*Our internet was down this morning so this post is brought to you by the WordPress app on my iPhone. Please excuse any wonky business*
The first weekend of October is here and gone, crazy right?!?! This weekend was a special weekend for me. My mom turns 50 on the 6th and my sister and I wanted to do something special for her. We decided that we were going to surprise her with a lunch out and an entire day is just hanging out as a family with no time constraints and playing board games!
We coordinated our plans with our step dad, who told her that he was taking her out for a birthday lunch on Saturday with two of my step sisters. Tracy and I planned to meet off her exit a few minutes before hand so we could all arrive at the same time. My nieces and nephews got to her door first and when she opened it, she was surprised to see them. But it’s not unlike my sister to drop by if she is out that way. When she was hugging Cooper, I walked around the corner and her mouth dropped opened. She immediately was like wait, what’s going on here?! My sister and I were carrying in food and games and she said so we aren’t going out to lunch? Tracy said oh no we are, but then we are coming back here to spend the entire day with you!
We had to take two cars to the restaurant because there were so many of us, when we were on our way there she texted us ” you two got me!!!!” We played Pictionary, Outburst, and Scatagories that afternoon and feasted on all the food that Tracy and I prepared.
We also got to see our fur sisters who have gotten huge since the last time we saw them!!!
Molly and Maggie
Here’s a throw back of them to last Christmas
My step dad is a huge Alabama fan as well, so the game was on in the background and I got to catch glimpses of Alabama pulling out a big W over Georgia. Such a great game!
My mom was completely surprised and we truly had such an amazing time! When it was time to leave Saturday night, she had walked us out and she teared up when she expressed her gratitude for the day. Of course, I started tearing up too! I feel like we are always rushing around trying to get things done and get from here to there that we don’t get to spend near enough time just hanging out and living in the moment. We all vowed that another day like this needs to happen soon!!!
On Sunday, Chris and I went to one of our nephew’s baseball games and did some grocery shopping. We watched the first two episodes of Scream Queens and tried Grandfathered as well. Then we binged on How to Get Away With Murder because we didn’t get past the first two episodes last year when it came out. Such a good show!!!
I took a day off work today to chaperon my nephew’s class to the pumpkin patch!!!! We are both so excited!!! Here we are on Saturday gearing up for our field trip….
Linking up with Biana. I hope you guys have an amazing week!!!!
Favorite Lunch: I went to Whole Foods yesterday for their spicy tuna brown rice quinoa sushi. It is amazing. I mean, just look at it!!!
Favorite Beverage: While I was at Whole Foods, I wanted something fun to drink. Enter in this Strawberry Lemonade! YUM!! They had a blackberry flavored one too that I will have to try next time.
Favorite Recipe: This honey sriracha chicken looks amazing, right??? I want to try it but would use chicken breast. I am not a dark meat fan.
Favorite Links:
–A list of sites with free audiobooks. There are books for both kids and adults.
Hello, October!!!! I can’t believe another month has come and gone and it is time to review the September 2015 Allure Beauty Box!!!
What’s the Deal:For $15 a month, Allure sends you 5 deluxe size beauty samples and a mini magazine about the samples. I pay for this on my own, and all opinions are my own. This is not a sponsored post, a girl just likes to talk beauty sometimes, ok?! You can see last month’s box here.
Tangle Teezer (full price $15) –find it on sale here for $10.99
What it is: A handle-less brush for detangling hair.
My thoughts: I absolutely love this brush! I had an off brand version from TJ Maxx that I had purchased awhile back and liked. But I LOVE this one. The shade of this one makes it so much easier to hold and every last tangle in my hair is out in a matter of seconds.
Alterna Replenishing Moisture Milk (full price $30) find here
What it is: A leave in deep conditioner spray that is free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates. It is supposed to hydrate and add shine to brittle hair. It is a clear white, thicker liquid that sort of smells like a mojito. I love the scent!
My thoughts: I really liked this spray. It does seem to hydrate and make my hair soft after use. I spray it after my shower and brush with my Tangle Teezer. This is the second product that I have tried from this brand and I have to say that I am a fan. I even took this to Orlando with me last month, so it traveled well.
What it is: An alcohol free toner that exfoliates and brightens skin. The main ingredient is glycolic acid as an exfoliate. It also has witch hazel, which any great toner would! The scent is a neutral, clean scent. Nothing offensive or irritating to skin. This is great for sensitive skin, as it does not strip your face of all the good stuff like a lot of cleansers and toners do.
My thoughts: This is easily found at Target and for $15, it is a decent price point. I have been enjoying using this and will probably repurchase. It left no redness on my skin, and I can rarely say that for toners. I like the Pixi brand.
Erno Laszlo Firmarine Bar Soap (full price $45) find here
What it is: A moisturizing soap that is to cleanse and soften your skin. When I saw the full price of this I was like what the what?!?!?!
It’s a bit high for a bar of soap if you ask me. I will say that their website has a video on how to use this soap. You are supposed to fill up a sink with hot water and dip the bar in the water and rub it on your face….then rinse with 30 splashes of water. But ummmm who has time for that nonsense? I used this just like I use any other cleanser. When you are foaming with this, it does feel silky which I liked.It has a super clean scent, almost reminds me of a men’s fragrance. I mean that in a good way.
My thoughts: This is a great bar soap and it certainly made my skin feel nice and clean without being dry or tight. The price tag is a bit high for something that I wash down the drain though, you know???
Jane Iredale Smooth Affair Facial Primer & Brightener (full price $48) find here
What it is: A moisturizing makeup primer. The claims are that it blurs pores, is packed with antioxidents and soothing ingredients, and is to absorb excess oil making it great for combination skin. It has an orange scent to it, which I could have done without to be honest. Why is a primer smelling up my face? Also…I have had a problem with some orange scented items in the past irritating my skin. While this one didn’t seem to cause any problems for me, I would be wary if you have super sensitive skin!
My thoughts: While I didn’t really notice this adding any moisture to my face, I will say that my face has been less oily on the days I have used it. So it really does absorb the excess. As far as keeping my make up on all day? It works just as well as any other primer I have used recently. I am on the fence as to whether this would be a repurchase. I want to try the MUF matte one that everyone is raving about. This one is a little pricey to not be completely in love with, in my opinion.
Soap & Glory Pillow Plump XXL Lip Gloss in Pinkwell (full price $14) find here
What it is: A pale petal pink plumping lip gloss that smells like freaking chocolate!!! You read that right, chocolate! The smell is absolutely amazing and reminds me of a stronger scented version of my beloved Too Faced bronzer that I use. I used to buy Jessican Simpson and other plumping lip glosses in college that left me feeling tingly for a minute but no real results. This is different. This tingled for quite awhile and when I looked in the mirror, I did notice that my lips were extra pouty. I loved the color too, very sheer and neutral with some shine. I will say…it is sticky when you first put it on but ummmm what gloss isn’t? I would say this color would flatter just about any skin tone.
My thoughts: I loved this and for $14, I am sure I will repurchase!
Kaplan MD Cellular Rejuvenating Concentrate (full price $170) find here
What it is: Anti-aging serum without parabens, sulfates, petrolatum, castor oil, propylene glycol, mineral oil, PABA, animal ingredients or animal testing. So winning for ingredients for sure!!! This is a very thin, translucent serum that has a neutral smell. It went on very smoothly in the areas I used it. The price tag is freaking hefty on this product at $170!!! YIKES! Why you ask? 50% of the ingredient list is hyaluronic acid which is super expensive and unusually high amount in the ingredients.
My thoughts: While I did like the way it felt going on my skin, and I did see some instant plumpness to my skin….I can’t really get past the price! I feel like you have to use a serum for at least 2 months before you can see real, lasting results. This little sample isn’t going to last two months for me to tell. I will say that just a little amount goes a long way so I am sure the full size bottle would last awhile.
Another great box from Allure this month! I love getting this little surprise each month. There is always at least one product in this box that becomes a must buy for me and several others that are great contenders. Have you tried any of these yet? Have you tried anything else new lately?
–If I have to wear a band-aid, it is a Hello Kitty or some other children’s character. Why buy the ugly plain ones when there are options???? These are what I am sporting on my ankle right now! #firstaidfashion
–I have played the Photograph song by Ed Sheeran probably 50 times this week. I can’t help it, I love it!!! #iwearoutsongs
–Speaking of music, I got excited because I usually allow myself to start listening to Christmas music full time starting November 1st and I just realized that is a month away! #christmasmusicallyearlong
–I started a new book (The Light of Day) this week that I cannot put down!!! I am already 41% done with it and I started it Monday. I don’t even know what it is that has me so hooked but I have to know more!
–Speaking of books, I have already started working on my Show Us Your Books link up post for next month. I review each book as I go so I don’t forget anything! Does anyone else do that?
–My workouts are all over the place lately. Yesterday I ran so hard and really pushed myself. I felt so good after my workout. Today? I barely squeaked by on leg day. I mean….I got the workout in, but I just wasn’t in to it. Wasn’t giving it my all. I have got to get motivated again!!! Where do you pull your motivation from?
I grew up eating gnocchi. Anytime we ever had mashed potatoes with a meal, my mom would always make extra and set aside for gnocchi later in the week. It is something that is so simple, yet so delicious!!! Chris is pretty open to trying whatever I make, and he loved gnocchi as well. I decided to play a little and try it out with sweet potatoes. It does not disappoint!
This recipe is really basic. You can pretty much add anything to it to spice it up. I kept it simple and I really enjoyed it. I served this as our main dish, but it would make an excellent side dish to something with more flavor!
For this recipe, I actually bought packaged sweet potato gnocchi at Target. I know, know…for shame!!! But I wanted to keep it stupid simple! Gnocchi is really easy to make at home, and this would be 10 times better with homemade, I am sure.
What you need:
1 package of sweet potato gnocchi
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
sage – I used seasoning (about a teaspoon-ish) but fresh sage would be great here as well! If you are using fresh sage, I would recommend about 1/4 of a cup, maybe a little less if you don’t want it to over power.
nutmeg – A little dash of nutmeg adds a little extra something if you are using packaged gnocchi. Most homemade gnocchi recipes call for nutmeg while mixing up the dough.
-Parmesan cheese (to garnish)
What you do:
-Cook gnocchi according to package
-In a medium skillet on medium heat, melt butter. Cook the butter for about 4 minutes then stir in the sage (and nutmeg if you are adding it.) Add the cooked gnocchi, and saute on medium low for about 4 to 5 minutes.
That’s it!!! Serve these up on a plate or in a bowl with some fresh Parmesan cheese and dinner is ready! So easy!
Molly and Maggie 
