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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Life

Wicked Big Bugs Zoo Trip.

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. read more

Recipes

Grilled Sausage and Veggie Couscous Bowls.

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. read more

Entertaining

Nautical Flag Tablescape.

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!). read more

Entertaining

Getaway Weekend Snacks.

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! read more

Recipes

10 Summer BBQ Side Salads.

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! read more

Life

The Download – 05.16.19

It hasn’t quite felt like spring, and just like that Memorial Day is next week, so I think we might be skipping the season all together! While we were wait for the temperature to catch up with the seasons, I’ve got lots of cheery warm-weather entertaining inspiration, holiday weekend recipes, getaway packing tips, and new books to add to your summer reading list. Scroll down to read more! read more

Recipes

Grapefruit Ginger Fizz.

Inspiration for my recipes comes from so places. I love flipping through magazines and cookbooks, perusing restaurant menus, and rethinking flavors from my childhood. The inspiration for this Grapefruit Ginger Fizz cocktail recipe though, came from a totally unique place – a perfume! I was at a book signing at a fun pop-up last week and had a few minutes to shop around the store as we wrapped up the event. I’m normally not much of a perfume person, but my eye caught a Grapefruit Ginger scent by a local company called Farm+Sea and I had to give it a try. It smelled delicious, and as I was rolling it on I commented that I loved it as a perfume but I bet I’d love it even more as a cocktail. I bought the perfume, and mixed up a batch of these Grapefruit Ginger Fizz cocktails when I got home! They taste as good as I now smell, get the recipe below. (PS: I found these amazing coupes at H&M for a steal, I love how delicate they look!) read more

Recipes

Herb Marinated Antipasto Salad.

Let me tell you all of the reasons I love a good antipasto salad, there’s quite a few! To start, it’s a great dish to make ahead. It’s one of those side dishes that almost always tastes better after the flavors hang out together in the fridge overnight. Another reason I love it is that it’s pretty easy to tweak and adapt to your guests preferences — leave out the salami for vegetarians, skip the cheese if someone is dairy free, and it works as a gluten-free dish too. We have a few carb-etarians in our family, so I’ll often add in some cooked cheese tortellini to make sure they’re getting enough pasta in their diet, wink wink. It also makes great leftovers after a party too; you can toss all of the ingredients over some mixed greens for lunch the next day or use the combination to make a flavorful pizza for a quick weeknight dinner. It’s a fool-proof side dish and one that I love to serve up for summer entertaining. Get the details on how I make mine below:  read more

Recipes

Zucchini Basil Pasta Salad.

Pasta salad is pretty much my holy grail of summer barbecue menus; it’s always the side dish I most look forward to! I’ve probably tried dozens of recipes and variations, and love to tweak what I toss in every time I make it for a party. I got creative with a new twist on my classic pasta salad to gear up for Memorial Day weekend with this new recipe — Zucchini Basil Pasta Salad. It features my favorite pasta salad noodle shape — rotini — and lots of chopped up zucchini and squash, fresh basil, and crunchy pine nuts that add tons of flavor. I ate a giant bowl of it for lunch this week, so I can attest to the tastiness! Get the full recipe below:  read more