This weekend I get to go to Calistoga to celebrate one of my best friends Callie. She is getting married this summer and what would a wedding be without one last sendoff, complete with wine and girlfriends. Next week I'll be sharing a how-where & what to do in Napa Valley post. You won't wanna miss it!

Calistoga is tucked into the base of Mount Saint Helena at the top of Napa Valley and it offers all the rustic charm of a 19th-century western town. We are staying at the Indian Springs Resort. Feel free to check it out here, I'll share more details next week. Oh, and don't forget to follow me on Insta Stories, you'll get a sneak peek! 

I've never been to Napa Valley before so I am thrilled. In my head, I expect Napa Valley to be rolling hills, stunning views, small town feel with grapes flooding the region. I imagine the sun always to be shining, the breeze to be cool and the sun hot. Have any of you been to Napa Valley before? Whats your favorite part?

The hardest part about packing for a place you've never been is the unknown. How many shoes do I bring, how many fancy dresses v. maxi dresses. Do I bring a jacket? Two? Heels or wedges. The packing battle can be hard. But don't you worry folks, I've got the tips and the perfect packing list for you.


THE NEW TRIP TIPS: Tips to packing for a place you've never been:

1. Start early: I'm one of those annoying people who starts packing days in advance. I start laying stuff out on our guest bed just so I can start mentally preparing for the trip.

2. Check the weather: You gotta make sure you don't bring sweaters when it's 90 and bikinis when it's snowing.

3. Scope out your location: If you know where you're going to dinner, scope out the scene and get a feel for where you're at. For example, Nobu in Las Vegas is going to be very different than the farm house in Napa. No-one wants to be in jeans when it should be fancy.

Luckily for us, Callie's sister had a great itinerary she emailed us ahead of time, so doing my research was easy peasy. The weather this weekend is going to be warm. High-80's during the day and mid-50's at night. We're doing a mix of yoga, hiking, wine tasting, lazy dinners in and nice dinners out.

THE PACKING LIST: Lets get to the fun part, the clothes.




3. Sundress with the cutest jacket. It's Napa! I can only imagine the darling pictures we're going to want to take. A bright sundress for those hot afternoons will be perfect. Plus, a jacket for when it's breezy. I really don't want to get sunburned! You all know how much I love the color black, but I feel like in Napa, black is a no-no. I'm focused on bright colors and floral patters.





5. Pajamas. This week I'll be bunking with about 10 girls, most of who I don't know. Probably not appropriate to show up in Adams old ripped t-shirt and boy shirts. Luckily Madewell saved my life and came out with sleepwear. Now I can look my age even when I'm sleeping. PS. Madewell's intimates are the PERFECT gift for a bride too - just sayin.



6. All the other goods: I am not a good light packer. I am notorious for bringing things that never leave the suitcase. But I hate getting to a location and wishing I would have brought one more jacket or shirt. These are all the last minute throw in items: swimsuit (I'm obsessed with this one piece!), a jean Jacket, cute tennis shoes, a pair of slides, that one t-shirt dress that you know goes with everything and a light cozy sweater.






Happy Thursday friends! I hope the rest of your week runs smoothly! I cannot wait to share my Napa trip with you next week! Make sure to follow along on Insta-Stories!

Wanna know how I know my husband rocks? Last night when he walked in the house after work, he mentioned how much he liked my jacket and said you should put this on your blog. Winner. Then I proceeded to drag him out front to take photos, and this my friends is marriage. Oh what a sweet sweet marriage & an even better hubs.

This week has been long. The entire week I've felt a day off. I woke up yesterday thinking, hooray its Wednesday, only to be reminded by my calendar that it was in fact Tuesday. Isn't that the worst? Anyways, here we are, it's Wednesday, we are half way through the week and one step closer to the weekend.

My mother is currently on her way to Duluth, Minnesota for a funeral and she left Arizona yesterday at 12pm and still hasn't arrived. Unfortunately, United was the only airline semi-affordable and got her in on time. After some weather delayed their route, she slept in the Minneapolis airport last night and United did nothing to make them comfortable. She did get a $10 coupon for breakfast. How nice. She missed the funeral and is still trying to get to Duluth. Further proof that Southwest is the only good airline.



Anywayyys, this weekend is one of my best friends bachelorette parties in Calistoga! I've never been to wine county before and am SO excited to spend the weekend sipping (chugging) wine with some of my best girls. We're gonna do yoga, hike, drink wine, visit the hot springs, have delicious meals and bond. Because isn't that what girls do best?

Next week on the blog, I'll have my full recap, the best places to stay, the best places to drink wine and of course, tons of pictures. Stay tuned, it will be a weekend recap you do not want to miss.

Today I am super pumped to share with you this jacket! It's my new favorite and you will probably see it on the blog and my Instagram a ton more this summer. What I'm learning about living in Colorado is the temperature in the morning is rarely the same as the temperature at night. I've grown used to carrying a jacket in my car at all times.


Yesterday, I had a dentist appointment and I was standing in the elevator with two other ladies. One lady told me she loved my shoes and asked where I got them. I told her Macys and they were by Ivanka Trump.

She looked at me like I killed her fish. "I would never and will never buy anything she makes." I just stared at her shocked by such a drastic reaction at 9am. The other lady said, "Who cares about who makes them, I love them. I'm gonna buy a pair."

My thoughts - Okay, I get it, not everyone is a Trump suporter. But you asked me, and then got aggressive with me over shoes, at 9am, in a tiny elevator. Lady. Drink some tea and chilllll.

On to the jacket shall we? This jacket is perfect for our finicky temps. It's super light weight, is mostly black and is super comfortable. Not to brag, but I got like 15 compliments on it. It's an absolute must have for your summer wardrobe. I'm obsessed. They had another floral bomber and I should have bought it. Looks like I'm gonna have to hit up Target again tonight.



Happy Wednesday friends! Tomorrow on the blog, I'm sharing my tips to packing for a place you've never been. How am I supposed to know what to bring to Calistoga? I'll share all my tips tomorrow!

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.

This weekend is dedicated to my mother and all the other amazing mamas out there. I am super fortunate to have a lot of moms in my life. Specifically my mama, you rock. To my mother-in-law, thank you for raising the best son and welcoming me to your family. To my amazing sisters-in-law, you girls are my inspo I cannot wait for my future kids to hang out with their cousins. To my girl friends, you are incredible mamas and proof that mamas are smokin hot. 

There are a lot of lucky babies out there.

To all you mamas, this is dedicated to you and all the hard work you put into raising your family. I don't pretend to know how hard it is to raise a human. I have two-dogs and some days I feel like I could pull my hair out. To your long hours, sleepless nights and thankless moments, please allow me to thank you. You are amazing and you deserved to be spoiled today and every day. I know a lot of people saying being a mama can be a thankless job. Well, thankless no more.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I think you are exquisite. 

Yes, there are many amazing mama's out there but this post from here down is dedicated to my mama. Happy Mother's day to my favorite lady in the world.

Moms are the best things ever. And, I do not say thank you enough to my mom. And since you all know I love writing letters on this blog of mine, this is my thank you note to my mom.

Mom,

Thank you for taking my call all day every day. Yes, I know I call you at 6am and 10pm and every hour in between. But thanks for always answering my call. Thanks for letting me vent about the same things for 45 minutes on end. Thanks for letting me tell you the same stories, the same excitements and the same news. Thanks for listening when I have nothing to tell you and I just call because I'm stuck in traffic.

Thank you for reading my blog, sharing my posts, commenting on my Instagram, telling your friends about my blog and taking pictures for me. Thanks for buying me clothes you think I would like and my readers would buy. Thanks for being my personal shopper. 

Thanks for visiting Adam and I in Denver and grocery shopping for me. There is nothing better than a visit from your parents and a trip to Costco. 

Thanks for teaching me how to do my laundry when I was a kid, so that I can do my family laundry now. Even though I don't iron Adams undershirts like you do dads, I still know how. Thanks for being martha stewart and knowing exactly how to get red wine out of blouses and spaghetti sauce out of couches. 

Thank you for teaching me how to cook chicken. There is nothing worse than raw chicken, so thanks for teaching me how to make sure its cooked. Thanks for teaching me how to make steak. Even though the first time I made it for Adam I almost burned our apartment now, I think I've got it down now. 

Thanks for giving me the genetic trait that makes me cry at almost anything. Commercials, a sweet note or even this blog post will probably have both of us in tears by the end. All my friends know I'm the token crier, so I owe that to you. 

Thanks for teaching me how to be a good wife an hopefully some day a good mama. I cannot wait for my kids to get to experience you as their nana. 

Thank you for teaching me how to love other people. If there is one thing I learned its how to be a gracious host and always want to be the host. Lets face it, we'd rather be in our own house on our own hosting terms. Am I right? One day I'll have a kitchen as big as yours. 

Thank you for teaching me how to stand up for myself and what I believe in. Thank you for encouraging me daily. Thank you for supporting me through some life failure and some amazing life joys. I'd literally be lost without you and the force you are in my life.  

If I don't say thank you enough, thank you. You are the best mama. 

Happy Mother's Day to all you amazing mamas out there. We couldn't do it with out you. Cheers to you, I hope you get to sleep a little later, shower a little longer and snuggle those babies of yours a little more.




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Alright guys, you have officially made it through wedding week! Congrats! This is officially the last post commemorating our wedding. This day two years ago we left for our honeymoon, hands-down the greatest trip ever. I've been writing this post for about 2 years since we got back. Since Adam took most of the pictures this trip, I had to get them off his phone, which is always tough :)

Anyways, thanks for joining me on this week of memories. Until next year.

When Adam and I started thinking about places to honeymoon we went between honeymoon 1 - lots of activities or honeymoon 2 - sitting on a beach. There was a huge part of both of us that wanted this crazy honeymoon where we toured all over Europe for three weeks. The other part realized how much that would cost and how nice it would be to do nothing, especially after all the hoopla of the wedding was over.

We settled on a beach honeymoon. Then our second thought was, we wanted some things to do, but we didn't want something to do every day. I know what you're thinking, damn they're picky. But here's the thing, this would be our first married vacay and we wanted it to be perfect.


It was settled, beach with some things to do, just not required activities. After we narrowed that down, we started with a google search, "best place to honeymoon where there are no kids around." Call me selfish, but we wanted to be at a resort where there wouldn't be kids running around and screaming.

Google gave us some options: Hawaii, Turks & Caicos, Bali, Grand Cayman and Belize.

We started researching all those places. We looked them up on Yelp, we googled crime rates, flight times, hotel prices and activities. On Yelp, even the nicest hotel in Hawaii had reviews claiming the adult pool was really still all kids. Scratched. Turks & Caicos sounded incredible. That stayed on the list. Bali sounded like heaven. That was until we started looking at flights and we found that it could take us a day to get there! Scratched. Belize had huge crime rates. Scratched. Grand Cayman was our perfect middle ground.



We spent 8 magical days on Grand Cayman. We drank amazing pina colodas, ate tons of fresh fish and slept in every day. Plus I got a sunburn that lasted weeks after the honeymoon was over. If you're looking for an amazing beach vacay with minor actives, look no further.

I have the ultimate Grand Cayman Travel Guide. Get ready to book your next vacation!


WHAT YOU NEED: Passport, swim suit, suntan lotion and a cover-up. Grand Cayman is super relaxed. Anywhere you go, a cover-up will be all you'll need. We walked a lot of places, so make sure to bring comfy shoes and a big hat. The sun is powerful!

Also, the currency is Grand Cayman dollars. American currency is worth a little bit more than the Cayman dollar, but not by much. I still have some in my wallet. Consider it my memorabilia.


WHERE TO STAY: We stayed at the Ritz Carlton on Seven Mile Beach. If you can believe it, the Ritz on GC was cheaper than the Hyatt in Hawaii. Plus, when we told them we were on our honeymoon, they supplied our room with champs and roses. Plus they bumped us to beach view. Talk about service. The Ritz is also known on the island as having the best pina coladas. They are pure fruit juice and booze. I drank 3 before they told me they were $27 dollars a piece. Ouch.


If you are looking for cheaper, there are tons of resorts up and down seven mile beach. There is a Marriott Beach Resort and a Westin that are definitely cheaper, but still right and the beach and so nice.

Next time we go we want to stay with friends and rent a place. Once we were on the island, all the locals told us that we needed to rent a place next time. Even if you don't cook at your rental, the cost would cut the price of a resort in half.

WHEN TO GO: We went in the middle of May which is technically off-season/start of hurricane season. We were told once we got there that hurricane season doesn't really start until late-June, so we hit the perfect time. It's not peak season so it was semi-empty, we got front row water chairs on the beach and we had our pick of dinner locations. Peak-season in Grand Cayman is September through April, but that also means that the costs skyrocket.

I would highly recommend this middle May time. It was great. We got a little rain mid-afternoon, but it lasted 30 minutes max. It was the perfect amount of time to reapply sun screen, grab a pina colada and by then we were back to the beach.

WHAT TO DO: Like I mentioned before, Grand Cayman is perfect for people who want to do nothing. Adam and I do nothing really good. Most days we woke up late, grabbed a bite to eat and parked ourselves on the beach with a local beer and a good book. But on the days we wanted to be adventurous, we had all the things we needed.

Seven Mile Beach: It really needs no explanation. We walked it one day and came back very sunburned. If you do, grab a beer and a hat. Trust me on this one :)


Stingray City: You get on this amazing boat and venture out to this part in the middle of the ocean that is shallow enough you can stand and you snuggle stingrays. They are obviously all used to people and most of the boat captains have all the stingrays named. I'm not gonna lie, I was pretty dang nervous, but once you're in the water, the nerves dissipate. I couldn't help but think of Steve Erwin RIP.




Georgetown: The capital. This is where there is tons of shopping, chotchkey shopping, but shopping nonetheless. Adam and I never made it down here during the day because every time we looked down the beach, all we saw was cruise ships and battling throngs of tourists was not in our schedule. And yes, GC is small enough that from the end of 7-Mile Beach we could see Georgetown.

Camana Bay: Camana Bay is this little shopping area on the bay side of the island. It's super pretty filled with fancy shops and great restaurants. For a change of scenery we went here a few times for cocktails. It's ritzier than anywhere we went on the island, but was super fun to walk around.


Diving the North Wall: Grand Cayman’s North Wall plunges deeper than 6000 feet and offers beautiful wall diving with opportunities to see spotted eagle rays and sea turtles. Grand Cayman also offers accessible shore diving on great coral reefs with little to no current. We didn't have time to get our diving cert before our honeymoon, but we would love to get it and go back. My dad has dived GC a bunch and raves about it. 

Fishing: Tons of fishing. My husband would have loved to do this. Next time with friends. You can rent a private fishing boat and spend the day with food and wine out on the water fishing. Sounds so fun. But it was financially worth it for just us two. The private boat runs about $1000/day. But with 3-4 couples, it would be great. 

Turtle Farm: Yes. We didn't make it here either but man, next time. 

Hell: There is literally a place called Hell and you can take all kinds of pictures, buy memorabily ect. We didn't go here. Not sure if we would if we go back, but hey tourists love this kind of stuff! 

WHERE TO EAT: First things first, eat on the water, eat fish and eat a lot. You will dream about it when you're back in the States. Or that was just me. There are so many amazing restaurants, you cannot go wrong. Here are the ones we tried and LOVED.

Deckers: Its this amazing little restaurant, right across from our hotel. Theres a london bus on the patio and the ceviche is the best thing ever. In one week, we went here probably 6-7 times. It's the best.

Callipyso Grill: This if ff West Bay, so its about a 15 minute cab ride, but it sits right on the water and is hte most stunning view ever. I ate so much food here I thought I'd never eat again.

Casa Nova: The cutest little Italian restaurant in Georgetown. It's full of pictures of famous people. We told the guy it was our honeymoon and he brought us dessert and then joined us for shots of limoncello. The three of us got pretty drunk together, and it was awesome.



Lonestar: We were there during the NBA playoffs and honestly wanted a little America. This bar is outside and all the locals could not understand why we cared about basketball. We drank coors light outside and watch sports. It was so dang fun.

The Wharf: This place is so beautiful. Again, right on the water. If you don't eat on the water are you really in Grand Cayman? Anyways, you can feed the tarpins, which are these crazy looking fish. It was hilarious.





Happy Thursday friends. Thanks for letting me recap our wedding all while giving you some of my favorite Grand Cayman things.

Are you planning a trip soon? I highly recommend Grand Cayman. I always tell Adam, "I'm dreaming of Grand Cayman." If you've been, where do you recommend going? I love trying new spots and I cannot wait to plan our next trip back.

Whoo hoo, today is our 2 year wedding anniversary! Like I mentioned yesterday, this is going to be a week of heavy related wedding material. I can't help it people, I love my hubs, I love being married and our wedding was literally the best day ever. This is a super mushy post. Get pumped.

It's crazy to think our wedding was two years ago, when I can still remember every detail like it was yesterday. I can still feel the butterflies, right before I saw Adam for the first time. And the nerves right before walking down the aisle. The nerves are something I'll always remember because there is no feeling like walking down the aisle to get married, in front of 200+ of your friends and family, but the only person you see is your dad and your hubs. It's legit the best case of nerves ever.


Our wedding day was a perfect sunny Saturday afternoon in Paradise Valley. The weather graced us with 78 degree temps, even then those poor boys in tuxes were sweating it up. I've mention before that Adam and I didn't do personalized vows. We did the super traditional, I do. So whenever I get the chance to tell Adam all my personal vows, I jump at the chance.

Yesterday, you read all the things I'd tell myself if I could jump back in time. Today, this post is dedicated to Adam. Adam is the kindest, sweetest and most thoughtful person I've ever know, Every day he chooses me even when I'm acting like a crazy person. He buys me fro yo without asking and he let's me watch Friends in bed every single night.


To Adam. 

• I promise to love you even when you're 90 and insist on wearing a beret to the grocery store. 
• I promise to help shovel snow as long as you take my picture in it first. 
• I promise to cook dinner almost every night, as long as you pour the vino. 
• I promise to love you forever.
• I promise to never ask you to change the channel when the Masters, Super Bowl or any Red Sox game is on. 
• I promise to chase your dreams with you
• I promise to tell my kids how damn kind their dad was on our first date and remind them daily that if they grow up to be like you, they'll be the luckiest. 
• I promise I'll get my own Uber app. 
• I promise to start remembering to turn the alarm off when I let the dogs out at 5am before pure barre so I don't wake you up in a panic. 
• I promise to never make you go to Costco on a Sunday morning. Only Saturdays and Fridays moving forward. 
• I promise to always be your home, regardless of where we live. 
• I promise to give you back massages. 
• I promise to teach our kids that the Yankess suck, the Rangers rule and to never, ever root against the Red Sox or the Broncos. 
• I promise to always have the fridge stocked full of paleo snacks. 
• I promise to never take the vow "till death do us part" lightly. 
• I promise to keep making you laugh, even if my jokes get worse with age. 
• I promise through thick and thin (hopefully always thin.. that was a joke), sick and healthy, strong and weak to pick you up when you need it, love you harder, talk kinder, speak sweeter and never forget the vow we made 2 years ago. 

I promise, we are almost through wedding posts. You don't want to miss Thursdays - an in-depth post on the honeymoon. It only took me two-years to write it, but its all the must-do things in the Grand Cayman, plus some of the most beautiful sunset pictures you've ever seen.


Happy Tuesday friends!

Let's talk details: I literally had the best team of vendors, planners and everything in between. Go show them love and if you're getting married, I highly recommend looking into these amazing people. I'm obsessed with all of them.

Photography: Stephanie Fay Photography
Planner and Coordinator (and basically my life coach): Ashley Gain Weddings
Videography: Serendipity Cinematography
Venue: El Chorro
Flowers: The Flower Studio
Band : Shining Star Band 
Makeup : Angelica + Glam Lounge 
Linens : La Tavola Linens 
Cake : Ruze Cake House 
Dress : Mariee Bridal  
Paper : Alexandra Bruch / Fleurish Letters

Happy Monday friends! Here's your warning that tomorrow is my two-year wedding anniversary, so the next two days are going to be heavily wedding oriented. This last weekend, Adam and I took a last minute trip to Breckenridge. We loaded both pups in the car and ventured to the mountains. If you've never been to Breck, stop everything and book a trip. Breck isn't the most glamorous mountain town, but it is my favorite. Adam said it best, as we pulled onto Main Street, he said, "is it weird how homey Breck feels to me." Me too, Adam, me too.

We ventured the town, watched the Derby, had great meals and enjoyed being away from home for the night. It was the best weekend celebrating us. Two years.

This time, two years ago, I was one day away from being a wife. The countdown was over, the wedding was here. The planning that took 11 months had finally finished and it was time to celebrate and get married!

Two years ago, I was toasting with my girlfriends, rehearsing for my big walk down the aisle and prepping my mind and heart for what it meant to become a wife. Adam and I dated for 4 years before we got married so a part of me thought I knew what I was getting in to, little did I know how much I didn't actually know.

Let's be real, I don't pretend to be an expert on marriage by anyyyyy means. But, I've learned a lot in two years and I cannot wait for all the other stuff I'm going to learn in the next years.

Becoming a wife is hands down one of the best things I've ever done in my life. It's been the most rewarding and fun experience. Tomorrow's post is all the things I want to tell Adam. Today, it's all about me. These are the things I'd tell myself if I could go back in time to that day two years ago.

I'd tell myself that marriage is going to be better than I could even imagine. I'd tell myself that everything I assumed marriage would be like, is even better. I'd tell myself  marriage is work. That choosing to love someone every day is a choice, not a given. I would tell myself that there would be days, just regular days, but those would be the days  I'd look at Adam in awe he choose me. Marriage is fun. Life is way more fun with someone you can do life with. I would tell myself that you will watch a lot of football, but he'll watch RHOC and RHOBH with you. You will both watch The Bachelor because he will support your blogging career with everything he has. I'd tell myself that being a wife is a blessing. It's a blessing to love another person and to be loved in return. I'd remind myself no one is perfect, but choosing to love the imperfections is where your marriage will find its depth. Laughing cures most fights. I'd remind myself that this vow of marriage is not only a vow in front of friends and family, but in the presence of God. I'd remind myself that no one other act is that way. I'd tell myself about the journeys that Adam and I would experience as a couple and how amazing they are. I'd tell myself to give myself and Adam grace. We're young lovers figuring how to do marriage together, for the first time and for the last time. I would remind myself to thank Adam repeatedly for taking Instagram pictures for you. I would tell myself that Adam doesn't know how to load a dishwasher, but to show your appreciation to him when he tries. Speak kindly, show love and kiss often. I would tell myself marriage is the greatest thing ever and to never take it lightly, but to take ourselves lightly. Make promises, keep them and make more. Travel together. Encourage each other, push each other. Wipe his tears because trust me, he will wipe way more of yours. Love each other unconditionally and tell each other often. 

For those of you married, what would you tell yourself if you could go back? What would you remind yourself of? What's the best part of marriage in your opinion? Let's chat. Tell me your thoughts on marriage in the comments.

Tomorrow, we're celebrating the big 2 year mark. I'll be sharing my renewed vows to Adam. It's a tear-jerker, you don't want to miss it.

Happy Monday friends, lets make it a great one.

Let's reminisce shall we? When I was in college, my roommates and I would literally eat jars of pesto slathered on top of tomatoes. Breakfast, throw some pesto on eggs. Lunch, pesto on anything you could find in the fridge. Snack or any other meal, pesto. We would buy the large jar at Costco once a week, I wish I was kidding.

Safe to say, my obsession for pesto faded quickly from pure overdose. It's been years since I've had pesto. Minus the pesto pizza from Oregano's. But that doesn't count.

I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs, Ambitious Kitchen and I knew I needed to try it. Ps. If you're looking for great recipes, you gotta check her blog. It's amazing. I modified her recipe a little bit, just to fit our preference and I made my own paleo bread.

I made this recipe for dinner on Monday night and I had it for lunch Tuesday and we had it for dinner last night. My paleo obsession is back people and I'm ready to push my obsession on to you. What's an obsession if you can't share it with your friends?

Three things I love about this recipe: it's (fairly) easy, its colorful and it's so damn delicious. Adam usually isn't a left over lover, but he actually volunteered to eat left overs last night for dinner. This is a huge win in our household. Ps. If you're following me on Instagram, you saw a sneak peek of this recipe yesterday.

And for those that asked - without further ado, the recipe.


Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons raw pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 cups packed basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 small cloves garlic
• 6 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more for more spice)
• Shredded carrots, sliced tomatoes, sliced cucumber, pickles or any other garnish that tickles your fancy
• Cholula or a great spicy mustard
• Bread of choice - or my paleo version!

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper Add chicken breast and generously season with salt, pepper, dried parsley and a touch of cumin.
2. Bake for 35 minutes or until fully cooked. Shred chicken with two forks; set aside.
3. While chicken is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pepitas and toast until just barely golden; stirring frequently so they don't burn. This should take about 5 minutes. 
4. Immediately transfer to the bowl of a food processor and add in avocado, basil, lemon juice, garlic, water, chili flakes and salt. 
5. Process until smooth.
6. Add pesto to bowl with the chicken and mix to combine.
7. I pre-made the bread (recipe) below so make that sandwich. If not, grab some delicious bread and load up. 
8. Enjoy, Eat and Repeat!