Laina Turner's Blog, page 31
October 4, 2016
TOTALLY TERRIFIC TUESDAY LINK PARTY #104
Happy Tuesday! It’s a beautiful fall day here in the midwest and I’m already overdosing on all things pumpkin! Thanks for stopping by the link up today!
Stop by and see what your hosts have been doing and give these ladies a warm welcome!
Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter
Facebook // Pinterest // Twitter // Instagram // Google+
Instagram // Pinterest // Facebook // Twitter
Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest
Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook // Google+
__________________________
This party has been growing and growing and it is getting harder and harder to pick features! I am so grateful for all of you talented folks for hanging out and linking up!! Have fun! Don’t forget to stop by the pinterest boards and take a moment to pin a few and help spread the holiday joy by supporting your fellow blogging buddies!
_____________________________
Party Rules
NOTICE: Please try not to link the same content two weeks in a row. If you didn’t do anything new last week, try linking up some older content. This helps you in the long run..if you linked up the same thing 2-3 weeks in a row people won’t click on it a second time, so increase your chances of being picked for most clicked by linking up new content every week 
October 3, 2016
Closet Clean Out
In my excitement to clean, purge, and organize the house I decided to go out on a big limb sometime in the near future and try something I’m not even sure I can do.
A capsule wardrobe.
Not for an entire season. I think that would be too much for me. But I think I could start with a month.
Maybe.
I mean really, I tend to wear the same things over and over anyway. It’s easy, those items are in front of my closet, they’re all basic pieces, and I know they fit. If I were completely honest with myself….I could throw out 75% of all the clothes I have. Not because I don’t like them, but many are just not comfortable, I need to lose 5 pounds for them to look good, there aren’t many places to wear them, they aren’t in perfect condition, or just don’t fit well.
Take scarves for instance. I have about 20. I wear the same 3 over and over because I love them. The others are too specific in color or print and don’t go with much if anything, so why keep them?
But first baby steps. Cleaning out my closet. As you can see my closet is about to explode, and I don’t wear half of it.
The KonMari method says only keep those items that bring emotion, and many of my clothes bring emotion just not the right kind.
My first struggle was that I have different clothes for different things. I have my work clothes (ie yoga pants and active clothes), my actual workout clothes which are a more boring and functional version of the “work” clothes, dressy for going out or blog photos, a couple business appropriate attire (read conservative), and quite a bit of stuff that really has no category. I was really tempted to throw everything out and just keep a uniform of black pants and tops.
Doesn’t that seem the easiest?
In the book, The life-changing magic of tidying up, she says to take all of your clothes out of the closet and anywhere else they might be hiding and put them on the bed to sort through them. When I read this, I thought how scary and how brilliant. If I took all my clothes out of the closet, I might be too lazy to put them back in and by default get rid of them all.
Then I got overwhelmed thinking about all the work it would take to do such a task.
But I did it.
Then I froze. I KNEW I should immediately put in the Goodwill pile anything that didn’t fit. Right now that’s a lot. But as much as it pained me I realized that if it didn’t fit now, it wouldn’t be in style by the time I did fit into it. Plus there’s really nothing more depressing than a closet full of clothes you like that you can’t wear.
So I did it. OMG look at that pile.
Then I went through what was left and took anything that I passed over wearing because it wasn’t in perfect condition. Yes, the black Gap sweater that was at least 10 years old was super comfy, but I couldn’t wear it outside the house as it had many snags. So did I really need it? I think not.
My next round was anything I hadn’t worn in the last 6 months to a year. This became more difficult because there were a few t-shirts that I’d picked up on trips that I never wore but didn’t want to part with. Then I realized I never gave those shirts a second thought unless I spotted them in my closet. The memory is in my head so what was I hanging on too?
I can’t tell you enough how freeing it is to have a clean closet and to be able to see what I own. It’s so neat and clean. It’s motivated me to start on the rest of the house.
This is what I was left with. Compared to what I had it’s not much, AND it’s not a collection of pieces that go together which is kind of a problem. It leaves me with very few outfits.
So my next step toward the capsule wardrobe is to figure out what I truly need to get me through the next couple months and how I can use what I currently have.
The post Closet Clean Out appeared first on Laina Turner.
September 30, 2016
Favorite Things Friday
I don’t know about you but I have a want list about a mile long. Since I’m not a millionaire I can’t get all the things on my list and really need to separate the true need from the want. More importantly, as I’ve been reading about living more simply and wanting to actual simplify my life, making sure the things I buy are well thought out not just whims is more important to me than in the past.
Most of the purchases on my mind lately are clothes or home decor related. I did a MAJOR closet clean out (post to come next week) after reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. However, I also am very committed to making the last QTR of the year kick butt as it relates to my goals so I feel I just HAD to have this FABULOUS Kate Spade planner.
Right, this minute THIS is my favorite thing!
kate spade new york 17-Month Spiral Agenda 2017 – Gold Dots – Mega[image error]
[image error][image error]Isn’t it to die for? The downside is it’s heavy so I won’t be traveling by plane with it. It’s heavier than my MacBook Air if you can believe it. But it’s got a monthly calendar and then daily spaces to write out my to-dos and such and tons of space for notes. I think it will be perfect and of course, propel me to certain success.
The planner makes the difference. Am I right?
Our basement is in desperate need of a make over. One of the things that’s driving me crazy is there’s this little alcove where all the crap gets stored. Honestly, that’s about all it’s good for because it’s not usable living space but it makes the rest of the basement look junky. I am in love with the idea of using barn doors inside and didn’t think about it for the basement until I read this post at Grandma’s House DIY: We finally got our hanging barn door up. I told Matt we were going to do this and he loved it too. Now we need to clean out the basement.
Now that I can see all the clothes in my closet which I LOVE I’ve realized I need to invest in a few things. I swear this isn’t an excuse to go on a crazy shopping spree but rather a purposeful plan to purchase items that are well made, fit great, and will be the staples I need.
First on my list is to get a pair of black pants and gray pants. Since we’re heading into the colder season my fashion color palette tends to go dark. I love these from Banana Republic. I tried them on and the fit great but I haven’t purchased yet. I think I will pull the trigger this weekend.
I also need a new tote bag for a conference I’m attending later in October. My current one is starting to rip and as much as I hate to give it up it’s time to retire it. I found this one and ordered it. Normally, my bags are always black. I’m taking a walk on the wild side with gray.
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What are your favorite things right now?
The post Favorite Things Friday appeared first on Laina Turner.
September 29, 2016
Weekend Traffic Jam Link Up #64
You can’t take two steps without seeing Fall and Halloween decor. It’s everywhere!
So show us some of yours and more on Traffic Jam Weekend!
Come on in to link up, share, and learn something with us.
WELCOME TO TRAFFIC JAM WEEKEND LINKY PARTY #64!
#trafficjamweekend
For any newcomers to Traffic Jam Weekend, this weekly linky party is all about linking up your old posts so you can get some new comments and traffic.
To the frequent TJW visitors, thanks for always linking up.
The lovely ladies bringing this fabulous party to you:
Kimberly from Being A Wordsmith | Facebook (site) | Facebook (book series) | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Laina from LainaTurner.com | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Gail from Frugal and Coupon Crazy | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Natasha from Epic Mommy Adventures | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Evelyn from Eclectic Evelyn | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+ | YouTube | Tumblr
These are the featured posts from Traffic Jam Weekend #63…
Laina chose We finally got our hanging barn door up! by Grandma’s House DIY. “[Been] wanting to do this in my basement to cover up storage area.”
Gail chose World’s Best Apple Recipe Roundup by Dreaming of Leaving. “Perfect for the season.”
Kimberly chose Getting My Burger On With Tom Bergeron by GiGi Eats Celebrities. “If you are a fan of GiGi’s blog, then you know that anyone can show up in her kitchen AND she loves to superimpose heads on other people’s bodies. So when I saw Tom Bergeron standing next to her, I leaned closer to the screen to see if it was really him. LOL Perfect match on camera because they both have a quirky sense of humor. And they made a great, healthy ‘Burgeron’ recipe.”
The post with the most views was How to Move Forward When You’re in Pain: Part 1 by No Small Life.
Thank you guys for sharing! Your posts have been pinned to the Traffic Jam Weekend Linky Party Pinterest board. Please grab a special Traffic Jam Weekend featured button below to display on your blog.
Just a few rules for the party…
Grab a Traffic Jam Weekend button below for your site
Link up as many of your old posts as you like below
Take some time and visit the other posts
Create some traffic jam for the hosts of this party
Share this party on social media with the hashtag #trafficjamweekend
Follow Being A Wordsmith’s board Traffic Jam Weekend Linky Party on Pinterest.*Disclaimer: Adding your link to this linky party gives permission to Being A Wordsmith and co-hosts to share your posts and pictures via social media with a link back to the original source. It also gives Being A Wordsmith and co-hosts permission to contact you via e-mail or social media for networking purposes.
An InLinkz Link-up
The post Weekend Traffic Jam Link Up #64 appeared first on Laina Turner.
Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Pumpkin, pumpkin, everything pumpkin. One of my seasonal pumpkin favorites is the pumpkin pie blizzard from Dairy Queen. But in light of the sheer gluttony that I’ve allowed myself to indulge in post-wedding until last week I decided I would look for some more healthy and less caloric pumpkin recipes that tasted as good as a pumpkin pie blizzard or pumpkin cheesecake etc.
I love smoothies, so I thought it would be perfect to experiment. Pumpkin is a healthy vegetable when you don’t drown it in sugar, so I thought it a perfect compliment to a smoothie. I wasn’t wrong.
I used pure pumpkin, a frozen banana, vanilla protein power, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and a touch of vanilla.
After I first mixed it and tasted it, I decided it needed a little more sweet to it and added some honey. I normally would add Splenda, but I’m trying to cut down on the artificial stuff.
I think next time I might try to freeze it and turn it into pumpkin pie ice cream.
It wasn’t exactly a blizzard, but it was very tasty, very pumpkin-y, and delicious.
Healthy Pumpkin Pie Smoothie 2016-09-28 19:30:06 Serves 4 Write a review
Save Recipe Print Ingredients Can of pure pumpkin Frozen banana Tbsp cinnamon Tbsp pumpkin pie spice 1 scoop of vanilla UMP protein powder
Instructions Dump all ingredients into a blender and process until smooth.
Laina Turner http://www.lainaturner.com/
The post Pumpkin Pie Smoothie appeared first on Laina Turner.
September 28, 2016
How Committed Are You?
I like to think I’m committed.
Please don’t confuse that with should be committed because we all know the easy answer to that one.
If asked I would say I’m committed to my family, my work, my writing, working out, etc. but when my friend Chris sent me this article to read: The 100-Percent Rule: The Simple Advice That Changed My Life. I kind of had an ah-ha moment.
I first felt incredibly guilty as I had to stop Netflix to read the article, and then I really began to doubt how committed I really was. I then had to watch more Netflix to forget how depressed I was.
Such a slippery slope.
But as much as I tried to forget the article stuck with me all day and into the next. It really made me pause and ask myself how committed I was. Were the things frustrating me about my lack of accomplishments because I was only 99% committed and while that seems like a lot it’s not always enough?
One of the paragraphs really hit home-
True happiness is the joy we experience when we move toward our potential. The beautiful part is when we apply the 100-percent rule to a task at hand, we complete it. A project gets wrapped. A once-hopeful intention becomes a habit. A goal is met.
The most frustrating part of my life the last few years is not getting my book sales and blog where I want it. Don’t get me wrong I am so grateful for where they’re at. I am blessed beyond belief, but they’re not quite up to the potential I know I have. And if I’m honest it’s because I have been working at 99%. I could have worked on my book or blog posts or improving my photography instead of watching Stranger Things, catching up on last season’s Grey’s Anatomy, Walking Dead, Longmire….., etc. I justify by telling myself I deserve a break because I’m exhausted. Being exhausted is no lie, but I need to make a choice.
Do I want a break or sell more books.
Do I want a break or more blog traffic?
Committing 100% is a choice. I’m ready to make it. How about you?
Need help? Sign up for my GOALS e-course. 6 Steps to Setting Goals that get Results. Work on getting yourself 100% committed!
The post How Committed Are You? appeared first on Laina Turner.
September 27, 2016
TOTALLY TERRIFIC TUESDAY LINK PARTY #102
Happy Tuesday! Can you believe it’s almost October? I can’t. Though this week the fall weather is starting to hit and as much as I love summer I really enjoy the cool, crisp days and I’m looking forward to the leaves changing. I’m envisioning walks down the local trail here in Indy, called the Monon, and looking at colors while drinking my Starbucks. In reality, this never happens because the kids have me chauffeuring 15 hours a day on the weekends.
But enough of my complaining. It’s link up time!
Stop by and see what your hosts have been doing and give these ladies a warm welcome!
Facebook // Instagram // Pinterest // Twitter
Facebook // Pinterest // Twitter // Instagram // Google+
Instagram // Pinterest // Facebook // Twitter
Facebook // Twitter // Instagram // Pinterest
Pinterest // Instagram // Facebook // Google+
__________________________
This party has been growing and growing and it is getting harder and harder to pick features! I am so grateful for all of you talented folks for hanging out and linking up!! Have fun! Don’t forget to stop by the pinterest boards and take a moment to pin a few and help spread the holiday joy by supporting your fellow blogging buddies!
_____________________________
Party Rules
NOTICE: Please try not to link the same content two weeks in a row. If you didn’t do anything new last week, try linking up some older content. This helps you in the long run..if you linked up the same thing 2-3 weeks in a row people won’t click on it a second time, so increase your chances of being picked for most clicked by linking up new content every week
September 26, 2016
Getting Back to Normal
One of my favorite bloggers wrote in her post last week about the list of things she was going to do once things calmed down and had been waiting for this magical calm time (she recently got married, and I’m paraphrasing here), and I immediately identified.
I got married 2 weeks after she did and I’ve spent the last 8 weeks waiting for things to calm down so I can get back to normal and get work done when really there’s no such thing.
Calm in my world doesn’t exist these days. Not with 2 active kids and 15 million other projects going on. 2016 has probably been the busiest ever, and I blame the kids. I asked my ex-husband if he still had the receipt for them but he said the time frame for returning the kids had long passed. So much for that idea. And they are kind of cute and fun at times. I’d miss them.
So, instead of waiting for something that will never happen (like NORMALCY) I’ve decided to take a new approach and better manage my time, what I take on, and how I feel about it all.
I’ve said this before but maybe, this time, it will work. I’m an optimist.
The months leading up to the wedding I did a 5:30 am boot camp. It was great, and I felt like I’d accomplished a lot by 7 am but it usually left me exhausted by 9 pm that night when I still had a million things to do. I took 7 weeks off as I was in my post-wedding bliss thinking calories and lack of exercise didn’t count.
You know what? They did, and I gained weight. Who would have thought?
I went back last week and made it 4 out of 5 days. I missed today which I’m kicking myself for because now I need to make it the next 4 days straight. But last week even though I was tired I did feel more accomplished and positive about myself. I also took a lot of naps, but I tried to not feel guilty about it and honestly because I wasn’t so exhausted I was more productive and don’t think I missed out on anything.
Netflix is by far a bigger time waster for me than naps. Can you say Stranger Things??
Have a great Monday and tell me how you manage YOUR normal!
The post Getting Back to Normal appeared first on Laina Turner.
September 16, 2016
Pumpkin Spice Pecans
I admit I’m a pumpkin fanatic. So even though I’m sad to see summer go, I love fall and all the amazingly yummy pumpkin food that comes with the season.
I am excited to be able to start making all the pumpkin things I’ve wanted to try since last pumpkin season.
The first one I’ve been dying to try is pumpkin spice pecans. You know how they have the tasty cinnamon almonds and pecans well the only thing better than cinnamon is pumpkin so I had to try it.
I used my normal candied almond recipe but altered it slightly to include the pumpkin spice. It really is a simple thing to make.
My AWESOME assistant!
The only issue is I ate way too many and now I need to make more!
Pumpkin Spice Pecans 2016-09-15 17:42:32 Write a review
Save Recipe Print Ingredients 8 oz of raw pecans 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 2 egg whites 2 tsp of cinnamon 2 tsp of pumpkin spice 1 tsp of vanilla
Instructions Preheat over to 350 Put pecans on a cookie sheet with a lip or an 11x13 pan and roast for 15 minutes, stir, and put in for 15 minutes more Beat egg whites and add the rest of the ingredients Add roasted pecans to mixture and stir making sure pecans are coated thoroughly Bake for 20 minutes, stir, and put in for 20 more minutes Cool and store in an airtight container
Laina Turner http://www.lainaturner.com/
The post Pumpkin Spice Pecans appeared first on Laina Turner.
September 15, 2016
Weekend Traffic Jam Link Up Party
Hello everyone! So glad to have you stop by, link up, share, and learn something with us.
WELCOME TO
TRAFFIC JAM WEEKEND
LINKY PARTY #62!
#trafficjamweekend
For any newcomers to Traffic Jam Weekend, this weekly linky party is all about linking up your old posts so you can get some new comments and traffic.
To the frequent TJW visitors, thanks for always linking up.
The lovely ladies bringing this fabulous party to you:
Kimberly from Being A Wordsmith | Facebook (site) | Facebook (book series) | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Laina from LainaTurner.com | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Gail from Frugal and Coupon Crazy | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+
Natasha from Epic Mommy Adventures | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram
Evelyn from Eclectic Evelyn | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | Google+ | YouTube | Tumblr
These are the featured posts from Traffic Jam Weekend #61…
Evelyn chose Embracing Our “Strong Willed” Children by Living in Mommywood. “I choose this because I was a strong willed child and I raised strong willed children. It is a positive trait and not something that has to be ‘tamed’ out of a girl. We are not horses that need to be ‘broken’.”
Gail chose How to Live Without Cable by Sew Travel Inspired. “One way to be frugal, Check this out.”
Laina chose Strawberry Pineapple Upside Down Cakes by O Blog Off. “This was my mother’s favorite cake.”
Kimberly chose God’s Timing Is Perfect in Life and Death by Yvonne Chase. “What a bittersweet personal post from Yvonne about finding someone special while losing someone special.”
Natasha chose My #1 Tip for Raising Happy Healthy Little Boys by Stay at Home Yogi. “I love this post! It is such a unique experience raising a boy, and Amber’s 1st tip is so right on – resistance is futile! Thanks for sharing!”
Rania chose 6 Super Cute and Cheap Halloween Costume Ideas by Storybook Apothecary.
The post with the most views was How to Live Without Cable by Sew Travel Inspired.
Thank you guys for sharing! Your posts have been pinned to the Traffic Jam Weekend Linky Party Pinterest board. Please grab a special Traffic Jam Weekend featured button below to display on your blog.
Just a few rules for the party…
Grab a Traffic Jam Weekend button below for your site
Link up as many of your old posts as you like below
Take some time and visit the other posts
Create some traffic jam for the hosts of this party
Share this party on social media with the hashtag #trafficjamweekend
Follow Being A Wordsmith’s board Traffic Jam Weekend Linky Party on Pinterest.*Disclaimer: Adding your link to this linky party gives permission to Being A Wordsmith and co-hosts to share your posts and pictures via social media with a link back to the original source. It also gives Being A Wordsmith and co-hosts permission to contact you via e-mail or social media for networking purposes.
An InLinkz Link-up
The post Weekend Traffic Jam Link Up Party appeared first on Laina Turner.
