Progress

You may have noticed the new blog design and with it a “health” section. I’ve been working on defining how healthy living looks within my daily life and I’m hoping to share more on that here.

Over the past several years, I’ve based most of my food choices on convenience and comfort. I had a minor health scare in October 2013 and have been working ever since to be more intentional about the lifestyle choices that I make.

Some of the changes I’ve implemented include:

+ Eating a more plant-based diet. When I do eat meat I try to keep it organic and local. I don’t always eat this way when I am outside of the home or with friends on weekends. Did I drink wine and eat cake for my birthday this weekend? You betcha. My new mantra (via a motivational friend) is, progress not perfection. sayitwithmenow.

+ Moving more via walks with the dogs, work outs with Jake and yoga on my lunch breaks. Also, my parents surprised me with a gorgeous bike for my birthday that I plan on putting to good use!

+ Drinking lots of H2O. Water with lemon, water with fresh mint and fruit, water with a splash of green tea. Water, water, water all day every day!

+ Using less toxic chemicals. I’ve traded out my makeup, personal care and home cleaning products for non-toxic alternatives. Stay tuned for a post on my favorite products!

These changes haven’t all taken place at once and some have been easier than others. I plan on writing more health related posts and will be transparent about what works for me. I hope that you’ll join me on this journey!

Cheese State Visit

This past week, we traveled up to Wisconsin to spend some time with my husband's side of our family and to meet our new nephew, August. He's such a beautiful baby and I loved spending time with him. Our niece, Madelynn, is getting so big and can already sing her ABCs.

We packed a lot in to a 5 day visit and got to see over 40 members of the family!

Spicy Lentil Coconut Soup

I made this soup on a chilly Sunday and it was oh, so satisfying. Spicy curried Indian flavors with a smooth creamy coconut finish. Jake and I devoured the leftovers too. 

I can't take credit for this recipe, I found it here and am so glad that I did. I plan on adding this soup to my arsenal of warming winter recipes.

I followed the directions nearly to a t, but I added already cooked lentils (since I had them on hand) and a bit more spice and salt. I'm a big believer in tasting as you cook and adjusting spices accordingly. I squeezed some extra lime in there too. 

If you're in the U.S. of A you'll need to convert everything from metric. If I were a nice blogger I would do it for you. But alas, I am not.

Catching Up

It's been a little while since I've checked in. Here  are some photos and a video to get you up to speed on what I've been up to.

+ We celebrated Thanksgiving at my parent's house. My mom sure knows how to host a holiday.

+ We got a new Puppy, Anderson "Cooper" Koneman. He's the sweetest!

+ Celebrated Christmas at home in North Carolina (watch the vid)!

+ Went on a family vacation to Disney World. I don't know who was more excited about meeting the princesses -- Addie or Jake.

+ Sweet little Ellie Pearl turned 1. Where does the time go? She's the happiest most lovable baby. Aaand girlfriend knows how to eat some cake!

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Master Bedroom Makeover

Our master bedroom makeover began due to our desire for a new bed. The bed and mattress that we were sleeping on may have been in its 20s (believe me, I know how gross this is). 

Interior design projects tend to snowball for me, so the new bed lead to new bedding and accessories to match (am I the only person whose heart skips a beat in the Homegoods lamp section?). 

I was never happy with the color of the walls -- the chip looked taupe but the color read very green and too dark for my liking.  We decided to go with a light grey which really brightened things up.

One of my favorite additions to our new bedroom is the sign that hangs above the bed. I think it speaks to our relationship. I had it custom made from a talented lady that has an Etsy shop that you can find here.

There are still a few things that I'd like to change but overall I'm really happy with our new and improved boudoir!

Before:

After:

Nephew

Welcome to the world, sweet August!

Our family has been anxiously awaiting your arrival.

Uncle Jake can't wait to take you to your first Packers game.

I'm looking forward to dressing you up in bow ties and suspenders.

Most of all,  I'm counting the days until we meet you and can

hold you close &  b r e a t h e   y o u   i n.

Stay small and keep your fresh baby smell until Aunt B makes it into town.

Love you so much, little man :)

Happy Fall!

Things have been a little crazy around these parts but I wanted to drop in and wish you all a happy fall! It's my favorite time of year. We're doing our best to soak it all in.

We took the girls to the pumpkin patch a couple of weeks ago and lots of adorableness ensued. Wishing you a beautiful weekend full of all things fall.