Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about moms in front of the camera, or rather, moms who hate being in front of the camera. It’s no secret that a lot of moms spend time taking photos of their adorable kiddos, only to balk at the idea of actually being in those same photos with their kids. I get it, I really do. There are times when the last thing I want to do is get in front of the camera … Read More
Spicy Black Beans with Sweet Potatoes
Since we ran in 2016, I’ve been making a real, honest effort to get back into the kitchen for non-work related purposes. For me that means more meal planning, taking the time to prepare a grocery list based around sales fliers and coupons, and then actually sticking to that meal plan. What I’ve realized is that we not only eat healthier (duh!) but our meals are more interesting and fun and we spend so much less on groceries each week. … Read More
What’s In My Makeup Bag: January Edition
1. Love Springs Eternal || Youth Preservation Serum by One Love Organics This product is a splurge, but the proof is in the results. Using a few drops of this serum every night makes a difference in the look and appearance of my skin, which is starting to show a few signs of getting older now that I’m edging up on 30 and getting less sleep that I once was. 2. Gentle Exfoliator Polish || Beautycounter We’ve all fallen victim … Read More
Slow Cooker Ranch Pot Roast
I’ll be the first to admit that roast wasn’t really in my cooking repertoire when I was first married. My husband grew up eating roast and potatoes every week, usually on Sundays, like most of the midwestern families I knew. Seeing as that my mom was never a huge fan of roast, we rarely ate it at our house. Although roast isn’t something this vegetarian eats anymore, it’s still one of my husbands favorite meals to eat, and one of … Read More
Reflections On Our Small-Town Life
Five months ago Joe, Ainsley and I packed up our stuff, sold our cute little 1950’s house in Minneapolis and moved back to the place we called home growing up, a small town in the northwest corner of Iowa. Friends, let me tell you I never saw it coming. Pre-baby Madison would have laughed in your face at the idea of moving back to where we grew up, a small, sleepy (and adorable!) town that was miles and miles away … Read More
Motherhood Year 1
Ainsley isn’t quite a year old (just a month and a half to go!) but I’m already starting to think about the first year of motherhood as I plan for her first birthday party. Yes, we’re throwing a big birthday bash for our 1-year-old, yet another thing I said I would never do. (God’s teaching me a LOT about using the phrase “never”) I’ve been making a list of the top pieces of advice I would pass along to a … Read More
A Smoothie A Day
Immediately after having Ainsley, I started on a major smoothie kick. I’ve always loved smoothies, but with a little one they became a necessity for getting a lot of nutrition into one easy-to-prepare meal. I’m planning on doing a post later in the year on protein powders and how to choose one that’s best for you, but until then, I thought I would share with you my g0-to smoothie. I drink one almost every day for either breakfast or lunch, although … Read More
An Intention for 2016
Truth be told, I wrote a whole list of intentions down in a blog post and was ready to hit “publish” but as I was laying in bed last night, thinking about the year to come, I paused. My list had a whole bunch of things, like feeling good in a swimsuit and reading more books and what not. Fine intentions, and things I still probably pursue in the year to come. But as I was thinking about what truly … Read More
Let’s Have a Coffee Date
It’s 9 pm on a Tuesday night and I’m sitting in a very quiet salon, under the blowdryer, having my hair done. Usually I’m not one to enjoy being out and about on a weeknight relatively late (yes, 9 pm on a weeknight is late, thankyouverymuch) but tonight it feels pretty darn nice to savor a little peace and quiet. I’m not sure I have a cohesive post in my head right now, so I thought I would share a … Read More
The “It” List for Babies and New Moms
Lately, as I’m reflecting on Ainsley’s first year of life, I’ve been thinking about the items I wish I would have registered for and the items that would have been welcome during those first few months of Ainsley’s life. You see, there are the items that mom’s register for and the items that later on they wish they had registered for. I pulled together a list of the items that fit that bill for me in hopes that it would … Read More
Easy White Chicken Enchiladas
Now that the holidays are over, I’m really, really looking forward to getting into a bit more of a routine once again. You too? While I love the go-go-go of the holidays and all the time spent with friends and family, there is something really nice about the rhythm of everyday that makes my world go round. Joe’s, too, I think. We’re routine people through and through because we’ve found that when we don’t have a routine, things fall … Read More
Merry Christmas!
An early Merry Christmas to you, friends! Today I wanted to share a few of our holiday photos that were taken earlier this fall. It’s amazing to me how quickly Ainsley changes. She looks so different now than she did when these photos were taken less than two months ago! Tis the life of a baby, right? There are a lot of reflective, mushy and very true things to say about 2015. It was SUCH a big year for our … Read More