The Faux Fur Vest Part II ~ Casual

Last week, I admitted that finding a faux fur vest that didn't look horrible on me was quite an undertaking! Glad I was patient and held out for one I really liked. Although I was orignally looking for a tan/brown vest, I am finding that this black one is working pretty well!

Fur Vest: JC Penny- i can't find the link but it is from the Jrs. section (similar, similar)
Top: Lush (exact)
Jeans: Wit & Wisdom (exact)
Boots: Frye (similar)

One night I wore it dressed up with a little cocktail dress and heels (pics to come) and in this outfit, it pairs well with jeans and boots for a casual look. I love really love when a "trendy" piece like this can be dressed up or down and do double duty in your closet. Typically, we find very few ways to wear trendy pieces and tire of them quickly. At least, I do :)

Here are a few of my current Pinterest faves with the black fur vest ~

1. I need to try it with chambray! I might go with a slightly lighter shirt:

...and how cozy is this look with the red pants??!

2. The all black look intrigues me...with maybe a pop of color in shoes, handbag or scarf?

3. With plaid..because OF COURSE! I have this exact plaid shirt so I will be replicating this outfit soon!

Time to link up! Don't forget to use the hashtag #lovelylittlealamode on social media!

Hosted by ~

Carrie/A Lovely Little Wardrobe ~ Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Whitney/Whitney à La Mode ~ Bloglovin/Instagram

Casey/A Little Bit of Cheer ~ Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Each week we choose a favorite...check out Carrie and Whitney's blogs to see if it's you! My favorite look this week was Laura from I Do Declare! I have been wanting red jeans FOREVER and she pairs them perfectly with black and camel. I absolutely LOVE this color combo!! Read her entire post HERE.

Now let's get linking! We like to keep things simple around here. Just link up your favorite posts--fashion, beauty, food, DIY, anything goes! Follow your hosts on social media, have fun and be inspired! Thanks for linking up!

<a href="http://www.alittlebitofcheer.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc454/pianoprincessdesigns/button%20small_zpsujefyz2q.png~original" alt="A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up" width="125" height="125" /></a>

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

An InLinkz Link-up

12/7 {Pearl Harbor - okay I'm a former History teacher}

An InLinkz Link-up

Seven on Sunday ~ Week 48

Frankly, this week was a total blur! Not sure what happened or how it all went by so fast!!! But here we go ~

Day 1: Sunday ~ Sarah discovered her love for giant burritos!

Day 2: Monday~  Motivational Monday :) Gotta love a little Tom Hanks :)

Day 3: Tuesday ~ I have no idea what happened on Tuesday! This quote is surely true so don't make me remember something from nearly a WEEK AGO! Ha!

Day 4: Wednesday ~ VACA TIME!! We road tripped it down to Fresno for Thanksgiving. The kids were being super cray on the ride down, all topped off with Sarah jamming a Tic Tac up her nose requiring us to pull over and Scott doing minor surgery with a Q Tip to remove it. #nowords #icantmakethisup

Day 5: Thursday ~ My favorite holiday of the year! Just food, family, football, wine drinking and relaxing! No presents or stress. Just fun!!!  It took approximately 45 hours and 746 outtakes to get any decent pics of these 3. Serious torture for everyone!!

Sarah may like burritos, but Brookey's love is turkey legs :)

Day 6: Friday ~ We did a little birthday celebration for Brookey's 10th with a pinata and cupcakes :)

Day 7: Saturday ~ We don't get to see each other that often, or for very long, but always fun hanging with my bestie of 30 years!

We have a picture taken several years ago (well, maybe like EIGHT years ago) where we are each holding our 2 year old girls on our hips...so we tried to re create the picture now...WOW! Pretty hard when your kid is bigger than you are!!!

That's a wrap! It's back to the grind tomorrow. 4 days of yummy food and sleeping in, I cannot to hit the workout routine tomorrow at 5am! I'm loving the sneak peeks for the new Hammer and Chisel program coming out TUESDAY!!! It looks "hard core" but it's really just an amazing workout! It's also an awesome couples workouts--what's better than getting in shape TOGETHER?? Email me if you are interested in a new Facebook challenge group starting in January just for COUPLES!!!

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

4 Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is hands down my favorite holiday of the year. Good food and family...without the worry and stress of gifts!! It's just all about fellowship and taking a step back and realizing how truly blessed we are.

That being said, Thanksgiving can also be an excuse to "start the holiday season" (AKA: gorge yourself in as many holiday treats as your belly will hold)!!

I don't know about you, but I cannot STAND that overstuffed bloated feeling that generally comes after a Thanksgiving meal. And after sitting around all day, stuffing ourselves with plates and food and several drinks ...we have the NERVE to blame the turkey for "making us tired!" That poor bird has been through enough. Let him rest in peace.

We are ALL going to enjoy Thanksgiving and maybe eat a bit too much. But here are my tips for staying healthy, even on this butter/carb-laden holiday!

Hope this helps just a bit!! And if it doesn't, you can always jump into one of my 21 Day Fix Challenge Groups and get the New Year started right! If you haven't heard of the 21 Day Fix you can read my full review HERE. It was literally a game changer for me and allowed me to lose 10 years+ of "baby weight" and KEEP IT OFF. Feel free to email me at: alittlebitofcheer01@gmail.com. I'd love to help you!

And on that note...have a blessed Thanksgiving, everyone!!!

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

The Faux Fur Vest ~ Part 1

Happy Wednesday! So you guys know me by now and you know my style is pretty classic and casual. I'm not a HUGE followers of trends unless I see one that catches my eye...and then after that, it takes me at least one season to actually TRY the trend!

I feel like I have gotten to the point where I have lots of wearable pieces in my closet and I am having fun mixing and matching. I every now and then I will add in a trendy item if:

1) It's not very expensive ~ I don't care to spend lots of money on pieces I think will only be around a season or two.

2) I can wear it with at least 3 other items/outfits in my closet. If it's not versatile, I don't bring it home!

This black faux fur vest fit the bill!!!

Faux Fur Vest: JC Penny- i cannot find it online but here is one similar
Burgandy Cords: Loft (similar, in Tibetian Red)
White Tee: Kohls (similar)
Black Boots: Sears (exact)

I found several ways to wear this vest using items I already had. I'll show more fur vest outfits in later posts! But this black color I am finding it super versatile! For size reference, this is Jr. Size Small.

Listen, finding a faux fur vest is HARD! They seem to be everywhere but only .01% are going to actually look decent on you #justsayin. I found either the DAF (Dead Animal Factor) was SUPER high and I looked like I had roadkill on me OR they were too wide the the shoulders and I looked like a football player--NOT a flattering look! Have you guys noticed that??

Here are a few I think would fit the bill, but it's really hard to know unless you try them on:

Next, I will be styling a casual look with jeans and boots AND a dressy "holiday party" look! Stay tuned for that! In the meantime, I'll leave you with a few of my fave faux fur vest looks from Pinterest ~

Casual ~

"Dressy" ~

Time to link up! Don't forget to use the hashtag #lovelylittlealamode on social media!

Hosted by ~

Carrie/A Lovely Little Wardrobe ~ Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Whitney/Whitney à La Mode ~ Bloglovin/Instagram

Casey/A Little Bit of Cheer ~ Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Each week we choose a favorite...check out Carrie and Whitney's blogs to see if it's you! My favorite look this week was Jill from Doused in Pink!! Plaid and cargo?? Say no more! Total winner in my book! Looking great, Jill! Read her entire post HERE.

Now let's get linking! We like to keep things simple around here. Just link up your favorite posts--fashion, beauty, food, DIY, anything goes! Follow your hosts on social media, have fun and be inspired! Thanks for linking up!

<a href="http://www.alittlebitofcheer.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc454/pianoprincessdesigns/button%20small_zpsujefyz2q.png~original" alt="A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up" width="125" height="125" /></a>

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

An InLinkz Link-up

Seven on Sunday ~ Week 47

Day 1: Sunday ~ Playdates and Besties :) These kids have known each other from birth! Will and Sophie had a Minecraft playdate while Brooke and Maddie worked on videos for their new (private) You Tube channel!! LOL!!

Day 2: Monday ~ Final results day for my last 21 Day Fix Challenge Group! Every month I am blown away by the people in the group...they work so hard, motivate each other and are genuinely taking their health and fitness seriously. I am just blessed that I get to work with them and see their amazing results--it's so rewarding.

Day 3: Tuesday ~ I come into work and this is what is on my desk. Wow! Very unexpected but I'll take it! Shared the Pinot with good friends and the Caymus will be for Christmas :)

Day 4: Wednesday ~Brookey's Coach's Invitational soccer game at 7pm. Outdoor soccer in Mid November??! WHAT??!! I did not take ONE picture of her game! Mom of the Year, right?? I was so cold so Sarah kept warm by talking selfies :) They lost 1-0, so Brooke was in no mood for after game pictures anyway :(

Day 5: Thursday ~ So happy I work at the school that my kids attend. I got to sneak in on the annual Pilgrim and Indians Thanksgiving Feast! Look at Will--"Oh dear GOD! It's MOM with her phone again!"

Day 6: Friday ~ Lots of good times on Friday. Attended one of my favorite prayer services of the year--the Thanksgiving service--and my faith in humanity was restored...at least for the time being. I was SO FREAKING PROUD of this kid who got up in front of 400+ people and did the first reading of the service. He was stressed all week but in the end... #nailedit.

 Then I ended the night in Napa celebrating a birthday of a dear friend!!

Day 7: Saturday ~ First Saturday without morning soccer games in 12 weeks. It was pretty chill...started my day with a new workout--a little Shaun T, T-25. Sweat some buckets and napped mid day :) I plan to not miss a workout all week so I can go into Thanksgiving strong! :)

Wishing you all a very blessed Thanksgiving holiday, my friends. I know the world is crazy and life gets nuts, but please take this week to step back and realize how wonderfully blessed we are. Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours!!

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

The Winter Challenge!! It's HERE!!!

Let's get this party started, girls! The GYPO Winter Challenge is HERE!! Registration opens today and closes 11/27. The first outfit release will be 12/13.

I am already loving some of the sneak peeks that include fur, plaid and lots of sparkle--perfect for the holiday season!! You can read my intro post to the Challenge HERE, but here are some new features this time around:

1. There will be "Dress it Up and Dress it Down" options for every outfit on this challenge.

2. One of the bonuses will be three outfits perfect for holiday parties (last year I wore one of the holiday party outfits and got so many compliments)!

3. There will be two surprise outfits!

4. The outfit total is 26 for this challenge. 

5. Several pieces from past challenges will be reused. 

If you haven't done one of these challenges, you are missing out!! If you have ever struggled with having a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear, THIS IS FOR YOU!! It really takes the guesswork out of what to wear each day and you learn to purchase "the right" pieces that coordinate instead of having a bunch of random things in your closet. 

However, I will tell you, the very best part of it is the women who are in the group. It is honestly one of the most caring, supportive groups of women you will ever meet! It's simply amazing!! I can't tell you how many friends I have made from this group. It has been such a blessing. 

Enough of that. What are you waiting for??!! Click HERE and sign up ASAP!


Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

Fall Challenge Favorites + LINK UP

Happy Monday!! You know what that means--it's link up day with my blogging besties Carrie and Whitney! We all participated in the GYPO Fall Style Challenge and today we are recapping a couple of our favorite outfit formulas.

I have to admit, I didn't follow this challenge quite as closely as the others. Mainly because we had a crazy Indian summer here in Northern California and for much of the challenge, the thought of wearing anything but shorts and a tank top made me sweat :)

But I loved so many of the outfits and I'm glad I can finally start to wear them!! That is what is so great about these style challenges--even if you can't wear the outfits on EXACTLY the day the Challenge is going on, you can save them! I pin the outfits up in my closet so whenever I am in that "I have nothing to wear!!" rut, I just glance at the outfits and suddenly get a bunch of ideas! It's awesome!

Back to the Fall Challenge... here are my top 3 outfits ~

Outfit Formula 1: Long Neutral Caridgan + Chambray + Black Jeans + Scarf + Cognac Boots
Super simple, casual and laid back. My style :) I am getting lots of use from this cardigan from Express. I find myself throwing it on ALL THE TIME!

Black Jeans: Loft (similar)
Chambray: similar
Sweater: Express (exact)
Scarf: Nordstrom (exact)
Boots: similar, similar
Earrings: exact

Outfit Formula 2: Olive Jeans + Orange Sweater + Leopard Flats + Long Necklace
Again, my faves center around super simple "everyday" outfits (which is mostly EVERY outfit in these challenges!!). I do have olive chinos that I wear to death, so instead I subbed my camo jeans. Camo, leopard...how's that for pattern mixing??!

Orange Sweater: Loft Outlet (similar)
Camo Jeans: Loft (similar)
Leopard Flats: Payless (similar, similar)
Necklace:  Stella & Dot (exact, in gold)

Outfit Formula 3: Plaid Dress + Ankle Boots
I featured this outfit during Create28, and it's still one of my faves.  It's getting too chilly to wear bare legs now, so I throw on some leggings or tights and wear my tall boots. It's the perfect work outfit for me!

Plaid Dress: Target (exact)
Ankle Boots: Similar


All of these outfit formulas from the Challenges are simple, yet classy and put together. I think that pretty much sums up my style :)

Have you done a GYPO Style Challenge yet? What are you waiting for?!! The Winter Challenge opens THIS FRIDAY 11/20 and you are not going to want to miss it!!!

Here is what's new and exciting this year ~

1. There will be "Dress it Up and Dress it Down" options for every outfit on this challenge.

2. One of the bonuses will be three outfits perfect for holiday parties (last year I wore one of the holiday party outfits and got so many compliments)!

3. There will be two surprise outfits!

4. The outfit total is 26 for this challenge. 

5. Several pieces from past challenges will be re used. 

Read all about the Style Challenges HERE. Then come back on Friday to sign up!! (don't worry, I'll remind you!) 


Time to link up! Don't forget to use the hashtag #lovelylittlealamode on social media!

Hosted by ~

Carrie/A Lovely Little Wardrobe ~ Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Whitney/Whitney à La Mode ~ Bloglovin/Instagram

Casey/A Little Bit of Cheer ~ Bloglovin/Facebook/Instagram

Each week we choose a favorite...check out Carrie and Whitney's blogs to see if it's you! My favorite look this week was Karen from Lady in Violet! I just LOVE her long, cozy cardigan paired with those ankle boots! Makes me just want to curl up by the fire!! Perfect Thanksgiving outfit :) Read her entire post HERE.

Now let's get linking! We like to keep things simple around here. Just link up your favorite posts--fashion, beauty, food, DIY, anything goes! Follow your hosts on social media, have fun and be inspired! Thanks for linking up!

<a href="http://www.alittlebitofcheer.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc454/pianoprincessdesigns/button%20small_zpsujefyz2q.png~original" alt="A Lovely Little À La Mode Link Up" width="125" height="125" /></a>

Don't forget to follow A Little Bit of Cheer on Facebook HERE

Follow me on Instagram HERE

Follow any of my boards on Pinterest HERE 

Follow me on Bloglovin' HERE  

See where I link up HERE

An InLinkz Link-up