Life

2019 Summer Reading List.

What is it about summer that makes reading so enjoyable? In the good ol’ days I could sit on the beach during a vacation and make my way through 3 books a week! Of course life with a toddler has definitely changed my reading pace, but I have found I’ve been reading a ton this summer thanks to picking up books at night instead of flipping on the TV. I have a big stack I’ve been collecting for my summer line-up and thought I’d share my 2019 summer reading list to spark some inspiration if you’re looking for a good beach read of your own:

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Travel

Nantucket Shopping Guide.

Last week I took a foggy little ferry ride on the Hyline to Nantucket for the day, where I met up with a few other bloggers to tour the island with @ShopNantucket and check out some of the best shops and bites on the island. I was pumped because the rain cleared up as we pulled into the dock — and shopping is one of my favorite things to do in Nantucket with so many unique shops and brands to explore! After our fun day on the Grey Lady, I thought I’d round up a mini Nantucket Shopping Guide with a few of my favorites to keep in mind if you ever find yourself on the island for a day of retail therapy! read more

Life

The Download – 06.18.19

It’s been a wild couple of weeks and I have lots to share — from fun events and projects, to summer finds, new recipes and lots of updates on my reading list! Scroll down to read more in this week’s download:
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Recipes

Ultimate Caprese Salad.

I had to share this one last detail from my sister’s bridal shower last weekend because it was one of the tastiest things I’ve ever made! We had a local Italian restaurant cater the party since my sister is a big fan of pasta (go follow her @agirlandherpasta instagram account!). We decided to tackle a few salads to go along with the pasta and chicken dishes we ordered — one bridesmaid brought a beautiful caesar salad, and I was in charge of caprese salad. My motto for this event was go big, or go home and I brought that mantra to every detail (she’s my little sis and BFF after all!), including the caprese salad.

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Recipes

Berry and Cottage Cheese Crostini.

I love making crostini for easy entertaining appetizers. It’s such a simple dish but is always a crowd favorite, and a versatile one that you can adapt to use tons of different types of ingredients. I shared a few varieties of these seasonally inspired crostini in my entertaining cookbook, New England Invite. read more

Recipes

Cracked Pepper Cottage Cheese and Jam Filo Cups

Living close to the beach in New England, we get our fair share of summer visitors that swing in for a visit. After a day out in the sun, the last thing I want to do is run back out to the store for snack-rations. This recipe is one of my easy-entertaining tricks that I keep in my back-pocket for one last-minute guests pop by. It’s made out of ingredients that I almost always have in my fridge (like Hood Cottage Cheese) and freezer (like frozen filo pastry cups).

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DIY

3 Easy Bridal Shower DIYs.

Every time I host a party I swear to myself that I’m going to keep things simple, and then usually about 48 hours before the party starts I’ve got half a dozen active craft projects in-progress. It’s always worth it in the end though, because those custom details are the things that stand out! I made a bunch of fun DIY elements for my sister’s recent bridal shower, and thought I’d share a few of the super-easy ideas I crafted up to make the day feel personalized to our guest of honor! The best part is, each one of incredibly easy to do!  read more

Entertaining

A Colorful Floral Bridal Shower.

I am SO excited to share pictures from the bridal shower that I hosted for my sister this weekend along with my mom and her bridesmaids. My sister is my best friend, closest confidante, and just about one of the most stylish people I know — so when I started brainstorming this party with my mom and the bridesmaids, we all knew it had to be something really special. We are alike in a lot of ways, but perhaps the way my sister and I are most alike is in our love of being very involved in the details of planning. I wanted her to be surprised with all of the details though, so I asked her if she had any input or request up front, and then swore everything else would be a surprise! She had two requests: 1) a spiked Arnold Palmer signature cocktail and 2) she loved the floral patterns and colors in Rifle Paper Co’s party goods and fabrics. We rolled with those ideas and hosted a colorful, floral-inspired bridal shower with lots of nods to the bride and groom-to-be’s love of food! read more

Life

Be A Better Baker Challenge.

Please note: This post was created in collaboration with Chase Freedom Unlimited. All opinions, images and content are my own.

One of the very cool parts about my job is that I get to work with brands that I love to create very cool content. I have a really neat series kicking off today that not only allows me to create that cool content that I love, but also challenge myself and work towards one of the 2019 goals that I set for myself at the beginning of the year!  I’m so excited to be teaming up withChase Freedom Unlimited to share my Always Earning journey. I’ve been a Chase cardmember for a few years now and appreciate how my cash back credit card allows me to earn 1.5% cash back on all purchases. Chase has challenged me to take on working towards a goal this year in my own Always Earning pursuit. 2019 goals Be a Better Baker Challenge read more

Life

A “Big Girl” Glass of Milk.

This post was created in partnership with Hood Milk; all opinions, images and content are my own.

I can’t stop giggling at these pictures of Jane. It’s amazing what a tiny little thing can bring a kid so much pleasure. Her sippy cups were in the dishwasher, so when she requested milk with her lunch I asked if she wanted it in a “big girl” glass. The answer was a resounding yes, and she was beaming in between each sip! That smile actually always  pops up on her face around meal times (the girls loves to eat!) and when she gets her Hood Milk, or as she calls it “Mmmmilk!”

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