Shay's Pajama Party: May with Fancy Ashley!

I am so excited about this month's pajama party because it is with one of my very favorite blogging friends...the always sparkly, always full of life, always super fun and very honest mama Fancy Ashley!

Ashley is a mama to two little ones, Teddy and Reagan (who she affectionately refers to as the Little Presidents) and married to Mr. Fancy.  They are darling!

Don't you just want to eat them up?!?!  The cuteness!

Ashley is my kind of girl...we both love Starbucks, cheeseburgers, watching TV and shopping.  Seriously...we are soul sisters.

Here we are in our pjs...mine are pink and hers are leopard (of course).  We just finished watching TV and eating our burgers and now we're chatting...

First up, we're discussing moving.  

Ashley just moved from California to Texas earlier this year and I'm moving this week, so it just makes sense that we discuss the ins and outs of moving (her move being waaaaaaaay more complicated than my move since mine is in the same area!).

What's your best tip for cross-country moving?

Purge before you pack! Chances are you will NOT be moving into a house that is not the exact same as the one you came from! For example, we had SO many cabinets and built-ins in our California house. You would not believe the things that I had held onto, just because we had space! I purged a ton prior to moving and still made 8 trips to the Goodwill while we were unpacking this house. It made me wish I had gotten rid of more before we left to save time and stress! 

What's your best tip for unpacking with little ones in the house?

       Just do a few boxes a day. It was overwhelming to me. I walked into my kitchen and family room the day the movers came and there were boxes everywhere. I really wanted to unpack it all overnight because I felt like the boxes were suffocating me, but honestly, with two kiddos, there was NO way I could do that. Kiddos or not, there was no way I could do that! 

I worked on the kitchen and family room first. I also made sure to unpack the kids’ rooms and playroom as fast as I could. If I walked into their bedrooms and felt like it was chaos, I knew that they had to feel similar. Their rooms are FAR from finished, but, they are unpacked and they have access to all their toys and things, and to them, that’s all that matters! 

A week after we moved in, my mom came and helped. It was huge! My hubby and I felt like we were at a standstill with the unpacking, and my mom came in and helped us find places for all the random stuff! 

How do you make your house a home?

   This has been on my mind a lot lately as I unpack and try to whip this new house into shape! Since we lived in an apartment, with none of our things for 3 months, I have realized even more so, that us all being together is what makes a place a home, not all of the things. That being said, there are little touches that I like to throw into our houses to make the more cozy. They are my candles, lots of home-cooked and baked meals and lots of time together. I also LOVE having a fire burning anytime it’s cool enough to do so. There’s something so cozy about a roaring fire! 

After I convince Ashley that she (and her mama) needs to come over to my and help me unpack boxes, we start chatting about another mutual love...the love of good food.

What is your favorite thing to make for supper this time of year?

Ashley:  I love anything on the grill, but my favorite is seared ahi tuna tacos with mango salsa! I could eat it every single day!

Shay: We love making burgers!  We are pretty creative when it comes to our burger making...no two burgers are ever the same.

My Pineapple Guacamole Burgers

How do you simplify eating outdoors this time of year?

Ashley: To simplify an outdoor meal, I typically make a little serving area on the island or kitchen table inside. I always prefer to make my own plate, so I can control the portions of all the food, etc, so I try to extend that to my family and guests as well!

Shay: I like to get everything ready indoors too and then just carry it outside.  I don't really like my food sitting outside, so we keep everything indoors (sides, chips, buns, etc) and then assemble our plates before taking them outdoors.  This also simplifies clean up!

Ashley is the queen of the creative cocktail, so I asked her what her favorite drink is this time of year and she said...

...Mojitos!  You can find her mojito recipes here.

She also does super fun cocktails like these too...

...it's a Peach Popsicle Prosecco Bellini!  How stinkin' cute is that?!?!

After the moving talk and the food talk...it's time to talk shopping.  Fancy Ashley is like the cutest thing ever and always looks fabulous and effortless even if it's just pics of her running to Home Depot or sitting in carpool.  This mama has her own signature style and always hits the mark.

What is the most worn item in your closet this month?
Ashley: It would have to be my casual tunics and dresses. I love the fact that I can throw one on and put on a cute hat, add a little blush/bronzer and mascara and of course lipgloss and head out the door and still look cute and put together!

Shay: My shorts!  I am such a shorts and tee girl this time of year.  My favorites are of course the J Crew Chinos :).

What is your typical date night outfit for this time of year?
Ashley: I am a HUGE fan of rompers! I wear them a lot on date nights! They are so adorable and I love that you can dress them up or dress them down, based on shoe choice. Wedges dress up a romper and flat sandals dress it down! A good romper that you feel great in, is a must-have and versatile closet staple!

How cute is she in her romper?!?!

Shay: In May, I'm wearing white jeans with a sleeveless top or tank and a pair of wedges on date night.


And some other early summer stuff to talk about in our pjs...

What do you typically give your kids' teachers as end of year gifts?
Ashley:  It usually depends. I try to give gifts based on the teachers’ personality and I also like to give them things that I would like to receive as a gift. I always think of something that they probably wouldn’t go out a buy themselves. Sometimes I do a fun mug from Anthropologie with coffee or a Starbucks card or flowers  inside or a cute pad of paper and fun pens and sometimes I do jewelry. The jewelry was a huge hit last year because it went perfectly with his teachers’ personalities!

       Shay: My kids' teachers always provide a list of their favorite things at the beginning of the year, so I typically pick one small thing from that list and attach it to a little Target gift card with a note from my kids.

Are you planning any summer vacations?

              Ashley: We are for sure doing a 2-3 week “summer tour”, as I am calling it, in California to visit family and friends. We are also discussing a Hawaii or Mexico trip, but might wait until the fall for that one, just depending on timing. School starts so early here in Texas, so I’m still trying to figure out dates, etc! I’m also hoping for a weekend away with my hubby too. That’s always fun and such a rare treat!

Shay: We are planning on escaping the Texas heat in late July or early August...just a fun road trip with the kids to see the mountains (and feel cooler air!). 

How do you spend time outdoors during late spring/early summer?

Ashley: I love to just sit and read outside while working on my tan. I also love to go to the pool/beach. I think we will be spending lots of time at the pool this summer. I hear it’s too hot to do anything else here! Ha! I like to workout outside as well when it’s cool enough to do so. I love a long walk. I used to walk the little presidents ALL the time when they were younger. Now, I struggle to keep them in the stroller because they would rather be walking and running!

   Shay: We live by the pool during the summer (thanks to that Texas heat!).  I love it because we wake up and go from pjs to swimsuits and then back to pjs before bed.  


What books are you reading this season?
    Ashley: I am obsessed with the book, “Love Does” by Bob Goff. It’s amazing. I always secretly hope that he will be on one of my flights when we travel, because I would love to meet him! I just started “Where'd you go Bernadette” and it’s hilarious. My best friend told me I had to read it and I’m loving it!

Shay: Goodness!  My plan is to read a lot this summer!  The first book on my list will be Emily Giffin's new book, "The One and Only".  It comes out next week and I'm just so excited to read it!

         And you know that at the end of every party, I always ask my co-hosts 
the same set of questions...here are Ashley's answers:

1. What is your favorite cosmetic?
   Lipstick (my fave is Mac “Candy Yum Yum”) and Lipgloss (My fave is Bobbi Brown “ElectricViolet”)

2. What is your favorite beauty product (not makeup)?
 Fresh Soy Facial Cleanser followed by Fresh Lotus Preserve Cream. I am a HUGE fan of all things by Fresh! I use a lot of their products!

3. What is your favorite TV show?
Frasier!!!! I watch it every night in bed and I go from season 1 to season 11 and then I start all over. I’ve been doing this for so long now. I love the show so much. Clearly! It’s the best!!!   It helps me fall asleep to something positive and happy. I always wish I could be friends with Frasier and Niles and Daphne and Roz and Martin in real life! I am positive we would all be besties!

Listen...last year when Ashley and I met, we realized that we both love Frasier and watch it every day...and it was then that we knew we were soul sisters.  For life. :)

4. What is your favorite vacation destination?

     Hawaii!! Second is Mexico!!

5. What is your favorite pair of shoes?

This is a hard one!!! I live in my Nike Frees, but LOVE my glitter heels just as much! They are not practical for day to day though! I also have a pair of glitter oxfords that I pretty wore every day last fall and winter! They are pretty much me, in shoe form and SUPER comfy! I even bought a second pair when they went on sale, you know, just to have for when I wear this pair out!

6. What is your favorite nail polish?

I use Gel polish on a regular basis. I cannot stand when my nail polish chips, so this has been great for me. I can get 2-3 weeks wear out of them, which is awesome!!! I love anything pink…usually neon pink and anything gold or glitter!

7. What is your favorite chick-flick movie?

     I will always love the movie Clueless and the movie Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. They are both so funny. I love Fried Green Tomatoes too. I’m always sobbing my way through it, but it’s always so good. I also love The Family Stone. It’s not really a chick flick, but I sob a lot during it, so it might as well be!

8. What is your favorite book?

Pride and Prejudice!

9. What is your favorite ice cream?

Chocolate Chip!

10. Who should star in a movie based on your life?

Reese Witherspoon for sure!

11. What is your least favorite household chore?

Omg the laundry! I have no issue actually doing the laundry, but folding and putting away the laundry?!! Awful! I think I would rather run a marathon than do the laundry every day! It’s never ending. I don’t think there is ever a day when I don’t do at least one load! I come from a big family and my mom always said she wished she had two laundry rooms…I can totally understand that now! Ha!

12. What is one fact about you most people don't know?

  Germs freak me out! A lot of people know this. I ALWAYS have a full size bottle of Purell in my purse and in the car. My friends and family make fun of me for it, but honestly, I don’t care! I would rather us all have clean hands and stay healthy! Ha! 

Yay!  Thank you so much Ashley for co-hosting with me today!!  You are fabulous, fun, and totally fancy...my favorite kind of girl (and favorite kind of friend!).  You can find so much more Fancy Ashley every single day here...

Her fabulous Fancy Ashley blog is here.

You can also find her on Pinterest, Instagram and Face Book too.

Thanks Ashley!  XOXO

And for dinner tonight...something that looks fancy but is so simple (and insanely delicious!)...

...my Taco Burgers!

Nothings says Friday like a burger that tastes like a taco...yummy!

Have a great weekend everyone!
XOXO