Happy Monday! I recently had a girl reach out on Instagram and ask how I started my blog. While I was flattered, I was a little shocked because I don't really blog about blogging. There are a ton of people who do and make a killing, but its not really my vibe. We DM'ed back and forth a little bit and I thought, hey, how about a quick post to help you start.

Back story. I technically started blogging in college (2008!), meaning all my emo-blog posts are still on the archives here. But I really started blogging in August, 2014. That's when The Everyday Grace came to be. I've been blogging while doing the full time job thing since and it's hard but its the best.


These are some of the things I wish I knew when I started blogging.

You will meet the best group of blog support. Sometimes my best blog support comes from people I've never actually met. Take my friend Chelsea. I have never met her in person, but she constantly comments on my blog, my instagram, likes my pictures, picks me up when its a bad day and celebrates the good. I literally love this girl. Ps. go follow her. Sometimes your real life friends don't get how to support you as a blogger or don't want too and thats okay. Find your blog tribe, love them hard.

Social Media is a full time job.  As much as I hate being glued to my phone, social media is what brings me the most business. Yes, I love writing and I love this blog, but my instagram numbers usually mean more to advertisers. People like numbers on a photo rather than comments on a post. Engaging with other bloggers, sharing your own content and managing it in between is a lot of damn work. I need an assistant/

Quality over quantity. Shoot, I still post stuff where I second guess myself. Write stuff you love. Even if you think you NEED to post, your readers will understand a day off for great content instead of reading crap.

Learn HTML or at least the basics. If you want to make this work, learn the basics. Watch the YouTube videos, take the classes. Don't rest on templates to carry you through. And don't ask for advice if you aren't willing to pay for it. I didn't take 50 hours of HTML classes online over the last 4 years to give you the cliff-notes.
Numbers matter. But they don't. But they do. Are you loving what you're doing? Then great! Yes, numbers matter to advertisers and brands. But so does passion, quality and engagement. Keep working, keep creating and the numbers will come, swear.

You will burn out. Maybe not all the way. Maybe not for a long time. But its okay to take a break. Its only to only put out a post twice a week and call it a success. Burn out is real, it happens to the best of us. Learn from it, take a break and pick back up.

You will compare yourself to others, it's natural, but don't let it control you. It will only hurt you. It's super easy to see someones growth and instantly feel jealous. But you don't know how hard that blogger is working, what they're doing behind the scenes or how they're growing. Supporting others doesn't lessen your own value.

Join Facebook groups in your niche. This is not only a great place to learn tips, but it's a great place to share your blogs and meet amazing woman. There are tons and tons of facebook groups dedicated to all kinds of blogs.

Find your passion. I'm not saying niche per se, but your passion. Mom blogging isn't for us all, neither is fashion. But if you love it, your readers will see it, the advertisers will see it and you will see it in the success of your blog. I don't believe in the whole niche thing, but if you write what you love, it will be the perfect niche for you.

Blogging takes a shit ton of time. I think people look at blogs and think, Oh I could do that. I'm sure you could, but are you aware that most posts take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours to draft. And that pictures are a day long event. An Instagram pic and caption is 10 minutes per, at least. I love blogging, but it totally takes its time.

When did you start your blog? What advice would you give newbies out there?

Ps. If you want some more tips, these are my 10 blogging commandments. See a theme here?

Before I was pregnant I didn't really know much about being pregnant. I've watched close friends and family go through pregnancy and too be honest, these woman are badasses because they made it seem pretty dang easy. While being pregnant is not all oreo cookies and baby clothes, it's not that terrible either.


Yes, the first few months are hard and taxing and learning new things about your body is interesting, but, there are some pregnancy perks. I was a little skeptical to these pregnancy at first because I don't love asking other people for help with things I can normally do on my own. See #3. But then when my doc put me on modified best rest, I sat back and starting reeling in some of the pregnancy benefits.

ONE // When you're hungry, you can say you're eating for two. Or if its something you're craving, you blame the craving on the baby. My favorite phrase, "It's for the baby." I tell Adam this every weekend when I want a chiptole chicken burrito bowl.

TWO // You get to go shopppping! This is my favorite perk. Sure, I love my leggings and oversized shirts, but every now and then a girl needs to get dressed up. PinkBlush has some of the cutest maternity clothes and dresses. Perfect timing for spring! I love that their maternity dresses could easily transition to post-pregnancy life too!

THREE // You can't pick things up. At first I thought this would be annoying but now I don't have to take out the garbage, carry laundry up the stairs or move boxes. Adam, I apologize for this pregnancy perk because it requires you do a lot more. But thanks for being my superhero hubs. You're the real MVP.

FOUR // You have to stay away from certain things, like windex, 409, and bleach. Bring on the cleaning ladies, or men. This is a perk I hope to hold on to way after pregnancy ends. Because then, I don't want to have the baby around that stuff either.


FIVE // When people find out you're pregnant, they're usually nicer. I say usually because sometimes they're meaner. But, most people hold the doors, let you cut in line, carry things for you. Ladies, take advantage. Last night when my gf and I were at Union Station, tons of people held the door, let me go in front of them, order first. It was pretty dang sweet.

SIX // You get to decorate a new room in your house. Adam and I have lived in our house for over 2 years and our token baby room has been empty! We now have an excuse to paint it pink, buy new furniture and finally have a finished room!

SEVEN // You get three months vacay at the end. Hahaha I can just hear Rachel from Friends saying, "My idea of a vacation does not involve something sucking on my nipples until they are raw." But still, three months with your baby. 

Officially 20 weeks with my sweet little babe and I cannot believe how quickly this pregnancy is going. Now, to be clear, the first trimester did not go quick. It dragged and dragged and dragged. But here we are at 20 weeks and I feel like time is flying. 



I am excited to say that I'm finally halfway through this pregnancy! I cannot believe I will see her in less time than I've been pregnant with her.  I haven't done much to prepare, but I feel like the nesting bug is going to kick in quickly. Last weekend, I did a big purge to goodwill, books to the library, organizing our closets and bathrooms. I'm getting ready for her!

We are so excited for this little babe and this growing life inside.

Happy Monday friends! How was your weekend?

This weekend it snowed on Saturday (broken record, I know) but the best part was Adam painted Baby Girl's room pink! Ah. I'm dying. It's so surreal to have the room painted, we are this much closer to welcoming her! Today, it's supposed to be 75 degrees and I'm living my best life. Let's celebrate spring with the best Mother's Day Giveaway.


Today, I'm partnering with my friends over at Mom Bomb to give you the prettiest box of organic bath bombs. I wish I could put the smell on my blog. They are so amazing and are made with organic Argan oil and essential oils. 

The very best part? Each time you buy a box of our USA-made, organic bath bombs, our sister organization, MomBomb.org will receive a $5 donation. This organization helps moms going through a tough time by providing them a choice of 4 services for which we will pay $500 toward one of the following services: Meal Delivery Service, Housekeeping Services, Laundry Services, or Child Care from a reputable, verified company. How incredible is that? Not only are these bombs the BEST, but they have such a wonderful cause. 

Now, how do you win? You can enter through the options below AND you can head to my Instagram or Mom Bombs Instagram and get additional entries through there! It's time to spoil the mom, friend, aunt, or yourself this mothers day. You have one week to enter! And don't forget, Mother's Day is May 13th! 

Good luck! 

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Real talk. This week has been a hard pregnancy week. Yesterday I had a migrane for 12 hours. I'm trying to do this whole natural pregnancy thing and that coupled with my doctors rec for no meds due to my cyst, it results in headaches. I tried lavender essential oils, cold face masks, hot face masks, showers, dark, no noice, neck rubs, nothing helped. Finally, this am, I woke with no headache, bless.

This is my first real week I've actually felt pregnant. My back aches, my boobs are sore, I'm leaking from places that are weird, I haven't slept more than 2 hour stretches and I feel as if every woman's emotions are living in my body. Guys, last night I cried for like 2 hours and have no idea why. I was pretty dang happy but I was so emotional. It's isolating, and even though Adam is the best husband, its hard to explain feelings to him I can't understand myself. Pregnancy is not for the weak of heart and this week has taught me that.

But today I woke up, feeling refreshed for the first time in days, no headache, praise jesus and ready to take the day. I'm reminding myself that life is lived in seasons and pregnancy is a very short season. I need to embrace the good days, dig in to the bad days and remember that it's all worth it.

Alright, thanks for listening to my pregnancy vent session, let's talk tanners.


Since I'm living in a state of perpetual winter, it was time to take tanning matters into my own hands. Or luckily for me, the hands of my Instagram story watchers. About a month ago, Adam hinted that I might want to sit in the sun for a little bit to get some sun, aka a tan. Well since he mentioned this, we've had at least 6 snow days.

It was time to take tanning into my own hands. I gathered my favorite sunless tanners, suggestions from my readers and the top rated tanners. What ones do you use?


TAN TOWEL // My best friend Coti turned me on to these years ago and they are still my favorite. They come in large and small sizes perfect for full body or just face. The best thing about these besides the perfect color is they don't have a horrible smell. They work quickly and are super easy to use. They come with a big towel and it goes on great with no streaking.

DR. DENNIS GROSS ALPHA BETA GLOW PAD FOR FACE // My friend Channing recommended these for face tanning! I've heard a ton about Dr. Dennis Gross and his products and had never used them until Channing recommended them. I love these pads, almost as much as my tan towel. PS. the best thing about this, they have tons of options.

I tried to be adventurous when making these cookies. I'm getting okayyy at creating my own recipes, but sometimes I fail, hard. These cookies are delish, but the frosting I made was so bad. Guys, it was so bad I could barely even eat it. Even Adam being so sweet couldn't keep in how bad the frosting was. I'm not even going to share it. If you want frosting for these bad boys, I suggest the frosting from my paleo chocolate cake. You can find that recipe here. 

The cookies are so good and so flavorful you hardly need frosting. 



Ingredients: 

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup shredded carrots, squeezed of excess water

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a silpat.
2. Combine the almond meal, coconut, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Whisk together the egg, coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla in a small bowl.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just incorporated. Fold in the carrots until combined.
5. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the batter onto the baking sheet into a cookie/disc shape.
6. Bake for 14 minutes, remove and let cool 1 minute (cookies will be soft upon removing from oven but will firm up as they cool) on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.
7. Store cookies in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Enjoy, friends! Happy Tuesday, here's to a great week!

Happy Monday everyone! Long time no chat! As I write this, I'm literally living my best life. I'm eating Dairy Queen (it's my treat once a month), wearing a face mask, in bed and watching the American County Music Awards. This is 30 people and I'm damn well loving it.


It's been a while since I've done a life update and boy do we need a little update. It's already mid-April, I'm almost half way through pregnancy and I miss catching ya'll up. Grab your coffee ladies (& gents!), lets catch up.

Pregnancy Update // So, I'm officially 19 weeks (tomorrow!) meaning I'm almost half way through cooking this little babe. It's been a fairly good pregnancy and no joke, second trimester is where it's at. I started feeling great around week 16. My exhaustion faded, my appetite is back and while my bump is starting to show, I feel pretty dang good. What a lot of you don't know is I'm currently on modified bed rest. I hinted at an ER visit a while back, so here are the minor details. At week 13, I found myself bleeding a ton. I immediately thought miscarriage. A trip to the ER and I was told I have a hematoma growing outside the sac where the babe is. She is fine, but to ensure she stays put for another 25 weeks, I've been put on modified bed rest. No exercise, no lifting over 10 pounds and no real activity. But ya know, if I've learned anything, its that nothing is permanent and if a healthy baby requires bed rest, I'm resting. So if you wonder why a lot of my pictures are me in my house, that's why. I'm hoping my 21 week appointment, the ultrasound shows the hematoma is shrinking and we can resume some activity. Fingers crossed.

Job Update // Work has been nuts but luckily I work from home so I can manage the work load and baby bed rest. I have some exciting work stuff coming up and I can't wait to share with you what I've been working on in my 9-5 job. It's going to be great!


Blog Update // Maternity has definitely changed the way I approach blogging because all of a sudden there is so much more to chat about. I'm going to try and keep the pregnancy posts to a minimum, one or two posts a week. But I do have some amazing collabs and GIVEAWAYS coming up. These are ones you don't wanna miss.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was so pumped and jumped online to get started with what i thought I needed. I was quickly overwhelmed with the lists of things one person needs to carry a child. No, I did not want to buy a $100 bra or an entire new wardrobe. I wanted things that would help make this go smoothly, but without breaking the bank. I mean pregnancy is only 9 months.

I turned to my two best friends who have babies and asked their opinions. I trust their opinions and basically listened to what they used and loved. Before I knew it, they had sent me an email with everything I could want/need/never knew existed and it's safe to say, my pregnancy life is better than ever.

Now let's get this straight. I do not claim to be a pregnancy guru. I am barely getting myself through each day, but I figure if my post helps 3 pregnant girls, its worth it.

The best part about this amazing community is all the feedback I get from you readers! Make sure to share your pregnancy must-haves in the comments! I love finding new things to make life simpler.

With your help, by the end of these nine months, I just might be a guru. (Hey, a girl can dream!) Now I just have to figure out what to get for the baby. If I thought prepping for pregnancy was overwhelming, prepping for baby is even more overwhelming.

Madewell Maternity Ripped Skinny Jeans // I'm obsessed with Madewell and was so pumped when I saw they made maternity jeans! The thing I love about these jeans is they fit under belly and don't have that huge cloth area that goes over your belly. I'm sure when I'm more pregnant, I'll want that, but early on, these jeans are a dream. I'm more of a leggings girl now, but these jeans have transformed me.

HoFish Seamless Nursing Maternity Bras // I know what you're thinking. You're pregnant, not nursing. But let's break it down a bit. From the second I got pregnant, I had sore boobs (sorry mom and dad TMI) but it's true. Underwire bras were worse than some forms of punishment and I needed something seamless. In comes the most comfortable bras. And 3 bras for $23, no brainer.

Palmers Cocoa Butter // This comes from a recommendation because honestly I never thought about belly cream. But, I for one do not want stretch marks so I'm willing to do what it takes. Plus, this stuff smells like a dream!

The Snoogle // One thing you may not know about me is I am an amazing sleeper, one of the best out there. I can literally sleep anywhere; cars, planes, the floor. And then I got pregnant. I needed help. My gf Kate told me about a sleep pillow and then my wonderful mother graced me with the beauty of the snoogle. I've never slept better. Sure, it takes up 3/4 of my king sized bed, but hey, it's worth it. I'm pretty sure Adam is jealous of my snoogle.

Trader Joe's Ginger Chews Gin Gins // Let's be real, I don't LOVE the taste of these. But if its chewing on a ginger chew or feeling nauseas all day, I'll take the weird flavor of these. My gf Coti told me her sister used these and thank heavens she did. There were times I was nervous I'd puke in a public place, hence the need for something easy to pop in my mouth. No-one wants a puker at the post office.

Hot Water Bottle // My sweet gf gave me this when I miscarried because she knew I'd need it for the cramps. Little did she know, I use it more now for back aches! It even comes with a cute little sweater on it. It's super easy to use and lasts for hours.

Snacks // I'm always hungry. Once I got through my first trimester, food started sounding good again. I needed snacks that were healthy, but filling. I'm currently addicted to the nut (peanut free) mixes from Whole Foods, Mint Chip Larabars, honey wheat pretzels from Trader Joe's and all the grapes I can eat without getting sick. I always have a Larabar in my bag just in case (doctors appts can take forever!). Keeping my bag stocked with healthier options keeps out of the Chick-Fil-A drive thru.

Tissues // I'm a natural crier, but pregnancy has exacerbated that! Songs, stories, TV, my cute dogs, everything makes me cry. And no-one wants to be stuck somewhere without tissues. Trust me on this one ladies, just keep some extras in your bag.

Perhaps you're a fashion blogger preparing for a shoot. You might be a working professional that's preparing for a good-looking headshot for your LinkedIn profile. You might be an actress who's looking for a few great photoshoots to use when you're featured in magazines. 

No matter what the occasion is, it's always important to make sure you put your best face forward when you're preparing for a photoshoot. In order to get yourself together, it's wise to get started a few weeks in advance. Consider putting these tasks on your to-do list before the big shoot!



Makeup // If you know how to do your own makeup, kudos to you and your awesome skills. Typically, a lot of women don't know how to do makeup professionally. Consider hiring a great makeup artist to take good care of you. For the close-up shots, make sure to use an eyelash brand like Sugar Lash Pro to make the eyes really stand out and pop. Furthermore, it's important to do the steps leading up to the application. A week before the shoot, make sure to stay incredibly hydrated. Drink lots of water because that impacts how well the makeup applies to your skin. Next to hydration, make sure to exfoliate and moisturize the skin.

Clothing // If you choose an outfit that's already in your closet, make sure it looks new. You don't want to take a photoshoot with tattered clothing (unless that's the theme). Make sure to choose colors that complement your skin tone. Be sure to iron the clothes and make sure there aren't any creases or stains on the fabric. You want to make sure you put your best foot forward when it comes to clothing.

Hair // At the very basic level, make sure that your hair is washed, conditioned and clean. You don't want to deal with flakes and dandruff in your shoot. Once you get your hair done, make sure to keep a brush or comb on hand so that you can make sure that every hair is in place. In fact, it's probably best to schedule your hair appointment closer to the time of your shoot. This way, your hair will look perfectly fresh. 

As you get closer to the day, you'll be able to realize what you'll need more of. Be flexible and prepared on the day of the shoot. While you may get a little nervous about the whole experience, remember to be natural and do your best to get out of your own head. 

In many cases, people think themselves into a conundrum. If you do your best to act natural and loosen up, eventually you'll get into the flow of things and feel great. When this happens, you'll create magic on a photoshoot.

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