Christmas Decor with Hayneedle

This post is sponsored by Hayneedle

New beginnings call for a lot of new things even down to Christmas decor. All of the decor I own has been a part of Christmases shared with Ryan. In fact, a lot of the ornaments are ones I bought the first year I was married to celebrate our first Christmas together. Being separated this Christmas, it is quite painful to bring those memories back to life, so I looked to Hayneedle to help make new memories this Christmas with beautiful and simple decorations that will establish a foundation to build memories upon.

A beautiful, new pre-lit tree was just what I needed. It doesn’t have any ornaments on it this year, but it will grow to have more and more as the kids and I make new ones together. I look forward to popsicle sticks, pine cones and cotton balls decking out the tree over the years.

I placed the tree in the window for decoration because I’m not sure it’s wise of of me to attempt hanging lights on the outside of the house by myself. Haha! But I got a new wreath for the door that has battery operated lights and comes with a timer. I also found a beautiful garland to lay across my antique china cabinet. Between the tree, the wreath and the garland things should be looking pretty festive.

I’m a big believer that candle light is just as festive has Christmas lights. So I found beautiful brass and wooden candle holders to put throughout the space. I can’t wait to light them all on Christmas Eve. I also found beautiful brass trays and glass domes that would set a holiday scene with pine cones and fake snow, but I love that these are items that can stay on my table over the the months and not feel out of place. Christmas decorations can be really expensive, so you may as well find things that can stay out longer than six weeks.

If you’re looking for beautiful and affordable Christmas decor Hayneedle has such a great selection. Everything comes right to your door too. No need to worry if your tree will fit in your trunk. Here’s to the holidays and new memories! 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; product was given as part of payment for this project. 

AFTER SCHOOL SNACKS

Packing lunches has gone to a level that I just can't compete with. From Bento Boxes to making animals out of vegetables, Pinterest has me all kinds of stressed out when I think about what other moms are doing. 

Me, well, I just stick to simple sandwiches, bananas, and juice. And, you know what, that is totally okay because this simple lunch gives my kids the energy and nutrition they need to be healthy and happy, and I have more time to spend with them. 

The same thing goes for snacks in our home. Though I would love to make banana sushi or something really creative for them every day, I just can't fit it in right now. But it's not the lunches that your kids remember when they are grown, it's how much you loved them and the time you spent. Moms, you're doing good just by making sure your kids have healthy food to eat. Minute Maid has been doing a great job on shedding light on parents #doinggood and taking the pressure off of themselves. Check out to see what I wrote for their blog this month, click here.

Photos by Lauren Schumacher. 

A New Season

New seasons bring new weather, new smells, new textures, new feelings and new experiences. Fall is the season I welcome the most because it means it's ushering in a season of beauty here in Arizona. It's kind of like what spring feels like for the rest of the United States. Fall here is when we no longer sweat and never have to wear jackets. It's the season where we can start being outside for the next six months and breathe in the fresh air. Sweaters and boots are the most we put on to bundle up, and we are set. I'm excited to share with you a peek at LILLA P. 's fall arrivals because their sweaters are all I will need this year.

I raved about LILLA P. this past spring as being an amazing company for basics. Their fall line doesn't disappoint with basics like stylish jogger pants, long-sleeve t's, and sweaters. However, I really love their fall collection this year because there are hints of fashion trends tastefully executed among the timeless styles. 

For example, this loose knit wine colored sweater is simple, but the cut-out shoulders incorporate a big fashion trend in an understated way. This sweater would sell just fine without the cut-outs, but I'm glad they are there because it brings some femininity to the top. 

Denim skirts are going to be huge this fall. I love that LILLA P. made a chambray flutter skirt as a nod to the trend, but added femininity to the fall staple with a flutter design. This skirt is the perfect length (I'm 5'7"). I am wearing a medium, and I'm a size 4. 

Be sure to check out the rest of LILLA P's beautiful fall collection for those seasonal staples that carefully balance classic and trendy. They won't disappoint. 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; product given as payment.

Home Depot Family Room Reveal

I couldn’t be more excited to finally reveal our family room makeover with The Home Depot. I have been working on this space the past couple of months, and it has become my favorite room in our home, which is great because it’s our most used room.

We moved in two years ago, painted everything white, changed our flooring, and then I left this room undecorated until now because life with a newborn and a three year-old called for “easy.” To me, easy meant that kid-prone disasters would be easy to clean up and I wouldn’t care if things looked pretty for entertaining because any company we had liked chicken nuggets and tater-tots. (If you want to see how ugly it was from the start click here).

But now that two years have passed, the kids are bigger, and our home has come together, it was time to organize the cluttered mess of the family room. The Home Depot has an incredible selection of home decor online, and they wanted to help me create a space that exudes style and at the same time allows us to be a family in it (i.e. a stylish room that can withstand popcorn crumbs, water spills and the occasional flips over the sofa).

When I started choosing my furniture there were so many beautiful things to choose from that I found myself overwhelmed at first. To narrow down exactly what I was looking for, I went back to the feeling I want my family to experience when they are in the space. Identifying the emotions will help you narrow the color palette, textiles and functionality of the space.  I wanted to create a calming, comfortable, friendly space. So, I went with a neutral palette with pops of soft blues and pinks and natural textures like wood, jute and linen.

Since the floor plan is open and you can see the kid play area, kitchen, dining room and even the formal living room from the family room, I took some cues from those spaces and incorporated them into our family room to achieve cohesion. The pink from our dining room rug is found in the pink pillows. The blue rug and couch in our kitchen and living room is found in our mid-century style blue accent chairs and dip-dyed tapestry. The linen club chairs are a theme from the linen dining room chairs, and they are so comfortable. And, of course, being a plant lady in the other rooms in our home, I also brought plenty of plants into this space too. The Home Depot had the prettiest, tallest fiddled fig tree. I was also pleased to find modern hanging planters for succulents and cacti too.

You’ll notice that I ended up choosing the mid-century style brass light from my previous post. I really liked this mid-century modern (MCM) direction the room was taking after I selected the light and accent chairs. I spotted a mid-century style, gray polyester sofa and a beautiful, wood sideboard. The fabric for the couch is durable for kids and the sideboard makes for great storage for games and toys. Everything else fell in place after that. To see a full list of everything I selected and more of why I chohttp://blog.homedepot.com/family-room-makeover-mid-century-modern/se each item, please visit the full reveal on The Home Depot’s blog. The before and after photos are INSANE!/p>

Photos by Lauren J. Photography; This post contains affiliate links. This post is sponsored by The Home Depot. All thoughts expressed are my own.

STAYING COOL WITH NEUTRALS

I have lived in Arizona for 15 years. The first couple of summers were brutal as I adjusted to scorching temperatures. I kept thinking to myself, “Why do I even live here?” but then something funny happened. I started to fall in love with the desert and I adapted just like the animals and the vegetation have done. I learned that shade is king, plants can thrive and the summer sunsets are more amazing as the dust particle swirl in the atmosphere and heat radiates from the ground. Fields of corn stalks fill the brown patches of earth. Tan skin, sun-kissed freckles, gentle waves in my hair after a long day of swimming and soft cotton...These are just a few of my favorite things that I have come to cherish under Arizona summer sun.

So, to adapt in style and to enjoy the summer heat, linen proves to be the most efficient fabric by being light and breathable. In this way, The White Company's summer collection, feels more like a chic armory - keeping me ready for the summertime swelter.

Already familiar with their quality in regards to home linens and beauty products, I hoped The White Company’s clothes would be just as wonderful, and was not disappointed. I found myself drawn to the timelessness and simplicity of their easy linen dresses, pants and neutral accessories. In particular, I fell in love with this Floral Ladder Trim dress and ankle wrap sandals. Even on a blistering hot Arizona day, I would feel happy with the amount of coverage this dress provides, while allowing airflow. As for my feet, these sandals are chameleon-like - they can be worn with ANYTHING, creating the perfect finishing touch for nearly any outfit.

The cut of this linen dress is timeless, I’m confident I will wear this piece for years to come. Be it for an all day excursion at the beach or at a summer BBQ, it works for just about every occasion. I ordered a size 6 based off of their sizing chart and it fits perfectly. The length makes it comfortable enough for me to wear to church on a Sunday, with no hesitation.

I have been wanting a neutral, flat sandal for a while now, and I was really drawn to these suede tassel ones. I've mentioned before that I enjoy open toe shoes because of my long, narrow feet, and the ankle strap helps my feet feel secure. These shoes are going to get a lot of use this summer because they really go with any outfit - you can dress them up or down, and you don't have to bother with figuring out if they match what you're wearing, because odds are it already does. In Arizona the heat is dry and letting your feet breathe can mean facing a bit of dust but sometimes you must take the good with the mildly annoying :)

All in all my first experience with The White Company's clothing and accessories was great and I already see myself returning for more classic closet staples. If you're in the New York City area, I highly recommend stopping in at their first U.S. brick and mortar store.

This post is sponsored by The White Company. Products were given as part of payment for this post. All thoughts are my own. Photos by Rennai Hoefer.