Falling for Fall - Pumpkin Spice Latte at home!!!

I must be the last person on the planet to never have tried the Starbucks Pumpkin SPice Latte that all of my friends are so very excited about this time of year.... So after much thought I decided yesterday that I was going to try one! Only problem? The close Starbucks is about 20 minutes away and I had a little one ready for a nap. What to do but DIY one! A quick google search lead me to this super easy recipe here. Don't worry though - of course I made some changes to it!

And here is my version:

1 cup Milk
1 cup Almond Milk
3 tbsp Canned Pumpkin
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
1 cup coffee
Whipped Cream

In a saucepan, whisk together milk, pumpkin, and sugar on medium heat. Stir until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and spices. Whisk really well for about 1 minute. Pour into a large mug. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon.

I drank one yummy cup and popped the remaining 2 cups into the frig and warmed one up today and it was just as good!

And I used my leftover pumpkin to make these amazing pumpkin bars that are a fall staple around my house! I <3 PUMPKIN and long 3 day weekends!!!!

Third time is a charm! Parson Desk Hack!

It's been a busy summer and I am so excited to be back at it with a little bit of down time while Little Man enjoys some time at school! So I thought I would kick off the holiday weekend with a fun and easy DIY that I procrastinated on for the WHOLE summer! I am linking up at Serenity Now :)

You might remember this entertainment center from our old house. It got replaced by the coral dresser because we cut cable and had nothing to fill up all the nooks (and because it was pretty bulky!)

It lived in our new play room for a bit as an entertainment center (aka - toy storage unit) but I hated that it was open and you could see all the clutter. So I was about to put it on Craig's List when I had a better idea... why not hack it and make the Parson's desk/table that I was stalking the internet for? But time got away from me and I decided that a quick fix was a better option so I flipped it over and made it into a window seat using the top portion of an ottoman that was in storage.

Well, I finally decided to work on the hack and wouldn't you know it took me all of 5 minutes to finish it? I was so kicking myself that I waited all this time to do it! And look at how cute it is! There are no pictures because all I did was unscrew everything but the top and three sides. So let this be a lesson to you that - A. Just do it! I spent longer thinking about this than it actually took to finish it and B. Keep your eye out for pieces that you might be able to hack into something you really love!

PS - More info on some of the other changes coming next week!

Christmas in July - FREEBIES!!!!

I know it's not Skincare Saturday but wanted to pass along this amazing deal!!! It's Christmas in July FREEBIE time! Click the link below and complete the quick survey (easy questions... like your name, address, etc!) Then wait for your mini facial kit to arrive in your mailbox! It's that easy! Mini facial kits include 1-2 uses of Microdermabrasion Paste, Night Renewing Serum, and Lip Renewing Serum. I'm also going to include a special treat for anyone who chooses to order after using the mini facial kit items. You have until midnight on Wednesday, July 24th to fill out the survey and get your FREE items! Ready, set, GO! 

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/X79MMJP

 

And if you are wondering if Rodan + Fields might be for you.... Here is some more info on the 4 regimens. As a Christmas in July special if you join as a Preferred Customer TODAY you will receive a week's worth of our miracle Night Renewing Serum FREE (and of course 10% off and free shipping!) It's totally risk free with our 60 day money back guarantee! 

Click here to enroll as a Preferred Customer and to get started on the best skin of your life! 

Parmesan Crusted Chicken.... My Way!

I pinned this super yummy looking parmesan crusted chicken recipe over the weekend and was so excited to try it out! But when it came time to cook dinner last night, I could not find the recipe! So I turned to my good friend google and ran across this one pictured below.

And in typical me style - I was missing half of the 4 needed ingredients... namely the parmesan and the bread crumbs! Never one to let little issues slow me down I moved forward with my own version!

Cheesy Ranch Crusted Chicken

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Mexican Cheese
1 TBSP Ranch Seasoning
1/4 cup Ground Flax Seeds
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix together the mayo, cheese, and ranch seasoning in a bowl.
Place the chicken on a baking sheet and cover evenly with the ranch mixture.
Sprinkle the flax evenly on the top of the ranch mixture.
Bake for ~20 minutes. Finish with 2 minutes on broil.

Voila! The most tasty and juicy chicken I have had in ages!!!!

It's all about the Protection!

So last week I touched on how damaging the skin can be to our skin and how to remedy the damage you have inflicted. But I didn't get a chance to touch on the most important aspect of summer... Sun Protection! Its the best way to prevent skin cancer, wrinkles, acne, and more! Don't forget to see your dermatologist for regular skin cancer checks too!

I was shocked to read some of these skin friendly tips! Seriously a shot glass of sunscreen??? I should be going thru a bottle of sunscreen a month :)

So do your skin a favor this summer (and all year round) and wear a broad spectrum sunscreen whenever you are outside. Look for a sunscreen that exceeds the FDA's criteria and that has been awarded the Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation. And if you are looking for a great sunscreen for your whole family look no further than the R+F Essentials Body Sunscreen. It is non whitening, non sticky, water resistant and broad spectrum SPF 30.

Happy Birthday America!!!!

Hope that you have a wonderful day celebrating all of the amazing

 freedoms that make this country America! 

Pinspired for July - 1 Coral shirt 3 ways!

I am so excited that it's almost the 4th! And love that I get to start off this holiday week with a fun stroll thru Pinterest to gain some outfit inspiration and a link up at Pinterest Told Me To! And since I love my new Old Navy purchases so much - I decided to use my new coral tee as the base for all 3 outfits! It's kinda fun to see multiple options for one piece right? So this is my base piece... and I just might have gone to the store and gotten every single color they have... just saying - it's that good! And in stores it was marked as $10 vs $12 online. If you are curious on sizing I got a small and its still got a decent bit of room to move in without a wardrobe malfunction while chasing the kids!

Source

Coral + Turquoise

Source

 Shorts - Old Navy ($10 in store) 

Stripe + Polka Dots

Source

 Max Studio Skirt - TJ Maxx

Scarf (no tag!) - TJ Maxx 

Coral + White + Animal Print

Source

 Leopard print cardigan - Forever 21

White Crops - TJ Maxx

And although this is not Pinspired... I had to throw this in b/c my hubby is a HUGE Florida Gator fan! So anytime I see orange and blue together that's all I think of!