6.25.2018

SUMMER BUCKET LIST

Hold on everyone, I am blogging again this month! Say What! 3 times in a month, I might have to hold on to the rest of my posts for July. I am slowly getting back into the swing of things between work, life and everything else.

                
Summer is finally here. Anyone else wondering where in the world did the time go and how are we already half way through 2018? I can't complain though, over all it's been a good year and I am thankful its moving fast. I would love though for it to slow down a bit to enjoy these summer months. 
Shirt // GI Jane 
How perfect is this shirt for any occasion this summer? I always love a good camo shirt but that American Flag pocket totally makes it. Gives me all the heart eyes!  


With Summer here, I am ready to make a summer bucket list to really make the best of it! 

Summer Bucket List:

Go to a country concert
Go to the the fair
Go on a three dates with the hubby
Spend a full day swimming
Take a full day off from work 
Go on a date downtown (Old town or Seaport Village) 
Take more pictures 
Go on more dates with my girlfriends
Continue to grow Rustic Pineapple Boutique 
Go on one vacation
Plan our fall vacation 
Save some money 
Go to a Padre Game  
Be Spontaneous 
Go to the movies (preferably the luxury theater) 
Enjoy Summertime 






I honestly have the best friend. We spontaneously went to Kenny Chesney concert last week just the two of us & loved it! Kenny was ok but Old Dominion totally rocked it. I would love to see them again. I cant wait to see what memories we will make this summer! 

What is on your summer bucket list? 

6.12.2018

HAPPY TWO MONTHS!

It was 2013 and I started thinking about what I wanted to do with my life. At some point I suppose we all have this idea. Right? Like when exactly are we going to feel grown up? It had been six years since I graduated highschool and two years since I graduated college. I thought we were suppose to have it all figured out when we graduate college, but the truth is, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Yes I had a degree in something that I thought I might want to do. I still sometimes think that I would be a good person for HR work. 



Meanwhile, it seemed everyone around me was starting their own business. I was 24, newlish married, trying to survive deployments, and so much more. I had no idea about starting my own business or anything along those lines. SCARY! So, I began throwing the idea around to everyone I knew about opening my own boutique. Everyone was so encouraging and willing to help. So many said to follow my dreams and pushed me to continue to do it. I than pushed it to the back of my mind and thought maybe one day. Meanwhile, people were asking me where I got my clothes from and instead of saying oh this boutique, or from here, why not just say from my own boutique. I thought I could put my good shopping skills to good use. 



Fast forward, 2017 I really began researching the start of my own business. I started watching youtube videos, googling everything, saving good information and so much more. I even made a list of things I liked and disliked from other boutiques to make sure I included it in my own such as free shipping and excellent customer service. I even started to think of names for my store. This was the hardest part. I brought it up to a friend and she thought I wanted to change my blog name again. Oh no! That is staying and I am even trying to bring it more back to life.

Example of names we thought:
Blushing Pineapple
Ten Thirteen 
Dirt Road Boutique 
Blue Pineapple 
Purple Pineapple
Crazy Coconut  

Ultimately she said Rustic Pineapple was more me, fits my personality and I really like the way it sounds. 





Now to February 2018, I was sitting around one night working thinking to myself this cant be all there is to life. Working and more working. I sometimes enjoy my job but sometimes I am so over it. So I decided to take the leap of faith and apply for my tax ID, my resell permit, buy the domain, and the website. After that, it was no turning back. I needed to find what I want to carry and narrowing down my customers wants and needs. I worked more from February - April than I had in a long time. 

Than came, April 12, 2018 I finally decided to announce it to the world. First day went great! I honestly could not have asked for better support from family and friends. Thank you to everyone who supported me. 

Of course than there is the hype of a new store and everything else, reality sets in! Is this really the best idea? Was this the best move for my family? I suffer from chronic anxiety. Some days are great and I think I can do this. I can make this work. Some days I really question it all. Is all this hard work really going to pay off? I lay in bed at night tossing and turning thinking about it all. 


Today marks two months since I announced it to the world and I can honestly say I am so blessed with the success I have had even with my anxiety. So many things have sold out, are almost sold out and so much positive feed back. I also just added a sale collection. Use code SALE at checkout for additional 15% off the already reduce price. I could not ask for better two months of starting a business so many people dream about. 

The point of this post is to say, if you have a dream, Follow it! It won't come easy, you will have days of doubts and discouragement but know you are doing what you love and if you truly believe in it and put in the work, great things will come! I still have super bad anxiety about it all but I am hoping soon it will all fade away. 

Happy Two Months Rustic Pineapple Boutique

Meanwhile, I would love to put more pineapple packages in the mail to you! I promise you'll love it. Everything comes with extra treats. Provide the best possible customer service and always free shipping to you within the United States and military Po Boxes! (If you ever have any questions, please email me or message me on fb) 

Use code SWEETLIFE at check too for 15% off the entire site! 








4.24.2018

BALANCING MY LIFE


Hi ya'll! I can't believe we're already in the last week of April. These months are just flying by. San Diego is warming up and summer is around the corner. Did I really just say summer is coming already? We didn't get much of a fall/winter so I feel like we've been in summer all year long though.

I want to be honest, as usually I am, this blog has take a backseat in my everyday life. I used to blog regularly back in 2011-2013 or so. Matter of fact, I never shared my wedding photos, the details or anything like that. Fast forward to now, I want to bring it back. I want to share all my wedding info, recipes I have found and created, my love of fashion,opening my own boutique , how I mange to work 3 jobs, be a mom, wife, and friend. There's so much to blog about when I used to think there was nothing. 


I want my blog to come back alive and for it to be a place I can come and express myself to matter the issue, feelings or anything. I really do need to update it though. 

This leads me to, for the last month or so I have been extremely overwhelmed, anxious, nervous, discouraged and everything else. I am learning I am spreading myself way too thin and I really need to reel it back in and take a seat to focus on what matters to me. This is how I was feeling when I went on my hiatus of blogging a few years back and never really come back around. 

In the last month, I have learned a lot of things about myself. I work a ton. I do not take time for self care. I worry about everyone else first. My social life is struggle busing. Plus so much more. Yesterday, I decided I am going to just take the day off. Yes, I did some work but not nearly what I normally do and I felt so much better. 

Meanwhile, I brainstormed some ideas on how to balance my life and I want to share them with you. 

  • Go to the gym 
  • Take a walk with a friend 
  • Quit working for the day
  • Order takeout 
  • Binge watch your favorite show 
  • Read a good book 
  • Be lazy for a day 
  • Put your phone down 
  • Shut your computer off 
  • Go get a manicure and pedicure 
  • Get your hair done
  • Buy a new outfit 
  • Drink a glass of wine 
  • Make a lunch date with a friend 
  • Clean your house
  • Drink lots of water
  • Write your goals down 

Don't feel overwhelmed with summer coming. Take it one step at a time. 

What do you do when you feel anxious, nervous, overwhelmed? 



Let's connect




4.19.2018

ONE CRAZY WEEK + DISCOUNT CODE


Wow! What a crazy week it sure has been. Exactly one week ago I announced Rustic Pineapple Boutique. I am over joyed and humbled with all the positive feed back and encouragement from each of you. Thank you so much. It truly means way more than I could ever put into words for all the support and love. 




I kept everything really quiet for the two months or so it took to build everything together. I couldn't be more excited with how things are growing. The instagram account continues to get lots of love and shares, the facebook page is growing everyday and I am getting ready to launch the VIP group for all my Pineapple loves with special discounts and giveaways just for the group. I am so excited to share this brand I am building with each and everyone of you. I want to create a space where all women will want to shop to feel beautiful and confident no matter their shape.   


Our best selling Spring Time Dress is almost sold out. It is so exciting to have something so close to selling out. Get yours before it does sell out. My next favorite dress is the San Diego Dress. It is going to be the perfect closet staple this summer for all the swimsuit cover ups and looking adorable while out running errands. Just for today, all orders placed, I am giving away starbucks gift cards and use code thursday at checkout for 15% off your entire order. Always remember it's free shipping to you. 

Thank you everyone once again for all the love & support of my small business. 

update: join the VIP group on facebook to receive a code for 15% off, starbucks gift card & always free shipping to you!  



Enough of the Rustic Pineapple Boutique Talk. Friday was my favorite day of the month, the 13th. Just wouldn't be Friday the 13th unless something crazy happened right? Well, we ended up in the emergency vet with our baby boy Trigger. If you follow me on instagram you might of saw that his eye was all torn. Trigger and our other dog Jack got in a fight and once again Trigger lost. They had to do surgery and he's been in a cone since. I am waiting until possible Friday or longer to take the cone off just to make sure everything is healing appropriately.  

Than just wouldn't be a blog post unless I mentioned Hubby is off again on another adventure. This means I must go back to my eating healthy and workouts. I will get better about documenting it all. It will definitely help with the work load and self care that I have been slacking on too. 

Happy Thursday ya'll!   


4.12.2018

THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT

In the beginning of January I wrote a post about my word of the year, Brave. I told myself I was going to be brave enough this year to set my soul on fire and follow my dreams. It's nerve wrecking putting that out into the world and not really knowing how I was going to do those things. I had no idea what steps I would have to take or even where to start with following my dreams. I just knew it was something I needed to do to build my tribe

Fast forward, February. After a lot of research and some chatting with friends, I decided to jump right into it. I decided I wasn't going to let the fear of failure keep me from chasing my dreams. Thankfully it didn't & I have such supportive family and friends because...

This leads me to, Today! I am officially announcing, 



Yes you read that right! I opened up an online boutique for woman of all sizes at affordable prices and always free shipping to you within the US. I want to provide every clothing style for all woman to feel beautiful and confident. 




I carry a variety of clothes for all at affordable prices plus for this weekend use code welcome15 for 15% off your entire order





Coral Reef  $28 




That is just a little preview of some items we carry. They are lots more on the site. We will add new items daily so always check back. 

Follow along on instagram and facebook for any special discounts, announcements and even sneak peeks as to what is to come to the site. 




The Rustic Pineapple Promise

I started this business committed to providing the best possible customer service, affordable pricing, and great quality for women of all sizes, to feel beautiful and confident. My goal is for every woman to feel unique, gorgeous, and confident and eager to wake up each day and ready to chase their dreams. This business started as a dream of mine many years ago and today it is flourishing into more than I could ever imagine. With all that, my photography team works very hard to photograph everything in real life and with real women, to show the best possible image of each item we provide. Thank you for supporting my dream and I hope to do the same for you. If you ever feel you need to reach me for anything, please do so at shoprusticpineapple@gmail.com

you can find the shipping and return policy on the site. 

_________________________________________________

Grab your coffee and or glass of favorite beverage & come shopping. Check it out. Let me know what you think. Don't forget to use code welcome15 for 15% off your entire order. 

I cant wait to continue sharing this journey with ya'll and I can not say thank you enough for all the support and love. 

Cheers. Love. Pineapples. 







4.10.2018

UPDATE ON YOUR VIBE ATTRACTS YOUR TRIBE

Good Morning ya'll! 

I was cleaning up the good ol' blog and ran across this post where I talk about attracting my tribe. It's been almost two years since I wrote that post and I still find so much truth in it.  


Now that I am close to turning, dare I say it, thirty. Somethings still ring so true that I wrote about on my original post but I wanted to say it again. I have taken a hard look at the relationships in my life over the years and which ones I truly want to keep. Let me say, it's okay for friendships to end. It just means those people were in your life for that season and your season changed.Find comfort in knowing and believing it's okay to move on and move past.  

I still believe whole heartily that the energy and vibe you put out is what you will attract to your circle. If you are doing things that you feel are not you, stop! Change what you want to and keep doing what you believe in. Do not follow the crowd. Be the one person to stand out when everyone else is just moving along. With that said, quit your job if you hate it, yes you will find a new one. Move to a different town/city/state if you feel you're being pulled in a different direction or just want to get out there and explore. Get out of that relationship that you feel is tearing you down and just going from day to day. Find comfort in being alone and yourself. Follow your dreams!  

With my dreams becoming a reality and working hard towards them, I only want to surround myself with uplifting, inspiring people who work hard towards their goals and dreams as well. I want my circle to be motivating, encouraging, supportive and positive. Do you know what you want in your circle? 

I want to encourage you all today, take a hard look at your circle and really decide what people are bring you and what you need daily in your life. Cut out the negative people who are bringing you down and not supportive of what you are doing or your dreams. This could be hard at first, but remember you're doing this to help move closer to your dreams and goals. 

Lastly always remember, bring out all your positive vibes and you will attract a positive tribe. 

Happy Tuesday ya'll! 

Follow along

4.05.2018

WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MORNING

Hey Ya'll! I am sticking to my blog posting this month so far plus I am working on updating the blog. I am in need of someone who can help with that? Anyone out there want to help or know someone who can help? Send them my way please or leave their information so I can get in contact with them. 

I am working hard on a few things currently which sometimes leaves me feeling in a funk in the morning. Mostly the mornings the to do list is over flowing and it seems as I cross one thing off the list, than two more things are added. When I wake up in the morning in that funk, here are somethings I do to shake it and make the most of each day. 


1. Having a Cup of coffee or Your favorite beverage //

Something as simple as a yummy cup of coffee can truly change my mode. I love being able to sit down and enjoy it. My favorite days are the ones I work from home where I am not in a rush to get out the door and can enjoy it while it's still warm/hot. It is rare though to actually finish a warm cup of coffee before getting super busy. 

2. Read //
Lately, I have been getting up in the morning to read a few pages out of my book. I am addicted to reading from a real book and not just on my iPad. This also includes my daily devotional I am trying to finish. Anyone else like to read from a real book? 

3. Put on a cute outfit  // 
Sometimes all it takes is for me to put on a cute outfit and or workout gear and my mode instantly changes. It's like my mind knows something is about to go down. Also, changing from pjs to clothes help sets the tone for the work day.  

4. Light a candle //
I will light one of my favorite candles in the morning while I am doing my reading & enjoying my coffee. 

5. Do a quick workout // 
Sometimes I don't need to do a full hour or so but something as small as 10 minutes truly helps . It gets my day going and my heart rate up. Than I am ready and I know I can always go back to my workout once I get my to do list started. 

What do you do to improve your mornings?


Follow along in my journey



2.23.2018

Next Adventure


This quote is everything right now for me. I love when I go looking for a quote and one just pops out at me and speaks great inspiration. 

You're meant for greater things.


I blinked and it's Friday again. 

Time is just flying by. This week has been absolutely crazy & it is not settling down anytime soon, but I am very thankful and blessed for all the crazy. 

The whole reason I opened up this little space today was to tell you a secret. All these times I have been saying "chase your dreams", the reality was I was not chasing my own dreams. I have/had this deep fear of failure, and I still do.  But that all changed this week. I have no idea what sparked inside of me to do it, but I officially took the steps to chase my dreams and be brave


I told myself I have no option but to be successful so I am going to pour my whole heart and soul into this next adventure and make the best of it. Why would I sit back and watch everyone else chase their dreams yet I was not doing it myself? So I changed that! 

Cheers to the next adventure and chapter in my life. I am excited to share it with you all soon. I am trying to put the finishing touches and everything together. In the meantime, I have been making notes in my phone of blog topics I want.One I have been brainstorming on is how I meal plan - I do not meal prep-  and what a week in my life looks like for grocery shopping and planning. Plus I have some recipes I have been eating a ton of I want to share and so much more. 

What do you all want to see on the blog? 

1.29.2018

The Beginning To My Journey

I told myself I was going to use this space to document my weight loss journey because I always forget to update my facebook page . (I promise to get better with that too). Since I am taking leaps this year to be brave, I decided I should start with exactly what I wanted to do with this space, the big reason I decided to come back to my corner. I want to share my journey, the fun, the ugly and the all in between even if it just helps one person.  

Many of you know, if you follow me on instagram, if not we should be friends on there, that I go to the gym on average twice a week to meet with my coach to weight lift. I love it because I don't have to think about the workout, I dont have to do much thinking matter of fact besides making sure I have proper form and he controls the amount weight. Also, it's great to be around people who are on a fitness journey too. It's a non commercial gym which makes things 1000000% better. I have put on a decent amount of muscle in the last few years of going, so now it's time to show it off. 


Look at them hips. (insert biggest eye roll) 

In order to show off those muscles, I need to shed some of the fat. So I am going full force into IIFYM. I did it in 2016 when hubby was deployed before too and had great success. 

If you don't know about IIFYM - it stands for if it fits your macros. You weigh your food, log/track your food, and you eat within a certain amount of carbs, fat and protein.  The goal is to be within +/- 5 of your daily intake goals each day. The macros make up you calorie intake, so you focus on the macros and not the calories. Carbs and Protein are 4 calories/ gram and fat is 9 calories / gram. You could eat a 100 calorie snack and it could be 25g of carbs but if that is all you ate, you would be hungry ALL day long and eat a ton of carbs with no protein/fat. 

There is so much information out there to learn how to do it, the formula to determine your macros and so much more but it truly is the only "diet" that has worked for me and I have done ALOT of different diets. I have noticed I tend to eat lower carb naturally and I always over eat my protein goal even when I try not too.

I use the app My Fitness Pal and it seems to be the best one for me. I love that I can scan my food and it remembers foods I eat often. Which I tend to eat the same foods every day.  


Currently those are my goals. I will have to adjust them eventually. I have been eating at these numbers for about a solid week. I started January 1 but than my house had some serious issues that it totally derailed everything. So I had to refocus once it was all settled and was fixed. So I am actually going to count February 1 as my starting point with my weight and measurements. 

My goal is to lose about 10 pounds before end of March when hubby and I go visit my sister. I am putting that out into the world so it can hold me accountable. 




Why you weigh your food? This is the assorted macaroons from Trader Joes (which are delicious by the way) but the package says 3 macaroons (30g) per serving. I weigh it out, and actually 2 macaroons are 27g so no way that 3 = 30g. Therefore if you ate that 3rd macaroon it would be extra calories that you didn't count and eventually those extra calories start to equal extra pounds/ not losing weight to reach your goals. It's so important to weigh your food vs. eating off serving size   

I get it can be fore frustrating at first and time consuming but I promise you the more you do it the more it just becomes natural. You can build recipes, you can eat whatever you want basically as long as it fits, and sometimes it's even good to just have that "cheat" meal not day! 

So here we go, February 1! You can do it too!!! 

I will share a day of eating soon. 

Have you done IIFYM? 
 

1.22.2018

I was Brave

Last time I really dedicated myself to get on track and lose some weight was summer of 2016. Husband was deployed and I was determined to get in shape for his homecoming. Well I lose about 15 pounds and met him in Hawaii. We had a great time & than life went back to normal and I gained that back. Since than, it's been a hell of a time to get back on track. I find myself once again with hubby deployed and wanting to get in shape for his homecoming. 

Inset this blog. I am going to use my little space to track my progress and ability to stay on track. I have horrible times on the weekends and even worse time trying to find lunch ideas but I am determine to do this. Also, you know that whole brave thing?  Well this is me being brave to share my journey.               

                  

Hydroflask came out with the hawaii edition bottles and I knew I had to get one. I got the Moana color and my sister got the Pomaikai (yellow & hot pink). I finally got a straw lid for it too to use. Secret to my hydroflask, I never put anything else in my bottles besides water so they do not grow anything inside of them. I have seen some nasty in them. 


Friday I finally did some sprints/cardio for the first time in a long time. I even busted out my beats by dre purple headphones. One day I will use my bluetooth ones and see how I like them. I am currently in the step bet Challenge that Brandi is running. I love the step bets over the diet bets. I can hit my steps but not so much lose the 4% body weight. We are just about to start week 3 which means half way through the challenge. 

RIP little mouse, you picked the wrong house to enter. 


So I did a brave thing that I wouldn't of done normally. I am such a home body. I do not like going places and definitely don't like going places alone. So when this gem asked me to come watch her competition I knew this was the first step to being brave this year. 

I walked into this competition knowing my gym was there but no one else. There was tons of people in this place. The anxiety kicked in and I didn't know what to do. Luckily she found me and said hello but than she had to go back to warm ups. She crushed it on the platform and I know so many amazing things are still ahead for her journey. 




There you have it. My first update of the year. 
How are you following your year goals?

1.16.2018

Goals for 2018

 

Well, here we are two weeks into the New Year and I never really set any goals until recently. I know I am late to the game but better late than never right? I am hoping to write these down to be able to come back to reflect if I actually reached the goals. 

I did write about my word, Brave. Which, I believe so far, I have been doing all the brave things and proving a lot to myself, but now it's time to write out the goals to do the same thing. 

Goals for 2018


  • Fitness: It's time I get it together. I say it every year, but this year has some BIG plans so I need to get on it before it becomes extra difficult. I am going to use this space to write all about the things I am doing to stay active and healthy. 
  • Budget: Pay off all our credit cards than I want to make a budget and stick to it so we can build up our savings and open some retirement accounts. You know, do adult things. 
  • Start my dream: I have been putting it off year after year because we didn't pay off our debt and I didn't want to compile more debt onto of the debt we already had, so we us so close to paying it off, it's time I start that dream and go full force with it. 
  • Read 5 books: I know many of you read that in a month, but for someone who struggles with reading daily, I believe this would be a good start. So, send me all your book recommendations as I have no idea which books I want to read. I am currently reading a Nicolas sparks book, but I have been reading it since December 2016..oops 
  • Blog: Create my little space the way I want it. Continue writing and do it for myself. Don't fall into anything. Just keep doing what I want and clean up the space a bit. 

What are your goals for 2018? 

1.08.2018

Brave

Here we are 2018, where in the world has the time gone? It's like I blinked and I have been married for 5 years, out of high school for 10 years and I am 2 short years away from 30.  Let that sink in for a bit, eek It's moving much to quickly. 

I have always been a planner, you could say it's a family trait. My dad was a planner for a big company, my brother is a planner so much so that we have a family joke that everything he does is in a spreadsheet, it's just in my nature to want to plan everything. So when the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2017 I thought I knew everything I wanted to accomplish last year. I even wrote some of them down but as we know, life is funny in that way. I can't say it was a complete waste but I definitely didn't accomplish what I wanted to. So I am going to work on letting go of the planner side of me and I am going to pick a word to focus on this year instead and some goals that I won't beat myself up over as long as I stay true my word. 

"Brave enough to start. You were always meant to be brave."

Brave. It's one of those words that has just reappeared since the beginning of the year. It just spoke to me. Almost like a sign. I knew this was going to be my year to be brave in every aspect of my life.  




I am going to be brave enough to do everything that I set my heart on and sets my soul on fire. 
Brave to forgive those that I never truly forgave years ago, it's time I really let that part go. 
I am going to be brave to stand up for myself. 
Brave to strength my marriage, friendships, and relationship with Jesus. 
I am going to be brave enough to share this little corner of the web to those around me. 
Brave to say no to things. 
I am going to be brave to be true to myself. 
Brave to chase all those dreams I have ever had even if it scares me. 

This year I am going to Brave for myself! 

What are you working on for 2018? 

1.07.2018

Let's Do This

It's been over a year since I even opened up this little space. I have thought about just quitting all together and deleting everything, than I realized it's like my journal. This little space has been here for me for so many seasons of my life that I can't just quit. It almost has an emotional attachment. There are so many memories I don't want to delete such as when we got Trigger , letter to my sister, going to the zoo and so much more. 

Thanks to Kelly  for relaunching her blog on January 1, I decided I wanted to do the same thing. I am not going to worry about the layout right now, the outdated pictures, the old content, how many people will actually read this, or if anyone ever will, I am just going to worry about putting my memories on here so I can always go back and read it again. I can't say I will be here Monday-Friday but I will promise I won't go a year without writing as so many things happen in a year. 

So with all that, I have decided I owe it to myself to start again. To start documenting all the fun adventures, the hard times, and struggles of everyday life of a military wife. 

So here we go, 2018... Let's do this!