All Things Easter

I am so excited the nice weather FINALLY decided to show up. After this winter, I thought we were living in a real version of Frozen. This weekend I took the kids on a little trip to run some Easter errands. It felt so nice to get them out of the house and dressed in their cute spring clothes I bought for them weeks ago now!

We are having Easter at our home this year! My husband isn't too thrilled but I am excited to get my party planning pants on and become the hostess with the most-est. My sister is driving up with her husband and my parents are coming from just a few hours away. I'm planning on creating a fun buffet style brunch with complementary (adult) mimosas and fruit punch sparklers for the kids.

I found this easy punch recipe that the kids will love!
              Orange- Mango Punch

•  6 cups of mixed cold water and ice
• 1/2 cup of Kool Aid Tropical Punch Flavor
• 2 cups of cold mango nectar
• 1 cup of cold orange juice ( no pulp - my kids hate it!)

Mix the water, ice, and Kool Aid together then simply mix in the mango nectar! 

Check out the recipe here!

I plan on decorating the house a day or two before the get together so the kids and Brodie don't feel the need to touch and play with everything. We are excited to do the traditional egg dying process with the kiddies tomorrow night! It should be a fun time. I happened to come across a fun mommy DIY egg decorating craft that I will be making some time this week as well. If you want to spice up your decorations and Easter eggs you have to check it out. 

The materials you need are super easy and affordable so don't think you need to spend a fortune! I bought a few different double-sided stickers rolls so I can mix and match them in different arrangements around the house. Then I found a glitter variety pack (leftovers for kid crafts!) and some fake eggs and I was on my way. I can't wait to see how they come out!

I hope everyone has an enjoyable Easter this year! 

Let me know what everyone is doing to make their Easter fun and special! :)

No. More. Snow.

Okay. Global warming... Mother nature... whatever is going on... FIGURE. IT. OUT. 

Usually, I love snow and curling up by the fireplace but not in March. I am actually longing for the smell of chlorine on my skin and maybe even the sting of a little sunburn. Let's hope that as we go into April, the temperatures start to rise because I don't know how much more if this I can take!

I'd like to start putting away my sweaters and boots and start picking out a new pair of MK sandals or cute little sundresses for Sofia! Stores started putting out sunglasses and bikinis the day after Christmas. The ultimate tease I tell you.

... End of rant. 

Besides the dreary weather, everything has been great on the home front! I'm trying out a heated yoga class tomorrow and I am beyond excited! Well, actually I'm more excited for the chocolate, peanut butter, and banana smoothie at the juice bar AFTER class but still.

What are you doing (or eating :P ) to keep your spirits up during this endless Winter?!

Loves, loves, loves: "Homeless Lottery Winner"

Caution: There may be tears.

Probably one of the most touching videos I have ever seen. A lot of people have been questioning this guy's intentions... Whether it was for Youtube views or to gain new followers... who cares?! He did something great for another human being. How many of us can say we did or said something nice to a complete stranger today?

Just because it's Valentine's Day...

Okay, total cornball right here! I made Adam a playlist of a few of my favorite love-y songs and sneakily uploaded them to his iPhone last night...  While it's kind of a girl-y mix, Adam is a total cornball as well and loved listening to this little surprise on his way to work!

Here's a few selections from this infamous playlist, which was appropriately titled, "Best Wife Ever." :p

John Legend "All of Me" (Love Chrissy Teigen!)

Jessie James Decker "I Do"

Ellie Goulding "Your Song"

Whether you are happily attached or happily single, have a wonderful day!

Update + New Year's Resolutions!

Hi all!

I've fallen way behind on my blogging game! The holidays are always so crazy around here and it's hard to keep track of every part of my life (especially blogging!) Now that the madness is over, I'm ready to get back into blogging and sprucing up a few other areas in my life. Every year, I've always refused to make any resolutions. I can barely remember to catch Nashville every Wednesday night, how am I going to remember a whole list of things to do? Hopefully writing it here will be a good start!

1) Have fun while getting fit: I've been stuck in such a boring routine of running, the elliptical, and the occasional spin class that my body and weight have "plateaued". Gone are the days of seeing little changes here and there or waking up pumped to go the gym. I've tried to make a few changes (New workout clothes! Green smoothies! Hot yoga!) but I've still lost that excitement about working out that I had before. With all of these hybrid classes popping up, I aim to try one new class a week. Whether it's a spin/bootcamp or pilates/yoga combination, I think that changing up my routine and going in not knowing what to expect will help re-light that fire!

2) Incorporate more fish into our diet: I can't lie, eating fish kind of creeps me out. The eyes, the fins, the texture... yikes! But according to numerous articles I keep coming out, the health benefits are pretty appealing. Adam is extremely active and I think that anything that can help with getting a healthy heart or lowering cholesterol would be especially beneficial as the number of candles on his birthday cakes continue to increase. Does anyone have any tips or special recipes for fish? I'd love to find a way to make it more tastebud friendly!

3) Clean out my closet more than once a year: Yes, I'm an emotional shopper. And yes, I do buy things because it's "so cute for only seven dollars." I usually end up with stuffed drawers, more shirts than hangers, and totes filled with items that still have the tags attached. This year, I want to cut down on the impulse buys and maintain an organized, comfortably spaced closet. Although, I have to say apps such as "Shopular" and Target's "Cartwheel" definitely do not help.

4) Remember to record my shows: Actually... Adam's actual pretty good at that so if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

5) Wash my make-up brushes regularly: Thinking about all of that gunk trapped between the bristles and rubbing that all over a clean face daily... I. can't. This daily anti-bacterial spray I picked up at Target will hopefully help me out a little if I'm not able to do a thorough cleaning every Sunday.

Okay, this seems like a good start. What life changes are you making?

Desperately Seeking Recipes...

         With the holidays right around the corner (and Black Friday sales! Yay!), I have been compiling a list of recipes I plan to attempt. Here are a few of my fave finds:

1) Apple Crisp

2) Red Velvet Cheesecake

3) Caramel Topped Shortbread Bites

4) "Millionaire's Pie"

  I'm always on the hunt for new recipes since I do host a lot of gatherings (which partially explains my absence from blogging!) so if you have any tried and true favorites, send them this way!!

Finishing Up a Fabulous Fall!

I can't believe how long it has been since I have written a post! I continuously kept telling myself, "Fit in a post today, even if it's a short one" and I was constantly distracted by one thing or another. As I mentioned in a previous post, Fall is my favorite season and I am sad that we are now entering that last month of it. Pumpkin spice is slowly disappearing from coffee menus and gloves are slowly making more and more appearances. All is well in the Pierce household and I am working on coming up with some new ideas for my blog... I think it could use a new look...

Stay Tuned!!