Today I'm pouring my heart into this online journal I call WordPress about mothers and daughters and about raising confident secure young women. I also want to preface this post by saying I speak from my own personal experiences. I always had said I wished there was a handbook on how to be the perfect parent. There is no "perfect parent". All we do is the best we can do with what we know. I get asked all the time about my relationship with … [Read more...]
My Kitchen Makeover: Before and After
Cooking just got a whole lot more fun! My home is 19+ years old, and a home that we build and designed and built ourselves way back when. One of the things about my style that has held true through the years is selecting classic colors, designs, and styles in the things that cost the most. Such was the case when I chose my granite and backsplash a long time ago. I always wanted white marble but I knew it had an issue when it came to … [Read more...]
Out Of Office: Out To Market
If you can dream it, you can do it. YGG! You Go Girl! Unstoppable! Why can't that be you! All those things. Blah blah blah... Ya ya we've heard them all, and ya ya... I talk about that stuff.. a LOT. Why? Because I believe in that shit. I do. So much so that I taught my daughter to believe that shit. And WAY back when (not that long ago) she started a little business out of our kitchen that is now a full fledged big … [Read more...]
8 Simple Things That Help You Lose Weight
Many of us struggle to attain and maintain a healthy weight. The reasons for this are countless. Those yummy snacks make us feel better immediately, if only temporarily. Our lifestyles don't always lend themselves towards healthy choices. The holidays make it challenging. Traveling makes choices limiting. Losing weight can be less of a challenge with some simple changes in lifestyle. Today I'm going to share with you some simple things that … [Read more...]
Fuzzy Friday: 10 Cocktails Under 100 Calories
Happy First #FuzzyFriday of 2017! Cheers to us! One of the first things I think of when it comes to the new year is resolutions and diets. The number one thing I hear people talk about is shedding weight, getting fit, losing their holiday bulge, and a "new year, new you." But one thing people fail to realize is how much their cocktails affect their success in their weight loss progress. So today I thought I'd share with you 10 cocktails … [Read more...]
Drugstore Beauty Favorites
I'm so excited to share some of my beauty must haves with you. What's even more exciting about today's post is I'm sharing products that you can find at the drugstore, my drugstore beauty favorites. One of my vices, I will admit, is spending lots of time in the beauty aisles at the store, all when I ran in to get ingredients for dinner and maybe some school supplies for the kids! Does anyone else relate? I'm just a beauty junkie, I can't … [Read more...]
Word Of The Year: Empower
What's your word of the year? Have you ever had one? I've seen several posts on Facebook of people's word of the year and I thought to myself, what's my underlying theme for myself this year? What I want to be? Do? Accomplish? Live my life by? I've never done this before so I thought I'd do it this year. And I want to encourage you to as well. Why have a word of the year? We can SPEAK things into existence, speak LIFE into what we … [Read more...]
Fuzzy Friday: New Year’s Sparkling Cocktails
Time to pop the bubbly! Sparkles, glitter, champagne, out with the old, in with the new. Bring ON the NEW YEAR baby! What's our win that we're celebrating (because that's what #FuzzyFriday is all about, right?) Life. We're HERE. We survived another year. We DID it! We probably had some good time, seen some bad, but whatever ride we took, we did it, and we're about to catch the next ride into 2017. More to come on that on my … [Read more...]
What To Wear: New Years Eve
Most of our recent years, our New Year's Eve has been very quiet, just spending time with the family which is what's most important to me. This year, I'm so excited to be ringing in the new year not only with my family, but with my huge big fat Greek family for a blowout new years eve wedding. Dressing up is of course one of my favorite parts of this whole thing! I can't wait to show you what I'll be wearing. Follow me on Instagram to see … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
Just taking a moment to wish all of you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! ... Have your SELFIE a Merry little Christmas! Wishing you a holiday filled with love, laughter, joy and rest. I appreciate and am thankful for all of you! Sending you much love! … [Read more...]
Fuzzy Friday: Christmas Cookie Cocktail
Christmas being this weekend, add this to your dessert menu, but it's for adults only! Being made of only three ingredients, all being liquor, this potent treat is just that. It's potent. So be forewarned! But, as long as your tummy is full, you should be ok. This rich mocha latte treat has a hint of peppermint that is just so yummy! They remind me of a drink to dip Oreo cookies in, which, I have to admit, I did. And I found it hard to … [Read more...]
Eat This: Chocolate Peppermint Truffles
Those Tasty videos. Like this one for Chocolate Peppermint Truffles. Got me like HELLO! Ok now tell me how bad you want to rush to the store and buy Oreos, Hershey Kisses, and be like YES let's do this! We did. My daughter and I made them for our church bake sale this weekend and we had so much fun doing so. Not only that, we didn't know how easy they would be to make or how good they would turn out. So often we find these … [Read more...]
FinishStrongOP – Becoming A Better You
I've been alluding for quite some time that I've been working on something great, something awesome, something for YOU! Those of you a part of my private group, The OP Lounge, you already got a chance to see it FIRST and be the FIRST to sign up and work with me. I told you! Membership has its privileges! Let me first begin by telling you, if you're new around here, what OP means. OP means On Purpose. I believe living On Purpose is a … [Read more...]
Fuzzy Friday: Crockpot Hot Cocoa, Peppermint Patty
First of all, on top of being a busy time of year, I'm launching my FIRST program on finishing your year strong. We can talk more about that on Monday. (pssssst! If you're already a part of The OP Lounge, you know about it!) So that has been all time consuming for me. What we really need is to pop the cork, have some champagne and celebrate this new phase in my business!!! And then I thought about what I wanted to serve up this weekend to … [Read more...]
Decor: Dining Room Sets
When it comes to decor, I prefer the unexpected. One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing things all matchy matchy. Some things that are in sets aren't bad, but if I can find a way to create a more unique look, I will. Going to the furniture store and picking up an entire set of furniture that's all from the same collection doesn't sound appealing to me at all. I much prefer mixing things up and finding those special pieces as I come across … [Read more...]
Just In Time: Jord Wood Watch For Him Or Her
When it comes to shopping and buying gifts, one of the challenges I have is buying for those that have everything. I also love to get gifts that are somewhat unique and not the typical item you'd see on every display in every store. So when I was introduced to these Jord Wood Watches I definitely wanted to learn more! The Jord Wood Watch is something you'll want to add to your shopping list. Whether you're wanting a men's watch or a women's … [Read more...]
10 Ways to Avoid Gaining Weight Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day
Although Thanksgiving has passed, I thought I'd talk about this subject of weight gain during the holidays. We're in the thick of parties and events, and what does that center around? Usually food and drink. The holidays and fattening food go hand-in-hand. Thanksgiving and the leftovers can last a week. Then it’s only a few more weeks until Christmas. New Year’s is the following week. Studies show that 75% of a person’s annual weight gain … [Read more...]
Fuzzy Friday: Salted Caramel Eggnog
If you're looking for a drink that's more of a dessert, this will suit your fancy. And if salted caramel is your thing, then this REALLY is for you! Salted caramel eggnog.... oh ya..... Just be careful to not let the kids have this one because they will totally be trying to sneak a sip. It looks THAT good! Salted Carmel Eggnog caramel sauce, warmed 4 oz. eggnog 1 oz. spiced rum sea salt … [Read more...]
5 Steps to Embrace New Chapters in Your Life
Life is a journey. Death of a loved one. Major illness. Divorce. Loss of a job. Career change. Kids grown and leaving. Moving to a new city. Marriage. Having kids. I'm sure you've encountered any number of these. This is just a short list of life-changing circumstances that mark a new chapter in your life. As you're well aware, life is full of changes. Sometimes, the changes occur when you least expect them, and you end up with … [Read more...]
Eat This: No Carb Taco Shell
New. Favorite. Thing. Ever. Obsessed. I can't even! So let me tell you how this went down. Every Tuesday in my group, The OP Lounge, we have something called TIP TUESDAY. Each week has a theme, and not long ago, one of the themes was cooking. One fabulous gal shared this recipe with us and I nearly fell out of my chair. What is this dream of a food come true? It one slice of cheese that is made into a crispy taco shell, or if … [Read more...]
