SOCIAL MEDIA

Monday, December 30, 2019

December Books

Good morning friends! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and are getting as excited about the upcoming new year as I am 😀. I always love the beginning of a New Year and the thoughts of everything the next year could bring. Later this week I will post my goals/resolutions for 2020, I hope you'll be doing the same! I love to read other people's resolutions and goals because I might find another great thing to add to my list. Today however, is my monthly book post for the month of December. I only read 2 books this month, and they were both unexpected, but I LOVED them both!
Friday, December 27, 2019

10k Training Program

Hi friends! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! We had a wonderful time relaxing with family and are headed home today and back to normal life!

Hannah and Kathleen, two of my best friends, and I signed up to run a 10k together in April and I CANNOT wait! We are going to be running the Cooper River Bridge Run, in Charleston, SC! 
Monday, December 23, 2019

Merry Christmas from the Darrells!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
I hope you all have a wonderful day today spending time with family. See you back here Friday!
Friday, December 20, 2019

How I Survive a Traveling Husband

Hi there! As you are reading this Devin is on Day 5 of a work trip and I figured it was probably time I write a post about something I frequently get asked about: Surviving a Traveling Husband. 

It's hard, but it's do-able! I can't even imagine how hard it must be to be a military spouse or a single mom all the time. I literally have a countdown app on my phone that tells me how many hours I have left until Devin returns from his trips and I can get a "break" 😂
Wednesday, December 18, 2019

What's Up Wednesday

Good morning and happy What's Up Wednesday! Today is our sweet girl's Christmas program at school and I am so excited I can hardly wait! It's my first ever Christmas program as a parent rather than a teacher and I am beyond thrilled to be on the other side this time 😊 If you don't already follow me on Instagram, feel free to follow along today @lcdarrell. I will try to post some pictures or videos!
What We're Eating This Week: Devin is out of town this week so we are either eating at my parents house, or eating a bunch of take out! When Devin travels we go into survival mode and the focus is to be as easy as possible!
What I'm Reminiscing About: Our trip to Disney
Last week we were in Disney World and had the time of our lives! That pretty much goes without saying though right? Is it possible to have a bad time in the Happiest Place on Earth? 😉
What I'm Loving: My new IVL leggings
I wrote about them last week and have been so obsessed with them that I bought another pair. These are the BEST leggings I have ever bought. They are so buttery soft but my favorite part is the cut. They are a higher waist cut that helps to keep in the post-baby (or post-lunch 😉) belly pouch. 
If you love leggings, I cannot recommend these enough! You will NOT regret buying them!
What We've Been Up To: I went back to work this week! I originally planned to go back in January but figured it would be easier to go back for a few days before Christmas to get my bearings, and then be in for the long haul come January. I had a wonderful maternity leave and loved being home with my babies, but I am also happy to be back with the other kiddos I love, my students. 
What I'm Dreading: Getting in the car again. 
The kids honestly were great on the road trip to Disney World, but it took us 10 hours on the way there and 12 on the way home (we stopped to have lunch with Devin's grandma on the way home). Their behavior was incredible, but we had to make a lot of stops for diaper changes, feedings, Lily Grace using the potty, etc. I am not looking forward to getting back in the car and driving 4 hours to visit family for Christmas. I wish I could snap my fingers and we would be there instantly 😉
What I'm Working On: I'm not yet, but I WILL be working on lesson plans for when we come back to school in January. Back to the real world and the routine of school again!
What I'm Excited About: We usually go out of town and rent a big house with friends for New Year's but this year we've done so much traveling that we decided to stay at home. I am looking forward to staying put for a few days!!
What I'm Watching/Reading: I'm not sure this counts for what I'm watching, but a coworker of mine was cast in a local play! They did "It's a Wonderful Life" and AnneMarie (my coworker) was incredible!! A big group of us teachers got tickets and went to support her. It was so much fun to see her onstage and we were all so proud of her!
What I'm Listening To: Michael Buble Holiday on Pandora! Non-stop!
What I'm Wearing: I'm back to wearing work clothes again and I have to say... it feels great! I love getting dressed for work! These pictures are from last year (notice the longer hair), but I've worn these two outfits so far this week:
 Black Pants/Shoes/Shirt (old, but similar)/Scarf 
 Jeans/Boots/Shirt/Sweater (this is from a second-hand store-- let's call it "vintage", that sounds better 😉) but here are a few similar ones: herehere, and here
What I'm Doing This Weekend: We have reservations to meet Santa and are planning to see some Christmas lights with friends! 
We will make the short drive to McAdenville, NC... also known as Christmastown, USA (yes, it's a real thing!).
What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month: My girlfriends and I have a "girls getaway" trip planned to south Florida and I am so excited! Is it bad that I'm most excited to sleep in? Mom of a new baby over here...
What Else is New: I am getting back into marathon training and I am pumped! I have a 10k scheduled in April and am planning to do a half marathon in the spring, then either the full or half marathon in Charlotte in November. It feels so good to be back into it!!

Thanks for stopping by today! I can't wait to read what you've been up to 😊
Monday, December 16, 2019

Our Trip to Disney

Good morning! We are back from Disney World and all feeling a little sad that we aren't still waking up in the happiest place on Earth. 
Friday, December 13, 2019

Friday Favorites-- A Random Hodgepodge

Good morning and happy Friday!! Today is a short and sweet post of a few of my random current favorites.
1. A Day in the Life of Us-- Earlier this week I posted an updated "Day in the Life" post and it's our first one with Liam! I love to look back on old "Day in the Life" posts to see how our family has changed, and I know I will especially love to look back on this one.
2. Disney+. Does anyone else who has Disney+ feel like it is the jackpot of all streaming services?! I feel this constant inner war between "too much screen time is bad" and "but they have EVERYTHING from my childhood! I want to watch it ALL!!!"
3. Hot Yoga-- I recently got back into doing hot yoga again and have realized how much I LOVE it. Especially in the winter when you step outside of the studio and its 40ish degrees. It's a quick way to cool down after a very hot and sweaty workout. The only downside is how crazy expensive the classes are at my favorite studio. I would love to go 4-5 times a week, but the classes add up FAST. Even when you buy a multi-class package. That makes it more of a treat when I do get to go though!
4. IVL Leggings-- I have found a new favorite legging and I can't stop raving about them. A blogger I follow, Emily, created her own athletic wear line and I recently ordered my first pair of leggings from her. They are the BEST leggings I have ever worn. They are so incredibly soft, the quality is fantastic, and I love the color options. My favorite part though, hands down, is the cut. They are a higher waist legging and are great for keeping in the troublesome belly pouch. I ordered the "glitter and go" leggings but I've read reviews on the other ones and apparently they're all great. I would say if you are debating between sizes, order up. If you are shopping for someone athletic for Christmas and aren't sure what to get them, I highly recommend these leggings!! 
My plan is to treat myself to another pair before the new year. New workout clothes always help motivate me to get to the gym 😀
Today I am linking up with Erika and Andrea for Friday Favorites. Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, December 11, 2019

A Day in the Life of Us

Good morning and welcome to a day in the life of our family! I try to do one summertime "day in the life" post and one in the winter. This is our first "day in the life" with our newest family member (who is already 11 weeks old! How did that happen?). Let's get started 😀
Monday, December 9, 2019

Christmas Cards From Years Past... and Christmas Card Deals for 2019

Hi there! I was looking through old Christmas cards and loved seeing how much our family has grown/changed in the past 6 years. I thought it might be fun to share them with you today along with a few little tidbits of the "behind the scenes" to each card. Because we all know the picture on the card is a family's best.. but getting that picture isn't always so pretty 😉
2013
Friday, December 6, 2019

November Books

Good morning from Disney World! Today we are having fun exploring the parks and if you'd like to follow along with us on Instagram my username is lcdarrell. See you there 😉

It's book review day! Last month I read some REALLY great books and I am so excited to share them with you today. My plan was to read 4 books, but some of them were such quick and easy reads that I was able to fly through them in 2-3 days. I ended up reading a total of 5, and I would recommend them ALL! 
Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Monthly Goals- December

Good morning! Tomorrow we are hitting the road and headed to Disney World! If you'd like to follow along with our family on Instagram, you can follow me @lcdarrell. 

It's time for the last monthly goals post of 2019. Throughout the year I like to look back at my New Year's Resolutions for the year and try to set concrete goals for each month that help towards reaching the bigger, year-long goals. From looking at my post on 2019's New Year's Resolutions, I actually didn't do too bad! I didn't get all of them accomplished, but I'm very happy with the ones I was able to check off my list (especially #5 😍).

Here's a look at what I have planned to do in the month of December:
Monday, December 2, 2019

What I've Been Priming

Good morning and happy December! How are we already at the end of 2019?! I swear the older I get, the quicker the years fly by. I don't like it!! Not. One. Bit. Today I am sharing my Amazon purchases for the month of November. 
Friday, November 29, 2019

Best of... Prime Purchases 2019

Good morning and happy Black Friday!! Are you all out there enjoying some sales today?? I actually was able to get most of my Christmas shopping done already, so now I'm just sitting back and perusing some websites looking for the things I didn't know I needed 😉
This made me laugh out loud. So true!

Next week is Tanya's monthly Prime Purchases link up and she had the idea to link our favorite purchases from 2019. What a genius idea, right? Well I wanted to get a head start on that post since I also plan to post my monthly Amazon purchases on Monday #AmazonAddict.

Here are my top 10 from 2019:
Wednesday, November 27, 2019

What's Up Wednesday

Good morning and happy almost Thanksgiving!! I hope you all have a wonderful time with your families. 

At the risk of sounding super cheesy, please know how thankful I am for YOU this holiday! When I first started this blog a year and a half ago I had no idea what to expect. I really thought that only my family would read it (and even that was debatable). It's so nice to know that people actually come here and read my random thoughts and sometimes even take the time to comment! Thank you for making this hobby of mine so much more enjoyable 😁

Time for What's Up Wednesday!
What We're Eating This Week: This is going to sound weird, but I made the most delicious carrot soup last night. I told Devin we were eating carrot soup and his reaction was "What are we, rabbits?" (insert me rolling my eyes here). I told my mom I made it and her reaction was "Hmm...". I told my sister and she said "But... doesn't it just taste like carrots? I'm not sure I'd be into that". I know it sounds weird, but you're going to have to trust me when I tell you it was delicious. Devin ended up having 2 bowls and Lily Grace, who is 2.5, ate her whole bowl. 
Monday, November 25, 2019

Preschool Pictures Are In!

Happy Monday! Today's post will be short and sweet 😀. Our little girl's preschool pictures came in and they were just too sweet to not share!

Friday, November 22, 2019

Teacher Gift Guide

Good morning! I know you're probably thinking "Oh good God, not ANOTHER gift guide". Am I right? I feel like gift guides have been ALL over the place lately and I really didn't want to do "just another" gift guide. Especially because my gift ideas for kids/husbands/adults are pretty specific to the person I'm buying for.

Then, this week as I was going through my list of what to buy for Christmas, I remembered that this is the first year Lily Grace has teachers that we will buy gifts for. My thoughts quickly went from "Oh! We have to buy her teachers gifts!" to "What the heck am I going to get them?!" to "Well, what were my favorite gifts to receive as a teacher?" and thus, this blog post was born. 
Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Gratitude Journal

Good morning friends! Today I wanted to share with you something that I have read about over and over and over again but have put off doing until recently: starting a gratitude journal. 
Monday, November 18, 2019

Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

Good morning! I hope you all had a good weekend. Today I wanted to share one of my favorite recipes to make in the fall, especially on Thanksgiving. Its no secret how much I love to use my Crock-Pot, especially to make something warm on a cold day. 
Friday, November 15, 2019

Amazon Fashion Finds

Hi there! I have another round of Amazon Fashion Finds. If you didn't see, last month I did two posts about the outfits I had purchased on Amazon. The posts were such hits that I decided to give it another shot this month. 

Here are the two from last month:

And now let's get started with today's:
Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Lily Grace 2.5 Year Update

Good morning! I wanted to share an update with you about our sweet girl because she is in such a fun stage right now and I don't want to forget any of it! I know one day I'll look back at this and be so happy I wrote it all down. 

Monday, November 11, 2019

Hair Donation

Good morning friends! If you follow me on Instagram (@lcdarrell) then you may have noticed that last Thursday I went into my hair salon, had them cut 10" off my hair, and I donated it. This is the 3rd time I've done this so I figured I know enough about it to be able to answer any questions you might have if you are considering making a donation. I answered the questions most friends/family members have been asking, but if you have any other questions please leave a comment below. I'd be happy to answer!!


Friday, November 8, 2019

Pinterest Recipe Roundup

Good morning and happy Friday! I hope you all had a good week. We are looking forward to a busy but fun weekend around here. Hopefully I will remember to take a few pictures and will be able to share with you for Monday!

Today I wanted to share with you several of the recipes I have made from Pinterest lately that have actually been good. I don't know about you, but I hate it when I pin a recipe that sounds/looks delicious but actually doesn't taste very good at all. Especially if that recipe takes forever to make. These are some tried and true side item recipes that are full of flavor, were super easy to make and are relatively healthy. I hope you make and enjoy some of them too!
Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Monthly Goals- November

Good morning! I don't know about you but I am really excited about the start of a new month, especially one this close to Christmas. I know that the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas is really going to fly this year for our family because: a) Thanksgiving is late this year and b) we will be going to Disney World for a week (woohoo!). My goals for the month of November are going to be mostly geared towards getting organized/prepped for the holiday season so that the month of December isn't stressful for us. I want to spend as much time as possible soaking up all the holiday fun with the kids. Here's a look at November's goals:


Monday, November 4, 2019

What I've Been Priming

Good morning! I hope you all had a nice weekend and a safe, happy Halloween. I don't know about you but I am SO ready for a new month and a new holiday to look forward to. We have packed up and put away what very little Halloween stuff we took out and in a few short weeks will be pulling out the Christmas decorations. I can NOT wait! 

As we get closer to the holiday season I am really going to try not to order everything from there. I know how convenient it is, and it can make the holidays significantly less stressful to just click, buy and have it shipped to your house in 2 days, especially if you have young kids at home. Unfortunately though, we have seen a few of our favorite brick and mortar stores closing around here lately and I can't help but wonder how much of that is due to people using Amazon instead. One of my goals this month (I'll post monthly goals on Wednesday!) is to try to do as much Christmas shopping as I can this month and in small, locally owned businesses. 

Before we begin, I did two posts this month on the clothes I ordered from Amazon in October. Here they are:


And then here is everything else I ordered in the month of October:

File Box- Lily Grace started school for the first time this fall and has started coming home with some really cute artwork, some keepsakes, and some important paperwork. I wanted to keep all of it organized and needed a new file box. We had some file folders around here to keep everything in, so we're just using those until we run out for now. 

Friday, November 1, 2019

Updated Favorite Ipsy Finds

Good morning and happy Friday! Today I wanted to do an updated post on my favorite Ipsy products that have been coming in my monthly bag. Not every product is a hit, and usually I like them but don't love them. So every few months I want to update and tell you the ones that have been my all time favorites. Here they are:
Purlisse BB Cream-- This BB Cream is hands down still my favorite after trying about a half dozen others. I love the way it offers just a hint of coverage on the days I am out running errands and don't want to put a full face of makeup on. It is SPF 30 which is another plus because then I don't have to put my Clinique SPF on underneath it. 
Wednesday, October 30, 2019

What's Up Wednesday

Good morning friends and happy What's Up Wednesday! Last month I did not get around to doing a WUW because we had just had our sweet baby boy. I am happy to be back linking up today and can't wait to read all of your monthly updates!
Monday, October 28, 2019

Book Club- October

Good morning and happy Monday! This past month I was able to squeeze in 4 books and they are all 4 VERY different from one another, yet all 4 were good in their own way. Let's get to it!

Friday, October 25, 2019

Fall Prime Fashion Finds Part 2

Good morning and Happy Friday! Earlier this week I posted part 1 of the clothes I've bought on Amazon lately. If you missed it, click here! Today I will be sharing the rest, and most of these outfits were the super casual/comfy/"throw it on in 2 seconds yet still look somewhat pulled together" look. In case you're new around here, we have a 5 week old baby and a 2.5 year old. So most of my outfits these days need to be quick and easy-- not to mention hide a postpartum belly!

  Green Twist Knot Sweater/Leggings/Boots (I have had these same Frye boots for years, and while they were definitely an investment up front, they have lasted a really long time and have held up a lot better than some of my cheaper boots. They are definitely worth the price in my opinion!)
Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Fall Prime Fashion Finds Part 1

Good morning! Today I am doing part 1 of a lengthy post about all the cute clothes I have found on Amazon lately. Just a few months ago I had never thought to buy clothes on Amazon, but now it is one of the main places I shop! You really can't beat it for convenience, and with a 5 week old baby in the house convenience is a priority right now!
Oversized Cowl Neck Sweater/Leggings/Boots
This oversize sweater feels like wearing a blanket! I'm pretty sure you could pull the cowlneck down and do an off-the-shoulder look, but I preferred the cowl neck this morning 😀
White T/Striped Long Sleeve Sweater/Jeans/Toms Wedges
I was unsure about the v neck tees when I was looking online, but am so happy I ordered them. They are super soft and the fit is perfect. I grabbed them in a medium. 
White T/Brown Sweater/Jeans/Toms Wedges
Then I tried the same outfit but with two different scarves:
Leopard Scarf (old-- from Loft)
Yellow Infinity Scarf
Oversized Cowl Neck Sweater/Jeans (not Amazon)/Toms Wedges
Same cowl neck sweater as above, but a different color. Super cozy and comfortable!
White T/Rust Sweater/Jeans (not Amazon)/Toms Wedges
This is the same as that brown sweater but in a rust color. I love the length of this sweater because it covers the booty/hip area, which is always my biggest problem area. 

Those are just a few of the options I've found lately.. come back Friday for the rest! Have a great rest of the week!