Saturdays Steals and Splurges

Happy Saturday Friends. It is freaking freezing here although I know it is way worse up North but still for Charleston this is cold!  I have a feeling this will be an indoors kind of weekend!
Get ready I found some amazing deals for you today!

JCrew is having a major sale right now.  Alot of their sale stuff is an additional 50% off.  They are basically giving things away.  I tried on this top yesterday and love it.  Such a great piece you could wear for work or play.  It would look great with a blazer over it for work or with a fun statement necklace for a night out.  It was $110 and now down to $35!  Runs pretty true to size I am wearing a 4.

||TIPPED SILK TEE IN WINDOWPANE || 

it is also available in this Diamond Tile print for a whopping $25.

Use code BYEWINTER for discount

 I also tried on this sweater which I love.  It has such a fun vintage feel to it.  It is also additional 50% off.  It was $118 done to $30!  Now is the time to buy sweaters to save for next year at these prices and heck start wearing them now its still so cold!!
|| TRIPLE-TIPPED SWEATER ||

Saks is still running a great sale with up to almost 70% off.

Looking for the perfect white blouse?  This Vince Blouse is on sale right now for a major steal.  I own it in eggplant and love it.  Tempted to buy the white too.

||VINCE STRETCH SILK BLOUSE ||

 Loving this Joie Dress too that is on major sale!!  Perfect for a wedding or would be cute with flat sandals come Summer.

||BERNADINE DRESS ||

This black agate necklace from Shop Poppy Style is a major steal for $60.  I am obsessed with mine it goes with everything!
You can get one and use code DBDD to get 15 % off your order plus free shipping:)  I am telling you this necklace is awesome even prettier in person.

I am wearing the necklace with my JCrew swing sweater which I love ( I own 4) the navy is still in stock estimated ship date early Feb, get it while you can.
||POPPY AGATE NECKLACE ||

 and for the littles how cute is this heart bathing suit??  Use code DEALFORU to get additional 40% off bringing this suit to a grand total of $14!

||HEART FLUTTER ONE PIECE ||

Neiman Marcus is having their home event and all home stuff regular and sale priced is 30% off .  The green malachite plates I want are on sale even more- still a splurge but they are
almost half off now.
|| MALACHITE DESSERT PLATES ||

I am seriously considering these 6 mini decanters.  They were originally $85 now down to $31.  They would be great for serving wine, for water beside the bed, or to store mouth wash in your bathroom.  You could even split the 6 up and use them as gifts paired with a bottle of wine.  You can shop the whole Neiman Marcus Home event HERE.
|| SIX MINI CARAFES ||

 How fun are these monogrammed stir sticks?  A super cute hostess gift or a stock the bar party gift.  I am tempted to buy a set just to set out on bar in my silver mint julep cup.  Bar styling at its finest.   Also part of the Neiman Marcus Home Sale but order fast the sale ends tonight at midnight
|| MONOGRAMMED STIR STICKS ||

This candle is a bit of a splurge but I swear it is one of the best smelling candles I have ever lit.  My favorite Nest scent so far!  I am always burning ours and our house smells so fresh!

|| NEST BAMBOO CANDLE ||

Mealtime How I Do It + Favorite Easy Meals

One of the number one questions I get is, how do you have the time to cook for your family and does Sterling eat what you cook. Here is the low down. 

Cooking is my passion, it makes me happy, so I make time for it in my life.  I most certainly do not cook every night but I would say 2-3 nights a week I try and whip up something tasty.  On the weekends we usually order pizza one night and then Matt helps cook something the other night, usually grilling out etc.   My happy place is in the kitchen whipping up something delicious and sipping a glass of wine.  Its how I unwind plus it gives me sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when I create a really awesome meal.

GROCERY SHOPPING AND MEAL PLANNING

 I am lucky because Sterling is in school everyday from 9:45-12:45.  Usually after I drop him off I take Frances and we head to the grocery store.  I still have not mastered the whole meal planning thing and truth be told I actually enjoy going to the grocery store.  It gets me out of the house and I love browsing.  We go almost everyday depending on what I need for our meal that night.  This week I actually cooked all four nights, but that was rare.   Usually I don't cook that many nights in a row but I was bringing a friend food who had a baby so I doubled it for us.

On the menu this week:
Monday- Gwyneth's Siriachia Lime Salmon + Quinoa, Mushrooms and Arugula + Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpeas
Tuesday- Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs + Arugula Salad
Wednesday- Ground Beef Tacos
Thursday- Simple Baked Lasagna + Arugula Salad

You may wonder about leftovers.  If there is any type of meat leftovers Matt takes them for his lunch the next day. He eats lunch in his office everyday and welcomes the leftovers.  The salad stuff I eat, for example I had the quinoa and roasted cauliflower the next two days for lunch.  I also usually always make a batch of Tuscan Kale Salads for my lunch during the week.  If you need a quick easy salad we just toss arugula with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.  Then we add fresh Parmesan.  It is a simple light salad we make often.

WHAT DOES STERLING EAT
As for Sterling, I do not cook him separate meals any more,  and yes he is a picky eater.  That being said on the nights I don't cook sometimes he will eat chicken nuggets, cereal, or whatever I have in the freezer.  We try every night to sit down together as a family.  This is hard because Matt doesn't get home til about 7 or later most nights. We usually wait and eat with him unless he is going to be later than 7:30.  I think family meals are are so incredibly important.   It is a time where we all sit down with no interruptions and I think as Sterling and Frances get older these dinners will be even more important.  Sterling must take one bite of everything on his plate,  after that if he doesn't like it he doesn't have to eat it,  but he is not getting anything different to eat.  If he eats well he gets to choose a dessert.  There are many nights he takes two bites of something tells us he hates it and goes to bed hungry.  Eating is a struggle but I do feel like slowly this approach is working as he is starting to eat more things than he used to.  I give him a multi-vitamin and probiotic everyday to help with nutrients.

WHEN I COOK
I wish Matt had one of those jobs where he got home at 5-5:30 and could help with the kids while I cook but that is not the case.  I am in charge of dinner and bath which can be tricky (not to mention exhausting).  I usually try and make meals that can be prepped early and then just popped into the oven or stove.  Luckily for me Sterling still naps most days and if he doesn't he still has to sit in his room quietly and play with the ipad or read.  Most of the time nap time is when I get down to business.  I do laundry, get our meal started, straighten the house, and work on my blog.  I cram alot into 2-3 hours.  The morning time when he is at school is usually spent running errands and hopefully soon working out again!   While Sterling naps I will get dinner at least started and do most of the prep work so when he wakes I can spend some time with him,    Around 6 I will start to finish up our meal.  This is when I allow Sterling to turn on the TV and watch a show or two while I finish up dinner (and drink a big ole glass of wine). I usually put Frances in her swing during this time.  While dinner is cooking we will go do a quick bath although lately Sterling has been showering in the mornings with one of us which opens up some time in the evening.  This way since Matt gets home later, when he gets home dinner is ready so we can sit down and eat and the kids are ready for bed.


EASY MEALS
I wanted to highlight a few of our favorite go to meals.  They are all relatively easy to prepare in advance or quickly.   I try and make at least one new recipe a week for blog purposes and because I love testing new things but these are tried and true favorites!

|| MEXICAN RICE BOWLS ||
You can precook your rice and have all the toppings pre-diced so all you have to do at dinner is cook the meat or you can go totally vegetarian and leave off the meat.

|| SPICY BLACK BEAN, GREEN CHILE + MANCHEGO ENCHILADAS ||
You can assemble this whole dish pretty quickly since nothing has to be cooked.  I assemble at nap time then just pop in oven to cook.

|| ROASTED SALMON WITH TOMATO BASIL RELISH ||
All you have to do for this is pre- make the relish, it is better the longer it sits anyways.  Then just cook your salmon.  Under a 20 min meal.  Sterling loves salmon or as he calls it pink fish- although we serve his without the relish.

|| CHOPPED GREEK SALAD WITH SHRIMP ||
Such a quick easy salad and the shrimp only take 5 mins to cook.

|| VEGGIE RANCH PIZZA ||
You can pre-chop all the veggies and then just assemble at dinner time.  Sterling loves this pizza, it is one of the only ways I can get him to eat broccoli and cauliflower.

 || SLOPPY JOES ||
These really only take 30 mins max to whip together,  best sloppy joes ever.  We serve with box mac and cheese for an easy weeknight dinner.

|| SIMPLE BAKED LASANGA ||
I actually just made this this week for my friend who had the baby.  As far as lasagnas go it is fairly quick to whip together because you use no bake noodles and only make one sauce and it is so good.  This can be made at nap time and just popped in the oven.

|| CHOPPED MEXICAN SALAD ||
Another easy salad you can per-assemble and put in fridge like this and then just toss together and add meat at dinner time.

|| BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ARUGULA + BACON QUICHE ||
I love any variation of a quiche they are always a quick dinner and one that Sterling will eat too.

I would love to know any favorite weeknight meals you have!
Have a fabulous weekend.
xoxo

Thoughts For Thursday

It's Thursday only one more day til the weekend!! We have a birthday party and plans to grill some burgers!! 

I keep forgetting to share this awesome Rebecca Taylor shirt I got for Christmas. I saw it online on major sale (like under $100 unheard of for Rebecca Taylor) and had to share!  Also available Here in a different pattern.

|| Rebecca Taylor Kaleidoscope Print Silk Tee ||

 Have you seen the Paddington Bear line out for Baby Gap?  It is so cute!

A few of my baby girl favorites, the boy stuff is pretty darn cute too.  The red embroidered dress is on its way to Frances Moon, could not resist.
ROMPER | TULIP DRESS | PONCHO | EMBROIDERED DRESS | SWEATSHIRT DRESS

Do yourself a favor and please go buy these Ghirardelli Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree chocolates.  They are so good.  The Intense Dark Toffee is also incredible.

I just finished reading the book Brain on Fire.  It was a crazy interesting read about this New York Journalist Suzanne Cahalan,  who suddenly finds herself physically and mentally ill and no doctors can figure out what is wrong with her.  I am still thinking about it.

I can't get this Marysis swimsuit out of my head.  You all know my goal to treat myself to one nice swimsuit after I lose the baby weight.  I think this string bikini may be the one.
I really like this strapless one alot but I am just not sure how a bandeau top is gonna work with my mom boobs if you know what I mean.  I think I may need the support from a string bikini to lift the girls.
||MARYSIA NOLITA STRING BIKINI || ANTIBES SCALLOPED BIKINI

How cute will they look with Frances's mini bathing suit?

Our annual Blurb Book came in the mail this week and I am so in love with it.  Every year in January I make a soft cover book with all our instagram pictures since I never print them.  I just love looking back at them all!

I have been on a major health kick wanting to shed the last of my baby weight which aint creeping.   This Quinoa Chopped Veggie Salad that was on Camille Styles is next on my list to make, how gorgeous is it?

Lastly has anyone watched Rich Kids of Beverly Hills??  Its so embarrassing but of course it sucked me in last night.  All the stuff they said just made me cringe, their parents must be so proud.

The other night as I rocked Frances to sleep, this quote came to mind.  It is so beautifully true it was a perfect moment- that I of course tried to capture:)

Turkey, Kale + Brown Rice Soup

It looks like we are getting even more cold weather this week- hello spring where are you??  This is the perfect soup to eat on a chilly night.   I found this recipe in Giada's new Cookbook,  Feel Good Food, and it was awesome.  It is fairly simple and easy to make so I wasn't sure how much flavor it would have but trust me it was awesome.  We all loved it- for some odd reason Sterling loves soups so it is a way for me to get him to eat a few veggies.  Serve with some crusty bread, a big old glass of red wine and you have the perfect cold night dinner.

|| T U R K E Y,  K A L E +  B R O W N   R I C E  S O U P ||

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 large shallots, chopped
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
8 ounces ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence ( I didn't have this so I used fennel seeds, basil, and oregano)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice, drained
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots and bell pepper and saute, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat turns white and begins to color very slightly around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbes de Provence and stir, 1 minute. Add 4 cups broth, tomatoes and rice. Bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and Parmesan, if using, and serve.

Obsessions

|| TIBI BONDED TECHY DRESS ||

I spied this dress in Hampden Clothing months ago and always wished I had bought it but it sold out fast.   It is the most stunning blue color in person. Now Tibi is running an amazing sale where you get an additional 30% off all sale stuff with code WINTERSAVINGS.  There are some awesome deals you can shop here.

This dress is also pretty amazing and a major steal.

|| TORTOISE CUFF ||

I am all over tortoise for this summer, can't get enough of it.  Love this bracelet, something you could toss on and wear everyday!

|| EBERJEY LOUNGE PANTS || 

Totally in love with these cute lounge pants by Eberjey. I love their pjs they are the softest most comfortable things ever.

|| THEORY GYDA BLOUSE ||

This is the perfect staple blouse for your closet.  You can wear it alone, under a jacket, dress it up or down, the possibilities are endless.  I would wear mine with skinny jeans and fun shoes.  It is on major sale down from $225 to $80.

 

 || WILT SLOUCH BF TEE||

I am forever on the lookout for awesome tee shirts.  Just found this line Wilt and love it.  Yes it is expensive for a tee but sometimes I find it is better to spend a bit more when you will be wearing it all the time.  I love to pair a cute loose tee with skinny jeans or my jean shorts.  Its my uniform most days. I even like cute tees to wear with my lululemon pants for days when I am not working out but I dress like it- you know we all do that!  It comes in black too.

|| VINCE CASIA MULES ||

I spied these shoes in a magazine and have been obsessed ever since.  The perfect neutral sandal to go with everything this summer.  Sadly they don't have my size, but somebody should buy these!

|| GAP KIDS CHAMBRAY QUILTED JACKET ||

Gap has had the best kids stuff lately.  How adorable is this chambray jacket??  Really love all 5 pieces featured below- shop here.

||PIPILA PORTABLE UV PACIFIER STERILIZER ||

It is so funny because Sterling never took a pacifier but Frances loves them.  This pacy sterilizer is awesome.  You can toss it in your purse, leave it at home wherever you need it most.  You pop the pacy in close the lid and UV light completely sterilizes the pacy in only 3 minutes.  Such a genius invention.  A great gift for any new mom.  I have been using mine non-stop.

|| RAQUEL ALLEGRA T SHIRT DRESS ||

I love finding dresses that are easy to run around town in and chase my kids in.  T shirt dresses are my favorite.  Adore the color and cut of this one, it would be such a great staple to add to your closet.

|| YOSI SAMRA BALLET FLATS ||

These look just like the TB Caroline ballet flats but for a 1/3 the price.  I heard they are also super comfortable.