Sweater  |  Skinny Jeans  |  Slouchy Boots  |  Satchel

H&M is one of my favorite places to shop  for lots of reasons!  They have an excellent program where you donate a bag old clothes and you get 15% off your next purchase.  It's a feel good way to save a little money while making space in your closet for all those new clothes.  My mom and I get excited when we get a bag full of stuff to donate because it means we get to go shopping on a discount!  What I love most about H&M's recycling program is that the items you donate are either reworn, reused, or recycled.  Clothes that can be worn again  are marketed worldwide as second hand goods.  Items that can't be worn again are converted into other projects.  If an item can't be reworn or reused, items are recycled into textile fibers or manufactured into products used as insulation for the auto industry.  

I hope you look at your old clothes differently and take part in the recycling program next time you shop at H&M!

TGIF!!  It's currently snowing for the first time this season and I'm not sure how I feel about it!  But I do know that colder weather calls for soups, stews, and other comfort foods.  Many of us are often too busy to make a homemade dinner every night.  Thankfully, there are tons of easy crock pot recipes that are time savers.  Prepping a crock pot meal the night before makes dinner the next day super simple!  Everything is cooked and ready to go when you get home.  Today, I'm sharing a few simple and healthy recipes to make dinner less of a hassle.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak — cut across grain into thin slices
• 1 cup  low-sodium beef broth
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons chili-garlic paste — Sriracha, or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, plus additional to taste
• 2 teaspoons  minced garlic — about 2 large cloves
• 2 tablespoons  cornstarch
• 5 cups  broccoli florets — about 2 small crowns
• Prepared brown rice — or quinoa for serving
• Chopped green onions — and toasted sesame seeds optional for serving

Instructions

1. Coat a 4-quart or larger slow cooker with nonstick spray. Place the beef in the bottom.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the beef broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chili-garlic paste, and garlic. Pour over the beef, then stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 1 1/2 hours.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup water and cornstarch. Stir into the slow cooker with the beef and sauce, then place the broccoli on top. Cover, turn the heat to high, and cook another 30 minutes, until the broccoli is tender. Serve warm over rice, sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds as desired.
   

Ingredients

• 1 chuck roast (3-4 lbs)
• 1 lb baby carrots (or carrots, cut to about 1" pieces)
• 1½ lbs potatoes (any variety, cut into about 1" pieces if necessary)
  
• Celery
  
• 1 medium onion diced
  
• 4 Tbsp homemade dry onion soup mix
  
• 2 cups of water or beef broth
  

Instructions

1. Place half the potatoes and carrots on the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Next, place the chuck roast on top of the vegetables.
3. Place remaining vegetables on top and around the chuck roast.
4. Pour homemade dry onion soup mix and water over the top.
   
5. Cover with a lid and cook on low for at least 8 hours, preferably 10.
6. Shred meat slightly with two forks, serve hot.
   

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium shallots — finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine — or substitute additional chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 medium butternut squash — about 1 1/2 pounds, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• Coarse sea salt  and freshly ground pepper to taste
  
• 3 1/2-4 cups vegetable broth — or reduced-sodium chicken broth*
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked short grain brown rice
  
• 6 ounces loosely crumbled feta cheese — about 1 1/2 cups
  
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves — about 4 large leaves, plus additional for topping

Instructions

1. Lightly coat the bottom of a 5- or 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In a large saucepan, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, salt, and pepper. Sauté until the shallot is soft and translucent but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.
2. Transfer the shallot mixture to the slow cooker. Add the squash, 3 1/2 cups broth, and rice. Cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours (or on low for 4 to 6 hours), until the rice is tender and creamy. Check the broth level towards the end of the cooking time to ensure the risotto doesn't dry out. If it seems too dry, stir in a bit more broth as needed.
3. Stir, then taste and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Stir in the goat cheese and fresh sage. Serve immediately, topped with additional fresh sage as desired.
   

More slow cooker recipes can be found on my Pinterest board!
Share your favorite comfort food recipes below :)

Lace Cami  |  Denim Jacket  |  Olive Jeans
Mules, similar  |  Watch  |  Handbag

Embracing fall as much as I can before the snow gets here!  I love the colored jean trend this season and these olive green ones are to die for.  Nothing screams fall like a lovely shade of green.  These particular pair of pants are actually several years old and I picked them up at a resale boutique.  I will link similar options below in the widget :)  I am still loving this light wash denim jacket, also styled in this post.  The vintage feel is the perfect touch to this casual look.  It's also incredible soft!  Definitely a good purchase from Target, and inexpensive.

I'm still sick but am getting better.  I might take another half day so I can take a nap and hopefully kick the last of this cold.  The hardest part is not having any energy to get things done.  I am such a busy body that it's hard to just sit and relax when I know there are things to get done.  Is anyone else like that?  Or is it just me?? LOL

Glasses  |  Sweater, old - similar  |  Handbag
Faux Leather Leggings  |  Booties

Over a month ago, the pastor at my church did a series on Frequency; tuning out distractions in order to focus on communicating with God.  What was talked about those three weeks really stuck with me and I felt compelled to share with you!  There are so many distractions in our world; social media alone takes up more of our attention than we realize.  How can we tune out everything that keeps us from effectively communicating with God?  It's not just about praying, it's also about listening.  Tuning into that frequency so that we resonate with God.  Thankfully, all the sermons from my church are recorded and available online for you to listen to!  Go to this link and listen to the 3 week series on Frequency.

One of the aspects I'm currently working on from the series is keeping my prayers focused and consistent while making notes on how God is answering my prayers.  There are so many blessings that can go unnoticed when we mindlessly pray.  I use to mumble the same prayer each night without being specific about what was actually going on in my life.  Now, I really take the time to be honest with God.  It feels amazing to open up and let Him be in control!

I hope this speaks to you on some level.  We are all struggling with something and I encourage you to take some time to tune into God through these sermons I mentioned.  Please share your thoughts in the comments!