Dollar Tree Essentials

I love a good deal or sale. Who doesn't these days? It wasn't until college that I really figured out all of the awesome stuff Dollar Tree had to offer. Since then I go there for certain items. Here are some of my favorite Dollar Tree finds.

1. Vases/Decorative Glass Pieces
   Sometimes I just need something to fill up a shelf or want to switch up my coffee table. Dollar Tree has a ton of different shapes and sizes AND things to fill them with! Rocks, gems in every color, flowers-they have it!
2. Picture Frames
   Dollar tree has frames in a ton of different sizes and colors. Great for filling walls or putting on desks! 
3. Cleaning Supplies
   Not so much actual cleaning products, but things like sponges and spray bottles are great to buy here. They're only a dollar!!! You can't beat that. I get anything from shower curtains to brooms.
4. Office Supplies
   This is one of my favorite places to get things like tape, envelopes, and paper clips. Also a great place for calendars, paper, craft supplies, and binders! 
5. Candy
   When Connor is having a rough week or is coming home from the field, I love to make him baskets. He's huge on candy, but it can get pricey. Where one bag of candy at the grocery store can easily cost $5, I can get him more candy in a better variety by buying it at Dollar Tree. 
6. Party Supplies
   Buying your table cloths, napkins, plates, and plastic utensils from here will save you so much money! Not to mention they have all of the supplies in basically every color. Pro tip: they also have helium balloons! 
7. Organization Accessories
   There are bins and containers galore here! I love to use them for storage or to keep things organized throughout the house. 

Basically, there is a ton of stuff you can get at Dollar Tree and it will save you some serious money. There are numerous things that would definitely cost you more than $1 at the grocery store or elsewhere, that are right there in Dollar Tree. If you have one around, I most certainly encourage you to check it out. 

Until next time,
K. Shep

Top 5 Favorite Pinterest Meals

Out of my five goals for 2015, #1 has most definitely been a challenge. Since we moved out here, I would say I cook an average of three or four meals a week. Which means sometimes we eat out three or more times a week. We realized how ridiculous this was, mostly because of how much money we were spending. So a few weeks ago, we decided to re-evaluate and eat in at least five or six days a week. This meant more cooking for me, so I did what any other girl would do-I hit Pinterest. Here are five meals I found on Pinterest that I have actually successfully made and were a hit!

The best part about all of these? They're pretty simple! If I can make them, anyone can. Connor's favorite is definitely the chili. We put it over elbow pasta and it is delicious. My favorite? It's a tie between the chicken burrito bowl and the ziti. Pro tip for the chicken burrito bowl: shred the chicken up before you toss it back in the crockpot. With the ziti, we use a Cajun sausage to spice it up! Both are so yummy! Fire up those crockpots or ovens and try one out! 

Until next time,

K. Shep

Hottest Band in the World

"You wanted the best, you got the best! The hottest band in the world-KISS!"

Last week, Connor and I went to see KISS perform down the street at the Broadmoor World Arena here in Colorado Springs. Connor is a pretty huge KISS fan, and I figured it would be a cool experience to say I've seen them live. They are kind of legendary, after all. If you have no idea who I'm talking about, KISS is America's #1 Gold Record Award-winning group of all time. They are in the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame and have sold over 100 million albums worldwide. Read up on some history here.

I learned a lot, and a ton of thoughts ran through my mind as I watched the show. Here is my collection of thoughts from that night (along with some sub-par pictures):

THE FANS:
"They are all probably feeling so nostalgic right now...like these are the songs they loved as teenagers or when they were in their 20's..."

"Is this what it's going to feel like when I eventually get to see the Backstreet Boys one day???"

"Shoot dude, everyone here is going wild! Forget it's a Monday night."

"I bet some people in here waited months or years to see KISS live."

"I can't even pretend that I could keep up with these fans..."

THE PERFORMANCE:
"Okay, those platform boots are super tall, like how are they running around in those?!?"

"They must have incredible leg muscles from wearing those things."

"How many times do you think they've tripped or fallen down on stage because of those things?"

"You think their legs are sore from wearing those night after night on tour?"

"I need some tips from them because I do not have that much grace even without platforms."

"Paul Stanley has the best pants for sure. I like his."

"Paul also has the best moves???? Like how is he doing that???"

"Alright, well I'm gonna go be Paul Stanley when I grow up."

"Gene is up on a platform suspended above the arena right now and just playing like it's no big deal. I would be terrified. Guess that's just me, though."

"This is very theatrical. Almost like Alica Cooper theatrical."

"Blood and fire???? Wow."

The fact that those guys are still up there doing this is pretty impressive. I don't think I could put on the show they do for almost 2 hours. It's cool that I get to say I've seen KISS live, but I think once might've been enough for me.

Until next time,
K.Shep

Goal #3

Back in January, I made a post about my goals for 2016. Goal #3 was to read at least five books. I'm proud to say that it's July and I've already read four books, and am working on a fifth. (The public library is a beautiful thing, y'all.) Two of those books are by Mindy Kaling. Unknowingly, I read them in the proper order. It was nice.

The first book, her first book, is Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). I'm not really sure what made me want to read it. I watched The Office, but have never seen The Mindy Project or anything else Mindy has been in. Maybe because there was some hype around it? Either way, I was flying to Florida and wanted a book to read and the library on post had it. So, I went for it. Boy, am I glad I did!
This book is hilarious. It has some pretty adult content, but honestly it didn't take away from anything. It's a collection of essays about Mindy's life and her take on romance, Hollywood, and other things. Her humor is on point, but she also keeps it real and throws some thought provoking stuff in there. Nothing too heavy, but just some real talk. It's also only around 200 pages, so its a great weekend (or afternoon if you're ambitious) read!

I had no clue when I started reading her books, but her more recent book is Why Not Me? and it is also awesome. This is more a collection of essays about life in Hollywood, and how Mindy handles it. I was laughing a lot while reading this. She writes in a voice that is so easy to relate to, even though in no way am I a comedy genius like Kaling. It's also only about 200 pages, so its a great light read. 

These books were reads that I didn't know I needed. Honestly, I was bummed when they were over. I wanted more. Having not known much about Mindy before these books, I fell in love with reading about her life. If you're looking for a laugh, read these. If you're a twenty-something wanting some life advice, read this and maybe take it with a grain of salt. If you're looking for a good summer read, 10/10 would definitely recommend these.

As for the other two books I've read this year, they are Yes Please by Amy Poehler and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell. I probably won't write about them, but I did enjoy them.

Until next time,
K.Shep

July Bucket List

The last bucket list I made was for March. I'd say I nailed about 7 or 8 out of 10 of my items. I definitely unpacked every box and decorated the apartment. Our apartment isn't super decorated, but we might be moving on post so I'm hesitant to do much more. My last name is officially Shepard, as far as the government is concerned. I'd say about 85% of my information is actually changed. Running in this elevation is pretty easy finally. Connor and I even did a 10k and a 5k (he did the 10k, me the 5k). Wedding thank yous were started and finished and mailed out! As far as embracing turning 24, making new friends, keeping the old, and doing things out of my comfort zone; well I'm making progress. I forget I'm 24 a lot, like I totally had to use a calculator to figure out if I was 23 or 24 at least once. Whoops. I think I push myself out of my comfort zone more than I give myself credit for honestly. The fact that we still have been here less than 6 months usually warrants going out of my comfort zone at least once a week.

Fast forward a little bit and we're right on the edge of July (um, how?). Here's what I'm hoping to do this next month!

Keep an eye out for any and all adventures that could ensue this next month!

Until next time,
K.Shep