Let's Be Friends Blog Hop!

Welcome to the Let's Be Friends Blog Hop! This is my first time participating and I just love the concept. Tiffany and Chelsee are lovely ladies! Please read on and join in the fun!

A blog hop is a set time frame for current or aspiring bloggers to find new blogs and quality content. It is a great way to make new friends and find inspiration! It is also a fabulous way to promote your own blog and posts.

Dear Friends,

What a day to celebrate! This is the 97th week of the Let's Be Friends blog hop! Thanks for joining us on this special day. Chelsee and Tiffany are extremely delighted to see the way this hop has grown and love to see your faces each week!

Join us every Tuesday at 7am (MST). This blog hop focuses on content. LINK UP YOUR FAVORITE POST from last week in this fun content-sharing blog hop! I love the idea of blog hopping, but I love the idea of reading posts and quality content on new blogs I've never been to even more. Instead of simply linking up your blog button, you are now able to link up your favorite post you recently wrote. Have a delicious recipe to share, DIY tutorial, or heartfelt post? Share it with us! All hosts and co-hosts put up some unique and fun content from the past week. Make sure to check them out. P.S.- you may still link up your blog button and blog name, but it is encouraged to link up your favorite post instead. You will get more page views and interest if you do so! Some of the most successful blog hops I have participate in focus on content rather than just exchanging follows. You never know who will become a loyal follower or pin that delicious new recipe you posted!

The BEST part of this blog hop? Each week there will be a WINNER! That's right, each week we will choose one lucky blog to feature from the previous week's hop. This hop receives thousands of page views every week, so your blog will have the chance to be center stage for free. You must follow all the hosts and co-hosts in order to win. Only those who link up a specific post are eligible to be featured! *You must follow all the hosts and co-hosts in order to win.

The last exciting change is that the co-host spots will now be available to all sponsors of The Dwelling Tree or Southern Beauty Guide. If you are interested in co-hosting the blog hop, email Tiffany or Chelsee about sponsorship opportunities and how to co-host the weekly hop!

There are a couple of great giveaways going on right now at Southern Beauty Guide and The Dwelling Tree. Go check them out! :)

Let's Be Friend's Blog Hop Guidelines

1. Link up your favorite post from your week.

2. Follow your hosts and co-hosts.

3. Grab the button and post it on your blog so we can share the love.

4. Visit 3 other blogs, comment, and follow them along!

5. Tweet about this blog hop, using #letsbefriends

6. Pin the button on pinterest so we can spread the news!

***Once a week, one blog will be chosen to be the featured blogger from the previous blog hop.

Meet your hosts:

The Dwelling Tree: Blog, Bloglovin'

Southern Beauty Guide: Blog, Bloglovin'

Meet this week's co-hosts:

Penny @ Penny's Passion

Kelly @ Our Cone Zone

Jess @ Living on Sweet Tea

Ashley @ That Southern Mama

Mary @ Little Bit of Class Little Bit of Sass

Ashley @ Keeping up with Ashley and Cody

***This weeks featured post from last week's hop:

Thank you all once again for continually linking up at our blog hop. It is such a fun time and I am so impressed each week with all the amazing posts. Please continue to link up an actual post instead of your blog. We want to keep reading your content and it makes it more fun to pick a winner!

Is there anything we can do differently or better? Please share in the comments!

... onto the winner!

Winks and Eyerolls

Have a cup of cheer (printable)

Hello everyone! This is Tiffany!

I just loved this awesome idea for a simple and inexpensive gift. I am always looking for ideas for house warming gifts or hostess gifts, and this is so cute. There are lots of fun variations to do as well.

Winks and Eyerolls is an awesome blog with great posts. I really wanna try the Homemade Peanut Brittle. It looks SO good! Sierra and Faith both share the blog and are sisters. How awesome is that? Go check them out and follow them!

Thank all of you for your amazing posts each week. I love reading all that you share!

Keep posting awesome content! You make it so fun for us to read all your posts! If you can, please link up a specific post. It makes it easier for us to come and visit!

*Remember YOU can be next weeks winner! :)

An InLinkz Link-up

Work it Out Wednesday: Week 9

Hi gang!

I can't wait for this week to be over! Anyone else?
I was too indulgent this weekend and feel like a blob.
Luckily, boxing was awesome yesterday and the workout I'm about to share with you was a sweatathon! I need these tough workouts to counteract the holiday season sweets and get on the right track! Anyone else? I've already purchased the Advocare 10-day Cleanse and other great products for immediately after the holidays, too, to help. This chub stops in December!

Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.


Weekly Workouts:

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How I made it harder: I added dumbbells to the lunges and squats and didn't go to my knees for the pushups. Otherwise, no need to make it harder for me!
Overall impression: This got my heart pumping for sure! I loved it!
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): A 10! Total 10!
How I felt when it was over: Exhausted! I was so happy to sit and drink some water!
Would I do it again? Absolutely. It took me about 35 minutes since I took a 2-minute break before I repeated the round and in the second round I took 5-10 seconds in between some of the moves.

Weekly recipe:

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This looks too good to not give it a shot. I'll probably add some chicken. Yum!


Weekly motivation:

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So true! We can do it!!

Weekly workout sass

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Yep, I need this tank!

...and now all I want to do is watch Elf and eat pasta.
Who's with me?

Have a good one!

Work it Out Wednesday: Week 8

Hi gang!

Ugh. What a week. Well, what a few weeks. I feel like I'm running on fumes. Anyone else just going through the motions? I'm struggling.

Luckily I'm still powering through my workouts and am trying to eat healthy. I've been doing much better than I was in November, but I know I can still improve. Baby steps?

Alrighty, let's kick our glutes in gear, shall we?

Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.


Weekly Workouts:

 

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How I made it harder: I didn't change anything. This was pretty tough for me, especially the "serve the platter" exercises as well as my nemesis, push-ups.
Overall impression: So tough, especially since I was really sore from boxing the day before. I think, though, that the planks with tricep kickbacks are my new favorite exercise!!!
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): About a 5, but my shoulders and biceps were screaming at me!
How I felt when it was over: Exhausted! It was only 15 minutes and I was so ready to be done!
Would I do it again? Definitely, but probably not one day after boxing. I think my upper body needed a day's rest.

Weekly recipe:

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Gina continues to amaze me with her skinnytaste.com recipes! How on earth is this One Pot Cheesy Turkey Taco Chili Mac Weight Watcher-friendly? I don't know but I am excited to find out!

Weekly motivation:

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So true!

Weekly workout sass

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...because I typically justify eating more...


As I said above, my new favorite move is tricep kickbacks while in a plank. Have you tried anything new recently with your workouts that you've loved (or hated)?
Please share!

Have a good one!

Sampling Sunday: Week 3

Hi there!

It was a fun sampling week! Here are the products I tried:

1 | 2 | 3

1. The Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes Mascara is pretty solid. I haven't heard anything about this mascara so I thought I'd give it a try when I got it with recent Ulta purchases. However, I like it but don't love it. $20 is pretty average, but I still prefer my CoverGirl Lash Blast for less than half the price.

2. I seriously love lip gloss. Give me sample after sample and I am one happy girl. In fact, this Mary Kay lip gloss is one of many I have been lucky to try! It's a great shade to top a lipstick or wear alone.  These lip glosses are typically a go-to for me.

3. This was a full-size purchase for me. You can't beat the quality of Ulta shadow for the price. The color is new for me and I really love how it looks. I pair this with the Pearl shade and dig the results. The shadow lasts all day with my favorite eyeshadow primer!

Weekly disclaimer: 
I have a shameless selfie to share. I don't want to appear all "look at me! look at me!" but I figure that if I'm promoting beauty products I might as well show you the results. I used all three products in the photo below:

Have you tried any of the three products I listed? What do you think?

Have a good one!

Work It Out Wednesday: Week 7

Hi gang!

How was your Turkey Day?
I don't know about you, but I certainly overindulged on Thanksgiving and have been catching up ever since. Luckily my boxing gym had a special and now I am an official member! I've started a routine of going three times a week in the mornings and LOVE it!

On days when I don't go to the gym I'm still chugging along at home with P90X or Pinterest workouts. Otherwise my workout buddy (my cat Teddy), would get jealous! This week I woke up really late and only had 25 minutes so I gave two of the quick workouts I pinned a shot!

Weekly disclaimer:
Remember what I said about my lack of qualifications? Please keep in mind that I am aware that I am chubby and have no fitness/nutrition authority. I'm just trying to spread some wellness love as I fight the battle to live well myself.


Weekly Workouts:

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{Pin via, workout via}

How I made it harder: I did the top one three times, but aside from that my grogginess prevented me from taking either of the workouts up a notch.
Overall impression: Pretty easy and nice to do on the groggy days when I don't have much time.
Sweat factor (on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is when I look like I just got out of the shower): I'd say about a 3 by the end of the second one.
How I felt when it was over: Honestly I felt lazy for not pushing myself harder, but felt better than not working out at all!
Would I do it again? Maybe when I need a little pick me up, but if I'm looking for a solid sweat fest then I will do something else.

Weekly recipe:

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These Oven "Fried" Pork Chops from skinnytaste.com are currently in the oven and I can't wait to give them a try! (OK writing this after I ate it and WOW! SO good!!!)

I also tried what I posted last time for lunch at work and it's delicious! I'm so happy to have a new, easy, cheap and filling lunch!

Weekly motivation:

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So true!

Weekly workout sass

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All about the pig, working on the fox part.


Have you tried any workouts or recipes to help work off the turkey?
Please share!

Have a good one!