Lauren, Etc.

Menu

Skip to content

About
Minimalism
Capsules
Finance
Beauty & Wellness
101 Things in 1001 Days
Reading List

Contact Me

I love meeting new people! Contact me at laurenetcblog@gmail.com so we can chat!

Advertisements

Share this:

Twitter
Facebook
Google

Like this:

Like Loading...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Enter your comment here...

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

Email (required) (Address never made public)

Name (required)

Website

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. ( Log Out / Change )

You are commenting using your Google+ account. ( Log Out / Change )

You are commenting using your Twitter account. ( Log Out / Change )

You are commenting using your Facebook account. ( Log Out / Change )

Connecting to %s

Notify me of new comments via email.

About Me

Hello! I'm a stay-at-home mom with a passion for personal finance and healthy living. Join me as a I explore budgetting, eco-friendly brands, gluten-free recipes, capsule wardrobes, and everything in between! Want to learn more about me? Subscribe below and check out the About tab!

Social

View lschaffer’s profile on Facebook
View LaurenEtc’s profile on Twitter
View lauren_etc’s profile on Instagram
View laurenetc’s profile on Pinterest
View lauren-hooper’s profile on LinkedIn

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 92 other followers

Instagram

I couldn’t resist re-posting Ryan’s 1st photo with our children when it popped up on FB Memories along with the present day situation. Looking at the photo from the day we brought James and Emma home from the hospital (5 days after they were born thanks to my extended stay due to postpartum preeclampsia), I am reminded of how completely overwhelmed and underprepared we felt. And exactly four years later....still overwhelmed and underprepared, but a lot more comfortable with this state of being 😂 #hoopertwins

My summer of easy dressing is coming to an end. I started the season with a total of 19 items, 6 of which were brand new. Since then I’ve edited out 2 pieces that didn’t fit well and added back in 4 tops bringing me to 21 items total. On the back end, I have culled a ton of pieces that needed to leave my wardrobe for one reason or another. Looking at what I have now, I still have about 5 items that I think need to leave or be replaced due to wear and fit. Bottoms of have been my biggest struggle this season, mostly because I didn’t take the time to find good-fitting, high quality pieces. And like every season before it, this season has been such a good reminder of how a wardrobe is never finished. Your body changes, your lifestyle changes, your items wear out, but it’s all good. I am continually being reminded to trust in my instincts - buy tones that work with my natural coloring, have a bit of a uniform, and don’t stray too far from my style. Also, yes, besides by Chacos which are more of a utility/water shoe, I only wore 2 pairs of shoes the entire season. Do you have a capsule or seasonal wardrobe? Any areas of it that you’re struggling with? Let’s figure it out together.

Carline essentials over here, y’all. Plus a water and a latte. Definitely some form of latte. I just finished reading “There Are No Grown-Ups” by Pamela Druckerman. When I saw the cover in window of an independent book store last month, I literally gasped. My group thought there was something wrong, but I was just so excited to find out that the author who wrote the only parenting book I ever recommend, had a new book! About adulting! Now that I’ve gotten my hands on it via the library’s long waiting list, I can tell you it’s about adulting and aging, specifically in your 40’s. While I have another decade before I get there physically, mentally I identify with this decade a lot. My elevator pitch for this book would be how the 40’s are when you look around for the grown-up in the room and realize it’s you. One of my favorite aspects of Druckerman’s writing is how it can really suck you, but at the same time, if you have to keep setting down the book, you can immediately jump back in and be intensively focused and intrigued. Her honesty and willingness to share so much about herself and her family, the good and the bad alike, in a way that most won’t, cements her in my mind as a truly great writer. I can’t recommend this book enough, although I’m sure it won’t appeal to everyone. Which is one of the lessons I’ve learned about being a grown up - you can be your best, most genuine self, but not everyone is going to like you, and that’s okay. #laurenreadinglately

My sweet babies turned 4 yesterday, and they wouldn’t even slow down enough to take a photo. We started the morning with balloons and crowns, had a party with friends at the splash pad, enjoyed their favorite lunch (Chick-fil-A), and then played out the house for the rest of the day. 👦🏼🎂👧🏻🎂 #hoopertwins

Maybe you saw in my Stories, but I spent yesterday afternoon working on some wall decor for the empty space over the couch. The branch is from an oak in our yard (it fell during a storm), and the photos are my favorite Instagram squares of my family, spanning from 2011 when Ryan and I were engaged to about a month ago. I used @socialps to print the card stock squares, and I’m so happy with how they turned out. I attached them to the twine with drafting tape because I’m planning to print a dozen new images every year, and continually rotate them out. I’m so happy with how this project turned out as we didn’t have any actual photographs up in the house anywhere. Now we have 110 💗

I didn’t want to spend four years trying to think of something profound to say. So I’ll just say this. These are my babies. And I am so incredibly proud of them.

Taking a quick moment to breathe and collect my thoughts in between all the movement today. And writing in four different journals (yes, the minimalist has four journals) is one of the ways I do this. I could write a dissertation about all the reasons why I love journaling and how I use each of these journals differently. But instead I’ll just tag the sources so you can check them out and see if the journals themselves or the prompts they provide are worth adding into your day. Also, matcha mushroom latte topped with bee pollen for all the energy so I don’t stay in this same spot on the couch all day.

Currently “on a roll” with this whole making dinner thing 😉 #dadjokes #sopunny

This summer I have struggled immensely with everything food-related: keeping the kitchen clean, meal planning, grocery shopping, meal prepping, cooking anything at all, and just making healthy choices. It’s all been a STRUGGLE 😩 But somehow, I pulled it together yesterday and spent a few hours in the kitchen. And here are the fruits 🍓🍑🍋🥝 (and vegetables 🍅🥕🌽🥒) of my labor: - paleo spiced waffles, blueberry coconut overnight oats, and berries for breakfast - cut carrots, celery, and bell peppers for snacks and the kids lunches - washed spinach & kale, cut cucumbers, sprouts, chopped cabbage, and cut radishes for salads plus nuts, seeds, avocados, and chicken to throw in for fat and protein - 6 cups of brown rice for use in a few dinners this week - cut apples and nectarines, cheese sticks, chicken sausage, and crackers for the kids’ lunches - roasted sweet potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and steamed collard greens - cold chicory coffee and herbal tea - cut veggies & fruit plus dipping sauce for some summer rolls I’ll be making for dinner tonight Since I’ll have about 33 hours kid-free during the week (🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻) I plan to keep up the momentum and do a couple hours of meal prep every Tues and Fri. For me, it’s easier to have a bunch of components that I mix and match. And it’s really paid off already. Instead of panicking and eating an entire bag of veggie straws, I can throw something really nutritious together in less than 3 minutes 😋

Archives

October 2017
September 2017
June 2017
May 2017
March 2017
February 2017
December 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
April 2015

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Post to

Cancel

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

%d bloggers like this: