Happy Black Friday. I hope it was a wonderful Thanksgiving for those of you celebrating. And if it wasn’t, I see you too. Some years are like that and I’ve had my fair share of them. I spent Thanksgiving in Florida with Finn, my parents and my grandmother. I was thinking back yesterday while chatting with Mema and realized this is the first time I’ve had Finn for Thanksgiving since he was 6 months old! (Thanksgiving 2018 – I can’t even) In 2019 my mom came to Charlotte and we had Thanksgiving just the two of us. Finn was with his dad. In 2020 I was on a trip to Costa Rica during Thanksgivin ..read more

Hello my friends. I am sitting down to write this post by Christmas tree light. I think this is the earliest that I have ever put up my tree but it worked best from a timing/logistics standpoint. We are traveling for Thanksgiving and won’t get back until the Monday after. Finn will be with his dad for most of the next weekend I’ll be slammed with work so I thought it would be great to get it done this weekend while Finn was with me and I could arrive home to a decorated house after our trip! (fleece footed jammies) Can’t imagine decorating the tree without him although there was one section ..read more

Happy Friday! I thought I would theme today’s Friday favorites post around advent calendars for everyone. I got a really cool (and educational!) advent calendar for Finn last year and we both looked forward to each day’s new surprise. Now is the time to order your advent calendar so that you’re ready to kick off the fun on December 1! 2023 ADVENT CALENDARS: FOOD/DRINK ADIAGO TEAS ADVENT CALENDAR The team at Adiago Teas reached out to me a few weeks ago and offered to send me their 2023 advent calendar. Being a huge tea fan, I eagerly accepted and it sparked the inspiration for this post! If ..read more

While I am not quite ready to pull out the Christmas decorations (still have to get Halloween out of my yard…), I do have my first Christmas candle of the season burning tonight and it smells delightful. It’s the cedar balsam candle from Trader Joe’s. I stashed it away last year and I sure do hope they bring it back (looks like they are based on this link). I think Trader Joe’s does a great job with their candles.  Just enough fragrance and I never feel like I want to blow it out within a few minutes of lighting it because the scent is so strong. Well my friends, we have all the things ..read more

I have baked a lot of pumpkin flavored things in my 15 years of food blogging and I am here to tell you that the pumpkin bread recipe that I am sharing today might just take the number one spot. Once it cooled enough for me to slice off my favorite piece – that super crusty, right out of the oven end piece that’s only good the day you bake it – I think I said “oh my god’ out loud to no one. And while I thought this pumpkin bread was delicious the night I baked it – it was next level the next day. Promise me you’ll bake this recipe! BEST EVER PUMPKIN BREAD RECIPE I tried another very popular ..read more

Hello on Halloween eve from the other side of a jam-packed and very fun Hallweekend. I can’t believe we still have one more day to go with Halloween being tomorrow. We have been living our best fall lives over here! Typically on the weekends that I have Finn I try to plan for one fun and special outing/event/experience. Well, this past weekend we enjoyed four days in a row of fall festivities. I think October is in the running for my favorite month of the year. Here’s a recap of our adventures! THURSDAY: HALL FAMILY FARM (tank, shorts, shoes – my FAVE plain white leather shoes!, bag) On Th ..read more

I am on a culinary mission this fall/winter to nail homemade kitchari. It is a traditional Indian dish that has been in Ayurveda for thousands of years. The main ingredients are Mung dal and basmati rice along with spices and vegetables. It’s super kind to the digestive system and often considered “food medicine.” A cool fact about kitchari is that it’s a complete protein source and contains all nine of the essential amino acids our body needs. It’s also loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. My kitchari consumption has mostly been limited to a ready-to-eat Trader Joe’s pouc ..read more

I love soup season when I can make a big pot of soup on the weekends to heat up for a warm comforting lunch all week long. This butternut squash carrot soup is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve given it quite the update here with some additional spices and creamy coconut milk. BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CARROT SOUP WITH GINGER, TURMERIC AND COCONUT MILK  The recipe is chock-full of carrots, butternut squash and fresh ginger. The fresh ginger is an absolute must in this recipe and I was lucky to score some baby ginger at the farmers market (mid-september to early November is the season fo ..read more

Hi friends. I’m cozied up on the couch with hot tea, a blanket and the first episode of season five of Love Is Blind on in the background. I had a good week but I am feeling a little run down at the end of it so the plan is to take it very easy this evening. I’m thinking a bath, a movie and early bedtime are in order. I might even go crazy and order takeout. I have a random mix of favorites to share with you for this Friday post. I have a great soup recipe coming for you later this weekend, along with some recent eats. P DAY AT PRESCHOOL Finn is doing a TK year at his preschool this year. E ..read more

Hello and I hope that your week is off to a great start. I am doing something very out of my normal routine – writing this post from a coffee shop. I almost always work from home but it was most efficient for me to stop into a coffee shop to do some work in between appointments this afternoon. I am drinking a half-caff, half-sweet brown sugar oat milk latte – and it’s a nice way to change up a Monday! I just had a mammogram. Friendly reminder to get yours scheduled – and that you don’t necessarily have to wait until 40. This was my third time having a mammogram. My first was at age 33 due t ..read more