Why I Still Love Blogging in 2020

Most people reading this now may not know this, but I have technically been blogging for over a decade. This blog is much newer than 10 years old, but I actually had a little blog as a preteen (on this same platform - Blogger! At least I'm consistent!) and have made various blogs ever since then throughout the years. I delete them and stop writing online for a while, then start back up again. When I first started blogging, I had no forms of social media - even Facebook! I would just write on my little blog and play around on the computer. I also loved writing in journals and writing stories. These days, Instagram reigns supreme for quick online writing and creativity, but there's something special about sitting down in front of the computer with a specific topic in mind and just letting my thoughts run wild. I don't have many readers, but something about having my own little corner of the internet where I can completely customize and make it my own feels special - making my posts quality and thought-out is fun and fulfilling.

I also love to read blogs - flipping through someone's Instagram profile is one thing, but being able to read a blog full of someone's thoughts, ideas, tips or recipes feels more personal. Everyone knows I love making recommendations. One of my favorite blogs at the moment is A Beautiful Mess - I'm loving everything these two sisters put into the interwebs lately! Elsie Larson and Emma Chapman are sisters and two creative women who post many ideas for business, crafting, home decor, and recipes. I've been doing some reading on their blog and binge listening to their podcast, and I'm just loving the positivity and creativity I feel when I delve into their content. Another old favorite of mine is Coffee + Crumbs - their essays are beautifully written by mothers, and they capture the little moments of motherhood magically. Their community is a great spot for creative moms as well - they have writing workshops and resources on their website. 

Social media is the big thing these days (Duh, I know) but old-fashioned blogging will always hold a special place in my heart. I love reading blogs, I love editing and creating my own - I hope if you feel drawn to writing online, the idea that blogging is a thing of the past won't hold you back. Write away, and create that space for your own ideas on the internet!

Lotsa dat love,

Megan

Decor Tips - Rental-Friendly and On a Budget

 We're renters - we have been in our current house for almost a full year, and over the past year, it has fully become our home. Because we rent at the moment, there are certain dream projects that we will never do, like painting cabinets or changing the fireplace, but we've managed to make it our home. I don't know when we plan on moving next, but I know we're happy where we are for now. I wanted to write some fun, simple, not-too-expensive ideas for decorating and changing your space. These can be used for homeowners, but I'm mostly focusing on ideas to make a rental feel like home.

1. Make your own decor.

You know I'm all for DIY projects. That's what I love to do - I'm a crafty bitch. There are tons of wonderful ideas on Pinterest for large pieces that you can do yourself with a simple trip to the craft store or thrift store for some supplies - If you don't want to paint or are unable to paint, make a large wall hanging or photo gallery wall to fill empty space! We have two different large chalkboards that are statement pieces decorated seasonally. One of them we made, and the other I just used chalk paint on a wall decoration I thrifted. 

2. Removable Wall Paper or Feature Walls

I think removable wallpaper is genius. I haven't utilized it in our home, but it's a relatively inexpensive way to make a big change in your home that's easy to remove when you're ready to move. I will link an article here to check out some great options if this is something you're interested in. I have heard that it's a little tedious to apply, so make sure to have an open afternoon, brew a coffee pot, and turn on a nice long podcast and plenty of patience  while you do it. One thing we've done in our rental is have a couple of feature walls - we will paint one wall in a room with a pattern or color to add the pop that we want, and leave the rest of them white. I don't mind all white, but in our place, it feels a little bland with all of the white walls - our upstairs is white walls with white carpet, so any marks or stains are very obvious. 

3. Rugs rugs rugs!

I love rugs. As far as home decor, I think a rug can completely change the look of a room - if I had to choose one item to use to decorate a room, it would probably be a large rug. I'm a fan of colorful, tribal prints or Turkish style rugs, but you can't go wrong with a natural material rug (such a jute) as well. I bought the rug in our living room at TJMaxx for about $60, and it's a 5x7. It is a high-traffic area, so it gets pretty covered in dog hair, but it's easy to clean and has an intricate pattern, so the occasional spill or spot isn't noticeable. (Might sound gross, but I have a baby, a toddler, and a lab that sheds constantly. We aren't perfectly clean... ever!) A high quality rug can be expensive, so look at your local discount department store (HomeGoods, TJMaxx, Big Lots) or Facebook Marketplace if you're looking to budget. I know they sell white carpet rugs at Walmart, Home Depot or Target for cheap as well. For smaller spaces, they even sell some cute little rugs at Five Below in their home decor section. I bought a blue tribal patterned rug for the boy's room there - it's a 3x5 and it just adds a nice little touch. Rugs also help protect carpet that can be difficult to clean - we ended up purchasing a carpet shampooer because we have white carpet (AHHHH! White carpet + a black lab = dirty looking stairs) but I have some rugs in the bedrooms to prevent more wear and tear on the carpet.

4. THRIFT!

If you know me, you know I absolutely love thrift shopping. If I had a day to myself, I would probably go grab a coffee and just hit up different thrift stores or garage sales all day. It's a treasure hunt, and I've been able to find large mirrors, wall decor, furniture, and textiles (blankets, curtains, etc) for mere dollars. Facebook Marketplace is your friend when it comes to furniture! Just keep an open mind - I know some people can be a little turned off at the idea of using someone else's stuff, but that's what they make washers and cleaning products for, guys! It's sustainable, inexpensive, and a great way to find items that are totally unique.

5. Be conscious of your security deposit, but still make it your own.

This is your home right now - whether you're living here for 6 months or 10 years, this is your personal haven. I don't like to make a ton of big changes, but I'm not afraid to screw into the walls, paint something here or there, or add shelves. Keep in mind that you want to respect the landlord and owner and know what you're going to have to do to change it back to how they had it - but also, don't be afraid to ask if maybe they'll accept changes! If the color of your  kitchen cabinets drives you insane, ask if they would be willing to pay you to paint them or have them done professionally. It never hurts to ask respectfully, and sometimes they might be totally willing to make changes if they think it will keep a good tenant living there or add to the property value for the future.

Renting can be lovely in many ways - it's not as much commitment and it's great for those of us who aren't  in an area or time in life where we're ready to purchase a home. I hope that you feel cozy at home in your rental - especially in these crazy times, it's so nice to have a home base that feels comfortable and safe. Have a wonderful day and thanks for reading!

Lots of love,

Megan

From Mamma Mia to Motherhood - my Brain Barf Blog Post

In case you didn't know, I love the movie Mamma Mia. I also love the sequel, Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again - although, that one left me with some questions. How did Meryl Streep's character, Donna, pass away? Who is Sophie's REAL father? How is young Donna always so flawless? Anyway, those questions are beside the point. If you've seen Mamma Mia, you may remember Meryl Streep singing a beautiful song to Amanda Seyfried while she helped her get ready for her wedding - Slipping Through my Fingers. If you don't remember this, let me remind you with this photo.

photo via DeviantArt

This song always made me emotional - I am a daughter, and I have a mom. Before I had my own children, I still felt that I could relate to it on some level. Time moves quickly, and moments pass by too fast.
Now that I have my own babies, I'm left with this feeling often - everything is slipping through my fingers. I caught myself looking up preschools in our area yesterday, just out of curiosity. It seemed kind of bittersweet and exciting that our oldest baby will be gearing up for preschool in a year or two. Part of me is excited for the future - eventually, I will be working again, pursuing goals that are outside the realm of our family/motherhood. Ben and Beau will become more independent, they'll make friends, have hobbies.
I wanted to write today because for some reason this reality is hitting me hard, and it just creates a lump in my throat. I remembered yesterday that Ben went through a long phase of always falling asleep on my neck. Sometimes it would be borderline uncomfortable for me, this tiny toddler body laying so close to me, smothering me, breathing heavily and resting. He couldn't fall asleep if he wasn't laying right on top of me. He doesn't have to do this anymore. I still lay beside him while he falls asleep at night, but he's distancing himself slowly. Eventually, there will be a time that he won't even want me in his room at bedtime - I know that this is a reality that every mother faces, and most of the time, I accept that and know that there will be wonderful things about him getting older, too. But today it just makes me sad - and even with all of the time that I spend with the boys, which is a lot, I often feel that I haven't squeezed out all the wonderfulness of each moment that exists. This could make absolutely no sense to anyone but me, and that's OK (luckily it's my blog so I can write whatever I want and it doesn't have to make sense to anyone else!) But when I look back on each day, sometimes I feel like I just didn't appreciate all of the moments I had with the kids to their fullest. I try to be as involved with them as I can while still letting them have independent play and alone time, but I still look back on each day with uncertainty. What if I was distracted? Was I paying attention enough today when Ben was talking to me? I hope I'm connecting with Beau enough. Was I on my phone too much? Did Ben watch too much TV? Did he go outside enough? Did I give them enough hugs? Why do the days go by so slow, but time feels like it's flying by? 
I've honestly just been feeling kind of anxious for the past couple of weeks - it does feel like the days are going by slowly, yet time is flying. Everyone is freaking out about coronavirus and the election, and I feel like the world is just moving so fast and I'm just putting all my effort into the two boys in front of me, and still feeling like I'm coming up short sometimes.
I think I just needed to sit down and put all of this into words - and yes, I'm going to post it, because I haven't written anything in a long time and I want to keep publishing things even in times where I feel uninspired or down. I'm going to call this blog post a Brain Barf - me just writing to write to make myself feel a little better. :)
Anyway, have a great day loves!
Megan

Keeping Life Fresh as a SAHM

Sometimes, being a stay-at-home mom can feel a little bit like the movie Groundhog Day. There are so many things about being able to stay at home with the boys that I'm so grateful for, but I'm not going to list them all off right now! Today, I'm writing about keeping afloat when these treasured days with your children sometimes feels like each new morning is exactly the same as the last. The daily grind of changing diapers repeatedly, cooking meals and preparing snacks, and cleaning up the same messes over and over sometimes makes me feel like I'm just not doing anything that important, and that's when I start to feel frustrated and altogether down on myself. Everything I do feels like it gets automatically erased - every fresh diaper is dirty again within an hour, every time I clean the kitchen it gets messy again with the next meal or the next time Ben decides to root through the drawers, and the minute I fold and put away the heaping pile of laundry, it seems to regenerate itself as a huge dirty pile on the laundry room floor. The same power struggles with my strong-willed and rebellious (but luckily for him, very adorable) two year old. The same milk stains on my shirt every time my infant eats. When I'm in a tough week, it feels easiest to just stay at the house and schlep around, cleaning up messes and playing with the kids at home. Unfortunately, that can sometimes lead to feeling stir crazy and wondering if I'll ever wear anything besides stains and sweatpants.

I've learned that to keep myself feeling happy and patient as a mother and just as a human being, I need to keep my life fresh and feeling exciting. A few years ago, that meant planning trips, going on crazy dates with Chris, having fun with friends, and putting my best foot forward at work. Now, it looks a little different - it requires more planning and energy, but I've learned a few tips to go into each new week feeling excited and ready for a new week - with new experiences and a little less of a Bill-Murray-in-Groundhog-Day vibe.

Plan ahead. This is probably my biggest piece of advice for anyone who's dealing with similar struggles - this whole motherhood gig feels a lot easier when there is planning involved. Planning meals, planning activities, just having a sense of what's going to happen and being prepared for it. This helps so much when it comes to going on outings with the boys - it feels a lot easier to just stay at home and feel kind of slumpy when I don't get ready in the morning and my diaper bag isn't packed. Let's be honest here - getting two children out the door is not an easy task. Extra outfits, diapers, snacks, drinks, stored milk - all need to be packed up. Everyone needs to be dressed, fed, potty'd, and prepared for the weather. Depending on where we're going, decisions on whether the stroller, wagon, or carrier need to be packed and if we need to bring extra food. Not to mention the physical work of getting a toddler and a small infant out the door and in their carseats. So, plan ahead! Either take a day on the weekend or just the night before, and get everything packed. Get snacks in baggies and drinks ready, pack the diapers you'll need and look into activities or decide which park or stores you're planning to visit. Get everything ready so it's easier for you to get out the door and go on an adventure with your little ones in the morning.

Get ready! Set! Gooooo! No, I'm not talking about racing your children (although that might keep your day a little more fresh with some healthy competition.) I'm talking about getting ready for the day. Putting on a comfortable outfit that's an actual outfit, brushing your hair, washing your face, maybe taking a quick shower while the babies are safe and busy if you're feeling crazy! Recently, I've started giving Ben his bath in the morning, and getting ready for the day in the bathroom while he plays in the bath. Beau sits in his bouncer, and it gives me the time to be able to put on a little makeup and feel like a human being again. I think it can feel so pointless to take a moment to get ready when you're a stay at home mom - usually my mascara smears a little by the end of the day from playing and rough housing with Ben, and my hair ends up in a bun, but feeling like I'm ready to take on the day puts the extra pep in my step and usually puts me in a better mood.

Try something new - with your kids. Do some research in your area - maybe there are some parks you haven't visited, a kids museum or play area that you want to go check out. There are often many free library toddler story classes or baby playtimes that are fun to check out. Make a plan to go to a new place each week just to switch it up! Maybe there's a trail near your house that you've always wanted to check out - load up the stroller and bring the kids with you. Sometimes, it ends up in a disaster (I've taken Ben on many disaster outings, lol!) but sometimes you find a new activity that is really fun and adds a new dimension or social aspect to your week. Or, work on a project together. It depends on the age of your little ones, but Ben enjoys helping me garden or cook. Bake something new every week together.

Explore your passions. I'm a nap time crafter, writer, and cleaner. (Cleaning isn't necessarily a passion, but it's kind of just part of my life lol!) Try to keep exploring things that interest you - listen to audiobooks, do workouts, craft, write, do whatever that makes you feel fulfilled in a different way when you can. There are certain seasons of life and motherhood that feel like there's really no time to do much than just mother and keep afloat, and that's fine, too! If you have time to do extra things you love, great. If not, remember that each season is temporary. Speaking of...

Remember that each phase and season is temporary. Isn't that the bittersweet truth at the core of motherhood? Those tough seasons (I'm kinda going through one now! Newborn and toddler combo equals lots of exhaustion for this mama!) come to an end sooner than you think. I remind myself of this on the hard days - if Ben is going through a sleep regression phase or Beau wants to be on the boob 24/7, I remind myself that in a few years, all of these frustrations or tough moments will feel like sweet distant memories. There will come a time in the not too distant future that I will be working again, they'll be in school, and the difficulties will still be there, but they'll look a whole lot different.

I hope this will help a stay-at-home mama who's finding it challenging or a little monotonous - I've been there, and sometimes it really just requires a little work and planning to switch it up and have some fun! Another thing? Try not to let a tantrum or two keep you from leaving the house. I can't tell you how many times Ben has screamed at the top of his lungs in the middle of Target, and I get a look from some old lady. (I've learned that sometimes old ladies in grocery stores think they know what's best for all children - anyone else ever had a random old lady tell them to "Make sure you take care of that baby!" in a store? Because I have! And it's annoying! Lol. I always want to say, "Oh, I was actually going to just leave him in the parking lot, but since you said that, I will now make sure to take care of him. Thank you.") I just smile back at her, and continue on my day, screaming toddler and all. Don't let the little things ruin a great day!

Alright, I'm starting to ramble. Thank you for reading and I hope you all have amazing, fresh days today!

Xo,

Megan

*Graphics used were created in Canva, and the photos were stock images available on Canva. :)

Holiday Season 2019

Long time no talk, blog community! The past few months have been a whirlwind of excitement, and sometimes in those busy seasons of life, writing and creating takes the back burner. Life is starting to calm down a bit - I'm pretty accustomed to the whole "mom of two" life at this point, we are wrapping up our Christmas shopping (Get it? "Wrapping" up? Ha. Ha. HA!) and we are in a stretch where things are pretty steady day in and day out.

Let me step backward a bit - YES, I am a mom of TWO! I know, it's taken me a little bit to get used to. Beau Fletcher Morgan joined our family (officially) on October 25th, 2019. He is getting used to this whole crazy world we live in and he is such a huge blessing in our family. He's a smiley, cuddly nugget who loves boobs and farting. (#newbornlife) It's been crazy to see how different this transition has felt from when Ben entered the world. I think every family and situation is totally different, but for me, going from 0 to 1 child felt harder than going from 1 to 2. Life was really different for me before I had Ben - I just wasn't used to the motherhood lifestyle, and it really rocked my world! Now, I'm pretty used to the physical and mental toll that being a mom takes on you - lack of sleep doesn't phase me, neither does carrying another human around practically wherever I go. I find myself really enjoying and soaking in this time with Beau being so little, because I now know how quickly time moves when you're raising little ones. To quote one of my favorite motherhood blogs, Coffee + Crumbs - "Babies don't keep."

Ben and Beau, snuggling it up. Ben loves Beau like crazy.

This photo cracks me up! He reminds me of Mr. Bean or someone very inquisitive.

There you go - a little splash of Beau! (I'm a poet and I didn't know it!) I feel like I should have made some big old birth story/entry to the world blog post, but honestly, I was kind of in my newborn cocoon and at the time, I was just sort of mentally processing the changes and soaking in his newness.

We have been super lucky these past couple of months to have so many visitors from Michigan - my parents have both came to visit, and Chris' mom is coming in early January. I feel so lucky that they are able to come spend time with us during these transitions. I've learned that family really is so important to me, and being able to share special moments both with our family here and our family across the country is so amazing.

How are you spending your holidays? Will your Christmas morning be spent at home, or are you traveling to see family? What are some of your holiday traditions? Will you be flying solo this year? Will you be hosting a big old dinner? Are you buying lots of gifts? Making gifts? Maybe you don't celebrate Christmas! Let me know what your holiday situation is looking like this year - I love hearing about different traditions!

We will be opening some gifts and having a little breakfast here at home on Christmas morning, just Chris and I and the boys. This is the first year that I feel like Ben might start to understand what the whole Christmas thing is, and we're still figuring out how we want that to look for our family in the future. We will probably be going to Chris' immediate family's home for another little Christmas morning time a bit later in the day, and then we will be going to a family dinner with the whole family in the evening. I've been thinking a lot about the message I want the kids to think of when it comes to Christmas - I'm sure there will be years that they're all about the gifts, because I think sometimes that's how kids tend to think, but I'd like them to really think of the holidays as a time to embrace your loved ones, be thankful for the love and joy that surrounds our family, and appreciate the magic of the season - the giving, the thankfulness, the love!

I'm going to wrap up this post with a random little list of some of my favorites lately - anything from media to items to ideas! Here are some of my current recommendations...

• Grocery shopping at Aldi. You guys, we have been making a weekly grocery drive to Aldi, which is a little farther for us than our normal grocery store. It is so worth it! They have quality food at amazing prices, and I just love being able to get so many yummy dinners for such a low price. Not an ad - just da truth!
• It's no secret that I love podcasts. Lately, my favorites have been fun ones - more like just a chatty, fun talk show than super informational or heavy. I'm loving Chatty Broads and You Can Sip With Us. I listen to my podcasts on Spotify, but you can find them on the Podcast app as well! 
• Shephard's pie. I have just been obsessed with making it - it's so easy! I do a lazy shepherd's pie - I buy the instant powder potatoes (some people are probably grossed out by that, but I don't mind instant mashed taters once in a  while!) and a packet of gravy mix and it makes it easy. Last week, I boiled fresh carrots and broccoli for a LONG time during the day to make them soft, mixed it up with some cooked ground beef and gravy, and spread the mashed potatoes on the top with a layer of gouda cheese beneath the potatoes. Baked it in the oven for about 25 minutes to a half an hour, and BAM! Delicious comfort food, quick!
• Malted milk for breast milk supply. My amazing mom brought me chocolate malted milk when she came to visit because she had heard from a friend that malted milk was a way to increase supply. I really do think it's helped with milk production, plus it's a delicious treat.
• Our new van. You guys, if you follow me on Instagram, you will know that we recently purchased our mini van. Yes, I am a proud MINI VAN MOM! We are completely obsessed with it - it's not brand new or anything, but it's a nice ride for us. It's a Volkswagen Routan, and the automatic doors and accessories make it way easier to load in the boys in their carseats. It feels like a very safe ride, and it's super comfortable and practical for our family. 
• Coffee. Okay, this one is a no-brainer. The title of this blog is a play on words referencing a "mug half full", and we all know that any mug of mine is filled with coffee. But lately, coffee has been tasting extra amazing to me, and I've been drinking more of it! I'm not sure why - maybe because Ben wakes up at 5 am every day? Lol! I use a Keurig, and my current favorite creamer is Coffeemate's Peppermint Mocha. (Maybe it's because I was a barista for a while and I've been around a lot of coffee snobs in my day, but sometimes admitting that I love flavored creamer makes me feel insecure, like some sort of coffee amateur! I can't help that I love a holiday flavor to get me in the spirit, people!) 
• Taylor Swift's new Christmas song, "Christmas Tree Farm". Our girl TayTay grew UP on a Christmas Tree Farm. So she knows what she's singing about, people! This song makes me want to curl up in front of a fire and drink hot chocolate. It's fun and sweet. I've been in about the fiftieth Taylor Swift phase in my life, because I'm so happy for her winning Artist of the Decade! She is so deserving. One thing that really gets under my skin is reading comments under articles about her, with people making nasty remarks about her always playing victim and writing songs about exes. She's an unproblematic, wildly successful woman who is extremely talented. I think people just get jealous! *insert emoji of blond woman shrugging*

I hope you're all having an amazing holiday season. If you're not, pour yourself a cup of hot chocolate and take a deep breath. Sometimes, Christmas can cause some serious stress - don't feel like you need to do it all! Sending love your way.

-Megan

October Creative Challenge & Printable Calendars

October is HERE! I am exactly one day late to make a big old post about it, but I think many of us can agree that October is a special month. There's something about this autumn month that is the perfect combination of cozy, spooky, and full of anticipation for the holiday season to come! The weather starts getting chilly, giving us the perfect opportunity to either enjoy time indoors snuggling up and watching scary movies, drinking lattes, and making crafts, or spend more time outdoors at the pumpkin patch or taking an autumn walk. I'm not sure if it's the Michigan girl in me, but I just love everything about this month and I miss watching the leaves change colors so vibrantly and visiting the cider mills. (I love love love California, but no one does October like Michigan!) 

I've been feeling particularly crafty lately - probably because we are in our new place decorating, I'm a crazy pregnant nester, and I'm always in a pretty crafty mood haha - and I wanted to make a fun October challenge. I am technically one day late, but I did two crafts to make up for that lost time today! I made a super simple beginner's macrame wall hanging (because I am an absolute beginner when it comes to anything macramé) and I designed these October calendar printouts. The inspiration for the calendars came when I walked Ben up to the post office today and checked our P.O. Box, and we got our very first bill! (Lovely!) Our water bill came, and it made me want to start being more organized about our bills and keeping solid track of due dates and just staying on top of everything. I figured, what better way to keep track of dates than a CALENDAR? And why not make it PRETTY? So, here you go - some printable calendars to help keep you organized this October! (Also, you can use it to keep track of each craft you make this month! 

Which is your favorite? I think my personal favorite may be the smiling pumpkin one.

I also wanted to include a photo of my macrame... thing that I made, to keep myself accountable and be able to look back and see what my first macrame piece was! Chris told me it looked like a centipede, and I think he's probably right, but I guess it is the spooky month, right?

I can't wait to see what you all create this month! If you want to, tag me on Instagram in your stories if you are creating with me this month @meganbigliardi - I figured I would include some ideas for everyone to start brainstorming.

• Make a piece of jewelry
• Carve a pumpkin
• Make pumpkin cookies
• Write a poem about autumn
• Make pressed leaf garland for your dining room or entryway
• Try something totally new like macramé or watercolors!
• Make a homemade toy for your child
• Create an autumn card for someone you love and send it to them in the mail
• Bake something new, and share it with someone else. (Like maybe a delicious and fancy pumpkin pie!)

our new home

I am currently writing this blog post while laying next to a napping Benjamin in our new home! Our new bedroom is still pretty boring - we have all of one wall decoration and the entire room is very... white. The simplicity and newness feels pretty good though. We've been putting together our new place for the past week and settling in, and I am absolutely in love with the area and our new home. It's nothing fancy - just a simple little townhouse - but it's perfect for us in this season of our lives.

I wanted to include some pictures of our decorations and setup so far - I've been loving to share these over my Instagram stories and photos as well! I've been so excited to put together our home for months now - the idea of having our own home that our new baby can come to and we can settle our little family in to stay for a while. So, without further ado - here we go!

Our dining nook - I had so much fun making the wreath and garland decor, and I found that beautiful cow painting at  Goodwill for one dollar!

Gotta love a coffee nook! I found the wooden sign a long time ago at the Howell Melon Fest, the tin planter with K Cups at Dollar Tree, and the "Coffee" sign in the Target dollar spot.

I love our cozy living room. I love relaxing on the couches and watching Ben play  here. This is always what we walk down to in the mornings when we wake up and it's also where Chris and I watch movies at the end of the day together! Most of the decorations we already had from our last place, or I found them at Goodwill, the Target dollar spot, antique places, or even Dollar Tree!

Where we live, it doesn't feel like that typical Midwestern fall cool air that I grew up with! (It's a blessing and a curse living in a temperate climate.) However, in the evenings and mornings, it's pretty darn breezy and crisp, and it most def makes me want to do ALL of the fall things. So I took some of our clippings from the plants on our patio, a little doily action, and some of my decorations and put a little centerpiece together! I got the pumpkin jar and the sign at the dollar store.

I painted this bad boy and Chris made the wooden stand a while back when we lived in our first apartment! The pumpkin is from the Target Dolla spot (holla holla dolla!) and the tile with the cute adorable house on it was from Goodwill.

Just a nice pic of a hallway with a construction toy chilling out. I found that brand spanking new Threshold piece at Goodwill! (The glass frame thing with the leaf)

Our entryway that I am completely in LOVE with. Chris got this old wooden desk for free one night, and I love how the paint is all chipped away and original. I found that cool little coatrack at a thrift sale event, and the rest are mostly photos and decor we had already!

Ben's room... AKA my project and obsession! Both of his furniture pieces we got for FREE! (Dresser/changing table and toy organizer.) One was our family's old beat up dresser that they didn't want anymore so I repainted it, and the other I found on Facebook free with pickup. I painted this shelving unit with a paint sample from the hardware store. I have most of Ben's books on these shelves and many fun little toys that he can explore.

So, there you have it! I haven't included photos of the bathrooms, guest room, our bedroom, or our laundry area because they are still being unpacked and decorated. (I'm not in a huge rush for those areas! We'll be here for quite a while and we'll get them put together in due time.) I also wanted to show some photos around our new town. It's a teeny weeny town surrounded by wineries and mountains, and it's really a treasure. It's surprisingly busy on weekends because it has an assortment of hip little wineries, cafes, and restaurants on the main stretch in town, but it's very quiet all week. It's the sort of place where you can walk past people's houses and chickens will literally just run over to you from a neighbor's front yard. (Never lived in a place like it before!) There are tons of cool and quirky sights to see, and it's very sunny and beautiful.

So, there you have it - our new stomping grounds! Thanks for reading and checking out our new place - we are so excited and we've been having such a blast putting it all together. Hope you have a great and wonderful weekend.

Hugs,

Megan

pregnancy, moving, & updates

It's been a minute, and it's time for me to start blogging regularly again.

When I have a lot of things going on in life, it becomes hard to stop and reflect in ways that actually feel good - as in, soul-feeding, mind-clearing good. It's easier to just scroll on my phone or distract myself with other things. I was recently listening to the podcast Find the Magic (a new favorite - if you are a mama who loves learning about respectful family relationships and just all sorts of good, self-care, warm-and-fuzzy stuff, give it a try!) and the women on the podcast were discussing "high quality leisure activities" versus just quick distractions. For me, a high-quality leisure activity is writing, and I tend to put it on the back burner when I'm feeling burnt out. It requires patience and mental effort to write something I'm proud of, and even when I'm just writing about things I enjoy here on my personal blog, it requires more effort and energy than scrolling Pinterest or Instagram, but it also makes me feel a whole lot better. 

SO. Today I just want to write about a few big things happening in our lives, to give a big overview update, because I would love to be able to just start writing regularly again.

Pregnancy Update

You guys. This baby is due in a mere SEVEN WEEKS. McScuse me?! I can't even believe it! We haven't even decided on a name yet! We are moving this weekend to an entirely new town! I haven't even registered at our hospital yet! I have a big ole belly, a VERY active little gymnast in my belly who loves to kick my ribs and twirl around, and I'm feeling a lot of things. 

The third trimester, overall, has been treating me very well. I've been so incredibly lucky with this pregnancy - no morning sickness, no heartburn, rock solid heartbeat and lots of movement. It's been very physically healthy. My joints get kind of sore and stretched, I pee about a thousand times each day, and I get pretty darn sleepy each day, but overall, I couldn't have asked for a better pregnancy experience this time around. My iron levels leave something to be desired, but I'm working on that. 

The hospital that I will be delivering is a large hospital in our area - it's a great hospital and I am looking forward to the birth experience. My experience with my doctor hasn't been amazing - we kind of rushed into a place and just stuck with it even though it hasn't really impressed me too much. It takes a long time to get into a doctor in our area with our current insurance, so I feel a little stuck in that regard. I think if I could do the whole thing over, I would be taking a little bit more of a holistic approach as far as the whole pregnancy experience goes. I have been reading and looking at how amazing doulas, midwives and more natural pregnancy experiences are, and I've realized that the practice that I attend is VERY by the book and basic - I often leave feeling like the pregnancy just isn't as celebrated as I would like it to be, and like I'm just another patient in a very overcrowded clinic. I'm just taking this all in as a learning experience for next time. (Which won't be for quite a little while, but we have discussed planning on three kids. It feels like a good number for us, but we have a few years, a lot of settling in and figuring things out and growing our future before thinking about next time around! Plus, we want to get married, y'all. It's hard to plan a wedding when we're moving a lot and having babies!) 

We are definitely still trying to figure out a name. Before we knew what we were having, we were mostly thinking about girl names because we had a feeling the baby might be a girl! We had our heart set on a name, but once we found out it was a boy, we really weren't sure! We have a couple of strong contenders, but nothing is decided yet. Any funky ideas? Leave them in the comments!

I am so incredibly excited to set up the boy's room. I've been slowly making and collecting items over the past few months, and once we move into our new place, it's definitely the room I'm most excited for. When the baby is a newborn, he will be in our room for sleeping and such, but I'm planning on having them share a room because I would love them to be close friends as they grow a little older. We are going for a woodsy, outdoors, camping theme - I've made wooden signs, we have soft felt animal heads to hang on the walls, I may or may not be doing a small mural on the wall once we settle in. Don't worry, I will most definitely be posting a nursery/kids room tour once we get it all set up! I am notorious for a strong nesting desire when I'm pregnant - just ask Chris - I think it's just a strong instinct to create a cozy and lovely place for the baby to come home to.

Moving!

Yes, folks - we are MOVING! This time, it will not be as drastic as our last move from Michigan to California. (Whew! I've had enough two thousand mile moves to last me for a little while!) We are moving from our current home where we've been living with Chris' wonderful family for the past 8 months to our very own cozy and cute little CONDO! I have never lived in a condo, and we are so excited about the area and our new home.

The town we are moving to is a cute little place called Los Alamos, California. It's about 15 minutes from where we live now, and it's a teeny weeny little place. So teeny that we don't even have a mailbox! Everyone in town has a P.O. Box instead! How crazy is that? I love living in more rural areas, and Los Alamos is basically nestled in wine country and rolling hills. We officially get our keys on Friday, and we are going to move in this very weekend. It's really nice to be near Chris' family but also a little out in the country - I'm able to walk around with Ben during the day all over town because the streets are all very walkable and not busy. It has a few really cute cafes and new wineries and shops, and we're really looking forward to finding our place there.

Fixing My Credit

Alright, guys. Time to get real with you. Fun fact about me? My credit took a serious dive this past year. Let's just say that when you move, CANCEL THE UTILITY BILLS THAT ARE IN YOUR NAME! Otherwise, the bills will continue coming and you won't receive them in your mailbox anymore and then suddenly you end up with collection bills on your credit score. Yep. So, in case anyone ever thinks that I am a put-together person with my whole life together just because I'm a mom, just know that I am most definitely not. I am learning many adult-ing lessons right now. Also, make sure to just keep up on your stuff - your car's maintenance and plate renewal stuff, your credit score, any unpaid bills - just be aware that things don't just go away! Okay, I'm done reprimanding you because of my own mistakes. Sorry if I stressed anyone out.

In Conclusion...

It feels good to be back. What have you all been up to, readers? I'm excited to start posting regularly again - I have a lot of ideas about things I'd love to write about and I'd also love to hear about how things are with all of you. I have been putting more thought into creating a bigger and more engaging social media and online presence to encourage other mamas and women and just create a little online community of support and fun. Thanks for reading lovely humans!

Love,

Megan

real life

Hello, lovely readers and friends! It's been a little while - I go through big creativity "deserts" where I want nothing more than to sit down and let the thoughts and creative juices flow, but if I'm struggling to find calm and inspiration, I have a really hard time with that. Honestly, I keep thinking of fun little articles I want to write - mom tips, stuff like that - but lately I haven't been feeling like writing cute little pieces or things like that. It's been kind of a difficult season of life for us, and being one who loves to write about my life and share it, I have a hard time being vulnerable with that. It's not that I don't want to share the personal, not-so-great stuff - it's that sometimes my creative outlets just shut off when I'm feeling anxious and scared. I just really had a tug at my heart to write it all out today - maybe someone out there who's doing some internet scrolling and feeling a little lost and unsure of everything will find some unity in their struggles. :) I'm just going to go through some of the big things going on in our lives right now and do a little writing about each thing - this might be really boring for you guys but it's just something I want to do!

Stability and Purpose

When I was a teenager, I often saw myself as someone who didn't NEED stability. Technically, I was privileged and already had stability ingrained into my life - my parents did a great job making my whole life stable, so in my little teenage head, I dreamt of living an unconventional lifestyle - on the road, working different jobs and creative gigs, living in nature and constantly having fun and going on new adventures. As great as this sounds, in the past few years, I've been slapped in the face with BEING AN ADULT. And, of course, the additional layer of BEING A PARENT. Being a parent is a wonderful, amazing thing - but suddenly you have this person who is directly affected by all of your decisions. A tiny, amazing human who needs lots of stability. Once I became a mom, routine and stability began to play huge roles in my every day life. Chris and I had our place in a small town, he worked full time, I took care of Ben and did little creative side jobs. My life revolved around being a mom and all the responsibilities that came with the homemaker role, and I really and truly loved it. I had responsibilities of taking care of our whole house, paying bills, learning to cook, helping out with the business Chris' family owned, and making sure Ben was stimulated, fed, well-rested, and comfortable. On top of that, I was writing and painting whenever I could, and Chris and I were making time for us. I knew that one day, I would be going back to work at a more normal job and juggling working mom life, but  honestly, parenting young a child and having all the responsibilities and roles of being the homemaker were exciting things to me.

Since we've moved out to California, I've really struggled with all of the changes. Things haven't been stable for us - it's been hard for Chris to find the right job here, and it's been really difficult knowing that we have a new baby coming in a few months but we don't have our own place yet. The prices on homes where are insanely high right now, yet the job market doesn't seem to have a lot to offer. When you have a little one to take care of, this sort of stuff really weighs heavily on the mind. We've questioned whether it has been the right choice for us and our family about a million times. My credit score currently is complete garbage because I made some mistakes and didn't realize I needed to cancel our utility bills when we moved from our first apartment :) We have been so blessed to be able to have family here that is helping us and letting us take up room in their house lol, but it's been a really hard adjustment for me to be struggling so much with so many different things, and trying to feel like I'm still a good mom and just doing a good job in life even though I feel like we're not in a stable place. I have kind of lost my feeling of purpose that I always dive into headfirst - whether it was when I was in college and working and keeping constantly busy with friends and activities, or when I was taking the whole "homemaker" and mother role so head-on when we had our own home in Michigan. It's honestly kind of hard to describe why I feel the way I do, but I just know that it's been difficult. Missing my old friends and my parents has also played a role in struggling with changes. It just feels like my brain is a tangled web and the more I think about all the things we need to figure out, the more tangled it gets!

Does anyone else out there struggle with purpose and feeling like they need to be endlessly productive and busy to feel fulfilled and purposeful? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I know this blog post has been an absolute MESS, and I'm really not just here to complain. Life isn't always easy and peachy, and even though we've been making so many wonderful memories, it has also just felt really messy! I hope this crazy post has maybe given someone else out there comfort.

Love,

Megan

Just a reminder that I definitely need sometimes when I'm feeling especially anxious and panicked about our future :)

baby registries 101

Hello lovelies! I'm 21 weeks pregnant, and I haven't been able to stop mentally preparing for this little baby that will be entering our family in just a few short months. One of the ways that I'm preparing? Making a list of everything we need for baby #2! The easiest way for me to do this is by making an actual registry so I can find specific products that I research and love. Baby registries are handy for many reasons - another common use is for a baby shower. It's a great guide for your guests to be able to see the items you really need so you don't end up 15 pairs of adorable baby booties and soft blankets and no diapers, changing pads, traveling items, etc.

I'm currently in the process of creating my baby registry, and I've been doing research on various products. I wanted to put a simple sample registry for someone preparing for their first baby as a guide, write down some of my recommendations for registries to use, and some of my tips for finding baby items cheaper. I am planning to use Babylist for this registry - it's a registry site that I heard about listing to a Coffee + Crumbs podcast a while ago, and it sounded really interesting. It basically works with all other common registry sites (Amazon, Target, BuyBuyBaby, etc.) and finds the cheapest items if they are available through other stores. That may sound a little confusing - I will include some photos of my registry so you can see what I'm referring to!

This is a sample photo from my registry. Babylist is a little confusing at first - the best way to use it is to add their bookmark "Add to Babylist" (when you set up a registry, it shows you how to do all of this!) Then, you can find products on Amazon or Target and it takes one click to add it to your registry on Babylist! When guests click to buy a product, it takes them to the Amazon website or Target so they can pick it up in store or buy online like they normally would. (Disclaimer - trust me, I am not sponsored by Babylist lol! I wish! I just have really enjoyed making my registry with the easy to use and attractive layout)

If you are having your first baby or you are considering having a baby, I wanted to include a list of the basics - what you really NEED when you bring home your little one. Babies don't need a million things - honestly, you could get by with some diapers, wipes, a carseat, and blankets when you bring home a newborn. (Not what I recommend if you want to make your life easier, but that just goes to show that it's really not as complicated as it may seem to prepare for baby!)

The reason I put an asterisk next to clothing? Honestly, clothing is pretty self-explanatory and it's all based on where you live! Warmer or cooler climate? You will probably slowly accumulate enough clothing during your pregnancy from gifts and just finding things yourself. A blend of short and long sleeve onesies and soft pants, zip-up PJ's, and blankets is what you really want to look for. My suggestion? Don't buy the newborn jeans. They like to be comfortable!

It may look like a lot, but if you are having a baby shower, family and friends love to help with baby items. If you aren't having a shower and are looking to really save money and be creative when looking for baby items - you can do it! For "gear" (baby swings or bouncers, carriers, strollers, cribs, all the expensive stuff!) check on Facebook Marketplace for gently used items - many people sell their old fear for cheap and it's only been used for a month or two! Just tick things off as you go throughout your pregnancy - every month, buy a few things. High chairs aren't a newborn necessity - they often don't use a high chair until they're around 6 months old.

I hope this was helpful to someone who is registering for their first baby, or even their second. (I'm working on a second baby registry and it's tough - I feel like I should have everything for this little one, but we donated and sold many of our items from when Ben was a newborn! Gah!) This whole pregnancy thing is one wild, crazy, and sometimes really frustrating ride - make yourself something warm or refreshing to drink, sit and curl up with a blanket, click away and let yourself get pumped for this new baby!

Love,

Megan

baby no. 2!

So, perhaps you may have already picked up on this by the title of this post, buuuut... we are expecting another baby!

I've kept it a big ole secret for a little while now - I'm almost 19 weeks along, meaning my whole pregnancy is nearly halfway over! It's been such an exciting journey so far. I wanted to write a post just to document my pregnancy so far, talk about how we are feeling about adding another little life into this world, and discuss our plans for the next few months of our lives. 

We first found out I was pregnant in early February - I just started to notice a few strange things that were going on - first of all, no part of me was enjoying coffee. Anyone who knows me probably can agree that this is not a natural thing for me - I'm a coffeeholic - every morning, I usually drink two cups to wake myself up and start the day and then have another cup later in the afternoon. Suddenly, it just never sounded good! I also noticed I just started feeling moody more often, and just feeling kind of sleepy. Just out of curiosity, I took a test, and I had mixed feelings when the second line was extremely faint. I figured that meant that I wasn't pregnant, and I couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. I did a little research and found out that sometimes a faint positive line means that you are extremely early in pregnancy and the progesterone just isn't strong enough yet to really show a positive. I waited about a week and took another test, and we found out that our hunch had been true - I was pregnant! When we found out, we were a little overwhelmed (let's just say we planned to wait until after we had our wedding and were settled in here in California to have another baby!) but we also couldn't help but feel super excited. Chris and I love being parents and we also truly love and trust each other, and we always have the mentality that we can handle anything as long as we work together. Not to mention, we had discussed the fact that we didn't want to wait too long to have another baby so that Ben and his sibling would be close in age. As it turns out, they will be almost exactly two years apart! Ben's second birthday is October 21st, and my due date with baby #2 is October 26th. How crazy is that? We are pretty good at making autumnal babies, apparently! 

As far as pregnancy symptoms, this has been a far easier pregnancy than my experience with Ben in my belly. I had no morning sickness throughout the first trimester, which is quite the opposite of my first pregnancy. Aside from being exhausted and a little moody, I've felt mostly just like normal old me. I also had a hard pregnancy emotionally with Ben for a number of reasons - some were hormonal, and some were just situational. Chris and I didn't know what to expect during my first pregnancy, we felt kind of unprepared for the whole thing, and it was just a tough transition. Once I gave birth, everything seemed to fall into place. I don't have any big fears or nervousness about having another baby because of how much I love being a mom already. I'm expecting it to be difficult and tiring, but I'm just more comfortable in my abilities of caring for babies by now! 

We are going to our second ultrasound on June 12th to find out if it's a boy or a girl - I'm so curious and so excited to find out! We already have a name picked if the baby is a girl, and I am absolutely in love with this name. I'm not going to give the name away - I might reveal it if we find out the baby is a girl, but I will tell you that it starts with a J :) I'm going to be completely honest and say that a tiny part of me is hoping to have a girl so that we can have a boy and a girl - I would truly love to raise a daughter - but I know that if it is another boy I will be so happy and excited as well. 

I think one of the biggest things that I notice about pregnant me is how much I obsess about nesting. I honestly feel like it's a primal trait of being pregnant and expecting a child - I can't stop thinking about how I want to decorate Ben and the baby's room (most of the places we are looking at in the area are two-bedroom - I have certain requirements for where we are going to be living (a backyard with a fence, a safe neighborhood, etc.) but having a three bedroom house isn't one of them. I actually kind of love the idea of them sharing a room when they're little.) and just preparing as much as I can for the baby and constantly thinking about how I want our home to be when the baby comes. It reminds me so much of a mama bird collecting twigs and feathers for her cozy nest - you just can't help but want to create a comfy, fun, and safe home for your children (and yourself!). We are currently in the waiting process to see if we've been accepted as tenants for a tiny, adorable bright teal home near the beach, which has been so exciting and nerve-wracking!

Thank you so much for all of the kind words and support many of you have left on my social media posts announcing the pregnancy - it truly means so much to me to have so many loving people in our lives. All of your words have put a smile on my face and made us all the more excited for our new addition. I will be making a post soon with a pregnancy Q+A as well and I would love to hear anything else you would like to hear about pregnancy! I love writing about it, and sharing my experiences with others.

Love,

Megan