REVIVED AT MOUNTAIN SHADOWS

This year has been one long marathon of trying to be strong, rally and make it through grief. I've done it, but I am exhausted. In just a couple of weeks I will have reached a year of living alone. The end of firsts is almost in sight! A couple of weeks ago, I went through some of my last "firsts," with what would be 11th year wedding anniversary hitting. I knew I needed to change the meaning of that day for myself, so I went back to my favorite resort in all of Arizona, Mountain Shadows.  I decided to make May 19th a day of revival. 

I went there last year to rejuvenate myself with some girlfriends (read last year's review). I knew it was the place I needed to go once again. From the beautiful grounds, to the tasty food, to the relaxing pool, to the stellar fitness classes...It was just what the doctor ordered.

I created a highlight reel on my Instagram account of all of the moments I loved. Click here to watch. Rennai joined me for a day at the pool where we enjoyed cocktails and talked for hours. Then I enjoyed a nice long shower and my time on the patio drinking rose before I met a friend for dinner at Hearth.  There was live music, and the food was amazing as always. 

I enjoyed an amazing sleep in my queen size bed, and then I took a full body fitness class in the morning. After that, I brunched with my friend Karolyn, and checked out fully refreshed. If you eat brunch there make sure to get the steak and eggs. OH MY GOSH! 

There were definitely some tears and some sad moments in the day because the royal wedding was happening the day of my anniversary. But being at that hotel kept my mind at peace and focused on enjoying my surroundings instead of dwelling on all of the what-ifs. 

I highly recommend Mountain Shadows for a place of peace and a good time. They have amazing staycation rates over the summer. Be sure to check out their website for more information. 

BEAUTIFUL PAJAMAS TO WEAR EVERYDAY

A cotton t-shirt and a pair of cotton shorts has been my pajamas for almost my whole life. I've never really cared or invested a lot into what I wear to bed. The primary focus has been comfort so that I can enjoy my sleep not about beauty or style.

Now that I am feeling more beautiful and sexy as the days goes by, I find myself wanting to wear beautiful things even while I sleep. With the summer weather now here, the silk jams that I have by Natori are a bit too hot for me to sleep in, so I decided to try some of their cotton styles instead. Natori makes the most beautiful sleepwear that makes any woman feel like a million dollars. And, oh my gosh, I think I may just like these THE BEST! 

I ordered the Shangri-La set and the shorts are cotton and comfortable, and the lace makes them sexy. The back on the tank is cut lower than normal, and I feel like it really highlights my back more. 

I also feel like I can wear these in front of my kids and people and not feel self-conscious about them being overtly sexy. It's the perfect balance of comfort and beauty in a pajama set. If you're looking to spruce up your sleepwear collection, I highly recommend these. https://www.natori.com/natori/sleepwear/shop-all-sleepwear/natori-luxe-shangri-la-pj/ 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; Product given for this post.

Mother's Day for a Single Mom

This post is sponsored by James Avery

This is my first Mother's Day as a single mom. Maybe off the bat it doesn't seem like it should be too different from any other Mother's Day, but I don't have a spouse that will be giving me a card or a gift or even hot coffee at the start of the day. 

So, what do I do this Mother's Day to make sure that I celebrate the most important job in my life, especially after one of the hardest years yet? Well, i got myself an extra special piece of jewelry from James Avery. 

When it comes to jewelry I like to keep things simple and special. James Avery has always meant a lot to me over the years growing up in Texas. I wrote about the gift I got myself over the holidays to remind me of peace (click here to see), and I wear it non-stop. So, what better gift for Mother's Day than a bracelet with an "L" and an "N" to remind me of my children. 

I love that it's on a cord because it's comfortable when I'm typing at work vs. a hard bangle. Elle and Levi also like seeing their letters on my arm. If you still don't know what to get for Mother's Day I would highly recommend a James Avery charm bracelet like this.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

Home Depot Patio Style Challenge

This post is sponsored by Home Depot.

With all of the personal changes that have come my way with divorce, so have the decor changes. Thanks to Home Depot, my patio got a fresh start, and I’m in love. I got this high-quality, stunning 5-piece Highland Point Patio set with Sunbrella cushions from Home Depot just in time to enjoy the gorgeous 75 degree weather.

I chose this beautiful teal color called Charleston to complement the pool water. You guys know I love a pretty blue-green (hello, bedroom design). I think my favorite part of the set is that all of the chairs rock, and I find that so soothing when I’m sitting with my kids. My kids’ favorite thing about the patio set is the fire pit. They love roasting ‘smores on it. I should say i do too.

To see more, make sure to check out Home Depot’s blog and see the beautiful rug and plants I got as well.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

Neutral Nursery Design

I've never designed a space for another person before. In fact, that wasn't even the plan for Rennai. You see my dear friend and photographer is pregnant with a beautiful rainbow baby. She has gone through two losses before this pregnancy, and so celebrating this baby is scary and hard and wonderful all at the same time. 

So designing a special space for this baby is party therapy, part scary, part exciting for Rennai. She knew she wanted a rocking chair from Article. She chose the Embrace chair, which completely lives up to its name. It's so beautiful and comfortable. 

With a rocking chair chosen and crib that she already had from her previous kiddos, the room was already taking on a mid-century modern vibe. She doesn't know the gender of this baby, so we tried to keep things fairly gender neutral. Although, it started leaning more boy to the end. That's nothing that a swap of bedding and the art can't fix though.

Whenever you put a rocking chair in a nursery make sure there is a table to set things down next to. You'll need it for bottles or a breast pump or your own water bottle. It's a MUST have. 

After doing this with Rennai it really made me want to help other friends design spaces. I don't know if that's in the cards for me right now, but maybe one day. 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer