Loving Lately + Fitness Inspo

Summer is in full swing over here and we are loving these carefree days and a break from the everyday schedule. It's been nice to spend mornings at the pool, eat later dinners and just be outside! (as long as it's not 1000 degrees!) As every season changes there's something I love about each one but really, Summer is my favorite. Also...PEONY SEASON! Freaking out over these gorgeous flowers like everyone else on social media but really, I cannot resist when I see a giant display of them at this tome of year. 

A few things I'm loving lately...

I went back to my beloved Neutrogena for a summertime face and it's like being back with an old friend- the kind you pick right back up where you left off with. It's smooth and light and feels great on my face. I like minimal face makeup in the Summer and this stuff is perfect. The Neutrogena Healthy Face Tinted Moisturizer was my go-to for 10 years and now I'm wondering why I ever switched! I still love the it Cosmetics CC Cream but I think that will be more of a Fall/Winter product for me. 

I have found my new health and nutrition guru and I'm completely on board with this way of eating and structuring my meals. Kelly Leveque is a celebrity health and wellness consultant with all of the right information. She has a science and medical background and truly knows her stuff. Her approach is simple and makes so much sense. Protein, fat, fiber and greens are her "fab four" and the way she explains it in her book couldn't be easier to understand. For a quick intro to her approach with food, I recommend listening to her interview on Rachel Hollis's podcast, Dais from this past April. It's FULL of so much good info. A few friends recommended this specific interview to me and I ordered Kelly's Book, Body Love, immediately after listening. 

My sisters and I started Annie Downs's 100 Days to Brave and it's so good. It's the perfect daily devotional and I love the premise of it all. I read Annie's book Let's All Be Brave a few years ago and re-read it again recently. So much goodness in that book and the devotional is proving to have more of the same. 

Did you know George Clooney has his own brand of Tequila? Well, he does and it's amazing. Casamigos on the rocks with a little lime seltzer and a wedge of lime is EVERYTHING. Get on it! The backstory on this easy drinking stuff is great, too! 

My workout game has been strong lately and I feel like I'm in a good groove. I enjoy exercising and getting sweaty and really working hard. I also enjoy mixing it up and have found over the years that I can't do the same thing every day. Earlier this Spring, I went back to my beloved BBG Guides by Kayla Itsines and 3.5 years later, I'm still convinced that these are some of the best home workouts that you can do. When I track myself with progress doing these workouts and really focus on my eating, I see great results. Bonus points because it's super convenient for busy moms with young kids. I amped up my BBG workouts recently and started adding more running intervals in between. Our home gym makes this easy whether I get up and workout before my kids wakeup, or if I sneak in a naptime sweat sesh. We don't have a treadmill in our garage (yet), but our driveway is fairly long and I'll do 3-5 minute running intervals up and down the driveway. I'm sure my neighbors thing I look like a hamster, but it gets the job done! All this to say- do what works for you and be consistent! Also- you can't outwork a bad diet so really, all of this starts in the kitchen, too. And water. Lots and lots of water- especially in these hot Summer months! 

Make it a wonderful week, everyone!! 

Monday Things + Cookbook Club Update

Is it just me or is 2018 moving at warp speed? Our Winter here in Charlotte was so dark and dreary it seemed to drag on forever here we are, almost midway through April already! 

We are finally enjoying longer, sunnier days and the blooming flowers make me so happy. Last week is one of our favorites of the entire year. Masters week for Mark and our azaleas going crazy and in full bloom for me. Everybody wins. It was all about the golf last week around here. Mark had Will and Kate out on a little makeshift putting green in our backyard and they were loving it. I think we have two future golfers on our hands. I took the Masters weekend as the perfect excuse to enjoy a few (adult) Arnold Palmers. It just wouldn't have been right without one! These were a random craving late in my pregnancy with Will (obviously sans the alcohol), and Danica and I easily drank 2-3 jugs during her visit for my baby shower back in 2013! I'm a golf fan by marriage and Masters weekend will always have a special place in my heart thanks to my West Coast Sister. Word to the wise though- don't try to be healthy and get the Skinny Firefly. Just go for the real thing.  

I hosted a bridal shower this past weekend for a dear friend and we had the best time celebrating the bride to be! We did a brunch menu which was a huge hit. I did the same thing for my sister back in the Fall and everyone loved it. Brunching is never a bad idea. I got a lot of questions as I posted pics on Insta-stories on Saturday so I have a post I'm working on with menu details and how we pulled it all together seamlessly! 

We also started our weekend with a Friday night trip to Inizio- our favorite pizza! If you are local to Charlotte, their Spring pizza with asparagus and prosciutto is not to be missed! It was beyond delicious.

A quick note about Cookbook Club before I sign off for the day- we are delaying this month's post until next week! Allie and I are both feeling a bit behind so we will post April's club on Wednesday, April 18. Just a reminder that this month's book is Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volumes I or II. Looking ahead, Skinnytaste Fast and Slow will be our book for May and Giada's Feel Good Food will be our book for June. I hope to see some of you back here next Wednesday to link up! Even if you don't have the book, many of these recipes can be found with a quick Google search!  

Fun Things + Free Ice Cream!

It's only Tuesday and it's already a great week around here! 

This past weekend, Mark and I were in Greenville, SC for a wedding and we got to enjoy a nice Saturday morning at Reedy River Falls. (Wrigley included!) The weather was perfect and the dood loved making friends in the park. It was such a fun Saturday with my little family. 

The weather in Charlotte has been the bees knees and our yard and screened in porch have gotten lots of TLC over the past couple of days which makes for lovely outdoor living. With a new coat of paint and a new fan, everything feels so refreshed out there. Mark painted our screened in porch ceiling "haint blue" (Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue) and I'm loving the way it turned out! I have dreamt of a haint blue porch ceiling ever since I fell in love with Charleston as a kid. It's a light, breezy blue with a hint of teal. I knew that this was a Southern tradition in that it helps keep the porches cool in the Summer heat, but what I didn't know is that there is a legend that this blue painted ceiling helps ward off evil spirits! Just a little interesting nugget worth passing on. I plan on adding navy, coral and white in the form of accent pillows and other details out there. Our outdoor living space is well on its way to being in business for the season! 

My wonderful mom and sisters are hosting a baby shower for me this weekend and I cannot wait to celebrate with family and friends. Top secret projects have been going on at the Nido house and I am so, so, so excited! This little one is already so loved! 

And, to top it off, we have some special visitors coming to visit from California and they arrive today. Airport pickups are my FAVORITE!!

If you're in the mood for a treat today, it's FREE CONE DAY at Ben and Jerry's! One scoop of Mint Chocolate Chunk for me, please! 

Paleo Things, PB&J Bars + A Reading Assignment

I came across PaleOMG a long time ago and saved recipes like a mad woman to add to our weekly dinner menus. If you're curious about Paleo eating or are looking for healthy recipes, this blog is fantastic! It just goes to show you what I have been saying for a long time, healthy food doesn't have to be boring and tasteless. I made this Simple Bacon and Spinach Stuffed Chicken last night for dinner and OMG was it good. I made a few changes based on what I had in my kitchen. I didn't have mushrooms so I added artichokes and since I was only stuffing two chicken breasts, I only cooked 3 strips of bacon. For some extra flavor, I used half spinach and half arugula. Chicken breasts can be so boring, but stuffed with all of this goodness, your mind will be blown. Add this one to your menu. 

And on a non-Paleo note, the PB&J Bars from Trader Joe's are UNREAL. A little California bird told me I needed to try it and I immediately added it to my weekly Trader Joe's run. For the love of the five year old child inside of you, PLEASE run and get one. You can find these at the cash register ;)

And...on a much more serious note, my friend Jen posted THIS and I can't help but share it. I know, I know a viewing assignment last week and now a reading assignment this week, but seriously, it's worth your five minutes. I couldn't agree more with everything that she shares in this post. This world of blogging and social media is wonderful, creative and so much fun to be a part of, but like all good things in life, MODERATION. And balance. And grace.

T.G.I.F.F. (Thank God I Found Firefly)

At the Moore casa, Fridays are usually less about sipping on a nice glass of red while I cook and more about cranking up the music and enjoying an early happy hour consisting of something a little more celebratory.

Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka is a staple in the South and up until recently, there was not a bottle to be found as I searched every corner of our little Midwestern college town. When I finally found it, I ran to the register, sweet tea vodka in hand, when I finally found my favorite Lowcountry sip practically with a halo around it at our local wine & spirits shop.

Firefly straight out of the bottle with a little lemon and water was a good idea during the BEST. TAILGATE. EVER (Andi, I hope you are reading) but alas, I have been forced to act more like an adult since then. Right now, I'm loving my Firefly with a splash of Fresca or diet 7-Up and lots of sliced lemons. It's become our own version of an Arnold Palmer and last weekend during The Masters proved to be a perfect occasion to indulge. Much like a peppermint mocha hugs you with Christmas, Firefly is like a hug of Summer. And it tastes like The South.

Looking forward to Summertime Friday nights including Firefly creations on the deck.

T.G.I.F.F.

Seriously.

Happy Little Gems

1. My West Coast Sister recommended this documentary to us last week. She demanded I skip my Monday night shows to watch this 70 minute film. I'M SO GLAD THAT I DID. The warm and glittery feeling has not left my heart and I am highly recommending it to all of you. Being Elmo is one of the best documentaries I have ever seen. Uplifting, inspirational, and just full of GOOD, this is a great story with applicable lessons for life that anyone will enjoy! Go watch it. Now. (we watched it on Netflix)

2. Another gem from Danica- chocolate covered pomegranate seeds that she included in my birthday package! I cannot get enough of these. They're chocolatey, tart, and oh so addictive. Pomegranate + dark chocolate equals an antioxidant packed treat, wouldn't you agree? I'm also happy to have a treat in my kitchen from her beloved health food store, Sprouts!

3. Thanks to this post on one of my favorite blogs, Cupcakes and Cashmere, I was inspired to make some simple stationery this week. I like to keep plenty of notecards on hand so that I never run out of snail mail happies to send to family and friends. Plus, as my little love muffin Crystal says, "nothing says I love you like lined envelopes".

4. The April issue of Southern Living has an entire section of bite sized Southern favorites. I want to host a party that revolves around these small Southern bites. Mini grits and greens! Are you kidding me!? Meghan and I are already thinking these need to be on the menu for the already anticipated 2012 Moore-McConnell New Year's celebration.

5. Lionel Richie. Like I need to say more. I have always been a fan but as of late, I may be a little obsessed. To further feed my obsession, Lionel released a new duets country album last week, Tuskegee, and every song is a winner. He collaborated with some of my favorite pop-country artists and I'm loving belting out all of my favorite Lionel songs set to a little country beat.

6. It's another swoon-worthy Spring weekend! Being the gem that he is, Mark helped me with a few Pinterest inspired projects that have been on my to-do list for awhile. I can't wait to share the finished products.

7. My sweet and perfect little lovie nephew, Jack, turned ONE today! Jack, I love you so much. I speak for myself and your two other Aunt Lovies when I say that you make the world a sweeter place just by being in it! (and your parents are pretty fantastic, too!)

I hope everyone is enjoying the weekend!