Happy Birthday to me! It's my birthday, it's June, summer and my birthday! Is there a better day? What are your June summer plans? Today, I took the day off work and I'm venturing up to Vail with my hubs, meeting some of our best friends and going to enjoy the long weekend in the mountains!

It's been forever since I wrote a Friday Favorites, but there is so much good stuff going on! Join me by sharing your Friday Favorites. What are you loving this week, this month or this year?


ONE: I'm officially T H I R T Y - O N E. Guys, this means I'm officially in my thirties. I'm learning that my 30s are going to be the best years of my life. The 20s were good, but damn, my 30s are proving to be my best years yet. I'll see ya in Vail.

TWO: Younger. Yes. I talked about this in yesterdays post too. But I cannot stop watching. Its my new favorite show and I'm obsessed. Plus. Mariska Hargitay's husband is on it, Hillary Duff and Nico Tortella.

THREE: This Mignonne Gavigan necklace that Kathleen is wearing in her latest post. I need it in my wardrobe right now. And, I cannot wait until I'm not pregnant anymore so I can wear this dress. I die over her wardrobe.

FOUR: This new James Arthur song. 

FIVE: Happy 5th Wedding Anniversary to one of my best friends B! She got married after we graduated law school, on my birthday, and it was the BEST celebration. Today, she's celebrating with her family and her two gorgeous babies.

SIX: This Father's Day Gift Guide. Here's your reminder that its June 17th, meaning you still have time. This is Adam's "first" fathers day so I need to make it extra special.

SEVEN:  This post from Kallie re insomnia. Sleeping while pregnant is basically impossible. Kallie is sharing some natural tips to help sleep better. I will literally do anything and everything to sleep well.

EIGHT: These are my current favorites from Nordstrom and I need them all. I'm currently in the ultimate summer mood and I need all these dresses, swimsuits and sandals.



NINE: This article about God giving you more than you can handle. We're always told "God will never give you more than you can handle." But hey newsflash. thats a lie, a big lie and here's why.

Happy Friday friends and Happy Birthday to me! I hope you guys have the best weekend!

Happy Thursday Friends! I officially turn 31 tomorrow which means I'll be living in my thirties. Ay yi yi. I love me some June. Yes, I'm totally biased towards the month of June but it's so dang good, add in a birthday and it's the best. It's officially summer; people are down to vacation, go to happy hour and enjoy the best weather ever. I swear summer puts everyone in a better mood.

I started doing this post last year and I loved recapping all the good things my 29th year had to offer. Plus, it's so fun looking back years later. I'm officially in my thirties people. I'm growing up. Grab a glass of wine, coffee and a comfy space on the couch, this is a long post. 30 was a good year, but I'm ready to say goodbye.  Tomorrow, I turn 31, lets get recapping.
ONE // Baby! Let's start with our most exciting news, baby! It's been a year of baby (I'll get to that later) but celebrating this healthy little babe has been our biggest joy this year. She might not be here in my 30th year, but being pregnant during my 30th year has been such a huge blessing.


TWO // The big job change. For my mental, emotional and physical health, I switched jobs late last year and bless, it's been a huge blessing to me. While it took me a while to get through my pride of not being an attorney anymore, I'm so glad I took the jump.

THREE // 3 years of wedded bliss. Adam and I celebrated 3 years of marriage. It doesn't seem long enough to encompass everything we'd done together, but oh what a wonderful three years it's been. I'm lucky to have a husband who supports me through the crazy, through the tough times and through the joys.

FOUR // Napa. Adam and I ventured to Napa for one of my best friends amazing wedding. Dancing under the stars in the middle of wine country is something I want to do every weekend. It was such an incredible weekend full of love. Callie and I have been friends since our freshman year in college and watching her marry her love was incredible. I love celebrating best friends weddings.


FIVE // I started binge watching Younger. This is a new revolution in my life and I'm hooked. If you aren't watching Younger, stop everything, grab your Hulu and get watching. The new season just started so I've got a full 4 seasons to catch up on.
SIX // Skied. This winter, I skied for the first time since tearing my ACL Yes, I only skied greens and I took level 1 ski lessons, but I did it and felt amazing. It was so fun and I got 2 glorious days on the mountain. Then I found out I was pregnant so that quickly ended my ski days, but have no fear, I'll be back next winter.

SEVEN // All the photoshoots. I promised myself I'd jump into more photoshoots for the blog and boy did I. I even got Adam on the photo-taking bandwagon. I did around 10 photoshoots throughout the year and I grew this incredible space. I partnered with some amazing maternity lines, shoe lines and makeup. It was such a fun year for this space.

EIGHT // Insta-stories. Started getting a little more comfortable with Insta-stories. I love getting to connect to my readers in a new way and insta-stories is such a fun way to do so.

NINE // TAYLOR SWIFT. Call me a nerd, but I've never missed a Taylor Swift tour. This is my 5th Taylor concert. Yep, I even went to the concert where she dressed as a country princess, all the way to snakes and anti-kardashian Taylor. I'm a not ashamed huge Taylor fan.

TEN // Baby Girl! Lets piggy back on number 1, but not only did we find out we're pregnant, but we found out baby kavan is a girl! Cue all the pink, ruffles and dolls I can get my hands on. Adam doesn't even know the cuteness that is coming!

ELEVEN // Henry turned 9 and Lola turned 2 (today!) This is the last year they'll be the only babies in our house.

TWELVE // Found my love for podcasts. Everyone has been telling me for years I need to start listening and I was really never convinced. Until now. Adam and I road-tripped a few times and found some new favorites and now instead of listening to jams at work, podcasts are my thing.

THIRTEEN // Target. Fell in love with Target clothes and my addiction is only getting stronger. From shoes to maternity, to mens clothes to dresses, I love it. I've had to put boundaries on myself or else I'd be there literally every day.


FOURTEEN // We suffered a miscarriage. While this isn't exactly a hi-light of this year, it's a huge thing that happened to me. If we're being honest here, it was one of the worst things ever. It was the biggest heartbreak I've ever felt. But it also taught me a lot about myself, my body and my relationship with Adam. It helped us grow together and realize what we really want.

FIFTEEN // Jackson, WY. We spent Easter in Jackson, WY with some of our friends. I ate at Persephone Bakery 3x, the group skied, we ate the best Thai food ever and relaxed in the snowy mountain town. If you haven't been to Jackson yet, book a trip! It will be your favorite.

SIXTEEN // Weekends with my parents. My parents came to visit for a long weekend. The boys skied, the girls shopped and it was some great quality time with my fambam. Plus, my mom and I got in some early baby shopping!

SEVENTEEN // Trips to Omaha, NCAA tournaments and 2 year old birthday parties. Our weekends in Omaha are always jam packed but so full of family and friends.

EIGHTEEN // Sonoma. In the mood of weddings, we went back to Sonoma for another wedding and it involved the same. Love, dancing under the stars and lots of wine. I'm lucky that my best friends love wine country as much as I do.


NINETEEN // Wisconsin. Last year was the year of weddings and we were lucky enough to get the opportunity to travel the country celebrating our dearest friends. Adams long time friend, Teddy got married in Milwaukee and it was so fun because I'd never been. We ate great meals and again, danced the night away.

TWENTY // Bought Kristin Cavallari's cookbook and cooked from it every night for a month. I wish I was kidding. I never particularly liked Kristin on The Hills, but I'm low-key obsessed with her now.

TWENTY-ONE // Michigan. My sweet grandparents are getting old and unfortunately we had to move them out of their house. The perk? Getting to spend quality time with family and my grandmother. Michigan will always hold a really special place in my heart. It's where my family is from and by default, me.


TWENTY-TWO // Decaf coffee became a thing. Started drinking decaf coffee and no caffeine all together. Blame it on the baby.

TWENTY-THREE // Laguna Beach & baby showers. One of my favorite things about this pregnancy is getting to do it with some of my favorite friends. My gf Kate is pregnant and we're due 6 weeks of each other and last weekend I got to venture out and celebrate her and her baby boy. This season of life can be a little isolating and getting to do it with a gf is the best.

TWENTY-FOUR // Tough mudder. Adam was a boss and ran his second tough mudder in Copper Mountain. If you haven't heard about this its a crazy race with lots of obstacles and challenges and it tires me out just watching him. He's incredible.

TWENTY-FIVE // Phoenix Open. 5 days in Scottsdale and the warm Arizona air. Everyone here loves how much I love Arizona so Adam and I left cold January Denver and ventured to Arizona to spend the weekend with both our families under the warm sun, watching golf. We also got to tell our families we were pregnant this weekend. It was so fun to do this in person, in my favorite state.

TWENTY-SIX // Estes Park. Adams family came out for his birthday and we hit Estes Park. IT was so fun touring the national park, celebrating Adam and getting extra time with family. If you haven't been to Estes Park you should go, my advice? Maybe not in the middle of the summer, its very touristy!


TWENTY-SEVEN // Grew my blog, my instagram and this space. I finally hit 2000 followers, changed the trajectory of this space a little and learned to really love what I'm creating. Thanks to you!

TWENTY-EIGHT // 24 books in 12 months. I challenged myself to 24 books in one year. I'm half way through the year and only on book 10. I gotta get to work!

TWENTY-NINE // My sister-in-laws came to Denver and we had the best weekend venturing around the city. We hiked, ate and drank our way through the city, had spa days in my bathroom, drank champagne on the grass, got into a free rockies game and enjoyed each other's company. I absolutely LOVE having friends come to Denver, it's so fun showing them the city I call home.


THIRTY // Learned to trust my body, my gut and myself a little bit more. This year has been really trying, but also so incredible. Right after we miscarried, I never felt more betrayed by my own body, and me. We wanted a baby so much and I couldn't help but think losing that baby was my fault, my bodies fault. And then, months later, we got pregnant again and I trusted my body a little more. I quit my job where I had security and stabilty for something so different, and with that I trusted myself a little more. It's been a year of growth and joys and I'm so excited for next year.

Thanks to my readers, my friends and my family for getting me through another year, pushing me, supporting me, encouraging me and loving me through the past year!

Happy Birthday to me! The big 30. I've been prepping this post for a while now and I'm been hinting to everything on Instagram and it's finally here. I am finally thirty. (PS. how many times do you think I can say thirty in this post?) I'm shooting for at least 75.


I put a lot of stock in turning 30. It's safe to say I've been thinking about turning 30 since I turned 25. When I was 25, I did not want to turn thirty. In my head, turning 30 was a deadline, a momentous occasion, something to work towards. I had all these ideas of what 30 was supposed to look like, what I was supposed to look like, where my life was supposed to be. I placed a lot of value in turning 30. I thought my twenties were the best time of my like and why would I want to leave them?

A year ago, I wrote a bucket list for 30. I had a countdown to thirty starting at 400 days out! I had everything in my head I wanted to accomplish before 30 or else. Or else what? My life didn't hold the meaning it would have if I'd completed such list?



For the record, I didn't buy a new fridge, instead, we bought a dog. Adam and I haven't gone on any crazy fabulous trips, but we've watched our siblings get married, we've celebrated with friends on their bachelor and bachelorette parties and we've spent time together. I realized instead of putting stock in the number 30, I should put more stock in me.

I think the weirdest part about turning 30 is saying goodbye to my twenties.

My 20's were incredible, they were wild, beautiful even, but my 20's were also a lot. I was in college, I loved, I was heartbroken, I made great friends, I learned that friends will break your heart worst than boys will. I drank too much, I didn't travel enough, I made mistakes, I graduated college. I moved home. I bought Henry. I moved states 3 times in my twenties. I was a bartender. I went to law school, I met my best friends. I met the love of my life. I turned into we for the first time ever. I failed. We passed. I took the bar (a few times...). We got engaged, we got married, we honeymooned. We moved to Colorado. I got hurt. We picked things up. We bought a house, we bought another dog. We traveled. We vacationed. We love and live.



When I put my thoughts to this page, it's hard to imagine a decade can cover so much life. So much happened in my twenties. So much life. Now, here I am, the night before a new decade. Am I the only one who understands the gravity of that. I cant stop it, but I can welcome it. Why is turning 30 such a big deal?

30 is a big deal. 30 is a new decade. 30 is a new group of years.

I've never been more excited for my 30th year. If my twenties covered that much life, I can only imagine how much life my 30's will cover. There are so many incredible possibilities my thirties will cover.

In my 30s, I will:

• Thank my body for getting me through my 20's. I was harsh to it. I drank too much, I ate packs of Oreos when I should have been eating salad. My 30's will be about making the best of my body. 
• Continue to learn how to say no. I am not good at telling people no. Friend guilt is real. I'm learning that strong relationships are better than lots of relationships. 
• Never forget the people who got me through my 20s and stuck with me into my 30s. Life changes a lot in 10 years and the ones who stick around are the ones worth holding tight too. You know who you are. 
• Grow my family. I cannot wait to have a family with Adam and here's hoping my 30s are the years that I can provide that. 
• Still write thank you notes, send birthday and anniversary cards and call people on the phone. 
• Show up. I will show up for my friends, for my family, for my job, this blog and all the other things that are important. I will make people feel important. Relationships are key to my happiness and I will continue to cultivate those. 
• Still love my dogs more than most humans. 
• Still eat ice cream, drink wine and complain about working out. I will will continue trying to make 6am pure barre classes. 
• Do what I want. I will do what's best for my family. I will do what's best for me and Adam. 
• I will continue to live this beautiful life to the best of my ability.

Yesterday I turned 29. It was an incredible day filled with Instagram tributes, flowers, Facebook posts, texts, tweets and phone calls. To say I have the greatest family and friends in the world is a huge understatement. The day ended being spoiled by my hubs with presents, wine and a delicious dinner. I am a lucky lady. 

And to all you fabulous blog friends, I simply adore you. You sure make a girl feel good about getting old. I'm 29. I don't like it, but I'm embracing it.

Let's just say I'm learning to embrace the fact that I'm 1 year closer to 30. As my brother put it, I'm almost in his decade. Yikes.

I've always heard that when you get older you become more self-aware, confident and have pretty much an all around "who gives a damn what you think about me" attitude. While, I'm still not totally there, I would say I have learned a lot in these 29 years here on earth. Because I know you are dying to know what I've learned, I typed them out for you.

You are welcome. 


19 things I've learned in 29 years. Get ready to be inspired.

1. Marriage is the best thing I've ever done. It's falling in love every day, learning to get along with another person all while choosing that person every single day. It's the best choice I've ever made. 
2. Most dogs are better than most humans Especially Henry. 
3. An 18 hour trip is always worth it for family. Especially when that trip includes engagements, birthdays, babies and surprises. 
4. Baby smiles make life so much better. 
5. Buying a house is so expensive but so worth it. I wish I would have done it sooner. 
6. My husband is the greatest human. 
7. Buy the pretty dress. Or the pretty shoes, or the pretty jeans or whatever makes you feel pretty. Life's hard, you deserve it. 
8. A tan will always make you feel prettier and skinnier. Even if its just a tan towel. 
9. Being pretty on the outside doesn't mean your are pretty on the inside. Truth.
10. Working out is always worth it even when you want to sleep in. 
11. Praying really does fix things. Even if that "thing" is only your heart. 
12. Sing loud. Sing in your car. Sing in the shower. Sing at work. It's good for your soul and for the soul of someone who catches you singing. 
13. A drunk girl is not attractive. 
14. A phone call always means more than a text. 
15. Stop worrying about likes on Instagram. 
16. Say I love you even if you're mad.
17. Always order dessert, even if dessert is just wine. 
18. Give compliments and call your mom. 
19. Be kind. 

Again, thank you all for the birthday love. It's overwhelming how wonderful you all are.

 I'm so lucky and so loved.

Do you have ever have those nights when you're cooking up a delicious meal and right as you take a bite you realize you forgot to photograph the entire experience? I mean, if you didn't photograph your food, did you even eat it?


Well, that is exactly what happened here. It was a brisk Sunday afternoon, football was on and the fire was blazing. I was cooking up some delicious sloppy joes and maybe it was the mix of fall in the air or the red wine in my glass but I completely spaced photos.

Looks like you lovelies are just going to have to take my word on how delicious these were. You could make these like regular sloppy joes, throw them on a fresh roll, or throw them in a baked sweet potato, or do what we did and just eat like caveman with a bunch of meat on a plate. Any way you do it, I promise these are delish!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs of grass-fed ground beef or ground turkey 
• 1/2 onion, chopped small 
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped small 
• 1/2 red pepper, chopped small 
• 1/4 cup of celery, chopped small 
• 1 clove of garlic, minced 
• 1 tbs of chili powder 
• 1 tsp of cumin 
• 2 tbs of coconut sugar or honey 
• 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, with liquids 
• 1 6 oz can of tomato paste 

 How to Make: 

August was a long month. Knee surgeries, exams, trips, you name it, August had it. I am so looking forward to September... hopefully life will slow down, cool down and I'll finally be out of my knee brace (victory!)!

Can you believe we only have 4 months left in 2015! It's almost time to start making new years resolutions. There are so many things I want to do and accomplish, but that's a big task. I'm going to start small and focus on September.

Last fall, I made fall bucket list and I loved it. It's a good way to start fresh in the middle of the year. So, in the spirit of it almost being fall, here is my September bucket list!

1. Enjoy life's adventures. There are so many amazing things going on and I'm excited to have the time to enjoy every single one.
2. Go to happy hours with my friends. It's finally cool enough outside that patio happy hours are back. 
3. Spend an evening with Helene from Helene in Between and her blog seminar! Helene is doing this amazing webinar to help people grow their blogs. Helene is basically like the queen of blogging and I'm excited to learn from here. 
4. Take my knee brace off! (t minus 2 weeks!) Trust me, this huge thing is hot and uncomfortable. 
5. Celebrate lot's of birthdays! There are SO many birthdays in September! My dad, my mother-in-law, Lyndsey, Weekley plus like 35 more people. I could literally celebrate a birthday every day in September. 
6. Spend a weekend in the mountains. Vail, Breckenridge, you name it, I want to be there. 
7. Drink fall beers. I am a sucker for Octoberfest beers. Any brand, I will drink it. 
8. Wear jeans again. (see #4) This knee brace has forced me to wear jean shorts and leggings. I am so ready for skinny jeans again! And boots. And scarves. Bring on the fall clothes. 
9. Watch football. Lot's of football. I just had my family fantasy football draft and I think this could be my year. It's time for the Paradise Valley Predators to bring home the trophy. 
10. I'm embarking on a new venture with a close friend of mine. I can't say much today, but I promise I'll let you in on the details soon! 
11. Multiple weddings & wedding anniversaries. September is obviously the month for love and babies (see #5). 
12. The thing I'm most excited for is to do nothing. I know this will change, but currently my September planner is pretty empty and I love that. It leaves room for so much possibility. 

Today's my 28th Birthday! Hooray! I love birthdays and not just my own. What's better than celebrating someone you love. I just love birthdays! This past weekend Adam surprised me and took me to Breckenridge for the weekend! It was such a nice escape into the cool mountains to relax, drink delicious beverages, eat great food and spend some time together. Oh, how lucky am I that I get to spend the rest of my birthdays with him.

This feels a bit narcissistic, writing a post about me and my thoughts, but hey it's my birthday and my blog so I do what I want! :) This post is dedicated to me and the 28 Things I've learned in the past 28 years.

1. Be Kind.
2. Work harder.
3. Always say thank you. 
4. Don't be afraid to go after your dreams, even if it means failing many, many times. 
5. Marriage is the greatest thing. 
6. You can sleep when you're dead. 
7. Being right isn't always worth it. 
8. Make sure to remember the details.
9. Take pictures.
10. Don't tear your ACL, it sucks. 
11. Travel often.
12. Take care of your body, but spoil yourself too, a little wine never hurt anyone. 
13. Be present. Put your phone away. Turn off the TV. Enjoy the people around you.
14. Everything in moderation.
15. Hand-write notes to people. Call people on the phone. Look people in the eyes. Make people feel important. 
16. Get a planner, use it. Missing important dates is not good. 
17. Be on time. (I'm constantly working on this) Respect other peoples time.
18. Call your mom. 
19. Iron your clothes. 
20. Surround yourself with people who are good for you.
21. Lean on people when you need it, and let them lean on you. 
22. Read your Bible. Study your Bible. 
23. Use spell check. There is nothing worse than a 20-something year old that can't spell. You're = you are. Your = your. Learn it, love it, use it. 
24. Do what you love. 
25. I hold the key to my own happiness. My happiness should not be dependent on anyone else. 
26. Never cut bangs. 
27. Get a dog. 
28. Love always, love deeply and love with your whole heart. 

We had the best weekend celebrating Adam's 26th Birthday. A hilarious Friday night with friends, a fabulous date-birthday night with the best food at Lot 2, and a family Sunday birthday with carrot cake and home-made lasagna. It was a perfect night to celebrate my love. Here's to many more, Ads.

This summer has been such a good one, yet it has been so busy. So, instead of blogging about every detail, I thought a photo montage would do the trick. I hope everyone's summer has been great, only one more month until school starts!

Friday I turned 25. I can't even believe I'm halfway to 30, but Adam did a great job of helping me celebrate (and cope!). We went to Kansas City for the weekend and had the best time. We day drank, ate the best food, enjoyed each other, took too many pictures and toasted to the big 25. It was such a great weekend with Adam, one I won't soon forget. So, while I was nervous about turning 25, still nervous about where the next part of my life is going to take me, I know it's going to be good because I'm got my family, my friends and Adam to walk through every stage with me.

I love birthdays. All birthdays, not just mine. I think it's because its a chance to have all your friends and family in one place and celebrate all day, drink good drinks, eat good food, and spend some quality time together. I was kind of bumming yesterday morning since I wasn't going to get to see some certain Arizona people but it turned out to be one of the best days. Adam surprised me bright and early with his beautiful gift, my girlfriends took me to lunch, happy hour and dinner with Adam at this amazing tapas restaurant and then drinks with some law school friends. I am so blessed by the people in my life, and although I was far from my family and friends, I got to talk to them all, ichat a couple and Adam reminded me that I'll be home with them soon. It was the best day. So, thank you to my friends, family and Adam for making it a day for the record books. I am so grateful for you and can't wait till the next birthday, Coti... get ready, it's almost your turn.