Last month I wrote a blog post about my newfound appreciation for finding ways to slow down, so I could focus more on the important things, and clear out some of that life clutter that creates unnecessary stress. I made myself go back and re-read it for a reminder to prioritize and focus during these crazy last few days before the holidays. It made me look at my to-do-list and laugh at the stuff that was stressing me out — one of them was holiday baking (hello, first-world problems!). It seems silly, but it was really important to me that I make these cookie recipes that are traditions in my family since I’m not going to be heading home to see my family in New York this year. Also I’m 9 months pregnant so not having cookies easily accessible at all times actually is quite stressful.
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Please note: This post was created in paid partnership with Time Inc. and Chinet.
I love to entertain year-round, but the holiday season makes it so much more fun! I partnered with Chinet on a fun video that shares a bunch of ideas for how to add some sparkle and detail to your holiday tablescapes, including custom dinner menus, glittery tea light holders, and personalized place settings. With a neutral metallic palette, you can use these ideas from Thanksgiving to Christmas, and right through to New Year’s Eve! Check out the full video below:
I just had a minor panic attack looking at my pregnancy tracker app, three and a half weeks to go until my due-date, oh my! As I’m nearing the end of this crazy journey, I have been thinking about what I’ve enjoyed during the pregnancy experience, and a few things that I won’t miss at all (like skipping a post-work glass of wine). One thing that I surprisingly enjoyed was getting to build out a little capsule wardrobe of maternity clothes. It’s a strange thing having to buy a whole new wardrobe all at once! It had it’s perks though, like stretchy waistbands, getting to plan out pieces that would mix and match together in versatile ways, and getting to experiment with styles I’ve never tried before (body-con dresses were suddenly acceptable with a bump!). I thought I’d share my favorite pieces, shops, and maternity-wear tips here as a good starting point for anyone that may be in the same boat soon!
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My holiday gift guide inspiration is continuing this week with tons of festive ideas for the hostess! A host or hostess takes on so many meanings at the holidays. It might be the family that’s invited you to stay with them for the weekend, a co-worker treating you to a holiday lunch, or the Christmas party hostess with the mostest! I hit Bed Bath & Beyond for their huge selection of my favorite brands and a one-stop-shop for these fun, festive and unique gift ideas and came up with a few themed present ideas for everyone on my list.
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We are getting into the holiday spirit over here with a few festive little decorations popping up around the house! I have to admit that I almost scrooge’d out on Christmas this year — the task of putting up a Christmas tree during month 9 of pregnancy (and perhaps taking it down with a newborn baby at home?) exhausted me just thinking about it. Luckily my husband pushed me to be a bit more spirited, particularly since my family is going to come and stay with us at the holidays for the first time ever!
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This post was created in partnership with Capital One.
Maybe it’s rooted in my deep affection for a fresh yearly day planner and ripping the first sheet off a crisp new calendar, but I love this time year when we get to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and start setting goals for the New Year. With my birthday the first week of the year, I always give myself a free pass on resolutions until the day after my celebrations end (which helps me from fumbling on those fitness and health goals!). This year, with baby B due in that same first week, I’m pretty aware that the impending storm of chaos and exhaustion may make that timing difficult in 2017. Instead of putting this important resetting period on the back burner, I had the opportunity thanks to Capital One to get started a little bit early this year on planning for a fresh start.
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Less than 3-weeks left until the presents need to be wrapped and under the tree! I cooked up another fun gift guide this week with the procrastinator in mind. Everything on this list is Prime-Eligible on Amazon, so even if you wait until the last minute you can still steal these gift ideas and have them delivered in time! I love the idea of gift theme, and built out eight fun ideas based on a book, with little add-on gifts to go with each one. From co-workers to couples to families, there’s a little something for everyone — check out the ideas below!
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It’s been 8 weeks since my last bump update, and which is a testament to how life seems to be flying by lately. Part of me feels like I’ve been pregnant forever. I look down at that app on my phone and see the days count down though (oh gosh, five weeks and a few days to go!) and I’m absolutely amazed at how time is passing by so quickly in this stage. And with that, a few updates! 
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If you’ve ever read one of my blog posts, chances are you’re aware of my affinity for cocktails, bar carts, and all things drinking-accessory related. My collection of striped straws and cocktail stirrers rivals the prop closets at my favorite magazines (and could actually be teetering on hoarder status). With the holidays upon us, it’s the perfect time of year to get your own bar cart stocked with all of the essentials for easy entertaining (and more importantly, impromptu cocktail mixing!). I broke down all of my favorite pieces that are absolute must-haves to stock your holiday bar cart, from the bar itself, to glassware, tools, and all of the fun stuff that makes our drinks look festive! 
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Back in October, I had the opportunity to take an interesting class at Society of Grown-Ups about creating spending plans that aligned to our values and priorities. The class gave me some great tools to help with planning for our finances, but it also did something else: challenged me to actually think about my values and priorities. On our road-trip down to New York this past weekend for Thanksgiving I was tired and opted to close my laptop, ignore my inbox and to-do-list, and crack open a new book instead – Emily Ley’s Grace, Not Perfection. Digging into this fresh read brought me back to that Society of Grown-Ups class in the early-fall, discussing a lot of the same topics. Between the start of the holidays, a busy period at my day-job, the busiest time of year for my blog projects, and oh yea, an impending baby on the way in just 6-weeks, this topic felt so timely and important during a hectic period of life. It gave me a little spark of inspiration to take a moment to reflect on just that: gratitude for what matters most to me.
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