Slow Cooker Honey Garlic Chicken and Veggie Recipe

Welcome back to my blog beauties!! I don't know about you guys but I HATE cooking. Don't get me wrong, I love to eat but I hate the whole cooking and cleaning process haha.

So, today I am sharing with you one of my new finds from Damn Delicious.  I recently made it and it was super easy! Did I mention delicious as well? I am always looking for new recipes that are simple and that my husband loves, he can be a little picky sometimes and he eats a lot! One thing I love about this recipe is it literally takes a few minutes to prep and 8 hours later you have a delicious dinner (and amazing spelling house.) You can certainly use bone in chicken thighs or whatever part of the chicken you like. Just make it your own!

Click here to download this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

·        4 skinless chicken breasts

·        16 ounces baby red potatoes, halved

·        16 ounces baby carrots

·        16 ounces green beans, trimmed

·        2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

FOR THE SAUCE

·        1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

·        1/2 cup honey

·        1/4 cup ketchup

·        2 teaspoon fresh garlic

·        1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

·        1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl combine soy sauce, honey, ketchup, garlic , red pepper flakes and pepper.

2. Place chicken breasts, potatoes, carrots and soy sauce mixture into slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours, basting every hour. Add green beans during the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

3. Serve chicken immediately with potatoes, carrots, and green beans, garnished with parsley if desired.

I would love to hear how you love this recipe!! Also, feel free to share any of your simple and yummy recipes! I am always looking for more foods to try.

Xo, Shavon

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The Wonderful World of Planning - How to Stay Organized

My Brain on Paper

Welcome back to my blog today beautites!!! Today I am going to let you into the world of a crazed planner addict. I am currently using my personal sized Finsbury Filofax in the shade raspberry. It is a gorgeous purple kind of color and I love the texture of it. 

I did hours and hours of research on YouTube looking into the kind of planner I wanted because I knew I wanted to make a little bit of an investment on something I could keep and use for a while. So for my birthday I purchased this beauty on the Filofax website.

Inside My Planner

So when you open the planner there are 6 credit card slots on the left hand side as well as a large pocket. I personally don’t use this as a wallet so I use these slots for page flags and post it notes. I also have a planner charm that I found at Michael's. The first thing  in my planner is my clear flyleaf and this dashboard I took from my old Lily Pulitzer Planner.

In my first section I have my master to do list for the month, my Filofax wish list (which I add to when and update frequently), and a list of things to buy for the month so I can prioritize my spending.

In the second section I have blank pages that I use to write my daily to-do’s. This gives me as much room as I need for each day and I can add my own stickers to it. I also have a list of my routines such as my daily routine, my cleaning routine, and my beauty routine.  I don’t follow these to a T, but its nice to have when I get overwhelmed or when I feel like I need to stick to a plan; I have these to refer too. The last thing I have in this section is my budget for the month, which I haven't yet done for March. Whoops!

In the third section I have a page of goals, my daily lifestyle page as far as what to eat and my workout (I don’t follow this as much now that I’m pregnant, I try to just listen to my body). I have a list of my beauty favorites and the shades I use, all of my appointments that are scheduled, my running wish list and a copy of my passwords because I cannot remember a THING!

In the fourth section I have my diary pages. The month on two pages and my week on two pages. I will decorate these sometimes if I’m in the mood or if I’m bored. And the last section is for this blog! I have a list of blog ideas, a master to do list and a list of my goals for the blog as well as some random notes.

Why This Planner?

Over the years, I have used about 100 different brands of planners in 100 different sizes but I keep coming back to this one. I’ve had it now for a little under two years and just cannot shake it. I’ve moved onto other planners thinking they were “the one” but I always run back home. haha 

The size is perfect for me because it fits on my purse and it’s not too heavy or bulky like some of the others I’ve used. Also, refills for this size are easy to not only to get a hold of but also to make if I want to personalize my own.

So, I have to know; are you a planner fanatic as well? What planners do you love and what have you used? I hope you guys enjoyed this glimpse into my crazy planner!

Xo, Shavon

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What's in My Bag

What's in My Bag

Hello beauties and welcome back to my blog. Today I’m going to do a little bit different type of post. We’re going to talk about what’s in my bag! I didn’t clean it out before I grabbed it to write this post so we will see if I’ve been good about organizing it. haha

The bag I am currently carrying around is the Coach Edie 42 shoulder bag. I’m not sure of the exact name of the shade but it is a gorgeous deep brown (a little darker than the image here.) I got the bag because it is large enough that it can double as a diaper bag when Wyatt is here, not to mention it is absolutely gorgeous! I’ve always been a fan of large bags. That way I can fit my life in it! =) I purchased this bag from Poshmark for a killer deal. It was in great condition and barely used by the previous owner.

What's Inside?

So let’s jump right in, first thing in my bag is my Hobo wallet in the style Lauren. I LOVE this thing! I can take it out if I don’t feel like carrying my whole purse and my phone actually fits in it too. It comes in a bunch of different styles and colors but this is my first Hobo wallet and I am so infatuated with it.

This wallet holds my Driver’s License, my debit cards and rewards cards (Matt and I have one credit card that we use seldom – trying to pay off debt!) It also holds my check book and my ring cleaning slip. I’ve gotta get that done and inspected every 6 months. One of the many things I love about this wallet is that it holds my cash without having to fold or force it. It’s so easy to look through and extremely functional.

My tablet is also in here. I often take this with me so I can get work done while I’m out and about. It has a keyboard case so it’s easier to get stuff done then the screen keyboard. Also with the baby shower right around the corner, it’s nice to be able to see the ideas larger than on my phone. I also have my iPhone in here. I have the iPhone 6, I keep debating if I want to go to the 7 plus or stick with the 6.

Then the last few random things I have in here are gum, my chapstick, a small makeup bag in case I want to touch up or add a little more for night time, and two pens in the zipper. My personal sized filofax planner (I'll be doing a post about this soon), my keys, sunnies and headphones.

I must say I’m pretty proud of myself because my bag was nice and clean!!

So, I wanna know; what kind of bag are you carrying? Is it big or small? And is your bag typically organized or does it house everything?

Xo, Shavon

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Nursery Ideas and Wish List

Nursery Ideas and My Wish List

Welcome back to my blog beauties! The mama in me is getting excited for the arrival of my little man. I have been reading and pinning like crazy about nursery ideas, introducing the baby to my chihuahua and the best car seats and bottles out there. I did not realize how much information there is available for mommies to be. And thank goodness for it because I would be at a complete loss.

We have decided that Wyatt's nursery will be nautical themed so I have had a fun time looking at ways to decorate it and the different color themes. Look at how cute that nursery is!! I am so in love with this look and cant' wait to add our own flair to it.

It's so difficult to try and plan anything right now because baby's run the show. I can pick my favorite diapers and wipes but they may not agree with him. Or I can try to create a schedule but with a newborn you kinda just go with the flow and find their natural schedule. There are a few things I am adamant about though (hopefully he won't veto them all.)

Infant Car Seat

After doing a lot of research and losing a lot of sleep we decided on the chicco keyfit 30 travel system. There was so much information about car seats and whether or not we should skip the infant car seat. It was a hard decision because the infant car seat adds another expense but we decided it is well worth it. I didn't want to have to take Wyatt out of his car seat each time we get out of the car, especially if he is sleeping. A lot of mommies differ on this bit I am super happy with our decision.

Another thing I am hoping to do with Wyatt is no formula! Obviously, we are going to listen to his needs and base our final choices off that, but we hope that he is 100% breastfed. Nothing at all against formula fed babies, but we have decided that is the route we take to take with our little tike.

I know not everyone who reads this blog is a mama but I hope you still enjoyed the post. And I want to thank you for allowing me to share my "mommi-ness".

If you are a mom, did you skip the infant car seat or go with it? And what are some must-haves that I need to get before he makes his arrival? I can't wait to hear from you!

Xo, Shavon

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Why is Target a Girls Best Friend and What Natural Producst I Picked Up Today

Can I Get an Amen for Target?

There’s no secret that women everywhere LOVE Target. There is just something about that beautiful store that gets me all in the feels! You can literally get anything there:

·        Clothing and Accessories

·        Home Décor

·        Beauty Products

·        Personal Care Items

I took my regular (probably weekly) trip to Target to restock on some of the household hold necessities we needed and decided to write about the amazing natural products I picked up. Target haul!! I may or may not get a little too excited to walk into this store. haha

Natural Products

I have been really into natural products and trying different lines for a few years but in the last few months I just started getting serious about it. With me being pregnant, I try to be conscious of the things I use/eat because Wyatt is being exposed to them as well. It’s not just about me anymore.

I use this as a body moisturizer

I wanted to share with you the things I’ve learned over the last few years. First, it doesn’t cost as much as I thought it would. When I heard “natural” I also heard expensive – not the case at all! Don’t get me wrong, there are some things that you have to pay a pretty penny for bit for the most part the prices are reasonable – especially if you’re shopping in Target.

Parabens = Bad

There are a few reasons I jumped on the natural bandwagon, parabens being a big one! With all the products I’ve tried and all of the research I have done has taught me that parabens are something we want to stay FAR away from. I stopped using items with parabens such as shampoos and conditioners, body wash, lotions, and facial cleansers etc. Parabens have been connected to cancer and I don’t know about you, but I’m not sad to say goodbye to something like that. Parabens are preservatives used in personal care items and have been suspected to interfere with body’s hormones. A lot of products these days are being made without parabens, both natural and synthetic lines.

This is used with the Weleda Skin Food

Now, think about when you lather on lotion. If it’s not natural there can be some harsh chemicals used in the product and that is absorbed in your body! That is not good for your body at all but it’s done almost every day so we never think twice about it. How silly is it to eat healthy and watch what we put into our body but give me thought to what we put on our bodies? Not to mention natural products are better for the environment. Everything is natural after all!

Outside of beauty and personal care items, you can also purchase natural household cleaners and things like soap. If you have animals or little ones in the house that just gives you peace of mind that IF they get into something it isn’t harmful, just probably not tasty haha.

My Faves

So back to my trip today, some of my favorite brands are Burt’s Bee’s, Weleda and the Yes to line. I also enjoy Lush, however it is not available at Target and some of the line can get pretty expensive. I have included pics throughout this post of a few of the products I've been using over the years.

If you haven’t tried natural products I encourage you to give it a try! You will be surprised. What are you favorite natural products?

Facial Cleansing Wipes

I hope this post was a little enlightening for you and that you'll try some natural products =)

Xo, Shavon

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A Girl is Invincible When She Has on New Sneakers!

Shopaholic over here!

I LOVE shopping!! OMG like retail therapy all the way please. I go back and forth between actually shopping in store and shopping online (hello, Amazon 2 day shipping!) Poor Matt had no idea what he was getting into when he asked me to marry him lol.

Don’t get me wrong, I love to have new things but what I love more than that is a good bargain. I am not one of those people who buy things just because they are on sale, but you better believe if I find a good markdown I am all over that! I will watch things that I want really bad (like my Apple watch) until they go on a killer sale that I can’t deny. 

More recently, I’ve gotten into Poshmark because you can find some amazing deals on some previous loved items – think handbags that are hardly used and 80% off the retail price.

The Nordstrom Rack

Anyways, the other day I was in need of some serious retail therapy and I hit up the Nordstrom rack in the next town over. It’s a small drive which I kinda needed to clear my mind =) 

I forgot how much I love this store!!! They carry a lot of the brands and items I love for only a fraction of the price. If you haven’t been to Nordstrom Rack or have never heard of it, basically they have all of the brands from Nordstrom that you love at up to 70% off! The items are a lot of time out of season or left over from the department stores but that does not bother me! Again, I like a bargain haha. What I typically do is shop the clearance racks and that is where I found my newest love =)

My New Tenni's

Intro, brand new beautiful Nike’s!!! The Nike Tanjun Sneaker in the shade coral. Ahh my feet smile when I wear them and they make my heart so happy. I have been wanting a new pair of sneaks since I got pregnant because I’ve been trying to walk as much as possible. They are a beautiful coral color and have a flexible mesh design that allows your feet to really breath and not feel cramped.

I know you're probably thinking they are just a sneaker, relax Shavon. But have you ever gotten something that was so basic but so AMAZING at the same time? That’s how I feel about these! They are gorgeous and lightweight and exactly what I needed. I’ll be ready in my new sneaks with my baby in his stroller walking it out to get my pre-pregnancy body back this summer, haha.

Do you love the Nordstrom Rack or recently bought something that you just could not stop raving about? I wanna hear about it!

Hope you enjoyed this post!

Xo, Shavon

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