Outfits of the Week

T U E S D A Y

{turtleneck peplum sweater - bcbg // jeans - american eagle // over-the-knee boots - target // fringe suede bag - milly}

 W E D N E S D A Y

{leopard sweater - old navy // jeans - express // sneakers - sperry // olive green bag - rebecca minkoff}

T H U R S D A Y

{multi-color printed dress - zara // plum fur vest - saks fifth ave // cognac booties - steve madden // cognac bag - dooney & bourke}

F R I D A Y

{plaid flannel - target // sweater tank - roxy // jeans - abercrombie // sandals - steve madden // bag - dooney & bourke}

Looking Back at 2022

 This year held some of my best days and some of my absolute lowest. While I look back on 2022 as a year filled with challenges, it also provided immense growth, and for that I am thankful.

Time with family and friends was at the heart of my favorite moments. New adventures and experiences with Jack filled my bucket like nothing else. And the Cabo girls trip with my two best friends was one I'll never forget!

Prioritizing myself through my health journey has been difficult at times, but I made a lot of progress this year - moving toward symptom management, as well as mental and emotional healing after 5 years of chronic pain and countless dead-end doctors appointments.

I'm looking forward to staying on course personally and professionally in the new year because when I take a moment to reflect on my life as a whole, I feel nothing but gratitude.

Wishing you a wonderful 2023!

Outfits of the Week

 M O N D A Y

{plaid shacket - nordstrom // white sweater - choies (gifted) // jeans - american eagle // cowboy boots - rachel zoe // olive green bag - rebecca minkoff}

T U E S D A Y

{flannel - j. crew // queen tee - h&m // grey jeans - target // sneakers - target // bag - coach}

W E D N E S D A Y 

{pearl embellished sweater tank - t.j. maxx // white blazer - bcbg // jeans - madewell // booties - steve madden // suede bag - rebecca minkoff}

T H U R S D A Y

{elbow patch long sleeve tee - zara // faux fur and plaid vest - target // mom jeans - target // black loafers - lucky brand // red bag - tory burch}

*out of the office Friday and next Monday for a long holiday weekend with my family - Merry Christmas to you & yours!*

Apple Crumb Cake

The crumb topping on coffee cake is arguably the best part - right?! This apple crumb cake recipe puts the emphasis on the crumbs with them piled on top of sweet, cinnamon apples and a sour cream cake. I plan to bake this for Christmas morning to enjoy with a second cup of coffee after Jack opens his gifts from Santa.

The original recipe is from Smitten Kitchen, although I found it on Cupcakes and Cashmere. I added some chopped pecans to the top for some crunch, which was delicious but totally optional.

ingredients

{apples}

1 pound apples (3 medium or 2 large), peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch wedges

juice of half a lemon

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp granulated sugar

{crumbs}

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/3 cup flour

{cake}

6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

directions

{1}

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan with butter or non stick spray.

{2}

Prepare apples - toss with lemon juice, then cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

{3}

Make crumbs - whisk butter, sugars, cinnamon and salt together until evenly mixed. Add flour and mix until it disappears (will be very thick!) Set aside.

{4}

Make cake - beat butter with sugar until light & fluffy. Add egg, sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined. Add baking powder and salt and beat well to combine. Add flour and mix only until it disappears.

{5}

Scrape batter from bowl into the greased cake pan and smooth it flat. Arrange apples on cake, slightly overlapped. Pour any remaining cinnamon-apple juice in the bottom of the bowl over the apples. Sprinkle crumbs over apple slices. *Pro tip: for bigger crumbs, squeeze the crumbs into small fistfuls and break these up into a couple bigger chunks over the cake.

{6}

Top with chopped pecans if desired - I used about 1/4 cup.

{7}

Bake for about 50-55 minutes - until a toothpick inserted into the apples doesn't hit any crisp spots, and you see juicing bubbling around some apples if you look closely. 

Outfits of the Week

 M O N D A Y

{boho blouse - vici // jeans - target // woven mules - target // bag - coach}

T U E S D A Y

{cream sweater - zara // faux leather skirt - t.j. maxx // cowboy boots - rachel zoe // bag - coach}

W E D N E S D A Y

{black cropped sweater - bcbg // white tank - bcbg // grey jeans - target // black over-the-knee boots - nordstrom rack // snakeskin bag - rebecca minkoff}

T H U R S D A Y

{olive green jacket - gap factory // grey knit top - target // black jeans - current/elliott // sneakers - target // snakeskin bag - rebecca minkoff}

F R I D A Y

{cognac leather jacket - bod & christensen // cable knit sweater - gifted // flare jeans - zara // bordeaux sherpa bag - target}

Jack's Golden Birthday at Magic Kingdom

About a year ago, I mentioned to Greg and my parents that I wanted to take Jack to Disney World for his golden birthday, so long as covid wasn't too bad. Thankfully, life has returned to mostly normal since the pandemic and we planned an amazing birthday weekend for our boy. The day we spent at Magic Kingdom is easily in the Top 5 of my favorite days, ever!

My parents brought their RV to Disney's Fort Wilderness and we all stayed there for 3 nights. The campground itself was amazing with so much to do: multiple playgrounds, a pool with a water slide, shops and restaurants, games and activities, an arcade room, nighttime campfires and movies on a jumbo projector, and a lake with boats, kayaks, etc.

We rented a golf cart, which Jack referred to as the "golfie," and I think he had more fun on that than any of the rides at Disney lol! Many of the other campers decorated for Christmas with lights and inflatable characters, and we drove around in the golf cart at night to see the displays while listening to holiday music. We saw wildlife such as turkeys and deer within the campground too. 

On Sunday morning, Jack's 4th Birthday, we took the ferry over from Fort Wilderness to Magic Kingdom bright and early to get into the park before 8am. We decided on Magic Kingdom since it has the most rides for kids his height. Since the wait times were short, we did every single one of them he was eligible to ride - some twice! 

 We stopped at Cinderella's castle to take some family photos before the crowds came later. Jack's first ride was the carousel, and his smile speaks for itself! He also loved "The Barnstormer," which has some small drops and is as close to a rollercoaster as we'll get at this age. As soon as we got off, he wanted to get back in line to ride it again! Jack got a special birthday pin, and all the characters and crew members wished him "Happy Birthday" all day, including Buzz Lightyear.

Our lunch consisted of theme park comfort food: chicken fingers, burgers & fries at Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe. Later in the afternoon when Greg and I snuck away for the one-and-only adult ride we wanted to jump on (Space Mountain), Nana & Poppy treated Jack to a popsicle and popcorn, which he devoured. As we made our way through the castle from Fantasyland to Adventureland, the parade was just about to start. A sweet older couple, gave Jack and I their spot in front to enjoy the spectacle of floats, characters and music.

I ordered all of us custom shirts with the silhouette of Cinderella's Castle and Mickey Mouse, each in a different color with the names Jack calls us: Mommy, Daddy, Nana and Poppy. They were super comfy, perfect for layering when the temps were low in the morning, and make for a great keepsake to wear again and remember our trip.

We were glad to have the stroller so Jack didn't have to walk the entire time, and we could keep our backpack full of essentials (snacks, sweaters, etc) and hold all 5 of our stainless steel cups filled with water, without having to carry them around. The stroller parking was a breeze - we'd find a central spot to park, then go on all of the surrounding rides.

  Jack was a trooper with no meltdowns in the 9 hours total we spent at the park! We made a pit-stop into Starbucks on the way back to the boat to grab some much-needed coffee for the adults and a cakepop for the birthday boy. Jack somehow stayed awake the entire time and was delightful until his head hit the pillow in his camper bunk bed that night. Not only was the weather absolutely perfect and the park was magically decorated for Christmas, but Jack is at such a great age to enjoy the rides, and actually remember most of the trip to Fort Wilderness and Magic Kingdom. I know his parents and grandparents always will☺

Outfits of the Week

 T U E S D A Y

{olive green button down - american eagle // white knit tank - roxy // black jeans - abercrombie // block sandals - target // snakeskin bag - rebecca minkoff}

W E D N E S D A Y

{striped sweater - ron jon surf shop // jeans - levi's // sandals - steve madden // white bag - coach}

T H U R S D A Y

{cardigan - abercrombie // jeans - current/elliot // booties - steve madden / suede bag - rebecca minkoff}

F R I D A Y

{silk navy blouse - joie // fringe poncho sweater - forever 21 // jeans - abercrombie //booties - dolce vita // backpack - lucky brand}