Side by Side Challenge: Braids

The ladies of 2 Girls in 2 Cities are at it again and this months challenge was braids. 

Eight bloggers showed us their favorite braid styles and I was happy to be among this group of great girls! 

Here are our braided styles:

I love how everyone made this challenge their own by showing easy summer braids. I spy a few styles above that I'll be trying out for sure! 

I decided to go with a super easy triple braid bun. My hair was dirty (day three) so it was perfect for an up-do. 

What you need:

- 4 elastic ties

- bobby pins

Instructions: 

1) Divide hair into three sections. French braid both sides and regular braid the center one. Use small elastic bands to secure the braids. 

2) Pull braids apart making them messy and big.

3) Braid all three braids loosely together.

4) Roll the braid up and use 3-4 bobby pins to secure to head. 

5) Pull at braids again making the bun bumpy and loose. 

Thank you so much to Amanda and Jennie for including me in this month's challenge! Head over to the other blogs and show them some love:
Amanda & Jennie - 2 Girls in 2 Cities, Jill - Hot Pink Style, Julie - It's Julien, Jen - Basic Training Corporate Style, Kristyn - First Impressions, and Marissa - I Get My Crafty From My Mama.

How do you wear your braids in the summer? Do you think you'll be trying my triple braided bun?

Rocked it & Swapped it

What is better then an amazing color tote bag?  Kaitlyn was gifted this beautiful purse by Just Fab and the wonderful thing about a great tote is that it can be used for everything from a brunch with the family to everyday wear. It's big enough to carry your iPad or laptop in to the office yet super easy to transition for happy hour after work with the girls. 

Here is how we both styled the bag:

The color, gold hardware, perfect size, and the various pockets inside...What's not to love? 

What do you think? Do you have a purse that's appropriate for any situation? 

Feminine in Florals

The minute I saw this top and skirt separates set, I liked the romantic feel of it and thought it was perfect for a summer date night, not to mention it's unlike anything I have in my closet. Shows you how well Lisa knows me because when she saw me, the first thing she said was, "I LOVE that! It's so different for you" and I totally agree.

I have a large collection of summer dresses but I seem to have a strong attachment to stripes and animal prints so I'm happy to be mixing it up a bit. I typically enjoy combining masculine and feminine looks for an unstructured feel but this was 100% girly and I loved the feel of that -- hence all the strutting and twirling. (#sorrynotsorry)

Top & Skirt: Target // Jacket: J. Crew // Wedges: Just Fab // Sunnies: Old Navy // Purse: BISTM

Watch: Michael Kors // Bracelet: Forever 21

Do you ever step outside of your style comfort zone? 

Blog of the Month: Skinnytaste

I am always on the hunt for healthy recipes and ways to increase the nutritional value of meals we already love and of my favorite resources is Skinnytaste. Gina's blog is amazing for easy to follow recipes that don't skimp on flavor. I like that you can search by meal type, special diet, holiday, etc and she is constantly surprising me with new combinations that I would have never thought to put together. 

This Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Chopped Salad is perfect for summer (but isn't anything with watermelon?) 

Grilled Shrimp and Watermelon Chopped Salad

Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1 salad • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 293 • Fat: 18 g • Carb: 12 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 22 g • Sugar: 7 g
Sodium: 257 mg • Cholesterol: 121 mg

For the dressing:

• 2 1/2 tbsp DeLallo golden balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp water
• 1 tbsp chopped shallots
• 1/8th tsp kosher salt
• pinch fresh black pepper
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

For the shrimp:

• 10 oz shelled and deveined (about 24) large shrimp
• 1 clove garlic crushed
• seasoned salt, to taste (I used Montreal Steak Grill Mates)

For the Salad:

• 8 cups chopped romaine
• 4 cups diced watermelon
• 4 ounces soft goat cheese

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, water, shallots, salt and pepper. Gradually add olive oil, stirring until incorporated.

For the shrimp:

If cooking outside on the grill, soak skewers at least 30 minutes.

Season shrimp with seasoned salt, then mix in crushed garlic. Thread the shrimp onto the skewers.

Light the grill or indoor grill pan on medium to medium-high flame, when hot spray the grates with oil and grill the shrimp about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.

In a large bowl toss the romaine with the dressing. Divide between for plates and top with watermelon, goat cheese and grilled shrimp.

What are your go-to recipe sources?

Happy Memorial Day!

Because Lisa Hosted a Kids Bday Party!

How am I the mother of a six year old? A six year old! For the record, I'm not one of those people who thinks they are "so old" on every birthday...I truly love birthdays. I am a thirty five year old mother of two and proud of it. But for some reason when my kids have birthdays, I feel old. Why is that? But I digress.. 

My son knew this year he wanted a karaoke themed party so naturally we turned our backyard into his wish come true. The weather was a perfect 68 and sunny so I decided to wear a shift midi dress. Super easy, plus cozy and great for moving around so I could dance my butt off as my little man sings!

Dress: Nordstrom // Key Necklace: EG Jewelry // Shoes: Shoemint // Sunnies: Prada // Bow Ring: T+J Designs

I always let my kids decided what type of party they want. We've done everything form an auto show theme to a dress-up tea party (yes, I think the adults enjoyed those hats more than the kids). It makes it way more fun for your child when they get to plan it. It makes it a bit more difficult for you as a parent to bring it to life, but I love a good challenge! 

Here is his gluten free, triple layer birthday cake. 

We picked up a helium tank and bought different guitar, music note, and colored balloons to have inside. My son picked literally everything out with me.

A great thing about having a outdoor kids party is you can use sidewalk chalk and get away with it. The night before the party while the son was inside I grabbed the chalk and wrote all over my patio, fence, and even the side of our brick house. He was so excited when he saw it. I love that something so simple and inexpensive made his face lite up so much.

We had seating in the yard and on the porch so guests could listen and watch the karaoke from all angles. We also kept the grass open for the hula-hoop competition, Gangnam Style dance contest, and Cha-cha Slide. Oh yes, this happened.

My son was so excited when his grandparents got up and sang. We all enjoyed their rendition of Sunny and Cher's, "I got you babe".

Obviously Kaitlyn and I sang Wilson Phillips "Hold On" (Bridesmaids style) And we were good in case you thought otherwise ;) 

My little love sang Katy Perry's "Roar" twice. And by sang I mean full on belted it out and KILLED IT! I was in the crowd dancing seriously so proud of him as he read the words and rocked out all by himself.

We couldn't be any prouder of our son! My husband and I are truly blessed and we hope our kids know that we feel that way.

What do you do for your kids birthday parties? What would you sing at a karaoke party?

Rocked it & Swapped it

This may be one of our favorite rock & swaps yet. Not just because our wonderful intern Rebecca looks great in a Sisters Marie T, but furthermore, her outfit reveal on her blog was beyond cute. We love how she kept her readers guessing what the text on her shirt said and we may have even giggled a bit at the last photo. 

It’s so much fun to see how different #fbloggers style our shirts: Lisa personifies the hippie vibe and Rebecca made it her own by roughing it up with leather leggings. But let’s be honest, I think a lot of our admiration for her t-shirt remix comes from those lust-worthy shoes. Lace-up heels are this summer’s must-have and the way she styled them is right on target.

We love how everyone has added their own style to our T's...

 Cat Freedom Flash // Stilettos and Diaper Bags // 101 Things I love

Sisters Marie // Diary of this Girl // Rock Oomph

Love Zahra // Blogger Brunch // Sisters Marie

 Which one is your favorite look so far?

Because Lisa Celebrated Mother's Day

 

You read on the blog last week how Kaitlyn hosted Mother's Day this year at her home. 

I decided to wear a basic shift dress and added a blazer, simple jewelry, and a stripe sandal to finish the look off. The best part of brunch is all the food and mimosas so I needed a good eating outfit. This dress did the trick! 

Blazer: Piperlime (similar) // Dress: Old Navy // Shoes: c/o Sole Society // Watch: Fossil // Necklace: EG Jewelry // Sunnies: Ray Ban  

My family made it one wonderful Mother's day! I was able to sleep in, got home-made cards and gifts in bed, attend the family brunch, then relax the rest of the day while my hubby did all the cooking and the grunt of the daily home & kid responsibilities. It was bliss! 

What do you wear to outdoor brunches? Do you like my simple look?

Because Kaitlyn Loves Swapping!

Even though I have a (more than) full closet of clothes, I still have those moments where I stand in front of my wardrobe and think “I have absolutely nothing to wear” and convince myself that I need to go shopping. I’m pretty sure my husband never utters this phrase, so it must just be another one of those irrational situations that us females can’t explain. 

I typically combat these moments by scouring my favorite closets to see if any fellow style lovers are in the mood to #swap for something “new.” Most recently, I fell in love with this yellow pleated skirt from Lisa’s closet from The Limited – the neon color is perfect for this time of year and the length is just long enough to make it office appropriate, so I plan on getting a ton of wear out of it. 

Jacket: J. Crew (similar) // Shirt: Sisters Marie // Skirt: BISTM // Sandals: Piperlime // Earrings: T+J Designs

Sunnies: Old Navy // Turquoise ring: Francesca's // Bag: Sheinside

What is your solution for those "closet emergency" days?

Because We Love Peapod!

For the past 10 years, I watched our groceries get delivered to our house by a green truck and unloaded in our entryway by (typically) a chivalrous gentleman. My mom was one of the first adopters (or maybe THE first) of Peapod. I always assumed it must have been an extravagant cost because it was so out of the ordinary at the time...fast forward to married life where working two jobs and maintaining life in general doesn’t always allow for hours at the Jewel. 

I placed my first Peapod order a few weeks ago and have been hooked ever since. Lisa has used it for years now too because it allows her to maximize the most of her time with two children at home and not to mention, select the best gluten-free options for their dietary needs by carefully scouring their virtual grocery aisles.

From the homepage, you can browse all the aisles by category (just as you would in the store), express shop to repeat items from a previous order, see the specials from the week and search the Peapod recipes (which includes links to all items you will need). 

I place the same order every time with a few variations so it’s EXTREMELY helpful to have access my last order and repeat the items I've run out of. I love that I can also check all the nutritional facts and search by subcategory (low calorie, sugar free, fat free, etc). Best of all, we recently had a Peapod pick-up location open up in our area so I can place my order, drive up to the facility and have my groceries loaded in my car for no extra charge. It is shopping BLISS. 

I also follow them on Pinterest for great recipes, themed party ideas, specials and of course, where in the world is that famous green truck?

Have you tried Peapod? First time users get $20 OFF their order! Use code RMN20 (Expires 5/31)

Recipe: Hawaiian Chicken

We are forever looking for healthy gluten free dishes for our family so I was very excited when my husband stumbled upon this Hawaiian Chicken recipe! Boy oh boy was it good...

Ingredients:

1/4 cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce 

1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

cooking spray

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

(we added a side of fresh organic fruit salad too!)

Directions: 

1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag.

2. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 4 hours.

3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high hear. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper.

4. Add chicken to pan; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook another 6 minutes. 

5. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cilantro. 

The finished product: 

This was AMAZING! We ended up skipping the rice and subbing for a fruit salad. The entire family was wanting seconds on this one. I highly recommend this dish! 

What is your favorite gluten-free recipe?

Rocked it & Swapped it

A great wrap skirt is like a wrap dress, it's very flattering on all body shapes and sizes and a wardrobe staple as well. I have a small collection of Kristin Hassan wrap skirts (and dresses too) because the prints are just so versatile and they really do go with so many different items in my wardrobe. 

When Kaitlyn styled my skirt, she mixed her prints by pairing it with a great stripe top. I love how she kept the rest of the outfit black but added color with her amazing statement earrings. 

I later wore the skirt to my family Christmas party and going with Kaitlyn's theme, kept it mostly black but added an great emerald shoe and earring to mix it up a bit.

Here is how we both styled the wrap skirt:

Do you own a wrap skirt? Stay tuned for Kristin's new line coming out soon!