First and foremost, Happy Birthday to my Dad! Another year older, wiser and more handsome. Thanks for being the best dad in the entire world and the best grandpa to Quinn. I'm so thankful for the time we got to spend together the last week. I cannot wait to see you soon! Have the best day! I love you! 

Writers block is real people. I cannot tell you how many times I want to write a post, but my mind is blank. Absolutely blank. I figured I couldn't be the only one who struggles with writers block, so in the nature of helping other bloggers, a list of 30 blog post ideas. 

1. Favorite beauty products 
2. Behind the blog scenes - what does blogging really look like to you? 
3. Your blog goals 
4. Favorite playlist 
5. Favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe
6. Bucket list of fun things to do in your city 
7. A day in the life of you
8. A day in the life of your dog
9. Life Lately! 
10. Ask your best friend to guest post
11. Write an "on this day in history" post 
12. What makes you happy 
13. How you met your spouse
14. 5 books that changed your life
15. Bucket list for the rest of 2018
16. Share with us your dream day
17. Reader poll 
18. Question and answer session with your readers
19. Top ten travel destinations
20. Tell us about your wedding day/engagement/dating
21. Fall bucket list
22. Share your favorite blog and bloggers
23. Run a contest or a giveaway
24. Take us inside your house! Show us around.
25. Write a post to your younger self
26. Show us your morning routine 
27. What are your 5 wardrobe essentials? 
28. Favorite podcasts
29. DIY!
30. Share your weekly fitness routine

Happy Friday friends! Share with me a blog post idea! Let's help each other out! 

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?

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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I used to be a morning person. When I was in high school, I would wake up at 530 am or earlier, blast Dashboard Confessional and spend 2 and a half hours getting ready. I didn't mind it at all, I mean, I had to look pretty in my school uniform and thick black eyeliner, right?

Now, I literally crawl out of bed (or Adam dragggssss me) one hour before I have to leave for work. I spend a good 20 minutes in bed before I get up, stretching and looking at my phone. Instagram is the best in the morning, I can't wait to catch up on what I missed. I'm a lazy piece in the am. Every one tells me once I have kids, it'll change, but man alive, mornings blow.

The only thing that saves me is when I hear the coffee machine start and the coffee brewing. Its as if someone put a line straight from the coffee machine to my vein. I envy people that pop out of bed fresh like a daisy ready to start their day. If it were up to me, days would start at 10am and end at 8pm. What can I say, I love my sleep and I love my bed.

Recently I started working out in the morning and it sucks. My alarm goes on at 510 am and it literally makes me want to throw the phone across the room. The only reason I get up and go is because if I don't cancel my class, they charge me $10. Ten bucks is a lot of morning guilt. I figured if this is my problem, it's probably someone elses too.

I've been asking around, asking friends, asking Adam how am I supposed to wake up early. How am I supposed to be awake enough to get dressed, fill my eyebrows in and get to class on time. It's not easy friends, but someone gotta do it.


1 . Set your alarm. Or if you are like me, set 10 alarms all within 2 minute increments of each other.  Make sure the alarm is either loud annoying music or screeching beeps. Bonus points if the alarms wake your husband and then he wants to murder your phone. Snooze all 9 alarms until the tenth one and then begrudgingly get up. Try to do so without throwing your phone on the ground.

2. Set your clothes out the night before. Or, when you wake up at 515 am, you decide you don't  want to wear those leggings, so you'll rummage around in the dark finding another pair that's better than the pair you picked out 12 hours ago.

3. Put your contacts in first because stubbing your toe sucks and glasses in pure barre do not work. Also, there is nothing like putting your fingers in your eye by the light of the moon.

4. Be quiet as to not wake others in your house. Or if you're like me, wake your husband and dogs up in the process. Be as loud as you can without trying. Accidenlty slam the drawers, stub your toe and curse and blow your nose. It helps when your bathroom doesn't have a door on it so the light streams through too.

5. Have a routine & stick to it. Wake up. Contacts. Eyebrows. Coffee. Drive to Pure Barre. Or, wake up, drop contact down the drain, forget one eyebrow and run around like a chicken with your head cut off. It helps if you misplace stuff.

6. Don't immediately look at your phone. If you're like me, checking Instagram at 5am is important business. This is when I start thinking about my Instagram caption for the day. And before I know it its 525 and you were supposed to leave 10 minutes ago.

7. Get bright light first thing. Or you are like me and you're waking up before the sun gets up. So that sucks. But try, it'll wake you up. Luckily Denver is getting brighter earlier. Lucky for be, not so lucky for Adam who is still trying to sleep in.

8. Reorganize your nighttime routine. Set out your clothes, contacts, pure barre socks, eyebrow pencil. Ya know, the important stuff. I don't care if it's just Pure Barre, I gotta have my brows on. For some reason, whenever I get up in the morning, I cannot seem to find where I put it in the am. It's like someone came in and moved it all while I was in REM sleep.

9. Keep your weekend sleep and your weekday sleep the same. This is literally impossible for me. I am sorry, but when Saturday morning comes around. getting up at 5am is the last thing I will ever do. Sorry tips I found on Pinterest, this one will not work for me.

10. No more nightcap. While I personally hate this rule, it's imperative to good sleep and bright mornings. Even with one glass of wine, I notice being a little more groggy than I am sans wine. But, whatever, a good shower makes me less groggy and then I can still have my wine.

How do you get up in the AM? What are you tips? Do you work out in the am or at night?

Tell me everything.

Exciting things are happening over here in our household. Last week, we bought a new puppy! We have officially been a household of 4 for a week. I know what you are all thinking, you guys are crazy. While more than not, I tend to agree with you there, we are lovingggg this new little love of ours.


Since the day we got married (which has been over a year now) people keep asking us when we are going to have babies. Little do they know that when they ask that, it pushed us to buy a dog, only further delaying the real life babies (except I consider my animals my babies, but that's a story for another blog). Don't get me wrong. I love kids. I want kids. But today, this post is about my fur-babies.

Lola is a soft coated Wheaten Terrier and the sweetest little thing ever. Henry is not totally sold on the idea of having a little sister but they are getting a lot better together. If you all have tips for getting your older pup to love the little one, please send them our way! We need them. In the meantime, I have some puppy tips for you and things I've learned over the past few days.

1. Buy a crate. Use the crate. Make sure the crate is only as big as your puppy, just enough space for her/him to turn around and lay down. 
2. Get used to saying "good girl," "go potty" and "no" a lot. I mean a lot. 
3. I hope you don't like sleeping because puppies don't either. 
4. Make sure you wear gloves or toughen up your hands. Puppy teeth are sharp! 
5. Cuddling is a must. 
6. Nyla bones are great for teething puppies. But be careful, as soon as their teeth are strong enough, take them away so they don't eat them. 
7. If pee and poop in places its not supposed to be grosses you out, a puppy is probably not for you. Plus I hope you are quick on your toes, it comes fast. 
8. Puppies are curious. Make sure you close cabinets and doors, especially those that have cleaning supplies, laundry soap and things that could be super harmful to a pup. 
9. Puppies love walks, I hope you do too. 
10. Balance love and training. Most puppies are super sensitive, so teach her no but give her love too. 
11. Pick up pretty much everything you have on the floor, because new puppies love to chew. 
12. Separate food and water dishes for the new and old dog. (this is a real tip!) 
13. A fenced yard is always a plus because then they can run around. 
14. If your new pup is like Lola, get a bowl with a rubber bottom. Her favorite thing to do is spill her water bowl all over the floor and then play in it. 
15. Henry LOVES Lola's puppy food. Like so much that he will go in her crate to eat her leftovers. Make sure you keep it away from the old pup. Puppy food is usually high in fat.
16. A little fetch goes a long way. 20 minutes of fetch with Lola and she'll sleep for the next 3 hours. 

 Enough with the tips. Wanna see some pictures?




Happy Friday everyone! I hope it's full of puppy kisses and cocktails.