Monica Wants It: A Lifestyle Blog

#CorazonCampeon AT&T Latino {Culture}

2013-04-22T18:03:00.001-05:00

Hi everyone! So excited to reach out to all of you today to promote AT&T’s latest collaboration with Mexican Soccer Federation (Federación Mexicana de Fútbol, FMF), Major League Soccer (MLS) and U.S. Soccer. Soccer is a BIG DEAL in the Hispanic/Mexican community, and it’s wonderful when companies like AT&T help promote something positive and relevant to my culture. AT&T delivers exclusive content, access to games, and more for the fervent fans through all their screens and devices. AT&T is proud to connect thousands of fans to the most popular sport in the world.

Even better is that AT&T partnered with Jesse & Joy to create an original song that can be played at matches and events where the Mexican National Team will play. The song is upbeat, infectious, and very catchy—you can’t help but get in that competitive spirit.

For those of you who were lucky enough to attend Hispanicize this year, you got to see Jesse & Joy perform the song live. The song is titled “Corazón de Campeón”, which translates to Heart of a Champion. The song definitely describes the Mexican National Team, and all the other athletes around the world who compete in this elite sport. I’m psyched to cheer on the Mexican National Team as they try to qualify to play in the largest global soccer stage in 2014 (the World Cup is only held every 4 years, but at least it gives us all ample time to get pumped!) I don’t know if any of you watch soccer, but when you stop and think about how hard they have to train and how tiring it must be, I get inspired to do more. Be more. I’m always elated for the winners because they work hard for years, and then their hardwork pays off.

So, you can check out the song by Jesse & Joy on YouTube and you can also watch a video of their Hispanicize 2013 performance. It’ll make you want to shimmy your shoulders, for sure. AT&T has essentially helped create a soundtrack and victory song for all of us cheering on the Mexican National Team. It’s going to be our anthem, whether we win or lose, and it really helps build energy and spirit. Bravo AT&T!

As someone who works in marketing and public relations, I enjoy seeing large corporations partner with other organizations to promote something good. AT&T is showing their commitment to the Hispanic and Mexican communities by promoting/creating something we can all rally around in partnership with the Mexican Soccer Foundation and other soccer organizations. Companies that commit to doing things for minorities really mean a lot to me, especially when they’re positive campaigns and messages. I hope you’ll listen to the song, feel inspired, and maybe you can share the links with anyone else who might enjoy, too.

Let’s get excited about soccer! 2014 can’t come fast enough, can it? If you want to connect with AT&T Latino on Facebook, head on over to https://www.facebook.com/attlatino.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Being Latino and AT&T Latino. All opinions, enthusiasm for soccer, etc. are my own.

Fitbit Zip Review {Health & Fitness}

2013-03-26T08:30:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I’m here to give you all my review of my new Fitbit Zip. Now, I will totally be upfront with you all about 2 things.

1.) I paid for this myself.

2.) I did so much research before buying this damn thing that it is SHAMEFUL.

So about #2… I was debating between a Bodybugg, Fitbit One, and the Fitbit Zip. I pretty much scratched off the Bodybugg from my list really quickly because they require a subscription fee to access all the data, and I found the armband to be rather obnoxious. I didn’t want it to be totally obvious that I was wearing a weight loss/fitness device, especially at work. Not that I am embarrassed, but I just didn’t want the extra attention or looks. No thanks!

Then I started debating between the Fitbit One and the Fitbit Zip. Now, without going into a ton of details, here are the main differences between the 2 devices:

-Price: The Fitbit Zip is about $60 and the Fitbit One is about $100.

-The Fitbit One tracks your sleeping patterns, stairs/floors climbed, and has a vibrating alarm to gently wake you up in the morning.

-Both track your steps, distance traveled, and calories burned.

At first, I was thinking of splurging on the Fitbit One, because hey for $40 I get a bit more data. Then I started thinking that I don’t really climb stairs (none at home or work), and that I don’t really think I would do much with sleep data. To me, my sleep is what it is. I try to get as much as I need, but I have a 99-cent sleep app that really gives me all the information I care to know.

So I finally decided on the Fitbit Zip. The MSRP is about $60, although Amazon has them at about the $50 range. Honestly, I am a total cheap ass because spending money STRESSES ME OUT. Like I seriously will agonize over $4 cosmetics at Walgreens. I guess it’s because I grew up that way, and I am still that way now. I call it thrifty.

Yeah. $50. Ugh. I waited.

I was at Target on my birthday, and I saw that they had the blue Fitbit Zip for $35…but they were all sold out. I checked my Target app, and sure enough both Targets we frequent were sold out. Curses.

Not one to be deterred, I checked the Target app again about a week later when we were in another city and BAM! They had 2. I snagged one up, and now I’ve had this little guy for almost 2 weeks.

Here’s what I love:

It’s made me walk more. I used to avoid getting up at work to go do mundane tasks, and now I actively look for opportunities to get more steps in. Same thing at home. If I forgot something in another room, I am eager to get up and get it. It’s weird how a little device can make me want to work harder. It is really hard to get 10,000 steps a day on days I don’t exercise. I am lucky if I hit 5K. Hmph.
I feel it’s accurate. I truly do. I don’t think it’s giving me extra steps or anything.
The calories burned information is so valuable! I’ve been struggling with weight loss lately, so it’s nice to be able to look at data and develop a game plan. Looking at a week’s worth of data, I see I burn about 2100-2500 calories a day. This helped me come up with my daily calorie goal to help me lose 1 to 1.5 pounds a week. Before my Fitbit, I was relying on internet calculators to help me determine that.
I clip it onto my bra in the morning, and I don’t think about it until I shower or change for bed. The little clip is super snug, so I am not at all worried about losing it. If you’re a guy, you can clip it to your waist band/belt.
I can check my stats by either looking at my Fitbit screen or just checking my iPhone 4S. It uses bluetooth technology to sync with my iPhone so I can see if I need to get up and be more active, etc. HOWEVER, the Fitbit Zip can only do this with iPhone 4S and 5 (don’t know about Android phones, sorry!) because it requires some sort of fancy new bluetooth technology. It does come with a bluetooth dongle to be able to sync wirelessly using a computer. :)
No need to remember to charge it; it uses a replaceable watch battery that has to be replaced every 6 months or so.
No fancy subscription required.
Totally syncs with MyFitness Pal flawlessly!

Here’s what I don’t love:

Not waterproof! Not that I swim, but if I accidentally leave this on a bra and throw it in the wash…bye, bye Fitbit Zip!
Not backlit. If I want to check my stats in the dark (without my iPhone), it’s nearly impossible.

That’s pretty much it. I absolutely love this little gadget, and I think it would totally be worth the $50-$60. Will the novelty wear off? Hhmm. Maybe. I don’t know, I’m pretty determined to lose 100 pounds and have like 87 to go, so I think this will be a fun way to stay motivated and beat my previous weeks, etc. On the Fitbit website you can create a profile and add friends and such so you can get uber competitive if you want. Here’s the link to my Fitbit profile if you want to friend me.

I read some reviews that called this a fancy pedometer, and I would disagree. If you really drill down into the data and features, it’s truly a valuable health tool. You don’t even have to want to lose weight to find the data useful.

I guess the other bad thing is that now I really want the Fitbit Aria scale so I can really over analyze all the data!

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments or email me at monicawantsit@gmail.com :)

Would you want a Fitbit Zip?

Weight Loss Update {Healthy Living}

2013-02-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

Hi everyone! It’s been awhile since I updated my blog, and it’s been purposeful for the most part.

This month has been crazy, but I’ve so missed writing to you all. Today I’m here to give an update on my 8-week weight loss journey.

Since January 1, 2013 (8-weeks ago), I’ve lost 13.2 pounds. That equates to about 1.65 pounds per week, which is pretty darn fantastic. In my ideal world, I would have lost 10 pounds a week and be DONE, but alas, that is now how weight loss works.

Picture: Taken 2/1/13, my first day of Turbo Fire.

I’ve been counting calories on My Fitness Pal, which is by far my most favorite and FREE way to lose weight. Feel free to friend me on there, I don’t bite.

It blows my mind that My Fitness Pal is so amazing and costs me zero money. The first 4 weeks of my weight loss, I lost about 10.2 pounds with Turbo Jam doing the advanced rotation. In February, I switched to Turbo Fire and have only lost 3 pounds. Turbo Fire is essentially Turbo Jam on crack. I’ll do more in-depth reviews of both in an upcoming post.

I never thought I’d be able to do Turbo Fire, and it’s quickly become my most favorite workout of all time. It’s so fast-paced and you never do anything for a super long time, so it moves by so quickly. Yet my weight loss has totally slowed down since I switched programs. I’d like to say I’ve kept measurements, but alas, I have not. I suck at taking measurements because I half-way suck it in, or I don’t know if I should measure between rolls or above rolls.

Complicated, I tell ya.

I did take before and after pics, and I don’t see a huge difference yet. Hmph.

As soon as I am done with this blog post, I am going to take measurements just for my sanity. My pants feel a little looser every week. It’s funny because before I started on my weight loss journey (for the 1.8 billionth time), I was like squeezing into my pants. Like, shimmying them over the hips, laying down, sucking it in, doing squats to make those suckers fit. Now, straight out of the dryer, they fit loose. Progress!

However, I am fairly certain my weight loss may go faster if I totally gave everything I had with my eating habits, but I told myself I wouldn’t force myself to be a saint knowing very well that it wouldn’t be something I could do forever. I still eat out. I still drink. I still eat sugar and carbs. But I do eat less of those things I love. I cut my restaurant portions in half. I have switched from margaritas with salt over to beer with lime. A donut is a once-every-2-weeks treat rather than a 2-3 times a week occurrence. Moderation is the name of my game. I also don’t eat 1200 calories a day…I eat closer to 1700-2000. I know if I cut out all those things, I probably would have lost more weight by now. But I’d also be very grumpy and ready to cave at any second.

So, 13.2 pounds down, about another 85-90 pounds to go. This is going to take awhile, and maybe that is the most discouraging part on any given day. The fact that although 8 weeks have passed, I probably have another 60, 70 or 80 weeks until I reach my goal. But if I stop now, eventually that time will pass, and then I’d have to start over again.

I’m not going to let that happen. I look forward to week-9 because it brings me my 28th birthday next Friday, March 8. One of my 30 before 30 goals is to finally be at a healthy weight. I think I’m going to get there this time.

Hope you’ll stick along with me on these pages for the ride.

The next few posts will be about some awesome fitness headbands (see photo below), a cool desk I made, and maybe I’ll finally finish the damn master bedroom makeover and take photos.

Progress.

Picture: Taken 2/20/13, after 20 days of Turbo Fire.

Diet To Go Review {Health & Weight Loss}

2013-02-01T10:00:00.000-06:00

It’s funny how many people tweeted, wrote or Facebooked me to ask, “What are those meals you’ve been eating?”

Well, I was sent 4 days of food from DietToGo.com to review and give my honest opinion about. I finished the meals about a week and a half ago, but I am just now getting some time to write about my experience. Work is CRAZY INSANE. Everytime I think it’s going to settle down a bit, it so doesn’t.

So, I didn’t want to do the review rushed/halfway when I knew I wanted to point out some things.

I didn’t take pictures of all my meals because I get hungry and forget, but I did luckily get pictures of my favorite meals. That is one thing I will honestly say—the majority of the meals were TASTY. There were a few that I hated purely because it’s just not stuff I would normally, ever eat. Those dishes were a quinoa salad thing and a greek breakfast burrito. I tried to eat those and just could not. But if you like those foods, you might enjoy those dishes.

Here’s one of my favorite meals…it’s a reuben sandwich. I left off the salad thing that went on it to make it a reuben, so this was like a tasty grilled sandwich to me. The bread was like french toast and the cheese was plentiful and really gooey and yummy. Two thumbs up! It came with a fruit salad on the side that was super sweet and tasty.

While I thought the dinners and lunches were good overall, I thought where Diet To Go would prove really valuable for me personally is breakfast. Somehow that is the meal I have trouble with. I either eat something bland and am hungry, or I splurge and blow my whole day. The Diet To Go breakfasts were all A+ in my book (minus the greek breakfast burrito).

I tried 2 different kinds of muffins, and they were good. Now, the texture is different than a bakery muffin, but I sort of expected that because these are WAY lower in calories. The muffins were dense, in a good way, so they took me awhile to eat and digest. I was full with just the muffin. I want to know what magical stuff is in there, because I wasn’t expecting to be that satiated with a muffin. The muffin breakfast pack also came with juice (which I gave to the hubby) and yogurt. Simple, but tasty.

I thought the muffins were as good as it gets, but wait…the waffles. OH MY GOSH THE WAFFLES!

Sooooo good.

I stuck the breakfast pack in my purse on my way to work:

Then I dug in once I got to my desk:

So. Darn. Good. Delicious. Chewy. Filling. Sigh. I want more waffles. I could eat them everyday. The portion was uber generous.

Now I know a lot of you may be asking yourself if I think it’s a good value. Well, I got 4 days for free, and honestly… I liked it. It was nice to be heading out in the morning and just grab a breakfast. For lunch it was easy to just pick what I wanted to eat. It’s easy, and when I figured out the cost, it’s a bit better of a value than eating out at a restaurant…

And then there’s the sodium issue. Yes, there is a lot of sodium. There’s no way to prance around that issue. The way I look at it is that McDonald’s may be cheaper, and have just as much sodium, and maybe a Subway sub has less calories but more sodium. It is a concern though, and one I know so many people have. I feel you. I looked at the sodium and just drank more water, but yes, I was concerned.

Yeah. I don’t know what more to say about the sodium. There’s so many aspects to losing weight, and it’s hard to be perfect on all of them. My focus is calories in vs. calories out, try to make healthy choices, and exercise often.

You should do what’s best for you. Do I think that Diet To Go can help people lose weight? Absolutely. It takes the guess work out of it, it’s all there for you. Do I think it’s expensive? Yes and no. I think the meals are well thought out and coordinated, pretty filling, and it’s a tool to help keep calories under control, and if you want to lose weight, this might be a good way of doing it.

The food is tasty, and I wish they had a breakfast only plan.

Or if they just want to send me muffins, I’m down with that, too. And waffles, please.

I know many of you were waiting for my review, and I hope that I covered all my bases, but if you want to ask me a question, leave it in the comments and I’ll reply there. Or you can also email me privately at monicawantsit@gmail.com

Spinach & Bacon Pasta {Healthy Recipe}

2013-01-31T10:00:00.000-06:00

I know what you’re thinking. Did Monica REALLY just type spinach, bacon and HEALTHY all in title?

Yeah, I totally did.

This recipe is hands down one of my favorite meals on earth now, which makes it all the more weird that when my pal Lindsey suggested it, I was like, “Hell to the no.”

I was wrong. My recipe is actually an adaptation/revision of Giada’s version because I didn’t want goat cheese, and I didn’t want that much garlic. The end result of this pasta is a healthy, creamy, tasty and filling pasta dish that is cheap and quick. I swear even those of you who hate green veggies will LOVE this pasta because of all the flavor. Just try it, would ya? Now, I did add bacon, because seriously, what doesn’t taste good with bacon? But, you can omit it and it’s still fab. And hey, without bacon, this pasta dish is perfect for meatless Mondays or vegetarians.

Ingredients:

-1 box of pasta (16 oz.)

-1 bag of spinach (6 oz.)

-3 oz. of light cream cheese

-2 peeled garlic cloves

-3/4 tsp salt

-1/2 tsp black pepper

-Parmesan cheese (optional)

-8 slices of bacon (optional: try to pick bacon that’s 70 calories or so for 2 slices)

-Sun dried tomatoes (optional)

1.) If you’re going to make bacon, go ahead and cook that up however you’d like. I personally prefer the oven method (425 degrees, 10 minutes-ish). Once your bacon is cooked, pat excess grease with paper towels and crumble it up. Set aside.

2.) Boil your water, throw in pasta til cooked.

3.) Add your cream cheese, garlic, 1/2 of your spinach leaves, salt & pepper and pulverize! Put the other half of your spinach leaves in the bottom of a bowl where your pasta and such can fit, too.

This is what I use as my food processor/power whisk/milkshake maker/immersion blender. This one tool does SO many things for me that it kind of renders so many other of my small appliances useless. Money well spent, I love this thing. It has never failed me. I gush over this thing. GUSH. It is such a time saver and it’s under $35 for essentially 4 appliances. Cuisinart- I loves you!!

I toss my ingredients into the food processor attachment and it’s done it seconds. I will say I add a little bit of spinach at a time (about 3 batches) to ensure it all gets mixed well.

Here’s what it looks like once it’s done.

4.) Once your pasta is done, drain as usual, BUT reserve about 1/2 cup of starchy water in case you need to add it to make your sauce a little more “saucy”. I’ve never had to add more than a tiny splash of water, but ya never know.

Put the bacon crumbles over the spinach leaves in the bowl…

Pour the pasta over the bacon/spinach and add the sauce.

Mix, mix, mix!

Plate up and enjoy! Such a simple, healthy, quick, cheap meal for those weeknights where you just don’t have energy to do more than boil some water. We love to have some garlic bread on the side, and we grate up fresh parmesan cheese and put some sun dried tomatoes on top. Gourmet taste for so little money. Yum. Yum. Yum.

And seriously, aren’t the colors beautiful? That’s my fave thing about cooking with fresh foods- such beautiful colors on the plate.

The calorie counts are pretty low for the amount of food you get. I divided the recipe into 4, and the portions are HUGE!

Without Bacon:

With Bacon:

Just add the bacon, people!

Well, I hope you enjoy this recipe and you’ll add it to your repertoire. I’m sure glad I did, thanks Lindsey!

Be back tomorrow with a quick review on Diets To Go and an update about my weight loss progress. Squee!!

Balance Bar Review {Health & Weight Loss}

2013-01-24T09:27:00.000-06:00

I was sent a fabulous pack of Balance Bar® products to try to help me stick to my New Year’s Resolutions. The variety pack I was sent included a pair of each of the following: Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint Cookie Crunch, Blueberry Acai and Cookie Dough & Double Chocolate Brownie Minis (<---only 100 calories each!).

I’ve seen Balance Bar® in stores, but have never tried them until I was sent this variety pack. My absolute fave is the Double Chocolate Brownie Mini—I eat half before a workout and I eat the other half right after. My 2nd favorite is the Blueberry Acai bar—it’s become my go-to 3 p.m. snack. It satisfies my sweet tooth and keeps me satiated until dinner time at 6 or so.

But my favorite thing about Balance Bar® is that the bars are all reasonable/low in calories, and have a perfect amount of fat/protein/carbs plus vitamins and minerals. And, to be honest, some of the varieties are pretty darn close to being better than a candy bar. Sweet and satisfying.

Since I am trying to calorie count/do Weight Watchers, these bars don’t break the bank like some others I’ve seen. The most they have is around 200 calories and the mini’s have 100. Perfect as snacks or a quick breakfast. They’ve made it a tad easier and convenient to stick to my New Year’s Resolution of losing mucho weight.

Also included in my goody box of bars were some tips to help “outlast” my New Year’s Resolution. In 2011 I pretty much caved in April, and in 2012 I caved on January 3. This year, I hope to beat both of those records by making 2013 my lucky year. This tip is really what I keep telling myself daily because some days it really feels like a lot of work to stay on track:

“Be Patient with Yourself - On average, it takes 21 days to create a new habit. When you first get started, it will take more time and energy to focus on your daily goal. The trick is to notice when you didn't accomplish your daily goal - and to not beat yourself up about it. After about three solid weeks of working on your daily goals, they'll become second nature and part of your daily routine.” –Amber Rosenberg, Certified Life Coach

So, I’m being patient with myself, trying to enjoy the process, and trying to focus on the fact that it’s a journey not a phase.

And to help YOU outlast your New Year’s Resolutions, I’m giving away a box of Balance Bar® products just like the one I got! YAY!

You can enter below using the Rafflecopter widget. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I received products to review/giveaway, but was not otherwise compensated for this post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Copycat Los Cucos Green Salsa {Recipe}

2013-01-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

Ever been to a restaurant where the free stuff they give you before the meal is sometimes almost as good as the actual meal? Like for instance, the kick ass pretzel bread at Le Cellier at Disney World (Epcot) or the amazing salsa at your favorite Mexican restaurant?

Yes. And yes.

Daniel and I ate at Gringo’s probably about 6-7 years ago, and immediately became obsessed with their green/verde salsa. Was it avocado? Is it ranch? WHY IS IT SO GOOD?!

Fast forward to 2011 when he graduated from college, we had his celebratory dinner at Los Cucos which is a Houston-area restaurant chain, as is Gringo’s now. Again, that oh-so-delicious green salsa was served to us. It’s creamy, it’s got amazing flavor, and it’s easy to eat an entire little salsa bowl of it in under 10 minutes.

We seriously asked for a refill of the green salsa when we went to Gringo’s last month. We have no shame.

Since we can’t always travel to Houston for our Los Cucos/Gringo’s green salsa fix, we set out to recreate it at home. Not one to be stingy, I’m going to share the recipe with you. There are many variations of it online, but mine is slightly different in that I omit cilantro and mine is a bit creamier, less watery than a normal salsa. This recipe makes about 32 oz./4 cups, and is perfect for chips or top enchiladas/tacos. Very versatile salsa.

Ingredients:

1, 28 oz. can of green tomatillos, drained (fresh can work, too, just boil until tomatillo flesh is tender, chill in freezer for to cool them off)
3 medium avocados
1/2 of a serrano pepper
8 oz. light sour cream
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. steak or fajita seasoning

Directions: Open your can of tomatillos, drain all the liquid out. Dump all of them into the blender, followed by your avocado and all other ingredients. It should look like this:

Not very pretty or fancy, but that’s ok. Now blend/puree until it’s all broken down. If it’s too thick for your liking, add a TINY amount of water. TINY!

Now, serve and enjoy. This dip is creamy, full of flavor, and so fresh and affordable. Perfect for a Super Bowl party or any get together. It comes together in minutes. I thought it was tasty at room temperature, but it’s really delicious cold, too. The dip will keep for about 4-5 days, so I would make this and use it up quickly.

As you all know, I’m counting calories like a madwoman, so I figured out the calories to be about 290 calories for 1 cup. I serve myself about 1/4 cup when eating, so it’s not too awful, but you gotta watch your serving sizes.

Are there any restaurant salsas you’re addicted to?

I’ll be back on Wednesday with a giveaway that will help the lucky winner keep their New Year’s Resolutions by snacking healthy. :) See ya then!

CoffeeHouse Drinks & Desserts {#UltimateCup Recipe}

2013-01-09T19:03:00.001-06:00

Again, I am writing about coffee. I love, love, love it. Today, I have for you a coffeehouse inspired drink recipe that will make you want to make coffee at home all the time. It’s so tasty, delicious, creamy and so not low calorie. But it’s the perfect treat after a long day, and boy is it sweet and refreshing. My favorite thing about coffeehouse drinks is that it tastes gourmet and it’s not one-dimensional flavor. That was my goal when whipping up a tasty coffee recipe for you all today.

My least favorite thing? Spending $5 on something that lasts me a few minutes. I tend to chug, not sip, creamy iced coffee.

I am a big french vanilla fan, but for this recipe I got adventurous with some Coffee Mate Hazelnut creamer. Hazelnut is not a flavor I gravitate towards, but now I definitely will. It has a sweet, nutty, toffee like flavor that is AMAZING.

Let’s make some some creamy hazelnut iced coffee!

Ingredients for 2 servings (8 oz each):

-2/3 cup of Coffee Mate Hazelnut creamer

-2/3 cup of Splenda

-1 tbsp of caramel syrup/sauce

-2 tbsp of toffee crumbles (optional)

-Whipped cream topping (optional)

-Ice

-16 oz of brewed coffee

---

For this coffeehouse recipe, brew up about 16 oz. of your most favorite coffee. Once it’s done brewing, let it sit for about 15 minutes. Unload the dishwasher, start on breakfast or put in a load of laundry.

After 15 minutes, take a glass and overfill with ice. Your coffee will still be a tad warm, so it’ll melt the ice down to fit in the glass.

Pour about half of your coffee in the glass (8 oz.) and then add in 1/3 cup of Coffee Mate Hazelnut creamer, 1/3 cup of Splenda, 1/2 tbsp of caramel sauce. Mix, mix, mix! Top with a dollop of whipped cream and toffee bits.

This drink will easily satisfy any fancy schmancy coffeehouse drink craving you may have, and it’ll save you money. Also, the Splenda helps cut down on some of the calories from sugar, so indulging in some extra creamer and caramel is no big deal. My favorite thing about this drink is that it has a different flavor profile than my usual french vanilla. This drink is more robust, milky, and nutty than I usually drink. Delicious!

But, it’s also fun to use these creamers to cook with. I have been in the mood for some custard. I love creamy vanilla custard filled pastries, so I thought, why not make my own using creamer? So I did! ADDICTING! I can imagine this custard inside turnovers, eclairs, pies, etc. It is so tasty, and this recipe makes plenty. This custard is good hot or cold, but I prefer it chilled with cinnamon apples on top. I’ll show you how easy it is to make this.

Custard Ingredients (Makes about 3 cups):

-1 cup of 2% milk

-1 cup of Coffee Mate French Vanilla creamer

-1/4 cup of Splenda

-2 tbsp cornstarch

-2 eggs, lightly beaten

-1/2 teaspoon of vanilla

Cinnamon Apples (I’d make 1 apple for every 2 people):

-1 Apple, peeled

-1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon

-1/4 cup of Splenda

Get your cinnamon apples ready, and bake them in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until fork tender. If you’re in a hurry, you can also microwave them in a glass dish for 4-5 minutes at 50% power.

Meanwhile, get your custard ready! This part goes so fast that I didn’t get any photos for fear of ruining it all because I’ve never made custard before.

Have your eggs beaten and set aside in a bowl. In a sauce pan over medium heat, add creamer, milk, sugar, and cornstarch. You’re going to want to scald the milk, meaning there will be bubbles at the edges of the pan. Once that happens, take the saucepan off the heat (but keep the burner on), and mix in about 2 tbsp of the mixture into the eggs.

Slowly add in the egg mixture to sauce pan, put it back on the burner and STIR! Stir like crazy. I found a whisk and fork proved most handy to ensure the custard didn’t have egg pieces in it. Stir, stir, stir! Your custard will begin thickening, but don’t let it boil. I put a lot of muscle into it, and my custard is smooth and creamy.

I let it cool down a bit before I transferred it all to a glass bowl and added in some vanilla extract. Then, because I am impatient, I chilled it in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Finally, I served up my custard in some ramekins and topped with warm cinnamon apples.

Oh. My. Gosh. So good. So tasty. It’s comfort in a ramekin.

So, Coffee Mate creamer is GREAT for coffeehouse inspired drinks and it’s great for making custard, too. You could totally do this with another flavor (perhaps Hazelnut?) of Coffee Mate creamer, and I think you’d have the same results. Try this at your next dinner party for something that is sure to impress and easy to throw together.

If you’d like to head out to Walmart (like I did) and try some Coffee Mate creamer, make sure to print out a coupon for $1.00 a bottle. I love me some coupons.

Do you use creamer in creative ways besides coffee? Let me know if you have any more recipes because I have a lot of creamer in my fridge! :)

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Nestle Coffee Mate #CBias #SocialFabric #ad

Nescafe Memento {Review}

2013-01-03T18:55:00.001-06:00

If I had any weakness in terms of my eating habits, it’d be donuts and my love of flavored, fancy coffees. Both are bad for my waist, but coffeehouse coffee is bad for my wallet. Sometimes it’s more than $4 for a cup of coffee that isn’t always as tasty as I thought it’d be.

I was sent the sample packs below thanks to Nescafe. They’re samples of the new Nescafe Memento single serve packets. They come in 3 tasty flavors, as you can see below, and are really unique for a few reasons.

First of all, they’re about 50-75 cents per packet and only 100 calories for a single serving/8 oz. But, the yumminess doesn’t stop there. Unlike any other single serve coffee packet I’ve ever tried, this one foams up! You have this delicious, milky, frothy foam on top of your latte JUST like you would at a coffeehouse. And no, it’s not just bubbles of air…it tastes good. And under the foam is a delicious latte. Swoon.

Today was SUPER COLD, and I was at home for lunch, so I decided to make the caramel latte and take if with me back to work today. I poured half a bottle of water into my mug, microwaved it for 3 minutes, poured the caramel latte packet in…

Mixed it, and the foam magically appeared. Within seconds.

Also, you can see that on the rim of my mug is a caramel like substance—this stuff is the real thing. The only thing I had to do other than mix it was add a packet of Splenda. I like my coffee very creamy and sweet, but for you hardcore coffee drinkers, it might be fine as is. Luckily, the Splenda packet didn’t add any calories, which kept my afternoon treat at a very low 100 calories. My usual light coffeehouse drink costs me about 2-3 times as many calories.

I think these are a great alternative to the gourmet coffeehouse drinks that most of us love, and they are great for all of us who are counting calories as part of New Year’s Resolutions.

Which flavor would you like to try—caramel, cappuccino or mocha? You can order a free sample over here, and tell me what you think!

I was selected to blog about this product thanks to Being Latino & Nescafe. All opinions, photos, etc. are my own and not influenced by compensation.

Affordable Plus Size Fitness Apparel {Health & Exercise}

2012-12-26T10:00:00.000-06:00

I know many of you might be thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. What is it about a new year that makes us all think we can succeed at everything we failed at the previous year?

Well, besides the fact we can succeed at anything, it is a fresh slate of sorts. Everything is so last year and is so not happening again in 2013.

I feel ya. I do.

And while it’s technically not the new year yet, it is a great time to beat everyone who is also thinking of hopping on the fitness bandwagon. They won’t get on it until January 1, sooooo, you have almost a whole week to snag up the fitness apparel in the sizes you want/need. Now, as a woman who is fluffy, I am appalled at the lack of cute fitness apparel for fluffys. It’s like I have to lose weight to fit into anything from the major fitness brands. I’m looking at you, Reebok.

Well, let’s say you want fitness apparel, aren’t sizes 0-10, and don’t want to spend $70 on yoga pants (yeah, screw you Victoria’s Secret!)…then you’ve come to the right place. These are stores with super affordable, cute, fitness apparel that will fit you NOW.

1.) Walmart.com: Affordable (think $17 and under per item), cute, and with 97-cent per item shipping (or shop in store), they are a viable, SUPER affordable option for workout pants, tops and sports bras.

2.) LaneBryant.com: Not as cheap as Walmart, but with coupons, it can be (if you buy at the right time). A lot of the items are made by Reebox, oddly enough since Reebox.com only goes up to XL, but lots of the tops/pants are on sale constantly. The sports bras are FAB quality, and are usually BOGO 50% off or free. Coupons are key to maximizing your savings, but the prices are reasonable nonetheless.

3.) OldNavy.com: Free shipping on orders over $50, free returns, and loads of coupon offers every week, this another great option for affordable fitness apparel. They have a whole section of plus size fitness wear that is cute, practical and affordable. The sizing is a little funky, so you might want to order one size up/down and return one. Some items run huge, others run small.

As you can see, with these options there is no excuse to workout in ratty t-shirts and icky pants. I think investing in a 2-3 workout outfits will help make you feel good about yourself when working out, and hopefully keep you motivated because you’ll look so darn cute.

And since you’re saving on workout apparel, I’d urge you to splurge on these items:

1.) A heart rate monitor! My absolute favorite is this one. I’ve owned it for about 2 years now, and I love that it tells me if I need to work harder (or take it down a notch), plus it tells me how many calories I’ve burned. That info alone will help your weight loss goals since those online calculators tend to grossly over estimate how many calories you burn. This is money WELL spent, and Polar is an outstanding brand that will last you MANY years. Well worth the $65 or so.

2.) Good athletic shoes. Your knees, joints, and feet will thank you profusely. I’d suggest going to a running/walking store to get properly fitted for the proper shoes (over/under pronators), but if you don’t or can’t, Amazon.com’s shoe department is your friend. They offer free returns on all shoes sold by Amazon, so by a few different sizes/types, keep what fits, and send the others back. You won’t even have to leave the house. I personally love Asics, these shoes to be exact, but order shoes that will work for the type of exercise you will be doing (running/walking/dancing, indoor/outdoor).

3.) If you’re running or walking or even just planning on vacuuming as a form of exercise, a pair of bluetooth headphones will prove invaluable. Gotta love the feeling of no wires to interfere with your arm motions, plus if you get a phone call while you’re exercising, it’s really easy to just pick up the phone by pressing a button on your bluetooth headphones. Adjust volume, switch songs, talk on the phone without having to mess with your phone. Pure. Bliss. I own this pair, and they’re so luxe without the luxe price tag. They’re rechargeable, have good volume and seem pretty heavy duty.

I hope those suggestions help all of us who are a little ahem, chubby, find some cute workout clothes so we can be fit and healthy in 2013. If there’s a store I forgot about, please leave me a comment so others can see, too.

I almost forgot—if you’re shopping online, remember to click through eBates! You earn cash back on all your purchases, so if you spend $100 at Old Navy, and they’re doing 5% cash back that day, you’ll end up with $5 cash back. Every bit helps, and it’s super easy to sign up here. You can save up that cash back money to buy some smaller clothes in spring time, right? :)

What are your favorite exercise/fitness activities to do when you’re trying to get back into a fitness routine?

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas…I’m in a funk.

2012-12-24T16:48:00.001-06:00

I’m one of those people who says happy holidays. I don’t want to offend anyone or exclude anyone’s beliefs or holiday celebrations…

^Me, Christmas 2004. Much younger, carefree and totally oblivious to how lucky I was to be young and carefree. Youth is wasted on the young!

So, happy holidays and a Merry Christmas to all of you wonderful, lovely, kick-ass readers of this little blog o’ mine.

I know the posts have been scarce, and the projects few, around here lately. It’s somewhat because of lack of time and also because it’s just a hectic time of year.

I remember starting this blog back in 2009, right before my wedding, and hardly anyone read it.

Still much of the same now, it feels, but the analytics show you all are reading. Well, 99.99% of people are reading the espresso DIY cabinet post, but I hope you all are intrigued enough to click around.

Now, 3 years later, it’s odd to know family and friends also read these pages, and I guess it’s left me feeling a bit censored. That leaves me a bit uninspired sometimes because I may come off as very vanilla, when I’m in fact not. I hate the weird looks after a rant or the judgment/guilt after admitting something one feels. I feel ashamed of some of my weight related posts because I’ll write one, and the very next evening invite a girlfriend out to go gorge on beer and nachos with me at the local watering hole. A total contradiction. I know this.

So I’ve been feeling censored, and therefore just a smidge uninspired to come home and lay it all out there on the blog like the good ole days. I’m in a funk of sorts, and the scale shows it. This morning the scale read the highest weight I have EVER been. Ever. EVER. EVER. It may as well have just read WTF so I could just know that my scale was like, “PLEASE STOP EATING OUT!”

I get the memo, Mr. Scale. Got it.

I put myself here, or actually probably Chili’s did because everything on their menu is loaded with sodium, and I gain 5 pounds for a week every time I eat there. I’m not eating there ever again, sorry friends.

But, the scale is a direct representation of how my life is going, I think. The more out of control I feel, the more I eat. WHY CAN I NOT BE HEALTHY!?!?! I’m just going to say it…I want to look good naked for once in my life. Not even for my husband, but for me. Yeah, me. I want to not be repulsed by myself. I can’t be alone in this feeling, right ladies?

I am sad. Why? I don’t know. I am so blessed. My husband just got a promotion, my dog is fantastic, my friends are amazing, family is healthy…why am I not happy? Isn’t this what everyone wants in life?

Yes.

No.

Maybe?

Sigh.

I’m unhappy, and I’m fat. Fat and unhappy. My weight gain leads me to avoid family like the plague, I avoid friends from back home who haven’t seen me since oh…60 pounds ago? See ya in 2014, friends!

I’m rambling, it’s not making sense, and I just want to figure out why I am so damn unhappy and in a funk. Stressed, beyond the normal stress level for a 27 year old woman with no kids. My stress is through the roof.

Why am I unhappy? It can’t just be my size/weight. Maybe it can. Can I really be so vain that this all has to do with my looks? Can it?

I want to be happy this holiday season. I truly love Christmas despite the sadness that surrounds it. You see, it’s the 6th anniversary of my granny’s death on Christmas Eve, and the 12th anniversary of my dad’s death on Christmas Day. Tough cards to be dealt, eh? Yeah, I know it. Still…in the bottom of my in-a-funk heart, I know they want me to be happy. Truly happy. Everyday I’m alive.

And so I will be.

Merry Christmas, and/or happy holidays from me to you.

Love,

Monica

P.S.: I promise more projects are coming. :) Thanks for always being here for me, y’all.

Lane Bryant Twitter Party 12/17 #LB12Days

2012-12-16T17:00:00.000-06:00

Just a friendly reminder that there is still time to enter my giveaway for one of 2 Lane Bryant gift cards (see my post from earlier today), but if you want to have another shot at some holiday gift cards, then you might want to listen up...

There's a super fun Twitter party coming up where curvy gals can talk about getting all gussied up for the holidays. Maybe it's that fabulous company soirée or a family event where you want to dress to impress. Whether your favorite look is glam, modern, edgy, flirty or comfy chic, Lane Bryant has it all. You may get some ideas on how to put together amazing holiday looks. It may be cold outside, but you can still be smokin' hot, ladies!

Plus Lane Bryant has amazing special offers everyday, which you can learn about on their Facebook page.

So, join the @LaneBryant “Holiday Fashion Fun” Twitter Party this Monday, 12/17 at noon PT/3pm ET! Fab prizes! RSVP to win prizes, including $30 Lane Bryant gift cards! RSVP: http://clvr.li/128tjBx

The Details:

What: Lane Bryant “Holiday Fashion Fun” Twitter Party
When: Mon 12/17 noon PT/3pm ET
Where: On Twitter! CleverTweets: http://clvr.li/SYaCNf
Follow: Hashtag #LBHoliday @CleverGirlsColl @LaneBryantRSVP here: http://clvr.li/128tjBx
Prizes: 18, $30 Lane Bryant gift cards

I hope to participate even though I will be on the road. Yay for technology! :)

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Gorgeous Clothing for the Modern Gal {#LB12Days #PlusSize}

2012-12-16T08:00:00.000-06:00

So, yeah, my goals of looking like Jessica Alba didn’t pan out this year. Nor last year. Nor the year before that.

I think as I get older I learn that beauty isn’t tied to a number, whether it be weight or dress size. Luckily, stores like Lane Bryant also agree with me, and they make gorgeous clothing, accessories and shoes for the modern plus size woman. Shopping in their stores is always a treat because of their friendly staff and beautiful dressing rooms, and this weekend’s shopping expedition was no exception. Lane Bryant stores leave me feeling happy and confident. I don’t want to be feel ashamed when I just want to feel pretty.

I’m trying to convince my husband we should finally DO something fun for New Year’s Eve and the holidays, so I am hoping this cute blouse, shoes and earrings will help convince him!

I already have a pair of Lane Bryant classic black pants that I can pair with my sparkly blouse, and those heels are actually very comfy. I’m so not a heels person, but they are truly gorgeous.

Lane Bryant is having tons of special surprise offers just in time for the holidays, and today’s special offer will rock your socks. Here it is:

That is a GREAT special offer. Essentially you can buy a blouse and add on shoes for $1. Or a dress and get a cute sweater for $1. That’s a lot of value, just in time for the holidays. I’ll probably head back to a Lane Bryant store today just to take advantage because I love their pants and blouses for work. Confident, comfy, chic—that’s how I feel in their clothes. And with special surprise offers like these, I have no excuse to not splurge a little. Right?

And, because I want to spread some holiday cheer, I am giving away TWO $30 Lane Bryant gift cards to 2 very lucky people. It’s super easy to win, not complicated at all…

To enter to win one of the $30 gift cards, just pin your favorite holiday look(s) from the Lane Bryant website and include the #LB12Days hashtag in the caption, and leave me the link to your pin in the comments section of this post (not the link to your pinterest account, but your actual pin URL, one entry per person regardless of pins). Also leave me your email address so I can find you and mail you this fantabulous prize.

Contest is open from right now until December 18 at noon. 18+, US only. I’ll draw a winner on the 18th, and I’ll contact them via email. They’ll have 48 hours to respond before I give up and choose another.

With so many great special offers, Lane Bryant is a great choice for beautiful, curvy gal clothes this holiday season. Happy pinning!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Holiday Shopping with MasterCard {#FinishMyList}

2012-12-13T08:00:00.000-06:00

This year, for some odd reason, I am having so much trouble getting my house decorated and all my holiday shopping done. I’m just not motivated!

I don’t want to be scrooge, but I think this time of year is so stressful. I’m worried about work, home, family and money. Well, I can’t fix all of those worries all at once, but I was happy to learn I could save a substantial amount of money while shopping for gifts this year. We have had a MasterCard for many years, and I just now learned about the MasterCard Marketplace. Better late than never, right?

It’s an online portal/website where people with MasterCards (we have a MasterCard debit card) can shop and get exclusive discounts to local and online retailers. There weren’t any local places near me with discount vouchers I could buy, so I took a look at their “Offers by Category” section, and I found Score Big on there. It’s a site where you name your own price on tickets to sport and concert events. I clicked on “GET OFFER” and made note of the discount code exclusively for MasterCard holders, and I snagged some super cheap tickets to an NFL football game. My hubby is OVER THE MOON excited because he is a Houston Texans FANATIC.

Not only did I save by naming my own price on Score Big…I then saved another 35% percent simply for having a MasterCard and using it at checkout. Shipping was lightning fast, probably because the game is this weekend. Eek!

I was looking around at other offers, and there are great deals to be had on gourmet gift baskets, spas, restaurants and even travel. So, if you’re on a budget and shopping at the last minute (aren’t we all?) then this might be the perfect way to get a lot accomplished quickly. Most of the merchants are still taking orders in time for Christmas/holiday delivery. I enjoyed using the MasterCard Marketplace, although I wish it would have more local offers for my area. It was easy to navigate, and I never imagined I could save money on NFL tickets just by having a MasterCard.

However, the deals change daily, so if you want something, buy it when you see it. I learned that the hard way with one of the offers.

And on a totally unrelated note, I love the MasterCard Instagram account. Lotsa pretty pictures, like this one:

Image credit: MasterCard Instagram

If you want to try your holiday luck at winning some awesome prizes, then join in on #FinishMyList party 2-3 ET 12/13 for shopping tips. Great Prizes courtesy of MasterCard!http://cbi.as/czuby

What are your tips for shopping smart and quickly during the holidays?

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and MasterCard #CBias #SocialFabric #FinishMyList

Holiday Baking & Decorating {Recipe #HolidayCandy}

2012-12-12T10:00:00.000-06:00

During the holidays I love to bake, but I love to bake things that aren’t too complex. I don’t want to spend hours baking after spending hours at work…not my idea of fun. That’s why I love simple, delicious holiday recipes. I made cookies for a holiday baby shower, and boy are they tasty. Not crunchy, not too chewy + they have a nice sweet, yet salty flavor thanks to the Butterfinger Jingles.

I picked up a bag Butterfinger Jingles and Crunch Jingles at my local Walmart for about $2.78 a bag, and each bag comes with about 30 bells. You’ll need about 20 Butterfinger Jingles to make these simply delish Jingle Sugar Cookies. In about 20 minutes, including prep time, you’ll have tasty cookies.

Chop ‘em.

Next, mix your flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In a large mixer, beat your butter and sugar until they’re totally blended.

Add in your egg to the butter/sugar mixture, and continue to mix together. Slowly add in the dry ingredients.

Now your dough is ready for Butterfinger Jingles! Use a spatula to mix in all the pieces of Butterfinger into the dough.

Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, portion out your cookies onto a greased cookie sheet. You should end up with about 24-28 cookies.

Bake for 10-12 minutes at 375 degrees until golden brown and enjoy! You can view the full recipe for the Jingle Sugar Cookies over here.

Now, I love to eat candy, but I also use it for decorating my living room! While entertaining, I like for guests to be able to munch on stuff while hanging out, so I take some simple vase filler crystal gems and layer them about 1/3 of the way up in a glass votive holder or hurricane. I sprinkle a generous amount of Butterfinger/Crunch Jingles on top of the gems, add in a festive LED tealight and…

I end up with an instant décor piece that serves as beauty and function. The LED candlelight bounces off the crystal gems and the foil from the Crunch Jingles makes it sparkle! Add a cute little bow, and it’s instantly snazzy. They’re affordable enough to make a few to place in common areas such as living, dining, and family rooms. Each one is roughly about $3 (glass, LED votive, candy).

And by using an LED tealight my chocolates won’t melt and my guests won’t burn themselves while reaching in for a treat. One bag of Crunch Jingles can easily make 1 large centerpiece or 2-3 small ones. These are also great hostess gifts since the hostess can use the glass, gems and LED tealight long after the holidays! I currently have 3 of these in my living room, and it may explain why my pants are fitting snug these days.

As always, Pee Wee is trying to see what in the world is going on. If there is food, Pee Wee is there. Wonder where he got that from?

Nestle candy is great for baking, but don’t forget about how it can be used as décor, too. Hang candy canes on a tree, make cookie ornaments, use candies to designate/jazz up place settings at the dinner table…the options are endless and affordable. For more great holiday recipes and ideas, check out www.nestleseasonalrecipes.com

Do you use candy when baking cookies? Do you ever use it to decorate your home?

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Nestle #CBias #SocialFabric #HolidayCandy

Easy Entertaining with Tyson Bruschetta {Review #HolidayGuide}

2012-12-11T10:00:00.000-06:00

I’ll admit it.

I pin tons of appetizer recipes. Oodles.

I make none.

Usually it’s because they require more time and ingredients than I want to invest in. I am a huge fan of effortless entertaining. I want it to be affordable, easy and without stress. During the holidays we have a lot of gatherings with our friends and family. We host game nights, TV nights, holiday soirees, etc. and this means we serve lots and lots of appetizers to nosh on.

Here’s one of my new favorites. As you can tell, the bag is ripped open. These are GOOD. I’ll admit some of the frozen appetizers leave a lot to be desired, but these Tyson Bruschetta Any’Tizers are delicious. It’s chicken, spinach, cheese, and an alfredo like sauce all gingerly nested on top of a delicious mini toasted bread.

HEAVEN.

You can find them for about $6.98 at Walmart in the area where all the appetizers are (they also have a chicken and bacon variety, which is next on my “must buy” list):

They come with about 2 dozen in a bag, which is a great value. They bake up in under 10 minutes, so they’re perfect for entertaining. Pop them in when guests arrive, serve up on a platter, and you are good to go.

And you know me, I always have a comment about calories—you can eat 3 for 170 calories (maybe pair with a salad and call it a dinner!) They are pretty meaty and the spinach doesn’t have a soggy or gross texture/taste. These are truly restaurant quality to me.

I had a friend over this weekend, and we were busy playing video games and having fun. We got hungry and I literally took 2 minutes to plop them into the oven, and 10 minutes later we were munching away.

This lil’ guy was obsessed with trying to steal them from us. He eventually succeeded. Gotta love Pee Wee’s perseverance.

And if you need more entertaining ideas or even craft ideas, you can read my post about the Holiday Celebrations 2012 eguide created by Party Bluprints Inc. & Collective Bias. It’s totally free and even features savings to some great retailers like Sears and Otter Box.

I may have to try this Holiday Sangria from the holiday e-guide this weekend:

Bottom line—don’t stress this holiday season! Holiday dining or entertaining doesn’t have to cost a lot or be complicated to be delicious thanks to Tyson Bruschetta.

I hope it’s an item they’ll carry year round because I am obsessed. Ya hear that Tyson? :)

What are your favorite appetizer or entertaining secrets for a quick, stress free holiday season?

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Tyson #CBias #SocialFabric #HolidayGuide

SnapBox Prints {Review & Giveaway}

2012-12-10T18:50:00.001-06:00

It is no secret that I love, love, love my dog. His sassy attitude translates extremely well in photos, which makes me the crazy dog mom who cannot take enough photos of him on Instagram.

When I learned that I could turn some of those literally hundreds of photos of Pee Wee into works of art, I was eager to learn more. Here are the 3 Instagram photos I turned into SnapBox prints:

So, let’s talk about SnapBox. It’s a service that takes any photo, even Instagram pics, and turns them into canvas prints in a box…hence SnapBox. They stand on their own (as seen above) or they can be hung on a wall.

People…they are GORGEOUS! I was nervous about the quality of my Instagram pics, but I obviously had no need to worry because they are stunning. The ordering process could not be easier—I literally ordered from my phone while laying in bed. You email the photo to snapbox@snapboxez.com, they reply within like 2 minutes with previews of what your photo would look like at various sizes, you add to cart/pay and you are DONE. In about 5 business days you have them at your door (or you can pick them up at a participating store near you), beautifully/safely packaged and they are beyond amazing.

Only FIVE days! Perfect for those last minute holiday gifts. (Note: please order by December 17 to ensure holiday delivery).

I got them as gifts for family, because everyone loves Pee Wee. No seriously. The square photo is of Pee Wee cuddling with my mom’s dog Elmo. They usually ignore each other, so that photo is truly a rare moment in time. My mom is going to LOVE that print. The next photo, seen below is of Pee Wee in the back seat of our car; we had just taken him to an outlet mall where he was just SO EXCITED to get to walk around and smell new things. The expression on his face is priceless, and it’s probably my favorite photo of him ever. His smile makes me so happy. Incredibly happy.

And the other photo is of Pee Wee just cuddling here at home in his favorite blankie. I think if Pee Wee could have chosen any photo to give to Daniel for Christmas, it’d be this one below. Daniel and Pee Wee can often be found cuddling, so it seems fitting.

The sharpness in the photos is perfect, and the prices are so affordable. People, you get these amazing prints without having to have fancy cameras or special software. These photos are straight from my Instagram feed (I even emailed them to SnapBox right from the Instagram app).

I am in love. Head over heels in love with the quality, price, ease of ordering and how quickly they got to my door. I’ll be ordering lots of these, I just know it.

So, in the spirit of giving, I am giving away a set of 3 SnapBox prints! You choose your 3 photos in any of the sizes they offer. Even shipping is included!

You can enter below using the Rafflecopter form. Contest is open from now until Friday, December 14, 2012 at midnight. Code will be emailed to winner Saturday, December 15, 2012 so that you can order in time for the holidays if you’re the lucky winner. US only, 18+, good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Thanksgiving Dishes with Country Crock {Recipe}

2012-11-19T08:00:00.000-06:00

I adore Thanksgiving because it gives me an excuse to try new recipes. My favorite recipes to try out at Thanksgiving time usually revolve around 2 of my favorite dishes: potatoes and desserts.

For these recipes that I’m going to share with you today I was asked to swap butter and use a Unilever spread instead. I chose Country Crock, and I was super pleased with the results. You’ll also be happy to know that the recipes were tested on a 13-year old boy and a 30 year old guy and they both LOVED recipes.

Because they’re that good!

First up is a super easy potato side dish that is sure to please! The end result looks fancy, but I swear it doesn’t require a ton of effort.

Cheesy Hasselback Potatoes: Serves 4

Adapted from FoodNetwork.com

Ingredients:

4, 4-5 oz. potatoes (weight is before they’re peeled)
3 oz. of cheese (1.5 ounces per cheese type, grated) I used gruyere and white Vermont cheddar
1/2 cup of Country Crock Spread (melted)
Salt/Pepper to Taste
Bowl of water with dash of lemon juice

Steps:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 425-degrees. Rinse and peel potatoes, then soak in water with lemon juice. This keeps them from browning.

2. Once all your potatoes are peeled, thinly slice each potato about 3/4 of the way through in 1/4 inch slices like this:

I am so not a chef and my knife skills are not fab by any means, so just do your best!

3. Get your 1/2 cup of Country Crock Spread and melt it in a bowl large enough to fit your potatoes. I microwaved the Country Crock for about 30 seconds. Add a dash of salt and pepper and dunk each potato in the melted Country Crock mixture. Make sure all that yummy goodness gets into the potato layers. Reserve remaining melted Country Crock for later.

4. Pop your potatoes in the oven for about 35-40 minutes. Take them and sprinkle generously with your grated cheese and drizzle remaining melted Country Crock onto the tops of potatoes. Cook for another 15 minutes, or until fork tender and cooked all the way. Cool about 5 minutes, then serve! You end up with these wonderful potatoes that are slightly crispy on the outside, yet ooey and gooey on the inside.

So, now that you got your potatoes, you want dessert right? These 2-bite white chocolate pumpkin snickerdoodles will do the trick. Now I call these 2-bite snickerdoodles because they don’t flatten—they stay bon bon shaped! They’re dense, but have a lot of flavor and are great bite sized treats!

This recipe is also so easy that you can definitely get the kiddos involved. Look at the look of pure joy on my 13 year old brother’s face. Love that guy!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bites: Makes 5-6 Dozen

Adapted from Six Sisters Stuff

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Country Crock Spread
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
1 large egg
3 1/4 cup of flour
2 tsp of baking power
1 tsp of baking soda
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

Topping:

Cinnamon + sugar mixture (optional)

Steps:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Mix together the margarine, shortening, sugars, pumpkin, and egg. I used my KitchenAid mixer, but you could also use your hand mixer or some elbow grease. Make sure to use a large bowl though because there’s lots of dough made from this recipe (which can easily be halved).

2. Once those ingredients are mixed, incorporate remaining ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and white chocolate chips). REALLY mix it well! You don’t want to end up with cookies that have a flour aftertaste, so make sure to really work all the ingredients together well.

3. Put your dough in the freezer for about 10 minutes. This makes it easier to work with, especially if you’re using a cookie scoop, like I did.

4. Once your dough is chilled, use a cookie scoop or your hands to form into little balls. If desired, roll them into a cinnamon sugar mixture to coat. I did this on about half of my cookies, and I do think it helped amp up the flavor a bit, but you can omit this step.

5. Bake for about 8-10 minutes. They likely will not flatten, so don’t fret! Pumpkin puffs them up, but they’re still tasty. Unlike other cookies, I feel like these taste even better the day after. Once they’re out of the oven, let them cool and enjoy!

I didn’t taste or notice any difference when omitting the butter in favor of using Country Crock Spread by Unilever. It’s nice to know I can easily make that swap without sacrificing flavor. Now I know my Thanksgiving dinner will go off without a hitch!

What dishes could you use Country Crock Spread in this Thanksgiving?

Thank you to Good to Know & Unilever Spreads for being a sponsor. I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Holiday Celebrations #HolidayGuide {Entertaining}

2012-11-18T19:08:00.001-06:00

I love, love, love the holidays, but trying to select gifts or plan menus for holiday soirees can be overwhelming. And daunting.

Which is why I love it when other people put together guides for me to pick and choose things from that are of good quality and value.

As a member of Social Fabric, I am excited to promote the Holiday Celebrations 2012 eguide created by Party Bluprints Inc. & Collective Bias.

The eguide contains fabulous recipes, like the Merry Mocktail pictured above (recipe on page 5) or the candied snickerdoodles seen below.

And while I love to have friends and family over during the holidays, preparing food and a menu really stresses me out. I always start off very ambitious, and then I give up and use something store bought and add a twist to it. I’ll be writing more about Tyson Bruschetta and how I incorporate this tasty new product into my party and snack rotation. It’s easy, affordable and tasty! Gotta love Any’tizers.

But besides entertaining, I also love to decorate my home, and this eguide offers a few ideas on how to DIY some décor.

And some fashion advice to make sure you dazzle at all those holiday gatherings:

I understand we’re all on a budget during the holidays, so make sure to flip through the 22-page eguide for some great savings from brands like Sears. This is a great way to save on holiday gifts for those fashionistas in your life.

The Holiday Celebrations 2012 eguide is a practical, fun, and easy way to get some ideas for holiday gifts, recipes and beauty/fashion ideas. Come back to my blog tomorrow to see 2 super easy Thanksgiving day recipes that you might want to consider adding to your Thanksgiving menu.

Do you use eguides or holiday guides to pick out gifts and prepare for the holidays?

I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Tyson #CBias #SocialFabric #HolidayGuide

I Wanna See Your Peacock {Home DIY}

2012-11-12T09:15:00.000-06:00

Have you heard the Katy Perry song, "Peacock”?

She’s so not talking about peacocks, y’all. Ohmygosh it’s scandalous.

And would have made a great song in Magic Mike…

Yup.

But I’m not here to chat about Channing Tatum’s amazing bod in that movie nor about Katy Perry songs.

On Pinterest, the peacock colored wall trend is huge. Everyone who is anyone has a wall in their home with that color, and it looks fab and chic. Yet much like most trends these days, if I try them on myself, I look like a sausage stuffed into skinny jeggings.

No business. Just no business.

So, I gathered up my inspirational photos and narrowed down my peacock-teal paint colors to Plumage from the now defunct Martha Stewart line and Deep Sea Dive by Sherwin Williams.

I wanted the result to look as bright, yet bold and deep as they do in the photos below.

Via Teal & Lime

Via Young House Love

I got Plumage color matched at Sherwin Williams + I had a sample of Deep Sea Dive in the garage. The result on my master bedroom accent wall was atrocious.

See?

~~Plumage.~~ Onto Deep Sea Dive by Sherwin Williams.

Meh.

I finally just caved and realized that dark, deep, bold colors were NOT going to work in my master bedroom space. And that’s because one whole wall is a set of sliding glass doors with plenty o’ natural light beaming in.

Sigh. I guess I’ll just have to bring in the color with bold accessories and a variety of textures.

So, what did I do with that accent wall? Well, what the other half of people on Pinterest are doing…stripes.

Forgive the awful quality of all these photos…they’re Instagrams. They look so wonderful on my phone though. Hmph.

That brings me to my next conundrum… accent colors.

I want our master bedroom to be chic, boutique hotel like (that quirky, unique, curated vibe) yet restful and easy to maintain. I don’t want 80 billion pillows that will get thrown on the floor every night.

After much, much thinking, I am 99% sure I want the overall color palette to be a combo of these 2 pics:

Via Sarah Gordon Home

Via Ashlee Raubach Photography (Those lamps are TO DIE FOR!)

The main colors in both photos are: teal, white, hot pink, silver, and gold. I’d also throw in some black for a dash of drama. Our tall tufted headboard will be the star of the show along with a BIG damask rug I snagged from Overstock last week. I’ve got the 2 leads in the master bedroom show, and now I need a whole supporting cast. It is so hard to find those perfect accessories to really bring a room together. While that is the most stressful part of it, it is also the most fun. My husband and I have no shame in scouting every single Home Goods, Marshalls, Ross or TJ Maxx in a city.

WE HAVE NO SHAME.

I’ve been on the prowl for an affordable version of the chrome lamp above, and I found a nearly identical lamp at One Kings Lane for $149. Each.

Gulp. Or you can pay even more for this nearly identical version.

Or this one is kind of cool, too:

Only $65 from Amazon.

But I also did find a STEAL of a deal on a pair of damask pillows, $36 for both, with free shipping.

These nightstands I made over earlier this year will get made over again, or I may just splurge on mirrored nightstands.

Or I could turn them into peacock colored nightstands with a high gloss/lacquer finish? I can never achieve quite the look I am going for sometimes. Must keep trying.

What do you think? I have taupe walls with stripes, dark cherry handscraped floors, and a bright white popcorn free ceiling (more on that soon)…

What now?

Stylish Work Wear #LizClaiborne {Plus Size Clothing Review}

2012-10-31T19:19:00.001-05:00

Well, thanks to all of your comments and votes, I went with the fabulous pink shirt and pencil skirt outfit from the Liz Claiborne line at jcpenney for my big day at the office.

Ta-dah!

The outfit made me feel like I looked polished, yet modern and feminine. That day I was on my feet the WHOLE day, and I felt pretty comfortable in the outfit. I got lots of compliments on the color of the blouse, and seriously, who doesn't love compliments?!

It was a pretty important day for me because I had to coordinate a visit from a Texas State Senator on our college campus:

This meant I had to set-up for the event, greet guests, take photos, and generally be an awesome PR pro for the college I work at. The State Senator visit went off without a hitch, and I think I'm going to attribute some of that success to have a comfortable outfit that made me feel confident! I am sometimes nervous in my new position at work, and it may seem silly, but having clothing that makes me feel good about myself is important. This especially important to me when I feel really overweight and fluffy. It's a blessing to find stylish plus size clothing. Truly. I mean it.

Now I have classic, yet stylish/trendy pieces in my wardrobe that were affordable and will last awhile. I'm making my work clothes as fun as I can!

Then I felt so empowered by my outfit and the inspiring message of State Senator Judith Zaffirini that I went out to early vote in my fancy schmancy jcpenney outfit.

The next day I had a few emails telling me what success the day/event was, and I felt proud. So thank YOU my lovely readers for helping me choose an outfit that made for a memorable, important day at work for me.

Do you have an outfit that makes you feel uber confident? I'd love to hear about it!

This outfit gave me the confidence I needed to make a great impression. jcpenney carries iconic brands like Liz Claiborne that make looking good effortless at great prices. Go to jcpenney to shop for more of fall's best trends.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of jcpenney. The opinions and text are all mine.

Aveeno Baby Wash {Review & Giveaway #ETYY #LLBLOG}

2012-10-30T18:17:00.001-05:00

If you’re thinking, “Monica doesn’t have kids, why is she writing about Aveeno baby shampoo?” then you’re like half right, half wrong. I have a furbaby who licks himself into oblivion because he’s likely allergic to air. It’s crazy.

I gave him a bath last week, and it’s his least favorite thing to do because I undo all the stench he’s worked so hard to accumulate since his last bath. Usually I use sulfodene as Pee Wee’s shampoo, but because of how great Aveeno is for sensitive skin and is gentle on the eyes, I decided to use it on my baby!

I tend to get soap all over his face, and I felt great knowing that this wasn’t burning his eyes or irritating his already irritated paws and skin. I also used it on myself! I’ve been so itchy lately because of all the dust we’ve stirred up with the master bedroom renovation. My feet and head are just constantly driving me bonkers. I felt the wash was soothing, and while it didn’t totally get rid of my itchy feeling, it did help.

With winter coming up soon, wouldn’t this be a great time to get some awesome goodies to help your skin? I think so! This post is part of a campaign I am doing with Johnson & Johnson, and to wrap it up I am having a giveaway today + another one tomorrow! Isn’t that fun? I wrote a review about some of the items earlier this year, and I’ve been using them consistently since.

What items are up for grabs? Well, here they are:

A total value of $100 (products + shipping) of fab items that will help you stay clean, moisturized and fab during this winter.

To enter to win, all you have to do is leave a comment with why Aveeno products (or any product shown in the picture above) would help you survive the winter season. Drawing is open from 10/30 through 11/1 at 10 pm CST. 18+, US only. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I’ve received the product(s) shown in this post, but was not otherwise compensated for this post.

2012 ScenTrend Mixing Challenge {Review & Giveaway}

2012-10-29T19:25:00.001-05:00

I’m obsessed with making sure my home always smells good.

This probably stems from the fact that I have a dog who licks himself silly, and I have a husband who feels socks strewn through the house is like manly confetti or something.

I was contacted by the kind folks over at Scentsy asking if I’d create my very own home fragrance scent using their Pink Pepper scent + other Scentsy fragrances. I own a Scentsy, and honestly have never thought of combining the bars to create a signature scent. So simple, right?

So I sniffed…and sniffed…and sniffed through the various scents they sent over to narrow it down to scents that would accent the spicy yet sweet smells of the Pink Pepper. Pink pepper could totally be the star of its own show, BUT it is so easy to pair other scents with it and create something totally unique. Versatile, complimentary scent.

Finally, I ended up choosing Pink Pepper + Ace (woodsy, cologne type smell) + Pixie (spicy, floral-esque)= Monica’s Signature Home Scent. I tossed them into my Scentsy burner and waited for my creation to fill my house with the smell of wonderfulness.

Typically, I choose home scents that either smell clean (January-May) then I migrate over to floral/fun (June-August) then from September and onward I love scents that tell a story and set the mood.

The scent I created definitely has a masculine scent to it mixed with sweet and spicy scents. Think of a male and female supermodel sitting in my living room and wearing the cologne/perfume they model.

Basically.

I have a penchant for birds, so for my warmer, I chose this spiffy owl.

Look at all the gorgeous detail! I love that Scentsy warmers easily blend in with décor, and that they’re good quality. I absolutely adore the one I’ve had in my kitchen for the last 2 years.

I think my new owl will look good in my living room all year round because I have nature décor in that room. Again, I have a thing for birds! :)

For now, he looks mighty spiffy alongside my fall décor on the console table in the living room. Understated, cute and functional.

So, now that I’ve created my very own signature scent, it needs a name. Monica’s Signature Home Scent just doesn’t do it for me.

And guess what? If you help me think of a name you are entered to win your very own Scentsy warmer (you get to choose it) + you get the scent bars I used to create the scent.

Oh and you get the huge pleasure of having my home signature fragrance named after your nifty idea.

To enter to win you HAVE to do this:

-Comment on this post with your idea for the fragrance name

And if you want 2 more chances, you can also do these:

-Comment on this post with why YOU need a Scentsy in your home

-Go like Scentsy on their Facebook page.

Leave a comment for each, open to 18+ in the USA. Good luck! :)
Contest is open NOW through Friday, November 2nd at 10 pm CST. Winner will be notified via email (so leave me a way to find you!)

Disclaimer: I received a Scentsy warmer + bars for review but was not otherwise compensated for this post.

DIY Kitchen Makeover {Reader Revamp}

2012-10-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

This is a bit of something new on these pages. Ya see, sometimes I get emails from people and they’ve taken so much time and effort to write to me. It means so much. Especially when it’s something along the lines of, “Please help me not have an ugly kitchen!”

How can I say no?

Today we have Stephanie’s kitchen, and she emailed me about a month ago asking for some advice. So, I’m going to give her some ideas in this post, but I’m also hoping YOU will help her out. Sometimes a team of people can come up with way better ideas than one person.

Let’s help Stephanie! Here’s her email to me:

“Dear Monica,

I LOVE your website and blog! Your tutorials are awesome. You have excellent taste! I have such a hard time imaging what the finished product with look like when I’m staring at ugly.

I’ve read your tutorial about staining your cabinets in your bathroom so many times. I’m really tempted to do this in my kitchen. I hate my kitchen, but I can’t afford to remodel it at this time. I was wondering if I could get your expert opinion on it. I’m sure you get bugged by people like me all the time, but I thought it might be worth a shot, because if you did reply, it would be awesome!

My appliances are black and the countertop is a very strange purple/grey color. I may just do a resurface kit for the countertops I found at Lowes or something. But can’t decide if the Java color of stain would look too dark on the cabinets next to the black fridge and oven or if I should do the Cherry color instead by General Finishes. I think I would add a tile backsplash and take off the two cupboards that have the ugly glass in them and just leave open shelves. Do you have any suggestions on color of the stain, tile, or paint?

I hope you are having a great day! Thank you for all of your tutorials that you put out there for us to read!

Thank you!!!

~Stephanie”

And here are the photos she sent along:

So here’s my super cheap plan.

I would definitely stain the cabinets the espresso color (if you’re new here, I have the tutorial right over here). I think although the appliances are black, it’ll work.

Now personally, I love glass cabinets, so rather than take them off I’d add in some battery operated LED lights. I have these under my cabinets in my office, and I adore them. I’ve had them over a year, and the batteries still haven’t gone out. Adding in some light immediately classes up the glass and adds some nice interest. Rather than hop on a chair to turn them on, I just poke them with a ruler or pen.

Next, I’d swap out the hardware. It looks like you might have a standard 3” hole-to-hole opening, so it should make finding new hardware super duper easy. I’d recommend something modern in a satin nickel finish:

From Amazon, $24 for 10.

Or if you’re more traditional, maybe something more along these lines:

From Amazon, $2.51 each.

In that open wall area near the window, I might add some glass shelving (or these nice stainless steel ones would work) for herbs/cute kitchen canisters/decor. Ooh, ooh…how about these floating Umbra shelves for cookbooks?

And maybe a fun menu chalkboard that would cover up the phone jack (get one of those canvas type ones that will just fit right over it). What might also look good is a simple roman shade on the window.

Unlike Stephanie, I don’t find her countertops particularly hideous, so I would probably leave them alone. I’ve seen a few people try those countertop makeover kits…and it looks like crap. Just my 2-cents, but if I were you, rather than spend $100 to paint them, I’d save up for some new solid surface countertops in 2013 if you hate them that much.

A few other things:

-I would move the coffee maker over to where the basket of stuff is. You could always get a mail/wall organizer to put on that wall to keep it off the countertops. This leaves the area to the left and right of your stove free for prep space.

-If you put shelving on the open wall to the left of the sink, you can move those plants onto it and keep that area free for pretty soap bottles. Also, a roman shade, even if left mostly open, could make the kitchen a ton more cheery and sophisticated. Oh and chic!

-Finally, if you do decide to stain your cabinets, I would recommend painting the walls just a faint, faint gray. Perhaps something like Silverpoint by Sherwin Williams. It’ll instantly cool, calm and elevate your kitchen from drab oak to tall, dark and handsome espresso.

Total cost for my plan:

-$100ish for staining supplies

-$60ish for new pulls

-$30 for paint (walls)

-$10 for lights

-$150 for misc. accessories (shelves, décor, etc.)

-$50 for supplies (paint rollers, tarps, etc.)

Total: $350-$400

Total Time Commitment: 3 weekends, max

What would you tell Stephanie to do to her kitchen? I think her space is lovely and with just a few small tweaks could be a STUNNING kitchen. Help Stephanie out in the comments section with your advice or encouragement.

Have a reader revamp you’d love my help with? Email me with the subject line “Reader Revamp Series” and briefly tell me how much I rock, how much your space sucks and a rough budget target plus about 3-5 photos. :)

#LizClaiborne Fall Plus Size Line {Review & Shopping}

2012-10-18T11:33:00.001-05:00

As you all know, I was supposed to go to a wedding and wear an outfit from the jcpenney Liz Claiborne line.

Well, now I have to attend something else that's a little more business/work oriented, and I need your help picking out an outfit.

Now, my husband was supposed to be my photographer for this post, but his office is undergoing an audit...so the photos are all taken by me on my trusty iPhone. What would I do without technology?

I love shopping in store, but jcpenney is about 70 miles away from me, so I shopped online. Once on the jcpenney website, I clicked on the Liz Claiborne logo towards the bottom of the page, and I shopped away!

Their plus size line is actually really cute, and it's NOT just bigger versions of the misses line. I feel like they actually put some effort into making figure flattering clothes for us larger gals, and I appreciate it. I like to look cute, stylish and professional.

I also love the free shipping if my order is over $50, and I love that if I do need to return something, I can do it really easily at any store. Just make sure your item is in stock and not backordered if you're ordering for a special event. My shoes are still on their way, but should be here before the event next week.

I looked at all the options on the website, and I ended up choosing a sweater/pant outfit and a blouse/skirt outfit plus some accessories. Here's what I chose;

Outfit Option #1:

Liz Claiborne Dolman Sleeve Sweater: I love this sweater because it is COMFY. There is a lot of metallic threading in the pattern, which makes it really pretty. And the overall color is a deep teal, which is a super popular color right now.

Liz Claiborne Secretly Slender Pants in Charcoal Heather: These pants are very nice, and very forgiving! They're a smidge lighter than shown online, but the color is a nice change for me- I'm usually always in dark pants (black).

Outfit Option #2:

Liz Claiborne Front Pocket Blouse in Magenta Jewel: I'm usually one to shy away from silky shirts, but this one is so pretty! I like the pockets on it, though they're not really going to be functional pockets, of course.

Liz Claiborne Woven Straight Skirt: This skirt has nice texture to it, and a nice fit. I don't gravitate towards pencil skirts because they tend to be hard to walk in, but this one has enough room in it to be practical and retain it's shape. It's also easy for a full figured gal to look good in because of the nice cut in the fabric at the sides.

To go with either outfit, I also bought:

Liz Claiborne Drop Earrings

I love earrings! :)

Overall, I really do like the quality of the clothes and the ease of the shopping experience, other than the small backorder issue with the shoes. The prices are also pretty affordable, and I have confidence that the clothes will last awhile. Good quality, good prices.

Which piece of clothing do you like the best?

Vote for the outfit you think I should wear and tell me which is your favorite item I bought! I included links to the pieces from my outfits but be sure to visit jcpenney for more classic pieces.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of jcpenney. The opinions and text are all mine.