Yosemite + Meet Kait [guest post]

Happy Friday, all you lovely ladies!!

 I'm not exactly sure what we're gonna be up to today, but I have a feeling we may be heading to Yosemite! And I. can't. wait. 

But for your entertainment today, I've asked my brother's sweet girlfriend/the sister I never had until now, Kait, from Designing Kait, to guest post for me! She is an awesome interior designer/fashionista/cook and I love her to pieces (and miss her dearly right now)...I know y'all will, too!!

The floor is yours, Kait!

Y'all enjoy! xo

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Hey y'all! First, a big thanks to sweet Haley for the lovely intro! so... i must admit, i've had a bit of writers block over at my blog with a lot going on in my life right now. but, i just couldn't pass this little gig up!

it's a little late for a 4th of July themed recipe, but for most people the summertime is full of cookouts, pool parties, and lake/beach trips. while a host/hostess may tell you not to bring anything to contribute to the event you are attending, this is an easy sweet treat that will always please, but not out shine the hostess! 

oh so oreo, chocolatey pie!

first things first, the (very few) ingredients

1. oreo pie crust

2.fat free cool whip

3. 1-large box of sugar-free/fat-free chocolate pudding

4.milk

5.oreos

1-make pudding using instructions on box(that's where the milk come in)

2-cover and place in fridge to let stand

3- while the pudding is doing it's thing in the fridge, place about six oreos in a bag and crunch them up. i prefer them in big chunks, but you do as you like!

4- after the pudding has thickened (30 minutes or so) fill the pie crust 2/3 full with chocolate pudding.

5- cover with a nice, thick layer of cool whip & sprinkle with the oreo crumbles

 in five EASY steps, and nearly no time you have a delectable dessert that is sure to delight!!

enjoy the rest of your sweet summer time everyone! and be sure to check out my blog, designing kait!

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Told y'all you would love her ;)

Have a wonderful weekend, y'all!! xo 

LA + Meeting Meg [guest post]

Hey there, lovely ladies! 

It's Monday, which that means we should have left San Diego and made it to Los Angeles by now! ;) 

 I hope y'all enjoyed meeting Kayla on Friday, and I hope you'll love meeting Meg from More from Meg today!! I met Meg here in blogland not too long ago and she is so super sweet and I'm honored that she agreed to share some of her awesome fashion advice with us!

Enjoy!! xo

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Hi Ladies! My name is Meghan and I blog over at More from Meg. I'm honored to be guest blogging for Haley today! In honor of 4th of July coming up - I wanted to put together some great accessory options in case you don't have an outfit prepared yet. Personally, I like to accessorize with red, white, & blue rather than wear an entire outfit - so here are some great options for you!

Here the breakdown of the items:

1. 2 sandal options - a super cute wedge or an adorable flat sandal!

2. American flag tote - I love this tote! Not only is it large, but you can't get more patriotic than that!

3. White Sunglasses with blue tint - adorable!

4. Red dangle earrings - so cute and very versatile!

5. American flag tank - love this!

6. Blue flower pin - perfect for a solid color tank or tee

7. Navy knot bracelet - very nautical 

8. Red floppy hat - great color and super cute!

9. White statement necklace - this can go with so many outfits

10. Checkered red scarf - love a good scarf!

11. Blue belt - a belt can transform any outfit

12. Peace sign earrings - how cute are these?

I always love to hear about other ways to accessorize an outfit, so I can't wait to hear from all of you! And don't forget to head over to my blog so we can get to know each other better!! Thanks Haley!!

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Alright, now y'all have no excuse for not looking absolutely fabulous, yet still patriotic, for your Fourth of July festivities! ;)

Thanks again, Meg..you're the best!! 

Have a fab start to your week, y'all! xo 

Coming Home + Kayla [guest post]

 Well, it's Monday again and I'm not quite so excited about this one as I was about the last two, because I'm coming home today :( 

Don't get me wrong, I miss my sweet Rue, Jordan, Ms. Pam, Kelly, Ashley, Kait, and my grandparents. But, I won't be taking another trip like this anytime soon and that's very depressing to me. And now I have to go back to work. Boo!! 

Anyway, on a brighter note..I brought Miss Kayla back to wrap up my guest posts! She started me off so I thought it was only logical that she finished it off, too :)

Enjoy and please pray for safe travels for us!! xo

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Hello, haven't we met?  Yes it's me again.  =)


Haley is on her way home, and I'm pretty sure she is sad and dreading coming back to the "real world" as we speak.  I know I always am after vacations!

You have to get back to eating "normal" food, unpacking sucks, and for a week after you're home you look at a clock and think about where you were the previous week.  And how you'd much rather be back there.  Am I right, or am I right?

I usually cry after a vacation is over.  I've never left the beach and not cried.  For real.  And yes, I'm 28 years old. 


There is just something about "escaping" reality and getting to live somewhere else with no worries.  But that's what makes a vacation so enjoyable.   Reality is fun too.  We just have to get back in the swing of it for sure!

Welcome back, Haley! I can speak for us all when I say, we've missed you doll!

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Short and bittersweet!

Have a wonderful start to the week, y'all..and I'll see ya soon! :) xo 

San Fran + Meet Jordan [guest post]

 Happy July 4th/Independence Day/Freedom Day..whatever y'all wanna call it! 

I'm gonna take a quick second just to say...

I LOVE AMERICA.

Yes, the decisions that are made here sometimes really tick me off..but that's not America's fault. That's the government's fault. Anyway, there's nowhere else I would rather call home. Thanks for being so beautiful, America. 

Now, as you're reading this..I'm probably wandering around San Fran and the Fisherman's Wharf! 

But, I have my absolute best friend in the entire world (whom I am missing like crazy, love you Jo) here to guest post for me!

I know y'all have heard me talk about Jordan countless times and you may have even checked out her blog, The Time of My Life, a time or two. But just in case you haven't, I've brought her in today for y'all to meet the wonderfulness that is my best friend and I know y'all will love her just as much as I do! 

Take it away, Jo! xo

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Hey gals (and guys?)!
So as you know, I have the honor of guesting posting for my amazing best friend while she's in freaking CALIFORNIA and I'm stuck in boring old NC.. totally unfair.
Anywho, after much debate on what to write about (and some help from Haley), I've decided to discuss exercise. Sounds boring, I know.. but as an Exercise Physiology major I feel like I have a moral obligation to inform people of the importance of getting adequate exercise ;)

When most people think of exercising, they surely don't jump with joy. In fact, the reason that most people don't exercise is because they don't find it enjoyable.. and its pretty difficult to find time and motivation to do something that isn't enjoyable. However, this problem can be easily fixed by consulting fitness websites and/or magazines and just doing a few searches to find a workout that is both effective and FUN! Everyone is different, so you may have to add your own little twists to the basic workouts, but don't you think it'd be a little easier to get your 30 minutes of daily physical activity if you thought of it as leisure instead of exercise? 


Just in case my little spill didn't give you any more motivation than you already had, here's a few not-so-fun facts that might make you hit the gym:


*Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. Getting the recommended amount of exercise can prevent obesity and high blood pressure, both of which lead to heart disease.

*More than 1/3 of all Americans are obese.


*Lack of exercise can lead to countless life-threatening conditions and even psychological disorders such as depression.


And here's a few reasons why you SHOULD exercise:


*Exercise relieves stress.


*Physical activity releases endorphins, which make you happier.


*Exercise increases brain activity and can make you smarter.


*Exercise can prevent diseases, help you live longer, and improve your overall quality of life!




Now I hope you are all motivated to stay healthy and fit! Enjoy the holiday and have a great rest of the week!


-Jordan

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Now I'm sure y'all can see why she's my best friend! Sweet AND smart..perfect combination! :)

Have a great July 4th and have fun celebrating..but be safe! xo

Wheels up + Meeting Kayla [guest post]

It's Friday, y'all!! I know everyone is excited, but I don't know if any of y'all are quite as excited as I am because as you're reading this...I'm about 30,000 feet up on my way to sunny California!! Finally. We only booked this trip 3 weeks in advance and it took forever to get here! Imagine if we'd booked it 3 months ago..yikes. 

Anyways, I have a lovely group of girls guest posting for me this week and first up we have sweet Miss Kayla from Keeping Up With Kayla. She is so wonderful and I consider her to be my blogging big sister :) Love her to death and I know y'all will, too! 

Enjoy and please pray for safe travels for us!! xo 

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Dear Haley,

     Please know I hope you have a fabulous time on your vacation, but also know that I am hating on you a little because you promised to pack me to go with you... but I will get over it.  Eventually. :)


Hi ladies and gents if you read this, I'm Kayla.  I blog over at Keeping Up With Kayla.. and I'm SO thrilled to be taking Haley's place today.  Well, not that I can take her place, because the girl is awesome and I don't think anyone can take her place, especially not me..but I'm thrilled to be taking up her page for a day!

Since Haley is on vacation, let's talk about vacations.  We all love them.  We all dream of them.  We all start planning the next one soon as we are home from the last one.

Do you have any vacation traditions?  Do you go to the same location every year?  Same group of people?

Do I?  Well, let me give you a little back ground.  I've been friends with the same group of girls since we were kids.  We have been through thick and thin together and now live hours apart so it's hard to get together as often as we would all like.  So a few years ago we decided to start taking annual girls' trips.  A few days of nothing just girl talk and catching up.  Perfect.

Sadly, there will not be a girls' trip this year due to different, personal reasons.  But I wanted to take a minute and tell you about the past two we've taken together. 

Pure bliss. 

There is something about getting around "your girls" that brings out a happy side of yourself.  All conversation limits are taken down, all doors for laughs and cries are open, and old and new memories mix together.  It's absoutely one of life's most beautiful things.

Our trips normally revolved around the beach.  It's so great to relax by the beach.  That's my ideal day.

We also try and find something else cool to do, like last year when we hit up a Jason Aldean concert... And got RAINED ON. I will have to tell that story sometime.

Hopefully starting back next year we can get these girls' trips back in motion.

So, what kind of trips do you take annually?

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Isn't she the best?! Told you so.. :)

Thanks again, K..you rock!

 Be sure to come back Monday and see what fashion advice Meg has for y'all! :) 

Have a great weekend!! xo