Friday Favorites

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I invested in these shoes, which apparently are the hottest shoes in Silicon Valley right now. Let me tell you – they’re worth every single penny. I wear mine without socks almost every day of the week with almost any outfit – they’re clean and trendy looking, and yet, they’re also the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn. I’m totally buying more as soon as my budget allows.

 

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Honey

I installed the Honey app in my web browser, and now anytime I shop online (which is 99% of my shopping), it automatically suggests discount codes. Even better, when I shop on Amazon, it will tell me if each item in my cart is the absolute lowest price on Amazon, or if there’s a better deal out there. Yesterday it helped me save $3 on my face lotion.

If you go to the actual Honey website, you can also find deals for cash back on purchases. I used it to get some cash back on a purchase at the Gap that I was already planning on making. Cash back + a discount code for $20 off. Confession – it was to buy a swimsuit. Online. Yes, I’m really brave and a tiny bit stupid. Pray for me.

If you use my special link (here), I’ll get a $5 referral credit, and you will make my day.

 

Greetabl

Our family motto is “Love God. Love people. Do big things.” And sometimes doing a big thing is really doing a small thing that will bring sunshine to somebody out of the blue. An unexpected treat. One of the easiest ways to do that is through Greetabl, which allows you to send tiny surprises in the mail for almost any occasion. I’ve sent a box of confetti, a box of nail polish, even a single piece of chocolate. The packaging is gorgeous and fully customizable – you can even add photos and a personal message. The only drawback is that you can’t schedule a delivery for a particular day, and it can take 7-10 days to arrive. So, I don’t use it for things like birthdays, but it’s great for an “I’m sorry you’re going through a hard time,” or, “Thanks for being an awesome friend, or even, “Thanks for hosting us – we had a blast!”

Here’s a link that will get me points toward more free purchases – feel free to use!

Snake Plant

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In the past few years, I’ve become the crazy plant lady. I’ve got plants all over the house, and then my giant vegetable and flower gardens in the backyard. Dirt is just good for my soul, and I’ve found that it’s much cheaper to buy myself a plant that will last a year, than a bouquet of flowers that will last a week – and they’re about the same price. I’m currently on the succulent bandwagon, but I’ve also got a fiddle leaf fig that is beautiful, but also high-maintenance. I’m at a point where I can’t handle many extra high-maintenance things (thus, why we don’t have a dog at the moment). And then I discovered the snake plant.

Y’all. It can live indoors in almost any condition. It doesn’t care if you move it around. You only have to water it every 1-3 weeks. It prefers to be left alone. And it’s SO PRETTY. I need more snake plants in my life – I picked mine up at Calloways, but they also have them on Amazon – I’ve had lots of luck with buying plants there.

 

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And finally… spring break

This week was spring break for my kiddos, and it was such a treat to take some time off work to hang out with them. Wrenn goes to kindergarten in the fall (gasp), and I’m soaking up these days of her being young and everything being new and exciting. And Mila is finally walking (and falling – so much falling), which means going places just got 100 times easier. This week we’ve had play dates and watched movies, made homemade playdough, they went to Chuckee Cheese with one grandpa, and have a slumber party planned with cousins and grandparents on the other side. I love having kids this age.


Follow more of our adventures on Instagram and Facebook.

 

 

 

Friday Favorites

FRIDAY FAVORITES (1)It’s been so long since you and I talked. Mostly because having a baby is tiring, and by 7:30 each evening, when both kids are in bed and work is done, I’m totally out of energy and have no words left to write.

We have SO MUCH to catch up on.

Like… some of my new favorites!

Eats_Logo_Whit_Horiz1. Uber Eats Gift Cards

I’m already a fan of having someone bring me dinner to my house. And, I love to send dinner (or random PIE… seriously) to other peoples’ houses. But now, I can send a gift card for someone to order WHATEVER THEY WANT, whenever they want, and have it delivered to their house. For this working mama who loves to love on people but frankly doesn’t have the time to cook/deliver food, this is AMAZING. (You have to do it through their website because the app doesn’t have the feature yet. Or you can use my favorite website in the whole world… Amazon.)

617J7XbwZqL._SL1000_2. My Amazon Fire Tablet

I bought myself a shiny new 10″ Amazon Fire tablet with my birthday money… just $99 on Black Friday for the latest and greatest version. I use it for just three things:

  1. Reading my magazines on Texture (PS – If we’re friends, I can give you a special link to get your first month free, and then I’ll get an Amazon gift card, which you know I will love. Just let me know and I can email/Facebook it to you.)
  2. Watching Parenthood on Netflix while I take a bubble bath
  3. Reading books on my Kindle app

And that’s it. It honestly does everything my iPhone does, but at a fraction of the price of a new iPad. And… it’s red.

download3. RetailMeNot

I’ve always used RetailMeNot to find discount codes for online purchases. Duh, it saves you money on almost EVERYTHING. But, I recently had to buy a new dishwasher (our high-end discounted floor model crapped out after just 2 years and was more expensive to fix than replace), and I found that RetailMeNot also offers cash back rewards on some purchases. You guys, IT IS NOT A SCAM. I simply searched for a discount at Lowes, found a link on Retail Me Not’s site to use, and scored a $35 cash back rebate. I then redeemed it through PayPal and used it to buy myself some shoes I’d been eyeing (which haven’t arrived yet… I’ll let you know if I like them). I like free money. A lot.

 

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4. Parenthood

I realize I’m pretty late to the game, but I’m currently on Season 3 and you guys, THIS SHOW IS ABOUT MY FAMILY. Like, it’s weird. I’m the youngest sister, which is ironic because I’m actually the oldest sister. But the adoption storyline (I’m in the middle of it and was warned not to watch it before we finalized our adoption, but OH MY GOODNESS THIS IS SO OUR STORY OF OUR FAILED ADOPTION WHERE FOR SIX WEEKS I WORRIED THAT SAYING THE WRONG THING WOULD COST US A BABY). Coach is my dad (who, ironically, we call Coach as his grandpa name). These are my family members. WHY ISN’T EVERYBODY WATCHING THIS WITH ME AT THE SAME TIME?

I may be a little bit too overexcited. This is what happens when I watch only one show, start to finish, six full seasons in a row, at a time.

If you’re a Parenthood fan, let’s be friends. But no spoilers please… because I need to live this out in real time. (And also, can we all take a moment to talk about how much we love Crosby? And the fact that Lorelai Gilmore falls in love with her brother on this show in real life? It’s like my mind is blown.)

 

12a8ce89-b897-4fac-87d5-55806a9d542b5. Mila learned how to blow kisses

This isn’t new… Mila has been blowing kisses for months now. But today she started making the kissing sound and puckering her lips up in the most dramatic way. And it’s the cutest thing you’ve ever seen in your whole life. She was showing off by blowing kisses to her big sister tonight before bedtime, and my heart exploded. How did I end up with two gorgeous girls? Only God…

 

 

So… my other FAVORITE thing is when folks leave a comment on the blog! So… tell me, what is your current favorite thing? I’d love to discover something new and fabulous!

XOXO, Bethe

Friday Favorites: My favorite subscription services

Over the past few years, my life has become more and more automated. Why buy something over and over when I can subscribe once and no longer think about it? Or even better, subscribe and get a discount? This gal doesn’t want to waste her time or precious energy on things that can be automated – and easily!

Here are my current favorite subscription services:

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Texture: I read a lot on my phone – when I’m lying in bed trying to go to sleep, when I’m up feeding a baby in the middle of the night, when I’m waiting in line for something… you get the picture. Now, with Texture, I get more than 200 magazine subscriptions for just $15/month. It seriously includes EVERYTHING – from US Weekly to The New Yorker to LIVING and Better Homes & Gardens. It includes current and back issues, and I can access them on my phone or iPad. Seriously – I’m in decorating magazine heaven. (And it’s GLORIOUS to have something non-political to read.)

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Harry’s Razors: I just joined the Harry’s bandwagon and I’m pleased so far. For only about $1.75 per razor blade, I save money on shaving, and I can guarantee I’ll never run out. They only offer a men’s razor, but we all know that they’re really ALL the same. Harry’s delivers my refill blades every two months at a much lower cost than I was spending at the store.

 

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MeUndies: Yes. Apparently underwear subscription is a THING. I get a new pair of undies in the mail every month, and it’s kind of like Christmas when it arrives! Once you become an old married couple, things like buying undies sometimes falls down on the to-do list, so it’s fun to always have something new! (And every time I get a new pair in the mail, I throw away an old pair that should have been tossed ages ago.) Cost is $14/month.

 

Amazon_Fresh

Amazon Fresh: No other service has changed my life like Amazon Fresh. For $14/month, I do ALL of my grocery shopping online (ALL OF IT), and Amazon delivers it to my door within hours. I can order my groceries while I watch TV at 8:00 in the evening, and have them delivered to my door by 8:00 the next morning (minimum order is $40). The quality is great (lots of organic options), the pricing is decent (some things are higher, some are the same as my local grocery store), but my grocery budget has gone down since I no longer feel the need to buy in bulk anymore, because if I need something, I can have it delivered within hours. This means less food waste, and fewer impulse purchases when I’m at the store. And this means I don’t have to spend any time sitting in traffic, standing in a check-out line, trying to figure out where to put the baby’s car seat in the shopping cart and still have room for groceries… It’s life changing. LIFE CHANGING.

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Chatbooks: Confession… I still haven’t printed out our wedding photos. From six years ago. Don’t tell our wedding photographers, who happen to also be our besties. I am the WORST at printing out photos, much less making a photo album. PLEASE! Once a year I print my Facebook Feed via My Social Book (hint – a few times a year they run a 40% off special – wait for the discount before purchasing), but other than that, there are no post 2009 photo albums in our house. Until now…

Thanks to Chatbooks, every time I take 60 Instagram photos, I automatically get a little photo album in the mail. I get an alert before they send it to me, so I can edit the album, remove unnecessary photos, and add any other pics that didn’t make it to Instagram (like of that adorable baby girl I can’t post public pics of yet). I can also opt to purchase prints of pics from that feed. Everything gets mailed to me, and I can add it to my collection – guilt free. Look at me, I’m a good mom – I print photos of my kids! Watch out world!

Speaking of being a good mom (or dad, or PERSON)… what are YOUR favorite subscription services? I’m always on the lookout for new ways to save time so I can spend MORE time loving on my kiddos, swooning at my husband, or doing things that make me happy… like reading my Texture magazines while taking a nap.

NOTE: I did not receive any compensation for this post – all opinions are my own. Affinity links are included, which will give us BOTH discounts if you choose to use them.

Friday Favorites: My favorite DFW Restaurants

Mr. Right and I love food. Like, REALLY love food. And, one of our favorite past-times is eating out and discovering new restaurants together.

We regularly get texts from friends asking for recommendations for fun new restaurants, date nights, even places to shop, so I’m happy to resurrect a series on the blog – my Friday Favorites.

To kick it off, here are some of my favorite restaurants in DFW… currently.

La Perla

La Perla / Photo Credit: La Perla

La Perla / Photo Credit: La Perla

If we have kids in tow, La Perla is always my first choice. Located near the Convention Center in downtown Fort Worth, it’s got a cute little patio to enjoy on pretty days, and on colder days, if you go early, nobody cares if your child dances in the corner. The owner has a young daughter, so the staff always engages Wrenn and has lots of patience (plus the restaurant is loud enough that she doesn’t bother anybody). I always order the empanadas (the ham + cheese + honey ones are the best) – Wrenn usually eats one as well, and sometimes I get a few to go for the following day – and Mr. Right loves the Cubano and the La Dominicana sandwiches. I also swear by their spicy lime popcorn for an appetizer, because… popcorn.

 

Max’s Wine Dive

Max's Wine Dive / Photo Credit: Fort Worth, TX Magazine

Max’s Wine Dive / Photo Credit: Fort Worth, TX Magazine

When it’s time for a date night, Max’s is one of my favorites. This is where I took Mr. Right on our anniversary this year. This is where we take out of town friends. This is one of my happy places. (This is not a place I’d take littles.)

The Fort Worth location recently got a new chef, which means the menu changed and my absolute favorite (the PB&J wings), is no longer on the menu. But, I’m still a sucker for the cheese board, the Wine Dive Chicken Sliders, ‘The Royal’ Lobster Pot Pie (lobster bisque + puff pastry = heaven), and the shrimp & grits. They’re famous for their fried chicken (almost everybody orders it). I also hear they have a great Sunday brunch, but alas, that conflicts with church.

 

Hattie’s

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Hattie’s / Photo Credit: The Dallas Observer

Mr. Right discovered Hattie’s when he took me here for one of our anniversaries. The decor is so pretty (I’d dress up just a tad), and the food is amazing without being CRAZY expensive. I love the fried green tomatoes and the carmelized onion & cheddar tart with a sweet onion marmalade (again – I love it when my dinner can come in a puff pastry), but there’s also plenty to choose from if you’re a steak lover. This is another one of those great places for a date night, but I’d get a babysitter.

 

Off-Site Kitchen

Off Site Kitchen / Photo Credit: Dallas Eater

Off-Site Kitchen / Photo Credit: Dallas Eater

If we want to go out to lunch – or an early Saturday dinner… because let’s face it, when your kiddo’s bedtime is 7:00, you eat dinner REALLY early… Off-Site Kitchen is our first choice for burgers. I hear they have great sandwiches, too, but I don’t know why anybody would order something besides the burger, which is SO FRESH. Like, the freshest burger in all of DFW. I like the Green Chile & Bacon burger (includes caramelized onions and a special sauce) and the Russet Fries with garlic salt. They even have tiny fries for dessert. (Very kid friendly)

OSK (what the regulars call it) gets super busy, so I’d pick a slightly off-time to eat. They also have an amazing patio (and not to mention since it’s part of Trinity Groves, there’s a to-die for cake place just around the corner). You can also walk off those calories by strolling down to the old Dallas bridge which has since been turned into a park. Wrenn loves to climb on the playground and we can people watch as we enjoy a gorgeous view of Downtown Dallas.

 

Luck

LUCK / Photo credit: Culture Map Dallas

LUCK / Photo Credit: Culture Map Dallas

Luck is just the best. It’s perfect for a grown-up date night, or you can bring the kiddos and enjoy their giant patio. I love their Hand Twisted Soft Pretzels with beer cheese fondue and their shrimp & grits, but we’ve never had a bad meal there. It just FEELS trendy and the food is unique but again, not crazy expensive. And, if the line is too long, you can pick just about any other restaurant at Trinity Groves – it’s like a giant food court, but with gourmet sit-down restaurants instead.

 

So friends… go out and enjoy a good meal, and let me know in the comments where YOUR favorite restaurant is. We’re always looking for our next favorite spot!

Some favorites… and a shop update

I don’t want this blog to be all baby talk, all the time, so here’s a little bit of Friday Favorites… on a Monday. I’m either really late, or really early. I’m choosing the latter.

You can click on the picture to be taken to the original source.

I remember back when pink was the new black. And then it was gray. And brown. This year, Tangerine Tango is the new black.

Actually, it’s just the 2012 Color of the Year. You can read more about what’s hot for 2013 here. My first print of 2013 may need to incorporate some of these colors – a girl’s gotta stay hip.

If you’re an Instagram addict like me, you probably need something to do with the million photos in your account. Here’s a way to put those pics to good use, by creating a calendar – a new picture to enjoy every day.

As soon as I’m off this couch and back at my sewing machine, this is going to be one of the first quilts I tackle. I love the simplicity, and the scale of the pattern. I think I could whip this out in one or two Saturdays.

And speaking of sewing – if we end up with a little girl, these skirts will be one of the first clothing items I tackle. The cuteness is overwhelming.

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And a little shop update – If you’d like to purchase anything for Christmas, you’re about to run out of time. At this point it’s too late to order a custom print unless you’re willing to print it yourself. If that’s the case, we can still work something out.

If you want your print mailed before Christmas, Wednesday (two days from now) is the deadline to order. If you’re willing to print yourself (or if you’re a local friend and can pick it up in person) then you’ve got until next Tuesday, December 18.

Here’s a link to the shop… Thanks to everyone who has supported us. And thanks also to everybody who is praying for us. We are very grateful.

Friday Favorites & a Give-away

If you moseyed on over here from my friend Helene’s blog, welcome! You can read more about me here and visit my shop, Texas Lovely, here.

Okay, now that we’re friends, on to today’s post:

These are a few of my favorite things…

For those of you who are new here, I teach English as a Second Language to refugees and immigrants from all over the world. Last night I taught my beginners about our elections, and the basic structure of government – things like term limits for the president and congress, names of local government leaders (governor, mayor), and about our two party system. The highlight of the class was having one of my favorite students, a large African woman about 70 years old, lean back in her chair and say, “Mmmm… I don’t like Obama. Romney is my man!” Now, regardless of your political leaning, a moment like that goes against just about every political stereotype, and it makes teaching English an absolute hoot.

I asked my students to tell me about the governments in their countries, how their leaders were chosen and whether or not they’ve ever voted. It was eye-opening to go around the room and hear students from Congo, Ivory Coast and Togo each say that it’s too dangerous to vote – that they would never do it because it’s not safe. It’s just another reminder that regardless of how you feel about the candidates running, we are blessed to be able to go to the polls without fear of physical harm.

To the woman who told me today, while I was wearing my big-girl suit no less, “There is NO WAY you could be 32! I could have sworn you were in your mid-20s,” all I have to say is, BLESS YOU. BLESS YOU. BLESS YOU. You’re my new best friend.

It totally makes up for the woman yesterday who asked me if I was pregnant, and when I told her I wasn’t, she said she didn’t believe me. That’s a new one. (And of course I was wearing a new shirt that I just LOVED, but which I love a little less now.)

This sucker is BIG! But I love the craziness of the pattern, combined with the neutral Christmas colors. It doesn’t just scream “Yea! Christmas!” but instead whispers it soothingly as you cuddle by the fire.

Oh wait, I’m now personifying my quilts. Maybe I’m spending too much time in my sewing studio, watching How I Met Your Mother on my laptop. (The first six seasons have seen me through three different quilts.) Anyway, this gal will probably end up in my shop — unless I decide to keep her for myself, which is a strong possibility — so stay tuned for an announcement about her listing. Feel free to call “dibs” on her now by leaving a comment. I haven’t measured her yet but it’s definitely big enough for two people to snuggle under it next to a fire.

My friend over at Helene In Between is giving away a Texas Lovely print on her blog! If you don’t already follow her, go check her out – she’s a Dallas girl (love supporting local bloggers) and her blog is gaining popularity at warp speed. Thanks Helene for so generously partnering with me! Now hurry up and go enter the give-away so I can send you something lovely!

—-I’m linking this post up with the Bargain Blonde’s Friday Favorites link party—

Friday Favorites

Today I’m linking back up with the Bargain Blonde for a Friday Favorites feature. Want to join me? Just leave a link to YOUR latest online favorite down in my comment section. I always love to get new ideas!

To see the original source (and some great tutorials) just click on the picture. I believe in giving credit where credit is due!

I don’t have a lot of free time at the moment (that’s what starting a new business will do to you – but I LOVE it). But, someday soon I plan to learn how to make baby bibs so I can stock up on some baby shower gifts. I liked this tutorial, although I also went ahead and just bought some bibs hoping I can deconstruct them and make my own pattern. I’m kind of a rebel like that.

My internet friend Lauren is wonderfully creative, and she came up with this idea for an invitation. I’ve done boxed invitations before and got raves from my guests over them, but this one is even better!

I love gray, I love neutral bedrooms, and I love that mirror. I could have some sweet, sweet dreams in that bedroom.

Somehow I married a man who can build just about anything I dream up, and as soon as I saw this wooden box I showed it to Mr. Right, and he has assured me he can make me one. I think it would be great for any season on our old barn dining table.

I love my chambray shirt that I snagged on clearance at the J Crew outlet, and I love this fashion blog by what seems like a really nice Christian girl.

And finally – I have discovered this blog which also has this etsy shop. Oh my word, this gal hand-draws all of her artwork, and I am amazed at her talent. It’s like all the doodles I used to do in school, the only difference is that hers are gorgeous, and mine looked like doodles.

I love it so much that I bought two of her pieces – this sewing machine print will soon hang in my sewing studio.

I bought these cards, which will go in my new orders, so if you visit my shop, you’ll be seeing this soon!

 I hope you have a WONDERFUL weekend filled with all things lovely and relaxing!

Friday Favorites

I’m sending you a very earthy, crunchy hello from gorgeous Portland. I keep telling Mr. Right I may come home with a nose ring and a tattoo. Which, for the record, is perfectly lovely on some people, but if you know me, I’m a bit conservative scared buttoned up not cool enough to pull that off.

But anyway, today I’m linking up with The Bargain Blonde for Friday Favorites. In particular, here are some of my current favorites for fall. Click on the pictures to be redirected to the original source.

Decorating with pumpkins – this makes me want to host a dinner party.

A free fall printable from one of my favorite bloggers (she draws these herself – crazy, huh?).

I’m thinking of making something like this as Christmas stocking stuffers. I could add a loop of thread and convert them into ornaments (with different fabric of course).

This gal’s etsy shop is like a burlap heaven. I love everything in there.

I love pairing my chambray shirt with skinny jeans and boots. I think I may have to add a scarf as well. I also do the white tank beneath it to hide my hiney in those skinny jeans – glad to know it’s considered fashionable and not just functional.

I found the perfect place to display one of my Texas Lovely designs in my kitchen. Although now I have a hankering to paint that frame and distress it. Hmmm…

I adore the applique on this pillow. It would take me forever, but might be a good ongoing project. Speaking of projects, I’m currently recovering all of my living room pillows. I figured I’d done enough sewing for others, it was time to spoil myself for a bit (besides, they were a bit worn, which is ridiculous considering I sell pillows these days). Pictures to come soon. One is a temporary home for some yo-yo’s I’ve been making for the past year – a definite labor of love.

One of my very favorite things is my newest nephew Jack. You may have prayed for him when he decided to arrive eight weeks early. Crazy thing is, he isn’t even really “due” for another three weeks. Is there anything more wonderful than a preemie baby’s grin?

On the fourth day of being home sick last week I finally had the energy to finish piecing together this yellow and gray quilt. It’s made from the same fabric as the chevron quilt I made last month. I love the endless possibilities that come from piecing triangles.

I had planned to put it in my shop but an old sorority sister with an adorable newborn baby girl called dibs, so it will be headed to Austin just as soon as I can get this gal quilted.

And that’s it! I hope you have a wonderfully fabulous fall Friday.