Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Fall Wardrobe Updates

I always feel very confused on how to dress this time of year because I was laying out by my pool yesterday in a bathing suit drinking coconut water. Then I log into Fb and everyone else in the country is apple picking and drinking pumpkin spiced lattes in Uggs and yoga pants! So it is still 100 degrees here in Florida and I am still wearing tanks and shorts. But, when you want to head out to shop here, it is Fall in all the stores! 

Even though I haven't been able to wear them quite yet, I have added a few pieces to my Fall/Winter wardrobe which in Florida is basically the same thing. I needed some really basic things that fit well and were easily mixed and matched. I am working hard on thinning my closet to only pieces I really love and fit well! Here is what I picked up!

White Box Skirt- this Banana Republic skirt is so flattering and has pockets! I love a dress or skirt with pockets.

 

    
Blue Button Down- this piece is so basic but I plan on wearing it as well as tying it around my waist. 



Leather Skirt- leather is everywhere this fall and I love it! This Zara skirt has a little flare at the back which I love because it makes it a little more feminine!



Ankle Strap Pump- I saw these and figured they could go with so many different outfits! They are Dolce Vita and bought them from Zou Zou boutique. 


Black Coated Jeans- I keep seeing leather leggings and pants and I couldn't commit to full leather pants so I like this option. A similar look with out being leather. These are also Banana Republic. They were having a 40% off sale I hit it up! 



Plus, I have these fun slip ons I shared that I will still be wearing and they will pair perfectly with these pants! 


Plaid Button Down- I'm loving plaid right now and maroon. I plan on pairing navy and black so this shirt, skinny jeans, a black classic pump and black clutch is perfection! 


Black Pump- just because they are so classic and wearable! I needed them to go with my plaid shirt and skinny jeans above! 


Blush Leather Jacket- I actually found this at Marshall's last year and it's Free People and I never wore it! This year I am making sure I do! 


I loved all these pieces and felt like they were super interchangeable!

So, Happy Fall and here is to wishing for some cooler weather here in Florida so we can wear this fun stuff! I hope you found something to inspire your Fall wardrobe! 

Much Fall Fashion Love,

Lauren


Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Let's be Adventurers!!

have always been up for a good adventure ever since I was young! I think it was a part of growing up in my family! My Dad was truly the first adventurer I ever knew. He taught me it is way more fun to jump in and participate in life rather than sit on the sidelines. Really to this day nothing has changed with him. 

This is him playing with his new birthday present! A slack line for his 56th Birthday! 




             Always a fun surf buddy 

My little, not so little anymore, brother was always way more brave than I, but I always wanted to keep up with him. He would do things like park the car and say, "hold my hand we are going to run up the off ramp of the Lake Ivanhoe exit on I4 and jump off the overpass into the lake, you'll love it" with cars whizzing by I would just hold his hand and keep running straight off the overpass with him! Totally scared out of my mind but definitely not wanting to sit in the car and miss out, I would go for it! That was just one of the many things he talked me in to doing!

When I became a parent though, I think I lost some of that. Feeling protective of my kids and feeling like I had to change in order to be a "good" parent. I even wanted to fit in with other parents. Obviously, you do look at your life differently when two little people and one amazing husband care about you and you them! I am not discounting that or advising anything crazy or saying to put your life at risk. That isn't what I am saying at all. But, I felt like I lost a little of the girl I was and well, frankly, I liked her! 

 I have been trying to plan fun things for my self and my family that are out of the normal monotonous schedule rut we can all get in! I think you have to be really intentional about this and this year my goal was to travel and find little adventures! I think we had success so far!

Here are some things we did this year in the name of adventure and travel:


     RZR's in the Dominican Republic


   Swimming in a cave in the Dominican 
                       Republic 

              Ready to go Ziplining

      Dominican Republic (this man is an         incredible travel partner...just sayin')


                           Cabo

 

            Horseback Riding in Cabo



  
            
Swimming with Manatees

                Surfing in San Diego 

 
                     San Diego Zoo



                  RVing and Riding

To celebrate our birthdays my friend Lindsey and I decided to take a day, just the two of us and head to Anna Maria Island to go paddleboarding. My friends Ben and Susan Webb own AMI Paddleboards so they totally set us up! They give guided tours, instruction, rentals, the whole nine yards! Plus, they are the most down to earth, genuine, kind people you could meet. 

We started with a breakfast of champions at Anna Maria Donuts! Let me tell you they were to die for and worth every flippin' calorie! They are fresh and made to order and we got 5 of them saying we will never be able to eat that many but, want to try a bunch. Oh yeah, we totally ate all of them! 



Then we headed to the beach and met up with AMI paddleboards who had our boards ready and waiting for us beachside. 

We paddled about 2.5 miles along the beach. We saw tarpon and dolphin along our paddle and just enjoyed being in the salt water. We eventually pulled our boards up on the beach and had lunch and cocktails at a tiki bar/restaurant right on the sand! After a few cocktails or liquid courage we decided we needed to take our paddle boarding to the next level and do yoga on our boards! 



We started to paddle back but not with out testing out our yoga skills and mostly dying of laughter! We have hilarious video of ourselves trying and failing at all sorts of moves! We need a little more practice I think or less liquid courage! Haha! Maybe both! 


We paddled our 2.5 miles back where AMI met us on the beach to pick up our paddleboards! Finally, we headed to Long Boat Key to do a little shopping! 


It was such a fun day and reminded us both that yes, we are moms with a lot of responsibility, but we also are so much more than that! One of the many things that we are is adventurers! We feel fully alive when we are doing something like this! We felt completely recharged! 

It is so easy to forget parts of yourself or get caught in the routine of life. You don't have to love the outdoors or water or even adventures like me but, I think it is so important to keep discovering what ever it is that makes you feel fully alive! The part of you that maybe you forgot because of life circumstances, hardships, responsibilities, or just growing up. Maybe it is just discovering a whole new part of yourself. A part that you never knew existed.

I have spent the last year learning what is feeding my soul and new fun adventures and travel are doing just that! This life is big and grand and full of fun and you better believe I want to experience as much as I can! I once heard that the only thing that can make you truly richer in this life are relationships and travel and I think I am a believer! Well, except bungee jumping...I don't know if I ever want to do that! I'll let my younger, way more brave brother do that! Oh wait he already did! At night! That is one bridge he couldn't talk me into jumping off of.


Much Adventure Love,

Lauren 






Friday, August 8, 2014

Kale Yeah!

So I have two salads that I have been making over and over again and my family and friends are loving them so I thought I would share!


Lemon Pecorino Kale Salad



Ingredients you'll need:

1 big bunch of Kale
1 shallot
4 tbsp of fresh squeezed lemon juice 
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp. champagne vinegar
4 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1 cup Pecorino cheese

To make this salad here is what you need to know:

Finely shave the kale avoiding the ribs and stems into a large bowl. The finer the better! Add the slivered almonds in the bowl as well. 

Then in a small separate bowl combine minced shallots, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Massage the kale and almonds with the dressing then add the cheese! I use a micro plane to shred the cheese finely. 


Any Pecorino will work! This is just the one I chose! 

The key I have learned is to get your hands messy and massage the salad! It softens the kale and blends the flavors really well! I hope you enjoy! 

I have another one that is great too! 


Kale, Apple, Walnut Salad



Here what you'll need:

1 big bunch of Kale leaves
1 apple
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted
3 to 4 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice 

You can use curly kale like I did on the one in the pic but, I like the Lacinato kale too. It pulls easily off the ribs making it super easy to ribbon. I alternate between the two!

Combine olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and salt in a separate bowl. 
Get your hands dirty again and massage the mixture into the kale leaves. 
Throw in apples, blue cheese and walnuts and toss. 

I love MayTag blue cheese for this salad. It is my favorite but it is really strong so I use a Danish blue as well that is a little softer, less intense. 



The nice thing about both of these salads is that they can keep in the fridge and taste even better the next day because the dressing softens the kale but doesn't make it soggy like a traditional salad! I usually make it as a side for dinner then throw leftovers into a mason jar and have it for lunch the next day with a protein! I don't eat much dairy but I love these two salads and the cheese definitely makes them so I can't give that up! I hope you love them as much as I do! 

Kale Love, 

Lauren 







Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Workout Around Town Series



I have always been physically active my whole life. When I was young I danced, was on swim team, played basketball, soccer, ran track, was a cheerleader. Then I started wake boarding and competed for 10 years.  I never thought too hard about what all the physical activity was doing for my mind and body. I just did it because I liked it. It was fun and pushing myself to be better was exciting to me! It was just my lifestyle. 

Then I got married, started coaching wake boarding, and had two kids back to back. I barely worked out during that time. For two years I was pregnant and teaching wake boarding so by the time I got out of the boat everyday I was too tired to put in a good workout for myself. I didn't realize what it was doing to my mind and body until after I had JD. I didn't realize what I was missing. 

That was when I decided I needed a gym membership. I had two kids under two years old and I had recently decided to go full blown stay at home mom status. I was struggling with how I looked, I was struggling being home all day with two kids. I needed adult interaction and I needed take care of myself. I also really needed to not feel guilty about it! 

 I started at one gym which was ok but they didn't have great kid care so I switched to my local YMCA because I had heard great things about their kid program and in particular there kid care director Tara. I also had some good friends that were members as well. So it seemed like a good fit. 

I started going everyday. The kids would go to their classes and I would go to mine. At our Y they have a new activity for the kids every 15 minutes like play dough, crafts, songs, etc. and they have cardio kids classes for them so I would work out guilt free knowing they were getting something out of that time as well. 

In the beginning I would check the kids in for one hour even though they allow you two hours. I was way out of shape and there was no way I could work out that long. One day, I was on my way to pick up the kids when my friend who has 8 children and runs marathons, she grabs me and says, where are you going?!? I tell her to  pick up the kids. She lets me know I have another hour left until I have to go get them. I was dripping sweat and exhausted and was like there is no way I can work out any longer. She hands me a magazine and says there is a comfy couch in the locker room go sit and read a magazine. "This is your time! You need this time. You will be a better mom! I promise you!" I took her advice, I mean I would be a fool to not to listen to the marathon mom of 8! Side note, her kids are mostly grown. Two of her kids have sweet babies of their own and she is a mom I totally respect and love. So I took her advice and made it part of my regular everyday! 

About that same time my friend Leah and I started working out together. We never really officially said it but we basically became workout partners. We started showing up together and holding each other accountable and have now for 4 years. 

 Leah and I show up most days. If we can't be there for some reason we text each other. We aren't perfect. Some days we work harder than others. We still indulge in margaritas, wine, and Donut King! Only Donut King sometimes, right Leah!! 

There have been days where one of us is going through something and we just walk next to each other on the treadmill and talk it out, encourage each other, be with each other in hard stuff. Parenting, marriage, illness, life is just hard sometimes.  We have laughed and cried together countless times in the middle of that gym! 

Our goal was originally to change our bodies, which has totally happened.  I think it has been so much more than that. We could go to a nicer, fancier gym but we have made really great relationships. 

It has changed now. I no longer check my kids into the kid care unless it is summer because they are now both in school in the mornings. Although I still go by and say hello to Ms. Tara. I feel like I wouldn't have survived the young years of my kids lives without her! She saved me so many days! I hope she knows what she does everyday really does change peoples lives for the better! My kids still run to hug her every time they see her and always ask if I think Ms. Tara misses them!! 

Leah and I take classes together and run. But we have friends we have made in those classes too!  We take a strength class, a high intensity interval class, and Zumba. We used to spin a lot and haven't as much recently. We have changed and adapted our workouts as we have changed or the schedules have changed but we haven't stopped showing up! 

I think the thing about working out is you have to find a workout you enjoy or someone you enjoy working out with. I think if you do that it can make all the difference and you are much more likely to stick in through! 

I feel the same way about working out as my husband does about tattoos. He says it is nice for someone to like or appreciate the art you put on your body but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter what they think because the tattoo is for you.  He says I love it and enjoy it so I don't really care if they like the tattoo or not. To me working out is similar. It is really admirable to run a marathon but if you hate every step and never want to run again after then was it really for you?!? At the end of the day, it is for you, so you need to really love and enjoy what you are doing regardless if anyone else does or not! If you want to prove to yourself you can run a marathon do it, but don't prove it to anyone else. 

 For me, I feel best in lots of areas of my life when I am moving in some way. Sometimes I get tired of working out indoors...so I have started surfing when I can, I run outside, or ride bikes with my kids outside.  You just gotta find what works for you. I don't think their is really a cookie cutter way to do it, this is just what has worked for me! 

So in light of that I thought it would be fun to give you a glimpse of the classes I usually take as well as check out different ways to workout around town and let you know what I thought of it. Let you know what to wear. What is the time investment? What is it gonna cost you?? Then you can decide for yourself if you wanna try it! 

I am calling it Workout Around Town! 

Stay posted!

Much Workout Love,
Lauren 






Thursday, May 8, 2014

Splurge vs. Save


There are tons of adorable slip on sneakers out there that are so perfect for summer! I keep seeing them everywhere. They are fun and casual to run around during the day in!

I was at Bloomingdales and fell in love with two Via Spiga pairs but I didn't fall in love with the price. $155

                   

                            


Then I found these at H&M for a fraction of the price. I gotta say,  you could have fooled me! $39



                     


 I think splurging on pieces that you know will last and will be staples in your wardrobe then I am all for it, splurge and you will love and get good wear out of them.

Fun shoes like this, I am all about the savings but still getting the look I want! Pretty good huh?!?


                


Enjoy!

Monday, April 28, 2014

Blueberry Picking


So we may have skipped school today to go blueberry picking!  I felt we needed a fun day, a reset, a break in the monotony of schedules, and the weekend just didn't feel long enough. I have to say it was absolutely 100% worth it! We woke up when we wanted, had breakfast and headed to Lake Catherine blueberry farm.

 We have been going and doing this for the past three years but this year the kids actually were really into picking. They were on the hunt for the biggest and bluest and every other one was "the best one so far!"




We came away with a great supply! 


We will freeze lots for smoothies and snacks and we will be making, many times over, a staple in our house, blueberry crisp! I found this amazing recipe from Shauna Niequist's book Bread and Wine.

 We eat it by itself a lot, but we also have it on top of our plain Greek yogurt in the morning or with a scoop of Greenwise vanilla organic ice cream for a special treat!!


I know lots of my friends have been hitting the farms so here is the crisp recipe. You can really use whatever your favorite fruit is or as we do, whatever is in season for the base. It is so simple and so good! Even Taylor knows how to make it!






Ingredients



4 cups blueberries 

Crisp topping:

1 cup old fashioned oats

½ cup pecans

½ cup almond meal (available at Publix, Whole Foods, health food stores, or made by putting almonds in food processor until fine, but before they turn to almond butter)

¼ cup maple syrup

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp salt

Instructions

Pour four cups fruit into 8×8 pan. Spread crisp topping over the fruit. Bake at 350 degrees 35-40 minutes, or longer if topping and fruit are frozen, until fruit is bubbling and topping is crisp and golden.

Serves 4
 

Much Blueberry Love, 

Lauren