Copy Cat Olive Garden Baked Cheese Ziti Al Forno with Ragu

I have always been a huge fan of Olive Garden's Baked Ziti. I mean, gooey, cheesy pasta baked to perfection? Definitely delicious, and definitely a warm comfort meal perfect for a cold day. You can get this same yummy meal at home for a fraction of the price--and it's surprisingly FAST to put together! Once your noodles are cooked it literally takes minutes to throw together and only 20 minutes to bake--making this a 30 minute meal from start to finish! Give it a try. Your family will thank you.

Pasta in our family is a beloved tradition. Although we aren't Italian, we like to think that we are at heart because all our favorite dishes involve tomato sauce and noodles. And, apparently my love for all things pasta is genetic and my daughter inherited it. Her very favorite meals are lasagna, spaghetti, ravioli, and, after making this dish--ziti. Even my baby boy who just started eating solids loves anything with tomato sauce on it. Growing up I can remember coming home from school to the smell of my own favorite--my mom's spaghetti. As soon as I smelled it I would run over to the stove and start devouring the sauce before my mom could shoo me away. I would always sneak back for seconds as soon as she wasn't looking and eat more than my share when it was finally dinner time.

Because she was a working mom she definitely did not have the time to make her sauce. Her go to--and now my go to sauce--was Ragu pasta sauce. It has that homemade good old home cooking flavor with a simplicity you can't help but love. Obviously homemade sauces are great if you have the time. But who has the time? With a baby and a toddler competing for my attention, I definitely don't. But that doesnt mean i have to compromise on taste or quality.

Fortunately Ragu is an authentic Italian sauce that you can feel good about feeding your family. The sauce itself is a family tradition that was created by a humble yet endlessly influential Italian immigrant woman-- Assunta Cantisano.  She came to America with hardly anything in the way of possessions, but she did bring with her her family's recipe for tomato sauce. Her neighbors raved about her sauce--and the neighbor's neighbors--until she decided to chase her dreams. She bravely marketed her beloved sauce and succeeded even during the depression. No wonder Ragu is number one even 80 years later! I think in large part it's due to this little woman's determination and legacy. In addition to the classical, traditional nature of Ragu pasta sauce, I love that there is no high fructose corn syrup and no artificial flavors. If you look at the labels on pasta sauces that's vertually unheard of! Ragu uses farm grown ingredients and maintains a very affordable price.

I loved learning about Assunta Cantisano--talk about an amazing woman. Click here if you want to learn more about her and her inspiring story! (I was a history teacher so this stuff really interests me).

So now, here is the recipe you've been waiting for:



Copycat Olive Garden Baked Cheese Ziti Al Forno with Ragu Pasta Sauce
Recipe adapted from Budget Savvy Diva

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta - cooked
• 1 ( 24 oz) Jar of Ragu Marinara Sauce
• 1 ( 15 oz) Jar of Ragu Alfredo Sauce
• 2 Cups of Mozzarella Cheese
• ¼ Cup of Fontina Cheese
• 1 Cup of Parmesan Cheese
• ½ Cup of Ricotta Cheese

Directions

1. Cook your pasta according the the directions provided on the packaged.
2. Over medium heat place the following in a large pot -Ragu marinara sauce, alfredo sauce, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, fontina, ½ cup of parmesan, and ricotta
3. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray a 9x13 dish with non-stick cooking spray
4. Cook the sauce over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble. Once the sauce is bubbling add the cooked pasta and stir until the cheeses are melted-- about a minutes.
5. Transfer your pasta to the casserole dish and add the remaining parmesan and mozzarella cheese
6. Bake for 20 minutes
7. Remove from the oven, let it cool for 3-5 minutes and enjoy!

What are some of your favorite food and pasta traditions? I'm still creating my traditions and list of favorite recipes, but this one will definitely be going down in the books as an A plus!

Reindeer Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting | $10 Giveaway

We are getting ready for the holidays over here with our little reindeer creations. There has always been something about this time of year that makes me want to bake (and bake and bake). It's better than ever this year because I have the cutest little helper in the kitchen! My daughter might actually like baking more than I do (which is saying a lot) so she keeps me motivated to try new things. I made some reindeer cookies last year, but when I saw the cinnamon cream cheese frosting recipe on Pinterest I knew I needed to try it. Klair wasn't sad about the idea. We had a lot of fun making our Rudolph's and licking the frosting from the bowl (because yes, it's that good).


Ingredients

Cupcakes:

• 1 Box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix (We picked yellow, but chocolate would also work well)
• 1 Package of vanilla pudding mix
• Butter milk
• Candy
• Chocolate covered pretzels 

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (adapted from Creme de la Crumb)

• 4 cups powdered sugar 
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened 
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 
• 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream 

Instructions: 

Follow the instructions on the Betty Crocker box. Add the package of vanilla pudding mix and replace half of the water with buttermilk (this creates extremely soft and amazing cupcakes). 

When the cupcakes are cooled prepare the frosting. Beat the cream cheese until it's fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the vanilla, cinnamon, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until smooth. Gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of heavy cream as needed to thin the frosting to a desired consistency. (Note: If you are wanting to pipe the frosting on you'll need a thicker consistency so use less heavy cream. Depending on how thick you want the frosting you may have to double the recipe as well). Spread (or pipe) the frosting on the cooled cupcakes and store cupcakes and any leftover frosting in an airtight container.  

Next comes the fun part. I had my daughter and her cousins help me put the chocolate dipped pretzels and candies on the cupcakes to create our Rudolphs. They loved helping me decorate the reindeer while eating the candies. It's a fun Christmas tradition I definitely want to continue! And now I want to find more recipes to use this frosting on... 

$10 GIVEAWAY 

And don't forget I've partnered with WinCo, Betty Crocker, and Chex and I'm giving one lucky follower an opportunity to win $10 in Paypal cash. This giveaway will go for one week and the winner will be notified via email. Good luck!

Click Here for Easy Entry $10 Giveaway! 

Click here for Betty Crocker and Chex coupons!

This post is sponsored by WinCo & Betty Crocker but the content and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Easy Holiday Desert | Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix Recipe | $10 Giveaway

Looking for a last minute sweet treat for your holiday entertaining that is sure to WOW your loved ones? This pumpkin harvest Chex mix (complete with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and pecans) is the perfect pre-dinner snack to get the party started tomorrow night! I don't know about you, but I absolutely love snacking before the main event. In fact... I think I might even like it more than the dinner itself. With plenty of savory options already covered at my family get together, I was tasked with finding a sweet treat to please. I found this recipe and I knew it would be perfect.

All it took was one quick trip to WinCo and I had all I needed! My love for that store is no secret to anyone who knows me. They have the best prices and their bulk foods section rivals that of any so-called "health food or natural store" (think Whole Foods) but at a fraction of the cost! They're even cheaper than Costco. I'm not sure how they do it, but I'm certainly not complaining. Click this link for Winco Chex & Betty Crocker Coupons and a chance to win a $100 gift card!


I made this last night in the slow cooker and it has already been a huge hit with my family. I might actually have to make it again because we have already eaten almost the entire batch. We just can't keep out of it. It's a good "problem" to have.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix

What You Need:

2 cups Cinnamon Chex
2 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Vanilla Chex
1 cup Pecans (chopped or whole)
2 cups mini graham crackers (I couldn't find minis so I broke regular sized ones into small pieces)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. In your slow cooker stir together the cereals, pecans, graham crackers, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

2. In a small bowl mix together melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Pour over the cereal mixture; stir (gently so you don't break the cereal pieces) until evenly coated.

3. Cook uncovered on high heat setting for 2 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes

4. Spread cereal mixture on ungreased cookie sheet or waxed paper. Cool 3 to 5 minutes before serving. 

$10 GIVEAWAY 

And lastly I've partnered with WinCo, Betty Crocker, and Chex and I'm giving one lucky follower an opportunity to win $10 in Paypal cash. This giveaway will go for one week and the winner will be notified via email. Good luck! And Happy Thanksgiving!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

This post is sponsored by Chex & Betty Crocker but the content and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Baby Girl's Room Details | USA Rugs Review

Klair's room has always been a little sanctuary for me. When we found out we were having a girl, I knew immediately that I wanted neutral walls and furniture with a variety of bright colors in the decor. I didn't want anything too busy or overbearing. I feel like the result was pretty and fun, yet altogether soothing--as a nursery should be.

Okay and technically this is Klair's room at our old house. We've lived in our new home for seveal months now and we're still working on the decorating part. Well... a lot of the house is waiting to be decorated for that matter. My husband is the designated hanger of pictures and all things wall related, so it's his fault. Ha! Just kidding honey! I love you. But seriously, we moved in, got the place liveable, hung a few pictures and... that brings us to today. Why does it seem so hard to do? The kids rooms in particular translate so easily. Sure the configurations are a little different, but ultimately it's a matter of just redoing what we had in the last place. I think a large part of it for us is that we are desperately trying to soak up these last of this amazing weather we've been having this fall. There is so much to do outdoors where we live now, and we have been living outside and returning to our beds exhausted but happy every evening. So, at least it's a good excuse. Although seeing these photos of how her room looked before is pretty inspiring. Maybe we'll have to get around to finishing decorating the new one soon.

Details:

Rug: Rugs USA provided this beautiful Grace Soft Shag Rug for me to review (although they sent me the rug, all opinions expressed are entirely my own). When I was looking through the rugs on their site to choose from I knew I wanted something plush because the floor has always been a center piece of Klair's room. We love to rough house, play pretend, and even lay around reading books on the floor--all of which are aided by a soft carpet. Thus, I picked this one out from their site and it didn't disappoint. Can I just say that I have never felt a softer rug? It is beyond plush and luxurious! Everyone who sees it comments on how great it is. If you've never been to USA Rugs website do yourself a favor and check it out. They have thousands of types and designs to choose from. They feature high end rugs at fantastic prices--they are constantly running amazing deals.

Rugs USA  

Website | Facebook 

White Furniture: Wayfair (beware: you can get great deals on sites like this, but you will have to assemble it yourself... fair warning)

Pillows: Good old Target :)

Prints in Frames: Ok so this is a ridiculously easy little DIY. I saw an idea on Pinterest to frame pieces of fabric. I thought it was brilliant--until I tried it. Have any of you ever tried to frame fabric? It's really hard to get it straight and just right. And then I had a brilliant idea! (I'm sure I'm not the first to think of this, but I thought of it on my own so I'm pretty proud of it...) Instead of fabric, I realized I could frame scrapbook paper! It's much easier to pop into a frame and requires no smoothing out. I headed over to a cute little scrapbooking store and picked out a bunch of my favorite prints and--voila! I had the look I wanted without all the hassle of fabric. Oh and I bought the frames at Ikea. If you aren't looking for anything too fancy they have the best and most reasonably priced frames!

Large print over Klair's Bed: This one took a little more effort. Sam and I bought the design I liked on iStock, and then we sent it to Kinko's to be printed off in the exact dimensions of the frame that I bought (at Ikea). Then (because I'm paranoid about hanging something over her crib/bed--especially in an earthquake prone area) Sam used industrial strength velcro to stick it to the wall so that it wouldn't come down on baby girl. It's pretty amazing stuff. Sam used to use it at trade shows to hang big screen TVs and attach them to his booth. Using it made me feel better about putting something above her bed--a lot more confident than I would have been if we had just hung the large picture on a nail.

Curtains: Ikea (we like that place, can you tell? Any excuse to go in there for one of those cinnamon rolls!)

Quilt: I'm pretty proud of this one--are you ready? I made it! Yep, that's right. Me! It was my first quilting project... in fact it was one of my first ever sewing projects on a machine. It only took me over a year and a half to finish it, but I did it. And I'm pretty proud of the result. I told Klair that I put all of my love and hugs and kisses into it and she happily snuggles it every night.

The "K" on her armoire: I found the wooden block "K" at a local shop. Then I simply traced it onto some scrap book paper that I liked, cut it out, and glued it onto the "K." (Once again I found a DIY that used fabric but paper is just sooo much easier to work with in my opinion.)

Baby Product Review #4 | Soothe Shirt

For my 4th installment of my baby product review series I have a fantastic piece of clothing that elicits a "That makes so much sense!" and "Why hasn't anyone thought of this before?" reaction out of anyone who sees it. It's simple, but brilliant. Most importantly it's ridiculously convenient.

The product is called the Soothe Shirt. It is made by Lalabu and it produces what it's name promises--it really does sooth (or soothe for the Canadian/English lot) your baby and makes life so easy with a newborn. This cute tank allows you to easily slide your baby into a discreet pouch for increased closeness and carrying ease.

The concept is simple--even natural. It mimics the womb, and allows you to effortlessly keep your baby close and happy. Unlike carriers however you don't have to tote anything extra around.  Simply get dressed, grab your baby, and go.

This product is ideal for the newborn stage. Obviously I'm a bit late in posting these pictures (thanks moving and life craziness) but Grayson absolutely loved it and it served us well for his first few months of life. Looking at these pictures of him is making me all nostalgic and kind of sad, but I take comfort knowing that I was able to savor every precious newborn moment possible by keeping him close with products like this.

If you're interested in the Soothe Shirt for yourself or a mama in your life here's the info you need. Click away! :)

Lalabu

Website | Instagram

Back to Blogging

Oh, hello there blog. Remember me? Yeah, it's been too long. I realize I haven't written in awhile... in fact, this recent break has been the longest separation we've gone through since I decided to embark on this crazy adventure with you. It wasn't you, it was me. Honestly. I didn't even intend for it to happen... things just got pretty crazy around here and time slipped away in the sneaky manner that summers (and the beginning of fall) seem to produce.

It also didn't help that we moved... with a newborn in tow. That was pretty crazy. Certainly a good move--we're extremely happy in our new home! But crazy all the same. Particularly because it was so unexpected.

On a whim we decided to list our house. Well, I guess that's not a very accurate description. It was actually more of a hard to ignore prompting that my husband had. He told me awhile back he felt like we would be moving in the not-so-distant future. Pregnant at the time, I think I probably laughed at him. We were happy in our house--we had just finished decorating baby boy's nursery and, you know, we were about to have a baby!

We didn't talk much more about it until summer rolled around. Sam brought up it up with me again--he told me of his undeniable feeling that we needed to look into moving. He gave me a list of reasons why we should and I gave him my list of reasons as to why we shouldn't (the main one being the sleeping newborn in the other room). He pulled up some adorable new homes online and asked me to at least entertain the idea. A sucker for new homes and white kitchens, I couldn't resist at least looking with him. We started looking around and even toured a few homes. Moving started to look like a real possibility. Sam contacted our realtor just to get a feel for what we could sell our house for. Our realtor gave us a number, and we decided to pray about it.

We both felt so ridiculously torn. It seemed like our pros and cons list was equally weighted, and we just couldn't figure out how we felt about it. We prayed some more, even fasted--and came to the conclusion that the confusion we felt wasn't a good sign. We decided together to put the idea on ice for awhile.

The next day I made plans to meet up with my in-laws for a play date at a park just down the road from one of the houses we had really been considering. When I drove into the neighborhood I had the strongest impression that it was where we needed to be. It just made sense! I called Sam at work and told him how I felt, that he needed to talk some sense into me, and that I must be crazy because we had come to such a peaceful decision about it the day before.

Instead of talking me down, he told me he was having second thoughts about our decision as well. He had been on the phone with our realtor earlier. After Sam told him that we didn't want to move forward with listing our house, our realtor called back and told Sam he thought we could list it for a significantly higher price than his initial estimate. After doing some research on comps and seeing how quickly things were selling in our neighborhood he encouraged us to at least try listing it. He promised he would work really hard to get it sold for the higher price.

The timing of this conversation coincided with my sudden change of heart--and looking back I'm convinced we were guided all along. We got our offer after just one day of having it on the market, and for a much higher price than our realtor had initially told us to list it at. If we had moved forward sooner we wouldn't have gotten nearly as much equity. I'm so glad that we felt inspired to hesitate. All that confusion with our prayers--the "no" followed by a sudden "yes"--makes sense now.

Sooo our house sold in a day, and we moved into our new house just three and a half weeks later. Talk about a whirlwind.

It was crazy, crazy I tell you! If I ever move again it will be too soon.

But, on a much more positive note, we are absolutely in love with our new home! I am incredibly grateful for a husband who receives and listens to promptings. God definitely led us to this new destination. And, for the first time in our marriage, I finally feel at home in our house--the kind of place I know that we can stay in. This house is significantly bigger than our last, so we have plenty of room to grow. The neighborhood is extremely family-friendly with amenities all around, and we are surrounded by some of the nicest people I've ever come in contact with. Plus there are little kids everywhere... a feature our last house didn't have. We both feel certain that we can happily raise our kids in this home and live here for the rest of our lives.

I do apologize for my absence though. I've missed blogging. After moving into our new place we went through a period without internet, and my fast from all things social media was hard... but also refreshing. While I'm obviously excited to have internet access again, I have to admit that I also enjoyed being unplugged. I think my kids and my husband benefited as well. We've had internet again for a little while now, but it was really hard for me to jump back in to the blogging/social media game. Now I feel like my priorities are realigned, I've gained new perspective, and I've had some time to really reflect on this whole blogging thing and decide where I want to go with it.

First, I really just miss writing. I love to write out my thoughts about, well, whatever I want--mom life, religion, the pursuit of happiness-- anything is fair game.

Second, I've been extremely blessed with this fantastic new kitchen equipped with double ovens (dream come true) and I feel all sorts of inspired to cook and post more recipes!

I've also been focusing a lot on fitness lately, and I'm excited to share what I've learned in my journey to become strong and healthy again postpartum.

And of course I'm still really interested in fashion. I've never considered myself a guru, but as a Mormon SAHM I have a definite interest in modest, mom-friendly fashion and I love sharing my find with other like-minded individuals.

...And then there's the hard decision. This blog started as more of a journal for me, and I've wanted to maintain that "lifestyle" aspect of it even as it evolved into more. I love having a place where I can keep a collection of memories, pictures, and reflections on my life while pursuing some of my other interests as well. Unfortunately I'm feeling an ever-increasing sense of paranoia about the creeps and weirdos that exist in the world--particularly the internet. I've always tried to be careful about the information I post on here--I don't mention my last name, the city I live in, or tell people where I'll be. But I don't think this is enough anymore. Even though I love the idea of sharing cute photos of my family in this community of moms that I'm a part of, there is the potential of exposing my kids to very real threats that lurk on the internet.

After months of going back and forth, trying to figure out how to proceed--I've decided to really scale back the photos and information that I share. I recently read this article by fellow blogger Hailey Devine. In it she tells of her own scary experiences sharing her information on social media. It really struck a chord with me, and I simply can't continue blogging without making some changes.

Thanks to everyone who has followed me over the past couple of years and for all of your love and support. I love blogging. It has been such a blessing in my life, and I'm glad that I can continue it--even if my focus is forced to shift a little.

Mommy Daughter Patriotism

My little Klair Marie and I are starting out 4th of July weekend off a little early with some matching outfits!

Baby Product Review #3 | Happy Baby Wrap

Baby-carrying is all the rage right now, but I'll be honest--with my first baby I didn't give it too much thought. I mean, I only had Klair to worry about--one little person to give all of my attention to. I bought a really cheap, pretty awful sling because it was particularly inexpensive and I figured it couldn't hurt to try. It was a complete waste of money. At that point I gave up on the idea of baby carrying and wrote it off as an unnecessary luxury (if I had known what I was missing out on, I would have been singing a different tune).

This time around a good baby-carrying system became a priority. I only have two hands, but I have two kiddos, a house, and all the duties of a wife and SAHM that demand my constant attention. Before Grayson was born I decided to find a good baby wrap, and I am so very glad that I did. I started looking at different companies and even tried out a sling-style, but I didn't like how it made my shoulder feel. I've always had issues with my right shoulder, and the sling just exacerbated my pain.

I started looking at other types of wraps and found Happy Baby Wrap. Rather than placing too much stress on one shoulder, their design evenly distributes the weight across your back. I'm able to carry Grayson around without the constant pain that the sling-style wrap gave me. He is completely secure, and I'm able to go about my mom-life--multitasking in style and comfort.

Plus--bonus--he loves it too! As soon as I place him into the wrap he just melts right into my chest. It almost always puts him to sleep, or at least calms him very effectively. It's obviously great for transporting with ease, but I find myself using it a lot to simply calm him in public as well. I love the closeness that it creates, and the fact that I can get things done without feeling like I'm neglecting my sweet little babe.

Another bonus of this product is how easily it cleans. Obviously anything you consistently use with a newborn is going to see a variety of... fluids. This wrap is washer friendly. And, it even comes with the cutest and most convenient drawstring bag for toting it around town in your diaper bag. I take it everywhere I go and use it constantly.

If you are looking for a wrap for yourself--or perhaps a gift for a loved one--I highly recommend looking into Happy Baby Wraps. They have some really fun prints and colors (I went with Gray because... well, obviously I'm obsessed enough with the color to name my son Gray). This wrap is so easy and convenient that even Sam has used it with Grayson a few times (it's husband friendly!!!). We are big fans and just so happy to have been able to work with this awesome company!

Happy Baby Wrap

Website | Instagram

Baby Product Review #2 | Cover Me Ponchos

With Klair I was able to exclusively breastfeed her for the first 6 months, and I continued to breastfeed until she was 14 months old. I felt like this was a big accomplishment for me... like what I imagine running a marathon might feel like (not that I've ever done it, but a girl can imagine). Now don't get me wrong--I love breastfeeding. But, I'd be lying if I said that it didn't come with its share of challenges. There were certainly times that I wanted to throw in the towel, but ultimately I'm glad that I stuck it out for as long as I did. This time around I want to give Grayson the same experience and at least make it to the recommended 1 year mark... a feat that (I didn't realize) is going to be even harder to accomplish. More often than not when I breastfed Klair it was a quiet, intimate time between baby and me at home. This time around I have a toddler constantly vying for my attention (refer to the picture with Klair... she wants to be apart of everything) and always wanting to be on the go. Thus, breastfeeding Grayson often feels like something I squeeze in... a lot of times in public... when I can. Thus, having good breastfeeding products--like a good nursing cover--is a must for me.

Now, that's not to say that I think everyone needs to use a nursing cover. There are women out there who feel confident breastfeeding in public, and I commend them. I don't think there is anything wrong with it at all. Personally though I've always been a very private person. I remember from a young age making my own mom leave the room when I changed. The idea of breastfeeding in public... it just doesn't work for me. With Klair I bought a cover, but it was the kind that resembles an apron and only drapes over the front of you. This was okay while she was little, but it got increasingly difficult to keep myself covered as she started moving around more. Plus, without back coverage, I was forced to wear only clothing that was nursing friendly. I often found myself going to another room at social functions, or heading out to the car to try and avoid having to feed in public.

My poncho from Cover Me Ponchos as been game changing. I get complete coverage from it, and I don't have to worry about the wind or my baby moving too much and exposing me in a way I would be uncomfortable with. It's such great coverage in fact that I can wear shirts that aren't "nursing-friendly" and simply undress the top part of what I'm wearing under the poncho to make it work. It's awesome. I also love how stylish it is. As soon as it arrived I put it on and felt really cute. I'll even admit that I paired it with some black skinnies and wore it as my shirt the next day--it was an extremely convenient outfit for nursing.

Furthermore, my poncho is very versatile and has replaced other items I used to take with me--with a  toddler and a newborn I feel like I'm packing for a camping trip every time I leave the house so minimizing what I take is always a good thing. Obviously my poncho serves as a nursing cover, but it has also become my go to blanket that I can wrap Gray in when I need to, and a carseat cover anytime I want to give him a little shade or privacy for sleeping.

Ultimately I can't speak highly enough about my poncho! There are other companies out there selling similar products, but Cover Me Ponchos' covers are extremely affordable while still maintaining impressive quality. Aaaand don't you worry they come in a variety of super cute prints and colors because I get it, style is important! (The one pictured in this post is their navy cream stripe nursing cover.) If you're looking for a cover that will look great while serving multiple purposes I highly suggest checking them out!

Also, if you do purchase one you can use discount code "autumn" to get 10% off.

Cover Me Ponchos

Website | Instagram

This post was written in partnership with Cover Me Ponchos. All opinions expressed are my own.

Father's Day Weekend | Jord Wood Watches and Flip Flop Shops Review

There are days that definitely make you reflect on life and what you have. Father's Day is one of those days for me.

Family Photos | Roxana B Photography

Roxana of Roxana B Photography reached out to me recently about doing a family photo shoot. I took one look at her Instagram and I was completely thrilled by the prospect of working with her! This Utah photographer is not only one of the sweetest people I’ve met, but she is an exceptional artist with a unique style of photography that makes her photos stand out. I really enjoyed spending time with her. Like us, she has two small kids so we felt extremely comfortable taking photos with her. She was exceptionally patient with our kids (because, you know, she gets it).  Amid the chaos of trying to get a toddler and a newborn to take photos she managed to capture some real gems that I will cherish forever.

If you live in Northern Utah and you’re looking for a photographer you should definitely check out Roxana’s work. She does a lot of fashion shoots and is really well known in that world, but she her talents are versatile and she does all types of photography.

Roxana B Photography

Website | Instagram 

I love all of the photos from this shoot, but I think my very favorite moment that Roxana photographed was when Klair stood on her little tippy toes to give her adoring dad a kiss on the lips without any prompting from us. She did it by herself and Roxana captured it.  It’s kind of perfect. I also absolutely adore the photos of Sam and both kids. He’s such a good dad… I’m blessed beyond belief!