Lilyana’s Newborn Photos & Nursery

Tomorrow marks our sweet Lily’s 3-month birthday. While in many ways it feels like she’s been a part of our lives for quite some time, in other ways it feels like time has flown by so fast. Since taking these photos, she has already changed so much—although her facial expressions are still the same (which makes me laugh). Becoming a Mom has challenged me in new ways and stretched me to new limits. It has required giving up much of myself—including sleep (oh, how I miss you), hobbies (the blog is on the back-burner for awhile), and my body (hoping to get back in shape soon!)—but I wouldn’t change it for anything.

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My Garden Baby Shower

This past weekend my friends Tamara and Taylor (author of Simply Silicon Valley) co-hosted a baby shower to celebrate the impending arrival of our little girl. Every detail was divinely and beautifully thought through, leaving me overwhelmed with gratitude, to say the least. Perhaps it’s third trimester emotions, but the outpour of love and generosity from family, friends and co-workers has been a humbling experience. From the east coast to the west coast and a few stops in between, we’ve received countless words of encouragement, expressing excitement for our soon to be family of three!

After we moved into our new home this past December, I dreamed of one day throwing a garden party in our backyard as it lends the perfect setting for such a soireé. Unbeknownst to me, Taylor latched onto this idea and brought the garden party vision to life, in honor of our baby. How lucky am I to have such sweet and thoughtful friends!? Because I can’t resist sharing all the pretty details, and documenting the festivities so that our daughter can one day see how we joyfully celebrated her birth, below are a few photos from the day. Further down the post I share a short update on my third trimester and what I’m learning about motherhood.

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Easter Sunday Brunch

April is here! Can you believe how fast the year is flying? Thursday I’m 25 weeks pregnant, which makes me realize I’m getting closer and closer to my due date. Eek! I need to start planning for the baby’s arrival (I’m feeling a little behind schedule). But for today I’m thinking about Easter Sunday, and our menu plans (of course the preggo girl is thinking about food).

Whether you decide to bake or takeout this Easter Sunday, I’ve outlined a simple brunch menu for your holiday celebration. Typically, when planning a menu for guests, my eyes are bigger than my stomach. It’s easy to go overboard with food preparation only to leave behind a fridge stocked full of leftovers. This year I’m opting for a simple, yet tasty brunch menu which I outline below.

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3 Tips for Potting Seasonal Mums

img_5586Although, I will admit, I don’t have a natural talent for growing plants, I’ve always dreamed of one day having a flower garden. There’s something so captivating about a pretty vibrant bloom, that comes with each new season, and mums, like no other, signal autumn has arrived. Just like so many of you, this time of year is one of my favorites. I can’t get enough of the cool crisp days, cozy knit sweaters, and tasty seasonal treats, and not to mention the quintessential fall flowers and fairytale pumpkins–that quite seriously look like something out of a scene from Cinderella.

There are many traditions to uphold this time of year, and potting mums is just one in the lengthy lineup. So without further adieu, how should one go about potting mums? With a little help from google search, I rounded up the three most important steps you need to know this fall for keeping your mums alive and thriving.

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