Happy Hunting 01.15.2024

Prioritizing Your Well-being: A New Year's Resolution

When life gets busy, it's easy to neglect your own well-being while juggling work, family, and other responsibilities. However, the start of a new year provides an opportunity to start fresh, reflect, and make adjustments that will help you become the best version of yourself.

Whether you want to elevate your living spaces, read more books, adopt a new workout regimen, or simply improve the quality of your sleep, we've got you covered with some amazing product recommendations.

 

Good Lighting

Lighting can make your break your space. What do I mean by this? Number one- lighting illuminates you and your space. I personally love that “golden hour” glow at sunset time. It’s a moody warm light and you can actually accomplish that in your space! Choose a light bulb that has the Kelvin temperature of 2700. That will give off the warm glowy light that you want. Number two- put your lights on dimmers. If you can put all of your lighting on dimmer switches, that allows you to be in full control. Do you want the lights on super blast? Or would you like it a little dimmer as you wind down for the night? Number three- materiality and filtration. The material you choose to place in front of your light source will inevitably filter the light. So ask yourself, do you want clear glass in front of it? Or would you like a linen shade to slightly diffuse the light? There are so many options when it comes to lighting and I love a good mix of vintage and new. Mixing finishes and materials gives your space a cozy acquired look.

 

Good Books - Cook Books

New recipes add new soul to the kitchen. My husband is German so when I stumbled up on this dreamy German cookbook, I knew I had to add it into this blog post. I’ll need to buy it soon. The best vacation my husband and I ever had was our trip to Italy because the food was incredible! No shade to Olive Garden, I love Olive Garden, but I did not know what real authentic Italian cuisine was until we went to Italy and it’s incredible! So this EATLY cookbook is a must. What kinds of dishes are you making these days? I’d love to know because it’s winter and I’m in my “need to make new recipes” era.

 

Good Beds

Good sleep can transform your year. It’s so true. Your bed is the last thing you see at night and the first thing you see when you wake up. So don’t you want to love it? There’s nothing like having a soft bed to rest your head against at the end of the night and read a book. You can opt for the fully upholstered headboard, siderails and foot board, or you can choose to purchase a wall-mounted headboard. That is a great affordable option that still adds a wonderful look to your room. I’m currently loving the Noah Headboard from Urban Outfitters and want to buy it so bad! But I don’t have a room to put it in right now haha. Can I please design one of your rooms with this wall-mounted headboard? It would be so stunning!

 

Good Bedding

People! I am not lying to you when I say that we got the Cotton Cloud Quilt from Parachute for Christmas and it has changed my life. Haha okay not like a complete 180 but it has made me so happy! I never realized that my previous bedding was such poor quality until this cotton cloud quilt showed up. It is the softest thing ever and is surprisingly warm. I typically wear sweatpants, sweatshirt, and socks to bed. Then I pile on the sheet, our quilt AND the heavy denim quilt from grandma. Why? Because I’m usually so cold! But I love this blanket and it keeps heat in really well. Even my husband loves it and he tends to sleep on the warmer side. So it must be breathable enough for him too. Gotta love that! I also love the oversized linen cover trend that we’re seeing everywhere on social media. Hot tip for that: Size up! Buy the size up so that the cover drapes elegantly onto the floor. Scallops and pleats are in. We know it, we love it! I love the subtle scallop on the pillow cases that Sara Sherman Samuel designed for Lulu and Georgia. I also love the Linen Box Pleat Bed Skirt that Jake Arnold designed for Parachute. These are great ways to elevate the look of your bed.

 

Good Workout Gear

Moving my body has transformed my mental health. Yes! My mental health! I had really bad postpartum depression and anxiety after I had my son…. until I started Brazilian jiu jitsu, then POOF! It all went away. I still worry and stress and get down now and then, but I have escaped from the mental fog that had consumed my brain. Brazilian jiu jitsu miiiight not be for you and that’s okay. One thing that always inspires me to workout is cute workout gear! When I saw these python boxing gloves I was like, “yes pleeeease!” I did not buy them, but I want to. So I began curating workout equipment around that aesthetic and came up with this grouping. I love the wood handles because I’m big on connecting with nature in whatever capacity you are able. Can’t get outside on a walk that day? No worries. Use your wooden weights or wooden jump rope. Then I Iove the neutral colors of the yoga mat and kettle bell balls. You might not use them at the same time, haha I wouldn’t even recommend that you do. But I like how they are complimentary. Then rounding it out with my favorite material: Leather! This leather boxing bag is stunning! It’s so good looking it could be a piece of sculptural artwork.

 

Good Books - Self Growth

If you’re anything like me, I am always trying to grow, learn and become a better person. It’s an endless pursuit but an important one because I never want to stay stagnant. I believe that if you want to grow in your business, you also need to be growing in your personal life. Growth is a lifestyle. The first “growth” book I read years ago was “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz and it rocked my perspective. The main takeaway I got from that book was other people’s perceptions and reactions have nothing to do with me. Read the book to find out more. I promise it’s a great steppingstone to be more aware and take things less personally. Next up, I strongly believe that every health class should be required to read “Come As You Are” by Emily Nagoski in leu of the sex ed curriculum they actually teach. (Not middle school level, but perhaps high school and definitely college age+.) All I’m saying is this book was incredibly informative to me as a grown adult woman and explored concepts I’d never even heard of. I’m so thankful I read this book and I’m trying to get my husband to read it as well, because like I said, I believe everyone should read this book. “Everybody Fights” is a book written by Kim and Penn Holderness but they quote SO MANY doctors and psychologists in their book. It is jam packed with helpful information on how to navigate conflict resolution. We all learned how to handle conflict by watching our parents, guardians or teachers as we grew up. I believe it is our it is our responsibility as adults to educate ourselves on alternate ways of coping and dealing with the inevitable issues that life throws our way. Every family struggles. No marriage is without disagreement. This book is a great place to start if you’d like to learn more about how to approach conflict resolution in a healthy way. I wish we could all read, understand and apply the principles in this book to our lives. Thank you Kim and Penn for writing a book that so many of us truly need.

Happy Hunting 09.23.2023

Happy First day of Fall! Fall is officially here and WE LOVE FALL! :) Nothing is better than the crisp cool smell of the air, the crunch of the leaves and a hot drink in your hand. My favorite thing about fall is that it is officially jean jacket weather so I decided to share some of my favorite jean jackets. If you know me, you also know that I love boots. So of course I included some of my favorite boots right now. When people think of fall, they often think of cozying up with a blanket, but have you ever considered your area rug? Adding an area rug instantly cozies up any space! We made some of our favorite fall pairings for you below. Enjoy!

Okay so we threw in a leather jacket at the end instead of a jean jacket. We just had to! It’s so stinkin cute! I’m a HUGE fan on fringe. Do you love fringe? I like it on jackets, rugs, sofas, anything! Below are some images from my cousin Heather and I on the Nebraska Angus tour. When I tell you EVERYONE was wearing denim jackets, I meant it. Then we went to Joe’s Honky Tonk in Kearny, NE and the band that was playing, was LITERALLY called the “Fall Denim Jacket” Band. I kid you not!

Next up is cozy kitchen items to help you celebrate fall at home! We love brass so we shared a few brass favorites like a dinner bell, salt mill, and measuring cups! Plus the two cutest champagne glasses we ever saw.

Happy Hunting 06.21.2023

Spring has turned into summer and we’ve had garden fever lately. Tara started her first raised bed garden and is having fun watching seedlings grow into plants. Her son is having fun watering them (even if sometimes it turns into over-watering lol.) Tara purchased the copper name tags below so she could throw away the plant tags that come with the plants. Once the copper tags arrived, she wrote the name of the plant on the copper tag and it looks much better. Below is a roundup of super cute garden accessories that might add a little fun to your backyard garden. Enjoy!

Do gardening supplies and oven mitts go hand in hand? Haha not really, but it’s okay. Tara’s old oven mitt got burnt to a crisp and it’s time for a new one! That sparked the search for a new oven mitt that was cute and durable. Below are a few favorites. Click the image to be redirected to the vendors website. Which one is your favorite?

That’s all for this edition of Happy Hunting. Whenever we write a blog post about “Happy Hunting” we share links to fun items that have brough us joy lately. This could be furniture, fashion, home goods or anything that we’ve found inspiring. What do you want to see next? We’d love to know!

Happy Hunting 5.25.2023

Welcome to another edition of Happy Hunting where we show you all the hidden gems we’ve discovered lately. We love sharing items we love with you! We share home decor, lighting, clothing, accessories and more! We hope you enjoy this month’s colorful edition of fun finds. Enjoy!

Lately we’ve been inspired by colorful natural stone, burnished brass, vintage linen, and raw clay. All of these pieces look stunning alone or brilliant in a group. They are items that you can easily add into your existing space or create an entirely new look out of. It’s up to you! What does your space need right now? A little spring refresh? A pop of color? Some warmth? What do you like the best? What draws your eye in? I love finding unique curious pieces that could be a great conversation starter when people see it. I also love knowing the back story behind the artist and the materials used.

We hope you love all these colorfully refreshing pieces that can add vibrant life into any space. Being playful is the fun part of life. Adding a little color and an organic form to a space can easily infuse a little playfulness. It could be a small stone vessel or a large wood console table. Click on the images above to be transported to their websites for additional details & purchasing. We do not use any commission plug-ins on this blog, so you’ll notice you go directly to the vendor’s website. We don’t use r.style.me or ltk or any other third party linking source, which means we do not get commissions from our “happy hunting” blog posts. We simply want to share some of the favorite things we’ve found lately. We hope you enjoy!

Happy Hunting - 03.21.2023

Welcome to another Happy Hunting blog post! Spring is here and we couldn’t be happier! Yesterday was the first official day of Spring and the sun was shining here in Nebraska. I loved it! I’m always inspired by Spring’s freshness & the promise of greenery returning to the dry outdoors. I created this blog post purely out of inspiration for spring. I wanted to share some fresh new ideas, looks and favorite products with you all. Enjoy!

Follow our Pinterest Account for more inspiration.

Above is a mood board / collage of images that have been inspiring us from our recent Pinterest Pins. If you aren’t following us on Pinterest, we highly recommend following along. Below is a handful of items we’re swooning over.

We decided to try something new for this month’s edition of Happy Hunting. Rather than use our template and show you 8 inspiring images and 1 quote, we decided not to limit ourselves. We went with what felt right and what made us feel happy…. which turned out to be a lot of different products! Some favorites include a floral print dress (as seen in our recent YouTube video), wicker and rattan light fixtures, gold jewelry & hardware, Tara’s favorite jeans, cotton bedding and cotton robes.

We even included our own custom candle scent! If you haven’t heard, most candles are full of paraben & synthetic scents that have horribly negative effects on our indoor air quality and our hormones. My hormones are not something I want to mess with so I turned toward finding a clean candle solution. I worked with the local vendor Oak Creek Farmhouse to create these clean-burning soy candles. But why are they clean burning? They are soy based with natural scents and the wick itself is 100% cotton. So you can burn it, enjoy the smell and not worry about releasing toxins into your air. Our candles are available for purchase here.

All of the products make us feel refreshed, lighter, and ready for spring. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Sincerely,

Tara

HAPPY HUNTING - 11.20.2022

Welcome back to our third edition of Happy Hunting! Today we’re going to show you some cozy goodness as the weather gets colder.

  1. Floral Top 2. Throw Pillow 3. Linen Blend Bed Skirt 4. Black Area Rug 5. Inspirational Quote 6. Nightstand 7. Green Blazer 8. Side Chair 9. Wall Sconce

We love green! As always, it’s good to mix in natural colors with your existing home & wardrobe. We love this floral green top layered with cords or jeans. You can easily dress it up or down. Feeling cold? Add this stylish green blazer over your shoulders for an elevated look at an affordable price.

Maybe your room is feeling cold this winter and needs some warmth. Add in a wicker wall sconce and fall in love with the warm shadows it casts on your walls. Or try the burl wood nightstand for a pop of luxury next to your bed.

Ground your space with a floral-inspired black area rug, add a linen bed-skirt to your bed for some visual texture or finish off a space with a fun throw pillow.

How do you warm up your space for the holidays? We like to add elements that can last &outlast holiday seasons and feel cozy all winter long.

HAPPY HUNTING - 09.20.2021

Welcome back to our second edition of Happy Hunting! We’re so glad you’re here! We’re back with another roundup of our favorite finds. From dresses to coffee book tables, we’ve got you covered with the best! This earthy palette is simple, earthy and timeless. We hope you love it as much as we do!

It finally feels like fall outside! As it gets colder outside we like to make it a bit cozier inside. You can easily add texture, colors and scent into your home to elevate your home during this season.

First up is this Libra Knit Dress from Reformation. First and foremost, I LOVE Reformation! All of their clothing fits like a glove for ALL body types and they are a very sustainable company. I did NOT know this dress was even called the Libra Knit Dress, but that makes sense because I’m a LIBRA and we’re entering Libra season, so I feel like that’s a sign that I need to buy this dress.

Item #2 is the Torso Table Lamp w is exquisite. Darn you Facebook and Instagram ads! How do they know me so well? That’s how I found this lamp and I couldn’t click fast enough! If you go to their website, the base of this lamp almost looks like a different color in every image. I think it’s because it’s made of raw stoneware that reflects light differently in different spaces. It has a fabulous linen shade and a brass touch dimmer switch. It’s very sleek, timeless and I love the earthy texture!

The best coffee table book you’ll ever need! Obviously, I chose this because I love green, but I also love Disc Interiors. If you don’t follow them, give them a follow because you won’t be disappointed! I’m obsessed with coffee table books and this one just adds the right amount of color on the outside of the cover, but there are also a lot of gems on the inside! It’s a great conversation starter, you can stack it with other colors, there’s a lot you can do with it. Plus, you can buy it from lots of different vendors.

I love this Amerock Edona Mushroom Cabinet Knob because in the Burnished Brass finish, it looks like it was salvaged from an old French Chateau. Have you ever walked into a new construction home and it almost feels sterile? Homes need textural elements so they don’t feel “flat.” This knob adds visual texture because it appears to be patinaed. It looks like it’s already lived a long life with lots of love & wear. Installing this knob on your cabinet will add that touch of character and personality that we all want our homes to have. And it’s a freaking steal of a price!

Best thing I ever did was believe in myself. A lot of times when we’re growing up, we have big dreams about what we want to do, who we want to be and what we're excited about in this world - and then life happens. Whether that’s someone saying that market is oversaturated, or you won’t get into that college, whatever limiting mindset it is… One thing is certain: this world has a way of watering down our dreams, and I’ve recently gotten to the point where I believe we have to be our #1 cheerleader. We don’t need other people’s permission, approval or endorsement to go after our own dreams. Passion was put into our hearts for a reason! If you want to start a new business, hobby, or move to a new city - if a thought keeps popping up in your mind, take the steps to reach that goal. No matter what you do or don’t do, the #1 thing you have to do is believe in yourself! Look yourself in the mirror and say, “I believe in myself!” and you’ll start programming your brain to do that!

Loloi is an incredible rug brand! I worked at a large design firm before I started my own business, and we were a Loloi dealer. When I found out they have select rugs on sale on Amazon, I was SHOCKED! I love the colors in this rug because it’s gray and ivory which means it has some warm and cool tones. Since the color trends fluctuate every ten years from a cool and warm palette, I’m a huge fan of putting both tones in your home so your space always feels balanced!

I’m seeing a lot of lovely, little wall sconces that feature a scalloped edge or an organic shape. This light fixture is no exception! It was designed by Sarah Sherman Samuel for West Elm and it is significantly better priced than a lot of other organic light fixtures that I’ve been seeing recently.

One thing I love about lighting is that it can completely set the mood for a space. There are two types of lighting in a space - the main and the ancillary lighting. This chandelier will not be the main source for the room, but it will set a major mood. It’s a rattan material is handcrafted by a Moroccan seamstress, and she uses sustainable palm tree materials. The light will filter through the strips and create an intricate shadow pattern across your room. It won’t be super bright, but it WILL be super romantic and moody. I would love to sit in a room where these chandeliers are casting light & shadows all around.

Jenni Kayne has a fabulous home that she worked on with Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen. You've probably seen it all over Instagram, but might not have known it was hers. Besides living in a swoon-worthy home, she also is also a businesswoman who sells clothing, shoes, home decor and more. I love good simple packaging and this candle has just that! The black vessel with a simply printed label would look perfect on any coffee table or bookshelf.

HAPPY HUNTING - 08.19.2022

Introducing… Happy Hunting with The Heartland!

This is a new blog feature we’re doing because we want to share some of the great things we’re finding! We’re constantly searching for unique items for our clients and we fall in love with so many cool products that we find. We are going to be sharing our favorites with you! We could share good deals, unique items, vintage finds, clothing, furniture etc!

Hopefully you like this new series and you will check back every month to see what we’ve found! We’ll provide links so you can add these goodies to your home if you’d like to.

Today’s feature is an earthy mixture of items to help elevate your home in a way that steel feels warm and homey.

I freaking love ceramics! I can never get enough. This one is made in the Midwest by none other than The Object Enthusiast in KC. So cool! Check out all of her work. It’s all so dreamy. You could easily put some pears or strawberries in this circle dish for an elevated kitchen experience.

NEXT is the freaking mushroom cookie jars! I mean how cute are those!? They give me 100 Acre Wood vibes. Very Winnie the Pooh, don’t you think? I like whimsical little details like this because I have a 2 year old son and he just loves playful items like this. Plus, I love bringing the outdoors IN. You can mix and match the different heights and use them for flour and sugar if you don’t want to fill it with cookies. Or if you’re a smoothy lover like me, you can fill it with flax seeds, and all the fixings for your smoothie bowls! Yum!

The seductive lamp of your DREAMS! Definitely a splurgey item. This stoneware lamp was handcrafted by using slab-construction techniques. The base features a dipped glazed finish in the color “hide.” I love it! It has antique brass fittings and is even on a dimmer! I like their attention to detail because even the cord is fancy: it’s a twist beige cloth-cord. So neat! Definitely a conversation piece.

Funky fun green pillows! Yes please! I love a good scalloped edge. It’s something different than the standard knife-edge or corded edge of regular pillows. I envision these thrown on a king sized bed with a cozy throw blanket. Where would you put them?? I want to know!

Romanticize your life!

You can’t go wrong with a good piece of landscape art. It adds a tranquil feeling to any room and the natural colors are timeless. This is a piece you’ll be sure to love for ages. This is a very affordable piece because it is a downloadable file so you can print it yourself. It’s not a real piece of hand-painted art, but it looks so nice! There are thousands of options when it comes to landscape art. If you’re not supporting a local artist, and you’re trying to stick to a budget, this is a great way to go!

You can do anything, but lay off of my of my tan suede boots! (Singing that out loud right now haha.) Okay, that’s not how the song goes, but it’s a great song and these are great boots! My gosh they’re gorgeous!! Don’t you think? I’d love to style them with some casual jeans and a white tee. But I strongly believe you could dress these up or down depending on how you feel. How would you wear them? I honestly just want to pet them. They look so soft :)

Casual Swanky Dress Alert!!! You know that look that looks effortless, but it’s not? I think this dress embodies that. It looks like a casual frayed linen dress that seems to say “I’m so chill and laid back,” but the price point says luxury. Hot dog that slit is everything! And the bustier-styled top is just the right amount of sex appeal to make a mama feel like her younger self again ;) And HELLO! There are POCKETS. Score.

You know how there are “it girls.” Well this is an “it range.” Sure, I just made up that term but it’s true! Everyone is loving the oven / stove combo’s that are more unique than that all stainless steel look we’ve seen for so many years. It’s fun to combine finishes in your kitchen! This model is available in many different base finishes and has multiple options for hardware finishes as well. I love the white base with the Brushed Bronze hardware option because it adds just a bit of warmth. I imagine this next to white-oak cabinets. What color combo do you like best?

People! This was SO much fun!!! I love sharing these things with you. Do you like this? Should I keep this up? Would you like me to keep sharing our favorite finds every month? We call it “happy hunting” because I’m always on the hunt for those hard to find items. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did! Please let me know if you end up adding any of these items to your home or closet. (If you do I’ll be jealous!!) I don’t make commission on any of these so I have no way of knowing if you like the things I’m showing you or not. So please tell me what you like!

Thank you for being here! Have a great day everyone!

-Tara

The Heartland Interior Design's Holiday Gift Guide 2021

The holiday season is here and we wanted to put together a little curated list of items for you all! ( We felt like Oprah putting together the “Our Favorite Things” collection!) It was so much fun! We selected items all over the board price wise and all over the board when it comes to categories! We found tangible products and service based options as well. Can’t give your mama some slippers this Christmas? Maybe give her a coupon for an uninterrupted nap! I promise you it will be just as good (if not better!) :D This is our first time curating a Holiday Gift Guide so we hope you like it! We centered the aestehtic around warm earthy colors like beige, green and we threw in some black for contrast. Enjoy!!

 
 

  1. Sweater. 2. Candle. 3. Book. 4. Blanket. 5. Kettle. 6. Slipper.

Cotton Citizen is a really cool brand that dyes many different cotton apparel pieces in a wide array of colors. This summer I found their “Desert Mirage” colorway and bought a dress in it to wear to Vegas. I love the Desert Mirage colorway because it’s reminiscent of an elevated camouflage. Luckily, they have sweatshirts, tank tops, lounge pants and many more pieces available in this color. The “BAKING DAY” candle is my new favorite candle and THAT is saying something. I bought it at Of the Earth Florals in Lincoln, Nebraska and they created it in collaboration with Wax Buffalo. My old favorite candle was 9 years old and I found the scent in Weston, Missouri. But this candle now holds the #1 spot in my heart. The green coffee table book by DISC INTERIORS is definitely one that you need to add to your collection. It is jam packed full of great interior design inspo! The “WINTERS BLANKET” from Amber Interiors is so soft & cozy. Perfect for cuddling up on a cold winters night. The SMEG tea kettle is also just what you need to quickly make a hot cup of cocoa or tea. This stylish kettle is available in many different colors and would look great on anyone’s countertop. While I showed the champaign finish here, it also is available in a lovely matte white and matte black finish. Lastly, the plush black slippers are sure to make anyone feel luxurious… even if it’s a mom stepping over Legos lol.

 
 

  1. Chair. 2. Pillow. 3. Sofa. 4. Book. 5. Rug. 6. Lamp.

I love a good swivel chair because it creates a flexible furniture grouping and gives the person in the chair the option of which way they want to face. Swivel chairs work extraordinarily well in spaces that you want to be for gathering with others, but can also swivel towards a TV. Either or. I love a good moody pillow with some large-scale pattern. This color ties in with the rug as well. I LOVE this sofa because the back literally curves into the arms in one single line. I also love that it is velvet. Don’t wait for your “forever” home to buy a piece you will love forever. If velvet isn’t your thing, this stunning frame is also available in performance linens, cryptons and leather options. Who doesn’t love another good interior design book?! I know I do! Sign me up for aaaaaaaall the interior design books please! :D The area rug. Rule #1- Always always always make sure the rug is big enough for your room and for your furniture grouping. Ideally, the front “legs” of each piece in the room should at least be on the rug. This black rug is also perfect because it adds visual weight to the room and can really anchor your furniture grouping. THE LAMP. This is the lamp of all lamps. It is unique, stunning, gorgeous, all the good words can be used to describe this lamp. It is much more than a lamp. It is also a sculptural art piece for your home.

 
 

  1. Jacket. 2. Lamb on pinterest. 3. Boots. 4. Landscape Art. 5. Boot Art. 6. Vintage Bronco.

On the “country” board I have to admit it is my version of a modern edgy country lifestyle ;) as you can see. I absolutely love the “cowboy” jacket but I do wish it said “cowgirl” instead. I’ve been obsessed, literally IN LOVE obsessed with Valais Blacknose Sheep for years. Probably 9+ years. They’re a gorgeous breed of sheep from the Valais region of Switzerland and I love them so much. I dream of having a few of them one day when we have some land. When it comes to cowgirl boots, I actually bought myself my first pair from a real store for my “push” gift before I gave birth to our son. I say that they’re the first pair I really bought because I bought them from a boot dealer and not from a thrift store. Anyway, the point of this story is they are TALL boots and I never knew what I was missing. All my thrift store cowgirl boots are regular height, but the taller shaft cowgirl boots are so much better! Now I’m eyeing these Ariat’s because they’re tall and I love the white stitching contrast on the black leather. Very sleek. If you know me, you know I love supporting local artists. I’v been a big fan of Tori Swanson (@toridenaeart) for a while now. I specifically love her landscape paintings because I feel she captures the true beauty of Nebraska. Next is a highly customizable funky cowgirl image printed on 6 individual pieces of wood from an online company called Society 6. Last but not least is a version of my dream vehicle: a vintage Ford Bronco in the boxwood green color. But completely rebuilt (of course) and with automatic steering because I haven’t mastered a stick shift yet, even though that is on my bucket list!

 
 

When I became pregnant with our son, I started reading all the mama books and following all the pregnancy/ motherhood/ postnatal / parenting accounts on Instagram. One account posted an intriguing post around the holidays titled “What New Mom’s Want for Christmas,” and they said, “She wants a 30 minute nap, an uninterrupted shower, and a full meal all in one sitting.” Then in a small text below it said “(You read that right.)” I felt that to my core. I was recently chatting with a cousin of mine about motherhood and we agreed it’s basically a super long fast because you can NOT get any food down while your baby /kids are awake lol. I literally can’t eat until my son goes to sleep because he’s always taking my food or doing something that needs saving haha. Anyways, I decided to make a list of “gifts” for mamas this holiday season and my friend messaged me and said, “I pick the last option because you can get all those gifts in an adults only vacation.” And she’s not wrong! Such a smart woman.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this light-hearted holiday gift guide. It’s my first ever “gift guide” so please take it easy on me and enjoy your holiday season with the people who mean the most to you! Focus on only entering into peaceful gatherings this holiday season and avoid the ones with people who mistreat and disrespect you. Inner peace is the greatest gift you can give yourself and your family. Happy Holidays!