Old Navy - shopping within your budget!

So I was fortunate enough via Crowdtap to sample Old Navy's bottom's & shoes recently for an in-store party. I already am in love with the color Capri's (I have the coral and LOVE them..) so I went in expecting to snag the blue pair. But then I was torn. There was so much great stuff!

I've always felt that way about Old Navy.. like I can never make a decision. I loved a pair of jeans (the Diva), I loved the blue capri's, but I was also itching for a pair of (non skimpy) shorts for my summer excursion. Decisions, decisions.. they seriously had so much great stuff. I took my gals Adrienne & Amanda along and we were able to each take home a free pair of bottom's and a free pair of shoes. Here's the scoop:

Too funny, Amanda and Adrienne both walked out with this outfit as their first one to try on. They couldn't stop laughing! But they both look awesome in this shirt. 

Amanda really liked the Boyfriend jeans (on the left) and ended up with them, Adrienne ended up with those White linen pants (in the middle. which I am so jealous of, because they did not look great on me..) and here I am testing out the blue capri's. I LOVE them.. but alas I did not take them home to hang with the Coral ones in my closet. 

Amanda looks great in anything, but these skirts were a hit. She's a teacher so she likes to be comfy & professional. I, on the other hand, was obsessed with this top (and the shoes.) The jeans weren't flattering on me for some reason (I have a larger behind than most!)

 Adrienne was all about the dresses, and she has such a cute figure, she should be! 

 I love these comfy tops from Old Navy. To me, that's what they are known for. Comfy, affordable clothing.  I joked that I looked like I was going on a safari (minus the shoes)..but then I thought "hey! This is a great outdoor outfit!" I definitely left with the khaki shorts and brown wedges. I'd been looking for a great pair to go with all my summer dresses, and these were it! (Don't mind my pasty legs!)

Adrienne was also lovin' these comfy T's that Old Navy has goin' on. Bright spring colors! She also tried on the boyfriend jean and looked super cute. 

And lastly, here's Amanda trying to pick out shoes (you can see how tough it would be, all the options!) She went with a sandal that had a little starfish on it, cute! Adrienne went with a wedge heel. 

I am dying for those red flats to Amanda's right, I bought the turquoise ones, for only $22 I had to have them. Everything we tried on was so reasonably priced. Old Navy's jeans usually range from $20-$30 bucks, and the shorts are about the same. I love a good, comfy flat, and Old Navy has some at great prices. I was so excited to get wedges, that I went back a week later and bought them in black, also. 

I tend to do that, when I love something, I buy it in multiple colors if I can! So for spring, I highly recommend Old Navy for your fashion needs. Affordable, fashionable, and fun!

We had so much fun shopping at this little swaray, all the employee's were like "wow, how do you get free stuff?" And I told them, Crowdtap :) My friends were like, "wow, when is the next one of these?!" Haha. 

Thanks for reading, Happy Spring!

-Ash

Vegetarian/Pescetarian, who needs labels, right?

So I have recently made a (fairly) large life changing decision lately to not eat meat. (Most meat, that is.) I decided upon myself that I can have fish and shrimp until I can cut that out completely as well.

I remember a year ago or so my husband and I would laugh at how we could never become vegetarians. "We would be protein deficient!" we would say. But little did we know that a plant based diet can offer much more protein, and in a healthier matter.

If you haven't already, I highly encourage you to watch "Food Inc". and "Food Matters", two extremely informative documentaries on our "FDA" approved meat in this country and the benefits of adding plants to your diet as your main source of food. (both are on Netflix.)

http://www.takepart.com/foodinc
http://www.foodmatters.tv/

It's not saying "you have to be a vegetarian" and it's not one of those graphic Peta videos where you never want to eat again, it's informative and will get you thinking. It will help you to realize why you should buy organic when you can, why you want grass fed beef and hormone free/ free range eggs & chicken. It's full of the important things that this country won't tell you. And that is the scariest part, we as Americans have no idea what is going into our food anymore. Sad, but true.

I made the decision to eat less meat (and eventually cut it out) because of Food Matters. It's an excellent documentary that talks about super foods, what vegetables are great for you, how to cook them to retain the most nutrients, and how we can reverse and even eliminate a lot of common disease in this country if we switch to a plant based diet and exclude meat. But let's get real, we as American's want a quick fix, a cure all pill, that will let us eat how we please and still keep going with heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and more. And that's how the world has us programmed to think, we can do what we want and take a pill to make us keep living. What kind of a mind frame is that? Think about if we all ate better, didn't have preventable disease, and were healthy Americans. You know who would lose? Pharmaceutical companies. And quite frankly, I'm ok with that.

I highly encourage these documentaries, as they will open your eyes on what we are eating and what we should be eating. I personally am keeping fish and seafood in my diet, and will be buying from trusted sources. Be careful about being a vegetarian, as you can still eat tons of cheese, butter, and dairy.. and that is enough to make you gain weight on a veg. diet.

Here's a great article about truth's on eating a vegetarian diet: http://www.udlnewhaven.com/?p=626

I believe everyone's diet is their preference, and I will never judge someone for eating meat. So I hope that I don't face criticism for not eating meat. I've already faced it a bit, but most people in my life have been really supportive (including my husband.. who before watching "Food Matters" wasn't entirely on board."

I'll end this post with the idea of labeling how we eat. I'm not entirely sure why it matters. Like I said, diets are an individual preference. I prefer to include seafood but take out all other meat. One day I plan to go Vegan. But there are so many kinds of "vegetarian" diets out there, that you don't have to succumb to one way of eating. Do what is healthy and best for you personally, and stick by what you choose. (Did you know there are "fruitarians" out there? Me neither until recently!)

Cutting out meat is hard at first. At least for me it was. But I'm learning and experimenting and now I view it as a lot of fun and a challenge. I plan to make all kinds of meals (and already have) that are delicious and meat free. I couldn't have made this decision at a better time, with the spawn of Pinterest to help me find recipes.

These black bean burgers were easy & yum!

I hope all of you out there will sit down and watch a documentary or two on nutrition and food in this country. At least know what happens to your food before you eat it.. (I think we have all seen the pink slime video..). Be in the know. Make smart decisions. You only get one body and one life, so choose wisely what you put into it.

Mad love,
Ash

Easy homemade wheat pizza crust

In our house, we are on a pizza binge. I don't know what it is, maybe all the different combinations and ways you can put together a pizza, but we are obsessed these days.

Making pizza is actually really easy and affordable, it's a great way to clean out the fridge (think half a bell pepper, the rest of an onion, any meats left over from past dinners, etc.)

I set out to put together a homemade pizza crust, as we had done personal pizza's on Beth from Budget Bytes' homemade pita bread recipe (which are delicious, and cheap, and fun. Beth is a genius.) But I wanted something easier tonight that I didn't have to knead or cut, etc.

So I ended up accidentally making wheat pizza dough, because I was low on white flour. It was still delicious, and allowed me to justify the cheese :D

Ingredients:

• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 1.5 cups wheat bread flour (you could use all white flour if it's all you have.)
• 1 cup white flour 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water with sugar. (You want it to foam)

3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt, and oil. Add yeast mixture to flour mixture, and stir until combined. (You should have dough at this point.)

4. Roll into a ball, and leave in bowl, covered with a damp towel/rag for five-ten minutes.

5. Turn dough out onto floured surface, and knead slightly and roll into a round. 

6. Spread dough out onto lightly greased cookie sheet or pizza pan (we did rectangle pizza for lack of a round pizza pan.)

7. Cook ten to fifteen minutes until firm, but not completely baked and crispy. Ten minutes should do.

8. Apply sauce and toppings, then put back in the oven, turning heat down to 350, until toppings are warm.

The result? Delicious, (mostly) healthy wheat pizza! We use onion, mushroom, bell pepper, pepperoni, banana peppers, cheese, and I personally use pinapple :)

**Note: We like our crust to be a bit crispy, and this was a bit thicker than what we would normally like. I'm thinking of splitting it into two rounds next time, to make two pan pizza's, and thinner crusts. Healthier as well!

Wedding planning & budget living

Wow, planning a wedding is expensive! I mean, REALLY expensive. My adorable husband and I have cut every corner possible, and it's still going to be a big change in lifestyle to save up for our wedding.


From the food to the decor to the music, it is not cheap to celebrate your big day with every one. However we are crafty folks and it will predominately be a DIY wedding for the most part.
On that note, we have re-adjusted our budget and lifestyle to allow us to save up for the next 9 months. I was worried that we would be eating nothing but rice & beans (which really wouldn't be a bad thing, since I made some DELICIOUS beans recently in the crock pot..) However.. I am finding that it is a fun sort of challenge to eat on a strict budget. Combine that with my newfound healthy eating regimen (can you say veggies?!) and I have quite a task in front of me.

  

We are the type of folks who like to eat meatloaf, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and the fixin's. We have never had a good healthy diet, and I've honestly never worried about what I (or we for that matter) ate. But now, it is different, and we are really enjoying it.

meatloaf, I will always love you. You too, mashed potatoes. 

I have been trying to eat healthier, work out, and get fit. You know, the same resolution every one has as of January 1st.. no but really. I'm trying to stick to it. And it's been difficult, but I'm trying to view it as a challenge!

On that note, I made some delicious Lo Mein tonight simply with all the leftovers in my fridge. Lo Mein is a great way (as is stir fry, or pizza) to clean out your fridge on a Sunday evening. Here is my hodge podge of ingredients (spinach, onion, half a red bell pepper, frozen broccoli, whole wheat linguine noodles, mushrooms, and some carrots I had cooked up earlier in the week that I knew would come in handy.)

Saute all your veggies, then throw in your (cooked) noodles with a cup of chicken broth and 1/4 cup soy sauce, and bring it up to a boil. I simmered it about 10 minutes.

For the finished product you get beautiful, delicious Lo Mein (with no scary additives, and healthy whole grain noodles.) 

We ate at FireBowl Cafe this weekend for the first time, and I can honestly say my Lo Mein trumped their food. Our dining experience there was a real disappointment. 

So here is to the start of our new healthy eating. And for those who have husband's/boyfriend's/partner's who may not want to eat healthy, take it from me, it can be done! 

We made Porkchops recently and cooked them very differently, my husband marinating his while I made a "chutney" and only used spices for flavoring. I had a baked sweet potato and he had a regular baked potato. He still got to eat hearty and I made some small adjustments. It works! It can be done. 

Happy (Healthy) Eating!

xoxo: Ash

Correction: I guess I'm not leaving Blogspot

Oh the world of blogging.. almost everyone has one, reads one, or subscribes to one. I seem to have like three accounts for some reason.. I really was impressed with tumblr's ability to make mobile blogging so easy. Blogspot, not so much. But tumblr doesn't allow you to post a series of pictures, i.e. a tutorial or "how to" type of post. Which is rediculous! I like to post step by steps for crafting and cooking and other random things, and tumblr won't have it. So I'll take it elsewhere!

So needless to say, I haven't left. And I'll be sticking around. Blogspot, I love you, just make your mobile app easier to use! Help us out here!

Love: Ashley

2011 has come to an end - on to the next one

As the end of 2011 approaches, I find myself remembering so many good and wonderful things that happened this year. It was truly the best year yet, and I have so much to be thankful for. I try not to be one of those cheesy people who goes on relentlessly about how blessed they are, but I feel that 2011 deserves a little thanksgiving and attention.

To begin with, we have finally made a steady and great life here in Austin, TX after a random move from Corpus Christi. It was a bit of a "whim" decision. But it couldn't have been a better one. Lupe found a great job earlier this year and we are so thankful for it.

our pups were so cute during the move. Can't believe August of this year made it a year! 

We got to enjoy SNOW in Texas! I think this was January or February? Hopefully we will see it again this year!

We both got new cars ( we needed them!) I got a Nissan Cube and Lupe got a Lexus IS300. We were overdue, and it felt so good to be at a place in our lives where we could upgrade and buy a nice car for ourselves. 

Bella is going strong even through her kidney problems. The doctor checked up on her in October and said her levels were actually going down (which is good, since they are mostly elevated.) She's a trooper!

We got ENGAGED! It only took us 3 years ;) I couldn't be happier. It's a rare feeling to be able to say you've found the one you want to be with for all eternity. And I think we are lucky to say that we have.

We got to visit New Orleans! (free trip courtesy of our local radio station.) This was our first real travel experience together, which is crazy becuase we have been dating for such a long time. It was a lot of fun and something we definitely plan to do more of.

We got to see some beautiful friends get married, Abby & RJ. They have a beautiful love and their wedding was one of the most fun and exciting I've been to!

Sarah and Chase also had a beautiful and fun wedding in Houston. She was an amazingly gorgeous bride and the wedding was a BLAST!

I got a PROMOTION with Kaplan this year (woo hoo) and love my job. I also go to visit Chicago for a work conference and fell in love with it. Here is Pam and I downtown at their Harbour, we were convinced we wanted to move there! It was beautiful.

We went to some fun festivals including this one, Eeyore's birthday, an Austin staple. We truly live in the best city and we don't take advantage of it enough!

I made an AMAZING friend who is practically my soulmate. I swear this girl & I were destined to be friends. One of the kindest, most genuine people I know. Not to mention she's a Gamma Phi :)

Took lots of pics with our great camera. Resolution for next year: More pics, and actually print some!

Lupe particpated in an art show at a bar called Spiderhouse here in Austin. He was among amazing talent and it was a great publicity opportunity for him. Hopefully more art shows to come in 2012.

I got to start planning our wonderful wedding :) My sweet Lupe even went to a bridal fair with me. Good sport.

It was a year of craziness with work, but my planner and blackberry held steady. I love having a planner, I go to it for everything. Can't wait to pick up a 2012 one! "Man may plan his course but the Lord determines his steps."

Got to help my BEST FRIEND pick out her wedding dress for her May wedding, and meet her wonderful friend Holly. Bunch of dolls!

Also got to celebrate my bestie's birthday! And Domani,Mary, and myself are all planning our big days for 2012. So much fun! (This is seriously the year of weddings for GPB's!)

My sweet friend Tracy came to visit Austin twice! Love getting to see her.

New years Resolution: Spend more time with Morgan. She's only 45 mins away from me!

Spent a lot of time realizing how lucky I am. And how happy I am.

Lucky enough to spend the holidays with our loved ones. I've also turned out to be quite the good cook, now I just need to spend 2012 working on my baking. Although these pumpkin cheesecake muffins turned out great!

Had a FANTASTIC Christmas. Our families truly went all out for us, and we are so so lucky.

Oh, and we had a cute little JOP wedding with our closest family and friends. We are still planning for a big ceremony in October, but we were more than ready to be married already. :)

So we end 2011 on a fantastic note, and I don't know what to expect from 2012. I don't know how we could top it, except with a fantastic wedding. Hopefully everything keeps going well for us and the pups. We are heading down to CC for New Years eve to spend it with our closest friends, and I'm super excited about it! We leave you with pinscher love.

New Years Resolutions include:

taking more pictures with our SLR

going to more free events in Austin (we are so lazy!)

spending less time on the computer and more time outside

puppies deserve more walks!

working out (for me.. and half of America)

reading more books (some good trilogies should do the trick)

Getting back into creating things. Work took over and we have really slacked.

And lastly, for anyone that may read this, I'm switching to tumblr. It's sad, but blogspot has nothing to make mobile blogging easy, and tumblr is fantastic to use from your smart phone.

Our wedding website: lupeandashleyvaladez.tumblr.com

my hobby website: luckylightning.tumblr.com

xoxo

The Valadez Clan

Old Navy's new workout gear - fantastic!

So I'm not one to like working out, to be honest. I just don't usually enjoy it, and it's much harder when you are going at it alone. I barely made it through what my hometown calls "beach to bay", where I ran 4.5 miles. Here is me afterwards (not a pretty site..) Pretty amusing, right?

But honestly I'm at the point in my life where I need to step it up and start working out. I won't look like I'm 25 forever, unfortunately. So here and there I've been running, weight training,etc. I also just recently started advocare (more on that later..) But the point of this article is that I was fortunate enough to sample some fantastic workout wear from Old Navy's new workout line, and it's great!

Their "Go Dry" and "Compression" line are made out of this fantastic material. It fits to your body so well, especially with the pants, that it almost feels like you are wearing nothing (in a good way.) I know doing things like yoga and pilates can be difficult if you're wearing clothes that have extra fabric hanging, which can also be true for running and strength training. But these pants from Old Navy are just the opposite. In this picture I'm wearing a set of long compression pants (they also come in capri), and I love them. Not to mention Old Navy made them just girly enough for me to enjoy. I'm also wearing one of the matching zip up hoodies which is fantastic. (A girl can NEVER have too many hoodies.)

Here I am ready to brave our 50 degree weather we just got in Austin (woohoo!) I love it, you can see what I mean how the pants are fitted all the way through until the bottom. Love it! And the jacket is great because it's got lots of great zippers and pockets. You could easily tuck your keys away in one and take off for a run with no worries. love that. But my favorite part of the hoodie is listed in the below picture..

I LOVE the thumb holes. I don't know what it is about thumb holes in hoodies, but I love it. In my early soccer days I can remember wearing a hole in my hoodie right where the thumb went, so Old Navy hit the nail on the head. This secures the hoodies right on top of your hands, taking the place of hand warmers and keeping the hoodie in place. Love it!

A friend of mine was also able to sample these and she loved it as well. We almost always show up to work out together in one piece or another of the Old Navy gear. I was so impressed with it that I went in and got a set of black capri's and a black zipper hoodie as well. I LOVE the capri's also, they are fitted to your leg which is perfect for yoga!

Next time you're cruising Old Navy or searching for work out gear, make sure you pick some of this up! It's really reasonably priced, ($10-$25 a piece or so). When I went everything was on sale fairly cheap. They've got everything from sports bra's to fleece all the way to these lovely items. 

Hopefully having all this great workout gear will help get me off the couch and out in the trail more! Happy shopping! 

XoXo

Ashley