Recent Reads

I had a reader request to share some recent books I have read.  Here are the most recent books I have read.  I really enjoyed all of them in different ways.  As Always I welcome any suggestions.  Next on my list is All The Light We Cannot See.

Luckiest Girl Alive \ This was such a good and kind of disturbing read.  It was a real page turner though.  It has been compared to Girl on a Train and Gone Girl because of the suspenseful writing and story line.

Food Rules \  I checked this out at the library on a whim and I really enjoyed it.  The pages are short so it is a super quick and easy read.  It has great tips about mindful eating.

Who Do You Love \ A beautiful real life love story about two characters that grow up with very different upbringings.  

All the Single Ladies \ Dorothea Benton Frank always writes such fun and easy books to read.  I love that they usually take place in The Lowcountry.  This is a book about the power friendship after 3 women bond together after the death of a good friend.

Summer Secrets \ I am pretty sure I have read every single Jane Green Book.  They never disappoint!  This one was no exception I think I read it in like 2 days.  

Room \ I am not quite finished with this one, but almost.  Wow is all I can say.   I started it thought it was a bit boring but now it haunts me thinking about it.

Clean Eats \ This is filled with so many "clean" recipes.  Many are shared from Dr. Junger celebrity clients like Gwyneth Paltrow and Cameron Diaz.  It is a great book if you want to re-set your eating habits or just add some healthy meals to your diet.

The Rumor \  The story of two women and their friendships.  One women is a writer who can't think of a subject for her new book until she starts writing about her friend's life and the changes happening in it.  

After You \ The Sequel to Me Before You.  I actually enjoyed this book more than Me Before You. It was a nice conclusion to Me Before You to be able to see where all the characters end up.

Me Before You \ The prequel to After You.  A story about a quadrapalegic and his life after his accident.  Including a care giver who comes in and tries to give new meaning to his life.

Saving Grace \  This is about a power couple who seemingly have everything and the perfect relationship but all is not as it seems.

Bon Appetit The Food Lovers Cleanse \ This is by far one of my favorite cookbooks I have purchased recently.  I am not doing the actual cleanse per se but I have incorporated many of the recipes into our weekly meals.  It is filled with beautiful photos and if you do want to do the cleanse it gives you a list of what to eat each day. I really recommend this cookbook if you are trying to cook more healthy meals and all the recipes I have made have been delicious.  So filling and full of flavor.

A few new children's books we are loving too

Rosie Revere, Engineer and Iggy Peck Architect
The kids love these two books.  They are so well written and such wonderful stories about following your passions.

Dragons Love Tacos \ We read this every taco night, the kid's adore it and we do too.

The Circus Ship \ My sister in law gave Frances this for her birthday and it has quickly become a favorite book.  Such a great story with beautiful illustrations.

Kid Favorites

There are some super adorable kid's clothes right now.  I rounded up a few of my favorites.

FOR THE GIRLS

Geo Print Dress | Horse Bathing Suit | Dinosaur Dress | Little Luxe Heart Necklace | Peek Embroidered Blouse | Chambray Eyelet Blouse | Chambray Eyelet Shorts | Little Luxe Star Necklace | Alegra and Luca Tunic | Love Tee |  Heart Dress | Navy Dress | Hello Purse | Bunny Flats
| Lace up Flats | D'Orsay Flats | Tie Dye Blouse | Ruffle Blouse


FOR THE BOYS

Puma Jacket | Dinosaur Sweatshirt | Sunglasses Shorts | Shark Tee
Guitar Shorts | Shark swimsuit | Stripe Jacket | Tea Pjs (40% off)
Shark Rain boots | Shark Shoes | Bulls Eye Tee | Skinny Khackis| Dip dye Pants

I also wanted to share the cutest bags from Pottery Barn Kids.  I was helping my sister try and find a diaper bag and came across these at Pottery Barn.  They are so cute and such a great deal.  Perfect for any of you new moms.
Black Harper Tote on sale for $29.99

Stripe Classic Diaper Bag was $169 now $69
This is the style my sister is getting.  They all make great totes for travel purposes as well.

Champagne Luxe Diaper Bag was $149 now $69

Leather Tote was $199 now $78

Mini Greek Salad Bites + 18 Other Ideas for Super Bowl Appetizers

I love appetizers.  Like really love them, I could easily be content with that being my meal.  I have a fun new (and easy) app to share with you today plus a round of of some of my other favorite apps that would be perfect for Super Bowl Sunday next week- GO PANTHERS!

You may notice many are dips and many contain bacon.  It just so happens dips and bacon are two of my favorite things.  If you click on the recipe name it will take you back to the original recipe post.  for some of the other easy recipes I just listed the ingredients below the pictures.  Going back through all my appetizer recipes made me realize how many of these I need to make again.  They are all so darn good.

I love Greek Salad and I eat it several times a week, so I tried to rack my brain and think of an appetizer I could make that had similar flavors.   Behold the Mini Greek Salad Bites.  They are easy to assemble, require no baking, and are super tasty. The mini phyllo cups can be found in the freezer section.  The creamy hummus and tangy tzatziki paired with the crunchy chopped Greek salad topping make for an amazing flavor combination.  

Enjoy!

G R E E K  S A L A D  B I T E S

- handful diced cherry tomatoes

- 1 baby cucumber diced

- 2 green onions sliced

- 1/2 orange bell pepper diced

2 oz Feta crumbled (I like to buy the block kind and chop it, it tastes better)

- red wine vinegar

- plain hummus

-Tzatziki 

- Mini Phyllo cups

Remove Phyllo cups from freezer and let thaw.  This doesn't take too long maybe 10-15 minutes. 

In a bowl combine cherry tomatoes and next 4 ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with red wine vinegar.  

Take a phyllo cup and place a spoonful of hummus on the bottom, then a spoonful of tzatziki and then a spoonful of the Greek salad mix.  I found using a kid sized spoon made this easy since the cups are tiny.  Assemble on platter and enjoy!

S U P R E M E   P I Z Z A  D I P 

S P I N A C H  A R T I C H O K E   W O N T O N S

L O A D E D  Q U E S O   F U N D I D O  D I P

P I M E N T O  C H E E S E  B A C O N  B A L L S

L O A D E D   P O T A T O  D I P

P A R M E S A N  K A L E  C H I P S

S H R I M P  N A C H O S + P I N E A P P L E  A V O C A D O   S A L S A

7  L A Y E R  M E X I C A N  D I P

7 LAYER MEXICAN DIP

Layer one | Refried Beans 

Layer Two | Guacamole

Layer Three | 16 oz sour cream mixed with taco seasoning (I use our homemade kind but you can use a packet as well)

Layer Four | Shredded Cheese ( I grate my own and use Cracker Barrel Sharp White Cheddar)

Layer Five | Diced Tomatoes

Layer Six | Sliced Black Olives

Layer Seven | chopped green onions

 B A C O N  W R A P P E D  S T U F F E D   D A T E S

3 ingredients : Dates + Gruyere + Bacon.  Stuff the dates with the cheese and wrap with bacon and bake at 350 degrees about 10-15 minutes until cheese melts and bacon is crispy.

C O B B  S A L A D  D I P

K A L E + B A C O N   D I P

B L A C K  B E A N  L A Y E R  D I P 

5 ingredient app

Layer Cream Cheese | Onion Relish ( I actually used a local apricot jalapeno jelly that was awesome) | Black Beans | Crumbled Bacon | Chives

Serve with crackers

2  C  H E E S E  L O A D E D  V E G G I E   N A C H O S

S R I R I A C H A   R O A S T E D  C A U L I F L O W E R 

+ P E A N U T  B U T T E R   D I P P I N G  S A U C E

B A C O N  C O R N  D I P 

M A R I N A T E D  C H E E S E

A N T I P A S T O   K A B O B S

and last but not least you can never go wrong with a good ole cheese and meat plate.  Always a favorite of mine.

All this food is making me hungry and getting excited about the big game! 

Valentine's Day Obsessions

With Valentine's Day right around the corner I wanted to share a few gift ideas to either treat yourself or send this list to your main squeeze for gift ideas:)

Clover Canyon Blouse

I have to start with this blouse I recently bought.  I just loved the color palette and the flirty style.  It would be perfect to wear out for a Valentine's Date. Fun fact Matt and I had our first date on Valentine's Day 15 years ago.  Total cheeseball to have our first date on Valentine's day but hey it worked out:) 

For sizing reference I am wearing a small in the blouse | Necklace is Twine and Twig

|| TopShop Embroiered Heart Sweater

This sweater is super adorable.  Perfect for Valentine's Day.

Kate Spade Red Heart Earrings

+ Pink Heart Earrings

I think these earrings are so sweet and they won't break the bank they are under $50!

Peixoto Pink One Piece

Such a sexy one piece and I love the color.

Joie Sarita Blouse

The perfect shade of pink in a great style. I am actually contemplating this for myself:)

Sundress Maxi Cover-up

This is one of the best selling cover-ups everywhere and the longer version is on sale now 30% off in the black/turquoise combo!  I have the short version in the white pink combo and love it.

I also love this pink color that just came out.

Aurelie Bidermann Necklace

The hot pink makes for a fun addition to this necklace.  It can also be worn as a wrap bracelet so extra bonus! I picture it layered with shorter gold necklaces.

Betsy Johnson Plush Robe

This robe looks so incredibly soft and I love the cute print on it!  It also comes in black and hot pink as well.

Kate Spade Heart Crossbody Purse

I mean how adorable is this heart purse??  It also comes in red but I am partial to the black.

T Marie Tassel Earrings

I love T Marie jewelry!! I own two pairs of these tassel earrings and wear them often.  These pink ones are 50% OFF!

Gigi New York Uber Clutch

This clutch just came out in this gorgeous blush color.  I carry mine all the time.  I really like the blush because it is such a great neutral color that would go with any outfit.

Diptyque Roses Candle

These candles smell amazing!!  I love the Rose and Baies scents.

PJ Salvage Heart Night Gown

PJ Salvage jammies are the best!  They are always so comfy and soft. 

Ivanka Trump D'Orsay Pumps

I am totally obsessed with these.  The pink is fun for a pop of color but they also come in several other colors.  I like the idea of the tan ones.

Heart Jewelry Tray

I love the idea of sitting this tray on your bedside table  or desk to stash jewelry.  It is only $14 too:)

Heart Coffee Mug

Because everyone likes a cute coffee mug

 Julie Vos Greek Cocktail Ring In Rose Quartz

I have this ring in the labradorite color and I can't tell you how often I wear it and I always get compliments when I do.  It is such a fantastic cocktail ring.