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What We Wore On Our Girls Trip?

What We Wore On Girls Trip?

Hello Pretty Ladies,

Are you ready for some fun Spring fashion? The second blog post on our New Orleans trip is about what we wore. The Brands we worked with, and some fun Fresh Spring Styles. We were lucky to work with some great Small business brands launching their brand New Spring arrivals and bring them to you first. We also worked with some well-known larger brands to bring you a variety. All the Chic Chat Chic Girls’ styles should be in stock and ready to ship. Perfect for you to take on your next trip, or add some Spring to your wardrobe!

Social Threads

A fun small business that carries great quality clothing and accessories at affordable prices. All of us girls are wearing the BEST selling Risen jeans in the same style, a vegan messenger bag in various colors, and a fun printed bag strap. (Look how cute the straps are! They make the bag!) Of course, we each got to pick a top of our choice as well.

Our Risen Jeans are soft, easy to wear, run big, and size down. The fun frayed hem gives edgy detail, great to pack on a trip, with so many ways to style. You’ll want this bag for your next vacation, as it holds everything hands-free and stays close to your body.

Social Threads gets new merchandise weekly, has several restocks on their best sellers a month, and has great fast shipping. Everything I get from Social Threads I wear on repeat. You’ll love supporting small by shopping with them.

: Vegan Messanger Bag

: Risen Jeans

: Bag Straps & Messanger

Shop the bags and the strapes below:

Shop the Risen Jeans:

Showing how I styled the Risen jeans, Paired with Social Threads super-soft Sprint weight tunic. You can wear off the should or boat neck style, comes in two colors. I chose the small messenger bag in black and leopard strap, as I knew it would work with a lot of my outfits and works well with so many looks. I finished the look with Valentino slides and a great hat adorned with the Gucci headband and gold accessories.

Shop my Look below:

Avara

This cute online boutique has a storefront in Texas with darling and affordable clothing and accessories. It was easy to find cute items to share with you, and you know I love supporting and sharing Women-owned small businesses.

I hope you will check them out next time you want a little something new. Here are 5 New Spring looks you’ll love from Avara.

: The Bag Detail

: Avara Top & Jeans

: Sleeve Detail

Shop My Look from Avara below:

Shop the Girls Looks below:

PrintFresh

Printfresh | 100% GOTS Organic Cotton Pajamas & Robes Shop All Shop our range of handcrafted, eco-conscious sleep and loungewear. With short sets, long sets, robes, nightgowns, sleep shirts, and separates, most available in sizes XXS – 6X, Spring releases are now in stock, and I know they’ll be your new favorite pajamas!

Print fresh just opened their first storefront in NYC, and you can shop conveniently online.

We love their fresh and fun, whimsical prints and mix and match separately.

: New Spring Realease

: This Bold Cheerful Stripe

: 3 Fun Prints

Print Fresh 15% off code DARCYVANDENBERG

Shop Print fresh Pj’s Below:

Evy’s Tree

Another great small business and also woman-owned. She started out designing sweatshirts and grew to create a brand specializing in easy-to-wear pieces for women—great quality pieces at affordable prices. New arrivals often, with great customer service.

Each girl was able to choose three pieces to style for you. (make sure to check out their blog post for more styling details.) I choose a cute army jacket with a hood, an oversized White button-up (I’ll share on our next post), and this darling blush-colored sequins jacket. Perfect for dressing up or down with jeans. Each piece was True to size.

Our Evy’s Tree we, unfortunately, can not link on LTK. Here is a discount code and Shopping link. Evy’s Tree

Code: DARCY20

Soma

Soma, owned by the Chico’s group, really does have the best bras and great loungewear/ Pj’s. If you haven’t tried anything from this line, you really should. I highly recommend all most everything from this brand. They have the only bra I’ll wear in every color. Here and I adore their lounge sets and pj’s. So very soft.

The cool night’s pj’s are perfect for midlifers.

Here’s what we choose from the new spring line…

: Soma Leopard Lounge set

: Add Denim Jacket

: Add Tennis Shoes

Shop my Soma Look below:

Vionic shoes

Vionic shoes for women and men provide arch support technology in the most up-to-date styles. Made with high quality and breathable materials such as durable leather and soft suede, our footwear is created for all-day wear so that your feet can be comfortable no matter where you are going.

Vionic can be purchased online and major retailers like Dsw, Zappos, etc.

Below we showcased their NEW Spring slippers with arch support.

Shop the Look below:

Spanx

Did you know Spanx makes more than shapewear? They do and let me tell you, their clothing line is amazing, and every piece flatters the body. Below we are all wearing the Spanx Denim flares. I hope you like how all of us choose to style them.

: Spanx Flare

: Details

: Flared Denim

Shop the Look below:

Cabana Life

Cabana Life Founded by a skin cancer survivor, Cabana Life has been on a mission to provide sun-safe and stylish solutions for nearly 15 years. Our line of sun-protective clothing, swimwear, and accessories is designed to keep the whole family protected from the sun without sacrificing style. Instead, we design fashion that works just as hard as you do…

All clothing is Spf 50 +Uv protection.

Shop the Look below:

Shop the Girls looks below:

WHBM

White House Black Market is an American women’s clothing retailer headquartered in Florida. The multichannel brand, founded in 1985, specializes in upscale clothing.

White House Black Market owns various clothing and accessories boutiques in the United States and Canada. They sell their tops, dresses, skirts, pants, jackets, outerwear, shoes, jewelry, and accessories. Since 2003, White House Black Market has operated as a subsidiary of Chico’s

WHBM, Chico’s, and Soma are all found online and in Malls. We were able to pick out one complete outfit from head to toe. including, Layers, shoes, and accessories. (How fun, right) check out what we chose and how we styled it below.

Shop the Look below:

Joining me in Sharing “What we wore” The Chit Chat Chic girls. Cammi, Lisa, Michelle, and Cindy. You’ll want to pop over to their blogs and see their outfits and what they shared.

Cindy= LuLuloves7

Lisa’s= Coast2coast

Michelle= Poised Petite

Cammi=Cammie’s Happy Place

Photography provided by the talented Shey Allen @Sheyallenfilms.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my blog post. “What We Wore On Our Girls trip!” I would love it if you left a few of your favorite Picks below in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

BIG NEWS: March Madness Giveaway! Over $500 Worth of Beauty Products

*Leave a comment or sign up to receive my blog or both for an entry in My MARCH MADNESS GIVEAWAY… I will be giving away over $500 in Beauty products to one lucky winner!

(no cash value, all entries will be entered into a random drawing, Every comment counts as an entry, and Signing up for blog counts as an entry. Ends March 31St and the winner will be notified on April 2nd.)

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I genuinely love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

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Where to stay and eat in New Orleans

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Where to Eat and Stay in New Orleans

Where to Eat and Stay in New Orleans 1st in our New Orleans series.

Hello Pretty Ladies,

The Chit Chat chic girls just got back from a fun Galentine’s trip to New Orleans, as many of you know. So today, all the girls are sharing Where to eat and stay in New Orleans, and we will share where to shop, fun things to do and what we wore in a couple of other posts. So think of it as our New Orleans Series.

Where to Eat and Stay in New Orleans. What comes to mind when you say New Orleans? Jazz, Mardi gras, The French Quarter, Beignets,(recipe here) Pralines, (recipe here) Craw Fish, Beads, and Hurricane Drinks? (recipe here) That’s what I think of when I think of New Orleans, and this trip did not disappoint. We stayed at the Royal Sonesta in the heart of the French Quater (one of NOLA’s most historic neighborhoods) on the corner of the famous Bourbon Street, where gaslights flicker on every street, and Old charm meets new.

: Look at the details of these doors

: Brick and Iron,curved windows

: More Iron Details

: Color is everywhere

: Architectural charm

: Borbon Street Bar entrance

: Church view off Bourbon St

: The charm of the buildings

: look at all the iron

The Hotel couldn’t have been more charming with the ornate Iron grillwork details of french architecture, pretty fountains and quart yards, Hotel Suites with french doors opening to overlook the pool. Beautiful details throughout the Hotel. The staff was so welcoming and friendly. They went above and beyond to make your stay a pleasant one.

: The CCC Girls on Balcony

: The Balcony overlook pool

: Lobby

Not only is the Royal Sonesta located in a convenient location, but The French Quater also has all the restaurants, bars, and shopping you could want. But you can easily walk to Canel street, Cafe DuMond, take a cruise down the Mississippi river, catch the trolly to the Garden District, or Magazine street for boutique shopping.

: The otherside entrance

: View from the courtyard

: The entry

The Royal Sonesta conveniently has several restaurants on the property and The Jazz Play House for entertainment. Desire Oyster Bar, Bar R’evolution, and Pj’s Coffee

New Orleans is known for its good food. The taste of Nole is cajun driven with a lot of seafood, award-winning seafood gumbo, shrimp remoulade, po’boys, Beignets, Oysters, and a lot of flavors. So if you’re a foodie, you will enjoy your time in New Orleans.

View from the courtyard

Would you like to stay here and receive a discount?

15% off best available rates on stays Sunday-Thursday

Book by: February 28, 2021 Stay by: September 30, 2021

Promo code: RNOPR Use this link:

: Jazz PlayHouse

: Jazz PlayHouse

: Playhouse

: PlayHouse

: Jazz PlayHouse

: PlayHouse

The Jazz Play House, located on the property, has the sounds of the New Orleans embrace and charm. A vibrant nightlife with authentic jazz, serving drinks and bites. Michelle and I had the Elle Fitzgerald Martinis, and Cindy Had the French 45. The table shared a blue cheese wedge and crab cakes (Cammi needed to try out crabcakes at every restaurant!) Then finished off with a shared chocolate cheesecake.

NOTE: The Jazz Play House is a place to enjoy the music. It is not somewhere to go if you want to chat.

: Desire Oyster Bar

: Oyster Bar

: Desire Oyster Bar

Desire Oyster Bar is located on the Hotels property. Oyster Bar offers diners one of the most authentic dining experiences in New Orleans.

The menu features

Fresh Gulf Seafood
Award-winning Gumbo
Variety of Po’boys
Shrimp Omelet Etoufee
Biscuits and Gravy

Oysters: fried, chargrilled, or on the half shell
Fried Chicken & Waffles
Louisiana Crab Cakes
Blackened Catfish Lafitte
Shrimp Remoulade

Cammi, Had the crab cakes, and she would say these were in the running for Best along with Francois. The table had the Fries with Etoufee & shrimp (they decided they were not Etoufee fans). Cindy & I Had a chopped salad with grilled chicken, blue cheese crumbles, and a side of fries. (All very good) (Cindy and I had a salad with chicken almost everywhere we went)

(Now… the Host, let’s say they need a new one! He was the only rude/ no personable person in NOLA!) Thank goodness we only had a few minutes of him! The waitress made up for it. She was so sweet and very Happy!

Cheers

: Meet Texas

: The Girls

: Crab cakes again

: The Charcuterie Board

: Cheers

: Sharing a bottle

Bar R’evolution, also located on the property, is a beautiful mix of Old world & contemporary, serving chef-driven dishes and seasonal cocktails. Most of the produce and herbs are grown on a plantation farm in Baton Rouge. This bar is chic, hip, and packed. A reservation is recommended. Note: dress up…this was the only time we were underdressed!

PJ’s Coffee Start the morning off right with a Coffee poolside or, better yet, on your private balcony. Pj’s Coffee is located right off the lobby and serves various coffee drinks and pastries. A local New Orleans, Louisiana staple coffee house with several lotions throughout NOLA.

: Onion rings

: Francois Grill

: Our pick for Favorite Meal

Francois Grill & Bourbon Street Blues in Baton Rough

This restaurant is worth the drive to Baton Rouge from New Orleans. Located in the Perkins Rowe shopping district. (cute outdoor mall experience) Francois Grill is a cultural mix of Sicilian, French, and Cajun cuisine.

The onion rings were so good as a starter along with, You guessed it, Crab cakes:) The girls voted these the BEST crab cakes. I had the veggie omelet with a side of steamed veggies (cooked perfectly and with so much flavor) along with pan potatoes. A savory meal we all enjoyed. They have a full bar and live jazz music.

: steak Flaebread

: truffle fries

: Spiced pear salad with chicken

Bistro 77 is another excellent restaurant at Perkins Rowe in Baton Rouge. They are known for great drinks, charcuterie boards, and shared plates. Also serving delicious salads, known for gourmet flatbreads, and a great assortment of sandwiches and lobster mac and cheese. View the menu here

You guessed it, I had a salad, but not just any salad, a Spiced Pear and grilled chicken salad with an Apple vinaigrette and spiced candied nuts. It was so good. Cindy chose the same salad with steak, and everyone else chose a different flatbread and enjoyed their picks.

Cafe Beignet

: Cafe Beignet

: Music Legands Park

: A little info about the park

Outfits here are all Avara… We will talk about what we wore in the next series.

Cafe’ Beignet A quaint coffee and Beignet stand sits in the middle of Music legends Park. They are located right across the street from the Hotel, on bourbon street. With iron tables and chairs set all around the park and a small live Jazz band center stage. Statues of Jazz legends cast in Bronze cover the grounds. (the Beignets were good, But nothing is like a Cafe de Monde Beignet)

: Curio

: Crispy Chicken Salad

Curio

An American Cuisine with a creole soul, right around the corner from the Hotel. Recommended by the concierge at the Hotel. Had a fun Bar cafe vibe, with charming staff and great food. I had the Crispy Chicken salad with a balsamic dressing. The chicken was so yummy. I drank Ice tea by the gallon everywhere we went (unsweeten). Not a bad tea anywhere, all fresh, strong, and had free refills. The average price of every meal we had was about $18-20 for entree, Appetizers $10-15, Cocktail $7-15 with a tab for one, including a 20% tip of around $35 a meal.

: Sugar & Spice

: Pralines

: Chocolate & Coconut Pralines

Let’s talk Pralines for just a minute. Cammi and I were hunting to find the BEST Praline (Cammi had never had one). We hunted, tested, and tried out all of them, just for you! (hehe) and I am going to share our favorites and flops on another blog post…. so you’ll have to wait!

Ladies, it’s getting late, and I could even share more with you, but it’s just going to have to wait for another day.

Joining me in Sharing “Their review of NOLA” The Chit Chat Chic girls. Cammi, Lisa, Michelle, and Cindy. You’ll want to pop over to their blogs and see what they’ve shared.

Cindy= LuLuloves7

Lisa’s= Coast2coast

Michelle= Poised Petite

Cammi=Cammie’s Happy Place

Photography provided by the talented Shey Allen @ Sheyallenfilms

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my blog post. I would love it if you left a few of your favorite Picks below in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I genuinely love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

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Recipe Under 30 min Meal: Tomato & Spinach Pasta

Hello Pretty Ladies,

I whipped up this easy All- most one-pot meal in under 30 minutes several months back, and it was a hit at my house. My family said it was one of their favorites! Served with a salad and my Sinful Garlic bread, it would make for a great Valentine’s day dinner. Great for a couple or the whole family.

Recipe Under 30 min Meal:

Tomato & Spinach Pasta

One-pot sauce

1 can 28oz organic diced tomatoes

( Muir Glen) Tomatoes are my favorite

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cube real butter

3/4 bag organic spinach

1 tablespoon minced garlic

About 1/2 cup olive oil (line bottom of the pan)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon oregano/basil/tomato spice

2 tablespoons dried chopped onion

A handful of fresh basil (torn)

A good drizzle of balsamic vinegar

1 box Barilla Collezione Orecchiette

Top with:

Grated Parmesan

Basil

Extras you could add…

English peas

Or shrimp

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my blog post. I would love to leave a few of your favorite Picks below in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

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Three Dinners, Out Of One Pork Loin Recipe

Three Dinners, Out Of One Pork Loin Recipe:

How to cook a Crockpot Pork Loin to get 3 different meals from it….(family of 4) double if larger. Three Dinners, Out Of One Pork Loin Recipe, How I like to create three different dinners out of one crockpot pork loin. This does cooking for the week is a breeze.

Pork Loin Recipe:

1 large pork loin browned

1 32oz chicken or beef stock

1/2 of large onion sliced

1 pack Lipton onion mix

4 peeled garlic gloves

2 tablespoons of Kitchen Bouquet

2 tablespoons of dried parsley

1 tablespoon Worcester sauce

Drippings from pan

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients into Crockpot with a crockpot liner

( leaving pork loin until last)

Stir ingredients, then add pork loin.

Tip: cut sides of Crockpot liner… when all ingredients are in crockpot tie liner (like a garbage bag), cover crockpot and cook for a couple of hours at high then lower to low for a couple more.

When done, take out to rest for about 10 min and slice off a couple of pieces for a pork loin dinner (set aside)

Shred rest… split shredded in 1/2… use one 1/2 for a shredded pork Taco dinner and the other 1/2 for a BBQ sandwich dinner! Refrigerate what you are not using for meals later in the week.

Watch my Instagram reel.

Dinner 1

Pork dinner served with mashed potatoes, the gravy/ Au Jus from the crockpot, and Vegetable of choice

: Homemade Guacamole & Pico

: Grilled Taco shells, pork and Toppings

: Pork Tacos

Dinner 2

Take the Shredded Pork and, in an oiled pan, add Pork, taco seasoning, and 3 tablespoons water mix until warm… Can add pepper flakes. Serve with warm tortillas of choice, cilantro, salsa, and avocado.

Any side dishes you wish. My Homemade Guacamole & Pico recipe

: Add Favorite BBQ rub

: Making Pulled pork Sandwiches

Dinner 3

Take the remaining Shredded pork in a lightly oiled pan, add pork a little BBQ rub and your favorite Bbq sauce, stir until warm. Serve on toasted Brioche Buns with a slice of Pepper jack cheese.

A great Side dish is French fries, Baked beans, and corn on the cob.

Here are a couple of my favorite Cooking Items below:

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

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This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I truly love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

Valentines Gifts for Him, Enticing All 5 Senses

Hello Pretty Ladies,

Can you believe January is already more than half over, and Valentine’s day is going to be here before we know it! So I thought it would be helpful to get a couple of gift guides out early to help you get some ideas for your guy.

Valentines Gifts for Him, Enticing All 5 Senses, Touch, Smell, Sight, Taste, and Hear.

Over the last couple of years, giving a gift that entices all of the 5 senses has been a big trend. So I thought this would be a fun theme for a blog post. Not necessarily to give a gift of each sense, but to create a gift guide theme and have gift ideas for each sense. You could choose to pick something for each sense or one special gift that suits your guy.

Here are some fun themes I came up with that have the 5 senses of gifts included in the theme gift guide.

The Homebody, Coffee Lover, Sweet lover, The Cocktail Lover, and The Selfcare lover

I Asked the Men in my Life some of the things they loved and thought would be fun gifts to get for Valentine’s day, and I threw in a few I thought would be fun to give. I hope you see something for the Man in your life. Something in every price point as well.

Coffee Lover

Sweet lover

The Homebody

The Cocktail Lover

The Selfcare lover

Joining me in Sharing “Valentine Gifts for Him” The Chit Chat Chic girls. Cammi, Lisa, Michelle, and Cindy. You’ll want to pop over to their blogs and see what they’ve chosen as helpful gift ideas.

Cindy= LuLuloves7

Lisa’s= Coast2coast

Michelle= Poised Petite

Cammi=Cammie’s Happy Place

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

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This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I truly love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

34 top things to buy at Trader Joe’s

34 top things to buy at Trader Joe’s

Hello Pretty Ladies,

I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday. If you have been following my blog or social media for a while, you know I have a love for shopping at Trader joes Market. So, I have composed a list of “34 top things to buy at Trader Joe’s” of some of my favorite items and how I use them. Hopefully, this list will help you on your next shopping trip, and maybe there is a couple of things you haven’t tried and now well.

34 top things to buy at Trader Joe’s

1. Glaze balsamic glaze= so good on salads, Italian dish Pizza, and bruschetta

2. Pesto Alla Genovese/Basil Pesto= great as a chicken marinate, great sauce for a quick Pasta dinner, excellent on garlic bread sprinkled with fresh Parmesan cheese, makes a yummy pizza sauce, To name a few.

3. Chunky Blue Cheese/dressing= This is one of the best Blue Cheese dressings, tastes great as a veggie or wing dip, is delicious on salads, mix with cream cheese to create a spread for sandwiches.

4. Salsa Authentic/ mild salsa = A great store-bought salsa that tastes homemade, add some grated cheese for a fun snack served with tortilla chips, use on Mexican dishes, eggs, and yummy on taco salads.

5. Mini carrot cakes muffins/dessert = A great dessert, snack, and treat! It tastes like homemade Carrot Cake and has the best cream cheese frosting.

6. Organic carrots of mini colors = make veggies fun and perfect for platters and serving with hummus. I also loved boiled drained served with butter, basil, and salt and pepper for a great side dish.

7. Kale & edamame salad= yummy on the go lunch

8. The Dark Chocolate Lovers = chocolate bar

9. Dried Pasta/ Tortellini with pesto filling=The product is of Italy, so affordable and fantastic as a cold salad with pesto and Parmesan cheese and cut-up tomatoes and olives. Or sever warm with your favorite sauce.

10. Cracked wheat sourdough bread= sourdough is one of the Best bread for you, and this one is one of the best pre-made ones. Buy a couple extra and freeze.

11. Sea salt Brownie petites= A simple treat with a subtle twist. Rich, Belgian chocolate brownies sprinkled in sea salt. A perfect little bite. My Boys love it.

12. Ciabatta Demi Baguette = Artisan-style bread perfect for a quick appetizer (shared on the blog ) or used to make a delicious panini. My boys love pastrami and cheese. I love Turkey, pesto, tomato, and avocado panini. See Recipe on Instagram.

13. Shaved Parmesan & Romano & Asiago Cheeses= Used on most of my pasta dishes & my hubby’s Alfredo recipes HERE the recipe below. Also perfect to top soups and salads.

14. Fresh Bruschetta Sauce= Roma tomatoes with olive oil, Basil & Garlic. This sauce is the sauce I use on my easy Appetizer recipe

15. Speculoos Cookie Butter = A deliciously unusual spread reminiscent of gingerbread and made with crushed biscuits.

16. Everything but the Bagel Sesame seasoning blended with sea salt, garlic & onion. Perfect on avocado toast and vegetables, mixed into cream cheese for a dip, and my Favorite, incorporated into Plain Humus, so good!

17. Everything but the Elote seasoning blend= a mix of salt, Chili peppers, cheese, chipotle & cumin. Great for mixing in tacos, it’s excellent as a rub and perfect for anything you want to add heat.

18. Chili Lime seasoning blend= just the right amount of salt and heat. Another is great on Mexican food, a great rim on a spicy Margarita, and yummy sprinkled on tortilla chips.

19. BBQ Rub and Seasoning with Coffee & garlic= great rub on meats and added to Your favorite BBQ sauce.

20. Raisin Rosemary Crisps= A crisps, savory and sweet cracker to complement cheeses, Dips, and Toppings. I love to keep it on hand for entertaining. It makes a quick appetizer and is excellent on the Charcuterie board.

21. Fig & Olive crisps= A crispy, Savory & Sweet cracker to Complement Cheese, Spreads, Dips, and Toppings. This one is my hubby’s all-time favorite cracker and another one great to keep on hand for entertaining and charcuterie boards.

22. Fresh flowers= they always have a great variety of seasonal flowers at great prices.

23. Seasonal Fruit= is almost always the product of USA and organic. Because it’s in season and they have excellent growers, it tastes so good.

24. Italian tomato Paste= Double concentrated Tomato paste. Perfect for sauces and stews.

25. Organic Tomato & Roasted Red Pepper Soup= (not the low sodium) It does not taste the same at all! this soup is a favorite soup at our home served with grilled cheese for an easy dinner

26. Carmelize onion cheese= is such a great flavor, perfect on a charcuterie board, perfectly paired with a salty cracker.

27. Frozen Pizza crust= is an excellent crust for creating your pizza!

28. Whipping cream in blue box= non-refrigerated, great for pantry stock items. It’s convenient to have on hand to make sauces ( hubbies Alfredo sauce), add to mashed potatoes for a creamy texture, and, of course, whip up a quick dessert… Because whipping cream can make anything fancy.

29. Honey roasted peanuts= A yummy salt sweet treat. My family can eat a bag whole! I love having on hand to add to a charcuterie board or placing in a bowl on a bar or coffee table for company.

30. Onion crunch= In a jar, it’s a great seasoning/sauce to have in the pantry. Taste great on bread or cracker for a savory snack. Delicious on a baked potato, great as an extra layer of flavor Pizza or garlic bread.

31. Lemon olives= So affordable, yummy added flavor to olive and great to keep on hand for Charcuterie boards make a great tamponade or snack.

32. Cauliflower Pizza crust = In the refrigerator section. (see my Turkey Panini recipe on Instagram)

33. Lemon Curd= One of the best-bottled lemon curds I’ve ever had. Great on scones, mixed into oatmeal, sourdough toast, pancakes, french toast, and waffles.

34. Vodka sauce= great flavor sauce; add a little extra garlic and some Italian cheeses for a fabulous quick pasta dish.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my blog post. ‘34 top things to buy at Trader Joe’s’ I would love for you to leave a few of your favorite Picks below in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

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This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I genuinely love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

12 Things to beat the Winter blues

12 Things to beat the Winter blues

Hello pretty ladies,

The holidays are over. Most of you have taken down and packed away Christmas. Some might be cleaning and organizing, and others might try to catch up.

The Cold & darkness of Winter is starting to get to you, and January & February feel so long. So here are a few of my tips that help me get through Utah’s long Winters. 2 Things to beat the Winter blues right now. 2 small things you can do for yourself and your home to help beat winter blues right now, easy & affordable.

12 things to beat the Winter blues

1. Freshen up your space, clean out clutter, change sheets and bedding(if you have a second bedding set. )Rearrange furniture and add some New throw pillows (Throw pillows are reasonable and add a pop of color or a fresh design.)

2. Add some plans or fresh flowers to your space. Flowers brighten a room. I love a couple of rosebuds on my nightstand, a new arrangement on the entry table, and one on the kitchen counter.

3. Paint your nails—something about having color on your nails that is cheery.

4. Go for a quick walk. Getting fresh air and moving for 30 minutes s helps your energy and mind.

5. Drink plenty of water, add some fresh fruit, lemon or limes, or strawberry and mint t a clear pitcher, and refrigerate. It’s pretty and refreshing. Drinking water is excellent for hydration, clear skin, and energy.

6. Place a bowl of Lemons, limes, and oranges on our counter or Dining room table. Not only is it pretty and Refreshing. It is affordable and fantastic for you to add to water or eat.

7. Get a spray tan or give yourself one. A tan always makes us feel like we’ve been on vacation or outside in warmer weather. My favorites are L’oreal and Great color, no streaking. L’oreals color is buildable and takes a couple of hours to start The BT Cosmetics Jet Set Sun is instant color and gets a little darker in time, also buildable.

8. Treat yourself to a blowout. It’s an affordable way to get your hair done, feel refreshed and lasts about a week.

9. Make sure to get 30 minutes of sunlight a day. Vitamin D is so important for your health and your mindset.

10. Eat a salad, most people of salad as a summer food, so eating salad tricks the brain into thinking it’s Summer. Instead, it is refreshing and healthy for you. Quickly on the go, I love the Market salad from Chic fil’A, and to make it at home, try a few of my easy salad recipes, Orange Chicken Walnut Salad and my Berry Salad.

11. Self-care- whether it’s 30 min or two hours, take time for yourself. I like to reserve an hour or two on Saturday or Sunday for self-care. Selfcare is not a selfish act, it is essential for your mind and body, and when you do so, you do better for others.

Here’s a little peek on Instagram of my routine and Here on the Blog.

12. Plan a trip; nothing like planning and anticipating a trip. It gives you something to look forward to and prepare for.

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my blog post on “12 things to beat Winter blues!” I would love for you to leave a few of your favorite tips below in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

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A quick introduction to Chit Chat Chic

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This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I genuinely love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

A Quick little introduction to Chit Chat Chic

A quick little introduction to Chit Chat Chic

Hello Pretty Ladies,

I hope your January is going well. Most of you know I belong to a beautiful group of mid-lifers Called Chit Chat Chic. 5 of us, Cammi, Lisa, Michelle, and Cindy.

What is Chit Chat Chic?

We started CCC over a year ago. We all had crossed paths at some point on our social media and blog journeys, sparking a group Instagram share that Lisa organized…

This share started a dm, and we quickly became fast friends via Instagram. We shared several things in common: midlife, raising families, careers in social media marketing, fashion, beauty, and our faith.

Realizing we all clicked, loved this friendship and bond we had created, and loved the support system we had. So we decided to do more together, collaboration blog posts, Instagram shares, Pinterest boards, and a Marco Polo, where we chatted daily.

How Chit Chat Chic was born

Instagram launched a new feature, the 4-way Live option… I thought… this would be an excellent opportunity to share our combined knowledge and friendship and interact with our followers to build relationships with other midlife ladies on our platform.

Instagram Live is how Chit Chat Chic Was born.

We knew we needed to be consistent picking, a day and time that worked for everyone weekly…

Originally on Tuesday, at 6:00 pm Mnt. However, for 2022 we had to change it to Wednesday at 6:00 Mnt.

How Chit Chat Chic Live works!

We go Live on Instagram every Wednesday at 6:00 pm Mnt. With 4 CCC members ( 1 spot alternates out) for the week. 1 Host the live, with 3 co-hosts. ( occasionally a guest host) With any of our following or non-following tuning into the live on Instagram. A LIVE = in Live time with the ability to chat.

The Host picks a topic and has 6-7 questions prepared. Then, we discuss the question/ show samples if applicable and allow our following to be active in the conversation by typing their responses.

The Topic is different every week and varies from Midlife issues, fashion, helpful tips, and reviews on products.

Why Chic Chat Chic Live?

We love having this connection with our following, as we are building friendships and a community of women supporting women.

Having your following connect with you and you with them helps them get to know us from behind a screen and allows us to learn more of what our followers want and need.

What’s ahead for Chit Chat Chic?

We have had the opportunity to start traveling together and working with brands as a group. Last August, we were Host in Park City and had the chance to work with several businesses and brands, which was exciting and opened doors for more collaborations like this.

We have several Trips planned for 2022.

Chit Chat Chic Has its own Instagram account! And we’re thinking about a podcast. Exciting things ahead….so stay tuned.

I hope A Quick little introduction to Chit Chat Chic will help you to want to tune in live on Wednesdays at 6:00 Mnt. Here is a sample below of last week’s Live (my answers, Head to the other ladies’ blogs for their answers) Linked below … In addition, we will be recapping on our blogs for easy reference and shopping products we may have talked about!

Wednesday’s, Live Chic Chat Chic conversation Recap:

Wednesday 1/12/22

1. What was your most popular item sold from 2021? I had a tie for 3 things, The New Balance tennis shoe, Colleen Rothchild Hand cream, and Kut from the Kloth boyfriend jeans!

2. What was your most recent purchase for your closet? Lululemon Align leggings and Teddy coat

3. What was your most recent purchase for your home? Bed for one of our Guest rooms

4. What was your most recent beauty purchase? Nothing gifted!! Colleen Rothchild Hand Cream

5. Favorite workout leggings? Hard on for me, I love the Spanx, Athleta, and (The Lulu is my First pair, so I have to review)

6. Favorite workout product anything from amino acids to stretchy bands. Apple watch

The ladies blogs:

Cindy= LuLuloves7, Lisa’s= Coast2coast, Michelle= Poised Petite ,Cammi=Cammie’s Happy Place

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my blog post. ‘A quick little introduction to Chit Chat Chic’ I would love for you to leave a few of your favorite Picks below in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

You might also Like:

Selfcare Sunday

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This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I truly love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

Orange Glazed Walnut Salad with Chicken

Orange Glazed Walnut Salad with Chicken!

Sunday, “In the kitchen with D’Arcy “brings you my Orange Glazed Walnut salad with chicken. With Honey orange Balsamic dressing! Serve alone or with soup and rolls. Perfect for Winter… super easy to whip up!

Recipe: Serves 6

-1 bag of 50/50 salad

-1 bag of Iceberg salad

-4 Grilled Chicken breast chopped

– 1 15oz Can mandarin oranges drained (save the juice for dressing)

– 1 Cup dried Cranberries (great for color)

– 1 1/2 cup Feta or Blue cheese crumbles ( I love the Blue cheese)

-1 6.5oz bag of Emerald Glazed Walnuts

-1 cup Brianna’s creamy Balsamic dressing

1 Tablespoon Honey

-1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper

Salad

Open the bagged salads and give them a good chop, toss them together and plate on six plates, layer or sprinkle the mandarin oranges, chopped chicken, nuts, cranberries, and cheese….

Salad dressing =mix Brianna’s balsamic with 1/2 cup of mandarin juice, 1 Tablespoon Honey and add salt and pepper. Stir

I serve the dressing on the side❤️

I served this salad last night with my Cheesy potato soup, Recipe HERE, Garlic knots, and Buttered & Sugar Speciality cookies. A local Eden, Ut. Baker. As for drinks, I made a homemade Winter Sangria and a Mimosa Bar, along with a bar cart full of make-your-own cocktail choices.

: Homemade Sangri and Mimosa Bar

: Mimosa Bar

: Butter and Sugar Co. Cookies

: Party favors

: Side Bar

: Favorite Things Gift Exchange

Table setting = Kept it, Winter Simple, with a placemat, wood layer, soup bowl, napkin, place card, copper cup, and party favor.

Centerpiece = layered ticking runner, boho runner, Sugar Pinecones, Christmas balls, greenery, and white candles.

Girlfriend time is so important, and how fun to get together for the Holidays with a favorite things party! The girls all brought a gift of a couple of their favorite things they’ve loved this year for a gift exchange. We draw numbers, and then you have the option to take a gift or open a gift… It’s so fun to see what the ladies loved this year! I brought A Beanie, Colleen Rothchild Hand cream, and a Jade face roller.

Shop My Gifts Below:

The Best thing about a girlfriend’s night is the time together and getting to chat and catch up. One of the reasons I keep the party small is 6-8 ladies, just the amount that can sit at my dining room table and enjoy a meal and each other. As I have gotten older, I have realized I love smaller, more intimate parties than the Big ones I used to throw! Don’t get me wrong, A Big party has its place, just not as often. DO you like to entertain? Big or small?

Thank you for stopping by “Read my Recipe” I would love to know if you use it in the comments below. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

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This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I genuinely love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

In Stock Last Minute Gifts and Stocking Stuffers

Hello Pretty Ladies,

If you caught our Chit Chat Chic last night, you know we talked about In-stock last-minute Gifts and stocking stuffers. We’re fast approaching the final shopping days, and we discussed gifts we like to have on hand, gifts that make great neighbor gifts, girlfriend gifts, stocking stuffers, Ideas, and items we would love to have in our stockings.

We had a fun chat. The Chit Chat Chic ladies and our followers had great ideas. (I will share a little of them below). We love the interaction with our following in our lives and hope you can join in on one. We go live on Instagram every Tuesday at 6:00 mnt. we share a new topic and chat every week. (Note: we are taking Christmas week off) Today, each of the ladies is sharing their picks and finds on their blog. I linked them below.

As I said last night, I love keeping gifts on hand that I love. This tip makes a last-minute gift not feel last minute. I BUY MULTIPLES when I find things I love, especially if on sale. Items like Beanies, Candles, Meyers seasonal cleaning products, Countertop cleaner, dish soaps, and hand soap wrapped with a dishtowel. I also love giving Colleen Rothchild Hand cream, Milk Chocolate toffee almonds, and Specially puzzles. There are so many great in-stock last-minute gift and stocking stuffer ideas I could have pages total.

Shop what I shared below:

I am sharing just a few things from the chat!

I shared five things I would love in my stocking = Colleen Rothchild Hand Cream, Sea Salt Dark Chocolate, Lip Balm, Walker shortbread cookies, Bling Hoop Earrings ( I love Hoop earrings. It’s my go-to shape), and Peepers Readers.

Shop My Stocking Picks below:

Stocking Stuffers for My Boys, age 18-25, some great items for young men that our boys love. Like Specialty Jam, Japanese sodas (WorldMarket), Dude wipes, Lululemon Deodorant, Flashlight, Skincare, a new toothbrush, Coffee, Honey, Favorite chocolate, cooking seasonings and sauces, Ski wax, Ski socks, Gift cards to In & out and Starbucks.

Shop some of the items below:

Thank you for taking the time to stop by and read my “In Stock Last Minute Gifts & stocking stuffers” I would for you to leave a few of your favorite gifts to give below in the comments. You can also find me on Instagram, Pinterest, Liketoknowit, Amazon shops, and Facebook.

Have a beautiful day, pretty ladies,

Joining me in Sharing “Last Minute Gifts and Stocking Stuffers” Chit Chat Chic girls. Cammi, Lisa, Michelle, and Cindy. You’ll want to pop over to their blogs and see what they’ve chosen as helpful gift ideas.

Cindy= LuLuloves7

Lisa’s= Coast2coast

Michelle= Poised Petite

Cammi=Cammie’s Happy Place

You might also Like:

Gift Guide every price point

Christmas Tablescape and Recipes

Easy Holiday Appetizers

This post may contain affiliate links. All opinions are my own. I only promote brands that I genuinely love and believe in! Thank you for the support!

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