It has been one month (give or take a few days) since my hysterectomy, and my brain is finally functioning at a somewhat normal level again to jot down my thoughts on healing and the recovery process. Before my surgery, I went down the rabbit hole of researching what to expect once I got home from the hospital. And while there are some great posts out there, it was a little bit too easy to discover horror stories – something I definitely didn’t need, as I already had a decent amount of anxiety leading up to my surgery date! So for anyone who is considering a hysterectomy or curious about ..read more

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I love summer and all the travel (and tan skin) it brings, but I always welcome the change of seasons into fall. Crisp leaves, cool weather, and cozy days – sign me up! One of the best parts about fall is the return of the crock pot to my weekly cooking routine (LOL @ thinking I actually have a cooking routine). So without further adieu, here are a few of my favorite crockpot meals to make – and some that I’m excited to try thanks to your suggestions on Instagram! Pasta e Fagioli Soup (Olive Garden Copycat*) *Adapted for picky eaters! Savory Beef ..read more

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen a few stories about the menstrual issues I’ve been having for the past 3+ years. It has been a long emotionally and physically draining road dealing with almost non-stop bleeding. I have met with several doctors (including a holistic doctor), have completed panels upon panels of blood work, saliva hormone tests, ultrasounds, and internal exams. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on testing (and tampons) and countless nights falling asleep with a heating pad on my abdomen. I’ve shed thousands of tears of frustration when none of the “try this for t ..read more

This essay was originally created in November, 2019 – little did I know then that the feeling of being “stuck” without adventuring in our favorite place would continue due to COVID-19. We are keeping our fingers crossed and praying this summer brings us back within the Blue Line as planned. The promise of summer fuels us the entire year through. Each falling leaf, forming icicle, and fresh spring puddle inches us one step closer to our favorite season of all – not for the warmth, the sunshine, or the longer days (although all are certainly perks) – but for the opportunity to escape f ..read more

I don’t remember how old the kids were when we first started this tradition, but for the last few years, we’ve looked forward to celebrating Valentine’s Day together with a fancy fondue night. (Or, as Huck and Marleigh like to call it, “Fun-due” night!) Call us crazy, but we actually love spending quality time with our kids and usually choose family time over a fancy date night out. Our annual Valentine’s dinner date in is something we all look forward to once the calendar flips to February. And as an added bonus, with so many options on the table, fondue night is one of the only nights of the ..read more

This winter has been mild, and also approximately 1,581,018 days long. We have been plagued by the flu, pink eye, sniffly noses and lingering coughs that have required a few too many sick days – and, as a result, cabin fever is settling in strong. We were thrilled to be invited to the Buffalo Museum of Science for the opening night of their Golden Mummies of Egypt exhibit, and thankfully everyone was healthy enough to attend! The Buffalo Museum of Science is such a local gem – interesting and educational for adults and older kids and hands-on and interactive enough to keep the younger cr ..read more

Full disclosure: I wrote this post while dealing with a low-grade fever and the flu. Please excuse any rambling thoughts and typos along the way. Cheers! On New Years Day, I made a sudden decision to participate in “Dry January” – a trend that has taken off in recent years as a challenge to abstain from drinking alcohol the entire month. If you know me, you know I like my usual glass of wine. I knew I drank a few glasses a week, obviously, but one thing that has been eye-opening to me this month is just how much a part of my routine drinking was becoming. I would mindlessly pour a glass o ..read more

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #GreenMountainGoodness  If you know anything about our family, you probably know how much we love to travel and explore our beautiful world. We have visited several National Parks and surround ourselves with fresh mountain air as often as we possibly can. So it should be no surprise that we feel strongly about taking care of the wonderful planet we live on, and the people that dwell on it. One of the best things we have done as a family to “Do Good” in this world is sponsoring a child ..read more

Life has been hectic lately (Can you say “lately” when it feels like it’s been like this for years?), but I’ve had some time recently to find a few new favorites for our home and my closet, and what better day than a Friday to sit down and scroll through pretty things? Without further adieu, here are some of the items I’m loving lately. H & M | $39.99 (affiliate link)First up, these jeans. A quality pair of non-stretchy denim for under $40? Sign me up! I’ve been searching for the perfect pair of go-to jeans for a while now, and this pair delivers. I love them so much I actually bou ..read more

This is 30. At this point in my life, I haven’t quite grown out of the “baby fat” in my round cheeks or the fact that I still sprint up the stairs coming up from our basement with the irrational fear that someone is chasing me. I still enjoy unwinding with a good coloring book (not the adult versions – give me a good Lisa Frank) and a glass of wine, hate talking on the phone, and will likely forever leave my dirty clothes in a pile on the bathroom floor for at least a few hours after each shower (sorry, babe).  While some things never change, I certainly have seen my fair share of tran ..read more