August Purchases!

I hope everyone is having a great week! I cannot believe August is almost over! This summer flew by... as much as I love fall & ready for football.. I hate kissing summer goodbye! 

I wanted to share with you a couple of things I purchased in August! I am sure there will be one of these posts every month, since I am always PURCHASING! ugh... its ok.. YOLO right!? 

Rae Dunn Serving Platter and Bowls. 

I love her line but for a while I was getting bored with it! I thought these were different since you don't see much of her stuff in black! I purchased these from TJ Maxx found them in the clearance section which makes it even better! It's going to be perfect for fall and winter! Plan on breaking these out for football food! 

Maybelline Baby Skin Primer

I have been using this for a few weeks and LOVE IT. I have tried a few different primers and I seem to be reaching for this one the most. Its lightweight  SO SOFT ON YOUR SKIN, and it comes out clear. I wear it under foundation and sometimes just some powder and its great. Only downside it's a small tube! I'm going to need another one soon thankfully it's affordable! I got mine at Target!

Alana Boho Multi- Print Swimsuit

I purchased this off prettybash.com I wanted a new swimsuit for my vacation coming up in October. I love the colors in this an the fit is great. It's a one peice but you still feel sexy! 

Jenny Boston-Next Level Top

If you know me, you know I am obsessed with ordering from Jenny Boston! If your not familiar with them- ask me and i'll tell you all about it! I think their stuff is so cute, affordable and just TOOOO easy to order! I have bought a few pieces from them that I love but this one seems to be a favorite right now- I can wear with leggings or jeans and dress this up or down! 

Bath & Body Works Candle 

Sweater Weather- IF YOU DO NOT OWN THIS SCENT GET TO THE STORE AND GET IT FOR YOURSELF NOW!!!! Kate introduced me to this scent 3 years ago and I haven't stopped buying it.. I have it in the wallflower plug ins as well! It's considered  a fall scent but I can burn this all year round! I usually buy 3 wick candles too! I don't remember why I would buy a single wick!

Frizz Be Gone Serum

Anyone else suffer from frizzy hair in this heat?! I never used to be that bad but this year its been bad enough for me to get something! I don't want to spend a lot since I don't need it all year so I found this at TJ Maxx and its been working wonders! A couple pumps before I blowdry it or even let it air dry! NO FRIZZ!! They actually have a pretty good hair section in the store!

TruSkin Vitamin C Serum 

I purchased this after I got a facial. I was told it would help brighten my skin and help clear up some scaring I have. I have acne prone skin to the max, and I just felt like my skin was looking alittle dull. This has definitely helped me out a bit. Feels good going on and I do feel like my skin has improved a bit. I've been putting it on after I wash my face at night. There are over 7000 reviews on Amazon, check it out! 

If you have any questions about any of these message me! thank you for reading!

Bike Riding... Why I do it

In the beginning of the summer Derrick and I bought Bikes! It wasn't planned it just happened!  I knew it would be great way to get in some exercise and keep active!  We try and go out on the bikes after dinner during the week! 

Not only do I bike ride for the exercise but it helps clear my mind too- I don't think about a thing! At times I feel like a kid again! Our days can be so hectic that its a nice way to relax (even though it's definitely a workout!) As I mentioned in my introduction I live in an area where there is a lot of historical surroundings and great scenery so I do enjoy exploring all those spots! We also have a few friends that live close by we will stop and see! It's become one of our favorite things to do! It's also a nice healthy activity we can do together and spend some time with each other! I highly suggest buying a bike, even if its a good used one! Look around at yard sales, FB marketplace etc or even sales at sporting good stores! We've have had a lot of fun on ours and it really is a fun & great way to get some exercise in! 

According to Cycling Weekly a few Benefits include..

Improves mental well-being

Builds muscle

Cuts heart disease and cancer risk

Improves your sex life 😃

Governor Oliver Ames Estate Park Easton MA 

Let me know if you have a bike and wanna go on a ride! I'm always up for it!

Respect Your Life

Friendships and Relationships are very important to me… I lost my best friend in the whole world to breast cancer last August. It changed me a bit. After losing Kate I take my friendships and relationships VERY SERIOUSLY. I think a lot about the people I let come into my life and who I let stay in… Kate was a strong woman and had a strong influence on the person I am today. She is irreplaceable and she was the only person who really understood me, listened to me, and guided me through tough times. 14 years of friendship and we didn’t get into one fight! It was a beautiful friendship that I will cherish forever! 💕

I’ve had toxic friendships and relationships I refused to stop because I didn’t want to deal with it. I forgot what the actual meaning of what friendship really was and forgot the meaning of LOVE. I've had many sessions in therapy to get the stress off my chest, and to get a opinion from an outsider, I've dealt with negativity because I was so use to it and  I've dealt with childish and disgusting behaviors.When it's more of a headache to continue on with a friendship or relationship- Something needs to change. Each time I distrusted someone I was told I was wrong or there was an excuse for their actions that I truly believed, or just simply didn’t want to accept the reality! 

SHAME ON ME I KNOW....

I always try and see the good in people, but I had failed myself ignoring the feelings I truly had deep down, till it blew up right in my face! I’ve let relationships and friendships go on for farrrrr too long. I got myself into situations I didn’t want to be in, and I put too much trust into the wrong people. You get to a point where you know you need to end it IMMEDIATELY! 

People change, and friendships can end because of different paths that were taken in life its not ALWAYS a negative thing. I've also learned you can't force them either. Everyone has different things going on in their lives but if they are a true friend they will make time for you!  

Today, I am dating an amazing person. He’s perfect for me, we share such an amazing life together. I can't wait for what the future brings for us. 

**Ariana Grande voice** I'm so fuckin' grateful for my ex 😉 

                                                              

I also have really amazing friends in my life, I can’t say Kate was the only person because my other girls are too! Each of my friends have something SO special about them that I admire, today I can trust all of my friends, and I can honestly say I can count on every single one of them anytime of the day or night. A Lot of people can't say they have that and I am BLESSED that I do.

I have been through a lot in my life. More than your average 31 year old woman - I HATE to think about everything but that's what makes me strong- I refuse to let things defeat me - sure I have my moments.. who doesn't?!  I want what’s best for myself. No matter what age you are - you should put yourself first. No more wasting time on people or situations that are too stressful and don't matter. Really think about the people you let into your life and who you let STAY in your life. 

I stay strong for Kate... 

Kate Fox 3/4/1987- 8/22/2018

Easy Meals

I am all about easy meals during the week! It's hard to come home from work and spend so much time making dinner! I usually save my complicated meals for Sunday nights where I can give myself a little bit more time to make them! TIP: Use as much fresh produce as you can!  it really makes a difference! I am really bad at measurements BTW- I just don't measure.. but I am going to make it a point to be better! Here are a couple of easy meals I make for the weekdays I will try and come write some up weekly because I do have a lot! 

Seafood 

Shrimp Salads- I usually make Caesar ones but you can top any salad with shrimp! You can cook shrimp in a few ways, Grill them with your favorite seasonings! There's a lemon pepper one that I love! You can boil them- I usually boil them in some low sodium chicken broth, and half of an onion to give it some flavor! Or you can bake them- toss them in a little olive oil and a good seasons Italian packet (that's my favorite way to bake shrimp) Shrimp does not take long to cook at all! 

Baked Salmon - Rinse the fish and blot dry with a paper towel Brush olive oil on all sides (except the bottom) I typically like to season my fish pretty simple garlic powder, dill weed, salt and pepper, and a good squeeze of lemon juice. I bake mine at 450 for like 15 minutes. Serve with your favorite sides!  I like asparagus with my salmon!

Chicken

My boyfriends aunt gave me this recipe.. I was never a huge fan of baked chicken but this one I seemed to like :) 

Please note she didn't give me measurements so I guessed but do enough to coat all the chicken! 

Cory's Chicken 

3-4 boneless chicken

Place in LARGE glad Ziploc bag 

Olive oil, couple squeezes of fresh lime and lemon juice

salt, pepper and basil. 

Shake it all up in the bag and you can marinate that for as long as you want I usually only do 20 min. 

Bake 350 for 35- 40ish min TILL DONE!

Serve on top of salads or whatever sides you enjoy! 

SKILLET CHEESY CHICKEN AND VEGGIE “RICE”

 I got this recipe from SkinnyTaste it's great for weeknights and I make it a lot! 

Here is the recipe

Burgers 

I have been making a lot of turkey burgers and chicken burgers. You can use whatever burger you prefer. I am not a huge fan of ground beef and I do try and stay away from red meat as much as I can (I can't deny a good steak or steak tips sometimes) I forgot how creative you can get with burger toppings too so I've been experimenting! Also if you switch up toppings you can't really get sick of making them! Sometimes I will have mine bun-less depending on how my food day went!!! 

Here are a couple of my favorites 

Burger topped with cheese and coleslaw 

I'll buy the bag coleslaw (I don't use the whole bag, just enough to top our burgers!) mix a little mayo, apple cider vinegar, half a packet of splenda, salt pepper and lime juice!

Top on your choice of burger! It's really good! 

Burger with Red onion and Feta

Pretty self explanatory- Ground Turkey Burger, chopped half of a small red onion, half a cup of feta... more if you like! mix it all up in a large bowl, form the patties and grill up! 

Other Toppings I've done- cook up some onions in some garlic & olive oil, homemade pickled onions, avocado, cook up some mushrooms in a pan- its endless! 

Pasta

Pasta is one of my favorite things to make! Honestly, I know it's bad for you but YOLO in moderation!

Spaghetti with Zucchini and Squash

I've made this dish a couple of times & we enjoyed it! I caught it on an episode off the food network! It just looked so appetizing to me at the time & I wasn't wrong!!! There isn't any meat but I am sure it would be really good with shrimp or chicken!  Theres a video too! 

RECIPE HERE

One Pot Spaghetti 

I've always been curious about this one pot cooking so I finally did it and found a recipe that was fool proof! I used my non-stick skillet It worked! Here is what I tried... 

Olive oil 

1 small onion 

Minced garlic FRESH

1 lb Fresh tomatoes chopped 

2 cups of low sodium chicken broth 

Chopped Basil 

8oz spaghetti

Salt & Pepper (if you need it) 

Heat up olive oil in your pan  Add the onion and garlic, saute until they start to brown. Add fresh chopped tomatoes, chicken broth, basil and pasta! ( I broke my spaghetti in half so it would fit in the skillet) Push the pasta down so its submerged in the liquid- cover and switch to medium low to cook for about 8 minutes or until the pasta reaches what you like! The liquid will go down a little bit so add a little bit more broth cover and cook for another couple of minutes.. then done! It was honestly amazing! 

Do you have fast weeknight meal? I wanna know what it is! 

Winc.. WINE!

    Winc is a wine subscription I have been doing for the past couple of months. I know your probably thinking..REALLY? Kara?  Just go to the store and buy your own wine! But you know something... It's actually a good way to try new ones and honestly who doesn't like getting goodies in the mail???

My friend Ashley sent me a coupon code I thought I would give it a shot! So far so good! Last month I really enjoyed the wines and it was a nice change from my go to Kim Crawford! You start out by taking a small quiz. They basically want to know what kind of wine you enjoy drinking & what your willing to try.  Based on the results of your quiz they pick your wines for you! You have the option of swapping them for another bottle on their website, you can also choose how many bottles you want (3 or more) , and have the option to skip months too!  You get them in the mail within a week or so! I get sent 3. They have all different varieties- Red, White, Sparkling, Rose, they also offer Cider's!  Below is what I got this month!  🍷  Here is my referral link if you would like to try it out... You'll get $22.00 off!   

Winc Code

🍷 2018 Cocomero Rose 🍷

🍷 2017 Rosa Obscura Red Blend 🍷

🍷 2017 Diviner Sauvignon Blanc 🍷

Why Life Wine & Snacks?

Hi & thank you for checking out my blog! I never thought in a million years I would start one but I'm hoping that it turns into a great journey! It's time I try something different and challenge myself. I am not doing this to make money or try and be a famous blogger- I'm doing this for fun!

My mind is always thinking of new ideas- things to cook, things to buy, things to decorate, crafts, planning a party, places to travel... the list goes on and I cant wait to share it ALL on here!

I am always up for a great craft class. I have a studio in town I love going to!  Cooking is something I really do enjoy doing, I get that from my mother who is an amazing cook! I am always making new things in my kitchen! My newest go to is my Instant Pot! I also like to dine out on the weekends to give myself a break from cooking. I have a few favorite spots but always looking to venture out and try new things when we have the time, this summer has been so busy but fun!

I am 31 and loving LIFE right now-  I live in Easton, MA with my amazing boyfriend. We share a gorgeous apartment right in the center of town where there is a lot of historical surroundings, couple of restaurants, and great scenery! I work full time, and have been with the same company for seven years.

I love WINE - not all kinds but I have been trying to try new ones!! I try to go to as many wine tastings as I can, and buy different bottles of wine to try but my favorite is Kim Crawford! She makes a great wine! Cooking with wine is fun too!

SNACKS are my jam! I love snacks and apps! I love making them and best of all eating them! Even though I should chill out on snacking, I cant- they have always been apart of my life :) With Football season coming I will be probably be sharing a ton! 

Life Wine & Snacks are just a few of my favorite things! 

Thanks for reading... cheers 🍷