Friday Favorites Link Up – The Bachelor Edition

It’s Friday again, woo hoo! I’m linking up with the ladies of A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog, and Momfessionals.

And today through the link up I found other ladies who also host their own link up. So today for the first time I’m joining 5 of Friday with A.Liz Adventures, Carolina Charm, Hello! Happiness, and The Good Life Blog.

 

To keep the link up party going, I’m also joining The Farmer’s Wife and September Farm today as well!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I watch the Bachelor and the Bachelorette and I’ve read their books (Trista Sutter‘s book that I haven’t blogged about yet, Sean Lowe’s For the Right Reasons, and Courtney Robertson’s I Didn’t Come Here to Make Friends).

So I love all things Bachelor. I love that Jimmy Kimmel talks about it so much, and was on the show this season. This is an old video but I love that he did the baby Bachelor with his nephew and I love that Des was a good sport and played along.

I wasn’t planning on making this a Bachelor edition of Friday Favorites, but I might as well go with it. If you are watching this season of the Bachelor with Chris, then you will know that Whitney is one of the last three girls that are left. She is by far my favorite girl on the show, and for Chris.

I think they’re a great match. She seems level headed, sincere, and honest about wanting to be with Chris and being open to move to small town Arlington, Iowa. They look great together and I hope they end up together and can make it long term (because so many couple obviously don’t make it in the real world). I don’t read the spoilers and I don’t know who he picks but I hope it’s Whit!

If you guys are watching this season, who do you like? Kaitylnn, Becca, or Whitney? Also who would you like to be the Bachelorette? I think Kaitlynn would be really fun. She’s great but I don’t see her with Chris. And Becca is so sweet but I feel like she’s a little young and innocent for Chris. 

And lastly, I want to highlight the blogs and recaps that I love reading each week.

• Chris, the bachelor himself, blogs each week at People.com
• Chris Harrison blogs at Entertainment Weekly
• Sharleen from Juan Pablo’s season has her website where she blogs her recaps

• Shaeffer from Pinterest Told Me To has a hilarious recap each week
• Desiree Hartsock, a past Bachelorette, blogs on her website

• It’s not a blog but each week Jason and Molly Mesnick do a podcast on their website Gossip and Reality and I love getting their perspective since they’ve been through it together

I know I read a lot of recaps, but are there any more that I’m missing and should be reading?

 

I like to follow past Bachelor and Bachelorette contestants and leads from the show on social media and I love seeing what they are up to after being on TV. It’s fun to see all the Bachelor babies. Here are a few of my favorites.

Riley Mesnick

Addison Stagliano

Fordham Rosenbaum

Ava and Beckett Strickland 

Max and Blakesley Sutter

And lastly I want to say how cool I think it is that Dana from the Possesstionista website finds the clothes and accessories that the contestants on the show wear. Because sometimes things are so cute you just want to know where it’s from!

Have a lovely weekend everyone! See you all Monday!

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Friday Favorites – February 6th Edition

Friday, Friday, Friday! It’s the weekend again, and time for Friday Favorites. I’m linking up with A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog, and Momfessionals. In case you missed it, yesterday I interviewed Erika from A Little Bit of Everything Blog, and she is one of my very favorite bloggers!

This week I finished reading Sean Lowe‘s book For the Right Reasons that just came out at the end of January. I will be reviewing it on Tuesday of next week so come back for that! It was my favorite book I read this week (I’ve been on a reading streak. I read three books alone this week and I’ll be blogging about each of them in the coming weeks, each Tuesday.) If you’re a fan of the show you will love this book and the behind the scenes peek he gives of the show.

So back in September my brother and his girlfriend got a puppy and they named him Stitch. He is the sweetest little puppy. He was the most adorable puppy and looked fake – he was that cute! Everywhere we took him people stopped us because they wanted to pet him and play with him. Here he is when we took him to the park for the first time ever.

And here he is a few days ago at 6 months. He now weighs about 11 or 12 pounds and do do a whole lot of tricks. he knows sit, down, roll over, paw, high five, double high five, and he can play dead when you say bang. And he’s working on spinning around and closing doors. He is full of energy and doesn’t mind when I hold him like a baby 🙂

Lastly for this week, I want to share with you my favorite volunteer website. I use Volunteer Match to find organizations I care about and can help out with in my area. It’s a super easy website to use and I’ve used it in two different areas of California. it’s a nationwide side so you can use it wherever you are. I’m a big advocate for volunteering and helping others and this website makes it easy!

Interview Series Featuring Erika, from A Little Bit of Everything Blog

Today on the blog, I’m featuring Erika from A Little Bit of Everything Blog. She is so sweet and down to earth. She blogs about her adorable family, her life in Texas, fashion, and other fun things. She’s one of my favorite bloggers, and I’ve been a loyal reader for years, and wanted to share her with all of you! Without further ado:

Hi!!  I’m Erika, a Christian, a wife, mama to three, a planner by heart, Rodan and Fields’ consultant, a lover of all things girly, and I blog over at A Little Bit of Everything!  Feel free to invite me to go shopping or get a pedicure ANY time!  🙂  I was so excited when Julie asked me to share with you guys today.  I am by no means an expert on any of these things, but I love sharing what works for me.

I started blogging in 2008!  I had several friends who had blogs and they encouraged me to do it.  That was pre-kids, so I hardly EVER blogged.  I remember them giving me a hard time about never posting and my response was always, “Do you want me to take pictures of Tab and I watching television every night?”.  hahaha!  Once I had kids it was the perfect way for my family who lives far away to stay updated.  Recently I shifted to include a more “lifestyle” approach.  I’m loving having my own little space to share “a little bit of everything”.

I love the friendships you make just through blogging.  That has definitely been my favorite part!

Absolutely!!  I do share some personal things, but I not to have TMI via the blog.  🙂

Link-ups are your friends!!  I began linking up any chance I got.  You can do giveaways as well.  They’re a great way to reach more people.  And…keep it up!  It can take a lot of time to grow a blog.

 

I’m sure people told me this, but I probably wasn’t paying attention….it’s HARD!  I had tons of friends who were good at their job and made it look so easy!

The simple moments are definitely the most rewarding….like us all playing a board game at night and everyone is laughing (and getting along..ha!).  The most challenging part is teaching them EVERYTHING!  haha!  Seriously…it’s a little stressful thinking about every little thing you have to remember to teach them.

 

I can’t think of anything, but I’m sure I do a lot of things my mom did.

I always wanted three kids.  My grandparents had three girls and at holidays their house was always full of people during the holidays.  I just always imagined having three.

We both have the same values and beliefs.  Our marriage is based on our faith.  We both spend time in prayer and in the word daily.  I can’t imagine how hard it would be to “do life” with someone who didn’t have the same faith as me.

I love the beach OR maybe I should say I love a warm climate with a view of the beach and a nice lounge chair by the pool.  🙂

The Real Housewives of ANYWHERE!

I want to travel a lot more and see many places??  That’s not a fabulous item for a bucket list!  hahaha!  I don’t have anything crazy on my list!

So many things make me happy!!  I’m going to go for super simple in my list…

1.  A quiet bubble bath at the end of a long night

2.  Board games with my kiddos

3. Chips and salsa

4. Family Getaways

5. Hearing my kiddos sing a worship song

Julie…thank you SO much for having me!!

Thank YOU Erika for stopping by and sharing your life with us! Be sure to follow her on her blog and instagram.

Friday Favorites Link Up Randoms

Happy Friday friends! Today I’m linking up with the ladies over at A Little Bit Of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog. and Momfessionals, for Friday Favorites. Today I have some randomness to share with you all.

Are you all getting pumped for the Super Bowl this weekend?! I need to start looking up some fun game day snacks. What are you all making?

Here are my favorite things at the moment:

A few months ago Shay from Mix and Match Family did a post on cross body bags and lately I’ve been on the hunt for a good one. I’ve found two I’ve got my eye on.

This one from Target and is $20 and comes in blue, red, brown, and black and white stripes.

And this one from Forever 21 (yes I still shop there occasionally and I am no longer 21), and is $22.90 and also comes in brown.

Women’s Health Training Guide 2015. With the new year we could all use a little motivation to work out and this is what I’m currently reading, along with all the other cooking magazines I bought recently. I’m in love with this pink and striped scarf from Target, and it’s only $9.99. I need to buy this immediately! But of course it’s currently out of stock online and not sold in stores!

A few months ago I read Jessica Alba’s book, entitled The Honest Life. She talks about being green, going organic, and using products that are safe with nontoxic ingredients.

She started her own company, The Honest Co. that offers a ton of products from diapers, sunscreen, shampoo and conditioner, lip balm, dish soap, laundry detergent, etc. I’m currently using and loving the shampoo + body wash combo, conditioner, toothpaste, and organic healing balm.

And if you’re unsure about going all in and buying full products, I’d suggest buying the discovery set, which is travel size samples of 5 products and it’s $13.95. That’s what I did and now I’m a big fan!

I just want to say that I am not sponsored by any of these companies and these are all of my own opinions. But if you want to sponsor me or know the right people send them my way ;).

Have a great weekend everyone! And go Seahawks!

Monthly Bucket List Link Up!

One of my favorite bloggers Erika, over at A Little Bit of Everything Blog, is hosting a link up today for a Monthly Bucket List. She is partnering up with Emily from They Call Me Mama. I thought this is such a good and fun idea! Also next week on Thursday Erika is the feature for my interview series, be sure to come back for it!

 

So last year I tried to do my own happiness project where each month I focused on just a few goals, as opposed to goals for the entire year. But as it usually goes, I did good for the first few months, then it fell away towards the end of the year. I did pick up some good habits from it though that I still do today, but I definitely need to be more on top of it all this year. So this monthly bucket list is a perfect way to get me back on track and remind me what I need to be working on!

1) Journal every few days. I love writing (which is one of the reasons why I love blogging.) I’ve kept a journal since high school, so over ten years ago! (My 10 year reunion is this coming summer, eek!) I love writing down memories to look back on later. It’s so easy to forget the little things that happen everyday.

This March my boyfriend and I will have been together for 9 years and it’s really cool to read my thoughts about him and our friendship before we started dating!

When I read old journal entries it takes me right back to that moment. I would like to say that I should write everyday but it’s just not realistic for me, so I’ll have to settle for every few days.

2) Wake Up and Make it Happen! So I found this little workout on Pinterest a few months ago. For a little while my boyfriend and I were doing this everyday and it felt really good. We are going to get back on this plan starting February! Feel free to join us 🙂

 

3) Eating Better. I recently went to Target and bought a bunch of cooking magazines. I struggle with meal planning because it takes a lot of effort. I like quick, easy, healthy meals. So I needed some inspiration. I like cook books but sometimes I feel like magazines are a little more updated. So this month I’m really going to focus on what I’m eating and make conscious decisions.

Here are three that I bought:

 

 

 

4) California/Out West Bucket List. Lastly for this month, I want to create a bucket list for activities to do and things to see. Come October my boyfriend and I are planning a move out of California, to possibly Boulder or Seatttle. So we want to make sure we take advantage of where we are living now and not regret not doing things once we move.

A few things on our list currently are: Potato Chip Rock Hike, Spending time in San Diego, Camping in Death Valley, Seeing Crater Lake in Oregon, Visiting Cannon Beach in Oregon, and taking a road trip from LA to Seattle. I’ll be sure to do a post on all those activities once I have an official list and we will take you along with us on our adventures!

(This picture comes from my friends over at Relay Rides, with a complete guide to Portland.  I did a guide to my beloved Santa Monica, California with Relay Rides a few months ago.)

I’d love to hear about all your goals for the year and the next month more specifically! And also Link Up with Erika to share your lists! Happy Middle of the Week Wednesday!

Friday Favorites: City Love

Hello there Friday! How are you all doing? Are you as ready for the weekend as I am?

I am continuing to link up for Friday Favorites with the lovely ladies of A Little Big of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog, and Momfessionals. 

Today I’m showing some of my favorite city posters. Chicago is my hometown and will always be home for me. It makes me very nostalgic and sentimental every time I think about it. When my boyfriend I first moved to LA, my best friend bought us a Chicago poster with the famous landmarks and buildings.

New York is such a a large city and is so iconic. It’s in so many movies and tv shows. Having visited NYC for the first time last year, it really did live up to and exceed my expectations. It’s got a real energy there and is so fast paced.

San Fran’s Golden Gate Bridge is another famous landmark that I love. San Fran is such a great city and is so unique. The steep hills, Alcatraz, the hikes, the weather, etc. It’s all so great.

City Love by sayyestohappy featuring a chicago poster

TATTLY I Heart Sparkles temporary tattoo
$6.64 – selfridges.com

Red wall art
urbanoutfitters.com

Framing poster
lampsplus.com

New york city poster
lampsplus.com

Chicago poster
lampsplus.com

Friday Favorites : My Favorite Quotes

 

It’s Friday ya’ll and that means linking up to Friday Favorites with the ladies of A Little Bit of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog, and Momfessionals. I love a good quote, one that inspires and motivates me. Here are a few of my faves and I’d love to hear some of yours.  

 

Being brave is a favorite topic of mine. Life is all about taking risks, stepping outside of your comfort zone, and doing things that scare you and make you uncomfortable. You learn so much by doing things you didn’t think you could do. Failure is an as important of a lesson as success is. You can’t be afraid to fail and let that stop you from trying.

 

Life goes by so fast. The days are long but the years are short (which is another one of my favorite quotes by The Happiness Project author, Gretchen Rubin.) Bucket Lists are super popular these days, with people making life long goals and living life to the fullest. I absolutely love this quote, it’s a great reminder to do what you want and do it now!

 

As simple as this quote is, it really speaks to me. (It also happens to be the name of my wifi network at my apartment). So it’s something that my boyfriend and I live by. We love to get outdoors and do things. We love to hike, bike, rock climb, surf, walk, run, play tennis, swim, camp, travel, go off roading, paddle board, kayak, etc. Being outside is so refreshing and wakes up our souls. It’s so easy and comfortable to sit inside and mindlessly watch tv and sit online, but it’s so important to balance that with just simply getting outside and being active one way or another. 

There is so much possibility in each and every day and that is something that should be embraced. Everyday is another chance to do something amazing, and special. Soak in each day for it will never come back around the exact same way. 

We tend to put things off into the future. One day I’ll get to it. Someday I’ll buy a ticket and travel the world. Next year I’ll run a marathon. But the clock is ticking and time doesn’t stop for anyone. You really should make immediate plans and start checking things off your bucket list now. What are you waiting for?  

Fear can be paralyzing. It stops us in our tracks sometimes. But you can’t let fear dictate your life. Feel the fear and do it anyway. (I’m full of cliches and quotes!) 

Friday Favorites : Gap Bags and Scarves

Last week I featured some of my favorite bags from Forever21 and this week I’m featuring some of my favorites bags and scarves from Gap.

This satchel is $100 and comes in gravel and mushroom colors.

This great leather tote is $135  and comes in bracken olive, brown, and willow pink.

 

This cross body bag is $54.95 and comes in bracken olive and willow pink. I love this cute bag, it is so thin and great for traveling. This blue patchwork striped scarf is so cute! I am loving it. It’s $29.95.

And finally this black striped scarf is $17.99 on sale.

 

 

Friday Favorites : Purses from Forever21

 

I am once again linking up for Friday Favorites with A Little Big of Everything Blog, Grace and Love Blog and Momfessionals. Today I’m featuring my favorite bags that are all from Forever 21. 

This adorable faux leather weekender bag is $32.90, it also comes in white.

This faux leather carryall comes in black as well and is $29.90.

This faux leather roll top clutch is $17.80 also comes in black and red. It kind of reminds me of a lunch bag with the rolled top but it’s so cute still!

This cross body bag is adorable! It’s $19.80 and it also comes in a rust color.

This great satchel is $14.80 and it also comes in a cream color.

This faux blue (and yellow) satchel is $19.80.

This fantastic faux leather tote is $24.80 and comes in cream as well.