Bonus post today! I’ve been looking online for maternity dresses to wear to my baby shower and thought… WOW I’ve bookmarked a ton of them, so I thought I would share them with you!
I picked pretty romantic dresses. Not ALL of these are labeled “maternity”… what you can do is just size up. In fact I think many of these would look gorgeous in a maternity photo shoot as well!
Shop all my dress picks here:
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We have had the Peloton Bike since 2016 and several months ago added the Peloton Tread to our home gym.
The PROS of the Tread
First, let’s talk about the looks – yes, it sleek modern looking treadmill.
I love the big touchscreen on it. I also like the little shelf in front of the screen where there are two water bottle holders. I will frequently put some chapstick, my towel, and depending on the day – my kindle/book if I’m just doing some “lazier” walking. The screen can be tilted as well.
The knobs – the one on the right adjusts the speed and the left adjusts the incline. The incline goes up to 15% and the speed is 12.5mph! In the center of the knob is a “jump” button that you can manually set to different inclines and speeds. For me, when I hit the jump button on my incline it goes up 1% and my speed 0.5mph.
I really like the slat belt – it feels really solid under your feet unlike the other standard treadmill belts. I think honestly this is my favorite feature of the treadmill.
They have a variety of classes. They have sprints, intervals, runs, jogs, walk/runs, walking, power walking, hiking (so just walking at an incline), boot camps, strength training. Also there is yoga, meditation, and stretching.
I like the strength training classes – I know you can do these with the peloton bike, but we got the package with the peloton weights and we tend to do the strength classes more. We have other weights, but I actually recommend buying the Peloton weights because they are square and you tend to do a lot of push ups on the weights – our old weights were round and would roll so we couldn’t do some of their exercises properly.
Here are my husband’s thoughts – the real RUNNER of the both of us:
The treadmill allows at high speeds to increase in increments of 0.1mph unlike most other treadmills when sprinting. It is unusual for treadmills to have the ability to do that when you are sprinting – usually they only increase in increments of 0.5mph.
The slat belt feels very sturdy but not clunky – it does not feel like a hard cement. The slat belt can easily take the impact of a heavier weighing person running full speed without any slippage or stoppage under your feet.
You need to find an instructor that works best for you and your exercise style – so if you have to try out every instructor 1-2x or more until you find your favorite, then so be it! There is an instructor for every one!
Below, just showing how much space we have behind the treadmill – enough to lay an exercise mat so we can do the boot camps and strength classes!
Let’s talk about the cons.
The price. Yes, it is expensive. I can’t really say the treadmill is “worth it” because of the price, but that said… it keeps us healthy and how much are you willing to pay for your health?? We already drank the Peloton Kool-Aid (Powerade?) with the Bike and were already paying for a Peloton subscription. If you have the bike, your $39/month bike subscription includes the treadmill subscription.
For me, the number of walking classes. I KNOW people buy treadmills to run, but I hate running but do like walking and wish that they had more walking classes of ALL lengths. I find that I sometimes have to do the run classes and just walk through them—not a HUGE deal, but hey, if I’m paying $4000 for a fancy treadmill, shouldn’t they produce content for everyone?
So our treadmill hasn’t had any mechanical problems, but my mom got the treadmill right when it came out and had some mechanical problems – the technicians have been out a total of 3 times. The screen wasn’t turning off. It was making a HORRIBLE clunking sound when the incline would go up/down. IMO, that is kind of ridiculous given the price and how new it was. I STRONGLY recommend purchasing the extended warranty because of this.
The scenic “runs or walks” are just copied over from the Peloton bike library – so they are filmed at a fast rate as if you were biking instead of running/walking. I wish they could slow the films down to go a slower speed for walking/running. Speaking of the scenic runs, there should also be a way to sort them. There is NO way to sort them currently (goes for the peloton bike too!)
I wish there was a way to hook the screen up to the tv – it is SO big, there should be a way to splint screen so you could watch tv on one half and then have the class on the other half.
I strongly recommend going to the local Peloton boutique to try it out before plunking down a few thousand dollars on this.
Here is my Peloton Bike Review.
This is the exact fan we use for the Peloton Tread – a big wind machine. Although one with a remote control like this one is nice too.
Heart Rate Monitor I use for the Tread and the Bike. I like it better than the chest strap.
Here is the equipment mat we use – cheaper than the Peloton one.
I love this sweat wicking temple tape headband.
Love these weights – a cheaper alternative to the Tread.
I have some of my favorite work out products here at my Amazon store.
You can use my referral code HMUX7R when you purchase the Tread – this gives you and me $100 off at the Peloton boutique! win win!
As you might have noticed, I have been on a porcelain inspiration kick recently. Rounding up my favorite dessert plates today. You can have your cake and eat it on one of these fabulous plates!
You can shop them by clicking on the widget below:
If you liked this post, you might like my post about the French Royal Dinner Services.
I recently purchased some new shoes at the recommendation of my husband (I’m sure he’ll say he’s a fashionista now). I had to share them with you because I LOVE THEM!!!
The exact pair I got are the Wool Loungers in Frost, which are pictured above. I love them! They are SO SOFT and VERY COMFORTABLE. They are made of merino wool which makes them extra soft. You do not need to wear socks with them (you can if you want!). When I wear them without socks, I have not noticed any malodorous feet!
They are perfect for running errands or even just lounging around the house – my husband likes to wear them as his slippers.
I thought they ran a little bit small. I normally wear a 9 to 9.5 and ended up needing a size 10. So I suppose if you run into half sizes sometimes, you should size up.
They recently came out with Wool Runners in this limited edition pink color, which I kind of love. My husband just bought some Men’s Wool Runners and really likes them too.
My only concern is how hot my feet my get wearing these wool shoes in the Summer, which is why I’m considering one of their “tree” versions.
The tree shoes are not made of wool so they are more appropriate for hotter climates or Summer.
I’m debating about getting is the tree lounger. I like the lounger style because I don’t have to tie my shoes! Never thought I’d say that!
The other style I am considering is the Tree Breezer, but I don’t know if it would be as comfy as the sneakers because the sole profile is smaller. However you could probably wear these to work depending on your job!
Overall, I would not wear the runners or loungers as work-out shoes. They are more appropriate for city trekking, errands, lounging, and I’d say even traveling. If you’re going to go running, jogging, cross training, weightlifting – stick to your regular sneakers.
They frequently come out with limited edition colors so be sure to check out their site here for Men’s and Women’s styles.
FYI this was NOT a paid post. Just sharing some shoes I liked!
Here are my favorite looks from the Oscars 2020. I did not watch the Oscars – frankly, I almost never do. I just love looking at red carpet pictures! What I love is really… the textiles and craftsmanship that goes into each beautiful dress!
Natalie Portman in Dior
Lily Aldridge in Ralph Lauren
Regina King in Versace
Laura Dern in Armani
Janelle Monae in Ralph Lauren
Renee Zellweger in Armani Prive.
Penelope Cruz in Chanel
Brie Larson in Celine
Sandra Oh in Elie Saab
My two favorite after party looks…
Florence Pugh in Louis Vuitton
Gal Gadot in Saint Laurent
I think my favorite was Renee Zellweger.
Photos from Getty.
Sharing my favorite looks from the Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2020 show. All pictures are from Vogue. See the entire show here.
Also – email subscribers, I thought I had canceled my subscription service, but apparently all I did was cancel my paid subscription service. It then defaulted to a free one. I don’t know what the free one entails, so I’m just going to roll with it…
We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.
Who doesn’t love a tea party?? I am sharing favorite teacups I have recently found.
Besides the Anna Weatherly teacups, my other favorites are this Bernardaud and this gold Arte Italica.
Shop the widget below:
Sharing some of my favorites for Valentine’s Day. You can treat yourself #lovethyself or perhaps a special someone can make a little purchase for you!
Every year Diptyque comes out with a limited edition rose scented candle and EVERY YEAR for the past 4 years now I cannot help myself and buy it. They smell so good! Also, they have a pretty design on the candle!
I got this pair of slippers for Christmas and they are the cutest! I love the little pom pom! I got them in pink, but it seems pink is sold out at a lot of places (besides the link above, try here). You can get them in chestnut/cream here.
These sunglasses are dupes for a more famous designer version
4. Heart Blouse
Not all Valentine’s Day wear needs to be pink! I love this cute blue heart blouse!
I love Longchamp handbags because they are so versatile and lightweight! They travel easy too! For Valentine’s Day, I like this pink color!
6. Cute Valentine’s Day Loungewear
The above set is by P.J. Salvage which is super comfortable! I also like these heart joggers by the same company.
7. Vintage Valentine’s Day Notecards
Send a vintage Valentine to your Valentine (or friend!)
8. Julie Vos Pink Jewelry!
Love this collection! Left to right: Earrings, Bracelet, Necklace. I own the necklace in this color and the earrings in two different colors!
9. Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Now who doesn’t love chocolate covered strawberries? These actually ship via Amazon and have 1000 reviews rated as 4/5 stars. They are cheaper than Sherrie’s Berries.
If you want to totally splurge, I recommend the Gucci Princetown Mule or Loafer! I own the loafer and looooove it. The Mule didn’t look as good on *my* feet… I wrote my review comparing the two here.
It’s that time of year again! Awards season! Honestly, I don’t usually watch the awards shows other than a few clips online here and there. But I DO love the red carpet.
I was disappointed by the looks this year that many of the stars wore. Many of the “big names” I feel wasted an opportunity on an ugly dress!
Gillian Anderson… I think this simple white dress is really lovely and I love the covered one shoulder and the look on the back too!
My runners up are Ellen and Portia in custom Celine suits! Totally digging how they look together. I would totally wear Portia’s, in fact, I have looked for a female tuxedo like this and it is very difficult to find!
And my BEST DRESSED goes to…. Zoe Kravitz in Saint Laurent! I adore this dress! It is so chic! I would also wear this!
When I was making my post for charcuterie boards, I stumbled across dessert boards and just HAD to share them with you!
There are a variety of ways you can do this. You can have only chocolate. You can have just cookies. You can mix and match. You can add fruits. You may add candy. Whatever you feel like!
I would make a mixture of milk and dark chocolates. I would have some really sweet items, and some less sweet such as shortbread. Berries are a good idea as well.
See my Charcuterie Board Essentials Here.
Entertaining season is coming up and I’ve rounded up some great looking charcuterie boards for inspiration for your next party.
First, you need a board to serve all of your food on. You can see some of my favorites here.
Then you need… FOOD!
If you really have no idea what to put on the board, just find a picture of a board that looks appealing to you… and copy it.
Feeling inspired? Me… I’m just feeling hungry.
Be sure to check out a few of my favorite selections for creating your own Charcuterie board here.
Over the past few years, I noticed my teeth getting progressively more crooked. Overall, they were pretty straight, but every time I looked at myself in photos I just hated how my upper teeth looked. I noticed I started smiling less in the pictures and that made me feel sad.
So I decided to do something about it and I made the plunge and decided to try Invisalign as an adult.
My goals of treatment were just to get my teeth straight. Yes, I have an open bite but I decided not to address that because it would have been a 2 year treatment plan to fix it, and frankly, I don’t care that much.
Here’s how my progress has been going on so far… this is week 13.
BEFORE:
AFTER: (13 weeks)
I was placed on the Invisalign Express schedule – meaning I change my aligners weekly.
There are a few things I have been disappointed about.
A few things about Invisalign that I DON’T like:
NO they are *not* invisible. People do notice them.
THERE IS NO SNACKING which is horrible to me since I prefer to eat like 4-6 smaller “meals”. The 3 meals a day deal just doesn’t work out – and in fact, I’ve lost 3 pounds unintentionally with these things. Which I suppose is a bonus, but I did not enjoy losing it.
Also, no drinking hot drinks with the aligners because you could overheat them and they can distort and lose their shape. Really you should only drink water with them in and nothing else. Sometimes I’d cheat and drink a diet coke. I always took them out for coffee (iced or hot).
You will get sick of brushing your teeth. I brush my teeth at least 3 times a day. Every time you eat, you have to brush your teeth before you put them back in. If you don’t, well your teeth are covered in food, and bacteria loves food, and then the bacteria are “locked in” with the trays and you can get cavities. THAT said, when I went to my dentist most recently my gingivitis test, you know, when they poke your gums to see if they bleed, went really well. No bleeding. Got all 2’s and 3’s. So I suppose there really is a benefit to brushing your teeth everyday.
They place little “buttons” on your teeth that are enamel colored – I was told I’d have one or two… yeah I have two on one tooth alone. The buttons give the trays something to pull/push against. I have l0. Some people get them on every tooth.
There is this thing I didn’t know would happen, I showed to an appointment one day and my teeth were “overcrowded” so they filed down like 1mm off a few teeth – um, it was the oddest feeling ever and I did not enjoy it and hope I don’t have to do it again. THAT said, my teeth are straighter now, so… winning.
THINGS I do like:
My teeth are straighter!
They are better than metal braces, I swear. I had metal braces as a kid and these are way better.
They are minimally uncomfortable when you switch trays, but NOTHING like when you’d get a new adjustment with metal braces.
Did I mention my teeth are straighter? So I’m willing to suffer with the things above, if my teeth are straighter.
But SERIOUSLY when will I be done? Cause home girl here is HONGRAY.
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Sticking to the softer side of Fall this year.
Light blue and orange pumpkins decorate the table.
We have homemade pumpkin soup (recipe here) ready to eat on this Fall evening!
I used this beautiful tartan blanket (get it here) as the table cloth this year.
Lanterns cast their soft glow in the evening.
When we aren’t eating soup, the pumpkin cocottes are set out on display!
I hope you enjoyed this table – only a feast for your eyes and not for your stomach!
I may earn a small commission if you purchase with these links
This weekend is the kick-off for Oktoberfest in Germany and we celebrated a weekend early!
Over the past few years we have made it a tradition to throw our own Oktoberfest. This year was our biggest party yet!
First, some quick Oktoberfest FAQ:
What exactly is Oktoberfest?
It is a celebration that has been held nearly every year since 1810 in Munich, Germany. It is a 16-day festival that runs from late September into the first weekend in October. It was started on October 12, 1810 to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen on the Theresienwiese (Theresa’s Meadow). To this day, the celebrations are still held on the Theresienwiese! In Munich, an average of 6 million people visit during this festival.
Why is it called Oktoberfest when it starts in September?
The festival was moved up to enjoy the nicer weather of September.
For the table, I used placemats that my mom made some years ago and some fresh sunflowers.
For party decorations, I simply took our nutcrackers out and put them on display. I only displayed the ones in traditional Bavarian/Tirolean costume.
I also purchased a Bavarian flag banner and hung it up high to evoke the feeling of being in a German beer hall. As you can see the banner goes into the kitchen too.
The banner was a happy mistake – I thought I was buying 10 foot banner and instead accidentally purchased a 100 foot banner. Oh well, it worked out in the end!
So, what food did we serve? Well, homemade Bavarian pretzels of course! I used my pasta drying rack to display the freshly baked pretzels.
I made chocolate cupcakes decorated in the style of the German gingerbread hearts that are found all over Oktoberfest.
I would have made the hearts, but frankly, they don’t taste good. These chocolate cupcakes were super moist. I just used a chocolate cake mix.
I also had marzipan, the chocolate hazelnut by Ritter Sport, chocolate hazelnut wafers, and black forest truffles.
Guests were encouraged to wear their traditional German wear – Dirndls and Lederhosen! (blurred faces for privacy). Here is a post I wrote about what to wear to the Oktoberfest.
Bavarian Pretzels with selection of German mustards
Red Cabbage (Rotkohl) – purchased from a specialty grocery store
Bratwurst – purchased from a German speciality store
German Pumpkin Soup (recipe here)
Sauerkraut and Potatoes (a German potato salad, recipe from my Oma)
German cucumber salad (sliced cucumbers, red onion, and sour cream with a dash of ranch or dill)
European Dark Bread (a farmer’s loaf – from a local bakery) with a selection of cheese
Apple Strudel
Chocolate cupcakes
Selection of chocolates
We have used this recipe for several years but I don’t know where we originally found it from. I have copied it below.
Pretzels (Laugengeback) Lye method
480 g all purpose flour
5 g malt extract (dry or moist) [one can substitute 10 g of sugar]
40 g butter
11 g salt
1 pkg yeast
480 g water
Coarse salt for sprinkling
For Lye Dip:
1 ½ tablespoon per 2 cups water. Food grade sodium hydroxide. Always add lye to water, not water to lye
To begin,
USE SAFETY GLASSES, RUBBER GLOVES, AND LONG SLEEVED CLOTHING. THIS LYE IS DANGEROUS.
Prepare the lye bath by placing the sodium hydroxide into a stainless steel pot
Heat the lye mixture until warm. Lye reaction will heat the pot naturally.
BE CAREFUL NOT TO BREATH THE FUMES AND WORK IN A WELL VENTILATED AREA.
Set aside and start to prepare the dough
Stir the yeast into the water
Mix flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
Form a well in the flour/salt and add the sugar to the well.
Pour the yeast/water into the well and let sit for 15 minutes without stirring.
Add the softened butter to the mixture.
Use a dough hook and run the Kitchenaid for 6 minutes on setting 2.
Some additional water might be needed if all the dry ingredients are not gathering into a ball.
Remove the dough hook and let rest for 30 minutes.
Split the dough into 12 equal parts, (about 63 grams each) and roll into a ball.
Spray the counter with cooking oil and roll the dough balls into pretzel ropes of about 24-30 inches long.
Roll in two steps so the dough can rest in between stretches.
Form the dough rolls into pretzel shapes.
Place in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 1 hour. This will build a skin.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Remove pretzels from the refrigerator and dip into the lye bath for 20 seconds (make sure both side are covered)
Lay pretzel on the parchment lined cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking oil.
Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Score the fat part of the pretzel dough with a razor or sharp knife.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until brown.
BE CAREFUL OF SPLASHES
Place on a silicone mat that is on a baking sheet. Parchment paper should be oiled as the wet lye and dough will stick to the parchment paper.
Dab the extra lye that has accumulated on the silicone mat with a paper towel.
Any lye that is left on a non-stick cookie sheet will ruin the non-stick coating.
We use affiliate links in our posts and our site. This means if you make a purchase using these links, we may earn a small commission. You don’t pay a cent more than you would otherwise! Our full disclosure is available under About.
I know this isn’t something I normally write about on this blog, but it’s my blog and I write what I want. HA!
So about 8 weeks ago I got my ears pierced… as an adult. Yep, that’s right. I’ve never had my ears pierced before.
I made it through my teenager years without pierced ears. The reason I waited so long is because one, I was frankly afraid of the needle (those that know me will laugh at this given that I literally put needles in other people all day), and then two, I knew I would spend a ton of money on earrings.
Well, one random day, I decided “TODAY IS THE DAY!” so I went to get it done. I went to a professional piercing/tattoo parlor where they use a needle at not the piercing gun. The piercing gun is not as sterile and causes more trauma to the ear than a needle.
So the biggest question is… DID IT HURT?
The answer is… yes. The first one went through and it felt like a hard pinch, but the second one did hurt. The pain wasn’t too bad, but everywhere I read that says “it doesn’t hurt”… well, all I can say is… lies. ON the second ear where it was more painful, I realized a week later that there was a bruise behind my ear which is probably why it hurt more.
So I cleaned my ears every day twice a day with sterile saline solution. Nothing fancy.
Then came the day when I got to switch out my earrings! BIG DAY!
Well, it took me (and my husband) about 20 minutes to figure out how the earrings came apart. It wasn’t the standard way. I would say when you get your ears pierced, make sure you write down which way they come apart. Does the front twist? Does the back twist? Do they pull apart??
I tried to wear dangly earrings (nothing too big) but my ears are a little sensitive still so I’m sticking to studs for now.
I bought these beautiful studs.
And also this pair in blue and clear crystal.
Bought these beautiful hoops.
I love these but my ears I don’t think can handle this right now.
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