 different solids & 3 striped versions), long and lean look, no ribbing, and wash and wear over and over really well!

Oh yeah, and they are only $7 online right now!

I have picked them at the store on sale 3 for $24.

On top of that they were on my Target Cartwheel app for an additional savings (I believe 10%), and then I used my Target red card to get another 5% off!

If you are looking for a great tank for the summer at a really great price, check out Target today!

You won't be sorry :)

What is your favorite item under $10 these days?

*These are my own opinions. I was not contacted or compensated by Target or Merona to write this post.

Friday Five

Linking up as always with Lauren @ Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday as well as Darci and crew for

{one}

We enjoyed a beautiful Easter weekend!

And X had a blast testing out his new jump and slide :)

{two}

Our cable has been screwed up in our bedroom all week so I have been making the best of it and going to bed early each night.

Meaning...I haven't gotten a thing done around the house all week!

Thankfully, TWC is coming today to hopefully fix the problem.

{three}

I received my first box from Influenster and reviewed Sargento Ultra Thin Cheese Slices.

Read more here.

{four}

I am really enjoying the ladies in the Spring Style Me Challenge :)

It is so much fun to see each other's recreations each day, share shopping tips, etc.

I can't believe we are half way through!

Check out the ladies I link up with each Wednesday here.

{five}

I can't wait for our Couple's Yoga class this weekend!

If I am being honest, I can't wait for the adult beverages and eats after class!

I don't get much adult time with Mic outside of work.

Looking forward to fun evening with friends as well :)

{BONUS}

I was nominated for a Liebster award!

Read all about it here :)

How was your week?

Looking forward to anything exciting this weekend?

Liebster & #xvsdailylife2014 Week 16

Holly over at Faith, Hope, and Baseball was nice enough to nominate me for a Liebster Award!
So sweet!

And she is an Ohio girl! Check her out today!

The Liebster Award Rules

1.) You must link back to the person who nominated you

2.) You must answer the 10 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you.

3.) You must pick 10 bloggers to be nominated for the award (with a small following)

4.) You must create 10 questions for your nominees

5.) You must go to their blogs and notify the nominees

Here are my 10 questions from Holly...

1. Where are you from? Have you always lived there?
Ohio girl born and raised!
I am originally from a small town called Sheffield Lake (about 25 minutes west of Cleveland) located right on beautiful Lake Erie.
I lived there for 25 years before making the move to Lexington/Mansfield, Ohio (my husband's hometown).
I have lived here for the last 10 years and it is still growing on me ;)

2. What is the meaning behind your blog name (if there is one)?
I actually asked a couple of high school friends for some ideas.
I wanted something that said "me", but at the same time gave me the freedom to write about anything.
The "X" in X-tremely comes from my little guy of course and the "V" is for Vanessa :)

3. What kind of job do you have, and do you enjoy it?
My husband and I own our own franchise office of Ameriprise Financial. I am the Office Manager/receptionist/assistant.

4. If you go to a coffee shop, what do you order?
Nine times out of ten I will order a non-fat Mocha Latte with extra chocolate drizzle on top.
If it is a really hot day I will get a Vanilla Creme Frappuccino.
And during the Fall I ALWAYS order a non-fat Pumpkin Spice Latte :)
Can you tell I am a Starbucks girl? :)

5. Dark, milk, or white chocolate?
Not a huge chocolate fan...shocker!
But given the choice I will take white :)

6. Ice cream or cake?
Cake ALWAYS!
With lots of butter cream frosting please!

7. What's your favorite childhood memory?
I have a ton of good childhood memories so it is hard to narrow it down.
I am going to go with when my little brother was born.
I was almost 4 years old and my dad brought up to see Richie for the first time. 
I remember thinking how neat it was to see him through the little window.
I also received a new doll and accessories that same day :)
Remember I was 3!

8. What's your favorite summer activity?
Cookouts :)
I love making food on the grill, eating some watermelon,
enjoying a cold adult beverage, and making memories with family and friends.
I know it sounds cheesy, but it is the truth!

9. What's your preferred form of social media?
I like different forms for different reasons.
Facebook has been great to reconnect with old friends from childhood, Instagram is wonderful to see photos of people you may or may not know, and Blogging is amazing for all the new people I have come to know along the way :)

10. Have you ever met another blogger in person? If so, how and where?
I actually have met a few bloggers in person!
Some of the lovely Cleveland bloggers and I met for brunch not too long ago at the Flying Fig in Cleveland.
It was so great to meet other moms in the blogging world who live relatively close by.
Some have been blogging for years, others just months.
Some were big time, and some were small like me :)
I hope to meet some more this summer too!

Here are my nominees...

Julie @ Real HouseWife of Cle

Sarah @ Tucker Up

Rachel @ Floral & Fudge
Karli @ September Farm
Cari @ Adventures of the Roberts

Kayla @ My Kind of Yellow
Jennifer @  Bubbly & Buttercream
Lisa @ Showered by Design
Stephanie @ Not Entirely Perfect
Erin @ Love, Fun & Football

And yes, a couple of those bloggers are a bit bigger than what the rules suggest.
What are you going to do me?

My 10 questions for you all...

1. What is your favorite professional sport and team?

2. What made you decide to start blogging?

3. What is your all time favorite TV show?

4. What is your favorite adult beverage?

5. Fruits or vegetables? Favorite?

6. What is your favorite number & why?

7. What activities did you participate in in high school? College?

8. What state were you born in? What state do you currently live in?

9. What is your favorite type of music? What is your favorite song?

10. What is your favorite vacation destination you have been to?

Kind of makes me want to answer those questions too!
That is a post for another day :)

Now time to catch up with #xvsdailylife2014

 Day 106 ~ Mic asked X to pick out his shirt :) Makes this mommy proud!
#diehardbrownsfans

 Day 107 ~ Our dinner tonight was yummy Chipotle!
How cute is that baby bag of chips?!?!

 Day 108 ~ Day date with Mic!

 Day 109 ~ We stopped by one of my very favorite spots today :)
Love Lake Erie!
#lakeviewpark #nofilter

 Day 110 ~ I think he likes it! :)
#easter2014

 Day 111 ~ Only has eyes for Sheriff Callie!
#disneyjr

Day 112 ~ X stole his daddy's burrito and wanted to eat it upside down!
Thankfully he decided not to!

Style Me Pretty

I work at an office Monday through Friday so I have to change or adapt my outfits to a more business casual setting.

A few of the days I just wasn't feeling the suggested outfit, or I wanted to save it for the weekend. 

Here are my recreations based on the suggestions from Alison @ Get Your Pretty On.

{day three}

Olive Moon Oatmeal blazer (sold out)/similar 

Joe Fresh Red tee/exact

Floral scarf Target/exact

Brown dress pants (old)/similar

Brown boots (old)/similar

It was still pretty cold and crappy outside so I subbed boots for the wedges.


{day four}
I was Pinspired!
Check back at the beginning of May for all my Pinterest recreations :)

{day five}

Kohl's Anorak Jacket (old)/similar

Merona striped tee/exact

Hippie Chick Lobster scarf (sold out)/similar

Black dress pants (old)/similar

Mossimo black flats (old)/similar

I switched to black skinny jeans for the second half of day when Mic and I had our afternoon movie date :)

{day six}

Kut from the Kloth denim jacket/exact, similar
Mossimo purple tank/exact
Loft Modern Straight white jeans/exact
Target silver necklace (can't find)/similar
Target pewter sandals/exact

This was supposed to be the outfit for Day 4, but I had other plans that day. 
Plus, it worked out perfect to get some pictures by the Easter basket on Lake Erie.

{day seven}

Kut from the Kloth denim jacket
Merona striped tank/exact
Target coral scarf/exact
ana black maxi skirt/exact
Target pewter sandals

This was technically the outfit for Day 6, but I wanted to save it for Easter Sunday.


{day eight}

I wasn't feeling my outfit on Monday and was never able to get a good photo of it. 

{day nine}

Kut from the Kloth denim jacket
Merona blazing coral tank/exact
Target floral scarf
Old Navy white dress pants (old)/similar
lei copper wedges (old)/similar

Are you participating in the Spring Style Me Challenge?
What fun outfits did you come up with this past week?

Click here to see my outfits from the beginning.

Linking up today with Sarah @ Tucker Up and Lindsey @ The Pleated Poppy for WIWW, 
Alison @ Get Your Pretty On for I Feel Pretty, and the lovely ladies below

 Jordan @ Just Jordan

Shaunacey @ Confessions of a Frumpy Mummy
 Katie @ The Mishaps and Mayhem of Solitary Life
Beth @ Fast Life Slow Life
Vanessa @ X-tremely V

 Anne-Michelle @ May We Be Allergy Free

 Teresa @ Two Babies and Me

 Sarah @ Foxy's Domestic Side

Carrie @ A Lovely Little Wardrobe

 Carly @ Faith Family and Frugality

Deena @ Shoes toShiraz
Lana @ Two Teens and Their Mama

Healthy Life ~ Review

Vague title, I know.

But I have two items to review with you all today and no clever title came to mind. 

The final numbers are in for my AdvoCare 24 Day Challenge!

You can read about the challenge from the beginning and my check in posts here and here.

 I am down a total of 6 lbs. and 

If you are interested in losing weight/inches, or just eating and feeling better I would be glad to introduce you to all that AdvoCare has to offer.

I received my very first Influenster box recently and I am super excited to bring a healthy food review to you today!

In my box I received a voucher for a free Sargento ultra thin package of cheese, a coupon, and this adorable reusable lunch sack.

All I have to do is test the product and write a review about it on my blog. 

Sounds great!

I grabbed my free voucher and headed to Kroger to pick out my cheese!

There are 9 flavors to choose from in the ultra thin line by Sargento.

Since I like to make mini pizzas, I picked up a package of Provolone.

For taste purposes I had to try it out by the slice to make sure it was "good" :)

Same great taste just in a thinner slice!

And the slices are only 40 calories!

I don't know about you, but I like to eat!

But I also want to be in swimsuit shape for the summer.

This cheese will let you you do both!

Win, Win people!

Check out all the products Sargento offers, as well as some tasty recipes here.

 "I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes."


Have you tried the Sargento ultra thin slices yet?
Have you heard of Influenster before?
Have you reviewed any products from other companies?

Don't forget to check back tomorrow to see all the outfits I have recreated from the Spring Style Me Challenge.
You can also link up your posts with us if you are participating as well!