Halloween Decor

Is anyone else excited for Halloween? October is nearly here! We are really looking forward to decorating the house and kicking-off this spooky season!

One By One

A special thanks to Deseret Book, for providing me with a copy of this beautifully written book: One by One, by David A. Bednar.

This book by Elder David A. Bednar has been on my mind the last couple of weeks. One by One is a beautiful collection of personal stories & examples from the Book of Mormon and the Bible that show a pattern of how the Savior's life focused on serving the One.

Mexican Street Corn Toast Recipe

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #VidaAguacate #ToastYourHeritage #CollectiveBias 

Have you ever tried Mexican street corn (elote)? It is an absolute favorite of mine and it was the source of inspiration for today's recipe. It’s incredibly tasty, as well as addicting and oh yes —very messy! 

With Hispanic Heritage Month upon us, I thought I would pick up some Avocados From Mexico and whip up a dish to help celebrate my heritage. I love these because they're always fresh, in season and delicious!

DIY Oil Change

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #CambialoConQS #CollectiveBias

When I was a kid, my mom taught me & my brother the importance of regular oil changes & how to change the oil. I think it was right after a bad streak of unreliable cars, and mechanics, that she finally decided to be a little more independent and stop relying so much on other people to take care of her car. It had only been eight years since we'd moved from Mexico, so I was still pretty young, but that message of self-reliance has stuck with me ever since.

Today, I'm getting my hands messy to show you how to change your oil so you can have a dependable car that takes you & your family everywhere you need to go!

5 Tips For Choosing The Best Baby Bottles!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SimplyBonding #CollectiveBias 

I was looking back through old photos of Madison when she was itty-bitty in my womb, causing all sorts of pelvic pain and sleeplessness, and then of when she finally made her debut as a tiny newborn, and the sleeplessness really set-in. She was such a doll!

And as tough as those first few weeks were, they were also incredibly short. And, I would

Spooky Witch BOO Kit Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SpookySavings #BOOItForward #CollectiveBias 

With Halloween, practically here, I wanted to share this Spooky Witch BOO Kit tutorial I created a few weeks ago. If you haven't already stocked up on Halloween candy, you can easily hover over the image below and click through to buy your MARS® Bat Bag & MARS® Mad Scientist candy from Sam’s Club.

My kids and I always look forward to celebrating Halloween. We love the decorations, the costumes, the parties and of course all the yummy candy! We especially love all the fun neighborhood BOO'ing that goes on in our close-knit subdivision! 

Part of the fun of BOO’ing your neighbors is having them try to figure out who left them the gift. We've never caught our BOO'ers sneaking up to our porch but who knows, we might get lucky this year!

Feeling Blessed Beyond Measure

Today is a very special day for our family! Mallorie turned 8 years old Today and has chosen to get baptized! We are so very excited for her and she has been looking forward to this day for a very long time!  

Flowy Embroidered Blouse + What's in my bag!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NatureMadeGummies #CollectiveBias 

|Blouse: Roolee| Jeans: Rag & Bone| Wedges: Steve Madden| Purse: Love41|

Happy Tuesday!

Are you up to something fun today? We’re excited for a busy week of activities! I started my first week of business classes yesterday (fingers crossed my first semester back goes well)!

School Lunches Your Kids Will Actually Eat

Thank you Alpine Valley Bakery for sponsoring this post. Check out Alpine Valley Bakery’s high quality, organic, and delicious products for taste you can trust!

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but if you ask me, lunch runs a close second! This year, we've made the switch to a plant-based diet and I am determined to have my kids eat healthier.

Labor Day Weekend

I hope you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend! 

We traded our Ohio stomping grounds for a weekend at the lake to celebrate the extra long weekend. We also went camping at

We Can Do Hard Things!

On Saturday, we woke up bright & early to support Mallorie in her Healthy Kids Triathlon. This was her second year participating, so she knew what to expect, but she still had some unexpected rough patches during her race (mainly due to a biker crashing into her on the bike portion). But, she picked herself up, brushed her tears away and gave it her all! 

Back To School Beauty Kit Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SkinClearingMakeup #CollectiveBias 

With a good chunk of the country heading back to college in the next coming weeks, I thought it would be fun to put together my favorite beauty & skincare products and create a chic college survival kit! 

There's nothing better than putting together a little DIY gift for a friend to let them know you care! 

4 Things Every Woman Needs To Do Often

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PeopleRewardsClub #CollectiveBias  

Time is precious, no matter what stage of life you're in, but when you have little ones that are dependent on you for all their needs-it makes it exponentially harder to have some "me time". 

Any alone time or opportunity to get "away" always feels like a vacation, and I try to relish it (even when it's only five full minutes to myself).

Play. Eat. Repeat.

Thank you CLIF Kid for sponsoring this post. Be sure to check out the new CLIF Kid Zbar Filled and encourage your kids to get outside and play!

Back in California, the highlight of our girl's week was playing at the beach, jumping in the waves and hunting for sand dollars with grandma. We started taking them to the beach when they were just old enough to crawl (and were a little weary of the texture of sand:D). I think I might have gotten more out of those first few trips back then, but I'm so grateful we persisted because now the beach is one of their favorite places to explore & play.

Since being back in Cincinnati, we have been making sure to keep consistency for the kids and continue to have lots of day trips, educational activities, and outdoor play.

Frozen Yogurt Bark Recipe + Kids Morning Checklist

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HorizonLunch  #CollectiveBias

We've spent a good chunk of our summer creating recipes, fine-tuning old ones and eating way too many sweets. But in the process, we have created some really delicious recipes that I think you and your family will enjoy.

Yogurt bark is one of our favorites, because it makes for a super quick breakfast or snack & it's made with ingredients moms can feel good about. They're incredibly easy to make and will help to keep kids full, plus aid parents during the back to school breakfast craze. 

If you’ve never made frozen yogurt bark before, now is the time to do it!

10 Things You Should Definitely Bring To College + A Fabric Transfer Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #CreateWithHP  #CollectiveBias

Whether you're a first time freshmen about to start college, or a seasoned veteran (like myself:D), there are a few things every student needs to take with them to college to ensure a successful school year. Today, I’ll be sharing some true essentials for college + some advice I've learned along the way.

Belize + Our Stay at Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort...

A special thanks to my friends at Hamanasi for hosting us during our anniversary week and setting the bar high for coastal retreats!

Our newfound obsession with scuba diving & love for adventure is what originally led us to Hamanasi Adventure & Dive Resort.

But once there it was their incredible service, picturesque beaches & diving, mouth-watering cuisine, and rich culture that made our stay there unforgettable.

DIY Back To School Paper Organizer

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #BoxTopsHero #CollectiveBias.

Anyone else feeling excited for the school year ahead? With the back to school season upon us, I have been brainstorming ways to stay organized as well as get my kids to share my excitement for the upcoming year. This paper organizer is chic, practical and perfect for keeping you and your little ones organized.

Back To School Productivity Hacks

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #samsungtargettech #CollectiveBias 

This fall I will be doing something I have been dreaming of doing since I had my first child: going back to college and finishing my degree. Starting college is stressful enough when you’re 18 years old. But when you add ten years to your age, plus a full-time job, a spouse and a few kids, starting college (or going back) can be a major challenge. 

Whether you have a side job, are going back to school or just want to be more productive during the kiddos naps, I hope some of these tips will work for you as well as they have for me.

A Dreamy Minimalist Sanctuary...

A special thanks to Annie Selke for sparking today's post! As always all opinions are my own!

I’m a big believer in creating a space in your home that is all your own, your sanctuary. We all need a place where we can unwind, relax and retreat after a long day's work. After transforming our master bathroom last month, this space has easily become my favorite room in our home. 

But in order to make it a spa-like haven, and more fully enjoy the space, I had to add a few simple things...

Belize At A Glance

Our first trip to the beautiful country of Belize was a whirlwind of beauty, adventure, and relaxation! It was the perfect way to celebrate our tenth anniversary!

Tenacity of a Sunflower

We woke up bright and early to run a few errands and then spent the remainder of our morning exploring a local sunflower field & playing at the park. It was so beautiful and the weather was reminiscent of fall, so it was pure bliss.

I'm also sharing something that I feel strongly about, and I often struggle with. It's at the core of who I am,  I'm hoping maybe it will be of help to someone else!

Mom Aids & After School Printable!

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.  #RITZFilledBackToSchool #CollectiveBias

We have been busy this summer making lots of memories. We traded in our Buckeye state for the California coast back in June, and then spent a week in the unbelievably beautiful Winter park.

 

The girls have had ample beach-play, cousin-time, and hours of park outings. They've done a great job of soaking up every last minute of summer!

Flowers For Days

The weather on our last week in California was brutal, the temperatures were consistently in the high nineties, so we tried to spend a good chunk of our time by a pool or by the ocean.

One early morning though, we braved the sweat and sun for the sake of these gorgeous sunflowers and picturesque views.

My Probiotics Journey

A special thanks to LoveBug Probiotics for sponsoring Today's conversation and for allowing me to be their ambassador!

The first time I noticed any food sensitivities was the fall of 2013 (right after doing Medifast). I had lost a ton of weight with that program, but I started having weird symptoms such as food sensitivities when I had grains and some highly acidic fruits.

The thought that I had done permanent damage to my body terrified me! And, I wasn't sure how to undo the damage. Plus, I noticed that I felt sick all of the time, with stomach aches, constant colds, and excessive weight gain. My immune system was struggling!