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).
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! 
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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!
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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. 
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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!”
We had the best holiday weekend full of sunshine and barbeques and outdoor time. To kick things off for our weekend of fun, we started on Saturday by taking a trip into Boston to visit the Franklin Park Zoo. We took Jane last year around this time and she was just starting to walk around on her own, so I was excited for her to experience it at this new age where she’s zooming around and interested in everything. We met up with our good friends and got there right when it opened, ready to explore! Jane was so excited to look at the maps (she’s obsessed with maps) and figure out where to start.
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We all seem to be in the same boat – whether we’re rushing home from a long day of work or juggling the toddler-witching hour – dinner can be a struggle! I have a handful of extra-speedy, low effort weeknight dinners that I keep in my back pocket for busy weeks. Sometimes they’re almost so simple that I forget to write them down and share them here, but those are the ones that people always end up loving the most. One of my staple ingredients that I always grab at the grocery store to have on hand are packages of al fresco Fully Cooked Chicken Sausage.
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I was recently digging through my good ol’ fashioned magazine clipping pile that I use for pulling inspiration for content, and I came across an old Country Living summer entertaining spread that featured the most darling vintage nautical flags. I love the colors and graphic design of the flags, and of course their nod to seaside life. They sparked an idea in me to pull together a tablescape design with a few simple DIY tricks that make for a lively, yet inexpensive maritime-inspired display. To start, I used a few primary colored acrylic paints and gave simple bamboo cutlery a little facelift; painting graphic stripes that I borrowed from the flag design (bonus: they’re compostable!).
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This post was created in partnership with GOOD THiNS. All opinions, images and content are my own, thank you for supporting brands that support this site.
I am easing into the week after an amazing weekend away. I spent a few days in Chatham with my four best girlfriends for what we dubbed as our “first annual” gals getaway weekend. We had the best time relaxing, enjoying the sunshine, and more than anything: EATING! It was a snackstravanza all weekend long. I packed up a little travel cheese plate to bring along with me for the weekend so we could have some pre-dinner snacks on our airBnB’s pretty porch. Whenever I head away for a quick trip and have access to a fridge I like to pull together a version of this “traveling cheeseboard” with a few favorite essentials, like cheese, charcuterie, berries, and a crunchy accompaniment like GOOD THiNS!
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Gearing up for Memorial Day weekend, the official kick-off to summer bbq season! I can’t wait to pop open the grill to cook up some burgers and hot dogs; the classics are always on my menu. One thing I do like to mix up is my side salads, and I have a round up of 10 of my favorite BBQ side salads from over the years — including a few new ones that I just added this week. Scroll down for all your holiday weekend cook-out menu inspiration!
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