Easy Fritata Recipe

Good Morning! The other day we had a family brunch at the house and I promised to share my fritata recipe with you all. So here it is! This was my first time making this dish and I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was and how yummy it came out! I searched through Pinterest and researched a handful of recipes. Most of them called for ingredients that I knew my guests wouldn't be fond of, so I took tidbits from each and created my own. The entire dish from start to finish took about 25 minutes.It was so easy, I am going to definitely make it again just for my hubby and I, no fancy brunch needed :)

5 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
Bacon bits (I didn't measure, I just eyeballed the amount that I thought would be sufficient)
2 cups baby spinach
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1/2 tsp. Oregano
1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
1 cup milk (I used almond milk)
Serves 5-6

Start by lightly greasing (making sure to get the sides) and adding your spinach to an oven friendly pan (none with rubber on it that will melt in the oven).  Allow your spinach to wilt, should take about 4-5 minutes.

While your spinach is working, begin scrambling your eggs. The trick is once the eggs easily flow through your fork, you are ready to add the other ingredients!
Add the remaining ingredients to your eggs, mixing it all together nicely.
Once your spinach is wilted, you can add your egg mixture to the pan. Be sure not to distrupt your mixture in the pan, you want it to cook smooth and flat. When you notice the edges of your egg starting to set (about 2 minutes), place the entire pan inside your oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Check your creation often to ensure the eggs don't get too brown. Serve warm.

And voila! You have now made a scrumptious fritata! So easy!

Gifts for Him

Hi friends! Today on the blog I am sharing some great gift ideas for the special guy in your life! Just some items I'm thinking of snagging for my hubbs. All items are linked!

1. Cole Haan shoes are my favorite for men! And it helps that these are on sale too!
2. The Art of Shaving has a bunch of great items to gift your guy this year!
3. Something about a cotton long sleeve shirt is just cozy to me!
4. I don't know how many times we have tried to plug headphones into our iphones just to roll our eyes remembering we can't do that anymore! These headphones are a must!
5. The ecobee is the hottest thermostat out there. It comes with room sensors so that your a/c unit can keep the rooms most lived in at your comfort level.
6. This is a classic looking watch. I love that it just goes with anything!
7. This watchbox is sleek and would look great in a closet or on a nightstand.

Sorry, Not Sorry

   Why do we as women always apologize? Seriously, I always find myself saying sorry, whether it's to a stranger or to my husband; I must say it at least 10 times a day. I think it might be something carved into our minds as women to be sorry for things that we aren't sorry for. Now I know Demi Lovato's song has a totally different meaning but hey, if the lyrics fit!
   If you follow me on Instagram (you really should), you may recall my nail dilemma from this past weekend. The abridged version of the story, I tried the Nex Gen nail powder on my nails for the first time this weekend and absolutely hated it. They were so thick and goopy looking, it just wasn't for me.  Once I finally gathered up the moxy to go back and have them fixed, I spoke to the manager (who could not have been sweeter to me) and I apologized and said sorry for being unhappy with them. Well.....he quickly put me in my place and told me NOT to apologize, as I did nothing wrong. And you know what, he was right! Why was I sorry? I paid a lot of money and treated myself to a manicure which does not happen often, I deserve to be happy with the results. So why was I saying sorry to him?
    I guess it kind of opened my eyes a little to have a stranger at the nail salon put me in my place and tell me that I deserve to be happy with the service I was provided. So ladies and gentlemen, I decided to pass the message onto you! Stop saying sorry! We all do so much on a day to day basis, we deserve everything and more!
    Sorry, not sorry! 😜

Olivia's Two Month Update

Hi friends! I cannot believe that little miss is already two months old! Time truly does fly by! Olivia is already wearing size 3months in clothing. I washed all of her newborn clothes, sorted and labeled them in freezer Ziploc bags and stored them in a plastic container. I definitely shed a tear while I was packing up some of my favorite pieces thinking she'll never wear them again, so sad.

Olivia is now starting to smile at us and hold her head up really well! She is so alert and loves to follow us around the room with her eyes. Also, she sleeps through the night! I typically try to put her down around 9:30 PM. Sometimes she wakes up at 5:00am and I will feed and change her and she will go back down for another two hours. Other nights she will sleep right through to 7:30-8:00 AM. We are truly blessed with a baby who likes to sleep!

Yesterday we took her to the pediatrician for her two month check up and shots. The doctor was very pleased with everything Olivia had to offer. She said her weight (11.6 pounds) and height were right where they needed to be and to keep on doing what we were doing.

Olivia had to get her first set of shots at that appointment....oy. That was difficult for both she and I. I asked Mike if he would hold her because I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it, and I was right. I stood in the corner sobbing while she got all three shots. I had never heard her cry like that before. It was hard to not be able to soothe her. She calmed down shortly after, but just wasn't herself for the rest of the day. She was irritable and cranky and towards the end of the night she began to spike a little fever. We decided to give her some baby Tylenol and thankfully she slept through the night. This morning she's a little happier, but still not 100% so I am watching her closely.

The doctor also suggested we stop swaddling her and transition her into her own room but I am just not ready nor do I think she is. I feel like it is too soon! When did you transition your kids to their own room? I'm curious to know! Leave a comment and share :)

Gifts for Her

Happy Monday! I took some time over the weekend to round up some items that I thought would be nice for that special lady in your life! The items are in various price points so you can really find something for anyone on your list. Happy shopping!
1. Valentino Dupes
2. Sara Happ Lip Balm
3. Such cute denim with the most subtle pearl detail. Perfect for that friend who wants to try a new trend.
4.Love this phone case. Currently in my shopping cart.
5. These candles smell so yummy!
6. I have been eyeing the iwatch and leaving subtle hints for hubby (hehe)
7. Love this necklace

Things to do to prior to baby

I think we did a pretty good job when it came to getting ready for our little babe's arrival. Everyone warns you that your life will never be the same again, and of course that is true since you're adding a whole other person to the family, but Mike and I tried to do a few things in order to enjoy one another before our lives changed forever.

I should probably say first and foremost, Mike and I are not big travelers. I am a total homebody. I like the idea of planning a trip and creating fun memories but somehow when push comes to shove, I would much rather be in my own bed in my own home. Is anyone else like that?

That being said, we still decided to plan a mini babymoon just to get away for a few nights. Living in South Florida, your quick getaways are quite limited since it takes 10 hours just to get out of our state! So we opted to drive West to Naples, Florida and stay at the Naples Grande Resort. It was so beautiful and nice to getaway. We appreciated the adult only pool section as we knew that would be one of the last times we would be able to spend time there. They have a beautiful beach area which you take a walk along a gorgeous nature trail to get there as well as great shops just down the street. It was a fun little getaway.

I absolutely love the water on the West coast! It is so calm and peaceful and this picture just takes me right back! There was actually a wedding going on on the beach right next to us, so Mike and I sat down and took in all the feels.

Unfortunately, being pregnant forces you and your spouse to miss out on a few events. In my ninth month of pregnancy, we had to miss our good friends wedding in California, a bachelorette party and Mike missed two bachelor parties. I felt really bad that he had to miss out on so many life events because of his preggo wife, I decided to surprise him with a "Dad-chelor Party".  I collaborated with his best friend, and planned a fun guys weekend in Miami. I had pre-packed a bag for him and he was so surprised when his buddies came to the house to pick him up. They had a fun filled weekend of boating, drinking, and good food. I was so happy he had a good time with his buddies.

This was the view from the balcony where the guys stayed in Miami. They had so much fun taking the boat out that day and just relaxing.

Other than those two events, we really tried to spend time with each other and our friends and take all the special moments in. You can never truly prepare yourselves for parenthood; and like they say, you're never really "ready" but I think we did well when it came to spending time with each other and those who are special in our lives :)      

My Shopping Cart Lately

Hi friends! So I admit it, I have a problem. I keep items in my online shopping cart FOREVER! For some reason it takes me a while to make the decision (and commitment) to click the "Place Order" button. I'm not sure if it's the thought of spending the money more so than me wondering if I really need the item or will actually wear it. If I typically find myself thinking about the item often, that tells me that I truly like it and should go ahead and pull the trigger. So, I thought I would share some items that I currently have sitting in my online shopping cart.

Not to sound cliche or like I am hopping on any bandwagon, because you will quickly learn I am not a "follow the trend" type of gal, but I truly do love Nordstrom. Not only did I work there for three years, but it really is the best retail store. They have the best price points whether you're looking for something to wear for everyday, or something for a special occasion. They also have the best customer service which I am very appreciative of. Also, (and this is only for in store shopping adventures) they have the best and cleanest bathrooms! Especially as a new mom, their nursing area in the women's lounge is the absolute best for baby. I always make Nordstrom my home base at the mall for that reason! Anyway...enough with the ranting, you get it, Nordstrom is awesome. Here are  a few items that I am looking to purchase! Links are in the captions :)

Yessss! The stripes and sleeves and ruffles oh my! This top is so fun!

This tunic is an oldie but a goodie. I already have one in a blue color which I love! I definitely want one in white for my closet.

This top will look so cute with leggings, white jeans, black or blue jeans! I love myself a camel top and black pants look. The neckline detail gives this top a little something extra.

So I feel like every time I look to see what lip color someone on Instagram is wearing, 9 times out of 10 it is this lipstick. Just the thought of spending $34 on a lipstick when I know I can buy a MAC lipstick for $14 is hard. Maybe I will ask for this lipstick from Santa :)

This to me is the perfect top for a fun date night out. It has just enough skin showing for my taste and is still sexy. Pair it with skinny jeans and a cute heel and you're good to go!

All About the Nursery

I have received numerous comments and DM's about Olivia's nursery and thought I would share some links and such here. When I found out I was pregnant with a girl, I knew I wanted to get started working on her nursery as soon as possible. It was going to be feminine, but very soft and delicate and I think that is what I achieved! I first starting searching through Pinterest, gathering ideas of what I wanted and didn't want and honestly, it all started with the wallpaper. To be honest, it took me a good three months to convince myself to spend this much money on wallpaper (I mean who spends hundreds of dollars on wallpaper?!- I do) and it wasn't until I received a bonus at work that I felt I could justify the money I would spend. I opted to just do one wall and only cover it 3/4 of the way and I love how it turned out! I then built the rest of the room around it. I took the paper to my local hardware store and asked them to color match both the white and the pink. So unfortunately I cannot share the name of those colors as they are custom made. I knew I wanted white furniture for the room and a solid headboard for the crib, easy right? Not so much. My mother and I shopped at pretty much every store that sells nursery furniture and were only able to find a few. Another criteria for the furniture that I had was I wanted a full sized dresser. So many furniture sets come with these dinky dressers that I knew Olivia would outgrow once she got a little older, so a full sized dresser was a must. We finally found exactly what we were looking for at a local children's furniture store (who I will not share the name because our customer service experience was horrendous). The company name of the furniture is Silva and it is great quality! My husband did such a fantastic job at helping make my vision come to life. We spent countless hours working in her room together. It was almost therapeutic for us! We absolutely love how it all came out! I will link as much as I can below! If there is something I missed, feel free to ask in the comments! Thanks for reading!

Wallpaper-  Project Nursery (exact) (we used left over wallpaper scraps to build the valance)
Other options- One, Two
Rug-Lulu&Georgia 5x7
Lamp and  picture frame- Homegoods
Curtains-Ikea
Wall print- 5th and Grace 
Rocking Bunny- Pottery Barn
Mirror- Homegoods
Shelves- Target

Olivia's Birth Story

Well our little Olivia Leigh chose to make quite a grand entrance for herself...right amid a little ole' hurricane called "Irma". She was born the night of September 10th while the hurricane was hitting South Florida. If I had a dollar for every time someone suggested I name her Irma, I would have enough funds to send to her college by now! Without further ado, here is her birth story... Mike and I were given the option to shelter at the hospital since my due date was September 10th. I believe if you were 36 weeks or further along, they allowed you and a partner to take shelter at the hospital. Now this is not glamorous by any means, they do not assign you a room, we were put in the lobby and told to bring an air mattress, blankets, and our own food and water. It felt like I was back at sleep away camp, but with a bunch of pregnant ladies around. So we checked into the "shelter" at 3PM Saturday afternoon, set up our station and started watching Ozark on Netflix (side note: never got passed the fourth episode, just couldn't get into it). The storm was set to begin hitting us that night. As uncomfortable as I was full term and on an air mattress, I tried my best to get some sleep which was quickly diverted when I began getting sharp pains in my pelvic area. Being that this was my first pregnancy, I didn't know what contractions felt like and was unsure of what to expect. These "pains" began around 3:30am and I was unable to lie down. So there I was pacing around the labor and delivery lobby while everyone else is sleeping (husband included) trying to figure out if I was in labor or not. So what did I do? I didn't call a nurse....I called my mom. Whose response was "you're in a hospital why don't you say something to a nurse." I guess I just didn't want to be that girl who thinks she is going into labor and makes a big fuss only to be sent back to the lobby with the other preggo peeps. I finally decided to wake Mike up and tell him what I was feeling around 6AM and we started walking around the hospital. The movement seemed to ease the pain. Finally around 7, I was finally confident that something was up so I mentioned my discomfort to a nurse who promptly set me up to monitors. I was told that I was in labor and my contractions were 8-10 minutes apart. Now remember, we are in the middle of a hurricane and the whole hospital is on lock down, no one in or out. So the patients and employees that were there were stuck there until further notice. The doctor on call came whistling in (yes whistling) and said "typically we would send you home and tell you to come back when they are 5 minutes apart, but we're all stuck here so let's have a hurricane baby!" he then proceeded to break my water. Everything began to progress and I was dilating slowly. I received my epidural shortly after my water broke due to the intensity of the contractions and how quickly they came. It was time to start pushing around 9pm. After pushing for two hours, she was not able to get passed my pelvic bone. The doctor came back in and explained that he can use forceps or a vacuum and if neither of those options worked, we would have to do a C-section. I pushed with all my might and just couldn't get her to budge. We opted for the forceps, and the doctor was able to get her head out quite easily with them. He then gave me a Kourtney Kardashian moment. If you ever watched the show, you may recall that when her son Mason was born, her doctor had her pull him out at the end. Well this doctor had me do the same thing! It was really special. Especially since at the beginning of the whole thing I had told them to clean her off prior to giving her to me (obviously they did not listen, but I'm happy they didn't). Just to be able to have that moment with her and be the first face she sees is an unbelievable moment. Olivia was perfect and healthy. Now here is where everything went to sh*t. Shortly after her birth, a few nurses came to try and get me up to go to the bathroom. Well, as soon as I stood up, I vomited and began hemorrhaging. They put me back down and I continued to bleed for what felt like forever. All of a sudden there were so many people in my room, it was insane. The nurses began pushing on my stomach because apparently the hemorrhage was due to my uterus not contracting, so they had to manually contract. And let me tell you, it wasn't a soft push either, they were pounding on my stomach. Since the hemorrhaging was not slowing down, the doctor came back (still whistling) and explained that he had to go back in and make sure that there was no cuts or issues inside of my uterus. Well, with my epidural worn off by this time, I felt EVERYTHING. Now I am not a screamer by any means, but I was screaming and pleading with him to stop. Not to mention all while this is happening, Mike is standing in the corner of the room holding our newborn daughter watching everything unfold. Finally, they were able to get the bleeding under control but I had lost so much blood and my cell counts were so low, they were planning on giving me a blood transfusion. Luckily, I was able to get my counts up just enough to avoid having to get that procedure. Olivia was born at 11:57 PM on Sunday September 10th and we were released out of the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. I am so happy we chose to shelter at the hospital that night because who knows what would have happened. I could have gone into labor at my home in the middle of the hurricane and could have been stuck with my husband having to deliver our daughter! We are very thankful for all of the doctors and nurses who were so fabulous! Those nurses really are angels!