RECENT BLOG POSTS
TRAVEL MUST-HAVES FOR BABY
Iām not sure if it was beginners luck, or the fact that Emerson is still a newborn, but we had a great experience on our very first road-trip. If you donāt follow me on Instagram, we recently traveled up north to my parents lakehouse with our then 7-week old baby.
PREGNANCY JOURNEY- SECOND TRIMESTER
This post is HIGHLY overdue seeing as Iām only one month away from my due date as I type this, but hey, better late than never right? I will continue to share my pregnancy journey on the blog with this second trimester post, a third trimester recap, as well as our birth story and postpartum recovery. My hope in doing so is to be open about OUR experience and help some of you along the way. These are simply my personal experiences and the decisions we have made as a family, your journey may look completely differentā¦and thatās ok. At the end of the day, you need to do what works best for you!
MOOD BOARD MONDAY: OUR GENDER NEUTRAL NURSERY
Since Nathan and I decided to not find out the gender of Baby Casey, I knew from the start that the design of the nursery would be very neutral. Thankfully, a neutral design aesthetic really leans toward my own personal design preference and will flow perfectly with the rest of our home. I also knew that I wanted the space to be super calming and serene, since we will be spending a lot of time in there loving on our little one, and I tend to think that a neutral color scheme lends well for a calming space.
GENDER NEUTRAL BABY WISHLIST
When I first started thinking about putting together our baby registry and wishlist, I was COMPLETLEY overwhelmed! There are so many contraptions, devices, gadgets out there that itās really difficult to determine what you really needā¦..especially as a first time mom! So after asking you guys to share your suggestions, and doing a TON of research myself, I feel like I came up with a really good list of items for baby.
PREGNANCY SAFE MORNING SKINCARE ROUTINE
Since we are all spending a little more time at home these days, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to share my pregnancy safe morning skincare routine. When I found out I was pregnant, I really became more conscious of the products I was using on my body including skincare. It was really important to me to start incorporating more clean/pregnancy safe products into my everyday routine so I basically did a complete overhaul of what I was using.
BREAKFAST QUESADILLAS
Nathan and I like to get our work week started off right by meal-prepping some foods that we can easily grab and go. We tend to make recipes that are simple and healthy, still taste good when heated up (in that dreaded break-room microwave), and most importantly: taste good! These breakfast quesadillas mark off all three of those boxes!
PREGNANCY JOURNEY-FIRST TRIMESTER
My first trimester pregnancy update is finally here! I am currently in week 18 of pregnancy, but I thought it would be beneficial to do a recap of each trimester including any symptoms, cravings, nutrition, exercise, helpful products and overall how I have been feeling these first 13 weeks. My hope is that these series of posts are a helpful resource to any other moms or moms-to-be.
FIVE BEAN BAKE
Thanksgiving is just a few days away, and I always think itās so interesting to hear what other families have for the largest holiday feast of the year. So today, I thought it would be fun to share with you one of our family favorites: Five Bean Bake.
SIMPLISTIC THANKSGIVING TABLESCAPE
Halloween has come and gone, so now itās time to start thinking about the BIG winter holidays and Iām totally here for it! I plan on sharing a bunch of fun holiday content from now until Christmas, and I thought it would be fun to start off this festive season by sharing my Simplistic Thanksgiving Tablescape.
DIY FALL PUMPKIN TOPIARY
A couple weeks ago I shared my Fall Front Porch Decor which included this fun pumpkin topiary. This DIY project has to be one of the easiest decor items Iāve ever made, and with Thanksgiving fast approaching, I thought today would be a great time to share this festive DIY project.
EASY APPLE COBBLER
If you want the decadent taste of an apple pie, but with half the amount of work, then this recipe is for you! Iāve made this recipe a couple times now, to get all the ingredients perfect (or because it really is THAT good) and I think you will agree with me when I say this cobbler should definitely be in your fall recipe book! From the sweet cinnamon apple filling to the fluffy, buttery topping this apple cobbler may just be your new favorite fall treat.
FALL FRONT PORCH DECOR
After what has seemed like the longest summer ever, FALL has officially arrived in the south and I couldnāt be happier! Hello, open windows and crisp morning breezes! Nathan and I both love spending time out on the front porch, even if itās just to enjoy a hot cup of coffee in the morning or a cocktail together at night. Since we are currently renting, our porch is relatively small, but it has still been SO much fun to decorate! Even if you are like us, and have a small outdoor space, you can still incorporate a few festive pieces to welcome the new cooler season. So today I want to share my outdoor fall decor with you!
BUTTERNUT SQUASH + SAUSAGE SKILLET
I have to give credit, where credit is due, and this recipe is all thanks to Nathan. He put this together in the crockpot one night, and I swear when I came into the kitchen the following morning I was greeted with the best aroma ever. It was so good, I contemplated having some for breakfast! Ha! The ingredients may be simple, but the flavor is bold and its a great way to incorporate those end-of-summer vegetables at the local market or in your own garden.
THE SIMPLE WAY TO KEEP YOUR FLOORS CLEAN
Nathan and I both have a crazy work schedule, and with us working opposite shifts at the hospital, we have to take advantage of our time off together. On my days off, I donāt want to spend all day cleaning because who has time for that?! Not me! So today I want to talk about tackling dirty floors.
MOOD BOARD MONDAY : A WARM +NEUTRAL DINING ROOM
We are slowly starting to update the rooms in our house, and the dining room is the next on the list. Iāll admit, I have a bad habit of jumping from room to room when it comes to refreshing spaces. So I find that creating mood boards for each room helps keep me a little more focused. That way, as Iām out shopping or as stores have sales, I can reference these boards to see what items I am still needing to purchase in order to ācompleteā the room.
SAMāS SLOPPY JOES
I donāt know what came over me, but last week I got a craving for some good ole sloppy joes! I honestly canāt remember the last time I had one but I knew I needed to make them right away haha! Typically I just throw a bunch of things in a pot, add some tomato sauce, and call it a day..but this time I decided to actually give some thought to what I was doing and Iām sure glad I did because they turned out REALLY good!
COLD-BREW COFFEE CONCENTRATE
Save money and make delicious, naturally sweet cold brew coffee concentrate at home using your french press. Have you jumped on the cold-brew train yet? Well I sure have, and let me just say: I LOVE it! I actually prefer it to hot coffee most of the time.
HEALTHY PUMPKIN SPICE COFFEE CREAMER
After the crazy hot summer we have had, I am gladly welcoming open windows and cool morning breezes. And I swear, as soon as the slightest hint of cooler weather approaches, I get excited for all things fallā¦including pumpkin spice everything!
PESTO + RICOTTA ZUCCHINI ROLLUPS
If youāre anything like me, Iām always searching for new recipes to use fresh, in-season produce. This Pesto + Ricotta Zucchini Rollup recipe is not only super easy, but also incorporates extra summer produce you may have in your own personal garden or what you can easily find at end-of-summer vegetable stands. I like to make this recipe as a meal-prep dish for the week because its easy to pack for work lunches, but you could also prepare this for a dinner party as well since it makes a large portion.
HONEYMOON TRAVEL GUIDE PT. 1| MAUI, HAWAII
We spent 7 days on the island of Maui, for the first part of our honeymoon, and it was an absolute dream! As soon as you step off the plane into the open air airport, you are greeted with green mountaintops, palm trees swaying, and a lovely breeze that seems to follow you with every step. The islands natural beauty and warm aloha spirit is something that I will never forget. As far as tropical destinations go, Hawaii is at the top of my favorites list!
