For this first round, I randomly picked five of your questions to answer that were all across the board and addressed everything from food and beauty to weddings and dogs. I initially wanted to include 10 questions but I was quite long-winded with my answers (as you will see below) and figured you guys didn’t want to read a novel from me today. (I saved the other questions I received for the future, so if I didn’t get to yours today, I hope to soon!)
Let’s get to it!
Instagram Stories Q&A
- I’d love to know your hair care routine. I think we have similar hair but I feel like I have to wash mine everyday. I do use dry shampoo but by the end of the day I feel so gross I just have to wash it! How do you style your loose waves?
I typically wash my hair twice a week but almost always let it air dry one of the days (usually my mid-week wash since I don’t really care to style my hair as much during the week since I’m usually just out and about with Chase and working from home). I spend a little more time on my hair on Friday or Saturday when I wash it and then spray it with a heat protectant. (I’ve been using a combination of Nexxus Promend Heat Protecting Mist and Premiun Nature Argan Oil Hair Protector Spray <— A more natural alternative.) I then blow dry it with by BaByliss hair dryer which I think really does reduce frizz and makes my hair look silkier.
If I’m going to curl it, I will then hairspray the heck out of my hair with Big Sexy Hair Spray & Play Volumizing Hairspray which I absolutely swear by for adding texture and volume to my waves. I then wrap my hair around the outside of my curling iron away from my face and leave the ends out for a beachy look. (A wand would probably work better than a curling iron for this but I still haven’t bought one.) I then hairspray my hair again and try not to touch it while I do my makeup. (At this point my hair looks like Medusa.) Once my hair feels cool and my makeup is done, I brush it out again and hairspray the heck out of it. I will also sometimes run my straightener over my bangs and the tips of my hair if they look a little too fluffy or kinky and spray my roots and waves with Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray .
As for how I go for days in between washes, I really do swear by Living Proof dry shampoo! The more I use it, the more I notice almost a build-up at my roots (which I know sounds disgusting) but since my hair is so fine and flat, I don’t really mind it and almost prefer it since I feel like it adds a little bit of volume. I also tend to change up my hairstyles to allow myself to go longer between shampoos. I will often wear my hair down right after I wash and style it and then go for a half-up/pulled back style a day or two later and then progress to ponytails and hats (see above!) when it’s almost time to wash it again.
- Now that it’s been a little while since the crazy wedding years for you guys, what one piece of advice would you have for a couple planning a wedding soon? I feel like it’s so easy to get caught up in all the planning and comparison with all of your friends getting married around the same time.
I cannot believe it has been almost seven years since our wedding! I definitely feel out of the wedding game at the moment but absolutely LOVED that time in our lives. Looking back on all of the weddings we attended, I can say that the most memorable weddings we attended were the ones that were less traditional and more unique and really felt like the couple. (For the perfect example of what I mean, please check out Kaitlyn and Kailon’s wedding recap. Their wedding was beautiful and SO MUCH FUN.)
I’d definitely talk with your fiancé about what you both feel is most important and go from there. If you can figure out a way to do something original and true to who you are as a couple, I’d say go for it! For example, Ryan and I LOVE a cappella music and I think somehow incorporating a local a cappella group into our wedding (possibly for the ceremony music or something!) would’ve been really neat but of course I didn’t think of that idea at the time (and also have no idea if that would’ve totally killed our budget).
Another thing to keep in mind is that people just really want YOU to love your day. If the bride and groom look like they are in love and having the time of their lives, I think that really translates to the guests and makes everyone feel happier and more excited about celebrating such a special day. And maybe I’m a total sap, but don’t underestimate your vows. They were my favorite part of my wedding and something I definitely look forward to hearing during every wedding I’ve attended.
- I would love to know how you shop healthfully on a budget!
Meal planning is SO huge for me when it comes to sticking to a grocery budget. When I actually take the time to plan out my meals, we definitely cut down on food waste and eliminate superfluous purchases. (Here’s a little peek into my meal planning/food prep process: Prepping 5 Healthy Dinners.)
I’m also not sure if you live close to an ALDI, but you must check it out if you do! I cannot tell you how impressed I’ve been with the prices of their organic produce (cheaper than conventional produce at many grocery stores) and their SimplyNature line of products.
I also regularly purchase pantry staples from Thrive Market which I absolutely recommend for healthy and organic shelf-stable products like coconut oil, quality salad dressings, healthy snacks and bars, collagen, nut butter, honey, sauces, etc. There’s an upfront membership fee but I’ve easily made the cost of my membership back in savings.
We also really try to limit how much we eat out. Part of that is simply because we now have an energetic toddler and sitting down to eat out at a restaurant with Chase right now is not my idea of a good time, but making it a point to eat meals at home most days seems to really help with overall monthly food expenditures.
- When you were doing long runs with Sadie, did you work up to them? Did you ever have any issues with her pulling when you ran? I have a very energetic dog here in Texas and was wondering how y’all got started!
When I began training for half marathons, I did a decent amount of research about running long distances with Sadie and found that vizslas are a breed that can absolutely handle (and LOVE) long distance running. For the most part what I read was to include Sadie in most of my training runs and these runs would basically work as her training runs, too, allowing her to work up to the longer distances we tackled on my long run days. For some of my longer runs, I’d loop back by our house for a water break for Sadie or plan routes around town where I knew we’d have access to water. The heat seemed to bother her more than the distances when we lived in Florida, so planning my runs early in the morning before the heat of the day set in was key!
As for pulling, I feel for you on that one! For a long time, walking or running with Sadie was kind of miserable because she’d pull so much. Once we bought a Gentle Leader harness, everything improved dramatically! If your dog tries to pull, the harness basically makes them walk around in a circle so if they want to get anywhere, they know to walk or run with a little slack in the leash. Total game changer!
- Do you have any healthy meal ideas for one?
I think a great way to address this question is to look at my lunches! I am usually only feeding myself for lunch and will often eat dinner leftovers because I don’t want to have to cook a billion times a day. (So, in this instance, making recipes that feed 2-4 people with the intention of eating leftovers is great for one person!) I will also often cook up a bunch of roasted vegetables for myself for lunches and then pair them with a grain of some kind (I’ve been loving wheat berries and barley lately), a source of protein (chicken thighs, salmon, etc.) and some avocado slices for creaminess and healthy fats. Salads and breakfast-for-dinner are both go-tos for me when I’m doing my own thing for dinner.
Questions of the Day
- What is one piece of advice you’d give to a newly engaged couple who are in the middle of planning their wedding?
- What is one thing you do to help save money on healthy food?
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