Get my sunglasses HERE & your first month free w/ code ‘MIDWESTMIX’ 🙂

#1 Pioneer Woman’s Black Bean Burgers

With like nearly everything else, I get bored with my dinners easily. I’ve been recently trying a ton of new recipes for dinners this Summer because honestly who wants to eat a heavy meal 3.5 hours before bed when it’s 95* with 70% humidity?! Not me and definitely not Kyle. Insert the typical grilled salmon or chicken breasts and whatever side sounds appetizing at the time. Well, it didn’t take too long before I was bored. Last week while at my parents’, my mom {who is literally Pioneer Woman meets Paula Deen meets Bobby Flay, no joke–ask everyone} made a few different Pioneer Woman recipes. The Black Bean Burgers she made were TO DIE FOR. So of course, I came home and immediately knew I needed to recreate them myself. They’re perfect to eat on a grilled bun, in lettuce wraps or even crumbled over a bed of spinach & kale. Regardless of how you eat them, you HAVE to try them out.

#2  Fitness Trackers

I’m a very visual person so when I work out I like to not only feel the results I’m getting but actually see them as well. Two Christmases ago my in-laws bought me the Garmin GPS watch I had been wanting for nearly a year and I was super excited to put it to use. It came with a heart-rate monitor and I could easily upload my workouts into my laptop. Unfortunately my exact watch is no longer available but I cannot recommend the Garmin brand enough. Like most pieces of technology, my current watch is on its way out {no longer holding a charge for more than 2-3 workouts & having some issues picking up a solid GPS signal} so I’ve been looking at 3 different options to replace it: the Apple Watch, this Polar GPS watch, & the newer version of my Garmin. I’m adding it to my Birthday/Christmas list since each of these are quite pricey and make great gifts. What kind of fitness trackers do YOU use?! I’d love recommendations and to hear why you love/hate what you’re using right now!

#3 The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

I know I’m about a week early but I’m SO FREAKING EXCITED for this year’s Anniversary Sale. The sale starts on Thursday, July 14 for all ‘Card Holders’ and runs through July 21. If you’re not a fan of store credit cards {I’m not either!} then you can utilize the amazing debit card option that Nordstrom offers. Basically the card links up to your bank account, like your debit card, and the funds come out immediately versus having to remember to make a credit card payment. Either way, applying for a card is SUPER easy and takes only minutes. If you don’t have the debit or credit card, I would highly encourage you to look into getting one so that you can access the Early Bird sales and not risk some of the hot items selling out before the general public gains access. Shopping 8 days earlier is totally worth it in my opinion! 🙂 I’ve already begun my ‘to buy’ list and will be sharing shopping guides for clothing, active wear, shoes, accessories & men’s items starting late next week and over the weekend so be sure to check those out for some seriously amazing deals. 🙂