influenster - it's what all the cool kids are doing

Influenster is a great way to try products you wouldn't normally buy for yourself. Esstenially, you are receiving products for free then are asked to rate/review them, blog about them, post them to your social media sites, etc. It's a really neat idea if you think about how much of an influence we all have on each other as consumers, especially on sites like Twitter and Facebook.

The box I most recently received is my favorite one by far! It came with a pair Knockout Crop pants and the Incredible Sport Bra with a back clasp, which I eventually exchanged for the Incredible Front-Close Sport Bra as I found the back close to be uncomfortable*.

The box also came with about 10-12 25% off coupons for Victoria's Secret Sport clothing. I gave a few to friends and I actually bought some Training Tees with the ones I kept for myself. Lately I've been really into thinner workout tops with [shorter] sleeves (still waiting for these to come in).

Here's how I felt about these items:

Knockout Crop Pant - I REALLY love these. They are shorter than the normal capri so they're great for cycling or any day wear really. They're incredibly comfortable too! I was going to buy another pair but they're $62.50 which is a little more than I want to pay for something I'm working out in. If these were a little bit more of a reasonable price point I would own one in every color! 

Incredible Bra - This took a little adjusting. I was originally sent the black clasp one and it was too tight so I went up a size and exchanged for the front-zip bra. WARNING: these do run small. I really enjoyed how supportive this bra is during a workout though. I've noticed the ones I was wearing before lacked a lot of support for some of the exercises I was doing and this seemed to be just what I needed! Again, the price was a little bit of a stretch for me, sitting right around $54, otherwise I would buy more than one. 

25% Coupons - These were really difficult to deal with. They worked fine in the store, but they didn't allow you to purchase online, which is where a majority of the VS Sportswear is located. I was lucky enough that someone in the store was able to use my coupon and order these for me thru the store. 

Last thing I wanted to comment on was the awareness of the program. I went into VS shortly after receiving my box to exchange my bra and was unable to as the management was unaware of the program. After back and forth emails with Influenster and calls with VS corporate, we finally got things worked out. I just think it would have been a better idea to give the stores a heads up before the boxes went out so they would know what to expect when someone came in to exchange an item. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this box and can't wait to do more in the future! Anyone who hasn't tried Influenster needs to!

Happy Monday and Go Vols! :)

*This is a sponsored blog post. Influenster provided me with complimentary Victoria's Secret products to test and review as part of a contest.

learning to grill

When we moved into our house in May, I decided to take the plunge and get a grill. Nothing fancy, just a little cheap-o from Target, but we wanted alternative ways to cook food besides the oven/stove top, or dare I say microwave. This grill has taught me a lot. For starters, it's taught me that I'm independent in the sense that I built this thing with my bare hands (big deal, I know). While I've strictly stuck to burgers (91/9 of course), I've been wanting to try chicken but haven't really had the time to. Earlier this week I finally got to. Finished product and recipe below! 

Grilled Chicken with Summer Corn and Tomato Salad

(the chicken is under there if you look hard enough :))

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh yellow corn (I took mine from the cob)

1 large rip tomato, diced (or 2 Roma tomatoes)

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup fresh lime juice, divided

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp ground cumin, divided

1 tsp salt, divided

3/4 tsp smoked paprika, divided

1 lb. uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 sprays cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat outdoor grill over medium-high heat

2. In a medium bowl, combine corn, tomato, cilantro, 2 tablespoons lime juice, oil, and 1/4 tsp each cumin, salt, and paprika; set aside for flavors to blend

3. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons lime juice, 3/4 tsp cumin, 3/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp paprika in a small bowl; rub over chicken. Coat chicken with cooking spray

4. Grill chicken, flipping once, until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes; serve topped with corn salad. I added some quinoa too! 

6 WW PointsPlus per serving. Serves 4.

two week recap

There I go again, failing to blog. Here's a quick recap on what the past two weeks have brought me! 

Kennedy had her first boating/lake experience on Lake Lanier. Needless to say, she loved it.

My dad came in town two weekends ago to shop for a car. We got to check something off of my Atlanta Bucket List and go to the High Museum and check out the Dream Cars exhibit. If you haven't been, you should go. I don't LOVE cars but there were some neat ones in there! Jenna and I also took a kickboxing class, which was....interesting.

I got my Turner Field fix in. One of our clients invited us to sit in a box for the game a few weeks ago against the Marlins. Take BBDO out to the ball game! 

 

 Kickball is still happening. As are Tuesday night kickball OBD and WaHo gatherings. #blessed

 Atlanta has gotten REALLY hot, like uncomfortably hot. Nothing like last summer when it just rained all the time. We're doing our best to keep cool.

 I'm living for roomie outings! My roommate from senior year of college also came to visit last weekend and see a bit of Atlanta. We were able to take a visit Rosebuds with her family for brunch so check that one off the bucket list too! :)

In case you forgot, yesterday marked just 4 short weeks until Tennessee Football kicks off! Look forward to some football posts in the future! 

friday 5

Today:

I'm needing some of these meant to be sent notepads for my desk at work! 

I'm loving the Knoxville glass on my desk from Jen! The coaster doesn't hurt either. :)

I'm seeing a Braves game in my near future. It's been far too long since we've gone to one and I need to start taking advantage of Turner before it's too late!

I'm obsessing over The Bachelorette. I've never been one to enjoy this show, but with Josh Murray on it, how could I not?! Is it Monday yet?

I'm looking forward to football time in Tennessee! We landed a HUGE 5-star recruit last night too, so what better way to kick off the weekend! Welcome Kahlil McKenzie!

Happy Friday y'all! 

turkey chili

Although it's not winter time, I decided this week was a good week to make chili. It's easy to heat up for lunch or I can throw it in the microwave after work for something quick. I've used the same recipe as my mom since I was in younger and I thought I'd share! I prefer to use turkey for my chili over ground beef. It's a bit of a healthier alternative and I really don't taste the difference! I also make mine in the crockpot and it's great because I can make it before work and let it sit all day on low, or I can make it when I get home from work and put it on high for 2 hours and eat at a decent hour.

Here's what you'll need:

-1 lb. ground turkey

-1/2 red onion (chopped)

-1 package of chili mix

-1 large can of diced tomatoes

-1 can of tomato paste

-2 cans of beans (I like to use chili beans and red kidney beans)

-1 small can of corn

Directions:

Combine canned tomatoes, beans, corn, chopped onion, tomato paste (only one or two spoonfuls - used to thicken the chili), and chili mix in crockpot. 

Next I brown the turkey meat on the stove top then add to the crockpot mixture.

Then add salt and pepper to taste. Now sit back and let the crockpot do all the work! :)

Lastly, I like to garnish my chili with fritos, sour cream, and cheese! Bada bing, bada boom. Donezo. How simple is that??

{summertime}

I'M BACK!

I've spent 5 out of the past 6 weekends out of town, and my wedding season is finally over! Although I have mixed feelings about it, I'm more than excited to be staying put for the next two months until football season starts. Now let's recap my travels! :)

I was able to take a few days off of work and go on my summer beach vacation for 2014. I went with the family to Hilton Head Island, and really enjoyed some R&R. I got a lot of biking, a little kayaking, and a whole bunch of beach time in! It happened to work out that my sorority big sister and little sister (they're real sisters too) were in HHI at the same time! So we got to spend some much needed time together.

The next weekend was supposed to be very calm and spent catching up on my life in Atlanta, but Olivia Grace came early! One of my best friends, Laura (who I went to visit in DC early last month), went into labor late Friday night, and OG graced us with her presence at 3:15am on Saturday, June 28, 2014. Congrats Laura and Patrick! She's beautiful! 

The next day was spent celebrating my special someone's birthday. Yes, my dog. Kennedy turned TWO last Sunday and we spent the day just how I think she wanted. Park, fetch, puppy pool time, lots of belly rubs, and we finished the day off with presents and homemade dog cake! Needless to say, I think she had a pretty awesome birthday! Can't wait for many more boo! 

Last but certainly not least, I spent this past weekend in Knoxville for the 4th of July! I was able to make it into town Wednesday night and got to spend time with friends and family. Ken got to spend LOTS of time in the pool, and even worked on perfecting that long jump of hers! I also got to catch The Fault In Our Stars on Thursday night with Jen. I'm not normally one to cry at movies, but wow! 

Most of the time off from work was spent prepping for Jen and Joe's Stock the Bar Shower that took place at my house on Saturday evening. Based on that gift table, I'd say it was pretty successful!

It also doesn't hurt that I got to spend time with my two best friends.

But, like most good things, the weekend had to come to an end and I headed back to Atlanta Sunday night. This week has a lot to live up to after the past month and a half I've had, but here we go.

On the bright side, only 55 more days till kickoff! Happy Monday!

the weekend needs to slow down

These past two weeks have literally flown by, but in a good way! 

Two weekends ago I got to spend some time in DC with one of my best friends from college. Did I mention she's 8 months pregnant? Yeah, and she looks awesome! I was able to go up for her final baby shower before Olivia Grace arrives! She's due July 6, so keep her and her little nug in your thoughts! 

I got back from DC last Monday, then this past Friday I met my mom and my sister in the ATL airport, then hopped right on another plane and headed up to New Jersey for another wedding for my cousin. It was the first time in a while that [most of] my dad's side of the family was together! And of course, Lynn, Sarah and I were all decked out in our Lilly. To top it off, my sister and I got to spend Father's Day with our dad!

Congratulations Erin and Corey! So happy for you both! Your wedding was gorgeous!