Where do you go when you’re craving a weekend getaway with your family? In partnership with ,Visit Missouri, we embarked on a fun road trip through the state to explore and find adventure! Springfield, Missouri FANTASTIC CAVERNS Our first stop after arriving in Springfield was Fantastic Caverns. This ride-through cave, discovered in 1862 by a farmer's dog and originally explored by an all-women crew, was such a fascinating and exhilarating experience. As the tour progressed, we could feel the magnitude and depth of the cave. The immense stillness down there was magical. ,TRU BY HILTON After ou ..read more

"Hey mom, can we go to space today?" I pride myself in being the fun mom who's always ready for an adventure, so when I found out there was an epic space museum only a day trip away from us, I packed up the squad and we were off to space. The Cosmosphere Science Education Center and Space Museum located in Hutchinson Kansas was the perfect place to not only learn about astronauts and rockets, but be fully immersed into the history of space for a day. We started our exploration at the Hall Of Space Museum in CosmoKids. We were instantly in awe of this hands-on, interactive play experience. Som ..read more

"It's ok to fall apart sometimes. Tacos do and we still love them." This little quote has been the theme of my life lately. Falling apart and picking up my little toppings and tucking them back together. "What is wrong with you?" a question I ask myself often but turns out, living through a pandemic for over a year can take a major toll in the mental health department! So, I'm showing myself massive amounts of grace, taking time to rest and doing what I do best; EATING! These tacos have been on repeat for us lately because they're easy, comforting and DELICIOUS! So, if you're also on Team-Fa ..read more

Picking out a REAL Christmas tree every year is our all time FAVORITE family tradition! Full disclosure, this is only the second year of that tradition BUT I'm here for it! With the craziness of this year, finding ways to feel like life is "normal" has been tricky BUT not impossible. Since traveling isn't really an option for us right now, taking a "trip" (more figurative than literal...lol) in our city seemed like a fabulous idea! First stop, Family Tree Nursery! This year more than ever, supporting local businesses this holiday season has been a goal of mine. This local, family owned nursery ..read more

Raise your hand if you're on Team Last Minute! Have no fear, the Country Club Plaza is here!!! This local shopping spot is where I'll be knocking out all my last minute gifts! I love that the Plaza offers such a wide range of shops; everything from makeup and beauty, to home decor, apparel and more! So, here's a few of the spots I'll be buying gifts from! For The Skincare & Makeup Lover Bluemercury is a one stop shop for the skincare, makeup and beauty lover you're buying for. This gorgeous store is welcoming and the products are beautifully displayed. Gift sets are an easy go to when la ..read more

"My house doe NOT have to be clean in order for me to be happy"....a phrase I repeat to myself often. But let's be honest, my dirty house drives me NUTS most days. And with this sentiment you'd think my home would be cleaned to perfection; but it's far from that which also drives me NUTS! After months and months of driving myself nuts seeking levels of perfection I'll never reach, I decided to say farewell to perfection and just embrace reality. If My Kitchen Is Clean, I Can Survive...the first stop in my farewell to perfection in the clean home department. Every other room in my home could b ..read more

Self Care.....a phrase thrown out often but what does it actually mean??? For me, self care means doing my best to nourish myself, mentally, emotionally and physically. This realization, this definition evolved for me after years of running myself wild through people pleasing and leaving myself for last. You cannot pour into others if you're running on empty, so after 34 years of running on empty I've finally began to focus on caring for myself. "But I don't have time for self care!" A phrase I used to say often until I realized that self care doesn't have to be complicated. It just needs to ..read more

Cooking with my mini chefs has been a progression in motherhood for me! As someone who's slightly controlling and struggles to deal with a mess, I often found myself telling my kids "not this time" when they asked to help cook dinner. And then something struck me! If I NEVER allow them in the kitchen during the process how will they ever learn to cook? And since this revelation I've allowed these cuties to be part of the cooking process and it's been such a fun experience! Today, my mini chefs and I whipped up a family favorite; Baked Penne! I LOVE this recipe because it's SOOO YUMMY and EAS ..read more

With distance learning, working from home AND trying to remain sane, life has felt like a whirlwind. I've always been one for a routine and schedule but this year has challenged me to the core and I realized quickly I needed to get my life together or else we all would go crazy and nothing would get done. I've also had to say goodbye to my perfectionist ways and say hello to finding ways to make life more doable. I'm not expert but since sharing is caring. Before I get into our Fall Routine, I wanted to share 3 tips that have made our life feel more doable and less stressed. Tip #1: Utilize p ..read more

January 1st, 2020 if you asked me how many adventures I planned to take my three littles on this year, I would have rattled off a seemingly endless list. This was supposed to be OUR year of travel. This was supposed to be OUR year of adventure. But here I am, nearly to the end of the year and we've gone absolutely nowhere. And the "January 1st Mom" version of me would have felt like this year was a complete wash. But one thing I've learned this year is that so much magic can be found in the simplest moments. So, here's a peek into our day in the sunflower fields. A simple yet magical little a ..read more