This post is created in partnership with Christmas Tree Shops andThat! — all opinions, images and content are my own.

We are slowly getting our yard and outdoor space ready for the warm weather. My husband put together some raised beds for our first-ever vegetable garden, Jane has started to pull out all of her summer toys (chalk and bubbles have been refilled!), and the most exciting thing is having the grill is uncovered and back on our patio! Barbeque season is upon us, and it makes me so darn happy. We grill several times a week for easy dinners once the weather is warm, and barbequing is one of my all-time favorite ways to entertain. My friends at Christmas Tree Shops andThat! invited me into their store recently to check out all of the new items they have for the season and I found some really great stuff to pull together an easy, affordable and stylish barbecue party! read more

My friend Dina at Honey and Fitz Collection sent me some of the most amazing summer entertaining pieces to play with, and naturally I had to follow my personal “go big or go home” mantra with a festive grazing board. They have the most beautifully curated selection of wood and marble boards (this whale board is going to be on rotation all summer), entertaining accessories (dying over the lobster picks and whale coasters!) and linens that are perfect for styling out a New England-inspired spread. I had to share a few of the pictures here and give you my super top-secret tip for making quick work of a grazing board like this. Are you ready? Hit the salad bar at your local grocery store (Whole Foods is great for this!) and grab the pre-sliced peppers, broccoli and cauliflower, cucumbers and tomatoes. You can snag just what you need and have a colorful variety of bites to choose from. Sometimes they even have cubed cheese and charcuterie if it’s well stocked. A few crackers and a selection of some cheeses is all you need to finish it off! read more

Cinco de Mayo is always a cause for celebration at our house. It happens to be my fabulous little sister’s birthday so we have been known to break out the margaritas to toast her on May 5th each year. Also given my own personal affinity for the food and drink associated with the holiday, I’m on board with a fiesta regardless of the date. If you need a little inspiration for an easy fiesta-themed fete, scroll down for my most recent Cinco de Mayo display. I found the prettiest pastel paper picado banners to hang over the bar, and used a brightly colored striped towel for a tablecloth and some bold neon baskets for serving snacks. A few rustic wooden risers added some height to the scene, and I filled the table with colorful flowers to tie it all together. To plan your menu to go along with this fiesta check out the Sparkling Strawberry Basil Margarita I mixed up, add some Crispy Avocado Fries and Fire-Roasted Mexican Street Corn Bites for tasty appetizers, and cook up some Instant Pot Green Chili Tacos for an easy main-course! read more

Easter is next weekend, and to get your ready for your celebrations I’ve rounded up twenty of my favorites Easter desserts, brunch recipes, and dinner ideas. Plus simple DIYs for your Easter events, tablescape inspiration, egg decorating ideas, and everything you need to fill up those Easter baskets — scroll down for ideas! 

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I have been having so much fun brainstorming these themed grazing boards for holidays this year! My Valentine’s Day cheese board was a big hit, I loved sharing my Oscar Night snack board, and I’ve even made a kid-friendly version full of toddler approved bites.With Easter coming up, I knew I had to make one with tons of spring-y veggies and pastel-colored candies! read more

We have been dealing with some picky-toddler eating the past few weeks. Jane has a one-track mind, all she wants to eat are “snacks” — aka popcorn, pretzels and crackers. I’ve been brainstorming ways to get some other foods in the mix, but who can really blame her? Snacks are the best. With Easter coming up, I got the idea to go-big on her snack request and build a themed bento-box with tons of tiny little bites for her to choose from. I had these cute vintage-inspired egg cartons leftover from some projects I did last year, and tucked in some plastic easter eggs to hold various treats. I started with her crunchy staples (she could live on popcorn!) but also added in some carrots and berries and mini-sandwiches and cheese slices cut into shapes with star cookie cutters. I even put a few bunny and carrot cupcake toppers in to make it extra festive. read more

One of my favorite parties I’ve ever thrown was a small New Year’s Eve Dinner Party. Every year we host a big New Year’s Eve party, but this particular year I was SUPER pregnant with Jane (like, exactly a week from my due date). I was determined to still throw the party, and my smart husband suggested we scale back the guest list to just a few close friends since I might be sort of tired at 39 weeks pregnant. After a bit of debate I finally agreed to the dinner party but was still planning to cook a fancy meal to celebrate the occasion. A few days before the party I was beyond exhausted and realized I had probably overestimated my capabilities – we made the call to order a bunch of trays of food for the party and have our friends pick it up on their drive over. We dressed up the take-out on pretty serving trays and set the table with festive details  — and guess what? It was one of my most memorable New Year’s Eve parties we’d ever thrown. read more

One of my favorite occasions of the year is coming up next weekend: The Oscars! It’s the best excuse to snuggle up on the couch, live-tweet my expert opinions about ball gowns and celebrity hairstyles while wearing a sweatshirt and yoga pants, and of course: eating special on-theme snacks! I had so much fun sharing my Valentine’s Day Grazing Board, that I thought I’d create another one full of movie-theater sweets and red carpet themed snacks. I’ll be accepting my Academy Award for Best Supporting Snack Tray any time now, don’t you think? read more

We are just about a week away from Valentine’s Day and I have all of the sweet, heart-shaped, pink and red, love-dovey inspiration to share today! My husband and I don’t generally make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day. We usually exchange cards, and use it as an excuse to abandon healthy-eating for the night and replace our usual meal-plan with something a bit more delicious. The idea I wanted to share today definitely falls into the delicious category: a Valentine’s Day grazing board. read more

I am working on my menu for next Sunday – the ultimate day of snacking is in my sights and I love to be ready with all of the tastiest bites I can think up! No game day is complete without dip on the menu – and I love to make a giant snack board with all of the fixings for dipping on Sundays. I have a few tricks for how I style these grazing boards, and wanted to share some of my best tips with you so you can recreate them at home for your own football parties! read more