Cheap Date Night Ideas!

With summer nights approaching you're going to have the urge to get out and enjoy every bit of the warm weather! But nowadays things can be very costly and expensive even just for one date night out! That's why today I'm going to share with you a list of cheap, fun and inexpensive date night ideas! I can honestly say some of the best dates I've been on with Justin barley cost a thing! 

So let's begin................................

1. YouTube Night In- {FREE} When Justin and I first started dating and ran out of things to do we went to YouTube for our back up plan! I can't even begin to tell you how much fun we had sitting next to each other watching hilarious videos! We would take turns {back and forth} picking the next video! We would literally spend hours watching the most ridiculous things! I LOVED every second of it! So the next time it rains or you can't think of a thing to do grab 2 chairs {or share 1,} pop some popcorn and call it a night! 

2. Drive In Movies- If you're a movie fan like us the drive-in is the perfect date night out! It's so fun to pack your car with snacks, pillows and blankets and create the perfect scene! You also get two movies for the price of one and you get to take your own food! Bringing your food alone is a HUGE savings compared to movie theater prices! It's fun simple and very romantic! I recommend this date night out to anyone!

3. Park Date- {FREE} Have you ever had the urge to go back to being a kid again? Just for one night it's fun to convince your spouse/significant other to head to a local park and act just like kids! Swing, hike the trails, go down the slides... believe it or not it's really a good time! Some parks even let you bring your pets! It's nice sometimes just to get out and take a walk and explore new scenery! Plus a date night at the park is completely FREE! 

4. Picnic Lunch- Picnics are SO much fun! As a wifey I absolutely love packing up our picnic basket with all my hubby's favorite things and making the lunch extra special! Picnics are a great opportunity for you to cozy up  with your love on your favorite blanket and tell them all about your week and unwind!  Plus you get to experience the outdoors and eat on a blanket! The only expense you're out is the cost of the food! 

Couldn't resit throwing this picture of this little guy in! Midey at our picnic last week!

5. Bike Rides- This is a date that I'm so excited to experience this summer! We live right next to the bike path and I just got the most adorable bike that I can't wait to ride! :) Riding bikes would be a great way to get exercise together and still spend quality time! If you already have bikes this date would be completely free! 

6. Goal/Dream Night- {FREE} This is a date that I planned for Justin and I! I picked up Starbucks for us on the way home and decided that we were going to sit down and write out our future goals and dreams for the future! He was a great sport and went along with everything! It ended up being so much fun and lead us to some deep conversations about the future! We now have our goals and future dreams down on paper! You honestly can't find a more simple date night in than that! 

7. Bookstore Date- {FREE} We have a really great two story book store close to home! Even though my husband and I aren't HUGE book readers it's still fun to sit, eat frozen yogurt and pick out some great books to look at! So scout out a book store that looks appealing and get your man to tag along!

8. Living Room Fort- {Free} Take all of those folded up blankets you have and build a giant fort in your living room together! Turn on some music while you're building it and then make some snacks together! After you have your fort set up camp out all night! Catch up on your DVR list, watch a movie or just spend the night together! Sometimes just trying something new leads to a lot of fun things! ;) 

9. Plan A Scavenger Hunt- Think outside the box for this one! Lead your love on a fun/romantic scavenger hunt! Who doesn't love finding clues and feeling like you're on your own little adventure?! This can be as simple or as extravagant as you wish to make it!

10. Ice Cream Sundae Night- Hit up the grocery and get all of your favorite flavors of ice cream, toppings, whip cream etc. and make sundaes together! You could even spice it up and make each others sundaes! This is another fun, simple date that is not too expensive! 

Okay well there is my top 10 list! I'm sure you guys can think of lots more after reading these! Some of the best dates come from using your imagination and being creative! Who says date nights have to break the bank? Not this gal! I'm content with just about anything! Please feel free to share any other great ideas you guys might have! I would love to hear them!

Home

"Home is wherever I'm with you..."

Some days I get to thinking, I think about my life and all of my blessings and all of my complaints. When I put my life into perspective I really start to see how much good out weighs the bad. 

I do a lot of my "thinking" on this couch above. I spend my mornings sitting in the sun reading, drinking my hot tea and dreaming. Sometimes I get so involved in planning out our  days, weeks, months, baby names, DREAM house and future plans that I get lost. I lose track of what is real, what is present. I miss the moments that matter now. 

Sometimes it takes me capturing images of a clean, peaceful room in our home for me to wake up and realize the blessings that the NOW has to offer. A home is not about the appearance, space, value or worth. It's about the memories you create with the ones you love and share it with. 

Today I am thankful for these simple reminders, our current home and everyday blessings. 

The NOW has never looked better!

Weekend Shenanigans: Birthday Rewind!

I'm back! Alive, and better than ever! Life has been crazy but a very FUN crazy! I know I'll be playing "catch up" for awhile but that's fine by me! 

I'll start off with the most recent events and rewind my BIRTHDAY weekend! :)

Friday: Friday was an absolutely GORGEOUS day! It was a perfect day for errands and running around town! And that is exactly what I spent my day doing! I had a lot of things to get done before my party and I accomplished them all! {Even wearing heels!}

Saturday: AKA BIRTHDAY! Let me just say turning 22 never felt better! For my birthday I really wanted to have a family/family friend cookout so that is exactly what we did! We reserved one of the shelters at a local park and got some hamburgers, hot dogs and made some delicious sides and had the best cookout EVER! Everyone had such a great time and the weather was perfect too! My daddy was a little late to my party due to work but when he showed up he had the most beautiful present EVER in the back of his truck! I GOT MY OLD FASHIONED BIKE!!!!!

Could it be more beautiful?!! {I think NOT!} I was so surprised and happy! My parents did GREAT! 

I also got a complete front porch remodel from the hubs for my birthday this year! I can't wait to share! New patio furniture, screens, flowers, area rug etc.! LOVE him to pieces! :)

My brother was also SO sweet and got me my favorite B&BW candles, a Starbucks gift card and the sweetest card EVER! He made me cry in front of everyone! 

Everyone was so good to me this year for my birthday! I got the most beautiful cards, flowers and money for shopping! I'm forever grateful for the amazing family and friends the Lord has blessed me with! I couldn't be more thankful! 

{The girls I nanny for and I playing at the park during my party!}

Sunday: was a day of rest! I was beyond exhausted from the busy weekend! But we did get a chance to brainstorm some vacation ideas for our family vaca this summer! I'm SO excited and can't wait to hit the beach! :)

Happy Monday friends! Hope your weekend was just as fabulous as mine! 

Go LINK up! 

Shop Riff Raff Giveaway!

Today is another LUCKY day for all of my favorite readers! Today I'm hosting another AMAZING giveaway for my awesome sponsor Shop Riff Raff! 

They are seriously THE best boutique EVER! I have never seen cuter dresses, shoes and accessories! Plus everything is SO affordable!!! It's a win-win all around! 

The package box they sent me was unreal! {You can see where I wore that dress pictured below on Easter here!} Everything about their company screams FUN & FASHION! I could tell as soon as I opened the package that their company truly cared about pleasing their sponsors/customers! 

SO with all that said, you can WIN that adorable, chevron scarf above! 

As ALWAYS my entries are easy peasy! 

HOW TO ENTER:  

1. Must be a GFC follower of my blog

2. Must LIKE Wifestyles on Facebook 

3. Must LIKE Shop Riff Raff on Facebook 

4. Must follow _wifestyles_ & shopriffraff on Instagram

5. Leave a comment letting me know you did all of the above ^! 

Winner will be announced Friday along with my previous giveaway winner! Best of luck! This is a great giveaway you don't want to miss out on! :) Thanks again Shop Riff Raff! 

Weekend Shenanigans- A Trip To The Farm!

#FlashBackMonday ??? Sorry, I'm a week behind! Today I'll actually be recapping our previous weekend! Our weekend at the farm! Last weekend Justin, my parents, our little pup and I went on a weekend getaway to Justin's family farm! Justin's uncle has a huge house, several ponds, lots of land, four wheelers and much more! We all needed some time away from "reality" and this was the perfect escape! 

We hit up Walmart on the drive down and got lots of food and snacks for the weekend! {I also insisted on the three main ingredients for s'mores as well for our bonfire! ;)} The drive down was beyond peaceful! Nothing but farms, land and a nice breeze the entire way! Once we arrived the festivities began! I think my husband hit the four wheeler 2 seconds after we walked in! The rest of the weekend was spent relaxing, four wheeling, fishing, shooting my hubby's new guns, sitting by the fire and MORE relaxing!

It was so nice to get away and escape from technology and hide away for a couple of days! It was just what we needed to help clear our heads! {Lots of changes lately!} 

First signs of spring in Ohio! :)

He was a pretty good teacher, but he had a pretty good student to say the least! ;)

Bang Bang!

Most relaxing pond {more like mini lake} ever! I actually caught some fish too! 

How was your weekend?! This weekend was kinda boring! Cleaning/working on our house is what ours consisted of! Go LINK up so I can read all about yours! 

Easter Recap & Review!

How was everyone's Easter?! Mine was wonderful and surprisingly warmer than expected! The sun even decided to shine for the entire afternoon! {Which made for the perfect, mini photo shoot!} 

We started off the day remembering the true meaning of Easter at our home church. After church we headed to my aunt and uncle's for our traditional Easter dinner feast! I kid you not, we have enough food every year to feed an army! And we ALWAYS have food left over!!

After lunch my cousin's and I went outside to take pictures {of course!} Plus I had to take pictures in my fabulous dress that was given to me by my AMAZING sponsor Shop Riff Raff! More from their shop {aka GIVEAWAY} later this week!

We ended the day visiting my Gramma and Papaw's grave. It was the first time I've been back since my Gramma's passing in September so it was nice to visit. 

I can honestly say, I'm truly blessed to have such a loving family to spend Easter with every year! I'm forever thankful for God sending his son to die for a sinner like me. He died, so I can live. 

My little cousin Mia and I! :)

1, 2, 3 JUMP! I'm still a child at heart! 

Love them to pieces! 

Easter goodies! Tulips for me and a basket full of the hubby's favorite candy!

Faith

What do you do when the one person you love most is hurting and there is NO way for YOU to fix their problem? Today, I asked myself that very question. 

Around 4:30 today I found myself speechless. My thoughts however were running rampant... just no words. My husband needed me, but the only comfort I could provide was a hug. 

Today we found out that my mother-in-law's cancer is back again. 

Hearing him say those words broke my heart into a million pieces. Why? And, not again, Lord were the first things I spoke to God. 

As the night went on I started to pray more, I asked God to fill my heart with the right words to comfort my husband. He lead me to this verse: "God will never leave your side" Joshua 1:9 

I know now, that God is in control. He has the GREATER plan. He will guide us and my MIL through this tough battle. He will give her the strength to fight and knock down this awful road block.

He is the light, the path and the way. 

Prayers for my mother-in-law and husband's family would be greatly appreciated. 

The power of prayer is an amazing thing! We love you Marsha, never stop fighting and always remember you have God and a loving family on your side. 

Spring Has Sprung!

Well, spring fashion that is anyways! Here in Ohio we still have snow on the ground! {Disgusting I know!} I'm hoping and praying the weather warms up enough for me to wear my new Easter dress to church on Easter Sunday instead of my snow suit!

Anywhooooo... I put together a list of my spring fashions essentials or in other words, "must haves" this spring! I've been on the hunt for new spring clothes and so far this year I've had the best luck at Forever 21, {no surprise there} Charlotte Russe and Old Navy! 

This spring I'm all about the bright colors! I love tops that really stand out! I'm also very into the high waisted shorts with cropped tops! What do you guys think about them? I also just bought a peach colored mullet dress as well as a black mullet skirt! Are you a fan of that new trend? I hate the name... but it pretty much describes them perfectly! 

What are your Spring/Summer MUST haves this year?! I have way too many so I just decided to make a short list! I'm just SO beyond ready for spring weather to actually get here!!! 

Weekend Shenanigans!

Hey friends! How was everyone's week/weekend?! Mine was busy! But so fun! Today I'm excited to be linking up for Weekend Shenanigans! 

So let's start with Friday! Friday, I watched Ansley until one, then I headed to work at The Wedding Connection! I had a couple appointments with some newly, engaged brides! After my appointments ended I headed home! When I got home my hubby decided to surprise me with an unexpected date night! He told me I could pick the place for dinner and we could go see the new movie Olympus Has Fallen with Gerard Butler! Let me just say, EVERYONE should go see it! I absolutely LOVED it! You can watch the trailer HERE!

{Fun fact of the day, Ashley Judd (president's wife) is my 3rd cousin!}

On Saturday I headed to my friend Jaime's bridal shower! It was absolutely B-E-A-U-tiful and so well put together! After her shower we headed over to my parents for dinner! {My mom is the best cook!} Then after dinner we met up with some of my dad's high school friends at a local bar in our town! To say that was an experience would be an understatement haha! 

My dad + his high school friends + alcohol = a good time! 

{Part of the gift I got her! Pinterest inspired, of course!}

Sunday was a pretty chill day! I was supposed to go to my cousin's Mary Kay debut party but it got postponed due to Ohio's CRAZY weather! I spent most of the day getting things around the house done! With my crazy schedule last week I had NO time to clean or do any laundry! Playing catch up is always loads of fun! {Loads... get it... ha ha! ;)} After a full day of cleaning and laundry Olive Garden carry out was exactly what I needed! Justin and I went out to face the blizzard and brought home deliciousness just in time for Walking Dead!  

It was the perfect date night in together! 

How was everyone's weekend?! Anything fun or exciting? I'm excited to read all about them thanks to this fun link up that I finally discovered!! 

Giveaway & Winners!

Today is another LUCKY day for all of my readers/followers! You can win another prize! Plus I will be announcing the winners for the two previous giveaways on my blog! 

My amazing sponsor Valshi Boutique was kind enough to send me this adorable tunic top to review and keep! I'm seriously obsessed! I love how I can wear it with tights, leggings and jeans! Plus it matches my new Burberry rain boots perfectly! ;) {Added bonus!}

Their shop is PERFECT and very affordable! I could spend hours looking through their stuff! But today a lucky reader gets to win a free item from their shop! {More details from shop owner once winner is announced!} 

Are you guys excited?!! This is going to be a great giveaway! Plus, as always... SO easy to enter! {Just follow these simple steps below!}

HOW TO ENTER: 

1. Must be a Wifestyles follower via GFC

2. Must LIKE Wifestyles on Facebook HERE

3. Must Like Valshi Boutique on Facebook HERE 

4. Follow me on Instagram _wifestyles_ & follow me on Twitter @larsbbyxo

5. Leave me a comment telling me you did each one

Best of luck! Winner will be announced Friday! :)  

Drum roll to my lucky winners.....................................................................

Congrats Marsa & Kait! Please message me to claim your prizes! 

{PS- disqualification if you haven't followed entry guidelines!} 

DIY- Chalkboard Organizer {SPD}

So big news- I bought my own domain name!!! {www.wifestylesblog.com} AHHH! I'm so excited about it! It makes my blog even more special to me!!! 

Anywhoo... moving on to Pinterest crafts! Today I'm linking with Stephanie & Katie for the SPD link up! I found the idea for this project from this PIN and knew I had to try it! 

I found an old magnetic tray and spray painted it with chalkboard paint! It was seriously THAT EASY! Isn't it so cute?!! I just made it into a organizer/upcoming events board! 

What do you guys think?!! {I love wedding season!}

All you need: 

-Magnetic tray

-Chalkboard spray paint

What did you guys make this week?!! Go link up! 

Long overdue

Hi friends, it's been awhile... 

this is the first time I've actually sat down to write for ME in a LONG, long, LONG time! I can't even begin to tell you all how much I miss writing, miss sharing, miss visiting your lovely blogs... the list goes on and on! 

So today I thought I would give you a little life update and share a few of my recent struggles! 

Where to begin...

I'll start with the fact that I'm a busy gal! I have 3 jobs at the moment! I have my Tuesday- Wednesday-Thursday nanny job, my wedding/event planning job as well as Mary Kay! {Might I add that I just got promoted to a Senior Consultant last week! Happy pants dance!} 

Like I said... B-U-S-Y! So pretty much all of the above ^ keep me pretty active! 
Let's also not forget: wifey duties/hubby time, sponsor projects, family/friend time and last but not least, ME time!

Do you guys kind of see why/how {personal} blogging has kind of been pushed to the back burner? Trust me, I hate it! I would love nothing more than to devote 2-3 hours of my day writing, commenting and visiting all of your blogs! 

With all that said, I found a blog article via Pinterest that is hopefully going to help me more with managing my time! {I thought I would share since I found it so helpful!}

Find it HERE

I also wanted to reach out to all of you and ask for your best tips/advice in the time managing department! What are some great ways you stay organized and on task? I have a lot to juggle at the moment and sometimes get overwhelmed! I would LOVE to hear them!

Posts to look forward to: DIY chalkboard breakfast tray {SPD link up}, Juicing 101 with yours truly, giveaway announcements, hair tutorial {finally} and another awesome giveaway/fashion review! 

Pefrect For Mother's Day Giveaway!

Every year I always struggle for the perfect Mother's Day gift! But not this year...{and neither do you} thanks to my amazing sponsor Jennifer! 

Jennifer is a stay at home mom to two girls! She started her business a year ago as a hobby and it has grown so much in the past year! She loves working with clients and personalizing items because each client has a different, unique story to share! 

She's so sweet that she's offering a $40 store credit to one lucky giveaway winner! Plus she's offering an additional $20% off to all my blog readers/followers {good through April 7th!} Coupon code: Wifestyles20. Did I mention all of her packages come with complimentary gift wrapping? As well as FREE SHIPPING!!! Awesome deal right?! 

Please check out how darling her store is HERE!

"Always classy. Always elegant. Heartfelt & Handmade" -MimiLu

My giveaways are ALWAYS easy to win so just follow these simple steps: 

1. Must be a follower of Wifestyles via GFC

2. LIKE Wifestyles on Facebook 

3. LIKE MimiLu on Facebook 

4. Follow me on Instagram _wifestyles_ & Twitter @larsbbyxo

5. Comment below telling me you did all the above ^

*For extra entries please share your favorite MimiLu photo on Facebook!*

Lamp Love!

Yes, this is really a post about my new lamp! I had to share and brag on myself for a quick minute! SO- over the weekend we went to help clean out an old house and I found this little treasure! {Not the shade, just the lamp stand!} My family however didn't think of it as a treasure at all! They actually thought it was quite horrendous! I however saw the full potential and went on a hunt for the perfect shade! I knew that mustard, yellow stand could be polished into something new and beautiful! 

Was I right or was I right????!!!! 

I absolutely love finding old finds and turning them into something new! What do you guys think?! Are you treasure/antique hunters?! Stay tuned for more finds on Thursday's post! :) 

Chevron Earring Giveaway!

Today is your lucky day! I'm hosting a fabulous giveaway for my amazing sponsors Scarlett Garnet! They were so sweet to send me a pair to review and a pair to giveaway! 

I absolutely love my pair! They're cute, fun and go with so much! 

The entry to win is SO EASY! 

1. Must be a follower via GFC

2. Must LIKE Wifestyles on Facebook

3. Must LIKE Scarlett Garnet on Facebook 

4. Follow me on Instagram _wifestyles_

5. Follow me on Twitter @larsbbyxo

6. Comment telling me you did all the above! ^

{Best of luck! Comment for each one for more entries!}

PS- for more great stuff check out their Etsy shop HERE!