Friday Favorites...Poncho Love

//poncho//

Who doesn't love a big, soft blanket around them when there's a chill in the air? That's exactly how this poncho feels when it's wrapped around me. The colors are perfect for fall and the fringe...need I say more? Ponchos are everywhere right now and with the temperatures in the high 60's here in Houston looks like I'll be wrapped in this all weekend. Trust me, I always keep some sort of sweater/jacket with me because the stores & restaurants are always freeeeezing. I actually have a crocheted poncho that I bought from Nordstrom over 10 years ago that I can't wait to wear this season as well. Have you fallen for this trend yet? Click here & here for two other great poncho options!

Hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!

TGIF!

Try It Tuesday...Coffee

Is your coffee bulletproof?

 The last five mornings our coffee has been quite different. It has been BAD. "Not bad meaning bad but bad meaning good" to quote James Todd Smith. Apparently we're a little late to the game but thanks to our Arizona bff's we have now been invited to the party and we are really diggin' it! So if you know how to make your coffee bulletproof then you know how good it is and if not here's the skinny...

(accidentally picked up the salted butter which is shown above...oops!)

Ingredients for 1 8oz cup

1-8 oz. cup of your favorite coffee

1/2 Tbs. of Kerrygold Pure Irish Creme Unsalted Butter (or any grassfed butter) 

1/2 Tbs. of CMT Oil (it's a higher concentrate of coconut oil)

Brew your coffee-2 heaping Tablespoons per 8 oz.

Pour hot water in your blender and run it for a few minutes to prime your blender (if you do not have an aggressive blender then boil 16 oz. of water in a tea kettle and pour into your blender to get it hot).

Put butter and CMT oil into blender and add coffee and blend until froth forms at the top.

Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!

We have been making 8 cups at a time so we have been using 4 Tbs of Butter and 4 Tbs. of CMT oil. Some people put as much as 2 Tbs of butter and 2 Tbs of oil in 1 cup. You'll just have to play around trying different amounts to see what works for you.

I thought it would have a strong buttery taste it but it makes it so creamy and delish...

Why should you put butter & MCT oil in your daily cup of joe?

Because it gives you energy, keeps hunger away and it boosts your brain function tremendously! Dietary fat does not make you fat and it's a better choice then choosing a carb filled muffin...trust me. I'm not an expert when it comes to all of the nutritional deets but I am a fan and I'll be curious to see if you are too! 

P.S. Sometimes we use a french press and this is our favorite!

Cheers!

Around the house...

Our weekend was full of friendly vibes and hangin' around the house. I'm always grateful for these times together. There's nothing better than good food, good cocktails and good friends. The weather has been unbelievable and we ate every meal outside together. Our outdoor patio has been our extended living room all weekend long watching football & baseball. By the way are you cheering for the Giants or Royals? Hope you had a chance to recharge this weekend and here's to Kansas City bringing home a World Series Ring.

I felt like wonder woman after last weeks heavy schedule so I started my weekend with this shirt and junie b begging me to hold her.

Friday night wine in my favorite stemless glass with the neighborhood girls.

I was inspired by this blog to decorate pumpkins with Ry.

Mexican & Marg's go hand in hand for dinner.

 My husband's homemade chocolate chip cookies & these made our weekend complete!

Linking to EmberGrey blog for Grateful Heart Monday!

Friday Favorites...Halloween Style

clutch//polish//scarf//denim//top//pumps

All I can say is TGIF today! This week, well I should say the past two weeks, have worn me out. Between spirit week, pink out, red ribbon week, homework, activities & everything else that comes along with parenting it's time for me to say Calgon take me away! Needless to say we will all be recharging our batteries this weekend and slowing down a bit. How fun is it that Halloween falls on a Friday this year? This time next week my kids will be stocking up my   reese's peanut butter cups for me on their trick o treat route. I've trained them well and they know how to make their mom happy this time of year!

 Here's a little Halloween outfit inspiration and the scarf is such a classic I really should add it to my wish list! Have a great weekend and do you have a favorite accessory that you wear every year for Halloween?

Happy Halloween by charitylittle featuring madewell jeans

Try It Tuesday with Spaghetti Squash...

I'll admit it...sometimes  on the daily I stalk Brody Jenner's Instagram account and because of it I have a new dish that my whole family will eat. He posted a picture of his dinner one night and it made my mouth water. He made spaghetti squash with chicken sausage and that sounded like a good idea to me. I winged it since I didn't have a recipe to go by and it has turned out to be one of our favorite meals to make. This is healthy, tasty and has very few ingredients. It was one of those crazy, busy nights and I didn't have much time to get a good shot but give it a try. I'm definitely not a food blogger!

The few ingredients you will need:

1 spaghetti  squash

12 oz. of any sausage you like

avocado oil (or of course you can use olive too)

1 shallot

3 cloves of garlic, minced

salt & pepper

parmesan cheese

Let's do this:

Pre-heat oven to 375

Cut your squash in half, spoon out the seeds and drizzle with oil & salt. 

Oil your cookie sheet and place your squash open side down and cook for 30-40 minutes depending on how big it is.

You will want to shred with a fork after it's finished baking. Click on the video to see how it is done.

When your spaghetti squash is about half way done start heating your sausage (I use a dutch oven so there's room to add the squash making it a one pot meal) with the shallot & garlic. I prefer to break it up into crumbles as we are heating it. So when you have your squash shredded and sausage heated toss together in your pot and add a little more oil of your choice, salt & pepper and stir together. Serve with shredded parmesan cheese on top and enjoy! 

bowls (similar)//charger//flatware

Around the house with ceiling light sizes...

It's that time of year when lighting and furniture is on sale...probably perfect timing in order to get everyone's homes ready for the holidays. I am still in denial that it is that time of year already. A couple of years ago we decided to switch out the lighting in our dining room, living room and added a light above our kitchen table that I am still infatuated with to this day. The above picture is the light in our living room. What a bright idea it was..hee hee (I will have to tell you the story about my first choice that wouldn't fit through the front door nor any other door in our home on another post).  

Lighting can make such a big difference in changing the look and feel of a room. Although I don't think there are any rules when it comes to decorating, there are some guidelines that you can loosely follow when deciding on what size of lighting would be the right size for your room. So just in case you are in the market for a new light this formula might help you...

Add the length and width of the room in feet, convert to inches and that number will give you the diameter of what your light should be.

Check here, here or here for lighting inspiration!

Friday Favorites...

shirt(similar)//polish//denim//vest//ring//fringe//boot

 It is really starting to feel like fall here in Houston and I can't stop thinking about wearing my sweaters & flannel plaid tops. Actually, now that I think about it...getting out my warmer clothes is on my list of things to do this weekend. It seems like all Fall, print patterns have been calling my name. I have enough leopard & cheetah, but I have been on the hunt for the perfect buffalo plaid shirt that isn't sold out in my size! I have been so disappointed lately at my misfortune and the mere thought of me going through this season without a buffalo plaid shirt is really disheartening...Help! I might have to settle on this jacket. What is your favorite buffalo plaid right now?

Try It Tuesday with Zucchini...

Who doesn't love a good pasta dish...especially a healthy one? I've been eating zucchini noodles now for awhile but have kept it pretty simple with a marinara sauce. I love the crunch when I bite into these, they just scream freshness, plus they are just too much fun to make. BTW the easiest way to make the noodles is with a spiralizer and there a few options to choose from here. So while I was browsing on one of my favorite athletic apparel sites this raw, vegan & gluten-free zucchini recipe caught my eye. It was so easy to make, although I did prep the "parmesan" & pesto sauce ahead to save time. Click here for the recipe and below are a few pictures of this zucchetto pesto in the making. 

The recipes doesn't tell you this step but after spiralizing my zucchini I salt it and put it on paper towels while it sweats for about 30 minutes. If you skip this step your dish will be very watery. Notice the water from the above picture.

"parmesan"

Pesto

Around the house...DIY

Lately our weekends have involved some kind of home project-big or small. As a lot of you know I've been on the hunt for outdoor dining furniture and still haven't found a 60" round table that I can have STAT. We went all summer with only two chairs and with cooler weather here there was no choice but to add a couple more chairs to our mix so we would all have a place to break bread. I ordered two stackable chairs here that will tie us over until I find exactly what I want. Yes, I know they don't match or even flow with what I have going on (don't judge) but they were on sale, they are stackable and will be great for extra seating. Plus they are gray and will tie in great with our next set. As you will see below our table & the two matching chairs needed an overhaul. We headed to Home Depot to pick up 4 cans of spray paint and in a couple of hours we had ourselves a brand new outdoor table, chairs and three lanterns. 

We had enough paint leftover to give our rusty lanterns a makeover. FYI-the glass easily comes out to make painting a breeze. Glad I didn't throw these out in the trash!

Friday Favorites-GAP does it again...

I spent last Sunday in this outfit and it's a contender for my fall "uni." TBH (to be honest as my daughter would put it) I could have slept in this if I hadn't been sitting at my son's baseball game during the afternoon...it's that comfortable as you can see from the smile on my face. The Gap is always game on when it comes to comfortable and basic pieces. Ignore that I don't have "my lips on" but it was Sunday so we can let it slide right? Most importantly remember to Love Yourself because that's where it all starts and find some more inspiration from good hYOUman.  I'm looking forward to our three day weekend because we most desperately need a break from the daily grind. Here's a few other favorites of mine below and Happy Friday Y'all!

Shades//T//Pants//Shoes-similar//Polish//Powder

Accessory 411

I love sporting Ray-Ban's classic aviator's because they are so versatile and light weight. These in particular have been on major repeat lately even though I own different styles. My hair isn't complete without using Kevin.Murphy's Powder.Puff volumising powder. It gives my hair the va va voom it so desperately needs! Essie always comes through with great colors and makes it hard for me to decide on a color. Last but not least, a great outfit always calls for great shoes and Nike's have never, ever let me down...obsessed!

Zara for the win...

Can we just stop and talk obsess over this sweater today from Zara? Y'all know how I can't pass up a good gray sweatshirt but I'm pretty sure I won't let this gorgeous sweater slip by either. This would be perfect to add to my fall sweater collection. The color? The slits? The length with my favorite skinnies? What do you think? Oh the options are endless and the price is so good. Zara for the win!

//photos courtesy of zara//

Try It Tuesday...Home Yoga Practice

This past month I signed up for an on-line subscription yoga class through Udaya. Why? #1- Because it is a free month trial period and B- it's something I've been wanting to try for awhile now.  I have enjoyed it and being in the comfort of your own home is always good idea. I can practice anytime and have access to so many different classes and time options. Have y'all tried at home workout sites? Although it's always fun practicing yoga with a group, sometimes there are days where I just want to get my workout in as soon as the kids leave the house in the morning and not have to drive anywhere. Like today, I just finished a 40 minute vinyasa class and I have so much energy to get me through the day. Cute yoga clothes from here also help me keep my energy levels up!

//photo cred to my husband//
See you can do yoga anywhere. Last weekend I had to stop, drop and yoga during my run! I'm participating in a #LetsGetFlexy challenge for the month of October and each day you have to post a picture of yourself doing a certain pose. See my other poses on my Instagram  and remember #yogaeverydamnday 

Around the house...DIY Mini Bathroom Update

After this past weekend I can happily say that our house does not have any more yucky muddy brown cabinets. The doors and trim still have that dreadful color on them, but their days are numbered as well. We gave our downstairs bathroom cabinets a little DIY makeover and wish we would have tackled this project sooner, especially considering what an easy transformation this has been.

First we had to change the paint color and we used Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint in Pure White. It's just easy and quick to use. Plus I don't mind the finish of this paint.

Next we added hardware to the cabinets. I really wanted a brushed gold finish but wasn't ready to replace the faucets & light fixtures. Plus that would have involved a special order and it wasn't worth the wait for me. When I get my mind set on doing a project early completion is my number one priority with such a small makeover. Target to the rescue for this hardware! 

I kept the same rug that I found at Homegoods awhile ago. 

Don't mind the blurry picture but love this modern update that took us minimal time and money! I thought we might be finished but after thinking about it I think the walls still need a little something.  This could be a challenge with our textured walls that I love dislike so much. Wallpaper would be fun but would be way too much work or some sort of pattern. I'm thinking bold...maybe thick, black horizontal stripes? Something like this perhaps?

Friday Favorites...Mad for Madewell

1//2//3//4//5//6

Mad for Madewell by charitylittle featuring pocket tees

There's nothing like a pair of nice fitting jeans. Denim is all over the place right now especially if it's distressed and I'm loving it. I am a little picky when it comes to wearing certain jeans and I have found that paying a few extra dollars is really worth it. More than likely the cheaper the jeans the faster they lose their shape and it's something that I'm not really down with. I have found the perfect high riser distressed black denim at Madewell that you will not want to take off at the end of the day. Bonus is they don't bleed and yes you read that right they are high waisted! Dress them up or dress them down and they passed the mom style test!  Now I just need to add the above 4 tops & necklace to my closet and I'll be set for fall. Click here to read how you can give your old jeans a second life and to get a discount on a brand new pair...
Here I'm wearing the high riser's with a rocker t.

Channeling my inner Joan Jett while I'm singing I love Rock 'n Roll...