Let's Look | Coffee

I always love this Let's Look series that Shay & Erika host!

They are kicking off 2021 talking about all coffee bar areas!

Honestly, mine isn't 100% done yet.

Here is my set up now that we are in our home...

Every morning as I make my first cup of coffee I can look out the window :)

I have had this particular Keurig for a year now, but just opened it up for the first time when we moved in here recently.

That side cup is to help you make your favorite cappuccino or latte :)

I use it off and on, but I mainly just make a flavored k cup from the jar and add some flavored creamer.

Speaking of flavored coffee and creamer....here are my favorites that I have on rotation right now.

I stock up on these three whenever I find them on sale or in season.

One of those guys with some French Vanilla Nut Pods in the morning and I am good to go!

If you follow Faster Way to Fat Loss or intermittent fasting, Nut Pods are great in the morning.

You can have up to 5 tablespoons without breaking your fast!

And believe me, I use every drop I can!

I'm a creamer with a bit of coffee kind of girl ;)

These days I have 1-2 more cups of coffee throughout the day.

Sometimes it is one of those flavors above, but a lot of the time it is just a basic plain breakfast blend k cup.

I just add some of my favorite creamer to it to make it perfect!

Honestly, Kroger coffee creamer is SO GOOD!

My go-to is the Creme Brulee flavor, but if they are out I grab the Vanilla Caramel.

I don't typically get Starbucks unless I am out grocery shopping or we are traveling.

But when I do go there I always order a tall, hot, non-fat White Chocolate Mocha with whip and caramel drizzled on top.

SO GOOD!

In the winter months I order the Caramel Brulee Latte :)

I just can't do iced coffee though...it tastes too much like coffee to me no matter how much flavoring and creamer you add.

But I will give in to a yummy frap on super hot days :)

How do you drink your coffee?

Are you a Starbucks or Dunkin person?

I would love to hear your favorites in the comments below :)

XOXO ~ Vanessa

Let's Look | The Weekend

Joining Shay & Erika for Let's Look today!

Let's be honest...there isn't a whole lot going on these days during the week or on weekends.

Fingers crossed that life will slowly get back to a some kind of normal as things are starting to open back up in Ohio this week.

I'll still be hanging at home, but watching closely to see how it all unfolds.

Friday evening we stopped by the house to check the progress of things and came across a bonfire/burn pile our builder started.

I would have stayed all night if I could to enjoy it, but it was about 30* outside :(

A little fact about me - Campfire is my absolute favorite smell!

Saturday was a bit warmer, so Mic headed back to the house to work on some things outside.

After doing one of my favorite workouts in the morning, I cleaned up so X and I could bring Mic some lunch.

But first, rockin' my new hat from Judith March :)

And listening to some good tunes in the car :)

Lunch time!

Nothing special, but we were all together :)

A little walk outside for some fresh air felt great!

God Is Good!

Back to the townhouse...means time for catching up on shows :)

If you aren't watching Council of Dads you are missing out!

After dinner treat because YOLO!

Sunday I woke up and X gave me the sweetest Mother's Day card!

As you can see below, he is very formal ;)

We ordered Outback take out for dinner, and watched another episode of The Last Dance on ESPN.

This one featured a lot of one of my favorite basketball players of all time - Dennis Rodman!

And that was it!

Time to go to bed and start another week :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

And in case you missed it, head here to check out these amazing Snickerdoodle Blondie Bars I shared yesterday :)

So Good!

Thanks for stopping by today!

XOXO ~ Vanessa

Let's Look | Easter

Today I'm linking up with Shay & Erika for their monthly Let's Look series.

The theme for today is Easter!

This year we don't have any plans for Easter, but I figured I share some photos from the past today.

Let's kick things off with some throwback photos :)

This was X's first Easter in 2012!

We took him up north to visit with my family and get the traditional photo with the Easter basket :)

And here is our sweet boy getting his first Easter basket!

All that candy went to his parents ;)

But he still has that big chick/duck! lol!

2013

Another year, another picture with the basket!

How is this only one year from the last picture?

In 2014, X received a super fun gift from the Easter bunny!
From the pictures below, I think he liked it ;)



2015
We had a wedding to attend, so my dad brought him to the basket :)



This was also the last year he was interested in coloring eggs :(
He was 4!



We weren't able to make it up north in 2016 :(
But I don't think that bothered this guy one bit! lol!



He is the KING of cheesy faces and pictures!





My mom did snap a picture of the basket that year, so I added X to the photo. lol!



2017
My mom brought X to the basket and he was joined by my niece for the first time!



Unfortunately, we haven't been able to make it up to the basket since then due to sports schedules every year.
And now with him being 8 years old, I think our time may have passed. :(

Do you have a certain tradition at Easter?

How about your meal?
I am super traditional when it comes to my Easter meal.
I must have ham!
However, that is a struggle some years because that is not what my MIL likes to have.

Since we don't have plans this year I think I will be serving some ham, potatoes, and green beans.
Super simple :)

What do you eat for Easter?


XOXO ~ Vanessa

Let's Look | Entertaining Ideas

Why hello there!

Yes, it is Wednesday and I am finally getting a post up on here.

That's just life these days :/

Anyway...I'm linking up with Erika & Shay today for their monthly Let's Look series!

Today is all about Entertaining!!!

Oh how I can't wait to be able to have get togethers again!

Instead of showing you how I entertain (because I haven't been able to do so in a hot minute),

I have a few tips for you that will help you out next time you are hosting a big group of people.

1. Plan ahead!

Honestly, I start brainstorming most parties or gatherings I host a good 6 months or more in advance.

From the guest list to the food...I write it all down.

Staying organized and on top of things will make your party run smoothly.

2. Pick a theme and run with it!

I love a good theme!

It can be as simple as whatever the nearest holiday is, or whatever your imagination comes up with.

A theme is a great way to help you narrow down the decor for the party, the food, etc.

You can even pick a few specialty drinks too so you don't have to furnish a full bar.

3. Don't think you have to do it all!

Enlist the help of family or friends to pitch in.

You can have each family bring a dish, or supply the drinks, etc.

Don't try to be Superwomen!

It just brings on a lot of unneeded stress to you and you will project that stress onto those around you.

4. Don't be afraid to keep things simple.

You don't have to make everything super fancy.

Don't have serving dishes that all match or even have serving dishes?

Don't let that stop you from hosting a great party!

You can use whatever you have in your cabinets, or dare I say leave those chips in the bag ;)

If your friends care that much about the presentation of the chips and dip you might need new friends.

#justsaying

5. Enjoy yourself!

The dishes don't need washed the moment they are empty and put into the sink.

Live in the moment with your family or friends.

Make memories!

What are your tips for a successful party?

Let me know in the comments below :)

XOXO ~ Vanessa

Let's Look | My Calendar

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

It's time for Let's Look with Shay & Erika!

Today we are taking a look at our calendars.
First up is my current planner that I have been using for 2019.

In 2017 I purchased an EC planner with the additional 6 months so I could start using it right away.
However, that one was pretty bulky!
So when I ordered this one, I just went with a normal 12 month version (January-December).
I'm not a teacher, so there is no need to have it start at the beginning of the school year for me :)

So here is what it looks like on the inside...

I like everything to be on the monthly look as well as the weekly side of things.

On the far right of the right page is a space for notes and such.

I typically keep track of my monthly bills here, as well as little reminders for myself.

I go into more detail for everything in my weekly view.

The vertical layout has been nice because I am able to separate into to categories.
The top row of boxes are what we are having for dinner each night.
The middle is for all the things we have to do...Soccer and football practice/games, meetings, doctor appointments, etc.
The bottom row has been reserved for the blog :)
And those little lines on the very bottom is where I write down birthdays/anniversaries of family and friends.

I personally love this planner and the camo cover I have had this past year!
I have had an EC planner for the last few years, and I was thisclose to ordering another one for 2020.

But then I discovered The Happy Planner!
It is super similar to the EC planner, and was only a fraction of the price!

There are two differences that I notice right away...
I can't personalize my cover
I can't choose my layout

Both things I can get over :)

I have had vertical and horizontal layouts with my EC planners, and I definitely like the vertical layout better overall.
But The Happy Planner cover I choose ended up having a horizontal layout.
Is it the end of the world? No.
I will get used to it.

I actually bought more stickers this time around to kind of help with dividing up the space.

Speaking of stickers...All those stickers that you probably are buying to use in your planner are probably from The Happy Planner as well!
At least mine all were and I didn't even realize it.

All but the football and soccer ball stickers are from The Happy Planner brand.

So here is my planner for 2020...

The rings can be switched out for bigger ones if you are someone who likes to add more pages to your planner.

Despite being an 18 month calendar, it wasn't as bulky as my EC one in the past.

But since I didn't need that extra 6 months, I just removed them.

And it was SO EASY!!!

I did leave the fun divider pages because they were too cute!

I just cut off the monthly tabs so they wouldn't get in my way :)

Each month begins with this page...

Love that Currently section since I post a recap of the month!
Great way to keep track of things and prepare for my post :)

The monthly view is almost identical to the one in my EC planner.



Since this does have a horizontal layout, I am working with some of those stickers I bought to break things up into 3 categories.
It's a work in progress since I won't start using it until January :)

I also picked up those Weekly Meal Plan sheets that easily pop right in!
And the back of the page is for your grocery list.
Love it!

Overall I have loved my Erin Condren planners, and I am sure I will love my new Happy Planner just as much!

What kind of planner do you use?
Do you use stickers and write everything down, or do you just keep things in your phone?

I would love to hear how you plan #allthethings in the comments below!


XOXO ~ Vanessa

Let's Look | Favorite Binge Shows

I'm linking up with Shay & Erika for their Let's Look monthly party!

Today is all about your favorite binge worthy shows!

I'm going to be honest, I'm old school.
I am not really into binge watching TV shows.
I like the idea of waiting each week to see what will happen on the next episode.

I have watched some shows lately that I have watched in a more binge like manner.

Gossip Girl - This was the very first show I "binge" watched.

I had to test the waters with a show I had already seen and loved.
I actually rewatched it when we went to Disney a couple of years ago.
I realized something during that trial run of binge watching....I don't like rewatching things.
Don't get me wrong, if one of the TV shows or movies I absolutely love comes on TV I won't turn it off.
But I am not one who is going to sit down and watch something I saw before, over and over again.
So here are the only shows I have "binge" watched.

Blue Bloods - Honestly, I have seen an episode here and there over the years so I knew I liked this show.
When there was zero things to watch this summer, I decided to start from the beginning of the series.
I probably get through a handful of episodes a week.
I am currently on season 5 as I type this.

Riverdale - I never had any interest to watch this one until Luke Perry passed away earlier this year.
I just loved him on Beverly Hills 90210! And he's from Ohio, so he was extra special to me.
So I decided to give this one a go...and I love it!
I am completely through all of the seasons, and waiting for the next season to start :)

Game of Thrones - So I guess Gossip Girl wasn't the first show I binge watched. It was the first show I wanted to binge watch.
Mic started watching Game of Thrones a few years ago. 
I wasn't into it at all!
But it was the only time we got to spend together without X, so I started watching by the end of season 1.
They had already had 6 seasons, so we gradually watched 2-4 episodes a week.
I was completely caught up by the time the final season came out..and I wanted to watch it!
I had to see it through ;)

Schitt's Creek - I found this show on a complete whim and fell in love with it!
It.Is.Hilarious!!!
I'm anxiously waiting a new season to come out.

The Blacklist - This has always been one of my favorite shows, but when we moved I lost everything on my DVR :(
So I watched the last two seasons on Netflix and I'm completely ready to go for the newest season!

The Harry Potter & Lord of the Rings movies
Again, neither of these were something I wanted to see.
These were Mic's picks completely.
Each Harry Potter movie was harder for me to watch than the last (I'm a scaredy cat!).
And there wasn't anything about Lord of the Rings I liked!
But again, I had to complete the series once I started watching with Mic.


Here's the thing...I get bored and kind of depressed when I finish the show and then have to wait forever for the next season to come out.
It doesn't feel as long when I only get to see one episode a week from Fall to Spring.
Thank goodness it is almost Fall and all the new seasons of my favorite shows will be starting up soon!

I mean I have A Million Little Things - Returns September 26th, Riverdale, The Blacklist, This Is Us, The Village and more!

Do you binge watch shows?
If so, what ones?
Any recs for me?
What shows are you looking forward to returning this Fall?


XOXO ~ Vanessa