The temperature hit 80 degrees yesterday and I’m now summer-crazed. It might be that we were a bit cooped up this winter with a newborn? Or maybe it’s the fact that I’m working for myself this year and know I’ll have a bit more flexibility to spend time outside. Whatever it is, I’m so excited for summer. Last night Mike and I were sitting on the couch talking about how we want to host a big clambake this summer. We also pulled all of our outdoor furniture out of the shed and got our yard set up for dining al fresco. Jane even had a little quality time playing on a blanket in the grass. Summer is the best. I have a few favorite tricks I lean on for setting up an easy, casual summer party, and as we gear up for Memorial Day weekend, I thought it would be the perfect time to share a few of them!
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When I say hostess gift, what’s your go-to idea? I bet it’s wine! I love giving a bottle of wine when I get invited somewhere for dinner, or a bottle of bubbly for brunch. I was thinking recently about ways to jazz up this traditional hostess gift with something a bit more fun and unexpected. Warmer weather is right around the corner, and I love a glass of fruity, crisp white sangria. My DIY light bulb went off and I thought how fun it would be to make a sangria kit to bring along to parties.
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I’ve been thinking about starting a new weekly post series here for all of the little random thoughts I have that don’t always qualify for a full blog post. I love to share products I’m using, articles I’ve read, and recipes I’m trying out and this seems like the place to do it! I see other bloggers calling this their weekly round up, or their Friday links, but I think for me we’ll call it what it is – a download of all of the stuff in my brain that I can’t wait to tell you about! Let me know what you think of this and if you want to see more of it! Let’s give it a try: read more
I have been driving past our local nursery this week to scope out all of the gorgeous flowers that are out for Mother’s Day. Fittingly, gardens remind me of both my mom and my mother-in-law. When I was growing up my mom had a flower garden that ran alongside our house. All of my favorite flowers like snapdragons, black-eyed Susans and pansies were planted there each year. My mother-in-law has the greenest thumb of anyone I’ve ever met and when we gift her flowers for Mother’s Day she keeps them alive all summer long. I, on the other hand, struggle to keep a cactus alive. I love flowers but gardening is certainly my weakest domestic skill. You know what I’m really good at though? Mixing up cocktails. 
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I have a stack of my favorite cookbooks out to brainstorm my menu for Mother’s Day Brunch this weekend. I celebrated early with my own mom last weekend (with a trip to Home Goods, the cornerstone of our loving relationship). So this weekend we’re having my in-laws over for brunch. I’ve been wanting to try several recipes from Joy The Baker’s new brunch book: Over Easy, and I am digging into my own site archives to pull out a few favorites. I thought I’d share 10 of my favorite brunch ideas to get you inspired too! Any bright ideas for your own Mother’s Day brunch menu? Share them with me in the comments, I’d love to hear them! 
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Spring can be pretty fleeting around here, we tend to go from cold, dark rainy days right into that warm, high-70’s weather that just begs for beach days and barbeques and ice cream. I have my sights set on Memorial Day weekend to officially kick-off summer! Last summer I got to partner with Better Homes & Gardens to share some recipes in their Summer Entertaining Guide. This year I’m excited to contribute a few more ideas from their annual guide and use some of the items they sent me in their Summer Party Box to create a summer to do list!
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In honor of Mother’s Day (my first!) my friends at Birdies Slippers are partnering with me on a really fun giveaway over on Instagram. I can’t say enough good things about these shoes, I’ve been living in them since Jane was born. They’re perfect for slipping on when I’m working at home so that I feel polished yet comfortable. And I love that they have a sturdy rubber sole since carrying around Jane can sometimes be a bit of a balancing act. Did I mention they come in the most adorable colors and styles? I think you just may need a pair too, so hop on over to my Instagram page and enter to win some of your own! 
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This post was created in partnership with buybuy BABY. All opinions are my own.
I was talking with a group of moms this week about the juggle of working with a baby, and each mom commented on how incredibly lucky I was to be able to stay home with Jane while working for myself. I’m coming up on two months since I officially took the blog full time and the work-from-home life has been both challenging and amazing. Hearing those moms share their perspective gave me a much-needed reminder of how wonderful it really is that I get to do a job I love and still get to spend all day with Jane. My “new normal” has not come without it’s challenges though. I’ve been working hard these past two months at finding my work/mom rhythm. Jane is three and a half months old, and only in those past two weeks have I finally started to feel some normalcy in our routine. Reading about other working mom and business owners’ workday routines is one of my guilty pleasures; I gobble up those articles and dig for tips I can apply to my own life. I thought it would be helpful to share a bit about what’s worked for us in our own routine, in the tools I use, and the products that are making my life a bit saner.
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Holy moly guys, after three months of being a mother, I suddenly really appreciate my own mom more than I ever could have imagined. When Jane was born my mom came to stay with us and help out right when I got out of the hospital, and then again when Mike went back to work. The day she left to head back home to New York I cried as she was pulling out the driveway. I felt a very sudden urge to apologize to her for every nasty thing I said as a teenager, every eye roll, and every slammed door. Being a mom, I’m learning, is hard work. And even though I’m in my thirties and have a kid of my own now, I’m still leaning on my mom for help and advice (and some free babysitting too). So I guess my point is, make sure you do something extra nice for your mom on Mother’s Day – moms really deserve it. I have tons of fun gift ideas you can shop below like cozy pajamas, fun accessories, sweet treats, plus a few funny cards I loved too!
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I’m getting in the fiesta-spirit for Cinco de Mayo this weekend, because any excuse to pour a pitcher of margaritas is reason for celebration, right? Outside of this extra festive holiday, I think ‘fiesta’ is generally one of my favorite party themes. Brightly colored lapel picado banners,tissue paper fringe covered piñatas, and of course a Mexican-inspired menu are all key. I thought I’d share a few of my favorite Cinco de Mayo party supplies to help get those fiesta inspiration juices flowing. 
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