SWEATERS UNDER $50 AND EASY ENTERTAINING PREP with CHEESE BOARDS

SO, TELL ME… have all y’all picked out what you’re wearing to the living room this Thanksgiving? lol. Y'all… Holiday fun is here! Tonight we’re going on a train ride to meet Santa. Hayden is beside himself. I’m determined to make this a memorable holiday for him. I’m slightly confused if I should put away the pumpkins yet, but I’m holding out and letting thanksgiving have it’s moment! I’m still loving the fall color scheme, but I’m writing this from Starbucks this morning and it’s like PSL who? It’s all Xmas! (For those of you that might be wondering, PSL is pumpkin spiced latte. lol). There’s still time for quick holiday prep. Especially online with 2 day shipping;)

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I recently asked what topics you wanted to see on the blog on my social. I was pleasantly surprised to read you missed the “fashion/clothing” posts. I did, too! So, I’m back sharing some of my favorite finds! All the sweaters in today’s post are UNDER $50 and free shipping (main reason I love Nordstrom). The sweater I’m wearing in these shots is my top Thanksgiving pick for lunch/dinner. I love the style, love the colors and love the price! It’s fully stocked in sizes today, but as you know, these items so fast.

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I’m having a few friends over before we head to the Polar Express ride tonight. Gonna try to step up the hors d’oeuvre and charcuterie boards. I did a practice one yesterday for a few people over for a photo shoot. By the time we took theses shots, it was a bit picked over. There’s definitely an art form to maintaining the classic cheese board look and keeping it full and neat. This 3-tiered ladder board elevates the whole concept, though. I really just threw together stuff I had in the fridge and pantry. I love the rustic, yet clean feel. Are you guys good at making these fancy boards? Tag me in your posts so I can get some inspiration. In the meantime, I added some pinterest type tips below. Hopefully, my next hosting post will be more enticing. But, my point is that these boards make it work regardless of what you have on hand or your how artistic you are!

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Best part is it collapses for easy storage. I got it at PicnicTime.com. I’m warning you…you’ll want quite a few things for yourself and for gifts. Especially because they are giving 20% off and free shipping. Use code JONES20 if you need to, but I think they offer this often:)

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Here’s some inspo courtesy of DamnDelicious.com:

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XOXO

AAJ

BRING ON MAY (cauli)FLOWERS plus a GIVEAWAY

Last week, I had the pleasure of hosting a fun day with Cali’Flour Foods. New and old friends joined to learn about cauliflower recipes, eat, pick out some jewelry and catch up with each other. It really was such a good girl gang that day!

I love friends from different parts of my life getting to come together and meet each other. I should add here that this post is not sponsored- I just enjoy sharing….PLUS I AM doing a GIVEAWAY in this post!!! And since we have all these fun photos,  I had to show off my friends;)

Top Row: Kaitlyn Villasuso and daughter, Kimberly J Brown, Angelique Cabral, Briana Cuoco, Chef Ameera, Amy Lacey, Chrissy Kling, Amy Davidson, Jessica Hall, Karen (Lisa’s friend), Caitlin Brandes (Friend of Jessica’s). Bottom Row: Kaylene DeVries, …

Top Row: Kaitlyn Villasuso and daughter, Kimberly J Brown, Angelique Cabral, Briana Cuoco, Chef Ameera, Amy Lacey, Chrissy Kling, Amy Davidson, Jessica Hall, Karen (Lisa’s friend), Caitlin Brandes (Friend of Jessica’s). Bottom Row: Kaylene DeVries, Lisa Breckenridge, me, Sarah Jane Morris, Virginia Williams, Nicole Levine, Casey Henricks.


Amy Lacey wrote CALI’FLOUR KITCHEN, a book all about cooking with cauliflower and incorporating her brand, Cali’Flour Foods. We wanted to try out some recipes (and add a southern flare cause, you know, your girl IS from Texas!). Chef Ameera graced us with her cooking and dropped some knowledge. One of the my favorite things she said was that food should inspire you to be the best version of yourself— and her food will. I thought about that later. It’s a simple concept, but what we put in our bodies DOES affect a lot: our moods, our digestion/nervous system, brain power, waistline and even affects levels of anxiety. The old saying we are what we eat holds some truth. 

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So much of this blog is about healthy lifestyle choices, so it’s fun to bring another idea for you all to try and incorporate in your lives. I started enjoying Cali’Flour pizzas a while ago when I tasted them at an event. Then, I ordered some to try at home. We love the italian crust. I like to put it on this pizza stone the last few minutes so it gets extra crispy. IF YOU want to try it out, we are randomly picking from comments below to pass along a $50 gift certificate. Tell us why you’d love to try it for yourself or your family. One of the things I love about using their crusts or pasts? I sneak veggies in for the kids. Hayden and Huck happen to love mashed cauliflower, but it’s not the easiest to make sure they get a decent amount of vegetables everyday.

Amy wanted to heal herself from an autoimmune disorder- necessity is the mother of invention. This lead her to creating Cali’Flour foods. She shared her story with us while we (cried a little!) and munched on the awesomeness. 

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Dessert Pizza was sooo good. I’m getting the recipe, so stay tuned!

Dessert Pizza was sooo good. I’m getting the recipe, so stay tuned!

Our friends from EmmaJ Jewelry set up a mini-shopping experience where the girls got to pick a piece to take home. Vitacups provided the afternoon pick-me up! (They would love you to try out their sample pack for free! Just pay shipping at $2.95!) ALSO… THEY ARE GIVING 30% OFF TO YOU. Code ASHLEYJ works on their site until May 25th. Yay!

And last but not least, everyone went home with my some Usana goodies. Anyone that’s followed along on this blog knows I’ve been a fan and often times ambassador of sorts, so I asked for some of my favorites to share with my friends. We went with the Booster C 600, Pure Rest and new pretty in pink water bottle.   Polkatots did the cutest dessert cupcakes and our dear friends at Bashful Rose did the arrangements!! (If you are in the area and need flowers, I’m telling you… it’s been almost a week and these haven’t even wilted!!!)

Also, for those wondering, the dress I’m wearing is great for summer! Per usual, I love the pockets! I slipped my Tight Lip’d gloss in there and my phone while I hosted. It’s also in the shop section (under boutique) on the blog.

Love this shot of our coffee booth with our COOKIE FISHY. Guess who named our fish? lol

Love this shot of our coffee booth with our COOKIE FISHY. Guess who named our fish? lol

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These stunning arrangements from Bashful Rose graced the table.

These stunning arrangements from Bashful Rose graced the table.

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Kaylene DeVries, owner of EmmaJCo.com….see my bull ring???! It’s on her site now!

Kaylene DeVries, owner of EmmaJCo.com….see my bull ring???! It’s on her site now!

POLKATOT cupcakes

POLKATOT cupcakes

Amy Lacey and I before the food was devoured.

Amy Lacey and I before the food was devoured.

Lisa Brekenridge, me, Virgina Williams, Sarah Jane Morris

Lisa Brekenridge, me, Virgina Williams, Sarah Jane Morris

My sister-in-law Casey Henricks, Actresses Kimberly Brown, Angelique Cabral, Briana Cuoco, Amy Davidson

My sister-in-law Casey Henricks, Actresses Kimberly Brown, Angelique Cabral, Briana Cuoco, Amy Davidson

I’m gonna throw a few other items from our gift bag goodies in the package! So seriously— leave a comment letting us know that you’d love to try Cauli’Flour foods and we’ll announce the winner (maybe 2?) this Saturday, May 4th. So, may the force be with you. LOL.