*Image via slowcooker.net

#1 Buffalo Chicken Chili

Honestly, this recipe for Buffalo Chicken Chili could not be any easier. Brown the ground chicken on the stove for about 5 minutes and then throw all of the ingredients into your crockpot and ignore it for 4-6 hours. The simplicity of the recipe made me doubt how good it would taste but OH. M. G. It is SO good. I’ve turned our crockpot on high for 4 hours and that seemed to be just perfect. We’ve made it twice in the last 2 weeks when we’ve had people over and it’s been a major hit both times. As in no leftovers. Usually I love having no leftovers crowing up the refrigerator but this is one meal that I definitely would’ve liked to have some extra of! 🙂 It is a great way to get your chili fix but mix it up from the typical red kind; plus any reason for me to dump an excessive amount of Frank’s Buffalo Sauce into something is OK with me! I’m trying to decide what else I may be able to add to the recipe veggie-wise {thinking possibly celery and/or carrots} to add a little extra to it but it’s delicious as-is for sure.

#2 Step off the Scale

Playing off of yesterday’s post about valuing progress over perfection, I wanted to hit on one major change that I’ve made that has seemed to help how I view my body: stepping OFF the scale. The number that glares off the scale screen at you is just that, a number. That number doesn’t define your progress, your self worth and especially doesn’t exemplify how you FEEL. Because I was checking my weight every. single. morning. before I hopped in the shower, I would notice a changed of .2 or .3 and think so awesome that I lost that or guess I won’t grab Starbucks this morning. Taking the battery out of the scale took me away from caring about a number and encouraged me to think about about how I fit and feel in my clothes. Empowering myself to care about what’s inside has been just as important as working on making my outside look good as well.

#3 Dress Pants

I know I’m not the only blogger who works a full-time job, which means I can’t be the only one who struggles to find cute, comfortable and stylish dress pants. While I’m lucky enough to be in an environment where I can pretty much wear whatever whenever, there are plenty of times when I had meetings or events that require me to walk that fine line between business professional and business casual. You will rarely, if ever, find me in a jacket but nice dress pants {or a skirt or dress for some situations} are a must. Ever since graduating from ISU in 2010 I have dealt with the constant battle to find dress pants that fit and aren’t frumpy. Below I’ve rounded up 5 of my most recent purchases to share with y’all in case you are on the hunt for some yourself! Cheap dress pants may get you by for one day but I promise that investing in them–meaning spending more than you or I would honestly prefer to–is key. I’ve had a few pairs for over 3 years because they’re high quality and it’s all about quality over quantity, babes!