Category Archives: Fashion

Holiday Celebration ~ Indiana Jones Style

Jay’s company holiday party is only about 2 weeks away and I am trying to tie up some loose ends with our outfits.

This year is an “Adventure. Action. Thrills.” theme with nod to Indiana Jones so I immediately thought I would wear a khaki safari inspired dress I’ve had sitting in my closet waiting for the perfect occasion. It looks similar to this one…

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Via 

However, last week I found this Jennifer Lopez jumpsuit at Kohl’s for about $15…

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I LOVE jumpsuits. I always like to be comfortable at these big corporate parties. For the most part they are business casual so I could totally get away with the simple khaki shirt dress, but because I love to get out there and dance with the other wives, I like to be extra comfy. This jumpsuit fit like a dream and I loved the reddish orange color thinking that it would be a little more festive.

I plan on wearing these wedges I found at Target over the summer with either of the pieces…

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I also have some chunky wooden bangles and a leopard print clutch that I will accessorize with.

I ran the idea by Jay of wearing a cheetah print bow tie. 😉 He immediately showed his disapproval, but I was on a mission to at least find him a tie that coordinated with my outfit. Behold….I stumbled across this gem at Kohl’s the other day and had my trusty 30% off coupon which brought the final price to right around $15.

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He approved since the print is more subdued and doesn’t obnoxiously scream, “CHEETAH!!”.

I really want to wear the dress, but am afraid I won’t be as comfortable as if I were to wear the jumper. I’m glad that I have options, though, and BOTH pieces together were less than $25 so I can’t go wrong.

CanNOT believe that it’s holiday party time once again. This is the ONE night that we both really look forward to every holiday season. His company always does such a beautiful job choosing the venue and carrying out the theme.

I’ll report back with pictures from he evening and the outfit that I end up wearing on our adventure to The Temple of Doom!

You Paid HOW Much For That?

I’ve really wanted to blog lately, but haven’t really had a lightbulb moment with a great topic…

I’ve wanted to share more recipes especially since I’ve been doing Weight Watchers and have been experimenting with more low fat/low-cal dishes in the kitchen these days. I started WW on September 3, 2014 and have lost 32 pounds! It’s something that I often wonder “why didn’t I get started sooner?!?”, but here I am 6 months into the program and fiiiiiiinally things are starting to click and I can definitely see changes on and off of the scale.

With that loss of 32 pounds comes the opportunity to buy some new clothes. I’ve always loved shopping for clothes, but when you are carrying extra weight and don’t feel the best about yourself, it’s hard to really go shopping and feel good about your purchases. I think I have been loving shopping for clothing for the kids to fulfill not being able to buy cute stuff for myself, but that is all changing! Lately I have bought some new pieces that I would not have worn prior to September 3rd.

Another thing to know about me is that I HATE to spend a lot on clothing. Growing up I remember being taught to start at the clearance rack and see what you can find first before paying full price for something. I recall heading directly to the clearance areas of Contempo Casuals, Wet Seal and Charlotte Russe when I was in high school trying to stretch my hard earned allowance and baby sitting money. After awhile it becomes a game to see how inexpensive you can find something and you’ll never want to pay full price for anything ever again. It may hurt a little when you don’t find something on sale or clearance, but it all balances out when the majority of your shopping is done mindfully and your items have a red clearance sticker affixed to them.

Lately I’ve come across some ridiculously amazing deals that I want to share with you…..

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I picked up this Michael Kors leather jacket for about $40 out of pocket. I had a gift card from Christmas and was looking around the dress department in Macy’s one day and the saleslady asked if I wanted a great deal on a leather jacket. I tried it on and it fit like a glove so I HAD to get it! After a coupon and my gift card, I spent a little over $40 for this jacket.

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A couple weeks ago I strolled through the shoe department at Target and spotted these for $3.56. They were an on-line return and my size {which is a 10 now!!}. Pays to have big feet! They look super cute with a pair of boyfriend jeans and a fun top.

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My latest stupidly cheap find was this pizza shirt for Holden that Old Navy gave me for 47 cents. I have no idea how they come up with these prices, but I don’t care, I’ll take it! It’s a little big for him still, but I’ll tuck it away for next year. That’s another way to save money when shopping for your kiddos….if you see something at a great price, pick it up and hang it in the back of the closet for down the road. I also try to buy multiples of stuff like this for birthday gifts. The kids always like having matching shirts with their friends at school.

I’m trying to teach Elliott the art of bargain hunting, too. She loves to shop, but has no idea about stretching a dollar just yet. When she was really into Justice {thank goodness that phase has passed!} she would go in there and want a pair of shorts for $40-something. I would go to the clearance rack and find some shorts in the SAME style and ask her “would you like two pairs of shorts AND a top or that one pair of shorts for about the same price?” Most of the time I shop for the kids when they are in school and save the receipts in case it doesn’t work out. Holden is easy and will wear anything I put out for him.

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My goal is to start a little frugal fashion blog and show just how easy it is to dress on a dime.

I look forward to sharing more finds with you as I expand my wardrobe in the coming months.

Happy shopping, friends!

XOXO

Doorstep Deliveries

I’ve always been a “hands-on” shopper. I’m not one to sit at my computer and click through the internet and shop. I like to come home with bags filled with my purchases.

A lot of my friends prefer to shop on-line and swear by it. I can understand if browsing is not something you enjoy, but I am a big time browser. I love to stroll through the racks and go hanger by hanger until I find the right article of clothing. I also like to try things on at the store to prevent any of the {get home-try it on-hate it-have to return it} syndrome. Even when I DO try things on, I always save my receipt and keep the tags on just in case a girl changes her mind ~ it’s been known to happen once or twice!

BUT, lately while shopping for wardrobe pieces for our big trip next month, I have had to order some things on-line since the sizes I need were not available in the store. I must say that prices seem to be lower in stores rather than on-line, but I’ve been checking the loads of e-mails I get regularly and have noticed that there are a lot of on-line specials, too!

I wanted to get the kids some July 4th swimsuits and ended up having to order this one from Crazy 8…

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I don’t shop here too often, but they do have adorable clothing for the kids. This suit was $9.99, but they didn’t have it in Elliott’s size. The saleswoman checked on-line at the store, charged me, got my address and is having it sent for free to my house!

The same thing happened at Janie & Jack when on the hunt for a pair of linen shorts for Holden. I’ve learned that linen shorts are hard to come by for boys, but think they will make a nice, dressier option for all the wedding festivities. Again, they didn’t have his size in the store, but the salesgirl checked another store and had them sent to me. I did have to pay $8.50, but the shorts were already on clearance and I got them for less than the original price even with the shipping charges.

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Yesterday I got an email from The Children’s Place for FREE shipping so I decided to see what they had on-line…I had just been in the store in the last week, but thought there might be some different items. I found this adorable jumper for Elliott for about $15 including tax…

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I activated my account and got a code for $5 off my purchase. Along with the free shipping, I thought this was a great deal for a whole outfit!

I also had to order their wedding attire on-line and it worked out perfectly. Holden’s black dress pants came from Macy’s and Elliott’s flower girl dress was ordered on-line through David’s Bridal.

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Oh and Jay & the kids gave me a Bath & Body Works gift card for Mother’s Day so I decided to check that out online and placed my order ~ easy peasy! And look at the cute blue & white gingham box all my goodies came in…

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The Salt Water Taffy candle……..get one now!

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This concept may seem like nothing new to you, but it’s a whole new world for me and I’m hooked. It’s been so fun receiving things here and there in the mailbox or waiting at the front door for us when we arrive home.

I can’t say that this won’t keep me out of my favorite stores, but it sure has opened my eyes to the ease and convenience of on-line shopping!

I don’t know about you, but I’m not a fan of taking the kids school clothes shopping. I usually pick up things myself and hope they like them. Holden is easy, but Elliott has her own style and doesn’t care for some things I choose. I have a feeling I’ll be doing a lot of school shopping from home this summer and I’m pretty excited about it…

Ding dong! Gotta go, I’ve got a doorstep delivery.

Frozen Swim Trunks & Mayonnaise

Hello, friends!

It’s Spring Break over here at FFF and we just returned from a few days at the beach.

We were invited to share a beautiful beach house with some friends in Oxnard, just about 50 miles west of us. The trip is a quick hour door-to-door which is the perfect getaway in my opinion. We came home yesterday since we have dance class today, but will drive back through Heritage Valley tomorrow to spend one last day on the sand before we complete our Spring Break with a family day on Friday, soccer & baseball games and birthday parties on Saturday & Sunday.

After early morning games this past Saturday, we loaded up the car and made our way out the 126 to the coast. We stopped along the way for a flat of fresh California strawberries.

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We quickly settled into our surroundings and headed to the beach only to find it ridiculously windy, cold and the least bit fun. We got the kids sand-free and had them get showered and in their jammies for the night while the mamas relaxed, read some magazines and had a little happy hour! Our first night was graced with a gorgeous sunset…

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The next morning the kids were chomping at the bit to get down to the waves, so we headed across the street and I sat as lifeguard for several hours while they frolicked ~ made sand forts, boogie boarded and cartwheeled in the surf.

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{the older I get, the less I feel I should be in the sun ~ old lady sunscreen}

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OK, let me talk about the ONE negative about this trip. The TAR. I grew up in San Diego. I lived in Long Beach for a year. We’ve visited several beaches in Northern California. Been to the Oregon Coast. East Coast. New England beaches. I’ve been to Hawaii. The Virgin Islands. Mexico. And I have NEVER heard of tar washing up on shore! I was not prepared for the tar. The worst part is that you can’t really avoid it. I tried to watch my step the whole time and that is when I picked up the most. So strange…..but you have to slather mayonnaise {or any oily substance} onto your feet to remove the black goo. Then you have to go rinse off the Best Foods before you go inside! It’s. A. Process. Holden was the only one that managed to get it on this rash guard and swim trunks! Apparently first graders like to roll around in the sand more so than third & sixth graders. I had to freeze his beach wear in order to flake off the big chunks of tar!!

Here is the bottom of my foot…

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Needless to say, after the tar removal process, NOBODY was going back to the beach until a new day dawned. Thankyouverymuch.

After a day of lifeguarding and making sure everyone was safe, de-sanded, de-tarred and showered, the mamas were ready for this…

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Before dinner, we took a walk to the marina where we watched a group of sea lions soaking up the last rays of the day on a dock…

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We took turns with cooking which always works out perfectly. Saturday night it was spaghetti, garlic bread and salad and Sunday the kids had tacos and the mamas had huge taco salads.

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Again, we were blessed with a beautiful sunset and actually caught the green flash at the very end.

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For dessert, we cozied up on some big chairs under a soft blanket and enjoyed some strawberry shortcakes made with the sweet local strawberries.

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Yesterday we spent another few hours enjoying the view of Anacapa off in the distance while the kids did their thing on the beach.

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Before heading home, we stopped for lunch at Toppers for pizza. One recently opened in town, but it’s been too crazy so we hadn’t tried it until yesterday. They have an amazing salad bar and the kids shared a small pizza all for $14.

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{beach hair, don’t care}

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We had a wonderful time. I enjoyed just sitting and watching all 5 of them laugh and run and play.

No rushed mornings. No backpacks. No lunches to pack. No homework.

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Great Aunt Alice

I come from a very small family.

I have one uncle on my mom’s side.

I have no first cousins.

However, my mom has several cousins and growing up we were particularly close to two of them ~ LouAnn & Sharon. They both have kids my age and a little younger so I’ve always considered them my first cousins even though they are actually my third cousins. Back in the mid-80s to mid-90s we would get together annually during the holidays and trade off houses between Long Beach, Mission Viejo/San Juan Capistrano and our home in San Diego. We always had a huge feast, visited and exchanged gifts. LouAnn & Sharon’s parents, Uncle George & Aunt Alice, were fabulous cooks and the holiday tables were bursting with good food. I will always remember these small, intimate gatherings with our little family.

Unfortunately great uncle George passed away in 2000, but we of course continued to see aunt Alice and were honored that she was able to attend our wedding almost 10 years ago.

Well, today is her 95th birthday!

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We travelled to the Temecula area this past Saturday afternoon to celebrate. The little clubhouse in her HOA was packed with so many of her dear friends and family. She was overjoyed with the kind words spoken from the mouths of these friends that have known her for decades. She was taken aback by all the cards and gifts bestowed upon her. But I have no doubt that she felt special and now knows what an impact she made on so many lives over the years. It was a honor to attend and brought back so many memories from our visits years ago.

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{the birthday girl dancing with my Uncle Larry}

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{L-R: my mom, Elliott, Auntie Alice, me, LouAnn & Sharon}

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Our lives have now taken us to different states and onto different seasons, but we’re always together for the milestones.

I don’t know what it’s like to come from a big family, but I’m sure happy with my little one.

The happiest of happy birthdays to you, Auntie Alice! Wishing you many blessings in the next year and always….

A Letter To Summer

Yesterday I printed off several of these cute summer letter templates from Thirty Handmade Days.

It was a HOT one and we spent the morning at the pool for an early play date. When we got home and after we’d had some lunch, the kids sat down for a little quiet time and completed these sweet notes to pop in the mail before we head out to the {right coast}!

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When they were all done and each box contained darling little drawings and cute elementary handwriting, I thought about sitting down and completing one myself! Instead, I decided to do mine in blog form and write my letter to SUMMER!

Dear Summer,

Here’s a little of what we’ve been up to since you arrived…

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{GoPro-ing at the pool}

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Finishing 6 week long projects that should NOT take 6 weeks…

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{full reveal to come ~ stay tuned}

Catching the latest at the box office…

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{we did not see 2 movies in one day…Holden just really loves this shirt! 😉 }

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{Despicable Me 2 on opening day}

What I love best about you so far, Summer, is…

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{quiet afternoons with a good book}

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{concerts in the park}

My favorite memories with you to this point are…

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{going on an adventure with this little pirate}

and

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{getting a sitter and hanging out with this guy}

We’re almost halfway through with you, Summer….why must you go so fast?

The next two weeks will be spent creating new adventures and making new memories in a whole different spot on the map.

You’ve been good to us so far, but I know there’s lots more in store. You’re really good at inviting us to enjoy your warm, sunny days and your starry, chirping cricket-filled nights!

Thank you for always delivering…

DCIM100GOPRO

Love your forever friend,

Amy xoxo

{Green}nut Butter Smoothie

Just popping in on this beautiful Tuesday to tell you about my new addiction…

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{his & her smoothies ~ wanted Jay to sample it…this is one serving, though}

Green Monster Spinach Smoothie

Another Pinterest find, of course.

Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 frozen sliced banana {Peel, slice and freeze FIRST!}
1 Tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 cup 0% Vanilla Chobani Greek yogurt {I like FAGE 0%}
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Breeze (or other kind of milk) {Just discovered Vanilla Almond Coconut Milk!!}
4 cups baby spinach (or more, or less)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Nutritional stats:

350 calories, 10g fiber, 21g protein

I usually get the almond coconut in the dairy section, but stumbled across this on the shelf in some aisle at Ralphs….

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{vanilla, almond AND coconut? Sold.}

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I like that it doesn’t have ice in it…my poor antique Oster blender has trouble with ice these days. The frozen banana keeps it cold ~ I need my smoothies COLD!

Looks green, but takes like peanut butter.

Perfect on-the-go breakfast.

Enjoy!

Sock It To Me

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m always a little late when embracing trends. The sock bun has been around for awhile now and I fiiiinally gave it a shot over the weekend.

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Yes! There is a SOCK in my bun.

It literally takes 2 seconds once you get the gist of it.

Click here and here to view a couple tutorials.

I’m hooked.

Go ahead….put a sock in it!

Our Sunday Pisces

SIX years ago this morning we welcomed Holden Oliver Aspiras into the world.

It was a rainy, rainy Sunday morning and we didn’t know he was a HE until 8:46am when the on-call doctor finally yelled, ‘It’s a BOY!”

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We had ourselves a little Pisces!

Holden, you have brought us 72 months full of laughter, long lashes & LOVE.

We knew about four years ago that you would bring lots of laughs to our family and you continue to be our little comedian ~ dancing, singing and commentating your own Lego tutorials on your iPod!

The happiest of birthdays, sweet boy. We love you heaps and cannot wait to see where the next six years take you!

We are with you all the way…..

XOXO,

Daddy, Mommy, Elliott, Riggs & Rascal