Bachelor 21 – Week 4

Week 4 picks up where we left off at the pool party. The girls are upset about Corinne’s antics, but really they are just jealous that Nick seems to be so into her. I liked Jasmine’s cover up, which she got at T.J. Maxx. I found this Floral Print Kimono for $24.99:

At the rose ceremony, Nick sent home Brittany and Christen. You know I wasn’t too upset about it since I couldn’t even remember their names…

Chris Harrison comes to tell the girls that they get to travel to the exciting locale of Waukesha, Wisconsin! When they arrive, Nick picks Danielle L. for the first one-on-one date. I won’t be sharing Danielle’s evening attire as she was popping out of it the entire concert. But she got the rose, so I guess it worked.

Next up for the group date, the girls got the chance to do some work down on the farm. I don’t know about you, but I’ve always wanted to muck out stables while trying to impress a guy… It worked for Kristina and she receives the group date rose.

Raven gets the final one-on-one date this week and she gets to meet Nick’s family and attend a roller skating party. Later that evening, Raven goes into crazy detail about how her ex-boyfriend cheated on her and she beat him in the head with a stiletto. Nick doesn’t seem to worry and gives Raven the rose.

We get another to be continued after Corrine and Taylor have it out during the rose ceremony. To be fair there wasn’t a lot of great fashion in this episode, maybe I will get a better look when we pick this back up.

Are you #TeamCorrine or #TeamTaylor?

If you missed this episode you can still watch it here.

For more Bachelor posts, click here.



Detroit Review: The Morrie

I was invited to a sponsored dinner by The Morrie in order to provide a review. All opinions are my own. 

Last week I was invited to dinner at the recently opened roadhouse-style restaurant, The Morrie in Royal Oak. As a Royal Oak resident, I’ve been dying to go there so I jumped at the chance to check it out. The Morrie is known for its live music and being a fun place to hang out. I can see myself visiting many more times as it is about a $4 Uber ride from my house.

I had just left a long day at work and upon arriving at The Morrie (which has valet) I could tell it was my kind of place. The ambiance was cool – sort of rock n’ roll. There were record albums on our table and fun artwork on the walls, plus a place for live music.

After a long day, the first thing I wanted was a big drink. The Morrie makes classic cocktails, but they all have some sort of fun rock n’ roll name. I tried the Mai-Tai PA System, which was SO amazing! I couldn’t get over the fun tiki glass they brought it out in.

Before dinner, we tried a variety of the appetizers including the Brisket Mac, One Big Ol’ Meatball, and Kung Pao Cauliflower. Everything was delicious, but my favorite was the Brisket Mac. It was made with smoked cheddar, manchengo, sweet BBQ, crispy onion and smoked brisket. I was so pumped that it used my favorite cheese, Manchengo!

The meatball is nestled into polenta, which was so creamy and rich.

I had just come off a bout of pneumonia and hadn’t really had much of an appetite until this dinner, so needless to say I was pretty hungry! For dinner I decided to go for it with The Morrie Burger and the Sweet Potato Tots. People take note – ALWAYS frequent a restaurant with tots on the menu, especially sweet potato ones!

After dinner, I was pretty much in a food coma so I decided to try the Lola, which is made up of Sugar Island Coconut Rum, Coconut Milk-Bourbon, Vanilla Simple, and Cold Brew Coffee. I don’t even like coffee, but this was amazing!

For dessert, I decided to try the truly decadent Banana Split. Now, I did share this with someone but between the two of us we still only finished about half. There were tons of surprises in every bite – heath bar bits, peanut butter ice cream and more!

I had the best time at The Morrie and can’t wait to bring my husband with me next time! A fun bonus for you – we are giving away a $50 gift card so you can try The Morrie for yourself. Just enter the giveaway below for your chance to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

**The winner must be willing to travel to The Morrie in Royal Oak, Michigan to claim their prize.

Have you been to The Morrie? Let me know what your favorites are and what I should try next time!

For more Detroit reviews, click here.



Bachelor 21 – Week 3

Never again do we have to hear about Jade and Tanner’s wedding…at least until the Women Tell All. Nick finally sent Liz home in the last episode, but now he has to deal with the consequences. The girls feel like they were being lied to the whole time…or at least for two episodes.

Danielle M. wore a sold out Theory Saida Striped Sweater. This Brooks Brothers Cotton Stripe Crewneck Sweater ($78) is similar:

Sarah wore Jetset Diaries Sunset Bodycon Dress. I found a similar Tadashi Shoji Cap Sleeve Lace Dress ($408) to recreate the look:

Astrid wore the LIKELY Driggs Strapless Dress ($178). I also found this similar Charles Henry Off the Shoulder Woven A-Line Dress ($88) with more sizes:

Raven wore the Stylestalker Sofala Midi Dress ($99). This NSR Floral Lace Slipdress is similar ($78):

Corrine ended up sleeping through the rose ceremony after a scandalous whipped cream show for Nick. She already had a rose though so Nick sent home Lacey, Hailey, and Elizabeth. The next day, a few lucky women are treated to a special group date with The Backstreet Boys! Danielle L. was selected to get serenaded with Nick as part of the date. Corrine is apparently a self-admitted bad dancer and she is still trying to make up for her snoozefest which puts her in the awkward position of not feeling very confident on this date.

Back at the mansion, the one-on-one date card comes and it says “Vanessa, you make me feel like I am floating.”Their zero-gravity date was SO adorable! I would love to do that with my husband. I did feel bad that she got sick at the end though. I loved her black moto jacket during the evening date and found this similar Levi’s Faux Leather Moto Jacket ($150):

The next group date card was for Rachel, Alexis, Astrid, Jamie, Sarah, Brittany, and Dominique and says “I’m done playing the field.” During the group portion of the date, Astrid wore a Kendall & Kylie Stripe Strapless Jumpsuit ($69.30):

While Dominique was self-imploding, Sarah was enjoying her wine with the Kendra Scott Naomi Ring ($130):

Instead of a cocktail party, Nick decided on a pool party. Sarah wore a sold out Show Me Your Mumu Honolulu High Neck Bikini Top in the Strike a Rose pattern. The bikini bottom is still available for $40 and a similar top is available for $46. I found a similar Floral Foliage Bikini Top ($17.90) and bottom ($12.90). She also wore the Kendra Scott Elisa Pendant Necklace ($50):

To be continued…who will stay and who will go? Find out next week…

If you missed this episode you can still watch it here.

For more Bachelor posts, click here.



You’re Invited: Bachelor Viewing Party

If you haven’t figured it out from my blog, I LOVE Bachelor Nation! It is my guilty pleasure to follow all the Bachelor blogs and Twitter updates each season and I love sharing the looks for less.

This year, I was invited to host my own Bachelor viewing party at the Emagine Theatre in Royal Oak on Monday, January 30, 2017 in honor of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I would love for you to join me for a special screening of The Bachelor on the big screen! The first 30 attendees will receive a rose, we will play Bachelor Bingo to win prizes such as a $100 gift card, and more! There is limited seating so please RSVP by clicking here.

Beauty and the Beast will be in theaters on March 17th, but in the meantime rumor has it that Josh Gad and Luke Evans will host Monday’s episode of The Bachelor. Josh Gad plays Le Fou and Luke Evans plays Gaston in the upcoming movie. I’m crossing my fingers that this week’s date will have a fun Beauty and the Beast crossover like we saw with Chris Soules and Jade Roper on Season 19 (you can relive it here).

Beauty and the Beast might be one of my favorite Disney movies, so a themed date would be awesome – maybe they will go to a library… Since the Beast is cursed with and enchanted rose, I can see lots of overlap with Nick’s roses this week. I just took a peek at the official trailer (there might be a new one on Monday’s episode) and it looks magical!

I hope to see you on Monday night!

For more Bachelor recaps, click here.



Bachelor 21 – Week 2

Week 2 of The Bachelor kicks off with the first group date of the season for Corrine, Vanessa, Sarah, Alexis, Hailey, Lacey, Brittany, Jasmine, Raven, Danielle L., Taylor and Elizabeth W. and the card says “Always a bridesmaid…” The ladies then head off to a raunchy themed wedding photo shoot where Corrine takes off her top and proceeds to make out with Nick, half-naked in front of the other women. Classy.

During the evening portion of the date, Corrine is drunk and can’t stop stealing Nick away from the other women – which of course doesn’t bother anyone. On top of winning the photo challenge, Corrine also wins the group date rose – Nick is definitely drinking the Corinne Kool-aid. Unfortunately, there weren’t any stand out looks during this group date, so I don’t have anything to share with you on that end. If there is something you are interested in let me know!

Back at the mansion, Danielle M. gets the group date rose which says “Our relationship is about to take off.” One of the necklaces is the Pavé Diamond Charm Necklace ($168) from Brooke Worthington:

On the evening date Danielle shared the heartbreaking story of her fiance. She is so sweet, that is an awful ordeal and she must be very brave to come on this show after something like that. She wore a custom made Cavanagh Baker jumpsuit. This Laundry by Shelli Segal Jumpsuit ($148) is similar:

Nick gives Danielle the rose and she is safe until next week.

Meanwhile, the next group date card comes for Christen, Josephine, Astrid, Jamie, Kristina, and Liz saying “We need to talk…” Nick takes the ladies to the Museum of Broken Relationships where he has donated the engagement ring he almost gave to Kaitlyn. The women have to break up with Nick live as part of the date. What is more awkward than the terrible outfits is the breakup between Liz and Nick. It is time to send her home!

The only outfit that I thought was nice was from Kristina. She wore the sold out Lotus Top from Cupcakes and Cashmere. I found a different floral top that would also look great with white shorts and wedges. It is also from Cupcakes and Cashmere, the Tibet Floral Top ($84):

During the evening portion of the date, Nick finally confronts Liz and sends her home. This was definitely the right move as the other women never would have trusted him after they found out. The episode ends on a To Be Continued note and we will have to wait to see how the women react. Do you think anyone will leave?

If you missed this episode you can still watch it here.

For more Bachelor posts, click here.



Winter 2016 Favorites

This post is a little late as the first day of winter was December 21st, but we still have a lot of winter ahead of us here in Michigan. Here are a few of my favorite things for this winter season:

Faux Fur Infinity Scarf ($59.50)

I am obsessed with the scarf, I pretty much never want to take it off. It is the coziest thing I have and I love it!

OPI Breakfast at Tiffany’s Polish

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of my favorite themes (it was the theme for my bridal shower) so I was thrilled when OPI came out with their own take on it. My pick for winter is the “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” color – the perfect winter white!

Alfani Cape Blazer ($64.99)

I LOVE this blazer. I have so many sleeveless dresses that just don’t work in the winter. I like that this is loose and flowy. It also comes in black.

A Thousand Wishes Candle ($22.50)

I cannot have enough candles! For winter, A Thousand Wishes is my jam with a festive blend of sparkling champagne, crystal peonies & almond crème what’s not to like?

INC Embellished Cold-Shoulder Sweater ($38.99)

I love the embellishment on this sweater – great for going out when there’s snow on the ground!

Burt’s Bees Coconut Foot Creme ($1.99)

I’m sort of obsessed with the smell of coconut! Nothing says summer like a coconut, especially in the dead of winter. A little goes a LONG way with this foot creme. I slather it on at night and put socks on over it to help with cracked heels.

Vince Camuto High-Low Colorblocked Sweater Tunic ($99)

I like the colorblock style in this tunic! They do have a hot pink version that I’m not sure I could pull off, but I’m warming up to it!

Blowfish Shocks Bootie ($49.95)

I need some cute winter booties and I like the look of these!

RumChata MiniChatas ($12.99)

I recently saw this in the grocery store and thought “What an amazing idea!” I am not a coffee drinker, but they would be fantastic in hot chocolate!

Athleta Polartec® Power Stretch® Pant ($98)

When it’s at least 30 or above we will walk Sport in the winter months and these pants would definitely come in handy. It’s easy to layer up on the top, but not so easy on the bottom. Plus these would also be great for lounging…

What are your favorite things for winter?

You can also check out my Winter 2015Winter 2014 and Winter 2013 Favorites.



Bachelor 21 – Week 1

The Bachelor is back and so is Nick Viall for his fourth round on the show! I have to admit that Nick has always been one of my favorites. I loved him on Andi’s season and was so stunned when she picked Josh. I’m glad he’s getting his own turn to do the picking.

Here are some of the fashion highlights from Week 1…

Danielle Lombard has AMAZING hair…seriously hair envy for days! Since she owns a nail salon I bet she hers look impeccable the entire season. In her intro video, she wore this Tularosa Amelia Crop Top ($118) at the beach.

I loved Vanessa Grimaldi’s effortless girl-next-door style with her white off-the-shoulder sweater with black stripes. I found two similar options, a Vince Striped Bouclé Cashmere Sweater ($345) and a Calvin Klein Striped Open Stitch Sweater ($31.33):

Danielle Lombard looked stunning in her black lace plunge gown and Nick definitely noticed! I found a few similar options if you want to recreate the look. There’s this Dress the Population Michelle Sequin Gown ($318) and this ABS Jersey Triangle-Sleeve Gown ($390):

Rachel Lindsay stunned in a sold out red lace one shoulder Mac Duggal gown. This Adrianna Papell Embellished Lace One-Shoulder Gown ($179) is similar:

Hailey Merkt pretty much told Nick that she wasn’t wearing underwear so there’s that. She looked good in her Open-Back Floor-Length Terani Dress ($249), but that’s definitely not how I would make an entrance…

Elizabeth Sandosz was up next an in case you don’t get tired of hearing it in the coming episodes, she previously met Nick at Jade & Tanner’s wedding and they had a one-night stand. Lots of drama to unpack there, but she looked great in her navy blue sequined plunge dress. I found a few similar options to recreate her look; first Dress the Population’s Harper Mermaid Gown ($308), second, Mac Duggal’s Sequin Slit Gown ($338), and third, Ralph Lauren’s Sequin & Jersey Cowl Back Gown ($184).

Corinne Olympios is already turning out to be a polarizing figure this season and definitely our “villian.” As much as she annoys me, I have to admit that she looked stunning on night one in her burgundy plunge number. I found a few options if you want to get her look. This Floor-length Evening Dress ($132.99) which has a burgundy option (not pictured) and this Burgundy Halter Plunge Neck Twist Front Open Back Dress ($20):

Next up is Danielle Maltby who brought Nick some homemade maple syrup. She wore the Conversation Piece Wine Red Backless Maxi Dress from LuLu’s ($74):

Enter Lauren Hussey, who pointed out that together they could be a disgusting hussy (because that’s what you want your new boyfriend to think about the first time he meets you). She did have a classic look including a Badgley Mischka Sequin Cowl Back Halter Gown ($492.99). This LuLu’s Slink and Wink Matte Rose Gold Sequin Maxi Dress ($78) is similar:

Despite Corinne’s stolen kiss, it was Rachel who snagged the first impression rose from Nick. Nick also kissed her which was a little different from Corrine’s kiss which she initiated. Nick decided to let Angela, Briana, Ida Marie, Jasmine B., Lauren, Michelle, Olivia and Susannah go home this week. We are now down to 22 ladies for week two.

Who are your favorites so far?

If you missed the premiere you can still watch it here.

For more Bachelor posts, click here.



Red Carpet Looks with Rissy Roo’s

Disclosure: I was selected for this sponsored post by Rissy Roo’s.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Award season is upon us! I love this time of year as it is full of glitz and glam, two of my favorite things. A few years back I attended an awesome red carpet event with an Academy Awards theme. I was thinking about doing something like that again this year so I can get all dolled up for my own Oscar-type event. I’m loving some of the new trends in gowns and figured I would share my top six looks for an Academy Awards event from Rissy Roo’s.

Jovani Jeweled Fitted Gown with Overskirt ($460)

This dress is stunning! I love the mix of the beaded applique and the full sheer overlay. It’s like two dresses in one.

Jovani Elegant Off the Shoulder Ball Gown ($500)

This dress made me think Cinderella. It is an elegant ball gown. I would get this in the Royal color.

Primavera Sequin V-Neck Open Back Dress ($379)

This dress screams Roaring 20’s to me. I just adore the cap sleeves!

Shail K. Beaded Illusion Chiffon Evening Gown ($470)

The color of this dress first caught my eye, I love that it is ultra feminine.

Jovani Sparkling Sequin Illusion Prom Dress ($500)

I love this gunmetal look! This dress sort of reminded me of one of Halle Berry’s famous red carpet looks.

Jovani Striking High Neck Fitted Jersey Prom Dress ($590)

Last but not least, I thought this was a fun twist on the classic black halter. Plunging necklines are hot this year as we recently saw at the Golden Globes.

What are your favorite red carpet looks this season?

For more fashion posts, click here.



The Miracle Morning

Hello readers! I’m back!

Long story short, 2016 was tough on a personal level and I was definitely pushed to my breaking point. This forced me to re-evaluate my priorities and focus on what was most important. I worked really hard and ended the year on top with a big promotion at work. I had planned to kick off the year with this post, but got hit with a bad case of pneumonia, which is why I’m hitting the restart button on 2017 now.

Last year, I was turned on to The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod and have been following parts of it ever since. I decided that I would really commit to it in 2017 and wanted to invite you to join me.

I first heard about The Miracle Morning on Episode 37 of the Marriage More podcast with Jeff and Mandy Rose. They interviewed Hal Elrod and I was blown away by his story! From being on top of the world to a horrific car accident, Hal had every reason to give up. But that’s not what he did. His optimism inspired me and I was hooked. From the podcast I was inspired to start getting up early and doing some of the things that Hal outlines in his miracle morning. After hearing this, I started listening to Hal’s podcast and then I bought and read the book.

Essentially, The Miracle Morning is a lifestyle change that will help you achieve Level 10 success in every aspect of your life. The crazy thing is it’s really simple. The premise is that you have to wake up early and then do a routine of self-improvement activities (Life SAVERS) before you start your day.

I’m inviting you to start this process with me for the next 30 days and I will outline a few of the things that I am going to focus on with my Life SAVERS.

Silence

On one of Hal’s podcasts, he recommended the Simply Being app to help with meditation and the times I’ve used it, I thought it was extremely helpful.

Affirmations

The next step is to write your affirmations down and review them every morning. Here is one that I liked and will use to kick this off.

Visualization

I plan to do my Miracle Morning in our office, so I want to create a larger vision board that I can focus on during my SAVERS. I have a few small ones right now, but I want to make a bigger board for 2017.

Exercise

Normally I love to walk Sport in the morning, but right now it’s too cold so I will be hitting my morning yoga class until it is warm enough to start walking him again.

Reading

To kick off the first 30-day challenge, I am planning to start reading 10% Happier by Dan Harris. Dan is a Nightline anchor who had a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America. Afterwards, he decided to make a change and learn about meditation. I’ve been listening to Dan’s podcast for a while and love it! I had no idea so many people meditate every day. I figured this would be a good book to start with as I will be meditating now.

Scribing

The last SAVER is scribing or journaling. I am terrible at this, I hate writing my thoughts down on paper, but there are a number of benefits to doing this. Hal recommends The Winners’ Journal for this and I also have The 5-Minute Journal app to get me started.

Will you start The Miracle Morning Challenge with me? I loved this quote from the book and thought it would might help convince you.

For more Be the Best You posts, click here.



BarkBox September 2016 Unboxing

If you decide to treat your pup to their own BarkBox, you can click the link here and use the code “SPORT” to try one for free and Sport gets a free box added on to his account.

september-2016

This month’s BarkBox theme was Bark To School. I can’t even with how cute some of this stuff was, starting with the yearbook themed paper:

bark-to-school

Everything in this month’s box had a back to school theme and I loved it. John and I were just standing around checking out the box and the paper before we pulled out all of the treats and toys!

bark-to-school2

1. Yeti Dog Treats Crunchy Puffs ($6.99)

These were really interesting and smelly! They have authentic Himalayan Yak Cheese in every bite. To make these they take the leftover pieces from the other treats they make and microwave them together to create the puffs. I loved that these were so different than any of the other treats we’ve received for Sport. On the bag they had an offer to use code BARK to receive 15% off any of their dog chews.

crunchy-puffs

2. Dog Ate My Homework ($8)

This toy was pretty much the funniest dog toy I’ve ever seen. It had the crinkly sounding paper plus multiple squeakers in each page which Sport loves. Make sure to read the text – it is hilarious! Who comes up with this stuff?!

dog-ate-my-homework-collage

3. Ham & Cheese Sammies

These are too cute with the theme and fit perfectly in his Treat Tin from a few boxes ago. I love having little treats on hand that we can toss him throughout the day for training exercises. These include pork, blended into an oat and barley batter with cheddar cheese.

ham-and-cheese-sammies

4. Be Good Brown Bag Lunch ($12)

I couldn’t believe how cute this was! The bag had the crinkle paper and was just like a real paper lunch bag! A PB&J sandwich and cookie squeaky toys were inside the bag! I can’t wait to give this to Sport and maybe I will throw a couple treats inside too!

brown-bag

5. Chicken Soup for the Soul Savory Sticks

Who knew they made dog treats and food? These treats are made and sourced in the USA and feature rescue dogs on every bag – how sweet! Sport is definitely the chicken soup for my soul (AWWWWW).

chicken-soup-for-the-soul

After all that bark to school fun, Sport is pooped!

sport-tired

If you would like to try Barkbox for your pup, click the link here and use the code “SPORT” to get a free Barkbox for your pup and Sport gets a free box added on to his account.

To read more posts about Sport, click here.



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