I am such a sucker for a cozy sweater you can throw on with your favorite jeans. I snagged this top last year and it has been one of my absolute favorites! So flattering on every women and you will not want to take it off! I love wearing it off the shoulder the most.
Can you believe we are already three weeks away from Christmas! Yikes and Yay!!! I have collected some items that I have personally have ordered for either myself and family or would love to open up on Christmas morning! I have fun checking out all these amazing deals!!!
Man has it been a HHHHOOOTTTTTTT minute since I last put up an outfit post! A ton has happened between now and then and I have to say I am pretty darn grateful for it. I really needed to step back for awhile and see if blogging is something I wanted to keep doing.
Nordstrom Rack has majorly over done themselves with this Clear The Rack Sale! I've never seen prices so low in a long time. Things are selling out really fast, so I selected some of my favorites from the sale!
The kids and I did a quick Target run the other day for some last minute things for my vacation and of course we couldn't leave without hitting the Target Cafe and picking up some snacks for the week. My kids have been eyeing these cheese snacks from Mini Babybel®forever and I just couldn't say no because I secretly wanted to try them too. HA! My kids could seriously live off of cheese and crackers! Mini Babybel® is made with 100% real cheese and is a good source of calcium and protein....so this Mama is WINNING in the healthy snack department!
My littles could not wait to get home to open up these yummy little snacks and to be honest, either could I!
I came across some really yummy ways to enjoy these tasty cheeses bbbbuuutttt I kinda let the kids that the lead on this snack. I couldn't resist snapping some adorable photos of them with my Fall decor! These are seriously the prefect little party snack for the upcoming holiday season and just bring out the kid in us!
I truly love the fact that, not only are these snacks healthy and tasty for my little ones to enjoy during the day or to place in their lunch boxes for school, etc...I love that they help them with their motor skills as well! From the unwrapping to cutting the cheese up to place on their favorite crackers! As Mom, I appreciate all the help I can get to keep them busy and make learning fun!
Ok Mamas, make sure to pick up a bag of these yummy Mini Babybel® cheeses on your next Target run! You won't be sorry and let me know how you enjoyed them! Also make sure to check out Mini Babybel® to learn more about this delicious snack that the entire enjoy family can enjoy!
I am SUPER excited to finally share this travel post with all of you. I've been working on this for awhile now and I really hope you enjoy it. I will be sharing how I will be packing for my week long trip to Miami that includes tricks to save your make up from breaking, your jewelry from getting all tangled, and so much more!
Well a year has come and gone for my blog and man have I learned a ton not only about blogging but a lot about myself and what I could accomplish by just TRYING everyday. When I first started my blog and started posting regularly, I made three goals for my blog. Having those goals were very helpful to keep myself motivated throughout the year. Going into my second year now, I need to do this again because I have lost motivation to post regularly again. Between taking care of the kids and running a household, it's very hard to find the time to feel inspired to write a post. My blog is not a source of income for my home. When I post links to my outfits, I do get a very small commission if you purchase from those links. I simply created my blog because since I was a little girl, style/fashion has always been a strong passion of mine. I am so grateful for all the support that my family, friends, and followers give me!!! I cannot thank you all enough for supporting my dream of running a style/fashion blog.
As you can see, I have changed my blog name from "Balancing In Heels Through Motherhood" to "Ashley Clark Blog". The reasoning behind this is one, I jumped the gun on how much I was going to actually share about my family/children. I never fully felt comfortable having their little faces all over the internet just for the sake of an outfit or what we are up to. Other bloggers show their children and a lot about their day to day lives and it works for them. By me opting out on this, I feel like it's harder for readers/followers to find me relatable at times. So that can be frustrating for me because I am putting myself out there for the world to judge me already with my style and things I love to do. My kids are running around while I am working on a post blog and when we are shooting outfits. I am real Mom struggling to multitask just like the rest of them, sadly you just don't see that. Reader's see a girl with a put together outfit and no chaos going on. So please know, their is A LOT of chaos going on! HA!
Welcome to my new blog design!!! Don't you just love it!?! I am so excited to finally share it with all of you and to talk more about why I decided to change the title of my blog. I will have a more detailed post about why I switched over to this title and what I have learned this past year from blogging. I really wanted to have that post ready to go for you today but I just didn't feel like it was fully ready yet. I have a lot of things to explain and share with you. So bare with me, I should have that up in a few days.
Today I am partnering up with Shein to bring you a designer dupe for Fall. This little cross body bag is the prefect bag for Fall! It looks exactly like this GUCCI bag but for WAY less!
It's no surprise that I am pretty much obsessed with stripes. This long sleeve number is the prefect top to add to your collection for Fall. I snagged it from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and it JUST went on MAJOR sale (under $15!), so the timing for this post couldn't be more prefect! You will just love wearing this for Fall!
Hooray we have finally reached Fall! Let the madness of PSL, Football, Pumpkin candles, and scarfs begin! We are slowly getting out of the 100's here in Arizona and I may or may not be sweating to death some days because I want to enjoy my new Fall goodies I have been collecting.
I am SO excited to finally share this post with you ladies. Before I get into today's post, I need to say a BIG thank you to my hairstylist/friend Emily at Habit Salon for giving me this gorgeous cut and color. I have been going to Emily for almost a year now. I give her a hard time about going from dark to blonde and then back to dark! hehe I will link all her contact info at the end of this post.
Starting off the post from a few months back. It will be a time line like format.
(Few Months back) When I first cut half my length off:
As most of you know by now I recently cut pretty much half my length off and I promised myself that I would never do that again.....oops! Once we moved to Arizona, I ALWAYS had my darn hair up in a bun and I was just over it. My head was always hurting and I was starting to lose hair along my hair line in the front. So I thought it was time for a fun change and also time to figure out a way to help grow my hair back out in those troubled areas.
My first color appointment from going from REALLY dark: Also she shortened my hair a little more.
We had major Jenna Dewan Tatum inspo going on for this cut!
My most recent appointment.
(Before)
The morning of my appointment, I had washed my hair a few times with Unite Clarifying Shampoo. I like to do this about a week or two before my color appointments because my hair is really stubborn when I want to go lighter. I paired the Unite Moisturizing Conditioner with it as well. I completely spaced and forgot to use it the week prior for this appointment, so that's why I washed my hair a few times that morning. Then I did a REALLY quick blow dry so you ladies could an idea of what my color looked like going into my appointment....so no judging haha //Little disclaimer.....I STINK at blowing drying my hair! Shocker right?! I never have the time to really do it how I want to.
After a few hours in Emily's cozy chair we achieved some gorgeous color!
Going from DARK to light is A MAJOR process ladies. What I truly love about Emily, is that she is very careful about not completely destroying your hair when you are wanting to go lighter. She is very thoughtful, smart, and realistic about what you will get out of each appointment. I love her honestly and admire all her hard work! I don't know how she does it and I'm so happy we got paired up together when I first walked into that salon.
We have another color appointment next month before I head out of town and I CANNOT WAIT! We will be going lighter and hoping that some blonde color finally pops through! I'm going to grow my length out.....as of right now. Ha! I want to go back to the length shown in the first photo on this post. I am really enjoying the length it is now tho! I love how I can flip my hair to the slide for a fun edgy look!
I received SO MANY questions about my color and cut from you ladies and Emily will be answering all those questions below for you.
Q/A
1. What color/technique did you do to achieve my color? Highlights, hair painting, etc?
"The color technique I used on your hair a combination of a full head of baby lights (tiny sections doing a super fine weave) and hair painting. Teasing the sections and painting in a "V" in a foil. "
2. What style is my haircut? How did you cut into my hair?
"Our haircut is a Lob. ( Long Bob) It is slightly shorter in the back and the layering is just near the bottom. I also texturizing it using a combination of texturizing shears, point cutting with my regular shears and slide cutting with my regular shears."
3. What is the best Shampoo/ Conditioner for color treated hair?
"There are many good shampoos and conditioners out there. I would definitely look for ones that are sodium and sulfate free. I love Goodwell, Oribe, Unite, and Iphenom to name a few brands."
4. What are some products to add to your routine to achieve soft, smooth, and shinny curls?
"For products I love a leave-in conditioner/ heat protection spray or cream and an argon oil. You put that in the hair when it is still wet. (Towel dried) After it is dry, you can put a small amount of oil through the ends and a texturizing spray to give the waves some hold, but so it's not so uniform. My favorite is the dry texturizing spray from Oribe."
5. Is it best to use only use one cream and one oil when styling your hair? Can to much of one type of product make your hair fall flat?
"Yes, you can definitely over use product. Always keep the creams and oil away from your scalp. Only use it on the mids and ends. Even then, don't use too much."
6. What is a good product to help tame fly aways?
"To tame fly aways either put a SMALL amount of an oil in your hands, rub them together and then with open hands, smooth down the fly aways. Or spray hairsprays on your hands, run them together, them smooth down the fly aways. "
7. For long hair, what's the best ways to sleep? Up in a bun, down, loose, any other ways?
"For long hair, I suggest sleeping with it in a high bun or in a braid. Silk pillowcases are the best to sleep on to avoid breakage when you sleep."
To contact Emily for a free consult at Habit Salon you can either TEXT or call Habit Salon directly to set up your appointment!
TEXT: (480) 688-1267
Habit Salon: (480) 461-9425
Make sure to follow Emily on her Instagram! She always posts her work and shows off some amazing transformations!
I am big fan of Taco Tuesday, I mean who isn't?! These days I am trying to make Taco Tuesday as healthy as I can because I am really trying to drop a few pounds. I am sharing this yummy dish that my Husband I really love to have. It's so easy, quick, and inexpensive to make up too!
Also please excuse the iPhone photos and the fact that I am not a Food Photographer...HA!
I picked up all of my ingredients from Walmart. You can get these taco bowl shells in a 4 pack and they are the prefect size to keep your portions under control.
I always keep this pre-seasoned taco meat in my fridge. My son LOVES tacos and it's so nice just to throw it in the pan and cook it up in a few minutes when you need a quick dinner. My daughter is not a fan of taco meat, so I will make her a cheese quesadilla when we have tacos.
I topped it off my salad with some hot sauce and avocado slices. I wish had some fresh salsa on hand because that would have been the cherry on top for this salad.
I hope you ladies enjoyed this healthy, easy, and quick Taco Tuesday Recipe. What are some of your favorite weekly go to meals for your family?
Taco Salad Ingredients:
One pound of ground turkey or ground beef ( I personally use Jenno Lean Ground Turkey)
The package of taco bow shells
Shredded lettuce
Medium Size Red(1), Yellow(1), Orange(1), Onion(1). You could even use a green pepper as well
Shredded sharp cheddar cheese. I always use the Fat Free packet
Black Beans ( I always buy low sodium or no salt added) 1 can
1 small avocado
Hot Sauce (optional)
Fresh Cracked Pepper (add to taste)
This post was not sponsored by any. Just sharing a yummy meal my family and I like to enjoy. :)
Today my Husband and I are headed to his best friends wedding and I am wearing this gorgeous little floral number to it! Can you believe that this dress is only $45?! I cannot wait to wear it with a jean jacket this Fall for a casual feel. I am on the hunt for a belt to pair with this dress as well!
I am in love with the gorgeous floral print on this dress as well. It's a cream color dress, so I'm in the safe zone of not wearing white to the wedding. ;)
I kept the accessories simple because I wanted to let the floral print have a moment. I am a big nude girl when it comes to shoes and bags. I just can't help it, they just go with everything.
For sizing reference I am wearing a small in the dress. Thank you for stopping by today ladies and I hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hi! I am Ashley and welcome to my blog! I am a Wife to my high school sweetheart and the Mother to my two precious children. I created Ashley Clark Blog in 2016 to share my love of fashion and help inspire other women grow their own style. When I am not blogging, I am enjoying life with my three kids, traveling to see family, or reading a good book.
