Lifestyle

Friday Favorites

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I’m not sure what the weather is like where you are, but it sure is cloudy here in PA! It’s the perfect day to stay in my pajamas a little longer, light a candle, and pour an extra cup of coffee! This week was jam packed with to-do lists but I must say, I’m going to rest a little longer today, knowing I accomplished almost all of it! Friday never starts without some favorites over here and with Erika, Narci, and Andrea! Relax and read away!

One.

On Wednesday I went on an unexpected, deep cleaning spree. If cleaning were a love language, it would probably rank pretty high on my list. 😉 These are just some of my favorite products that helped me tackle those hidden dust bunnies and crumbs room by room.

Two.Blueberry Yogurt Pops Recipe at: stephanie-spring.com

You know how I blogged about my Blueberry Yogurt Pops last week, right? Over the weekend I got a message from Bruna about how much her sweet girl loved these! It made my day! I love hearing from all of you!

Three.

I have been humming the song, “None But Jesus” by Hillsong non-stop this week. I’ve also been singing it when no one is around. 😉

Four.I need your advice. When I was studying abroad, my friend and I visited Milan, Italy and loved it! As in, it was one of my favorite vacations! Eric and I plan on visiting Italy next summer, we’re stumped on where exactly. We have thrown around the thought of Tuscany, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast. Any suggestions or tips?!

Five.

My sister-in-law sent me this on Wednesday. After sitting down and transporting myself to Stars Hollow, I frantically text because I thought the episodes aired in October! I was obviously so wrong but I’m kind of excited about this unexpected twist! We now know what our Black Friday plans involve. 🙂

Happy Friday and congrats to Heather Sebastian on being the winner of the lemon essential oil! Thank you so much to everyone who entered! 4 fridays

What’s Up Wednesday: July

whatsupwed1 WUWquestions editWhat we’re eating this week:DSC_0783We have been snacking on these like it’s our job!

Here’s a few other favorites lately…

Blueberry Yogurt Popsicles

Salmon + Yogurt Dill Sauce

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

What I’m reminiscing about:IMG_3908Last year we would have just getting back from our honeymoon and I’m thinking of all the memories that we’re included. I loved every second of it and wish we could go back! 🙂 

What I’m loving:This lemon essential oil that you can enter to win, here! Today is the last day to enter!

What we’ve been up to:

The babies keep coming and I love it! Between nannying, babysitting, and looking at so many registries for baby showers, I compiled a list for me to look back on someday. 😉 Does anyone else love these?!

What I’m dreading:

Waking up at 4:50 a.m. in just a few short weeks…

What I’m working on:Christmas-Pajamas2Christmas shopping. 🙂  Pajamas were a favorite last year! 

What I’m excited about:640I know it’s not until October but still! This reunion. These four episodes to come. Stars Hollow. All of it!

I. Can’t. Wait!

What I’m watching/reading:Christmas-in-July-2015-Lg-HallmarkGuilty. It happened a lot this month. Christmas is on my mind.

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I didn’t read a novel this month but Eric and I have been doing the Night Light devotional before bed. A friend gave it to us and we love it! You can buy it, here!

What I’m listening to:

I know I always say I listen to such a mix of things and it’s true.Today, I figured I’d give you a sneak peek into how random it really is!

Wildest Dreams Taylor Swift

Record Year- Eric Church

From the Ground Up Dan + Shay

The God I Know – Love & The Outcome

Trust In You-Laura Daigle

Never Stop (Wedding Version) – Safteysuit

Confession: I have a terrible singing voice. As in, I basically lip sync to songs at church. The car is entirely different story though. 😉 I get so excited when these songs come on the radio!

What I’m wearing:

               

My most worn things this summer. Obviously not all together. 😉 Such a modge podge, I know! 

What I’m doing this weekend:

My best friend and I are spending the day together while the guys do the same. We’ll see where the day takes us!

What I’m looking forward to next month:

Soaking up the last’s of summer!

What else is new:

My love for essential oils. I’ve been using them every night!

Bonus Question: What was your favorite part about summer?

The slower pace. I am endlessly grateful. I also love the heat, the pool, and checking things off the to-do list. I just love summer so much! 🙂 What was your favorite part of summer?!

Happy Wednesday!

Let’s Talk + School Days

How is school right around the corner?! Seriously! This summer is flying by in so many different ways but also providing the best pace throughout each day. As a teacher, I’ve already started to think about a million things that this next school year holds. My classroom was basically ready before I left for the summer but I still have more tweaking and revising of lessons from last year that will take place over the next few weeks. If you ask any of my students, they would definitely tell you I’m a little over the top organized in my classroom. 😉 Here is such a random collection of things I treasure during any school day.

 

  • A bag to carry a laptop, pens, paper to be graded and whatnot is perfect to carry to and from school!
  • Cardigans– The temperature changes in my classroom a lot throughout the day! Even on a 90 degree day, I always try to have one on hand because inside it can be freezing!
  • Flats– Teachers spend A LOT of time on their feet during their day. Sometimes I start the day in heels and end it in flats. It’s always nice to have a pair on hand in case my feet hurt more than expected.
  • Lint roller– There’s nothing like getting to school, thinking your black sweater and dark pants were in tip-top shape, only to find out that I look like I just rolled around on dryer sheet. This has saved me of that so many times. 😉 Luckily I get there super early so I only pass a few people who get to witness the “pre-lint rolled” look!
  • Marker pens- I talked all about them, here!
  • Black pants- A classic teacher look that is perfect to mix and match.
  • Alex and Ani bracelets- On those mornings when it takes me a little longer to wake up and feel put together, I through these on. So simple and such a fun, personalized accessory.
  • Travel Mug- To hold my morning coffee on my long-ish commute.
  • K Cups- Because a second cup in the afternoon is good for the soul! 😉
  • Camelbak– I drink a lot of water. A lot. One of the things I get the most excited about in the summer is being able to drink as much water as I want and being able to go to the bathroom since during the school year i have a classroom of kids I can’t exactly leave. Filling this up a few times during the day, keeps water cold and lasts all morning and then afternoon.
  • Hand sanitizer -Self explanatory. 😉
  • Clorox Wipes– To clean tables, desks, or any surface and to keep the room smelling fresh. I do this about once a week and I’m pretty sure the kids look forward to it. I always have a ton of volunteers asking if they can help! 😉
  • Vaseline– You probably already know my love for vaseline. It’s in at least three different places in our house and it must definitely has a home right on my desk at school. You can see all of my other posts about vaseline below:
  • What’s In My Bag?
  • Hair and Make-up
  • Medicine Cabinet Items
  • Lotion– During the dry winter months, or really anytime of the year, this is so nice to have on hand and in the classroom!

Wondering what to get a teacher for back to school or any time of the year? Look no further than here! 😉letstalk

Other Let’s Talk posts: 

Let’s Talk: New Years

Let’s Talk: Guys

Let’s Talk: Moms

 Let’s Talk: Hair and Make-up

 Let’s Talk: Summer Plans

Let’s Talk: Red, White, and Blue 

You can follow me on:

Instagram

Bloglovin’

Pinterest

You can always send me an e-mail (stephster08@gmail.com) or message on IG! I looove hearing form all of you with any questions or comments! 🙂

Have a fab Monday, ladies!

 

Friday Favorites + Blueberry Yogurt Pops

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I love Fridays. So much. Here’s to the weekend and my favorites with Erika, Narci, and Andrea!

One.

Here’s the deal. You know that pen/pencil/marker that you just love writing with? The one you always reach for and would be so sad if they ran out? These are my favorite! I used them during student teaching a few years ago and fell in love. Well, they just ran out. With such a small price tag and so much excitement, these showed up on my doorstep this week. Completely random? Yes. Totally worth it when I have a million lists to write? Absolutely! 🙂 You can get a pack of five, here!

Two.

                            

 I’ve been shopping for wedding and baby gifts like it’s my job. So much happiness to indulge in! The last five gifts have been delivered to my doorstep and I love it. So thankful for free shipping! 😉 Check them all out because I can’t be the only one in the midst of wedding and baby season!

Three.

Scale_largeLast weekend we stumbled upon this store that is awesome! They have such unique pieces and Eric and I both wanted to buy all of it!

Four.

The other night I was flipping through the Dessert of the Day book from Williams Sonoma that is always on our coffee table. The recipes and pictures are wonderful and having a seasonal dessert for every day of the year is so fun!

Five.
Blueberry Yogurt Pops Recipe at: stephanie-spring.comIt has been H-O-T here! What should I do with an overwhelming amount of blueberries? Make them into popsicles of course! 😉 The creaminess of the yogurt and fresh blueberry taste creates a punch in your mouth that is refreshing for any summer day, stifling hot or not! 😉 Blueberry Yogurt Pops Recipe at: stephanie-spring.comBlueberry Yogurt Pops Recipe at: stephanie-spring.comBlueberry Yogurt Pops Recipe at: stephanie-spring.comBlueberry Yogurt Pops Recipe at: stephanie-spring.com

Ingredients: 

  • 1 cup Siggi’s Vanilla yogurt
  • 1/2 cup blueberries

*Makes four popsicles.*

What to do: 

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the yogurt and blueberries with a spoon. Once combined, spoon into the popsicle molds. When each popsicle holder is filled, carefully tap the holder to eliminate air bubbles and space. Place in the freezer for at least four hours or until frozen.

*Don’t forget to enter this giveaway There’s only a few days left!*

Happy Friday! xoxox

4 fridays

Essential Oils + Giveaway

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I’ve known Abby since… forever?! We grew up going to the same church and reconnected years later when Eric and I were house hunting! She is married to her high school sweetheart, has three beautiful children and is a great real estate agent! Her love for essential oils is so genuine! She loves them and has convinced me to try a few myself! 😉 She contacted me a few months ago about writing a post regarding oils and it took me about 0.34 seconds to say yes! 😉 I’m letting her have the spotlight today because she knows ten times more about essential oils than I do at this point and has some helpful tips to share! I had been hearing about essential oils for about a year before I decided to find out first hand for myself what these oils were all about. I had some friends who were using thieves oil, for immunity, on the bottom of their kids feet before bed. It sounded kind of strange, but I was interested and decided that I needed to get some of this thieves oil for my family to try out during cold and flu season. After some consideration and research (and never having tried even one of these oils before) I decided to jump in and get the Young Living Premium Starter Kit that has 11 of the most popular oils, diffuser etc. Clare, my enroller, got me hooked up with a bunch of resources, and I suddenly had this huge network of ladies — the Happy Oilers (seriously the best group of encouragers and ladies with so much heart) to share ideas with, ask questions, learn from and experience oils with!When I got the kit I thought I might use a couple of the oils. I even originally gave the lavender oil away thinking I wouldn’t use it. What was I thinking?! Lavender makes everything better, it’s a pretty amazing oil! Long story short, within about a month I was using all 11 oils, plus several more and was so excited about what they were doing for my family and myself. I began to read more and more about how these oils work within our bodies and how they support all of our systems. I was amazed! As many of you probably are as well, I was tired of toxins filling my house and excited to have these oils replace other products. A switch soon happened in my household. I started going to these oils first before my medicine cabinet and the results were pretty astounding. Young Living not only offers essential oils but also all kinds of health, beauty, personal care and cleaning products – all of which are completely 100% pure with none of that bad stuff — yes please! I used to go through so much Advil and since starting my oil journey I can count on one hand home many times I’ve used it! I’ve switched out so many of my traditional products with my oily products, most of which actually work better than what I had used before! These days I’m an oil lover learning and sharing as I go!

What are Essential Oils?

  • Essential oil is the “lifeblood” of a plant. The oil protects the plant from disease, provides nutrients and helps to fight off anything it doesn’t want. It keeps the plant (or tree, fruit, bark, root, etc.) healthy and functioning at its best!
  • Essential Oils were mankind’s first medicine! Because really, since God created plants in the beginning of time, oils have been used for health and anointing all throughout Scripture. Today, they are still used to promote health in the body (physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally.)
  • Essential oils are very complex containing hundreds or thousands of different chemical compounds; this is what gives each oil its unique attributes and characteristics. They are quickly absorbed by the body when applied topically.
  • The oils work on every system in the body on a cellular level to assist in the elimination of toxins, and the fragrance of the oils works on the limbic system.

Ladies, our skin is our largest organ! Did you know that what we put on our skin is actually absorbed into our blood stream in less than 30 seconds? I honestly had no idea!   Seriously, friends… they are impressive little blessings in bottles!We’re giving away one of my favorite oils for you to try it for yourself! The lemon essential oil invigorates the mind and body by supporting the nervous system, it cleans your bodily systems, supports proper nasal function, and supports healthy respiratory function.

We use Lemon Vitality to flavor and enhance water, and it’s a perfect replacement for lemon juice or seasoning to flavor seafood, vegetables, beverages or desserts. But more than just a replacement, it brings even more benefits to your body.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I’d love to chat more! Feel free to e-mail me with any comments or questions at: ayoung335@gmail.com!

*This giveaway runs until next Wednesday at 11:59 p.m.*

Happy Wednesday! xo

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