Friday, April 29, 2016

Announcing the Rewind Friday link up

Rewind Friday link up
As a blogger it's imperative that new content is created or else be left in the dust (or at least that's how it feels.) But what about all the other posts that didn't get noticed or was not as well received as you had hoped? Well, not to worry, because we have got you and your older content covered: introducing the Rewind Friday link up! The link up to share your favorite overlooked content and get some fresh eyes and new love on them. Join Beth, Meghan, Stephanie and myself the last Friday of every month. Our first link up with be on Friday, May 27th


Other dates for Rewind Friday are: 
June 24th
July 29th
August 26th
September 30th
October 28th
November 25th
December 30th

And there's more! Each month we will feature the bloggers with the most clicked links, perpetuating even more views! Win-win!

Stephanie Wife Mommy Me
Whitney Work it Mommy

And don't forget to grab a button!
Work it Mommy


Linking up with Chrystie.
Pinterest_Hover Instagram Google_Plus Facebook
Email Twitter Goodreads Bloglovin

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Our Garden {Spring Fun}

I have never really grown anything aside from those grade school chia seed sprouts and an avocado pit that grew a root and then promptly died. I don't have the faintest idea of what I'm doing, but when Kinsey says we need a garden, I become a gardener (anyone else?)
Our Garden, Spring Fun List
I am however the granddaughter of a wonderful home gardener, so I have the tools at my disposal. This planter box was already built I just located the sunniest spot in our backyard (which is conveniently under the neighbors oak tree, forethought on that one was nil.) and asked Kinsey what she wanted to grow- strawberries, watermelon, tomatoes and peas. And filled in the rest with what I wanted- lettuce, zucchini and radishes. There is still produce I want to plant- Brussels sprouts, pumpkins (come summer), sunflowers, carrots and potatoes, but for now this is what we have:

one cherry tomato plant
one beefsteak tomato plant
6 pea plants on a teepee
one strawberry plant
a handful of radishes
3 zucchini plants
a scattering of lettuce seeds that are proving to be temperamental
3 watermelon seeds that never sprouted?

After only 30 days we have gone from this (first two columns on the left) to this (first two columns on the right):
our garden a 30 day comparison
And this little beauty greeted me last Saturday! Our very first tomato baby.
our garden, green tomato
I would love any tips/tricks on gardening and what types of plants you have success with, please and thank you! And if you're looking for tips on how to start your own garden, Liz has got you covered! I only wish I had read this sooner, guess there's always next year! 

Checking off another Spring Fun List item!
Spring Fun List check in #3


Linking up with Annie and Natalie and Vanessa.

Pinterest_Hover Instagram Google_Plus Facebook
Email Twitter Goodreads Bloglovin

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Currently // April

Affiliate links used. A small commission may be received if you purchase an item through my links. Thank you for supporting my blog!

Watching// Nothing as of right now. We finished Face Off (yay Rob!), Supergirl just ended (meh), and Superstore is in the middle of its new season and we don't want to jump in late, so any recommendations?! We pretty much have every streaming device ever so throw those shows at me!
Reading// Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed which simultaneously had me scared to death for her and wanting to hike the PCT with Brian when we're retired haha. It was an amazing read! And The World Below  by Sue Miller. It loosely reminds me of Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. A woman finds out about her grandmother's past in a Sanitarium through her old diaries. I wouldn't mind reading more of Miller's books.
Dreaming of// Our garden harvest. I'm so looking forward to homegrown tomatoes and zucchini.
Eating// Pizza. I kid you not I could probably eat pizza every day and not get sick of it. The combo or melty cheese and crust is the best.
Wishing// Kinsey didn't have to go through her concussion ordeal. I feel so bad for her (and me lol) Thank goodness for great care and resilience. Also that all this horrible nonsense didn't have to affect the sweet and serene little blogging bubble I was in. Sending love to those that had their safety stripped from them by scummy creeps. 
Loving// Spending time with Family.
Obsessed with// Target Dollar Spot. I was able to score some great note cards and a pair of sunnies for Kinsey.
Planning// Summer activities. You can never be too prepared! 
Pinning// Party ideas for Brielana's 2nd Birthday party. The "dilemma": she is a 4th of July baby but the 4th this year is on a Tuesday so we'll be having it on the Saturday either before or after the 4th and that gives me the freedom to have any theme(!!!) but also makes me a little anxious with planning details.
Texting// I get a nifty little text reminder from Walgreen's whenever my prescriptions are ready, talk about convenient! Especially considering ours is a 24 hour, drive thru location and it's pretty much busy all the time.
Wearing// fun thredUP finds.


Linking up with ShaySheaffer and Mel and Stephanie.

Pinterest_Hover Instagram Google_Plus Facebook
Email Twitter Goodreads Bloglovin

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

thredUP {my new obsession}

I like shopping as much as the next girl but I'm also a touch frugal, enter thredUP, my new obsession. I first heard about it from Liz and got really intrigued by it from Becky, so when a friend posted on Facebook a $20 credit for signing up, I was sold. Affiliate links used. A small commission may be received if you purchase an item through my links. Thank you for supporting my blog!
thredUp, an online consignment store for women and children


But what is it? thredUP is a service that takes your old clothes and resells them in which you get shop credit or you can request a payout. The items that don't meet their strict criteria {you can read more about that here} are donated or responsibly recycled. So, in a nutshell, an online consignment store for women and children's clothing.

When I first started searching the site I was getting so overwhelmed by all the inventory. Becky recommended searching by brand and I've been hooked ever since. Also utilize the filters by searching for specific sizes to decrease inventory even more. My favorite part is getting a good deal on older/past season clothes.

Ready to purge your closet? Request a Clean Out bag. It is completely free but only one Clean Out bag can be in your possession at a time, no worries though because one bag can hold A LOT. Send a filled Clean Out bag back free of charge using FedEx or the USPS. In my experience the sorting process took a couple of weeks and that was with 4 other bags being ahead of mine. Once it was processed I received an email breaking down what items they had kept and how much I was credited. I'm currently filling up Clean Out bag #2 and have a better sense of what to send in and what to just toss.

The PROS:
Clean out your closet and get paid to do it!
Responsibly upcycle old clothes by keeping them out of landfills
The price points on clothing is great
New merchandise is added every day

The CONS:
Shipping costs $11.99, ugh. But it's a flat rate so buying more than one thing is a good idea.
The payout was not that great. Out of 13 items thredUP kept 11 and I received $12 and change. Granted the clothes I sent in were not being worn and just taking up space, I'm sure if I had tried selling them myself I could have gotten more but I loathe garage sales, so this is still preferable in my opinion. 

So what did I get with my credit?
thredUP, an online consignment store for women and children
This adorable Gap polka dot sweater and purple cardigan! *Hashtag Gap for Life* And this is how I styled them:
styling a polka dot sweater from thredUP
skinny belt (similar), Old Navy
glitter gold loafers, Gap
 styling a Gap cardigan from thredUP
skinny jeans, Gap
sneakers, Steve Madden

I also went against my rule of ordering more than one thing because I had been eyeing this leopard belt for dayssss and my Clean Out bag credit was burning a hole in my pocket... anyone else get like that? I also apologize for my blindingly pale skin and dirty mirror, yikes.
styling a leopard belt thredUP review
Sevenly tee

Want to try thredUP for yourself? If you use my referral link here we both get $10 shop credit! And if you have any questions, I'll try my hardest to answer them! 


Linking up with Beth and Jennifer and Kristin.

Pinterest_Hover Instagram Google_Plus Facebook
Email Twitter Goodreads Bloglovin