Friday Favorites-March 29th Edition

Happy Friday, Friends!

Today is a "Bad Weather Make-Up Day" for my kiddos and since we had NO SNOW DAYS they're out of school today.  We're sleeping in and having a lazy morning.

In typical Friday fashion I'm joining my girls, Narci and Andrea, to bring you some FAVORITES this Friday!

First up, if you see my mama today please wish her a HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY!  My mom is so selfless, hard working, such a servant, and loves us so well.  Tab and I would never be able to getaway solo if it wasn't for her.  She makes leaving for a trip so very easy.  My kiddos all adore her-probably because she spoils them rotten.  That's what Grandmas do, right?  ;)  We love you, Mom, and are so so thankful for you!  Hope you have the BEST day!

XOXO

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Tab and I got back on Wednesday from our San Diego getaway!  I have a full recap coming Monday and Tuesday but I got lots of questions about an outfit so I'm sharing what I packed.  Just in case you're like me and in the market for some new spring items!

Peach Top with Tie Sleeves-White Jeans-Wedges

Tab's shirt

And let's talk about that VIEW!!!

These are the earrings I packed.  Give me ALL THE SPRING colors!

Hot Pink-Wooden Hoops-All the Color-Coral 

And these are a few of the outfits I wore on the trip.

Grey Twist Top-Workout Pants {similar}

White Top-Bootcut Jeans

Embroidered Top *-White Jeans

White Tank-Floral Skirt

*That embroidered top is wait listed.  I'm not sure if it'll be restocked but I entered my e-mail address on a different wait listed item and I got an e-mail.*

This white eyelet top is on sale and when you add it to your cart, it's an additional 40% off!  GREAT deal!  I'm wearing a 6.

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The Game Changer App is a FAVORITE this week.  While in San Diego, Tab and I were able to "watch" Nixon's game.  We MIGHT have been a few minutes late for dinner on Tuesday because of this app.  ;)

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You know us McKinney girls love our town...a FAVORITE always!  :)  One of my girlfriends, Lauren, is the editor of McKinney's online magazine, The Art of Living Beautifully.  Great news...they just started printing the publication and it is absolutely gorgeous!  This picture does not do it justice.  If you're local or would like to keep up with McKinney happenings, check it out!  You'll absolutely love, Lauren, and I hope you love learning more about our town.

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Another FAVORITE?  Getting pictures like this from friends when I'm out of town.  Can you tell Bowen was enjoying himself at a friend's birthday party?

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Wanna know something that's NOT a FAVORITE?  Having to cook dinner after having delicious meals served to me for four days.  hahahahaha!  I am thankful for my FAVORITE kitchen helper, my slow cooker, to get me through this get-back-to-real-life-period of my life.  :)

We have a busy weekend of baseball, volleyball, and wedding fun all happening!  Hope you have a great weekend!  

XO

An InLinkz Link-up

What's Up Wednesday on a Thursday

Hey!  Hey!  It's the last THURSDAY of the month, which typically means nothing!  ha!  But I'm linking up a day late with Sheaffer and Shay for their What's Up Wednesday link-up.

Tab and I are back from our San Diego Getaway.  You guys!  San Diego was absolutely stunning!  I'm already ready to go back!  {I'll have a full recap of the trip next week.}

What We're Eating This Week...

This is the kind of thing I've been eating this week...crispy shrimp tacos with chips and salsa?  YES, PLEASE!  Hands-down these were the BEST SHRIMP TACOS I'VE EVER HAD!  A girlfriend recommended, George's at the Cove.  Let me tell you-it didn't disappoint!  I'm gonna struggle today with getting back to normal meals.  Vacation food is my favorite.  

What I'm Reminiscing About...

Two years ago, our family was anxiously awaiting the green light from China to head that way to get our girl.  I can't even begin to imagine our life without that sweet girl in it.

The way God creates families is simply AMAZING.  Better than anything Tab and I could have dreamed up ourselves.

What I'm Loving...

I grabbed some new earrings before our trip to spice up the wardrobe a bit and I'm LOVING them all.

Hot Pink-Wooden Hoops-All the Color-Coral 

What We've Been Up To...

ALL the school things. :)

This girl has been enjoying the sunny days...her future's so bright, friends.

My parents came to town this weekend to visit, take the big kiddos out for a special birthday dinner, and then my mom stayed in town to babysit while Tab and I were gone.  We couldn't do trips like this without my mom!  She's amazing, takes care of everyone {probably better than I do!}, and this time-she did it all without a big list of notes.  She's THAT good!  Thank you, MOM!!

Saturday night-they treated us all to Medieval Times for the big kiddos' birthdays.  Bowen was INTO it!

We'd never been before and they were ALL big fans!

  

 I wish I had taken a picture when Ebby Lee heard that we had to eat our dinner WITH OUR HANDS!  She was in shock, but she managed.  :)  While our blue knight did not pull out the win, we all managed to have a lot of fun!

What I'm Dreading...

I'm not dreading a thing right now.  Great news!

What I'm Working On...

I'm working on DISNEY WORLD vacations!  We've been sending lots of families on magical Disney World vacations.  If Disney World is on your agenda, please shoot us an e-mail mixandmatchtravelagency@yahoo.com.  We'd love to help YOU with this vacation too!

What I'm Excited About...

I can't wait to share all my San Diego pictures with you...coming on Monday!

What I'm Watching/Reading...

 These three books are all good ones...

The Family Next Door-SO GOOD!!!

Big Sexy Love-chick-lit, light and fun.

You Will Know Me-suspenseful, thriller.

Ebby Lee and I are LOVING Project Runway on Bravo.  Are you watching??

What I'm Listening To...

ALL Pandora ALL the time!

What I'm Wearing...

I grabbed some new spring things right before our trip...

Grey Twist Top-Workout Pants {similar}

White Top-Bootcut Jeans

Embroidered Top-White Jeans

White Tank-Floral Skirt

What I'm Doing This Weekend...

It's WEDDING WEEKEND in our house for this sweet girl and her fiance'.  Mackenzie has been babysitting for our family since Ebby Lee was a baby.  We've watched her graduate high school, graduate college, and this weekend we'll get to watch her marry her best friend.  She's so special to our family and we're so thankful we get to be a part of her big day.

What I'm Looking Forward to Next Month...

The two big kiddos on the bed with me are turning NINE and TEN in April.  We have a busy April with lots of sports but I'm looking forward to celebrating them!

What Else Is New...

GRILLING SEASON is upon us!  I have a secret...Tab and I are both AWFUL at grilling.  He wouldn't deny it either if you asked him.  We have no grill skills.  But we're gonna change that in 2019!  Do you have any recommendations for our grilling game?  A You Tube channel we should watch?  Maybe Grilling for Dummies?  For real!  We need help!

What's Your Favorite Easter Side Dish...

I've gotta be honest...my preferred side dish has to be ANY type of potato but for Easter I'm gonna say deviled eggs.  All the Slaughter kiddos would agree.

That's all I have for today!  Hope you have the BEST Thursday!
XO

Friday Favorites-March 2019 Edition

Happy Friday, Friends!

This week was a ROUGH one but I'm finally feeling SO MUCH BETTER!  So so thankful for modern medicine...that should actually be my first FAVORITE today!

I've teamed up with my girls, Narci and Andrea, to bring you FRIDAY FAVORITES!  That time every week when we highlight our favorites from the week.

 First up is this FAVORITE, my three-year-old cutie...Britt Slaughter is growing like a weed.  Don't her legs look crazy long?  

I have a couple other faves to note...the Matilda Jane Spring Line is SO ADORABLE!  All the colors are fun, patterns are sweet, and they just scream, "SPRING".  If you've been thinking about some Matilda Jane for the cutie in your life, now is the time!  Another FAVORITE is my green STL hat.  While I'm not from St. Louis, I am from Missouri and the STL came in that fun green color.  You can see the full list of airport code hats here.  And finally...my leopard shoes!

They fit very true to size, are super comfy, and a great price!

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This book, Vertical Marriage, is another new FAVORITE.  Shay {thank you, friend} gifted me this book and I'm so glad she did.  Marriage is hard, y'all!  The authors totally own that fact...no lying about that!  But they've found the secret that will change your marriage and are sharing it in this book!  So so good!  I wish I could buy this one for every engaged couple as well as every married couple I know!

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These two girlies are my FAVORITES!  We went yesterday to get their wedding party dresses altered just a tad and I can't wait for you to see them!  Do you remember me asking for your help with where to buy flower girl or junior bridesmaid dresses?  You guys delivered!  And I must tell you...I grabbed Britt's from Etsy and Ebby Lee's came from Azazie.  If you're looking for bridesmaid dresses or junior bridesmaid dresses, I can't recommend Azazie enough.  They have SO MANY COLORS to choose from!  Their junior bridesmaid selection looked super age appropriate and I was so happy when Ebby Lee's dress arrived.

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Another FAVORITE is this lip stick on repeat...it goes on as a matte and stays ALL DAY!  I wore "Dreamer" the entire time we were in Beaver Creek.  Speaking of Beaver Creek, if you missed any recaps, catch them here...Part 1 and Part 2.

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Guess where I'm headed this weekend??  I'm tagging along on my FAVORITE guy's work trip to a city I've never visited.  Grandparents are on their way now to hold down the fort!  It'll be a fun few days!  The plan is to blog all next week, but I'm not sure that will happen.  Keep checking back-just in case.  :)  And be sure to follow along via Instagram where I'll be sharing our adventures.  {slaughteren}

Hope you guys have a GREAT weekend!

XO

An InLinkz Link-up

Have You Heard of...

this brand?

I'm sure most of us recognize the Lululemon trademark.  And I think I've mentioned my love of the Lululemon Align pants-just a few times.  ;)  While I'd recommend the $98 price tag, I have new evidence on the scene.  

Wait for it...

I heard there's an Amazon brand out there right now that's SUPER, CRAZY SIMILAR to Lululemon at a FRACTION of the price.  Have you heard about this brand?

CRZ Yoga

This company makes some items that just happen to be very reminiscent of several Lululemon best sellers at literally FRACTIONS of the Lululemon prices.  Kind of a splurge versus steal post, if you will?

Remember my beloved Align pants?  Well these pants come in a wide variety of colors and sizes and ring it at under $30!  I ordered these in the "lunar rock" and went with my typical size-small.

This top comes in three other colors and is only $22!  I grabbed this one in black in a small as well.

This bra is just $20!  And again...comes in a variety of colors.

The CRZ short looks so much like the Lululemons...such a splurge/steal.  Again, it comes in a variety of colors.

You can shop all the CRZ Yoga products here.  Typically, I'd order these products, try them on, and THEN share but I've heard such great things about them!  I just couldn't keep it to myself any longer.  I feel like you guys are my people and if I was sitting beside you outside dance or over coffee-odds are, I'd share about this athleisure wear at BARGAIN prices so here we are.  :)  I promise to let you know my thoughts once they arrive too.

This jacket is a different brand but I've heard over and over again how similar it is to the Lululemon Define Jacket {ringing in at $118}.  I snagged this one in navy.  The picture is HORRIBLE but I can't get it to look any better.  :(

If you've tried any of these products, please let us know!  OR...if you've found another Amazon athleisure gem, PLEASE share! 

Thank you!

XO

Beaver Creek Recap-Part 2

Happy Wednesday!

It's been a tough week getting back into the swing of things, attempting to get well, and get caught up on ALL THE THINGS!  Spring sports are all starting this week as well!  Ready or not...SPRING IS HERE!

If you missed my post on Monday, my crew and I spent our Spring Break in Beaver Creek, Colorado.  Today, I'm recapping the second half of our trip.

Monday morning, these cuties decided to take a day off from skiing.  I liked the idea.  :)

My parents took the day off as well and we drove them over to Vail to check out the town.

The weather was CHILLY, windy, and snowy so our plans of checking out the shops were not happening.  Instead we found Imagination Station in Lionshead Village on the second level of the parking garage!  I never would have found it alone, but a sweet lady pointed it out.  It was the perfect spot to keep these kiddos entertained.

The area mostly had things for younger kiddos but there was a big art center with tables where we sat and played a few games.

Then it was Blue Moose Pizza time!

We all gave it two thumbs up!

Even this girl! 

This was our family that last time we were in Vail during Spring Break.  You can see in those pictures how I got all kinds of tricky with those passed down ski clothes.  I could only find Ebby Lee's old ski pants, not Nixon's so I mentioned to Ebby Lee to please not say a word to Bowen about them being "girl pants".  It worked!   And everyone was dressed perfectly.  :)

After lunch, we stopped back by Imagination Station to grab their paintings that had dried while we ate.  Britt found this spinning penny machine and really could have stayed in this spot for hours!

Meanwhile, outside...it was looking like this.

I know I don't brag on this girl enough, but she is such a great big sister!  She's always down for some play time with her younger siblings and I'm so thankful for all her help!

So thankful for these three!

My boys who were skiing on the mountain decided to take a break at the Ritz for lunch and smores.

Then they were back at it for more!

We then made our way over to Vail Village, enjoyed the toy store, and loved seeing the ice skating rink.

We had an afternoon cup of coffee....errrr-smoothie if you're under 35.

Miss Britt was all about the pose.

We had fun checking it all out with my parents.

That evening we went to the Ritz for smores and dinner.  Can you tell she wasn't mad about it?

When did she turn five?

Our party of eight...ready to celebrate!  My mom turns sixty later this month and we decided we'd have a little birthday dinner to celebrate in Beaver Creek.

The Ritz has a fun arcade downstairs that kept the crazies occupied while we waited for our table.

Several of you asked about babysitters and I should have mentioned.  I got the name of Care 4 Kids Babysitting Agency from a trusted friend who has a home in the Vail area, so I felt great about this agency.  We used two different sitters...one on Sunday for Britt and one on Tuesday.  We actually bumped into her sitter from Sunday in the arcade Monday night because she was watching other kiddos.  Small world...right?!

I've also heard GREAT things about the Small World Nursery at Beaver Creek Village.  I was too late booking this and it was full, but I've heard it's a great option as well.

And finally-I would have signed Britt up for ski school but she wasn't fully one hundred percent potty trained.  We're still working on this.  Spring Break set us back!  Next time, this girl will be on the slopes with us!

This was probably my FAVORITE meal!  Buffalo's at The Ritz Carlton-Bachelor Gulch...highly recommend in the Beaver Creek area!  The atmosphere was fun, food was delicious, and there was so much to do to entertain the kiddos while we waited!

See?  This cutie was a BIG Fan!

We surprised my mom with dessert and check out Ebby Lee's excited face.  What a way to end the night!

Tuesday morning I met my crew coming off the chair lift...can you spot them?

Nixon's been on a few more ski trips than the other kiddos so he took no time at all warming up and was so sweet to remind me I was slowing us down.  #boys

I only had two little mess ups on Ski Day #2...

1.  Tab persuaded me to handle a blue because it'd be "so much quicker then taking all the greens down".  Well, let me tell you...when I was half way down the mountain, I realized this run was not in fact a blue but a BLACK!  My green-run-loving-self couldn't take it.  I tried to convince Tab I would slide sideways down the mountain but that was really gonna take me HOURS so eventually I did the slide of shame and slid myself down that mountain on my hiney.  #slideofshame

2.  Bowen, Ebby Lee, and I had about an hour before we had to be back to relieve the sitter and get Britt.  I saw an easy green run on the way back to the resort and decided we'd take it home.  Easy Peasy.  Right?  Both of the kiddos fell and skis popped off behind me-which means UP the mountain.  Ebby Lee managed to handle herself on her own but Bowen needed me to walk up the mountain to help him.  This kind of thing is all Tab's wheel house...I don't possess enough ski skills to take care of myself and others!  We were a MESS but we made it down the mountain with FIVE minutes to spare!

We were SO tired!

Everyone vegged out while I caught up on the previous night's Bachelor episode.

Another afternoon, another cup of hot cocoa.

We ventured into Avon for dinner at Sauce on the Creek Tuesday night.  The pizza and pasta were a HIT!

Sparklers one night and an outdoor movie the other?  YES, please!  Beaver Creek Village was showing a movie complete with blankets and hot apple cider.

This cutie...totally worth my sore legs for days later.  :)

Wednesday was our last full day in Beaver Creek.  Tab, Nixon, and Ebby Lee decided to ski one more day.  The littles and I hung out in the room.  We read, played, and just had the laziest/coziest day.

ALL THE HOT COCOA on this cold day!

If you saw my post yesterday, then you know at this point I was feeling yucky-totally thinking I had a bad cold {and later would learn it was flu #2}.  We made the most of our night and headed home on Thursday morning.

Spring Break 2019 was one for the memory books!  Such a great week together with our family!

Thank you so much for reaching today!

XO