Awesome Autumn Giveaway!

Hello Sweet Friends!

I have a very exciting announcement! Today we are launching the Awesome Autumn Giveaway! "That sounds amazing!" you say? "Seriously where can I enter?" I hear? Well let me tell you...

The Awesome Autumn Giveaway consists of 6 - yes that's right - amazing prize packages containing multiple items from 33 of the best Etsy sellers there are. Since there will be 6 prize packages there will also be 6 winners. So be sure to enter each of the giveaways separately for your chance to win one of these brilliant packages. And spread the word! Good luck everyone! I'm beyond jealous of the winners...

{{{Click on images for links}}}

xoxo
Janee

My Week In Instagrams

What a busy and fun week! Whew! I hope you all had a wonderful week and weekend also.

PS... Come back tomorrow for the biggest Autumn/Halloween giveaway you've ever seen!

xoxo
Janee

Yogurt

Hello Breakfast Eaters!

As some of you may remember from this post I've been trying really hard to eat healthier and I think it's going pretty well. Except for the occasional hot dog splurge of course {I'm disgusting I know}. But one thing I've really been enjoying is yogurt! There are so many different brands and flavors it's out of control. Lucky for you I decided to buy a bunch of different kinds all at once and try them so you know which ones are good and which ones aren't worth it. Also I prefer yogurts that don't have any chunks in them so I avoided those ones for the most part and I only included the nutrition facts that were most important to me. If you'd like to see more about the individual brands you can usually find more info on their websites. Just in case you're wondering, I didn't eat all of these in one sitting...

I don't always eat yogurt, but when I do, I eat the best. Hahahaha!

...

Siggi's Icelandic Skyr - Okay... Thick & creamy but a little too tart for me.
    Sat Fat 0g | Sugar 9g | Fiber 0g | Protein 14g
    Purchased at Whole Foods

Trader Joe's Low Fat with Almonds - Oh so delicious, sweet but slightly watery.
     Sat Fat 2g | Sugar 17g | Fiber 3g | Protein 6g
     Purchased at Trader Joe's

Voskos Greek - Not to thick, not too watery. Great flavor. It doesn't have that bite most greek yogurts have.
     Sat Fat 0g | Sugar 13g | Fiber 0g | Protein 14g
     Purchased at Star

Wallaby Organic Low Fat Australian Style - Very watery but great sweet flavor.
     Sat Fat 1.5g | Sugar 20g | Fiber 0g | Protein 6g
     Purchased at Whole Foods

Trader Joe's Organic Low Fat - Very watery and sweet. Basically just like the Wallaby Organic.
     Sat Fat 1g | Sugar 21g | Fiber 0g | Protein 7g
     Purchased at Trader Joe's

Chobani Greek Yogurt - I really don't like this brand. It always has a weird smell and it tastes chalky.
     Sat Fat 0g | Sugar 19g | Fiber 1g | Protein 14g
     Purchased at Star

Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt - Creamy but not too thick. Delicious flavor, not at all tart.
     Sat Fat 0g | Sugar 22g | Fiber 1g | Protein 13g
     Purchased at Star

Trader Joe's Low Fat Chocolate European Style - A little watery like other low fat yogurts. Super yummy with just the right amount of tang.
     Sat Fat 1.5g | Sugar 16g | Fiber 0g | Protein 8g
     Purchased at Trader Joe's

Trader Joe's Greek {big container} - Nice creamy texture. Excellent flavor. My overall favorite {Luna's too!}
     Sat Fat 10g | Sugar 24g | Fiber 0g | Protein 8g
     Purchased at Trader Joe's


That was fun! I hope it was helpful for you as well.

xoxo
Janee

Etsy Exposé

... 1... Jude McConkey Photos

... 2... PeraBoom

... 3... Wretched Shekels

... 4... Callooh Callay


xoxo
Janee

Blowfish Shoes /// What I Wore

Good Morning Friends!

I've wanted a pair of boots from Blowfish Shoes for SO long, you can imagine how excited I was when my Kanne boots came in the mail. They're fabulous and unbelievably comfortable. So naturally the first thing I did in them was go for a forest adventure with The Beard.

Shoes: Kanne by Blowfish | Dress: Anthropologie | Sweater: J.Crew | Tights: J.Crew

I couldn't believe we found mushrooms while I was wearing my mushroom dress! Crazy. Mushrooms always amaze me. God has such a sense of humor doesn't he?

Hope you guys have a great day! It's almost the weekend again. My how time is flying by these days!

xoxo

Janee

Featured Artist::: Nathan Wirth

I am seriously loving these photos by San Francisco based photographer Nathan Wirth. But I don't want to ruin the mood by talking. Enjoy the silence.

____________________________________________________________________

 

 

 

{{{Source}}}

 

xoxo
Janee

Tuesday Treasury

{{{Note::: Please remember these treasuries were not created by me. They were curated by other fabulous Etsy sellers.}}}   

xoxo
Janee

Interrogation::: Kim - Just Enough Foolishness

Today our feature sponsor, Kim, from Just Enough Foolishness is here to chat with us. Everyone say Hi Kim!

 1. Tell us a little bit about you as a person.

   I'm a New Englander, through and through. I love Fall and my favorite color is green. I have a passion for good stories and changing the world (one relationship and conversation at a time). Most of all, I try to be honest and purposeful in all things. For instance: I'm honest about the fact that I brazenly pick the cookie dough pieces out of our ice cream and I am purposeful at spooning those little, cold, vanilla ice cream coated goodies out of the container before my husband eats them.

2. Tell us how/why you started Just Enough Foolishness.

   In 2007 I wrote a blog while studying abroad in East Africa (http://kimberlysdawn.blogspot.com). It was such an important part of both processing experiences there, and adjusting to life once I returned. So, in the summer of 2011, I decided to take on blogging as a way to process life all the time. I don't want to miss a chance to learn from my experiences, extraordinary or mundane. "just enough foolishness" came from the benediction we had read at our wedding just a month before starting the blog.

3. What are some of your favorite things about blogging and your blog in particular?

   Blogging gives me an opportunity to pause and process. It's a place where we can connect beyond location and create a safe space to be thankful or sad or tired or whatever today looks like. You won't find outfit posts (I feel uncomfortable posting pictures of myself solo), and I don't cook much so recipes are scarce, but you will find thankful and [hopefully] thoughtful thoughts, and lots of applying life lessons to more life. Somehow I think that might be just as useful as knowing what I wore today. :)

 4. What do you do when you're not blogging?

   I'm wife to a pretty incredible, hilarious husband, and I'm a proud dog and cat owner. I'm also a full-time theatre artist (producer, director, teacher, actor) and a full-time grad student. Blogging fits somewhere in between running like a headless chicken and sleeping.

5. What networking and/or social media site do you enjoy the most?

   I think I've got to say Twitter. I love instagram and Facebook too, but Twitter makes me feel slightly less stalker-ish.

6. Who are some other bloggers that inspire you?

    "Enjoying the Small Things" and "Cup of Jo" are two big blogs that are consistently, nearly without fail, inspiring. I've also enjoyed "young people in love," "tales of me and the husband," and "Across the Pond" for a couple years, and I appreciate how they've each shared themselves with their blogging communities. One of my all-time favorite, inspiring blog series is Yellow Bird Yellow Beard's "Featured Artist" posts. So much good art and creativity!

Don't forget to visit Kim on her BLOG ::: TWITTER ::: INSTAGRAM

Thanks so much for sharing Kim! I've really enjoyed having you this month!

xoxo
Janee

October!

Interested in advertising with Yellow Bird + Yellow Beard? Check out my ad rates HERE or email me at janee.lookerse@gmail.com. Halloween is my favorite holiday, I'm so excited for October!!!

xoxo
Janee

Claylicious Giveaway

Ceramic Owl decoration - winners choice of color.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
xoxo
Janee

Praew Channel Giveaway

$20 store credit to Floretta.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
xoxo
Janee 

A Pear of Pairs Giveaway

Set of 8 personalized letterpress note cards from A Pair of Pears.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
xoxo
Janee 

Guest Post::: Kimberly {Just Enough Foolishness}

Advice on balancing your time:::

The life of a full-time worker/full-time student/full-time lover is a, well, FULL one. All those “full-time” things can leave you downright searching for any time at all. Balance is a tough thing to maintain, and I’m the first to admit that it is often easiest to take for granted loved ones, while prioritizing less important plate toppers. My husband and our darling pets, my family, any semblance of friendships- they can all take a back seat to the paper I have due tomorrow. I finished my first year of grad school feeling both a deep desire to slow down and utterly thankful for how busy life can be.

I’m often told the saying “if you want something done, ask a busy person.” I greatly prefer this to the “if you want something done, do it yourself” mentality. I’m all about collaboration, and I wouldn’t make it through any project on my plate without it. One way I have begun to find balance in my life is by truly depending on those closest to me. For a long time I wanted to be Wonder Woman, able to “leap tall buildings in a single bound” and all that (I think that’s another super hero...none the less). It took a serious burn out about 4 years ago, and I realized it wasn’t worth it. There is so much to appreciate about those around me, and I have a responsibility to my community to not pretend I have super hero status. I am so very human, and embracing that reality is step one of balancing a full plate. I give myself permission, in all my human-ness, to feel overwhelmed and tired. I don’t reprimand myself for feeling that way.

Step two, I think, is continuous reminding oneself of priorities. Jake- my husband- can be oh, so, neglected if I am not careful. He is supportive and respectful of all I do, but that doesn’t mean it is ok to spend every night up working past when he has gone to sleep. I’ll admit this means a lot of skimming reading rather than soaking up every word of the assignment, and it may even mean running around at the office to get everything done. Ultimately though, it is so stinking worth it. Knowing that I’m investing in a life-long relationship is far more fulfilling than reading every word anyway. It means that when the assignments are done and we’re on vacation, we don’t have to catch up on 6 months of time spend, practically, apart.

My third bit of advice? Acknowledge that other people are busy too. If I let myself believe that I’m the busiest person in the room, I can start to resent all I have to do. I can resent people asking me to do things at work, and I can resent my friends and family for not being as stretched thin as I am. I can fall into a cycle of pride and frustration and that is an ugly place to be. The fastest way out of this is to see that the people around me are busy too. Even if it’s not a boat-load of “full-time” things, everyone has a daily juggling act. I remind myself of this John Watson quote: “This man beside us also has a hard fight with an unfavouring world, with strong temptations, with doubts and fears, with wounds of the past which have skinned over, but which smart when they are touched. It is a fact, however surprising. And when this occurs to us we are moved to deal kindly with him, to bid him be of good cheer, to let him understand that we are also fighting a battle.”

That’s my novel on living a balancing act! Feel free to email me with any questions...and hopefully I’ll prioritize responding (kidding...mostly). kimberlydawnlacroix {at} gmail {dot} com.

Kimberly

Makeover + Instagrams

If you view my blog in a Reader, come over here for a minute! My talented and wonderful and generous and sweet husband has given my little blog a makeover! I love it and I'm SO thankful to him for doing this for me. This time I did most of the designing and he did the coding. What do you guys think?? A bit more "grown up"? Also I'm so excited about my new "About Me" image taken by the lovely Ally Stepp of Love Life Studios!

Hope you're having a good weekend!

xoxo
Janee

Guest Post::: Kitty & Buck

Hello! It's lovely to meet you, my name is Shell and I am normally found over at Kitty & Buck. Today though, I'm really excited that Janee has shared her space with me so that I can tell you a little bit about my hometown, Sydney Australia. I figure most of you don't live in Sydney, but if you ever visit, you should print this out as a little guide, to give you an edge over the usual visitor's itineraries of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. If you're not visiting anytime soon, I hope you enjoy a peek into my beautiful city and enjoy a virtual holiday :)

There are so many hidden beaches and pretty pockets in Sydney, half of the time, locals don't even know about them. The first one I'd like to share with you is Redleaf Pool, located in Double Bay. It is the perfect place to have a picnic, you can park yourself on a blanket in Blackburn Park, overlooking the water, and when it all gets too much watching the water, you can mosey on down for a little swim. It's not really a 'pool', but a netted off enclave of the harbour. There are a couple of pontoons in the water if swimming is too much hard work and you need a snooze in the sun!

Photo via: Jim

If you are feeling slightly more adventurous, you should head to Rose Bay, hire a kayak and paddle out to Shark Island. Don't be put off by the name! It's not infested by land sharks or anything! It is named Shark Island due to it's shape, nothing more :) Once you arrive on your kayak, you can soak up the natural surroundings and also enjoy a 360º view of Sydney Harbour. If you're not into the 1km kayak idea, you can also catch a ferry over.

Shark Island image via: Sydney Harbour Specialists

This next one is a lovely day trip to take around Sydney. First, you need to catch a ferry to Watsons Bay and eat some fish and chips at Watsons Bay pub. Once you are fortified you can take a walk to Camp Cove beach and have a leisurely swim (no alcohol at the pub beforehand kids!) After your swim, continue your walk up to the headland, checking out more beaches along the way (including the nudie beach "Lady Grey"!!) Once you arrive at the oh-so-adorable red and white striped lighthouse, you can head over the peninsula to take in the breathtaking clifftop views at "The Gap". The walk ends back opposite a nice park, which is next to the pub and ferry wharf.

Photo via: Forgotten Fancies

I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the fun day trips you can take in Sydney. Let me know if you're planing a holiday and I'd be so happy to offer advice on things to see! You should of course still try to catch a show at the Opera House, my heart almost stops when I walk into that concert hall! The ride on the Manly ferry through the harbour is pretty awesome as well.

Thanks for having me Janee!

Shell
xo