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Join me as I talk all things family, motherhood, womanhood, life, and so much more.
November 3rd, 2023
Welcome to my daughter Holland’s world of flower power and disco vibes!
Holland, our baby. She has a heart of gold and is the sweetest girl to everyone. But don’t let that fool you – she is tough, fearless, very determined. When we were in the initial stages of planning her party, she put together a presentation for me that included three different theme ideas. Each theme had its own packet, or a “vision board”, if you will. And in this packet, she sketched all of her ideas from activities to decor to dessert – very thorough, just like her mom. Holland loves helping plan her own birthday parties and is an avid user of Pinterest, too.
October 11th, 2023
When we first envisioned our loft, it was clear that this space would become the vibrant heart of our home, especially for our three creative kids. As we all adapted to the challenges of the pandemic, our loft transformed into a multifunctional oasis, serving as both a dedicated workspace and an arts and crafts wonderland for our young ones.
October 10th, 2023
When we first bought our home, there were several remodeling projects on my list to make it more functional and modern for our family. One of these projects were the awkward space we had to work with in our main hallway, where a disconnected lower and upper cabinet had become a cluttered catch-all – my ultimate pet peeve in home organization. Given our budget constraints after numerous other home renovations, I knew this project had to be both budget-friendly and DIY. Here’s how I transformed this space using two second-hand IKEA cabinets and a touch of creativity.
September 5th, 2023
In the whirlwind of the back to school routine that has quickly approached us, creating lunches that strike a balance between being healthy and exciting for kids can seem as daunting as solving a complex math problem. Welcome to the world of school meal preparation – where parents are superheroes in disguise, conjuring up lunches that are both wholesome and appealing to their young ones. Fear not, we’re here to unravel this puzzle and present you with bountiful and delicious back to school lunch and snack ideas that will have your kids excited about whipping out their lunchboxes during breaks.
August 8th, 2023
Christmas isn’t just about gifts under the tree; it’s about creating memories that last a lifetime. For our family, the holiday season takes on a unique twist with our five-gift rule – something they need, something they read, something they want, something they wear, and something they do. But that’s not all – we add a sprinkle of adventure to the mix with an unforgettable family trip. Christmas 2022 brought an extra special surprise: our first international family adventure to Cabo San Lucas and we stayed at the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Golf & Spa Resort.
July 31st, 2023
Hi friends, it’s been quite a while since I’ve shared about my family life and since I’ve been getting more consistent with my Events Blog, I thought it was time to dust off the Lifestyle Blog and share some updates outside of my work.
The last few years have been hectic and surreal, to say the least. Despite everything we all went through, and that the world went through, our family came out stronger through it all.
January 13th, 2021
The time has come, yet again, to embrace the next year of life ahead of me but also reflect on the year that I leave behind. Turning 36 this year is so bittersweet to me. If I am being honest, it has nothing to do with the number, the age, or the aging. As I reflect on being 35, I feel like what was supposed to be such a pivotal year for me was quite the opposite. I feel as though I completely lost a year of my life. With the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, 2020 was quite the life-changing roller coaster that I did not expect as I celebrated my 35th birthday last year. I realize that although I did live every day of the 365 days of being 35, due to the pandemic, I really didn’t live my 35th year; rather, I merely existed day in and day out.
April 7th, 2020
Upon buying our Silver Cloud home, we knew that we had a lot of work ahead of us; some big projects and some small projects. The powder room was one of the easier smaller projects that we knew we could get done sooner than later! We wanted to update the bathroom to not only make it more-to-date but we wanted the powder room to be a reflection of our fun style, too!
March 29th, 2020
With life simultaneously feeling like a crazy busy whirlwind while also feeling like a gloomy uncertain time, spending a day with my girls taking care of ourselves is exactly what is needed! Being an advocate of taking time for yourself, I have always found it important to teach our littles that in order to take care of everyone else in the family, you also have to take care of yourself. Not being new to all the girly things, my daughters, Poppy and Holland, are big fans of being pampered! From blow-outs and braids to manicures and pedicures, these girls sure know the right way to relax.
October 28th, 2019
Just yesterday I was talking to Poppy, my oldest, and I said that she wasn’t able to do something because “the baby is sleeping” at which point she laughed and reminded me that Holland is 5 now and no longer a baby. But she is. She is my baby. And even after her sweet Doggy themed 5th birthday party where we celebrated her – and her love for dogs – I am still have a hard time grasping that she is getting older each day!
July 22nd, 2019
I recently spoke with Brooklyn, the owner and creator of Reese Hayden Studio, to get the scoop on how she got started making these gorgeous earrings of hers. Brooklynn is the boss behind the beautiful handmade earrings that I am currently obsessed with and I was dying to hear all about her up and coming business! Thanks to the world of Instagram, I first came across Reese Hayden Studio while perusing the many fashion and style pages that I follow. As I have mentioned multiple times – I am a lover of accessories and earrings are by far my accessory of choice and Brooklyn’s work caught my eye!
March 12th, 2019
It has been nearly 3 years since we bought this ‘new’ house of ours and every day feels like a step closer to making this house really feel like our home. From the moment we got the keys to the house we have spent so much time, blood, sweat, and tears in remodeling, refreshing, and decorating so that our house really speaks to who we are and what our style is.
February 18th, 2019
Even as a professional Event Planner, hosting a dinner party at my home for our closest friends can be daunting! What makes dinner parties so nerve-wracking for me, although it may be different for you, is figuring out the precise timing of the food while still trying to be a good hostess and mingle with guests. No one wants to be stuck in the kitchen while all of their friends are enjoying themselves!
February 6th, 2019
Among the many valuable lessons I find important to teach my three children, being grateful and giving back to those less fortunate is by far my top priority. Once upon a time, each birthday that my children celebrated came with the request to forgo gifts for them and instead donate to my favorite charity: Project Night Night. Sadly, that fell by the waist-side and the last few birthdays have left my children inundated with an abundance of gifts and has left a lump in my throat as each toy and tinket was unwrapped. I am grateful for the generosity that surrounds us and for the time and thought that was put into each and every gift that was given to them on their birthdays, but is it really necessary? No. Does it actually embarrass me as they tear through each perfectly packages present? Yes.
January 25th, 2019
I am so excited to be back and debuting a brand new website to launch! Isn’t this so exciting? I know I am super excited! The anticipation of this has been killing me for months now, but I wanted to make sure that I was ready to fully commit prior to launching this to the public. I had so much fun doing the Live Instagram launch last week with you all! I am so grateful for all the love and support that surrounds me and encourages me to pursue my dreams with this website!
November 16th, 2018
I have every intention to post about the huge remodel that we did on our home with details of all of the custom and DIY projects, however, I am lagging like crazy on so many posts that I am just lucky to get anything up on here! But, do stay tuned for a couple of consecutive posts that will be all about our new playroom/Poppy’s big girl room, Hudson’s new bedroom, and a couple of other rooms that got a complete facelift.
October 15th, 2018
Just last month I was approached by a wonderful photographer asking if the kids and I would be willing to participate in a Mommy & Me lifestyle photoshoot at our home. I was slightly apprehensive to do the photoshoot because I was traveling for work (out of state) the entire week before and just flying in late the night before the photos in the morning – and let’s face it; I am a mom which means I’ve got some serious bags under my eyes as it is on any other given day!
August 10th, 2017
That 12-week pregnant rule. Sort of like the “Wait 30 minutes after eating before swimming” rule. It’s really rarely said aloud but almost everyone thinks it. You may or may not suggest it. You may or may not encourage it. But guaranteed, you always think it. The moment you hear “You’re pregnant”, the first thought is “I have to wait until 12 weeks to announce it.” Ok, maybe not your first thought; other thoughts might be “Oh crap!”, “Again!?”, or “Finally!”. But shortly after, you likely remind your spouse and the few close people around you who knew the moment you tinkled on that pregnancy test – “DO NOT TELL ANYONE FOR ANOTHER 7 WEEKS!”
May 9th, 2017
I’ve never been a fan of the negative connotation that has on entering your 30’s. I don’t understand what is so bad about turning 30. Why does it have to be so miserable? Why must our 30’s be feared on our last day in our 20’s? Even as I sit here and reflect on what it is that I want to write about in relation to being 30 vs. 20, it is hard for me to grasp that I am actually 30. To be clear – I am 30 + 2.
January 9th, 2017
I think there is a wide misconception that being a mom of 3 children makes me (or any parent) an expert at parenting. Let me just shut that down right now. What being a mom of 3 actually means is that I know as much or as little as every other parent but that I am reminded of that 3 times more than a parent of 1 child. Being a mom of 3 means I learn things 3 times, I try 3 different ways of doing things (and, actually, this should be 3 x infinity), I fail 3 times (on average), and I have 3 very different little humans that stare up at me for answers – with most questions that need to be answered in 3 different ways in order to satisfy their different personalities.
January 19th, 2016
You know that moment when your baby turns 1 and you instantly have anxiety and think she’s going to be headed to college like tomorrow? Yeah. It’s a parent-thing. I swear that her first birthday sent me into complete hysterics. Not because I am super emotional or sentimental but because it hit me that this was the last time I’d be celebrating a FIRST birthday. My last baby was turning 1.
November 3rd, 2015
At Hudson’s 2-year check up (though, if I am being honest, it was technically his 2 year and 4 month check up…oops) I expressed concern to his pediatrician about 2 issues; 1) his low weight/slow weight gain and 2) his frequent – if not constantly bad poops. In turn, the doctor also expressed concern regarding Hudson’s low weight gain and slow growth.
February 17th, 2015
Another wreath? Seriously. What has happened to me? That’s a rhetorical question because the literal answer could be quite long… But yeah. I made another wreath. I’m killin’ it over here on the door front. Get it???
January 21st, 2015
In my previous post about Hudson’s 2nd Birthday Party – a Woodland theme – I mentioned how I made some of the decor like these super cute Styrofoam mushrooms. They are super quick and easy to make and are budget-friendly, too.
January 5th, 2015
Hudson Maverick – the Birthday Boy!
Did you really that I’d be able to go too long without posting a birthday party? I mean, clearly, it’s all that I do in my downtime – as if planning events for a living isn’t enough, I do it when I’m not working, also. I realize this might not be normal. But what can I say? I love parties. I love themed parties. I love planning for parties. And decorating for parties. And I especially love people enjoying those parties. So as long as everyone around me keeps wanting parties, parties I will have!
December 10th, 2014
I try to keep my posts light and non-controversial in order to maintain a wide range of readers. I think I usually do a good job with it, too. So let me (not) apologize in advance for this post perhaps being a little controversial, but definitely very personal and real.
Mommy-Guilt. It’s real. And it sucks.
December 5th, 2014
Introducing… Holland Waverly Rugala. Born September 2nd, 2014 at 5:03pm. 7 pounds 10 ounces. 19.25″ long. This girl. Everything about her, my pregnancy, and her delivery is different from the other two. She’s a dream baby. She’s just a total doll. From the moment I found out about the surprise pregnancy I just had that mommy-instinct about a few things and I was pretty accurate on my predictions.
March 7th, 2014
It’s a good thing that birthday celebrations are just once a year because I am always left completely exhausted by them! Given, that’s likely because I do way too much for them… but oh well! I love throwing their parties. I have had so much fun picking the themes and decorations, favors, food, etc. for all of them so far and since I know I only have a couple of years left before they start telling me what they want for their parties I am totally going all out when I can. Plus, I am an Event Planner by day. I mean, what do you expect?
March 1st, 2014
Poppy the Birthday Girl!
Living in California, the Bay Area to be more specific, the weather tends to be nice however sometimes unpredictable in the early Spring. This year was no exception. We had been having fine weather – overcast maybe a bit chilly, but minimal rain. I planned for Poppy’s 3rd birthday party to be outside in our backyard because the entire week before the weather forecast promised a 25% chance of rain. Well, 25% was all we needed, apparently! I had set up the whole party; everything was good to go outside, then the rain started.
July 31st, 2013
Between doctors appointments, birthday parties, and activities it has gotten difficult to keep track of everything, and I have been known to forget a thing or two (ooooooops!). I’m not good about keeping a date-book in my purse because all I carry is a diaper-bag these days and most of the time it stays in the car to make my life a little easier when packing the kids up. I’m also really bad at using the calendar function in my phone. Hell, who am I kidding – I am bad about using my phone for anything but texting, calling, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.
March 1st, 2013
It’s still hard for me to believe Poppy turned 2. What’s even harder to believe is that her birthday was already 6+ months ago. So not only is she even older, but my word, am I behind on getting this post up. I’ve just been so busy with the kids and trying to get my house finished up and many other things, like the hubby’s 30th birthday party, planning Hudson’s 1st Birthday, going back to work – and the list of things that consume most of my productive free-time goes on and on. But regardless of when Poppy’s 2nd birthday party was, it was awesome!
November 8th, 2012
He’s here! He’s finally here! My sweet baby boy, Hudson Maverick, finally arrived after 16 hours of labor on November 1st weighing in at 7lbs 4oz & 19″ long. And, he is beyond perfect. My labor & delivery was just as perfect. Perfect for me.
September 1st, 2012
Despite all of the crazy, I was able to get a big craft done for the soon-to-be playroom that I’ve been wanting to try out for a while; a slipcover for a mini chair. I scored an awesome deal on Craigslist for a children’s upholstered chair – $10!! Score for sure. The chair was a bleak tan microsuede chair that just didn’t go with what I imagined the overall room decor to be. Thankfully, I had a ton of fabric on hand to choose from to create a slipcover.
February 28th, 2012
I cannot believe it. I don’t want to believe it. But it is true; my baby girl is just a few days shy of being ONE!