Spring Cleaning Series: My front entryway!

Hey cleaning people! 

It's Day 1 for me and I thought I would tackle something that has been driving me crazy for probably over a year now...

Our Front Entry Closet! 

This is our closet that should be used for things like shoes, jackets, umbrellas, things you need to grab when you are on your way out the door and on your way back in. Well, sadly, this has not been the case with our closet. I wish I had snapped a before photo but I was slightly too embarrassed! It had turned into a closet that consisted of... the leaning tower of mismatched shoes, all of my holiday decorations, tons of empty boxes?! and just plain crap. Do you remember the place in the movie "Halloweentown" where all things go when they are lost, well that was this closet! 

I started by just literally taking EVERYTHING OUT! I like to start with a blank canvas. From there, I wiped down the walls and vacuumed the carpet. Then, Philip helped me by separating all of our shoes into pairs, and anything that didn't have a pair met the garbage can! 

Our living room floor was covered in shoes! haha

Next, I purchased a 6 shelf organizer from Target for $12.99 that fit WAY more than 6 pairs of shoes! I organized them so that I got the top 3 and he got the bottom 3! 

I had to stack my boots along the bottom because they did not fit, and the shoes we do not wear very often went in the plastic bin on the bottom! Jackets and coats are hung on the sides of the organizer. I cleared off the top rack for purses I use often so when I am running out the door to work it is a one stop shop! 

Also, just a little tip. I picked up some of those sneaker deodorizer balls at Ross for a couple bucks and stuck one on each shelf so the closet doesn't smell like shoes! 

Day 1 of Spring and I am already feeling pretty darn accomplished haha, this has been a problem area in our house basically since we moved in! So glad to say that is over, now just to keep it that way! 

XO.

Spring Cleaning Series!

Spring has sprung!

Not only is spring about bright colors, floral, and just plain beauty, it also brings with it a sense of cleanse and freshness. Call me crazy, but Spring Time just makes me want to DEEP CLEAN! Out with the old in with the new! 

I figured over the next few weeks I would do a sort of Spring Cleaning Series to not only help others with tips and tricks, but also, to make me stick to Spring Cleaning my own house! It's funny how in your head you can tell yourself over and over you want to do something, but it's not until you share it with others and make it public that makes you feel like you just have to do it! 

I grew up with a Southern Grandma, so trust me honey, I have some tricks up my sleeve and will be seeking guidance from her a lot along this process! Feel free to join me as I Spring Clean my life! 

XO.

DIY Starbucks Inspired Passion Tea Lemonade!

Hellllllo!

If you love Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade, then you are going to love this take on it that you can do in the comfort of your home! 

Start by boiling your water for your tea, I like to fill up my tea kettle all of the way and let it boil. Once it is ready to go, steep a packet of Tazo's Passion Tea. 

Let that steep for a couple minutes, stirring every so often.

Once the tea has steeped a bit you are going to add the juice of half of a lemon! Make sure not to get any of the seeds! 

Then, just fill up the rest of your jug with water and refrigerate! Pour it in a cup over some ice and you will have your very own Passion Tea Lemonade at home! 

Now this version is sugar free! I prefer unsweet tea! If you like sweet tea, add sugar/sweeteners to your liking! 

Bottoms up! 

XO.

Baked Apricot Chicken

Hi everyone! 

So a couple years ago, my mom and I took a day trip to Ft. Myers and discovered their Seminole Gulf Murder Mystery Dinner train. It's a really fun concept and is so different than anything we had ever experienced before. Aside from the awesome entertainment, the food was incredible! They usually have three dinner entree options to pick from, and I was fortunate enough to choose their Baked Apricot Chicken. The BEST chicken I have ever had! Now I am not saying this is an exact replica of theirs but I did my best to put my own spin on it! 

This is Philip's favorite dish of mine! 

For starters, you will need:

• Chicken Drumsticks 
• 1 Lemon
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper (I use Mrs. Dash Table Blend for the Pepper!)
• Apricot Preserve 
• Worcestire Sauce

First things first, I start by slicing up the lemon and arranging the slices on my baking dish. Then I place the drumsticks right on top of them. I bought this pack of chicken at Target for around $7.00 and this is only half of the meat! I saved the other half in the freezer to make this again because Philip literally begs for them! 

Next I just season the chicken with salt and Mrs. Dash Table Blend and some olive oil. 

Then it's time to baste your chicken! I bought the Smuckers Simply Fruit Apricot Preserve. Honestly, because it was all that Target had in the flavor. I might look further in the future for something a little more natural and less sugar but this is still delicious!

Just brush this onto your chicken so that it has a nice glaze. Lastly, I sprinkle some Worcestire Sauce all over as well. 

Now pop your chicken into the oven at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes. 

When you are done, voila! You will have a delicious meal! Pair this with your choice of sides, I typically go with a starch and a veggie and you are good to go! 

Bon Appetite! 

XO. 

March Birchbox - Unveiled!

Hi everyone!

I hope if you are reading this you are having an incredible Thursday, or whatever day it happens to fall on when I catch you! The weekend is upon us! There is a Seafood Festival this weekend in Safety Harbor that I think my family and I are going to attend! Should be fun!! 

In other news!  

I just got my March Birchbox, and I have to say, coming home to find that hot pink box waiting for me just never gets old! If you're not familiar with what Birchbox is, basically, it is a $10 monthly subscription that sends you 5-6 sample size products in each box. So far, I have NOT been disappointed! 

In this month's box I received...

- Jouer Luminizing Tinted Sunscreen

- Number 4 Clarifying Shampoo

- Cargo Swimmables Water Resistant Blush in the color Los Cabos - this one specifically I am excited to try because the color is just gorgeous and really pops for Spring! 

- Amika Bombshell Blowout Spray - thank you Birchbox!! This girl needs some serious help with volume!!

-StriVectin Instant Retexturizing Scrub

I am really excited to try this month's samples and will keep you guys posted if anything really has a WOW factor for me! Like I told you guys last time, I purchased the Vasanti Face Scrub from my January Birchbox and am using it like crazy! It's like a facial at home!! From February's box I am getting ready to cash in some of my points and purchase the full size of the sample mascara I got - Benefit's New Roller Lash Mascara, it is killer! 

Also, it came with this super cute card with a fill in the blank! 

Let me know below what gets you guys feeling creative! Life is all about being true to yourself and letting your inner beauty shine! 

XO.

The best darn taco's on this side of the Mississippi River

Philip and I are HUGE fans of Guy's Diners, Drive-In's and Dives. It never fails the second we see it on TV we are hooked, staring aimlessly at the screen, possibly drooling, who knows! You can't blame me, the man has the world's greatest job! 

I found this pretty AWESOME website that touches on all of the different restaurants he visits and allows you to search by city. 

Click here to check it out!

When I saw a place called California Tacos on the list, I knew we had to try it! 

You can check out their episode here, and see how amazingly delicious this meal looks! Which they call "The Guy Special". 

Now when I say this, don't take it lightly. These were some of THE best tacos I have ever had in my life. In fact, Philip and I went there for Lunch and then went to Wire Grass afterwards, and on the way back we almost stopped for dinner! I am pretty sure we would have if I didn't have meat defrosting at home! 

So good!!!

XO.

Grilled Beef Skewers

Like most adults nowadays, Philip and I both work full time jobs. We both spend 40+ hours at work a week. We both work 8 to 5. Now like most, we come home pretty tired from the daily grind. While we could easily pick up food on the way home, order take out, or just go out to eat, we started cooking, pretty much every single night, as soon as we moved in together. Now don't get me wrong, we still go out to eat probably once or twice a week but we leave those times for the weekend when we can splurge and really enjoy ourselves.

I do my best to plan out meals that don't require a ton of ingredients, a ton of prep time, and a ton of cook time, so we can eat delicious healthy, fresh food, not to long after getting home, on a budget! 

I thought I would share some of our meals going forward to show you it's not too hard to cook at night even if you work all day. 

On the menu tonight...

Grilled Steak Skewers! 

Total Time: About 30 minutes including prep and cooking

You will need the following:

• Beef Tips - I bought this at Target on sale for $4.99! There was so much meat! It's the Angus Beef Stew Meat - Philip seasoned this with some all purpose Mrs. Dash seasoning 
• 1 Pineapple
• 1 Red Onion
• Bell Peppers - We used 1 red and 1 yellow and saved the orange for another day
• Wood Skewers - Got these at Target for $2.99

First things first, prep your skewers! We just chopped the fruit and veggies into bite size pieces and assembled them on the skewers. We tried to go Onion, Pepper, Beef, Pineapple, Repeat...

Then we popped them right onto an indoor grill.

We let them cook, and just turned them occasionally until the meat had cooked about medium rare. 

We paired this with some Cilantro Lime Poblano Rice that they sell in the freezer section at Target, and you are ready to chow down! 

After food had settled, I popped some Gluten-Free, Dairy Free (pre-packaged) cookies into the oven and am about to indulge!!!

XO.