6 ways to style: athleisure for fall!

 For September I was really digging sweaters and flats and jeans... and I'm not ditching those any time soon, but for October I am REALLY feeling athleisure looks. Athleisure style has been around for a few years now, but I think we can all agree that 2020 is really it's time to shine. ;) Pairing leggings, sneakers and sweatshirts with more everyday pieces like denim, sweaters and everyday outerwear makes for pulled together looks that are the height of comfort as well. 

When I pull together athleisure looks I always try to add one little element that makes the outfit spark. So a dressier jacket, a little extra details on the leggings or even a beautiful sweater can make sneakers and leggings or joggers really shine. Today I pulled together 6 athleisure looks that I'm really loving right now... let's take a look at the outfits.

Outfit 1 (above)

I've been on the hunt for the perfect pair of black joggers and I may have found them! This pair is super affordable and a little dressier than standard sweats. Paired with a cowl neck sweatshirt and a denim jacket this outfit is ready for errands, the carpool or lounging around the house.

Shop the look: joggers (run big, I went down to an XS), sweatshirt, denim jacket, sneakers

Outfit 2 (above)

Leggings and a sweatshirt are always a good combo in my opinion! I love that these leggings have subtle Moto details on the legs to add a little bit of interest to the look. This sweatshirt has POCKETS - need I say more? And these fur lined birks have been the best fall purchase. This look is great for weekends around the house.

Shop the look: sweatshirt (true to size, I am in a small), leggings, birkenstocks

Outfit 3 (above)

My trick for fall and winter is to just put a cute coat on! Do I have pajamas on underneath here? Maybe. Haha! But seriously, a cute coat goes a long way in the fall and winter. I love this cozy teddy coat over leggings and a sweatshirt.

Shop the look: similar or similar coat, sweatshirt, leggings, slides

Outfit 4 (above)

I love an all black look for fall and winter (or really, any day!) and it's so easy to pull off with an athleisure look. I paired some super flattering leggings with a favorite oversized sweater and it's perfect for around the house. When I need to run errands or run the carpool I simply pop on a coat and loafers with it! So easy and so comfortable.

Shop the look: jacket, sweater, leggings, loafers

Outfit 5 (above)

You can definitely still throw some jeans in the mix if you are feeling that too. Jeans, a sweatshirt and sneakers are one of my favorite combos. It's just so easy and perfect for busy days. I just snagged these sneakers and they are a little out of my usual comfort zone, but so cute! What do you think?

Shop the look: sweatshirt (runs big), jeans, sneakers

Outfit 6 (above)

Joggers and a sweater is one of my go-to combos lately and its one I just LOVE. These joggers are buttery soft and paired with a cream sweater it's my dream outfit. I topped it with a trench to dress it up a bit for errands or out and about.

Shop the look: trench (runs big, size down), joggers, sweater, sneakers or similar less expensive sneakers

#ootd 33

 Mood: Is it Friday yet? Powered by leggings, lip gloss and warm tea.

denim jacket, top, leggings, pom hat, ugg boots, yeti mug, lip gloss

J.Crew Try On!

I grabbed a few new items from J.Crew recently and while usually everything from J.Crew are clear winners, that wasn't the case this time. I still wanted to show them to you though and LOTS of pieces are on mega sale right now! Let's take a look at the pieces...

flannel plaid top (above & below)

Sizing: This is a size 2 and fits in the arms and length but the shoulders and armpits were super tight. 

Thoughts: I love this simple plaid pattern. It's so classic and easy to wear. Plus I love that the flannel is soft and warm but not super thick.

Shop the look: flannel plaid top, jeans, trench, flats

cable knit bobble sweater (above & below)

Sizing: This top is fitted and meant to be cropped in the arms and length. It's very much a retro cut - it reminds me of J.Crew of the 90s.  I am in my usual size small.

Thoughts: I LOVE this top. It's so classic and beautiful. I don't usually wear a fitted sweater but I really love this one. I also got this in brown (which is now sadly sold out).

Shop the look: cable knit bobble sweater, jeans, jacket (size down), similar loafers

swingy mockneck coat (above & below)

Sizing: I went with an XS since J.Crew coats usually run big.

Thoughts: I really wanted to like this and waited for it to go on sale, but in person it's a little disappointing. I love the mockneck but the rest feels a little lifeless. This one is getting returned sadly.

Shop the look: swingy mockneck coat, sweater, jeans, flats

blazer jacket (above & below)

Sizing: I went with an XS and it fits great.

Thoughts: I have mixed feelings on this jacket. I love it in theory but I don't think it looks particularly flattering.

Shop the look: blazer jacket, sweater, jeans, loafers

mockneck sweater (above & below)

Sizing: This sweater is true to size.

Thoughts: This sweater is from last year and I'm excited to wear it again this year. And even more excited to see that it's back in stock. It's available in LOTS of colors and this exact color doesn't look to be available this year, but there are so many to choose from.

Shop the look: mockneck sweater, jeans, flats

supersoft turtleneck sweater (above & below)

Sizing: True to size, I am in my usual size small.

Thoughts: This sweater is from 2 years ago and I still love it so much. It looks like the hem is slightly different this year but otherwise it's exactly the same. I love how soft and stretchy this sweater is - it's so comfortable to wear. Plus it works great with leggings or jeans. It's available in so many colors.

Shop the look: supersoft turtleneck sweater, jeans, flats

baked apple recipe!

 I've been making this baked apple recipe for my family FOREVER. It's so easy and delicious and it's definitely a family favorite. I quick put it up on my stories a few weeks ago and you all wanted allllll the details and I'm still getting DMs about posting the recipe. So I thought I would make it official and post the recipe here for future reference.

This recipe is also super versatile. You can serve it with ice cream for dessert or simply as a side dish on a cold fall night (it really warms you up!) and of course it also makes a great Thanksgiving or Christmas side dish as well. And I'll be honest, it makes a pretty amazing afternoon snack on a Saturday too! It makes the whole house smell amazing too. It's a unicorn friends!  It's also so ridiculously easy... let's take a look. Also, before we get started... here is a link to my sweater, I am in my usual size small, it looks like this exact color is sold out.

I start with 4 simple ingredients... apples, cinnamon, sugar and BUTTER. Butter is really the secret ingredient here and I learned this from the mother of one of my college roommates when she had us over for Sunday dinner once. It makes the apples super creamy tasting and delicious. 

For the apples I chose a typical baking apple that is slightly tart. Here I used Spy apples. They were perfect. I know there are a lot of by-the-book cooks that insist on taking the skin off the apples. But I for one am lazy AND I like the texture of a skin on apple so much more. But feel free to remove the skin.

I chop the apples into bite sized pieces and for this batch I filled an entire casserole pan, since these apples don't last long in our house it's always better to have more on hand. If you don't finish them all, they refrigerate well or you could even freeze the leftovers. But spoiler alert: you probably won't have leftovers.

Then I add the cinnamon and sugar right over top of the sliced apples. You could put them in a separate bowl and stir it all together, but again, I'm lazy... so I just poured it over top and let it sink down as it bakes.

You can't forget that butter! I take the pats of butter and also layer them right on top of the cinnamon and sugar. It will melt into the apples as they bake. YUMMMMM!

Then once they get out of the oven a quick stir to move around the butter, cinnamon and sugar and you are set to go! You can top with ice cream for dessert or serve as a side dish. Recently we did steaks, squash and apples for dinner. It was insanely good as a fall meal. For Christmas or Thanksgiving you could add a few cranberries to the top for a festive touch.

Here's the recipe:

16 small/medium baking apples (I used Spy)

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

6 tablespoons of butter

Bake at 425 for 35 minutes for apples that still have a bite or 45 minutes for a more applesauce finish.

That's it!

target try on session!

 I've got some gorgeous Target try ons for you today, it's been a bit since I've shopped there and I found some really great new arrivals for fall. You've GOT to love Target for their consistently amazing selection and prices! I'm always impressed with the quality I am finding there for really really amazing prices. Today I've got a selection of sweaters and tops for fall that I think you will really love. Let's take a look at the pieces...

(above & below) brown mock neck sweatshirt

Sizing: Runs true to size. I am in my usual size small. You could size up for a longer fit but the arms may be too long then.

Thoughts: This is so cute and a number of you actually DMd me about this cute find! I was shocked our store had it in stock, yay, and it looks like it's fully stocked online too. I love the cropped fit with the mockneck - very chic right now. I paired it with leggings, naturally, and love a denim jacket layered over it too. 

Shop the look: brown mock neck sweatshirt, leggings, denim jacket, similar sneakers

(above & below) rust blouse

Sizing: True to size, I am in my usual size small.

Thoughts: I LOVE this color lately, I'm so drawn to it which is why I picked it up at the store. This top looks way cuter on the body than it does on the hanger. It's got some really pretty features like a tiny puff sleeve and a little ruffle at the neck. This is very Free People vibes at a fraction of the price. It would be gorgeous for a fall date night or it's really making me think "Thanksgiving Dinner" too.

Shop the look: rust blouse, black jeans, similar leopard shoes

(above & below) black shoulder sweater

Sizing: True to size, I am in my usual sizes small.

Thoughts: I saw this in the store and was really interested to try it. The shoulder detail is so unique and also reminds me a little of the 90s (in a good way). Plus I love a mock neck so I was willing to give it a try. In the end I don't think this is a love connection, but I definitely think it's cute. Maybe just not for me.

Shop the look: black shoulder sweater, jeans, headband, flats

(above & below) button front sweater

Sizing: True to size, I am in my usual size small.

Thoughts: This is super cozy and cute and I love the beautiful buttons. I'm kind of obsessed with these button front cardigans this season. I just love that you can wear them as a cardigan and also as a pullover. 

Shop the look: button front sweater, jacket, jeans, loafers

(above & below) ribbed dolman sleeve sweater

Sizing: True to size. I am in my usual size small.

Thoughts: This is just GORGEOUS. For sure my favorite of the bunch here and that's saying a lot. It's crazy soft and so unique. I'm obsessed.

Shop the look: sweater, jeans, similar jacket, bucket bag

(above & below) white cable knit sweater

Sizing: True to size, I am in my usual size small.

Thoughts: Another incredibly cozy and warm piece this cable knit is very pretty in person. Super soft and thick this is a gorgeous fall to winter piece. Here I dressed it down with sneakers for a casual everyday mom look. 

Shop the look: white cable knit sweater, jeans, sneakers or similar sneakers

3 Amazon Sweaters I love!

 It's all sweaters, all the time on the blog these days... are you sick of it yet?! Ha! I hope not... I know sweaters are truly one of my favorite pieces of clothing to wear, so when the weather turns I'm all over it! There is nothing like a cozy soft sweater on a chilly day. It's just the best. 

I have had such amazing luck finding some really good sweaters at Amazon lately and while yes, some of them can be total flops, I'm super impressed with what I've found in general lately. I'm excited to share these three sweaters with you today... let's take a look!

This striped sweater is so chic and classic. Plus, it's super soft and layers really well under coats and jackets for fall and winter.  I love the mockneck for extra warmth too!

(above) coat (mine is from last year, this years color is a touch different), sweater (true to size), jeans, bucket bag, sunglasses, bracelets, mules

This oversized chunky knit sweater is just a dream! It's pillowy soft and the tunic length works with leggings but I also love it tucked with jeans too.

(above) sweater (runs big, size down), jeans, similar leopard shoes, bag is Polene shop similar, sunglasses

This sweater is SO GOOD in person. It's light to medium weight, drapes really nicely and has a gorgeous turtleneck. It looks NOTHING like the stock photo in real life (which is weird) but trust me on this... it's beautiful in person. I own it in black and white.

(above) sweater (size down), leggings, similar sneakers, sunglasses, similar tote