I realized I talk about motherhood in a general sense quite frequently, but I rarely talk about Ainsley specifically. As she grows and becomes her own little person, I’ve been thinking a lot about her privacy and how much or little to share online. There is a delicate balance to strike, that’s for certain, but I am so thankful for each and every one of you who prayed for her and want you to share in the JOY that she … Read More
A Wine + Chocolate Girls NIght
*This post was sponsored by Ghirardelli. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make E&C possible. January is a long month in the Midwest. I mean, after New Year’s there is a long stretch filled with cold days without much to celebrate. So what’s a girl to do? My answer was to get the girls together for a wine and chocolate party. It was the perfect way to break up the weekday routine and host friends in … Read More
The Number Doesn’t Matter
A few weeks ago, I made a rookie mistake. You see, I found the perfect pair of jeans a few months ago. They fit great, looked good and were so dang comfortable. Then, a couple weeks ago, they started to feel a little bit loose. So what’s a girl to do? I bought the size smaller. Despite making huge strides in my journey to body self-acceptance, I let myself slip into thinking that the number on a pair of jeans … Read More
Mommy Martyr
Yesterday was not a particularly shining day for me. I woke up feeling flat-out sorry for myself for a handful of reasons that now seem too petty and foolish to list. Most of the time Mondays as work days for me, but I had rescheduled our childcare for the week so we could take Ainsley to a doctor’s appointment in a city about an hour and a half away. My mom was planning on coming along so we could make … Read More
The Food I Eat :: Postpartum Edition
My body has gone through a lot of changes in the past year. I’ve grown a baby, gained 30 pounds, had a baby, lost 35 pounds and now spend a good portion of each day chasing after a little one who is always on the go and on the verge of walking. Personally, I think what I eat is a fairly dull topic, since I tend to be a bit of a robot in terms of my daily food choices, … Read More
Sibling Spacing
When Ainsley turned 9-months-old, the questions about baby #2 started to roll in. I’m not sure if it’s just me, but that sounds a little early to start talking about the (hopefully, God willing) next baby, doesn’t it? I mean, I’m still calling myself a “new mom” and still very much feel like a new mom in so many ways, and people are wondering if I’m thinking about round two? Like most women once they’ve had a baby who starts … Read More
Hofmeyer Renovation: The Before Photos
The light at the end of this home renovation tunnel is now clearly visible. While there were plenty of days in the last few months when I was just over the whole thing, I’ve been doing my best to maintain perspective, be thankful for the gift it is to be able to renovate a home, and the excitement about seeing our vision for this house come together. When we moved back to Iowa we were shocked at how scarce the … Read More
Hey, momma, get in front of that camera!
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about moms in front of the camera, or rather, moms who hate being in front of the camera. It’s no secret that a lot of moms spend time taking photos of their adorable kiddos, only to balk at the idea of actually being in those same photos with their kids. I get it, I really do. There are times when the last thing I want to do is get in front of the camera … Read More
Spicy Black Beans with Sweet Potatoes
Since we ran in 2016, I’ve been making a real, honest effort to get back into the kitchen for non-work related purposes. For me that means more meal planning, taking the time to prepare a grocery list based around sales fliers and coupons, and then actually sticking to that meal plan. What I’ve realized is that we not only eat healthier (duh!) but our meals are more interesting and fun and we spend so much less on groceries each week. … Read More
What’s In My Makeup Bag: January Edition
1. Love Springs Eternal || Youth Preservation Serum by One Love Organics This product is a splurge, but the proof is in the results. Using a few drops of this serum every night makes a difference in the look and appearance of my skin, which is starting to show a few signs of getting older now that I’m edging up on 30 and getting less sleep that I once was. 2. Gentle Exfoliator Polish || Beautycounter We’ve all fallen victim … Read More
Slow Cooker Ranch Pot Roast
I’ll be the first to admit that roast wasn’t really in my cooking repertoire when I was first married. My husband grew up eating roast and potatoes every week, usually on Sundays, like most of the midwestern families I knew. Seeing as that my mom was never a huge fan of roast, we rarely ate it at our house. Although roast isn’t something this vegetarian eats anymore, it’s still one of my husbands favorite meals to eat, and one of … Read More
Reflections On Our Small-Town Life
Five months ago Joe, Ainsley and I packed up our stuff, sold our cute little 1950’s house in Minneapolis and moved back to the place we called home growing up, a small town in the northwest corner of Iowa. Friends, let me tell you I never saw it coming. Pre-baby Madison would have laughed in your face at the idea of moving back to where we grew up, a small, sleepy (and adorable!) town that was miles and miles away … Read More
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