Hi peeps, whats up! Long time no blog! I've missed you guys and I've missed this space! It is (finally!) Friday, we are 23 days away from Christmas and I am pumped.


Can we talk about my beef with the holidays for just a quick sec? My beef with the holidays is that work still goes on even when there are holiday parties to attend, presents to wrap, baileys to drink and friends to hang out with. I don't think work should be a mandatory thing during the holidays, but anywho.

Let's chat.

Wanna hear something crazy. Last week I got an email from my blog host saying my blog was down! Do you know how terrifying that is. Pulled up my url and boom, it was gone. My host didn't even call/email/text nothing to tell me. But don't you worry, after about 3 phone calls and some screaming, Everyday Grace is back up and running. Sorry if I scared ya'll there, I'm not going anywhere.

You guys probably all know my blogging mentor, Helene, from Helene in Between - but did you know she has the ultimate Instagram course. Literally the best thing I've ever seen. It's called Instagram for Success and it's insane. Videos, handouts, and all the tools needed to grow your Instagram. The thing I love about Insta is even when I disappear here, I can still connect with all my blogger-loves on Insta! You can find all the goodies HERE! Or click below! GO now, it'll be literally the best thing you ever do for your blog and instagram.

Did you know that THIS post is my most viewed post ever.

This one. This picture. Can someone please explain to me how a picture, with no caption or copy is my most viewed post. What about the posts that take me hours. Or the ones I cry over while I'm writing. But nope, you guys love this picture.

Dear Readers of Everyday Grace,

First, thank you. You guys rock. You're the best and most loyal readers I could have ever dreamed of. You have made my little space, yours. You've loved it, nurtured it, given suggestions and helped me grow.

Second, thank you for challenging me. Thank you for pushing me to be better. Thank you for helping me be a better blogger. Thank you for giving me productive advice. Thank you for being kind and not mean. Thank you for realizing that this blog is bigger than me.


Everyday Grace readers, thank you for making me feel welcomed. In this big bad world of blogging, you make me feel like I matter. In the midst of the competition, you've made me feel like I can succeed. You comment on my posts, you like my posts on Facebook and Instagram, you pin my Pinterest posts and you "love" me on Bloglovin.

You, readers of Everyday Grace, are my inspiration.

The funny thing about this blog is when I started it, I was afraid to tell my mom and my best friend. I was afraid to write about things that mattered or things that made me hurt. Today, I'm writing about my failures, my injuries and my dreams. This space makes me feel inspired. It makes me feel like I can share my thoughts and feelings with people who appreciate my words.

Thank you for giving me the desire to keep blogging. You are the reason I sit, computer in my lap, figuring out things to interest you. You are the reason I reach out to people so that I can create content that you like. You're also the reason I'm up at 11 pm with thousands of blog topics swirling around, but I forgive you this time :)

Thank you for not judging me when I talk about my love for red and white wine, beer, ten pieces of pizza and all things sweet. Oh, and for failing 30 days of paelo - thank you for not judging me, but encouraging me. Thanks for not judging me when I don't blog for a week or for when I take a 3 month hiatus.

You are the reason I tell people my dream is to be a professional blogger. You are the reason I fight for sponsors, ad space, affiliate links and more. You are the reason I set goals, hope to achieve them and continue to spend hours upon hours on this little space. My husband thanks you for turning him into an Instagram husband  - he might not say that out loud, but I know he's thinking it.

Thank you for loving Everyday Grace even more than I do. Thank you for loving me.

Happy Cyber Monday everyone. I hope you made it through Black Friday successfully and safely! Today is my favorite day to shop. I am ALL about sitting on the computer & buying my christmas gifts. Today I only have 3 gifts to buy and then I am DONE with shopping. That is a huge accomplishment for me as I am usually shopping the day before Christmas.

Today, I have some great sales for you, plus a huge Everyday Grace ad space sale! I hope you all get everything you wish, want and need today! Happy Shopping!

I'm back.  Everyday Grace is back. I took a hiatus. I took a hiatus knowing full well that when I return theres might be no one here to greet me. I think it's important for me to explain why I took a hiatus. This little space has always been a sacred place for me to escape. A place I would run too with thoughts, ideas, fears joys and of course recipes. I was excited to be here and excited to share things with my readers.

I reached a point where coming here became a chore.

I felt like I had to write to "keep readers."
I just had to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard if we're being literal. 
I was writing because I had too... not because what I thought what I was writing was funny or insightful or brilliant or even interesting. 
I was writing beside I felt like I was supposed to be writing.

But ya know what? Some cool things happened when I took a hiatus. 

1. Literally the second I posted my hiatus post, I was flooded with ideas and things I desperately wanted to write about and share. I felt inspired again. 
2. The free time I had from blogging I spent with my husband, reading books (for fun!) and enjoying my life in the present 
3. I had knee surgery- okay so that wasn't a cool thing that happened, but it did happen (more on that later) 
4. I realized that the blogger friends I'd met were still there, liking my Instagram, retweeting my tweets and it reminded me why I love this little space that I've created and the friends I've met. 
5. I missed blogging. This was so important. I wanted to make sure I still loved blogging and that I was being authentic. 

I thought in order to have a "come back" I had to redo everything on my blog. I thought I couldn't come back until Everyday Grace was re-vamped Well as you can see not much as changed. I'm still the same ole same ole. You may see some things change little by little, but for now, I'm here, as is. But one thing that will change is my dedication to this space. I promise you fun and exciting posts, great recipes, (hopeful) funny stories, ideas and of course weekend recaps.

So after all that, I'm back. I'm ready to get involved, be involved and stick around for awhile, I hope you'll take me back. I hope you'll stick around.

New to Everyday Grace? Stay tuned, tomorrow is a full re-introduction to me, Kristen, the girl behind the blog, Everyday Grace in general and all things grace.  Until then, why not take it back to blog post number 1, where it all began.