• living room ideas
    Lifestyle

    Living Room Inspiration

    We are in new territory when it comes to our living room. Our new home is about the same size as our previous one, but the space allocated to rooms is different. This has given us much more room in our living area and less room in the bedrooms. Pros and cons, right? Our living room is in that weird in-between space where you have your old furniture that fit in the old house just kind of sitting in a new space, unsure of where it needs to be. It’s exciting to think of what our new living room could look and feel like. I would like a set-up that…

  • Lifestyle

    The Housewarming Gift Homeowners Really Want

    “I don’t know what to get you as a housewarming gift”, my friend said a few weeks after we bought a house. Now mind you she had actually sold us our house, so she had given us the best housewarming gift. But it got me thinking. What gift is a good one for someone you know (or don’t), that won’t end up in a pile of items that need to be put away? Moving is overwhelming, chaotic and stressful. A gift is a great gesture, but choosing one that doesn’t add clutter to a multitude of existing boxes can be a challenge. The main goal of a housewarming gift is to…

  • wreath
    Lifestyle

    There’s a Wreath on the Door

    My daughter and I went to HomeGoods the other week to look for a new laundry basket. Somewhere I missed the memo that around age 6, this girl was REALLY into wanting every pretty thing in the store (“mom, you GOTTA have this! It’s amazing!” she says looking at a unicorn snow globe). She loves HomeGoods now. As we passed by the seasonal section, we saw the cutest egg-decorated, bunny-shaped wreath. I have never had a wreath on my door. My parents, in-laws, and friends have had them, but I never saw the interest in them. Folks, I bought the wreath and have it hanging on my door. Wreaths have…

  • Lifestyle

    why the walls will forever be beige

    Our new house has 5 freshly painted rooms. We were just going to do 2. I messed up and we had to paint the ceiling. I don’t think I’ll be painting for a while. Let me back up… When we moved to our new home, my best friend and realtor kindly offered to paint the 2 rooms that looked like they could use a fresh coat. Looking through paint chips for a cool color was an option, but the choices are overwhelming and I didn’t have the headspace to go through that process. We decided to go with beige. She likes to paint, knows the process and I was super…

  • gift closet
    Lifestyle

    How to Build a Gift Closet

    Do you have a gift closet? I started one not too long ago as a way to have gifts on hand for birthday parties that I would forget about. Since COVID has given us a way out of kids’ birthday parties for a little over a year, I love that I don’t have to frantically look and buy a gift at the last minute. This is why I like the gift closet idea so much. While it’s mostly for kids, there are some adult-friendly items in there as well that serve as a last-minute hostess, acquaintance, or birthday gift. We are now starting to slowly ease up on get-togethers and…

  • bathing suits
    Lifestyle

    Are we talking about bathing suits and summer yet?

    After being a year into this pandemic and so many plans being put on hold, canceled, and then canceled again, we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Spring is here, the weather is getting a bit warmer and the kids had their first swim class this week. Summer is being planned out and it’s looking like I’ll actually be able to see my parents in over a year. If you’ve got summer fever and starting to dream about vacations and beaches and sipping sweet drinks poolside, check out my post on Zulily on bathing suits for body types. I’m a firm believer in wearing…

  • workout
    Lifestyle

    Do you have a workout routine?

    Everyone has been home for a year and a workout room is basically your bedroom/living room/garage/spare bedroom. That’s where we’re at. While some gyms and studios are starting to open, the safest bet is DIY. I’ve been getting into the FitOn and Apple Fitness workout apps and finally bit the bullet and got a 6-piece weight set from Amazon (no longer in stock). Strength workouts are awesome, but a lot of them required some kind of weights and the water bottles/canned vegetables weren’t cutting it. I was into the workout routine about a month and a half ago. I would set up my girl in her room on her iPad…

  • Lifestyle

    Do you wear jeans?

    There are those who live in a pair of jeans and there are those who don’t. The average person owns 7 pairs of jeans. With it being such a fashion staple for everyone, it’s no wonder around 450 million pairs are sold every year. I’m not a denim girl. To me, they are a hard pass next to my joggers and leggings. I know, I’m not in the popular camp, but to be honest, I never was. I remember growing up my mom HATED jeans. Denim was bought and worn a lot, but it was in the jegging, dressy pants-style. She thought jeans were “fachosa”, or informal. If she thought…

  • Lifestyle

    House Hunting: Bathrooms & Closets

    When did it become acceptable to have bathrooms and closets so small? We are currently trying to get all of our clothes from walk-in to a reach-in closet and it’s been, well, challenging. When we were house hunting, we saw one where the half bathroom was in the garage. Can you imagine having guests over and being like “oh yeah, just go downstairs where we PARK OUR CAR and go ahead and use our guest bathroom”. I’m laughing as I’m typing that. We’ve also seen some beautiful bathrooms and closets, largely at the expense of the rest of the house. We saw a townhome where the 2 bedrooms were on…

  • dance
    Lifestyle

    Dance it out, seriously.

    Do you have a favorite at-home workout? For me, it’s dance. Dancing has always been my jam, moving the body, learning choreography, and letting my alter ego out. Dancing was always around growing up. I’m part Mexican, so any excuse my mom had to party, she was down, with music and dancing being involved 99.9% of the time. It became something that just naturally happened at parties. As I got older, I discovered hip-hop and it’s honestly my favorite. I love the beat, the choreography, the dress code (no heels! As comfy and loose as possible!), and the way it encourages you to release that sassy, diva-like, confident self. I…