Monday Confessions.

 

Today I confess..

 

...I woke up an hour early this morning because a grocery store that was going out of business was having a 50% off sale so I wanted to stop by before work. I get there about 10 minutes early, expecting the parking lot to be packed - it was empty. I checked the Facebook post again only to find out I was at the wrong location. Fail.

 

...I'm convinced that turning my AC off in my car will save gas. Does anyone know if this is actually true?

 

..Often times I will spend an hour in the gym, only to come home and stuff my face with chips, soda, etc.

...I will spend $4 on 6 pita pockets, but try to find the cheapest wheat bread possible and spend $7 on pickled okra at the farmer's market, but won't spend $4 on them at the grocery store. Just doesn't make sense.

 

...I drank way too much wine at Kristen & Cal's wedding Friday night.

What do you confess on this Monday?

Minted Holiday Cards {And How You Can Earn a $25 Credit!}

Minted just recently released their 2013 Holiday Card collection and I must admit - I am very tempted to go ahead and purchase ours. They are offering a 20% discount until Monday, the 30th AND they have a program called "Buy Now, Update Later" where you can purchase your cards today with the discount, but upload your pictures whenever you're ready! Sounds like an offer too good to pass up!

 

Want to earn a $25 credit to help with those holiday cards? Just use this referral link!
When placing your order, don't forget to go through Ebates so you can earn 5% cash back!!
{Please note, the 20% off code and the $25 will not work together so use whichever value is higher!}

 

The cards that are all the rage this season are the foil pressed ones. And rightfully so - they are gorgeous.

 

And like every year, they have numerous timeless designs.



 

 

I'm definitely liking this one since they are so close to our wedding colors and let's be honest, I am obviously using a wedding picture.

Look, it's Natasha! :)

 

 

 

(I was not asked or paid for this post. I am just obsessed with Minted's products.)

Tasty Tuesday: Spaghetti Squash Caprese Bake + Weekly Meal Plan.

 

 

Spaghetti Squash Caprese Bake

Recipe and photo found here.

1 large spaghetti squash
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 roma tomatoes
1 small handful fresh basil
1 overflowing handful fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup + 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
salt & pepper to taste

I added bite size pieces of cooked chicken also

Preheat your oven to 375. Cook the spaghetti squash one of two ways:
1. Pierce squash several times with sharp knife (to avoid squash explosion). Bake on a cookie sheet for 1 hr 20 min at 375, flipping squash once halfway through.
2. Pierce squash several times with sharp knife (again, no spaghetti bombs). Heat in microwave on a plate for 10-12 minutes.

 

Once your squash is cooked, slice off the very end with the stem. Then, halve the squash lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and gooey bits and throw those away. Scrape the remaining flesh of the squash with a fork to get out all of the wonderful spaghetti noodles. Place noodles in a large bowl and set aside.

 

Mince garlic. Cut tomatoes into bite-size pieces. Roughly cut basil and spinach leaves. Place all of these ingredients, along with the olive oil, into the large bowl with the spaghetti squash.

 

Mix well, then season with salt & pepper to taste. Then stir in 3/4 cup of shredded mozzarella.

 

Add this mixture to a pie dish or 1 quart-ish baking dish and spread the top smooth-ish.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of mozzarella over the top.

 

Bake at 375 for 30-40 minutes or until cheese on top is lightly browned. Top with additional fresh basil, and serve!

 

------------------------

And as requested by Emily, here is what's on the menu for dinner this week...

 

Monday - Spaghetti squash chicken caprese bake 
Tuesday -   Buffalo shrimp tacos with corn, avocado and tomato salad

Wednesday - Philly cheesesteak stuffed peppers

Thursday - Balsamic glazed salmon with creamed spinach

Friday - Kristen & Cal's wedding!!

Emily & David's Gender Reveal!

This weekend will definitely go down in the books as one of my favorites. We found out the sex of Emily & David's baby at a super fun gender reveal party and at the same time, our friend Katie was in labor with her little boy, Ashton!  

 

Emily had her 20 week appointment on Thursday and the doctor put the gender results on a piece of paper and sealed up the results. I was given the envelope and Saturday morning, headed to Party City to pick up the appropriate color balloons! I was so nervous that I was going to see someone that knew Emily and blow the surprise!

 

Enough with the stories..here are the results!

 

 

{gender prediction chart, party invitation/blue&pink gumballs/diy bows and bowties, bowtie pasta salad, printable water bottle labels, bows or bowties banner}

 

{the yummy food table and Caroline's beautiful tissue poofs}

 

 

Photo by Kathryn

 Since I was one of the few who knew the sex of the baby, I bought an early gift for him -- a pair of Chuck Taylors so he can match his daddy! :)

 

Cameron wearing his blue bow tie..excited it's a boy!

Can't wait to welcome Baby BOY Warren into the world in early February!!

Barefoot Refresh.

Barefoot wine has recently come out with a new line of wine spritzers called Barefoot Refresh. There are four flavors of lightly carbonated, refreshing wine blends!

Crisp White: Riesling blended with Chenin Blanc

Sweet White: Pinot Grigio blended with Moscato

Summer Red: Pinot Noir Rosé blended with Moscato

Perfectly Pink: White Grenache blended with Chenin Blanc and Moscato

 I chose the Sweet White over the Crisp White because I have been digging less sweet wine lately. I know pinot grigio is sweet, but it isn't as sweet as Riesling. The Sweet Wine was a bit sweet, but it wasn't overwhelming. The carbonated part was definitely my favorite. For some reason, I am always drawn to carbonated drinks. I chose the Perfectly Pink because I have never really had blush wine before so I thought I'd choose something new! Good thing I did because I wound up liking it more than the Sweet White! These Barefoot Refreshers are the perfect drink for that person who is trying to ease their way into drinking wine, or for the wino who is looking for something light and different!

The great part about these wines is that they can be enjoyed by themselves, on ice, or incorporated as an ingredient in a cocktail! They are also only $8, which is an amazing price!

 
I enjoyed my Sweet White wine on my backporch after work, accompanied by a tasty piece of rosemary and sea salt focaccia bread. These wines would also be perfect to take out on the boat on a hot day! Refreshing, but not as filling as beer!

Close up of the bubbles.

 

Pick up a bottle on your next trip to the grocery store and let me know what you think!

 

“The product and promotional item were provided by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly for this review."

Friday Five.

Linking up again today with the girls of Five on Friday! Feel free to join along!

 

{one}

This weekend is Emily & David's gender reveal and I could not be more excited!

Feel free to leave your guesses!

 

{two}

Yesterday I was feeling rather sluggish so when lunchtime came around, I had to get out of the office. I went up to Freshfields, got myself a sub, and treated myself to Starbucks Very Berry Hibiscus Refresher. It was my first time trying it and I.AM.HOOKED. I looked for the packets at Publix yesterday so I wouldn't go broke buying them everyday, but came up short. Locals - What stores do they sell these in??

 

{three}

One of Cameron's friends just picked up his 6 week old Boykin puppy on Wednesday and I now have the baby AND puppy fever. Not a good combo. His name is Holden and I'm sure you will be seeing a lot more pictures of him since he basically lives across the street.

 

{four}

Found these super cute notebooks at Target the other day. They are the perfect size to jot down my to-do lists, grocery store lists, etc and fit in my purse without taking up too much room. The adorable polka dots and sweet quotes don't hurt either. :)

 

{five}

I've been going a little cray cray trying to find the perfect staples for my Fall wardrobe. The bank account has been taking a hit, when I should really be paying off credit cards, putting money in savings, etc. And while I probably won't stop pinning cute outfits or posting them on here, I will remember this:

 

Have a great weekend, y'all!

 

World Market.

Once again, I went into a store looking for one thing, and stumbled upon 4504835438 other things I really wanted. This time at World Market. The double vanity bath mat will be resting it's fuzzy head in our hall bathroom sometime in the near future.

White Chevron Bath Towels

$9.99-$14.99

 

Double Vanity Sized Bath Mat

$29.99

 

Assorted Gift Bags and Boxes

Items below range from $2.99-$4.99

 

Gold and Teal Aberdeen Curtains

$34.99 per panel

 

Coffee Mug Sets

Set of 4 ranging from $21.56-$25.56

 

This Weekend I...

...Attended supper club at a gorgeous house with an amazing view on Friday night




Photo by Caroline



{Our very colorful meal}

 

 

...Met up with April on Saturday morning! We went to the Farmer's Market and I got roped into participating in a breakdancing routine where one of the guys did a front flip over 6 people! Thank you, Baby Jesus, that I was the first in the row and not the last. Visit April's Instagram (alizadventures) to see the video. Oh, and April? She was just as sweet, bubbly, and fun as expected. :)

 

...Went through with the Fall color and cut!

...Cheered on the Gamecocks with friends

 

...Sunday Funday crafted with Emily & Caroline to get ready for Emily & David's gender reveal party this weekend! For the record, Brady thinks the baby is a girl.

It was a great weekend, for sure!

Friday Five!

Good morning and TGIF! Linking up today with the girls of 5 on Friday. Write your own Friday Five post and link up with everyone!

 

Here are some things that have made / are making me happy this week!

Sweet surprise from Shelby

 Last weekend I came home to a package at the front door. Immediately my mind says, "I don't remember ordering anything..but maybe I did?" And Cameron's all like, "what'd you order now??" So I open it up, and there is a cute little pickle wine stopper in there from my sweet and thoughtful friend, Shelby!

 

Dannon Greek blends yogurt
Confession: Whenever I buy Greek yogurt, I buy the kind that is on the best sale ($1 or less each). There isn't really a brand that we've come across that we haven't liked yet....well, except Stoneyfield. These Dannon Light & Fit Greek Blends were on sale last grocery store visit and we are hooked! My favorite has been the key lime pie and Cameron's has been the toasted coconut (below).

 

Hair appointment
I have a hair appointment tomorrow morning and I am SO excited. These roots are just awful and my hair looks/feels super stringy when it's this long. I'm thinking about moving ever so slightly to the darker side.
These are some pictures I've pinned for inspiration...

 

Old Navy sale
Old Navy is having a great sale right now and on top of their sale items, you can get an extra 20% off with the code ONTREAT. And don't forget to go through Ebates so you can earn cash back!

 

 

 

Meeting up with April
April from A.Liz Adventures is visiting Charleston this weekend for a wedding and we are meeting up for the first time tomorrow morning! She has one of those blogs that I read on a daily basis and email back and forth with on a regular basis. I just have a feeling like it's going to be old friends meeting up rather than meeting a "stranger" for the first time. :)