Tomorrow I’m leaving my favorite people (and my baby for the very first time overnight!) and heading to Influence Conference for the second year in a row. Conferences? Gah, conferences. I have such a love-hate relationship with them because my secretly introverted self feels so. dang. uncomfortable. But once I just do the dang thing? It’s always worth it. I’m working on going out of my comfort zone more and more these days, and I think it’s doing me a … Read More
Stripes and Sunshine
I sort of wrote off Old Navy years ago because I had bad experiences with the quality and fit of their clothes. Everything felt a little, well, cheap. But lately you guys? Old Navy is giving me plenty of reasons to re-consider. I mentioned a while back that I was having a little bit of a style crisis now that I’m a mom. My new work-from-home schedule means I don’t have to be quite as dressed up each day, but … Read More
On Going Vegetarian Again
About a month ago, I decided to go back to my vegetarian roots and, once again, embrace the type of eating that helped me get to my body weight “happy place” years ago. Those of you who have been following this blog for any extended period of time probably remember the days when I was vegetarian. In fact, I’ve only been eating meat again for the last year and a half. When I was trying to get pregnant, after … Read More
Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit Giveaway
Hi, friends! I have an exciting giveaway for you all today. A few weeks ago, I mentioned that the Baby Merlin’s Magic Sleep Suit was one of my must-have baby products for the first handful of months. I wasn’t kidding when I said that it made all the difference in how Ainsley slept. That girl didn’t like having her arms swaddled, and the Baby Merlin was just comforting enough to help her sleep without causing frustration from not being … Read More
30 Minute Meal: French Bread Pizza
Fall is my absolute favorite season. I know I’m going to sound like a total chiche saying so, but there’s something about the crisp air and the leaves falling and the fact that football is back on TV brings back all sorts of good memories. My birthday is in October and my husband’s birthday is in September, and our dogs both have birthdays in the fall, too, so there’s plenty to celebrate. The change in seasons also means I’m thinking … Read More
Mid-Year Reset
In my “When Life Needs White Paint” post, I talked about a mid-year reset to start fresh. Although I’m no longer in school, I love the idea of starting new habits and intentions at the beginning of the school year. There’s something SO much more inspiring about starting new goals and routines in September than in the middle of the winter in January. Anyone with me? Today we closed on our new house. There is more work to be … Read More
Baby Sleep Contraptions: A Comprehensive Review
Alternately titled: I spent way too much on swaddles and sleep products so you don’t have to. There were so many times during the first three or four months of Ainsley’s life when I would have paid almost anything for a good night of sleep. We bought a lot (and I mean, a lot!) of different sleep “contraptions” that promised a great night of sleep for our infant. Some were super successful and others were a total flop. While I … Read More
Help a Momma Out?
I picked up a bunch of cheap little dresses toward the end of the summer to bridge me into fall and have been meaning to put together more of a formal fashion post. Alas, I’ve been spending most of my days working from home and when I’m not working, I’m either tending to a sometimes fussy baby (teething!) or covered in paint as we begin our home renovation project. Ainsley, on the other hand, thinks she looks mighty fine … Read More
Does my body need changing? Or does my heart?
Let’s talk about body image. It’s been a topic that I haven’t talked about much post-baby, but that’s not to say that it hasn’t been on my mind plenty over the past 6 months. Going into pregnancy I was fearful about how my body would adjust and adapt to pregnancy and the postpartum period. I’ve never had a super fast metabolism and have always had to be relatively mindful of what and how much I eat in order to keep … Read More
When Life Needs White Paint
Sometimes I’m guilty of writing without really thinking about what I truly want to say. I’ll look at photos I’ve taken recently on my phone or camera, pick one that looks cute and write up a post without really thinking about the intention behind my words, because sometimes it’s easier to write about the surface stuff than write about the heart issues that lie deep below the shiny exterior. We’re semi-settled into our new small-town life in Iowa. Nine … Read More
Favorites Lately: August 2015 Edition
Old Navy Women’s Jersey Swing Dress $28 My friend Natalie posted about this dress, and I ran out immediately to find one for myself. It’s super versatile and comfortable, and I could see it getting some wear into fall with a great jacket and boots. NYX Wonder Stick in Universal $13 This little stick is great for contouring and highlighting. Plus, it’s available on Amazon Prime! I found it at Target a while back, but haven’t been able to find … Read More
When Breast Isn’t Best
Last week, I posted about breastfeeding (or rather, not breastfeeding and choosing to formula feed instead) on Espresso and Cream’s Facebook page. As I should have anticipated I got a lot of responses, some good and some filled with outrage. Because Facebook is short-form, I’m not sure my intent and thoughts behind my post were conveyed properly and with the clarity that I intended. I thought perhaps it was worth devoting a post to further clarification and explanation. When I … Read More