Five on Friday

Hey y'all! I'm linking up with Darci & the girls today for Five on Friday. I missed it last week!

{one} Jaqs and I have had so much fun the past couple of weeks. I finally feel like we're in our "football season groove" and things are flowing pretty easily in our days. Rob and I were just talking about how much easier it is to take care of her right now than this time last year. Sure, she has meltdowns and moments that require some gentle discipline, but overall she is understanding a lot and can communicate her wants/needs. Her personality is just budding, and we LOVE it!

We went to Hobby Lobby one day this week, and Jaqs INSISTED on sitting in the baby cart. Ha!! I never put her in one of those things as an infant, but apparently it's a pretty comfy ride. She loved it, and we got plenty of looks, trust me :) Happy baby = longer shopping for mommy.

{two} Just when I think I can start getting in "fall" mode, 90+ degree temps strike again! For 3 days in a row it's been like 95...AWFUL. I'm over it. Ready to wear leggings {as pants}, sweatshirts, and boots. I've sprinkled some Fall throughout our home, nonetheless.

free printable
{three} Speaking of Fall, I need some new items in my wardrobe somethin' fierce. Most things in my closet are OLD (like HIGH SCHOOL, people...not kidding), don't fit well, or were purchased last year when I was still accommodating, ahem, mommy ta-tas and a post-partum body in general. I've been working out & lifting 4-5 days a week, and I'm back at my "happy place," so I think I deserve a little wardrobe revamp, right?! I want to get a few pieces that are versatile and comfortable, but I also don't want to be totally boring. Who wants to go shopping and help this girl out?! :)

 I adore Lauren Conrad's style and love her line at Kohl's! I did pick up these pants last week, and they are so cute and suuuuper comfy. Definitely will be a staple for me this year!

{four} Influenster must have read my mind with their Mama Vox Box. I was JUST saying that I wanted to branch out on BB creams, and 2 full bottles arrived in my box this week! I am LOVING the Pond's BB cream; it is so much thicker than the others I've used, and it covers really well. I think I'll be sticking to this brand from here on out!

{five} The baby girl and I are headed home-home for the weekend, and I'm so excited since we haven't been since the end of July. We are sad to have to leave daddy behind, but he'll get the chance to rest and relax while we're away. Anyway, my mom has called this a "no cook, all play girl's weekend," and I can't even tell you how thrilling that is! Ha ;) The hot air balloon festival will be in town, and we can't wait to take Jaqs! I think she'll love it.

Hope your weekend is happy!

jalapeno-cheese breakfast casserole

This is far & away my family's go-to breakfast casserole. We have it on most holidays, take it to many pot-lucks, and have it many other times throughout the year. People seem to love it, and the best part is, it's the EASIEST thing to make! WIN!

Jalapeno-Cheese Egg Squares

1/2-3/4 cup of diced, pickled jalapenos (this depends on how spicy you want)

2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese

10 whole eggs, scrambled

optional: half a pound of breakfast sausage, browned & crumbled

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a 9x13 pan generously. Layer the jalapenos, then sausage if you choose to add it, then scattered the grated cheese on top of that. Pour the eggs over all of it. The eggs will kind of sink in, but the casserole should look moist. I might add an extra egg or two if I feel like it needs it.

Bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes or until the eggs are set/not jiggly. Let it set for a few more minutes on the counter, then cut into squares & enjoy!

These squares are perfect for potlucks & holidays because they are really yummy at basically any temperature, and it's super easy to make half or double the amount with the same effort!

*NOTE* Be sure to use pickled jalapenos (like for nachos) or these will be way too spicy to even eat. I've also bought the "non-spicy" jalapenos, and that is yummy, too!

bye week{end}

Happy Fall, y'all! Did you all enjoy your first official fall weekend?! We finally had a cool down, and the 80 degree temps have never felt better. We've been spending more time outside than in, and that makes for one happy little girl in this house.

Another thing that makes for a happy tot? Having daddy home! This was our open week, so Rob got home Friday around 4:30 & was home until noon on Sunday. It was GLORIOUS! This weekend is always so refreshing and gears us all up for district play which begins this week.

We took it pretty easy on Friday. It rained ALL day long which was SO needed, and we were glad to have it. We snuggled, ate taco soup, and watched recorded football games....ahh, spending time together on a Friday night during football season is bliss!

On Saturday, we headed for the park not too long after breakfast to enjoy the crisp (okay, 75 degree) morning. Of course, Jaqs would rather be no where else than the park! We have pretty much been living there over the last couple of weeks, and she has no qualms about that. 

We also went to the pet store to look at the "eesh" then had lunch with our friends before nap time!

That evening, we had a birthday party to go to...

It was at our bowling/arcade/family center, and it was so much fun!

 Little Miss Piggy ate three pieces of pizza and had a great time running around from game to game with her daddy then picking out some REAL prizes with her tickets ;)

 Of course, all good things must end, so it's back to just me and the pea now that daddy is back to work, but that's okay because we had a lot of QT together this weekend. Loved every minute. We are blessed.

**This picture has nothing to do with the weekend, but J has a little scrape on her leg, and she's been folded up in a pretzel to kiss it too many times to count this weekend. Silly baby!**

 I hope your week is off to a great start! I'm planning to be around the blog a little more this week than I have over the past few...missing my bloggy buds! Wish me luck ;)

mommy make up routine

Most days I have very little reason to really get ready, but I still do it because it makes me feel better. Something about putting a little make-up on gets me ready to start my day, even if it only consists of working out, going to the grocery store, and changing diapers. I thought I'd share some of my tried and true favorites with y'all today. Most of these are drug store finds with a couple of "high end" products thrown in.

CoverGirl BB Cream--Do we all love BB cream? I know it's a definite favorite of mine! Honestly, this is the first and only one I have even tried. I got a free sample of CG many months ago, loved it, and have never bought another brand for fear of it breaking me out or something. Is there another brand I should try??

Physicians Formula Mineral Wear--I have used this mineral powder for YEARS. I absolutely love it; it provides great coverage and wears well. It's a little more expensive than other drugstore options, but one container lasts me quite awhile! The brush it comes with is way too stiff, in my opinion, so I use THIS one.

e.l.f. Blush, Twinkle Pink--I picked this $3 blush up one day at Target, and I really have liked it. It has a little bit of shimmer to it which I like and always want in a blush, and the color is great for my skin tone. My only complaint is that it has some fall-out, but HELLO...it's 3 bucks! That's to be expected.

e.l.f. Studio High Definition Powder--Yet another e.l.f. product and another one I love, too! This powder really gives a flawless finish and kind of works to "set" your make-up. I use the translucent for daytime, but the shimmer one is perfect for night!

Benefit Cosmetics Erase Paste--This product is new to me. After hearing people rave about it, I put it on my birthday wish list, and my mom got it for me. NOW I see what everyone is raving about...this is THE BEST concealer ever. It literally "erases" every little thing and stays put all day!

Stila Rockin' in Rio Palette--I recently won this palette in a blog giveaway and have been using it almost daily ever since. I love the neutral colors, but it also has a bright blue shadow-liner in the palette which is perfect to add a little POP when you're feeling crazy ;) The lip color included is also great for a little change-up from my usual EOS lip balm! Ha.

Maybelline Clear Mascara--I have a confession: my eyebrows be CRAZY. I swear I have the eyebrows of a 70 year old man, but this stuff helps to tame the strays. Lucky for my peers, I do my best to stay on top of my grooming, but I still need a little help, and clear mascara is the ticket! Keeps those bad boys in line.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara--I've tried many a mascara, but this is the one I always go back to. Frankly, I don't see the need to spend the big bucks on mascara when there are tons of great options at Target. I love the shape of the wand, too!

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There you have it, those are my SAHM make-up picks!

Are there any others than I'm missing out on and HAVE to try? Please, do share!

Five on Friday

WHY is time moving so fast?! I mean, what in the world?! It's Friday every time I turn around, but hey, you won't hear me complaining about that, Jack. Of course, I'm getting all my weekly blogging done right here on Five on Frida once again ;) Head over to Darci's blog to link up!

{one} Story time started back up at our public library this week, so Jaqs & I met friends there for some midweek fun. Jaqs really enjoyed it!! There were stories, songs, puppet shows, and even a craft. The nerd in me loved it, and the girl is at a fun age for this activity. I was only slightly concerned that Jaqs was going to make a be-line to the stage to steal a puppet, but thankfully she restrained herself.

{two} I made these Baked Cheddar Broccoli & Rice cups as a side to our meatloaf last night, and they were SO GOOD. Super simple to whip up, and the best part is that I pretty much always have these ingredients on hand, so they're perfect for a "free" side! I'll definitely be making these again and again.

{three} My mom got me this journal for my birthday, and I'm really enjoying writing a little something in it each day. It has room to record "one liners" for 5 years, and I think I'll so enjoy looking back on this years down the road. Maybe Jaqs will, too! :) I noticed them at Target the other day, but you can also get it on Amazon.

{four} Here are the highlights of our week in pictures for your viewing pleasure ;) If you follow me on IG (@ktgalu) you've probably seen most of these, but of course, I had to share them here also. We had a pretty good week...it was a nice combination of play & routine. My poor girl has some allergies bugging her right now, but she's been a trooper!

TL: my girly girl (ha!!) LOVES to dig in the dirt
TC: silly kid adores sitting in the baby swing
TR: gettin' a few reps in with daddy at the gym while mama worked out
BL: story time with friends at the library
BM: Jaqs thinks she is such a big girl helping mama with T's bottle
{{ps--yes i know this is cute; no i'm not ready for baby #2! lol!}}
BR: i've swaddled that baby doll a thousand times this week

{five} I'll leave you with this e-card. Can I get an AMEN?!?

Cheers to the weekend! Hope yours is fun!

weekend & a discount!

Happy (??) Monday, y'all! How was your weekend? As usual, ours flew right by.

Thursday was kind of a rough day around these parts, so I decided Friday was going to start off on the RIGHT foot, so once we were up and moving, the little lady and I headed straight to Starbucks for an iced PSL & Target. If only every day could start that way!

I must say, Jaqs was looking mighty grown up in her leopard jeggings. How do you think I would look in a matching pair?? ;) HA!

The football game was out of town this week, so another one of the coach's wives and her littles came over to have dinner, play & listen to the game. It was so fun, but unfortunately the Cats lost at the very last minute. Such a bummer!

Jaqs and I headed to the splash pad with the same momma & kiddos on Saturday morning since the guys were working (yeah--got home at 1:45 a.m. & back to work at 6:30 a.m!) to try to stay cool in the blazin' temps. She thought she was pretty big stuff going up and down the slide all by herself!

 We came home for lunch & the girl took an awesome nap! I mean, check out this bed-head:

 I guess sleeping for 3.5 hours will do that to ya! Now, let's do that every day, okay??

Saturday night Rob took his girls out for a family date night. We avoid any place that requires waiting a long time for food in the season of life, so we went to Chipotle where these two made googly eyes at each other the whole time :)

I mean, SERIOUSLY?! There is nothing better. Jaqs doesn't let her daddy out of her sight when he's home and gives him the sweetest hugs and kisses! Precious girl.

We also went for frozen yogurt and there was a little summer thunderstorm while we were there. We were playing outside when we got home and spotted a double rainbow! Of course, this iPhone picture is not the best, but my goodness, is God not SO GOOD? Wow.

 Sunday morning was low-key, just playing with daddy until he had to head back to the office. It's always so hard to let him go on Sundays, but we know he has a job to do!

 Now we'll look forward to the next! 

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Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for the holiday kid's tee! Meredith was the lucky winner, but Courtney is offering the shirts at a discounted rate for any of my other readers interested! They will be $12.99 (+shipping) and available to purchase via email. If you would like to place an order, send Courtney an email with the subject "Katie" to courtneyrubino{at}yahoo{dot}com and let her know what you'd like! She has several options (with matching bows) that can all be seen on her FB page.

Five on Friday

Wow. Worst blogging award goes to.....MEEEE!! I have been such a slacker this week. Life has happened & the days slipped by, but here I am! Back again for Five on Friday, of course. If I'm going to jump back in the saddle, I might as well do it with a "catch-all" post of sorts to get back to present day! Head over to Darci's blog to join in on the action!

{one}--Last weekend was packed full of fun! It started with the football game Friday night, which we won, and Jaqs made it through the WHOLE game. Y'all, that's crazy. She normally goes to bed no later than 8, and she was up until almost MIDNIGHT!!! I was shocked, but she remained happy through the whole game playing with her little friends, and she was thrilled to see daddy at the end of it all.

--We had our friends, Melissa & Mike over for dinner Saturday night and just had so much fun with them! They are the sweetest with Jaqs, and she loved having them here :)

--Sunday, the GG's made their way in town to give me my golden birthday presents (which were THE BEST EVER, by the way :)) and to spend some time with us since they were off on Labor Day. Jaqs was beside herself with excitement to see them!

We had a Pei Wei dinner, did a little shopping, and just had lots of fun playing! We're always so happy to have Grammie and GPop visit us :)

{two} Carter's had a big Labor Day sale which included an extra 25% off clearance, so I picked up these PRECIOUS tankinis for Jaqs for next summer for like $6! Here's to hoping I guessed the right size for next year. She's been pretty predictable so far, at least.

{three} I know I'm not the only one saying GOOD RIDDANCE to summer now that Labor Day has come and gone and football is in full swing, right? I'm SO OVER wearing swim suits and sweating to death, so I think it's about time the weather start cooperating, too. Get out of here with the 100 degree temps! All that to say, I'm at least pretending it's fall in my house by burning my FAVORITE candles! BBW had them on sale last week, plus I had a coupon, so I paid right around $7/each for them. I'll take it! I've been burning Pumpkin Cupcake this week, and it smells so delish.

{four} Um, my itty bitty newborn baby born just last week has SIXTEEN TEETH. What the what?! Craziness! All of her hard-earned little incisors have made their way through, and I'm so glad. Hoping we can have a few months of peace before the 2 year molars start rearing their ugly head.

{five} Oh, well, maybe she wasn't born last week...17 months old yesterday! I feel like Jaqs is changing by the day, and she really does seem to have a new word every day. This week's favorites: backpack, eyebrow (ha!), juice, fish, and shoe. My sweet, talkative little pea! Couldn't love the girl any more.

Hope y'all have a wonderful weekend! I'm counting on mine including a whole lot of relaxing with a side of wine and chocolate. ;) Dreamin' big, y'all! XOXO