Taco Soup ... on Repeat

Since our weather has been so very cold this winter we have been eating a ton of chili and soups.  It is perfect since they tend to be easier to cook and they are perfect for the two diet issues we have in our household (gluten free + low sugar) so soup + chili on repeat it is.

The Best Tomato Soup ...

This weekend I made a big batch of tomato soup as the first soup of the season.  We love soup and tomato soup is the second favorite in the house, right after Taco Soup.  I like to make it instead of buying it at the store, I think the flavor is better and I can control how much basil I add, which spoiler alert ... is a lot.  With the cold weather coming the soup will be good for lunches all week and will be perfect to add a grilled cheese for dinner on a night when I am tired and ready for dinner and bed.  I made a big stock pot and broke it down into a few containers, one of which I froze.  It is easy to pull out, defrost, and before long the house will be smelling of tomatoes + basil just in time for a warm meal. 

The Best Skinny Margaritas

Shirt || Glass 

Coaster (custom from my Emily McCarthy for Cotton & Quill fabric)

I absolutely love Mexican food and have to be very honest and say I eat it multiple times a week. We have tacos, taco soup, taco salad and even breakfast tacos on the menu more than once a week.  Luckily for me my family is on board with my love and total obsession with all things taco related.  My favorite accessory to a good taco meal is some shredded lettuce, sliced avocados and, of course, a good Skinny Margarita.  

Inspiration du jour ... #snowdays

Today the littles are home under the threat of winter weather.  For Boston that means another ridic amount of snow, and in Atlanta that usually means ice, sleet and the possibility of the smallest amount of snow ever shutting the entire city down!

Falling Into November

Anyone else need a moment?  What the heck, how is it NOVEMBER?? What happened to August and the remainder of the months until now. It feels as if it flew by but when I look at photos from July I feel like it was a lifetime ago. For us we hit the ground running the second we came home from family vacation and returned on August 1.  First it was volleyball tryouts, then an injury, two doctors, then school started, then rehab and games, then she could play, then another worse injury, more doctors, more rehab, more games, playoffs, then they lost state in the first round and then two weeks of catching my breath and now its November.  Also, that was the longest and worst run on sentence I have ever written. I swear I was just celebrating her birthday in September mere weeks ago. 

Time is a true thief. 

Sterling Silver ... Part Deux

Happy Thursday ... for each of you that are lovers of sterling silver, as I am, you are in for another treat and post from Nicole Letts. She did such an amazing job with the first post, which I knew she would, and this piece is just as amazing. The first post talked about why sterling silver is so collectible and desirable for every day use.  And yes, can you believe it goes in the dishwasher?  This post is a great resource for identifying all the amazing pieces in a collection.  

How I Fall

Happy Wednesday!  The sun is shining, the air is crisp, I may have let my hair air dry yesterday, and I absolutely love my new jeans.  Is there any better way to spend hump day?  How about pairing them with a fabulous pair of boots and a cute sweater and your favorite new bag?  I mean ... it just keeps getting better.  Right??

Meal Planning

Last week I watched my friend Ashley Brooke speak about her frustration with meal planning.  Even though we are in very different stages of life, my frustration with having meals prepped and ready to go at the end of the day is the same.  I watched her talk about how her mother told her she could manage it, and she did and realized I needed to do the same.  With one very active senior and all the volleyball games and school back in full swing, I have struggled at the end of the day to make it all work.  It occurred to me we are in a new season, and I just needed to tackle it full-on to feel successful.  If you feel the same way, I hope you will join me in tackling the elephant in the room and the text I dread most, what's for dinner. 

Fall Decorating ...

via Hazen & Co. 

We all know I am a huge fan of summer.  I need to admit I mourn a little when summer ends. I feel like summer means lots of quality time, new adventures without busy schedules, wonderful alfresco meals and long nights of movies and games.  Fall is so busy and you have to hit the ground running when a new school year begins and it takes me a while to get into it.  I will admit I have a smidge of a bad attitude while I am adjusting.

Deep breath ...