Author

Shalice Noel

One Tank, 2 Ways

by Shalice Noel

tank // bag polene // jeans similar // wrap coat by twenty see here for similar // snakeskin boots

tank // women’s levis jacket in medium // joggers in small // Nude sandals // bag vintage Chanel // Tanning drops I used in dark

tank // women’s levis jacket in medium // joggers in small // Nude sandals // bag vintage Chanel // Tanning drops I used in dark // This is the bra I wear for this tank or this one

Little things excite me like finding an item in my closet that can be styled in more than one outfit. Score.

Have you met this $20 MOST FLATTERING TANK EVER? I hope you jump on this tank as it has been known to sell fast. I styled it with a grey wrap and joggers and a trucker jacket. So many options.

As always, my shop page is open 24/7, and sign up for my newsletter for exclusive content. Happy Friday!

4 Family Workout Ideas + How to Get Started

Our family loves staying active and recently I’ve gotten quite a few questions from you guys about things we do as a family to sneak in exercise and how we got started making it a habit. I love these questions and am happy to answer them, however, I have to admit, Reid is a workout junkie and has done a great job not only teaching the kids about fitness but me too! Ha! So I will say, it helps to have him to kind of lead the way, but here are some ideas!

Go for family walks

This is one of the best ways to get started exercising if you ask me! Not only does this give you and your family a chance to move and get some exercise in, but it’s also great for talking and catching up with your kids and spouse. Start with a few walks a week and before you know it you’ll be moving on to my next idea!

Plan active activities for the family

This is something I want our family to do more of in 2020! We don’t want the kids growing up thinking of working out as a chore, but more as something they enjoy doing and I think finding fun, local activities to do like obstacle courses, a 3k or 5k, or even spending an afternoon at one of those trampoline places sounds like such a great way to show the kids that exercising is fun.

Use commercial breaks on TV to exercise

We try not to overdo it with the TV in our house, but when we do have TV time as a family, we try to make it into a game where on commercial breaks we have little fitness competitions. For example, one commercial break we might see who can do the most push-ups and then on the next one it’s jumping jacks. It’s fun for the kids and Reid and I. Plus, it doesn’t feel like a chore at all!

Playing games with the kids!

If you have kids, a great way to get exercise in for both you and them is by simply playing with them! We play tag and soccer all the time and plan on seriously breaking in the backyard at our new house with lots of outdoor games!

As for getting started, like I said, Reid kind of lit the fire for our family so I think it helps to have someone around that’s extra motivated simply because they enjoy working out. If you don’t have anyone like that in your family, then I recommend starting really small. Go for a family walk – even if it’s at a leisurely pace – and commit to doing it at least two to three times a week. Doing things like this will help you build the habit of moving your body, which is the most important thing in my opinion!

I hope this helps those of you who have been asking about family workouts and it inspires your family to get moving!

Thank you LG for sponsoring this post! All opinions my own.

We had the MOST AMAZING meal the other night and I feel like we’re not friends if I don’t share it. Yes, that good.

This month, my aunt is staying with us in the MIL suite, spoiling us with delicious meals. We’ve been able to try dishes we’ve never had before. The plus side is, I’m snacking less because I want to save room for her AMAZING dinners. This one we had last week was so good, I feel like we wouldn’t be friends if I didn’t share it. The cream sauce is pure comfort, the mushrooms are tantalizing and chicken, tender, yes this is a family wide winner. Get your Instacart ready, because this should be on your menu next week. Yes, that good. Ingredients and directions below. Now, what am I going to do in February other than pine for delectable dinners like this that I nonchalantly enjoyed every day and dismally replace them with frozen pizza. Yikes, I better make some Valentines Day plans, stat!

Bon Apetit!

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Crêpes

1 teaspoon butter
1 cup vertically sliced onion
1 garlic clove minced
3 cups thinly slice baby portobello mushroom caps about 6 ounces
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup fat-free less sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
 1/4 cup crème fraîche
2 cups shredded roasted skinless boneless chicken breast
6 French crepes (or make your own basic crepes below)
Thyme sprigs, optional

1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté 2 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add mushrooms salt and pepper cook three minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender stirring frequently.

Add wine, and cook three minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Add broth and chopped thyme, cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add crème fraîche, stirring until well blended. Add chicken, tossing to coat.


2. Place 1 crêpe on each of 6 plates spoon about 1/3 cup of mushroom mixture into the center of each crepe; roll up. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yields 6 servings. My kids loved it!

Basic Crêpes from allrecipes

I love a good basic crepe for savory dishes or last minute dessert when paired with jam or nutella.

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
  2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
  3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think of this dish and if you want to see more.

xx

Shalice

Q and A

by Shalice Noel

leggings // earrings // bra similar // shoes // jacket // Chanel cocoon bag and similar quilted black bag by MZ Wallace

I recently asked my readers what were some of their style questions. I got so many fun questions from what to wear to a black tie wedding to can I please have a similar boot to the Chloe boot?! I did some digging around the wide world web and I’m excited to share them below. If I left any out, feel free to email me, shalice@shalicenoel.com

What do I wear to a Black tie wedding?

I love this and this gown worn with these shoes, earrings and clutch.

What are some of your favorite designer pieces?

F headband, Chloe Susanna boots, and see below for more!

Where’s the review of your Fendi flip bag?

The link to that post is here!

What are some of your favorite Amazon buys, etc?

These wash clothes, I have this Magnesium powder on autobuy, these barely there socks, and Lavazza coffee pods, are the bomb! Shop my Amazon page HERE!

Any good Snow Outfits?

See my post on what I brought to Vail HERE.

Any shoes you recommend under $150

Vince Camuto Gigietta bootie. Be prepared to get tons of compliments on them! They’re on sale under $100.

Cute Cardigans?

Try this cardigan as a dress, long cardigan, fancy cardigan, warm fuzzy cardigan, wrap front cardigan

Good buys

Here are some leggings similar to lululemon legging, similar lululemon jacket, similar to Chloe Susanna boots, FF headbands, GG sneakers similar, sneakers for kids, and black studded sandals.

Interior Design – a couple pieces that give a lot of bang for the buck. I’m loving acrylic tables and chairs, good b/w art, and simple vases.

Super comfy joggers/hoodie sets

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Cute Combat boots, affordable, stylish warm

Nordstrom Rack has so many combat boots at affordable options!

Shoes for weekend in NYC, cute comfy, stylish and warm?

Quality jeans, under $125?

How about $128? These from Madewell are flattering and good quality. You know I’m crazy for denim so here’s a shortlist of faves under $100. And don’t miss these 501 skinny’s under $100.

As always, my shop page is open 24/7, and sign up for my newsletter for exclusive content. Happy Friday!

Our sectional: Cantoni Versa Grand Sectional // A cute one that is smaller scale HERE

Not sure if you got the news, but we bought a house!! We didn’t go too far from our rental but loving the new space! We’ve been here for 2 weeks and the sectional we saw in a show room in Irvine is now in our living room. Hooray! While this room is still coming together, it is finally looking like more of our interior design preferences. Reid and I discussed below what are some tips to scoring your next couch. I made a mistake once, buying a sectional online. Once it arrived, I didn’t like the scale of it and it was final sale. I was bummed. Don’t make my mistake. If the brand of couch you like has a local showroom, go ahead and visit it. We had a sectional in mind when we visited the Irvine Cantoni showroom but quickly upon seeing it, we changed our minds. Word of advice: see it in person first. It’s a big purchase, so be picky!

  1. Scale – the couch should fit the scale of the room.  Small spaces are great for mid-century modern looks.  Large spaces are great for big, extra sized sectionals.
  2. Firmness – do you want to sink into the couch and take a nap or have a conversation with some one?  A firm couch is much more formal while a slouchy coach is more restful and casual.
  3. Color – Pick a color that will survive the trends.  I suggest a solid and neutral.  A couch is a big investment and should last you years.
  4. Texture –  For large spaces, don’t be afraid of texture.  Thick woven, suede, ribbed or slouchy velvet.  For smaller spaces, pick smaller scale textures with tighter weave.  Velvet is always a good choice if you can stand the dull vs. shiny marks.
  5. Legs –  For smaller spaces it’s good to have long slender legs .  You want to see the floor running below the couch.  For larger spaces you can pick a couch that has a platform or one that meets the floor.  This gives the couch weight in the large space.

Enjoy shopping around!  Here are my go to couch websites at the moment.

Cantoni, Burke Decor, Rove Concepts, Article

This is one of my favorite recipes as of late. It was originally featured on the Goop website. I made a couple changes and note that even Levi likes it. Guess what? It is healthy for you. I love the creamy texture of the coconut milk, chewy texture of the kale, and slight spice of the curry. Note, this is not spicy. It tastes better the next day so save the leftovers.

Enjoy!

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

4 large cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons minced ginger

1 teaspoon garam masala (I forgot this, and it still tasted good)

2 teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 small pinch cayenne pepper

2 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup light coconut milk

2 packed cups finely chopped kale leaves (about ½ bunch)

salt and pepper to taste

lemon juice to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 7 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add garlic, ginger, and spices and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add chickpeas, stock, and coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

4. Add the kale and another pinch of salt and simmer gently for 10 more minutes.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving.

Boxing Day

by Shalice Noel

Dress worn in small // Boots by Topshop, see here for similar // Camel coat similar // Chandelier earrings similar on sale //

Love this time of year when the tree is up, kids are still playing with their Legos and Reid and I have just enough peace and quiet for a coffee on the patio.

Boxing Day is traditionally celebrated by the servants of the house who have the day off and can go home on ‘Boxing Day’ and give Christmas boxes to their families. We American’s celebrate Boxing Day as a day off for some (like Reid) and a day to make returns. We will spend it playing checkers, working, taking a walk, and eating lots of leftover breakfast casserole.

If you haven’t heard, lululemon is having a huge sale and Nordstrom is having their half yearly sale, so if you have a gift card or want to get what you REALLY wanted, see my picks below:

Shoes:

Tops and Coats:

Hope you had a lovely Christmas day! The Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale Ends January 3!

lululemon sale

Frye Boots fit is TTS // Jeans // One Shoulder Top // Fur Jacket // Similar Sunglasses

Check my latest Instagram post for a special giveaway with FRYE boots! I’m so happy to partner with them. In real life, I saved up my babysitting money while in high school and found them used so I could get a pair of used Chelsea tall FRYE boots. They were and still are my favorite quality leather chic boots.

They just may be the perfect gift to yourself. Which boots are your favorites?

Why We Sold Arrowhead

by Shalice Noel

Our pj’s are on sale!

12.16.19 We closed on our beloved arrowhead home.

When we moved from Chicago to LA, we anticipated giving up the opportunity for homeownership. We knew it would be crazy out here, so we decided to rent until we really knew the area. While renting, we were longing to sink our teeth into a house. We looked for houses all over, made offers, waited and prayed. The doors kept closing. 

Out of frustration, we decided to rethink homeownership. There are many benefits to renting, but wow, we really wanted to sink our teeth into a house. That’s when we made a unique decision. We decided to buy a cabin in the mountains with the potential to rent it out. Reid was once told, “rent where you live and rent what you own.” As Reid obsessively searched the real estate listings in Lake Arrowhead, he finally came across some doable options. Our A-Frame was a diamond in the rough and we knew it had SO much potential. We leaped on it and didn’t turn back. After 6 months of design and countless trips up and down the mountain, the place looked pretty special and we loved it. 

How did we find the A-Frame?

Reid kept his eye on the real estate listings for Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead. I think he looked at every house listed for a month straight. We knew how much we were willing to spend and we did our research and looked at Airbnb listings to find daily rates and how often they booked. That way we knew if we rented the A-Frame for a minimum of 10 nights a month we would cover our cost. It’s all about timing and seeing potential in what seems unlikely – don’t be afraid to jump on something you don’t exactly want. 

What did you learn from renting it out?

Renting the A-Frame on Airbnb was a great experience and helped offset our remodel expenses. Our guests were super polite and we received great comments. Although, of course, there was one funny thing that happened in our year of short-term renting. Our oven knob kept braking. We have no idea why, but we went through four knobs in two months! Reid finally made a video of how to turn the oven on and would text it to the guest when they arrived. That seemed to do the trick.

The grand finale of our rental was the 24” snowstorm over Thanksgiving of 2019. Our guests lost power for the entire day, ran out of firewood and their phones died. Needless to say, they loved their snowed-in experience and their kids thought we “staged” the snow. A great ending to a year of hosting guests.

What does it take to be an Airbnb Superhost?

Communicate clearly

Touch base with the renters, but don’t act like you are babysitting them.

Make your guests feel welcome

Clean

Comfy beds (thanks Lull Mattress! We got so many compliments on our comfy mattresses)

Respond quickly

Why did you sell?

The decision to sell was easy for me but hard for Reid. While I loved going up to the mountains as an escape from the LA grind, I still found the trip exhausting. Packing the family up for a couple nights was a lot of work. The kids also started soccer and our free weekends became not so free. We found it more difficult to spend time up there. I decided I would rather invest in our primary home. I wanted a house we could live in, design and make a home. Reid, on the other hand, was a little more emotionally attached. This was his vision and a great experience for him to see his drawings come to life. He loved the quiet of the mountains and the architecture of the A-Frame. But in the end, we both agreed that we would rather have a permanent home of our own. Thus, we decided to list the A-Frame on the MLS with Christine Williams who was referred to me by a friend. 

With the sale of Arrowhead, we were able to have a down payment for our new house and super thankful. While we are sad to see it go, we are overjoyed for the lasting memories we made there.

See more about the renovation, inspiration, and links to products we use, HERE.

After 4 years of renting, numerous offers, and bidding wars, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE. Even crazier, we’re moving 5 days before Christmas! Never a dull moment around here. We laugh because every Christmas we do something crazy like travel or move and we have a less than normal Christmas. I’m super excited to show you more of the house, our plans for it and interior design. Yesterday, we took a video tour of the house with Tim & co, and I can’t wait to show you more! I’ll admit, it was a little daunting talking into the camera so long, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy the home tour.

We plan to clean carpets and the house before we move in, as well as pack up 7 people after settling 4 years in this rental house.

If you think we are crazy, you are probably right but I can’t think of another Christmas and birthday gift I would rather have. I’ve been dreaming about home content for ages and so happy to finally have a home to renovate and decorate. Unlike a rental, I can actually pick all the light fixtures, YAY! Are you ready for some home content?

In the meantime, here is a major SNEAK PEEK to get an idea of what the new house looks like:

Here are some home items that I am loving!