Friday Favorites

Happy Friday friends! Half of this post was suppose to be published last Friday and the week got crazy busy, so you're basically getting a 2 for 1 today! Ha!

I'm linking up with Andrea & Erika and sharing some Friday Favorites today! 

In September, we decided to switch Gretchen over to a gluten free diet. We are working slowly on switching the rest of us as we find products that we can replace, and products we love, but it's been a process. I came across this g-free pumpkin muffin recipe and they were so good! I've been following the account on IG, and have so many recipes saved that I want to try! We all loved these pumpkin muffins, and yes, I added chocolate chips too. 

My favorite nail place, released several new sets over the last few weeks! I love a more muted, dark nail over bright colors and reds, so this set totally spoke to me. I am seriously loving the ease of these re-usable, glue on nails. and the fact that I can buy one set and cut/file them down, and then wear them again and again, has my heart going pitter patter 

And this past week, the "Oh Deer!" collection was released, and again, the colors are more muted and neutral, and just to show you a close up of the bottom set...

How stinking adorable are these reindeer nails?! I am literally obsessed. You can click here to order the nail dashes for $13-$15.00. 

Dare I say that it is finally cooling off here in Austin? We finally have highs in the 70s, and maybe I can pull out the sweaters! I've been browsing through and finding some favorites, and I love this one, and how it's off the shoulder and light weight. It'll be the perfect transition in to cooler months, and it comes in a variety of colors. 

I am also obsessed with the back on this one. It's a bit heavier, but gosh, I am a sucker for some details. 

This week was Red Ribbon Week at school, so on Monday, I sent two mis-matched girls to school. 

And I was Llama Llama Red Pajama at work. 

Tuesday was hat day and I didn't get a picture, and Wednesday was Robot/Gears day, and I'm fairly certain that no one dressed up on that day because how many people have a robot costume lying around?

Megan's gymnastics is also getting in on the fun and Tuesdays' theme was "food" so we quickly turned her in to a bubble gum machine with an old shirt, and some colored poms we had lying around.

I'm not sure about y'all, but dress up days are getting harder and harder as my girls get older and we start to de-clutter the costumes and dress up! 

This weekend, is going to be a full one! We have a sleepover planned. I have a Young Living event, Texas plays Baylor, and it's Halloween!

I hope you and your kids have the best weekend and so much fun!

 

Camping Trips > Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend, DJ had a bye weekend, which meant no game, and 3 days off work. In all of our 15+ years of working in college football, he has never had an entire bye weekend off. He typically gets a day. We debated on staying in town and finding something local to do, and I would have somehow convinced him that we needed to go to the pumpkin patch at some point, but instead, we opted to head out of town and do some camping. We had to work around the girls' schedule, because Megan usually has gymnastics on Friday nights until 8:30, and Gretchen has play practice at school until 7. Gretchen walked in the door on Thursday, and I asked her if she was sure that she would have play practice on Friday, and she said they actually didn't because the band was using the cafeteria. Bingo. We did some looking around, and ended up finding an open spot in Galveston, and booked it. 

We checked the girls out of school on Friday afternoon, and a few hours later, stopped at Bucees. Because it isn't a road trip without it. Our camping group always has pictures of travelers at Bucees, so we had to take a picture too. 

And the girls always have their picture with the beaver any time we stop. We love Bucee's, and if you've never experienced it, I suggest you do. I could spend a few hours and a few hundred dollars there, it's that good. Plus, their bathrooms are immaculate and we never have to wait in a line. 

We made it to the bay, and Adalyn was taking it all in. 

Neither of us have been to Galveston before, so this was a great time to check it out and decide if we want to eventually go back and stay longer. 

Hello, beach. 

Not a great picture, because it was dark, but this is a happy place for us. Anytime, we can tune out from the world and escape, is a good time. We stayed at Jamaica Beach and there were so many pools and activities for the girls. As soon as we arrived, they changed in to swimsuits and headed to the splash pad and a pool. I think there were 4 pools total on the property. We cooked brats, the girls played, and we enjoyed a quiet evening. 

Saturday morning, we had breakfast, the girls put on their swimsuits, and as soon as the splash pad opened, they were off to play. 

The camp ground even had a putt putt course, and while we said we would play a round, we never got the chance. 

After checking out the putt putt course, and the tortoises that live there, we walked across the street to the beach. We were really afraid of what the weather would turn out like. When we booked, there was a 40% chance of rain, so we decided we would hang at the beach if the rain held off, or find an indoor activity if it rained. Thankfully, we had clear skies and we played at the beach until 2-ish. 

The sand is hard and compact, so we were able to drive the truck and just park it. The girls decided to dig two holes and tunnel them to meet. Eventually, DJ and I finished the task. 

The high was around 85, and the water was cool when you first went in, but once you were in, it was fine. 

DJ and all of the girls playing in the waves.... confession. I am not an ocean person. I love to sit on the ocean and hear the waves crash and breathe in the sea air, but I do not love going in the ocean. The Galveston water was dark and you could not see to the bottom so I had no idea what could have been swimming around. Thankfully, there were no jellyfish which is what I'm most terrified of, and I eventually went in too.

Digging holes and building sand castles. 

And ice cream. When an ice cream truck drove by there was no way we could say no. 

More sand castle building. 

We brought the paddleboard along, but it was not easy to actually use the paddle and compete with the waves. If you turned sideways, you were going to fall off. DJ and I were not fans. But the girls were all about it. 

A family picture before heading back to the camper for lunch. 

The girls played more in the splash pad. DJ and I changed clothes, and we all had sandwiches for lunch. The rain was holding off, but it was getting cooler, and I sat outside with a blanket and a book while DJ sat outside and watched football. 

We eventually got the girls inside and changed, and grilled burgers for dinner. 

The rain finally came in that night around dinner time, so we all showered and cozied up to watch football. I layed in the bed and read my book, the girls played on their tablets some, and around 10, we called it a night. At one point, it was 7:30, and I told DJ that I could go ahead and go to bed! 

Sunday morning we got up, ate breakfast, packed up, and headed home. 

While we didn't do anything local or eat out at any restaurants, we all agreed it was just what we needed. Some time away and time to unplug, and just be together. Sometimes, vacations aren't all about the things you cram in and see and do. Sometimes, the best part is just escaping and being together. 

 

Family & Football

October for us has been full of family visits and football games. 

We played OU at the Red River Rivalry a few weeks ago. This year I was determined not to go, because the last 3 years, the 2 times I've gone, we lost the game. So, I was hoping I would bring our team some luck by staying home. Seeing the pre-game predictions for the 'horns made me hopeful. We watched the game at home on the sofa, and I was happy to be on my cozy sofa instead of in the crowd. Unfortunately, we ended up falling behind in the 2nd half, which means, I'm not the cause of our luck, and I'll go the game next year- ha! 

My parents came down for the weekend of the Texas/OU game, and after the game we headed to the park. The weather was gorgeous. I love having my mom here and chatting with her. 

And I swear we don't get a lot of pictures when we're together, so I made sure we had a new one. 

Sunday night was football dinner, and my parents were able to join us. 

The girls played on the field and we showed my parents around the new facilities. 

The week went really fast and the following weekend, Nana was in town. We somehow made it to the game early enough to walk down Bevo Blvd and take in some pregame fun. 

Adalyn was too excited to get her picture with this gigantic inflatable Bevo. 

And too excited to cheer in the stands. This girl is our biggest fan. The only Welte girl that really cares about football. She is a lifer. Her big sisters eventually made their way inside to watch Disney in daddy's office. But, Adalyn stuck it out the entire time. 

We played OSU, and gah, lost it in the 4th quarter. It was quiet a stressful game, and I'm never happy when it gets close like that. I yell and scream and shout and things get a little tense. Ha! But, the end is still my favorite part, because that's when the girls get to run on the field and hug their daddy's neck. 

Nana and I had to get our picture made too. We are so thankful she was able to come down and take in a game with us. 

And Sunday morning, we had an extra family member with us at church. Her sweet momma is a good friend of mine, and she just had a baby, so we took big sis off her hands for the night! The girls had a blast playing with each other!

It sure has been a fun two weekends of family and football for us! This weekend we are heading in to a bye week, and who knows what we have planned (because we keep changing our minds and can't decide) but we do know that DJ will be home and we are so grateful for that!

 

Costco Haul

Ya'll know Costco is my favorite! We basically do all of our big shopping here, and I'm a huge fan.

They're selection of organic products is by far the best I've found. I can also shop based on dietary needs (gluten free, keto, organic, paleo) and buy our meat and produce in bulk. It's just a big win for our family of 5. We also earn points back on what we spend which pays for our yearly membership- a huge plus! 

Alright, let's see what we bought on our last Costco Haul! 

Megan and Adalyn requested these mixed trail mix packs. Their friend had them and they loved them. I love that these can be taken to school for a snack, or Megan can eat them before a gymnastics meet or practice to get some protein in. 

I've shared on Instagram, that we are working on going gluten free. I'll dig in  to that a little deeper on another post, but we love the Siete brand and we found these cinnamon chips! They're a fun after school treat or snack in the girl's lunches. 

These organic/gluten free chicken nuggets are our favorite. 

The little girls asked for string cheese, so I grabbed these for them. 

And I've switched our sugar over to this brand when I can find it. Costco doesn't always have this in stock, but when they do, I'm sure to grab it! Monk Fruit is the best alternative to sugar and it tastes and bakes the same. 

Siete tortillas, again... gluten free. 

I take these Egg'wich "sandwiches" for breakfast and Gretchen eats these too. It's just egg, cheese, and sausage, but the sausage has the best flavor! 

Run, do not walk, and grab yourself several bags of the S'mores Mix. Then you can thank me. Hands down, this is a favorite, and no, it's not healthy, and it's not gluten free, but the girls and I can eat a bag all at once. We have zero self control with this stuff, and it's only in stores in the Fall and heading in to Christmas. 

We love this Cauliflower crust pizza. It's a great meal for Gretchen if we are eating gluten for dinner and she has extra to take to lunch the next day. 

But the little girls prefer these single pizzas. They eat these for lunch and can fix them themselves, so it's a win. 

And gosh, we seem to always have popcorn in our house. Everyone (except me) is a popcorn fan, 

We bought these kolaches for the first time, and Megan is a fan. They're individually wrapped and take 30 seconds to microwave. Again, an easy breakfast or after school snack. 

I pick up their teriyaki meatballs from time to time for a super easy dinner. 

And we picked up this gluten free cereal for Gretchen to try. I'm planning on post soon with our favorite gluten free finds as we continue switching over and finding more brands and products we love. 

But, our Costco hauls are always a hit, and yes, I bought chicken breast, tomatoes, bell peppers, and strawberries, but I figured those didn't need pictures :)

What have you been loving from Costco lately?

 

Wellness Coaching

Last month, I shared on social media that I'm not scheduling wellness calls! I am so excited to start doing this, and really help women dig deep in to what they want their wellness journey to look like! 

These can be scheduled via zoom, face time, or just a phone call, and if you tend to be more introverted like me, we can just chat through text or messenger! It's really a laid back approach to help you dig deep and dive in to wellness!

But honestly, there aren't any strings attached. My goal is just to get you thinking about the products in your home and how they could be affecting your health, sleep, children's behavior, etc. So much of what we use today can impact us, and we write it off as normal, but friends, it's not! I fully believe that our bodies are capable of wellness and they're designed to be healthy. 

We all go through spurts of wellness, but if we can work to maintain a constant state, you'll really see your mind and body shift and that shift is amazing to witness, and it's something to be excited about! 

So, what do you get when you hop on a wellness chat with me?

First, I'll ask you a series of questions to dig in to your goals. Then, i'll send you a wellness assessment and we will take a look at very specific systems in your body, and then chat about a few products or lifestyle changes that can help. We'll chat budget and if you want to invest in your health, or if you just want to swap out some things at home and see if that helps. Then, as you make those changes, we'll move forward together working through your specifically designed plan and see if your needs are being met and you're seeing progress. If not, we'll adjust. 

Why should you work with me?

The wellness chats are absolutely free and zero obligation. Will I recommend some products? Absolutely. Because I believe the products I recommend will truly help. But, making those changes will be up to you.

This is a journey my family has been on for over 6 years, and the lifestyle changes we made were slow and steady over time, but have made a huge difference in our lives and the way we understand our bodies. I believe that by breaking it down and making small simple changes over time will really help you see long term benefits. 

Being a mom, wife, employee, and all the other hats that women wear is hard. We have a lot on our plates, and I want to make this super easy for you! 

To schedule your call you can contact me on Instagram, Facebook, or by Email.

I can't wait to work with you!