The Milk Man Did It!
Classic, right?
My pregnancy Halloween costume won an award and was featured on a list of "Best Pregnancy Halloween Costumes" on a popular website... and I'm pretty proud of it! Since Halloween is this week, I thought I'd share my slightly famous (in my mind) costume and give some printables to those interested.
 If you're attending a Halloween party this year, or just want to get a few laughs from your friends, this is the perfect, most scandalous (and super easy!) costume.

Time To Break Out The Fall Decor... and DECLUTTER!

October has arrived, and while typically my home would already be dazzled in foliage decor and reeking of pumpkin-scented-everything... I'm currently giving one of my living rooms a makeover, that of which has totally sucked most of my free time up, so things were scooted last month and my Fall Decor party got the short end of the stick.

With that being said- Happy October, lovers, it's never too late to begin decorating! As I mentioned last week, Fall is a huge time of change for me, and this year is with no exception. Breaking out my Fall storage bins and throwing orange-&-brown-everything all over my house brings deep feelings of calm and nostalgia, it is an almost sacred time as I make my house feel more like a home with warm, welcoming decorations and quality family time. The Earthy tones of Fall are warm, inviting tones, and I think it's such a fitting characteristic of the season to spend time at home with my family.

One thing I like to do before adorning my home in seasonal decor is to clean and declutter the whole thing... to rid of the unnecessary and give it a fresh revamp for the upcoming season. Like a tree releases what it no longer needs, it's time to let go of the old and start fresh.

I always begin by removing all my bright, sunny, pretty decor that I keep up throughout the warmer seasons and putting it into storage.

Removing all the current decor, making room for Fall

After getting my house naked, I go through places that don't get much love nor attention and I declutter them completely... this year I purged my linen closet (this was actually my first time doing this space since buying this house 2 years ago!), master bedroom closet, master bathroom cabinets, and my kitchen baking & seasoning cabinet. I get in these moods where I want to keep NOTHING and can clear out an area in a jiffy, stripping it down to the necessities (and OMG does it feel good). 

I don't know why, but I cannot stand to have stuff, I just... I'm not a clutter person. Less is more. If you struggle with clutter and would like to work on it, I highly recommend reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.

After I purged my junk and reorganized everything more efficiently, I did a top-to-bottom cleaning sesh... I'm talking scrubbing baseboards, walls, cabinets, bathrooms, fireplaces, heck I even cleaned the garage! Not only do I like to dip into the holiday season with a fresh house feel, but I also know cold season is right around the corner and thus I want to be on top of things while I can.

Keeping your house clean and organized, for me, is the difference between feeling calm and cozy... and feeling stressed, uncomfortable, and inadequate. My first apartment was a complete disaster, I despised cleaning and systems and structure; I neglected a lot of things back then! I spent my 20s teaching myself how to cook, take care of my health, and be a good mom; I've spent my 30s learning how to clean, organize, and make my house into a home. Becoming a good housekeeper was life changing, and it impacts your family's experience, too! If I can do it-- anyone can.

Although most have heard of Spring Cleaning, I think it's nice to have two times of year dedicated to really going through your junk and thoroughly scrubbing the place down. This week I've been busy with my Fall cleaning routine, followed by putting out all my Fall decor... and I will give you a tour of some of my favorite Fall decorated spots in my home this weekend, including my front porch tour!

I hope everyone is enjoying these lovely little crisp Fall mornings, the sunsets are arriving faster and the air is getting chilly here in Seattle... I love every moment of it!

Fall Is A Time For Reflection & Change

Ah, Fall... my favorite time of year. And it's not my favorite just for the 'basic' reasons, like cute boots & pumpkin spice lattes (but, let's be honest, yes to all of that!). Fall is a big time of change for me.
I will never forget the day that Fall became magical for me, it was 2015 and I was living in LA, I hadn't felt true crisp-air-changing-leaves-sweater-weather-Fall in years (for those not in the know, LA is pretty much sunny + perfect weather year-round). I had been doing the same thing for years, same routine, same stagnant attitude, same me. On that particular day, which was the first day of Fall, I felt ready for change, and instead of doing my normal routine of going to the beach and doing the same thing I did everyday... I decided to try a new route; I went to an art store and got an acrylic paint set, came home and turned on my now-favorite indie Fall music playlist, and I spent the rest of the day creating Autumn-themed crafts with my 3 year old. Although this doesn't sound like a life-changing day, it was unbelievably so...it was a day of decided change, a day where I chose to make memories, a day where I made one small change and it domino'd into a big deal, that day was a day of positive light, a day of peace, a day I was a better Mom, a better person... it was a day I turned a new leaf, and it is forever tattooed in my mind. Something so simple as a slight change can shift your life.
Every single year now on the first day of Fall, I look forward to hearing that playlist, burning pumpkin scented candles, reflecting on the year, and deciding what changes I want to see in myself from this point forward.
As the leaves of the trees transform into bold & vibrant tones and begin the process of change, so do I.

Two Little Band-Aids

A personal story about my journey with eczema.

Every Marriage Needs Date Nights

I tend to think my husband and I are in a beautiful yet demanding lifestyle, one that sometimes requires great strength and perseverance, one that isn't exactly normal for a young family... we live thousands of miles away from any friends or family.

We have raised our children by ourselves, in some of America's largest cities, without a net of family in close range. Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, birthday parties... we have always had to travel to family to celebrate those events together. We've never had the luxury of driving down the road to visit my parents, or had the ease of hosting a laid back birthday party at my house, or dropping the kids off at grandma's so we can relax for an evening... I have no idea what that's like. It's a privilege to even have family, having their help is a luxury and should not be taken for granted. I am so proud of who we are; from learning how to care for a baby, to buying our first home, to raising children on our own... you wanna talk about strength: we have it running through our veins. It takes a staggering amount of patience, endurance, and stability to do what we do... and we do it very, very well.
Not only are we on our own, but my husband has an incredibly robust & successful career that requires a great deal of time & mental strength to flourish in, he is unbelievably busy at times and has, in turn, accomplished great things. Work hard, play hard... that's key.
Have you ever totally killed a workout, like you pushed yourself harder than you ever thought possible, and at the end you felt completely invincible and on top of the world? That's how we feel most days.

One ingredient to having a healthy & fun marriage while raising children without family is to nurture and care for each other, and that includes treating yourself to date nights. Date nights where you connect, cuddle, venture out, stay youthful, get excited; date nights you blush when you think about and stay on cloud 9 for a week. Treat them as sacred evenings, plan them out, book them often, get dressed for the occasion... and make them worthwhile.
We try to sprinkle date nights in throughout the year, sometimes we'll go a long stretch without one because we're so busy with life, or maybe we're going on a lot of family vacations (equally as important, btw!), but I like to have my man all to myself and go on adventures, so we go as often as we can.
Last night was a great date, perhaps my all time favorite thus far!

I Bought Cheap Fake Hair Off Amazon... Here's What Happened!

It's no secret that when you see me out and about... my nails, lashes, and hair are fake. NO SHAME.
I have worn hair extensions and wigs since I was in the 8th grade (this is how I had a job with pink hair in high school- I wore a wig to work!); from high-end remy hair to cheap synthetic mall clip-ins, I've tried quite the list of styles!
The last time I bought synthetic hair extensions, they were straight as a board and super shiny... like, there's-no-way-that's-real shiny. After wearing some in a family photo and being horrified at how obviously fake they looked, I swore I would stick with human hair extensions for forever; but, alas, the future changed my mind, as it tends to do.
YouTuber Amber Scholl mentioned a halo hair extension piece in her YouTube video a few months ago and I jumped online to see for myself what a halo hairpiece was. The halo hair extension doesn't use clips, or glue, or tape, it's actually a large hair piece with (what looks like fishing line) a clear headband. You fit it on your head similar to a flower crown or headband, with the hair flowing down your back, and the clear band camouflaged around your crown.
I liked the thought of the halo style, but was hesitant to drop a few hundred on one without knowing if I'd feel comfortable wearing it... so I flew over to Amazon.com and, viola! They had some.
Like, duh, it's Amazon, they have freaking everything.
After a little digging, I found a highly reviewed Synthetic Halo Hair Extension in my color and placed my order.

How To Meet The Band At A Concert For Free

I've met nearly every band I've ever watched live. Starting at age 16, I spent my evenings after school bussing tables at a local Italian restaurant so I could save up money for concert tickets and enough gas to make it to Atlanta and back. It was tough work, but those memories stick out to me more than anything, and it was absolutely worth it. One thing that I caught onto pretty quick was how easy it was to meet the band, from Blink-182 to Dashboard Confessional, Good Charlotte to The Offspring, Scott Weiland to Rancid, I've met countless musicians... and I've been doing it for nearly 15 years.

I Took My First "ME"Cation and Here's How It Went!

As most of you know, I took the plunge and went on vacation by myself this weekend. Announcing this event felt odd, like I was just waiting for someone to assume the worst, and it is, I must say... kind of an odd thing to do, a married mother of 2 vacationing alone. Weird. But, alas, I'm not exactly a typical person (at least I don't feel like I am!).
I left Seattle and headed to Portland on a Friday afternoon. Now, a roadtrip for me means loud music, windows down, and lots of lip syncing... but this trip was different already, as it occurred on my brother's birthday, and if you don't know what happened to my brother, you'll learn eventually.
So I was on the open road, just me and the 405, but instead of jamming out to Rage Against The Machine & Michelle Branch (so hardcore, right?), I spent most of my drive in silence. There was a stillness in the air; a warm, glowing, nostalgic feeling... I felt peace. I allowed my thoughts to flow as I watched the white and yellow road markings pass, I thought about all kinds of people and events and memories, I thought about how I seemingly drown out my thoughts with music when I feel busy & stressed, and how nice it was to feel free of responsibility, and that now I could finally meditate on my thoughts.

Oh darling... let's indulge, shall we?

I am knee deep in my very first "ME"cation and all I can think is- so this is what it feels like to unwind. I haven't felt this kind of hush + tranquility ever in my life. I needed this.
As I sit in my balcony suite in downtown Portland, overlooking the piers + bridges that connect Portland together as one, I am is awe at how peaceful, relaxing, and serene life is at this moment. You see, I have not given myself a break in my entire span of motherhood. I've had a few hours downstairs alone, yes, I've taken vacations with just my husband, yes, I've left the house alone many times for a Target haul, sure... but those are small and timed increments where I am certain the I will be needed any minute now, where I can sit but not rest.
So here I am in downtown Portland in my luxury suite, alone... with only my thoughts, a cool breeze, and my peace of mind.

Take Your Child To Work Day 2018 at Google

Yesterday was National Take Your Child To Work Day, and it marked our 6th year of participating in Google's Take Your Child To Work Day at their campuses. Every year, Google does something special for the mini-Googlers so they can get hands on in the world of technology, science, math, and teamwork; the company is truly family-friendly and they host events all throughout the year for Googler kiddos. We always look forward to this one, I even check Delilah out of school for it. I think it's important to see and experience what real life is like, and where Daddy spends his day at, there are plenty of valuable lessons to be learned that can't be taught in the classroom.

The Hollywood Sign Is My Spirit Animal, Here's How To Hike To It!

I will never forget the first time I hiked to the Hollywood Sign, it was a hike dreams were made of; I was unbelievably excited to see such a legendary icon up close + personal! I felt like I was going celeb-spotting at Mastro's Beverly Hills on a Friday night—I was guaranteed to see a famous figure.
While there are plenty of spots around LA to catch a glimpse of the famous 9 letters, there's only one way to get a view from behind it, and if you want a selfie with the LA skyline + the Hollywood Sign together, you'll need to get to this spot—I will tell you how!
I hiked to the sign pushing my 4-year-old in the jogging stroller and totally not sure of what to expect, and what the hike ended up being was so much more than what I planned...

My favorite beach in Los Angeles

Phew, you guys! It's been a whirlwind of a week dancing around Los Angeles, I am just as in love with that city as ever. This trip was my first visit back to LA since we moved away 2 years ago, and even in that short amount of time, LA has grown and blossomed so much! I think the most substancial change is Santa Monica's face-lift... omg, it looks SO good there! We lived in Santa Monica for years during all the major construction by the Pier, and to finally see the finished product is astonishing... the Light Rail, the walkways to the beach, Tongva Park, the vintage lights strung along Colorado; it's picture perfect.
Walking through LA brings back a flood of wonderful memories, I loved my years there and loved raising my daughter by the beach. Of course, after visiting every beach there time and time again, you find the LA coast beach hidden gems. Though each beach in LA has its perks, from the drum-circles and skaters in Venice, to the tourists lined along the coast in Santa Monica, to the gorgeous cliffs of Malibu taking wave after wave in the surf; each beach is its own.
So.
What makes a beach good? The truth is, it depends on who you ask.

We're Going To California!

To kick off my website launch, Spring, and just to celebrate life in general, it's time for some Cali sunshine, Venice Beach Boardwalks, strolling Santa Monica, and palm tree lined streets... yes, LA, I'm looking at you!
I feel like I should have been born in California, when I'm there, I feel at home. Seriously, Los Angeles has a little bit of everything I love... from beaches, to shopping, to city lights, and glam nights!
Today we are flying to one of my favorite places on Earth, a place I called home for 7 beautiful years, a place that helped sculpt me into the woman I am today... see you soon, Los Angeles!

happy girl!

I will have so many awesome things to share with you guys when I return! I know LA like the back of my hand, I've been to all the hot spots, dined in the finest restaurants, and bumped shoulders with A-Listers... I know what's hot, and what's not- this trip will be full of good food, my favorite hangouts, and some must-visit areas of LA for travelers.
See you soon! xoxo

My Husband Works Where?!

This happens to me often. I'll be filling out forms at a Doctor's office, or chitchatting with my hair stylist, or just having small talk with a mom at the park... and eventually my husband and our life gets brought up, leading to his field and career, and 99% of the time I get some kind of reaction when people discover his employer.
So yes, let me go ahead give you the big reveal.
My husband works for Google.