We have had a lovely week! The boys got to see chicks hatch in my Mom’s class, nobody was sick all week, and we celebrated Valentines Day with steak, microwave potatoes, and Dr. Pepper for the boys. We are enjoying these few weeks of calm before baseball season starts, and we start trip planning for spring and summer vacations!

Libraries to add to our bucket list.

Like I’ve said…go to Shake Shack.

Sundress and sunglasses for Spring.

How to pack a suitcase.

Newsflash: you aren’t at the mercy of your emotions.

Best list for preparing salmon.

Love the color splash in this home.

And finally, The Darkest Year is the next WWII historical book on my list.

What a week! This kiddo is seven and we celebrated at a trampoline park with friends and a family party on Super Bowl Sunday. This weekend we’ve got a Pinewood Derby race for Cub Scouts and a birthday party for my nephew. In between we’ll be making out Valentines Cards and reading, reading, reading!

How to boost your morning coffee. I already add collagen and have been impressed with the energy and protein boost.

The A Beautiful Mess interview podcast I have next on my car drive list.

Love this kitchen and floor plan.

Classic staples perfect for the transition from winter to spring. Which is happening weekly in the south.

A cooking memoir and cookbook.

Intrigued by this etching method of art creating.

I just finished the Nightingale which was excellent, but I definitely needed a lighter read afterwards so I’m starting The Proposal this weekend.

And finally, the loafers and shorts in my Nordstrom cart.

Reading is serious work! Best to wear sweatbands.

A glimpse of Spring.

Easy chicken recipes for weeknight meals.

BBQ chicken quinoa for lunch.

Best ideas to prepare for a trip.

Triple chocolate cookies.

The Home Edit’s top organizing tips. My favorite is the drawer organizers!

Modern and vintage in one gorgeous home.

My favorite new dress from Nordstrom.

The only kind of resolutions to make!

Baking the most average chocolate chip cookie based on science.

Finally, I’ve been doing a bunch of textbook editing this week and podcasts have helped me through it! My favorites were Episode 56 & 57 from The Forever 35 podcast, and Episode 215 & 303 of Milk Street Podcast.

We are one hundred days in! This tiny sir dressed up as a very mysterious one hundred year old man for the one hundredth day. We’ve got basketball games, lots of reading, and potentially snow headed our way! I’m looking forward to sleeping in on Saturday, and maybe making some waffles with the big box of Kodiak Cakes mix I picked up at Costco.

Cheesy chicken and rice for our next weeknight meal.

DIYs to organize all your stuff.

Winter workwear in tweed.

The benefits of after holiday detoxing.

How long to hold a plank.

S’mores bars for when it’s too cold to make s’mores.

Winter skincare routine and product application order.

Spots to visit in Nashville.

Mindfulness to create minimalism.

And finally I was saving my Sephora points up for this set. I’m so excited to test out all the products!

My current favorite gloss that I’m using everyday during this crazy winter season! It reminds me of my favorite Bonnie Bell gloss from when I was a kid, but more adult and has vitamin E to help keep your lips hydrated. Here are some more of my favorites from the week!

Maintaining proper form in working out.

Fascinating facts about The Wave, one of my favorite works of art.

A Place for Us.

Stovetop macaroni and cheese.

My favorite podcast of the week.

Garlic butter rolls.

I am endlessly looking for new ways to cook chicken thighs.

Drawer dividers to work on my joy of tidying up.

Winter casual chic.

How to fall asleep fast and stay asleep.

We are definitely back in the swing of school, work, and basketball games. This weekend I’m looking forward to working on a narwhal project with J, finishing up reading The Library Book, and celebrating my Dad’s birthday on Sunday! Next week is going to just as busy as this one was, so I’m glad for the downtime!

The puzzle I got for the boys and I to work on this weekend.

A colorful beachside home.

Chicken chilaquiles that I learned how to make while listening to a podcast on the way to work.

Grown-up lunchables.

Tips for tidying up, but don’t take it too far.

Palm tree design.

The boots I have in my shopping cart at Nordstrom.

Sketchbook inspiration.

And finally, an Oahu travel guide.

Our winter staycation is officially over in two days. We are trying to slowly get back on our schedule before we go back to work and school next week. I’m also trying actively to not panic about the traffic increase due to a major road closure near us and if I’m going to need roller skates like Ross in that episode of Friends to get from class to class because of our main building being remodeled. And, it’s still raining! For now I’ll be working on some lesson planning, we’ll be playing board games, watching football, and doing some organizational preparing for the new year!

Places to go when visiting Atlanta.

Creating a mindful nighttime routine.

How to create an effective bullet journal.

Degas book to add to my reading list.

Chicken faijita bowls for lunch.

Ingredients to always have on hand.

And finally, subway tile backsplashes creating light in the kitchen.

Pregame pep talk.

This week my grandparents arrived and we are looking forward to a weekend full of cookie baking, gingerbread house decorating, and our annual Feliz Navidad dinner. We’ve also got a couple of basketball practices and maybe going to see Mary Poppins Returns mixed in as well. And of course the boys are counting down the days to Christmas. Let the holiday festivities begin!

A calming playlist.

On creating a balance of home responsibilities.

Brush pens and dual tip markers on my list for my art journal.

White chocolate and cranberry biscotti for Christmas morning coffee.

Mail order caramel.

A new cooking memoir to add to my reading list.

Cilantro lime dressing for our side salad on Feliz Navidad.

Garland inspo for next year.

The biscuits I’m making for Christmas Eve.

Two weekend looks, one with buffalo checks and one with a cropped sweater.

Love this home that combines comfort, neutrals, and pops of color.

Lunch soup.

Finally, ringing in the new year with a holiday medley.

This week I attended “Elf University” with J, and we had such a fun time! He has learned all of the details he needs to be a successful elf, and he’s hoping to put his skills to good use this holiday season. This weekend we’ve got basketball games, cousin fun night, and a whole bunch of rain headed our way. One more week until Christmas break! I need to start wrapping presents!

The Music Shop is the next book on my reading list.

If I could live in a store, I’d live here.

Slow cooker pork loin, a perfect week before Christmas break meal.

Reading makes you a better person, science says so.

I love these carefully crafted illustrations and the stories behind them.

J asked to add this puppy to his Christmas list.

Thoughts on being fully present during the holiday season.

Adding to our must visit list in Hawaii.

Ordered this work pullover for B, classy at a really reasonable price.

Coconut lime macaroons for our Feliz Navidad Party.

Creating a breakfast date to plan for the week.

The new podcast I subscribed to this week.

The chocolate chip cookies we made for a mid-week treat.

A Christmas village craft for the rainy weekend ahead.

And finally, arm dancing to tone your arms….or put that present carrying to good use.