Hint: There is no wrong answer here! You ARE enough and we can all make changes in our lives to be a little more green. About a week ago I received a book from a friend and fellow blogger, Leah Segedie. The book, Green Enough, will be available on Amazon starting March 20th. You can preorder it now! To shop my Amazon Affiliate Link: http://amzn.to/2HOCmAG Green Enough is available in hardcover and on Kindle. ...before you start rolling your eyes, I need to confess something. I am NOT the super "eco chic" that many of my followers once considered me to be. Way back in the days when I first started this blog it went by a different name, The Eco Chic. A few years ago I was struggling with identifying with that title any longer because I felt like I was more than just someone who wanted to write about eco-friendly living. I also realized that there was so much more to being a green influencer/blogger than recycling, cloth diapers and menstrual cups. Several years ago, the gr ... [ Read More ]
Florida Prepaid Enrollment Ends Today
This is it, your final day to enroll in the Florida Prepaid College Savings Plan for 2017-18. This post is in partnership with Florida Prepaid College Plans as part of their Starting is Believing campaign. All opinions are my own and may not reflect those of the company. What are you waiting for? There will never be a time when you have "enough" to do everything you want (or need) to do for your kids. Just like there isn't a perfect time to have kids; there isn't a perfect time to start saving for their college. So just do it! Plans start at as little as $47 a month. Five Ways to Save $47 a Month: Coffee! If you make a trip to the coffee shop every day of the month, skip that trip nine days and make coffee at home instead. At around $5 per trip, you'll have $45 extra each month to put towards a college plan instead. Pack a Lunch! I have one kid who packs lunch each day for school and one who prefers to buy school lunch. It adds up quick if they buy school lun ... [ Read More ]
Valspar Championship 2018
March is almost here! The temperatures here in Florida are breaking records and the pollen is already dusting the cars. My tulip bulbs have just started to bud and it's an official sign that Spring is almost here. That also means that the Valspar Championship is headed to Palm Harbor, FL for a week full of golf, entertainment, games, food trucks and music! We've slowly seen the course transform and prepare for the tournament over the past month. We visited the Innisbrook pool this weekend with friends and the Valspar tents are set up along the Copperhead course and ready for the players. I'll be attending their Executive Women's Day even and influencer day next week. Their Executive Women's Day is an event that hosts local women executives and speakers from around the globe to empower one another. It was a fascinating event to attend last year and I'm excited to have been invited back again this year. About the Valspar Championship: The tournament events begin March 5 ... [ Read More ]
Florida State Fair 2018 – Discover the Fun
This past weekend was a long weekend for our kids and we spent Saturday soaking in the sun at the Florida State Fair on behalf of Magic 94.9 (they provided us with media passes to the fair). It was the final weekend of the fair and I was sure it was going to be busy so we went early in the day to try and avoid some of those crowds. The morning was overcast and hazy but the sun broke through pretty quickly leaving us all with a slightly reddish glow to our noses and shoulders. While it was a little hotter than we expected, it was a perfect day to spend outside with the family. When we arrived to the Fair we were greeting my some helpful employees (or volunteers) who signed our kids up for the Safe Kids program. We had allowed our youngest to bring a friend with her so it felt extra safe knowing that there was a program in place to help us keep an eye on them. Each child gets a Safe Kids pin with your phone number on the back. If they are separate from you, they know where ... [ Read More ]
Florida Prepaid Enrollment Ends Soon + a Webinar
This post is in partnership with Florida Prepaid College Plans as part of their Starting is Believing campaign. All opinions are my own and may not reflect those of the company. The month is almost over and another open enrollment period with Florida Prepaid is coming to an end. The enrollment period will be closed again until the Fall so don't miss out on your chance to start saving for your child's future. The deadline to enroll is February 28th, 2018. So let's taco 'bout saving for college! Are you still confused? Not sure which plan to start with? Scared to take the first step and enroll? The team at Florida Prepaid are there to help you along the way with a webinar and Facebook Live Q & A session. Tuesday, February 20th you can join the Florida Prepaid team and Florida Prepaid advocate, Cristy Clavijo-Kish to learn how families have been using Florida Prepaid for over 25 years to send their children to college. Connect with a Florida mom who has Prepaid Plans for her ... [ Read More ]
It’s a New Year, are you saving for college yet?
January is a great time to look at your spending and make plans for the future! This post is in partnership with Florida Prepaid College Plans as part of their Starting is Believing campaign. All opinions are my own and may not reflect those of the company. *Blink* another Christmas has passed and we're settling into the new year. It's a great time to assess where you are spending your money and making saving for the future a priority. Student loan debt is one of the biggest debts that Americans face. Student loans are now the #2 source of debt in America, behind mortgages! While the cost of goods always go up year after year, the cost of college has increased 538% since 1985. To put that into perspective, the cost of gas has only increased 200% in the same time frame. It's even more important for students to obtain their bachelor's degree too. The average student will make $23,700 more a year compared to the same person with just a high school diploma. I keep trying to ... [ Read More ]
Creative Last Minute Gift Ideas
...and the countdown to Christmas continues! Did you forget someone on your Christmas list? Still stumped on what to get someone? It's practically too late to order an actual gift from Amazon or any online store (unless you pay through the nose for shipping). This post is in partnership with Florida Prepaid College Plans as part of their Starting is Believing campaign. All opinions are my own and may not reflect those of the company. Creative Last Minute Gift Ideas Homemade Anything: I tend to be on the crafty DIY side and I truly enjoy making gifts for people. I don't have a ton of time to be crafty but I try to make at least a few gifts each year. This year my daughter and I made some homemade bath bombs! My first batch was a total fail, but second time is a charm! Bath bombs! Cross your fingers they stay firm and don’t crumble upon drying! #bathbombs A post shared by Calley Pate (@backtocalley) on Dec 17, 2017 at 10:11am PST Experiences: Let's admit it ... [ Read More ]
Candy Cane Pie with Stonyfield Yogurt
Candy Cane Pie with Stonyfield Yogurt (Recipe) This post is sponsored by Stonyfield Yogurt. All recipes and opinions are my own. We're right at one week away from Christmas and the spirit is flowing in our home. Cookies have been made (and mostly already eaten) and the candy canes are taunting us to create something yummy. What better way to use candy canes than in a festive candy cane pie! This is a very simple recipe and one that doesn't require too much planning or prep time. The only ingredients are Stonyfield Organic Greek yogurt (vanilla bean of course), cream cheese, whipped cream, and a pie crust! Oh, and don't forget the candy canes!! For a smooth consistency I used my electric mixer (referral link to Amazon for the mixer I use) to mix the whipped cream, cream cheese and yogurt. I added a few drops of peppermint extract to make the peppermint flavor more noticeable. Once the mixture is creamy and blended then you can stir in the crushed candy canes. Then you s ... [ Read More ]
10 Reasons to Shop at Westfield Mall’s this Holiday
It's starting to feel like Christmas (finally)!!!! This post is sponsored by Westfield Malls; all opinions are my own and may not reflect those of Westfield Mall. It always take me awhile to get in the holiday spirit; mostly because I'm in the retail world and Black Friday drains all of the life out of me. To be completely honest....it turns me into a bit of a grinch! I spend several weeks getting ready for the Black Friday weekend planning cool promotions and sales for work. It's exhausting and there are several days with scattered sleep which just makes me a big lump of grump! It usually takes me a good 1-2 weeks to get out of my grinchy mood and back into the spirit of Christmas. Usually about a week after Black Friday I start finding my way online window shopping and planning out a few gift ideas for the kids. As easy as online shopping has become, I still enjoy a good trip to the mall and stores to do my Christmas shopping. There's just something about it that puts ... [ Read More ]
Warm Gifts to Give (or Keep) with prAna
Happy Holidays and thank you for visiting Back to Calley blog. This post is sponsored by prAna in exchange for the outfit shown here. All opinions are my own. Use coupon code CMWL17 at prAna to save 15% off through 12/20/17 plus free shipping through 12/15/17. #giftedprAna It's getting chilly around the country this week and it's FINALLY starting to feel like the holidays are coming here in Florida. Our cold front is almost here and I'm excited to pull out my sweaters; for a few days at least. I've seen rumors or white stuff (snow) in colder parts around the US too. What's on your shopping list? Who do you still have to shop for? If you're shopping for an outdoor lover or someone who is athletic they may like some of the items you can find with prAna. They have some super comfortable athletic apparel that is perfect for the yogi or runner. I'm a huge fan of their Kara Jean (shown above in Indigo) for everyday wear. I love that they are long enough to wear cuffed or ... [ Read More ]
