I am working out EVERY.SINGLE.DAY until we leave for the beach. even if it is a quick 20 minute circuit, it is happening. I am doing an arms set twice a day, everyday. personally, when my arms are in shape, I just feel better all around. and that is a part of my body I know I am whip into shape really quickly. I am never going to have great abs, and I could honestly care less about them. and I am always going to have a mom butt no matter how many squats I do. but my arms, those I can get into shape.  so, this week I will focus on that. should I share an arm circuit or two on stories this week?

in terms of our meal plan, things are going to be extra clean. smoothies to start the day (usually around noon, because I like to fast in the mornings). lots of greens and salads. plus some lean protein.

MONDAY

smoothie

I do the same smoothie every day, I just mix up which fruit I use…frozen berries, spinach, flax seed, collagen peptides, coconut water

salad

escarole, avocado, green onion, hard boiled egg in a red wine vinaigrette

salmon + spinach

recipe I have posted on my stories before, served with tomato and spinach in a white wine sauce…going to sub olive oil for butter to make it extra clean this week 

TUESDAY

smoothie

frozen mango and blueberries, spinach, flax seed, collagen peptides, coconut water

salad

radicchio, green onion, avocado, walnuts in a balsamic vinaigrette (vinaigrette recipe + pictures below)

quinoa bowl

quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, shaved brussel sprouts, red cabbage, in a shallot vinaigrette (sweet potato and shallot vinaigrette recipe below)

WEDNESDAY

smoothie

frozen berries, spinach, flax seed, collagen peptides, coconut water

quinoa bowl

chopped salad

escarole, bacon (I always get no nitrate, no hormone organic bacon and let it set in paper towels after cooking to absorb some of the extra grease), chicken, green onion, hard boiled egg, cabbage, sweet vinaigrette (1 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup red vine vinegar, 1/2 tsp honey, spinkle of oregano, sprinkle of red pepper flakes, 1/2 clove crushed garlic, salt + pepper to taste) 

THURSDAY

smoothie

frozen mango and blueberries, spinach, flax seed, collagen peptides, coconut water

salad + salmon

escarole, lemon + olive oil, salt and pepper

going out to dinner

FRIDAY

smoothie

frozen berries, spinach, flax seed, collagen peptides, coconut water

mozzarella, tomato + avocado salad

lettuce wraps

grilled chicken, caramelized onion + avocado, wrapped in lettuce served with dipping sauce of choice, I like a chipotle aioli

SATURDAY

leftover on saturday to try to clear out the fridge before vacation!

SUNDAY

vacations starts!! bring on all the fresh fish, white wine and margaritas :).

SNACKS

I have been snacking a lot lately, and not healthy snacking. so I am going to make sure my fridge is packed with healthy snacks this week. here are a few of my favorites

orange + walnuts

veggies + hummus

olives

guacamole + radish chips

when I am trying to eat clean, there are a few things I always try to pack into my meal plan, avocados, nuts, salmon, and sweet potatoes. they are all packed with nutrients and good fats and really fill you up.

RADICCHIO SALAD

radicchio

green onion

avocado

walnuts

balsamic vinaigrette (1 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 clove crushed garlic, salt + pepper to taste)

SWEET POTATO RECIPE

(you can find this recipe on my story highlights on instagram, the bowl I eat them in is on my highlights too!)

1 sweet potato peeled and diced

1 tbsp olive oil

chipotle powder

garlic powder

salt + pepper

combine all ingredients on a cookie sheet until sweet potatoes are coated in olive oil and seasoning. bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. stir halfway through.

shallot vinaigrette (1 cup olive oil, 1/3 cup sherry vinegar, 1 shallot, sliced, 1/2 clove garlic crushed, salt + pepper to taste)

HOW TO PICK/STORE AN AVOCADO

ok, I am 31 years old and have been buying and eating avocados for my entire adult life. literally, last year, I learned how to pick the perfect avocado. I am not sure how I went that long not knowing the proper way to pick an avocado. this may be basic, common knowledge, but I figure if I somehow did not know these tips, chances are some of you don’t know these tips either! so feel free to skip over this sections if this is obvious, old news to you!

(1) make sure the stem is still attached! if you are planning on using the avocado right away, you can peel off the stem at the grocery store to make sure it is perfectly ripe! if the stem does not peel off easily, it is not ripe yet. if the stem falls off too easily and it looks brown under the stem, it is overrip. it should be green under the stem! but, do not peel off the stem too soon before using, as it can cause that end of the avocado to ripen too quickly and go bad. below is a picture of what it should look like under the stem!

(2) the skin should have a matte appearance NOT shiny. if the skin looks shiny, it is not ripe yet!

(3) if there are not any ripe avocados available, here is a trick for helping it ripen. put 2-3 avocados in a paper bag. make sure you close the paper bag! this only works if you put more than one in a bag together.

(4) do NOT put your avocados in the fridge until they are perfectly ripe. if your avocados are perfectly ripe, but you are not ready to eat them, they can store in the fridge for a few days and that will slow down the ripening. BUT, if you put them in the fridge too soon, it will effect their texture and ruin them.

(5) if you are storing half of an avocado, squeeze lemon or lime juice over the open area to keep it from turning brown.

(6) ps, did you know you should always wash your avocado before cutting it?! I didn’t learn this until I was pregnant with blake. the skin can contain a harmful bacteria called listeria. so be sure to wash the skin thoroughly before cutting it open.

The post crunch time meal plan + how to pick the perfect avocado appeared first on But First Koffee.

I might make a bold statement and say this is the best sale of the year. at the very least, it is tied with the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I do almost all of my spring shopping during the Shopbop sale every year. all of the pics above have pieces bought from shopbop sales in the past! depending on how much you order, you can get up to 25% off with code GOBIG19. so let’s cut to the chase…here is what I bought this year, some pieces I bought the year before and wore to death all spring and summer and some basics everyone should stock up on!

shop the sale

WHAT I BOUGHT

I usually buy an investment dress for spring break every year, a few fun accessories, and shoes! I have been eyeing the platform docs for a while now, so I jumped on the 25% off! I am so excited to wear them with this loveshackfancy dress. I wore my biker shorts to death at the end of the summer, so I bought two new pairs. a basic black and then a fun leopard pair! I plan to live in those this summer. then I bought this cute set, and a statement pair of earrings! I am really trying to rewear my favorite summer pieces from years past, instead of buying a whole new wardrobe. so I figure a fun new pair of earrings can dress up an old look… 

WHAT I BOUGHT LAST YEAR

last year I STOCKED up on denim shorts! I bought these, these and these (they are all still available and on sale again this year!) and I literally lived in denim shorts all summer. now is the time to get some for summer! I bought my favorite dress from last year, a black and white loveshackfancy that I sadly only got to wear twice :(. it was left in a hotel room, and never to be seen again after repeated calls to the hotel. so I bought an all white one this year! 

BASICS

this year I bought a few black basic tanks for summer (btw can we talk about how the tube top is back?! I am very into it…and obviously had to buy this one), last year I bought a couple pairs of APLs which are the BEST sneakers I have ever owned and I am never going back to another brand. but think about the basics you need! this sale is great for tanks, tshirts, little black dresses, sneakers, swimsuits, etc! stock up on what you need

The post shopbop sale! appeared first on But First Koffee.

1

we got engaged while watching game of thrones ;). we had a spa day then ate pizza on the couch in our pajamas…7 years later and that is still my version of a perfect day.

2

we have seriously considered bb being an only child. every time the idea of a second child comes up, we both have the same hesitation. things feel so perfect and easy with just bb, and we are scared to throw that off with a second. but we both love our siblings and cannot imagine growing up as an only child. although bb seems to have fully embraced her only-child status thus far. before I get frantic texts from both sets of grandparents, I also can’t imagine only doing this once. I miss being pregnant, giving birth, the newborn phase (I actually loved that phase), and I will really miss this toddler phase (my brain has already started blacking out those terrible toddler moments) too.

3

we did long distance for 3 years. once in college for 4 months while I studied abroad in Barcelona. and then for the 3 years I was in law school.

4

we have traveled to 10 countries together and LOVE any excuse to travel. here they are: france, italy, germany, belgium, the netherlands, cambodia, thailand, mexico, canada. I just asked blake and we are in agreement that our favorite of the bunch is and always will be France. we could go there bazillions of times. but a very close second is Thailand.

5

we are homebodies and actually have the opposite of fomo, jomo (joy of missing out). we love food, and can usually get ourselves out of the house when the prospect of yummy food is on the other end. but strictly “going out” has never been our thing.

The post confessions from a 30 something appeared first on But First Koffee.

While we have more empty rooms than not, I am doing my best to make even the empty rooms feel a little homier. I haven’t bought anything new, just using a few things we had from our condo to make the house feel more like a home. If you’re struggling to decorate, or have no plans to decorate, here are three easy ways to make your home feel a little more put together.

PLANTS

There is something about having plants in the home that instantly makes it feel more complete. If you look at any designer’s website or instagram, the one thing their completed rooms have in common across all genres and decor schemes is a little bit of greenery.

If you’re like me, and have a really hard time keeping anything alive, here are a few tips. Go with something that is really hard to kill. I know a fig tree would look awesome in that corner of yours, but they are insanely hard to keep alive. They are sensitive to light and temperature, and I swear if you look at it wrong, it will die. I have killed 2. The only two plants I can keep alive are cacti and snake plants. They’re both really clean looking, which I love and can be moved easily from room to room. Even better, go faux. While I am not in favor of going all faux, since a little extra oxygen never hurts, a statement faux plant you don’t have to worry about killing is great! The world of faux plants is amazing nowadays. I am planning on getting a big faux fiddle for my family room and THIS faux cactus for my living room.

ARTWORK

There is no better way to make a house really feel like you, than artwork that makes you happy. It is so subjective, so personal, and the best way to let your personality come through in your home. It is also a good way to freshen up a space you are bored with. At our condo, I was constantly moving around our artwork. While there are a few larger scale pieces I have my eye on for specific spaces in our new home, a lot of our smaller scale pieces will float through the house as I inevitably want to refresh a space! Since we’ve moved in, I’ve been moving some of my favorite pieces from room to room to brighten up our empty rooms and help me get a better feel for what feels right in each room.

Personally, I think the best decorated homes have the perfect mix of high and low end art. I would rather invest my money in a piece of artwork I know I am going to love the rest of my life than a couch that is going to get spilled on 9,879,586 times and inevitably go out of style. My favorite thing Blake and I have ever purchased is our mother and child piece we bought each other for our first anniversary while in Bangkok. My second favorite piece of artwork is a print I cut out of an old coffee table book and the frame was about $12 from target. My third favorite piece is a sketch we got at a market in Barcelona, which cost 5 euro :).

I actually did a whole gallery wall in our office at the condo entirely out of pieces I cut out of coffee table books. Sorry if this offends you or if you find that to be sacrilegious. I have a deep respect for books and love to read, but I think putting a print from a book onto your wall to look at every day just speaks even more to how much you love the book! Should I do a whole post on this and other ways to mix high and low art!?

While we haven’t made any decisions about the furniture we are going to buy to fill our rooms, I do have the artwork picked out for most of the rooms. I am going to decorate around the art.

COFFEE TABLE BOOKS

Hi, I am Katelyn and I have a coffee table book addiction. Along with every other 20 and 30 something woman. Such an easy way to make a room feel more polished and put together!

A couple tips for buying coffee table books that are not ridiculously priced. Antique markets, Salvation Army,  and resale shops all have old coffee table books for great prices! I have slowly been collecting all white, used coffee table books for a design element I want to incorporate into our living room. I have two chairs picked out that I swoon over every day, and I want to put a stack of all white books along side them as a sort of end table. Here is my inspo! Since these books can get pretty pricey, I am trying to find used ones for under $10 a piece as we go antiquing!

We also make it a point to pick one up every time we travel internationally! While I love some of the standard coffee table books you’ve probably seen in hundreds of homes, it’s fun to have some fun and unique books that no one else has! We have unpacked 80% of the house, and there is one more box of coffee table books somewhere that I am dying to get my hands on.  There is an old coffee table book we got in Paris that I want to find a home for. It is the perfect motivation to keep unboxing.

I am clearly a neutral girl, and my house is going to mostly reflect that. But I do like adding in pops of color through books and artwork. They’re not as permanent as a couch or paint color, so I don’t feel quite as committed to them!

The post 3 tips for making your home feel decorated, even when it’s not appeared first on But First Koffee.

Since I am going to try to use more of my own recipes and meals we cook on a regular basis, you guys might notice that I will post what we actually ate the week before, instead of what we plan to eat the next week! So I can try out the recipes, photograph them and post. I will still post our meal plans, but it will just be our meal plan from the week prior!

Per request, I am also going to share more packable lunches! When I used to work at an office, it was really hard for me to get in a good routine of bringing my lunch consistently. First, I usually needed that break and wanted to actually leave the office. Second, the lunches I did pack on occasion were never very good, which made me want to eat out even more. So if you struggle with the same dilemma, I feel you. Although Blake has an odd schedule, not the typical 9-5, he is usually gone for work during lunch hours. Some days, he has to go out to lunch for work, but he has been getting really sick of eating out every single lunch. So he’s been asking for packed (but still yummy) lunches! I will start to share more of those as we come up with winner lunches. Last week, we stuck to salads, so I will share the ones we tried out below.

Trying again to meal plan based off of what we have in the fridge! We still have lots of brussel sprouts and carrots from our costco run, so going to use those! Leftover cucumbers from our greek meatballs last week, so going to repurpose into one of my favorite salads! And we also have a bunch of sweet potatoes leftover from the sweet potato tacos. I guess I need to start buying smaller quantities! Going to make my favorite chipotle, garlic sweet potatoes to top on salads and bowls for lunches this week!

chipotle, garlic sweet potatoes

If you go back through my story highlights “eats in” tab, you can see these sweet potatoes and how often we eat them! They are so easy to make in large quantities and hold over really well in the fridge for leftovers. We throw them onto salads, as a base for breakfast skillets, top them on quinoa bowls and just eat them straight up for snacks! I make them at the beginning of the week then use them throughout the week! Highly, highly, highly recommend these as an easy + healthy fridge staple!

recipe:

sweet potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces

olive oil

garlic granules

chipotle seasoning

salt + pepper

instructions:

combine all ingredients and bake in the oven at 400 for about 30 minutes. stir once halfway through! voila, so easy. you want them to be slightly browned and crispy, but not burnt!

the salad we served these on was escarole, slivered almonds, mozzarella, avocado + a sweet vinaigrette (evoo, sherry vinegar, honey, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt + pepper. this is a perfect packable lunch, pack the dressing separately and add in the avocado at the end!

spicy cucumber salad

I have posted some version of this salad before, but it is so good that it’s worth sharing again! It’s fresh and light, but packed with flavor. It is also a perfect packed lunch. BB loves this recipe too, I just leave out the red pepper flakes, which can make it a little too spicy for her!

recipe:

persian cucumbers

tomatoes

green onion

lemon

slivered almond

evoo

balsamic vinegar

red pepper flakes

salt + pepper

instructions:

combine cucumber, tomato, green pepper and almonds. drizzle with olive oil, balsamic, salt + pepper and red pepper flakes. squeeze fresh lemon right before serving. if you as bringing as a packed lunch, add the avocado last, right before eating so it does not get brown!

lamb chops served with caramelized shallots & chimichurri sauce

This is not a meal I suggest whipping up on a Tuesday after a long day of work. This is more of a sunday night dinner when you have a couple hours to spend in the kitchen. Blake got back from a three day road trip and I was ready for some me time. So he took bb to the library and I spent the afternoon in the kitchen and it was glorious. Some days, I just am in the mood to cook all day, so this meal was perfect. And in reality, it is actually a quick meal. the lamb chops only marinated for about 30 minutes and they took 7 minutes on the stove. It’s just the prep work and sides that took some extra time! I was also meal prepping for the rest of the week, which took a lot of time too. But there is no better feeling than waking up on a Monday with a fridge full of food ready to eat throughout the week!

pan seared lamb chops

I have helped my parents make lamb chops before, but this was actually my first time making them myself! And these were surprisingly easy and so quick.

recipe:

15 lamb chops (I did about 3 per person with a handful of extras)

evoo

6 cloves of garlic, minced

red pepper flakes

salt + pepper

instructions:

combine all ingredients and marinade for 30 minutes

coat the bottom of a cast iron with olive oil

heat until hot but not smoking

sear each side of the lamb chop for 2.5-3 minutes until browned

let stand for 5 minutes before serving

caramelized shallots

I love caramelized shallots. They are slightly sweeter than onions and just add the best pop of flavor, especially with red meat. But, be warned, they are a pain to peel. They are worth the extra effort, I promise.

recipe:

shallots, peeled (cut the large ones in half)

evoo

instructions:

coat the bottom of a cast iron with olive oil

heat until hot but not smoking

add shallots and cook on medium heat until golden brown and fragrant (the trick is to not stir them too much, you want them to sit in one place so they can get that good, golden brown sear)

chimichurri sauce

I am not a fan of mint. If there is even the slightest bit of mint in a meal or drink, I cannot stomach it. I don’t know why, the flavor is just not for me. So I did a cilantro + garlic chimichurri to go with the lamb instead! I make some version of this chimichurri a lot, and love to pair it with red meat or veggies. It is fresh and flavorful.

recipe:

1 bunch of cilantro

4 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon juice

red pepper flakes to taste

salt + pepper to taste

instructions:

combine all ingredients in a blender or cuisinart and mix!

pack your lunch salad

This salad was a big hit. The trick for packing a lunch is something hearty that will stay with you throughout the day without being too heavy. Nothing worse than getting back to your desk after an indulgent lunch and struggling to keep your eyes open. Avocado, cheese and nuts are all packed with nutrients and will fill you up without giving you that heavy feeling. A tip for packing an avocado, keep it whole or at least in it’s skin to prevent it from getting brown! Another must for packing a salad, you must pack the dressing in a separate container so the lettuce doesn’t get wilty.

recipe:

escarole

fresh mozzarella (or blue cheese would be good too, if you like that)

avocado

walnuts

dressing: evoo, balsamic vinegar, s+p

seared brussel sprouts + caramelized onions

Ok, this is one of my favorite recipes ever. It works as a side, as a salad or as a meal. We served it with the lamb chops last night, but plan to eat the leftovers with grilled chicken as another meal. It is sooooo good.

recipe:

shaved brussel sprouts

sliced sweet onion

butter

evoo

s + P

instructions:

add about 1 tbsp evoo to a hot skillet, sear brussel sprouts until browned and crispy

in second skillet, heat 1 tbsp butter and add in sweet onion

cook onion on low heat for 20 minutes until golden brown and soft

combine onion and brussel sprouts and season to taste with s + p

serve warm (I also sprinkled with slivered almonds this time because I wanted a little extra brunch, but it doesn’t need it!)

MEAL PLAN

lunches

strawberry salad (packable)

sweet potato salad (packable)

cucumber salad (packable)

dinners

lamb chops

chili (I almost always have these ingredients laying around the house in case of emergency, I keep 2 lbs of frozen ground beef in the freezer and the rest can be kept in the pantry! recipe HERE)

brussel sprout salad + grilled chicken

GROCERY LIST

lamb chops

ground beef

shallots

green onion

tomato

strawberries

cilantro

garlic

lemon

spicy V8 juice or whole foods equivalent

ALREADY HAVE

almonds

walnuts

sweet potatoes

fresh mozzarella

onion

escarole

cucumber

brussel sprouts

chili beans

kidney beans

black beans

butter

evoo

balsamic

red pepper

chipotle seasoning

garlic granules

chili powder

paprika

cumin

The post meal plan + packable lunches appeared first on But First Koffee.

Does anyone else save their cutest clothes for girls nights? Blake usually gets a cozy sweater and mayyyybe a pair of booties. But I save the really cute stuff for nights out with my bffs. Here are five easy girls night looks you probably already have in your closet!

a midi + booties

a graphic tee + distressed denim

leather pants + your favorite pumps

a sparkly little thing + booties

a little black dress + your favorite belt

The post 5 girls night out looks appeared first on But First Koffee.

I am so excited to start shopping at Trader Joe’s again in the burbs. I love their easy meals and their prices cannot be beat (not sponsored in any way, just really love TJs!). I thought I would mix things up this week and do a Trader Joe’s haul + meal plan! In the spirit of trying to stick to our good habits, I am trying to start every meal planning day off by cleaning out my fridge and seeing what I have. I am meal planning based off the ingredients I already have in the fridge that are going to go bad! Here is what is on the docket this week:

Meg’s black bean + sweet potato tacos

We had my entire family over for tacos this weekend and have bazillions of leftover tortillas. I don’t want standard tacos again so going to mix things up with Meg Mcmillin’s sweet potato tacos! If you haven’t tried Meg’s recipe for these yet, you have to give them a try. They are so easy, so delicious and healthy. See her full recipe here! PS, crying over how young James was in these pics, our babies are growing up sooo fast.

charcuterie for dinner

Blake and I do this every once in a while. Sometimes, I just want all the meats + cheeses and olives and need to just binge on it. We try to make it slightly healthier by adding in some tomatoes and onion! I love the charcuterie selection at Trader Joe’s. We always do this picnic style with wine and it makes dinner feel like a fancy date night ;). I always make bb a little charcuterie board of her own (with the healthy stuff and sub turkey for the other meats!) and she loves it.

greek meatballs wrap

Usually this meal seems like a summer meal to me, don’t ask why. But I have been craving Greek lately and there is a serious shortage of good greek food in the burbs, so I guess I will just have to make it at home! Full recipe here. We have a busy week and I probably will not be able to make it to the grocer store later in the week, so I bought the ingredients for this even though I know we probably won’t get to this meal until the end of the week. So as soon as we got home from the grocery store I put the ground turkey and pita in the freezer. I will take it out the morning we are going to cook it! Trying to really think ahead about when we will actually eat each meal in an effort to waste less!

copycat cauliflower

This weekend we had the BEST cauliflower from a little restaurant in our town. It was seared to perfection in a semi sweet sauce with chopped olives! It was such an interesting combo and one I would never have thought would taste good. But I have been craving it ever since and I am going to try to replicate! I will post a better recipe if it turns out, but here is what I am thinking:

sear cauliflower in evoo, when it is tender, stir in salt + pepper, honey, and diced olives. right before serving, squeeze some fresh lemon juice!

other essentials in my Trader Joe’s cart!

everything but the bagel seasoning

caramelized onion dip (amazing with veggies if you’re sick of hummus)

olive tapenade…I could literally put this on EVERYTHING, charcuterie, greek wrap, veggies, bread, pita…

tahini

peanut butter

sriracha ranch

chili pepper sauce

MEAL PLAN

breakfast

smoothies

eggs + avocado

(trying to do intermittent fasting most days, so I usually skip breakfast)

lunches

salads

leftover tacos

cauliflower

dinners

sweet potato tacos

charcuterie

greek meatballs

TRADER JOES GROCERY LIST

ground turkey

eggs

sweet potato

black beans

assorted meats + cheeses

tomatoes

cauliflower

red onion

avocado

green onion

sweet onion

lemons

tahini

hot sauce

caramelized onion dip

sriracha ranch

everything but the bagel seasoning

peanut butter

olive tapenade

honey

greek yogurt

pita

wheat bread

The post meal plan, trader joes edition appeared first on But First Koffee.

I wanted to live in the house for a little while before we undertook any renovation projects or made any purchases for the house, and I am SOOO happy we did it that way. my entire renovation and design strategy has shifted since we moved in. we are using spaces in different ways than I anticipated. and the space feels so different now that we are actually in it. even though most of our rooms are empty, I am really starting to get a feel for what they will be someday!

before we moved in the only thing we did was paint the second floor and basement. we had professional painters do the second floor, but they couldn’t finish the basement in time for the move so my dad and I did the basement! painting a room has always been on my bucket list, for some reason I have always wanted to do it. and it was actually really fun and extremely soothing. there is something so calming about painting a room. maybe because my dad is just a really calm person, but I found the whole process really enjoyable.

a few tips for painting from a beginner: (1) enlist help from someone who has done it before; (2) buy an audio book to listen to, I listened to Becoming Michelle Obama; (3) wear clothes you don’t mind ruining, RIP lululemon pants; (4) be prepared for sore muscles…there are muscles in my forearm that I didn’t even know existed; (5) paint is expensive…I have never painted a room before so I thought a can of paint was about $5. well, the previous owners had used Regal Select on the house and we wanted to be consistent. my jaw actually dropped when I saw it was $60 a can! so budget accordingly. we used about two cans on each room (5) have fun and don’t rush!

our entire house, with the exception of bb’s room because I haven’t decided exactly what I want to do with it yet, is chantilly lace. paint is so subjective and could look entirely different in two different houses, or even in two different rooms of the same house! but we loved how the color looked on the first floor so we just continued it throughout the house to simplify things. it’s a crisp white that goes really well with the natural wood tones throughout our house.

I am not sure what will come next in terms of renovations. it’s a bit of what comes first, the chicken or the egg. we need new carpet upstairs, but if we are going to be moving walls eventually, I don’t want to replace the carpet until we do that. the second floor bathrooms need to be redone and the basement bathroom could use a refresh too. way down the road, we would love to build out the attic space or build a guest suite above the garage. but we haven’t met with contractors yet to see if that is feasible. so until then, we are just living in the space as is to get a good feel for what we want. I am also just starting to get a feel for what textures and tones work best in the house. I am gravitating towards natural fibers, textures and materials.

decor wise, the plan is to get the first floor done and then move onto the second floor and basement! we have our old furniture in the family room and dining room for now, and the rest of the first floor is empty. I am actually starting to love the empty space haha. it’s perfect for bb. room to dance and play and it just feels so calm and airy in here. I am going to try really hard to make our decor feel minimal yet homey. I don’t want it to start to feel crowded in here.

the goal is a really kid friendly space that doesn’t feel cluttered and crazy, with toys and play spaces organically spaced throughout the house. I wish I was the type of mom that could just have ugly and brightly colored toys throughout the entire house without it driving me insane. I am not that type of mom. I want this house to be a place where bb can roam and play freely without it feeling like toys just threw up all over the house. so the plan is for play spaces to be built into the decor scheme and thoughtfully placed.

I haven’t pulled the trigger on any pieces yet. I want a plan for the entire first floor before I buy anything. one piece can effect the entire decor scheme for the rest of the house, and I really want the house to have a good flow. when we “decorated” our condo, I bought things piecemeal and it never felt like it had a rhyme or reason. I want the perfect mix, but I also don’t want the house to feel too “decorated.” you know when you walk into a room and it feels too perfect? like they just walked into restoration hardware and bought an entire room full of furniture? I do not want that. I have a serious love/hate relationship with restoration hardware. we have pieces from there that I love, but when you get too much from there it starts to feel like stepford house. I want a mix that feels unique to my family and home. I want it to feel done, but not too perfect, if that makes sense? I also want room to find more pieces as the years go by. we love to travel and some of my favorite pieces and artwork from our old condo are ones we found in different cities around the world!

to start to get a feel for what I want where, I have been moving artwork and furniture pieces around the house. I want to see how they feel in different spaces before I make any final decisions! we also have some large scale artwork we are going to get framed. but I want to find the perfect place for each piece. I’ve been making blake hold up this kuba cloth all over the house until we find it’s forever home :). to be determined…

can’t wait to share more of this process as we go!

xoxo

The post the weekly edit. 4. appeared first on But First Koffee.

I told myself that I was not going to make ANY new clothing purchases while we were living at my parents. I tell myself things like this all the time, but then I see a great deal and it doesn’t last. But with the exception of one Zara purchase, a white sequins dress, which actually was a necessity because I forgot to pack a Christmas dress, I actually went that whole time without shopping! I am very proud of myself.

When we moved in I told myself I was downsizing my wardrobe by 75%. That’s a really tall order for me. So far, I have cut my closet in HALF! And I plan to do one more round of cuts and get to my target, 1/4 of what I started with.

I am only two days into my freshly cleaned closet, but so far I can tell you that it is 1 million times easier to get dressed every day when I can actually see what I have. As I was purging I also decided on a few new things I want to invest in, to round out my closet. One of which is a nice new black leather jacket. I think this is a closet staple. Everyone should own a leather jacket they feel REALLLLY good in!

I love my leather jacket, but it does not fit right. I keep holding onto it because I haven’t replaced it, but it is time. I bought my leather jacket when we were in Barcelona, and I was 2 months postpartum. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was not back to my normal size. So the jacket is a tad big on me now and just doesn’t have the fit I want. Lucky for me, there are insane sales going on right now! So it’s time to buy one that actually fits. I am going to hold onto my old one and throw it into my maternity box! For the next time around.

Here are 10 picks on major sale for every budget!

TOPSHOP

$52 marked down from $88

BB DAKOTA

$64 marked down from $98

LEVI’S

$118 marked down from $178

TOPSHOP

$177 marked down from $295

TREASURE & BOND

$179 marked down from $299

BERNARDO

$259 marked down from $398

LAMARQUE

$278 marked down from $399

7 FOR ALL MANKIND

$399 marked down from $999 (majorly swooning over this one!)

HUDSON JEANS

$537 marked down from $895

VINCE

$1197 marked down from $1995

The post 10 leather jackets on MAJOR sale! appeared first on But First Koffee.

I can literally relate to the crazy people on this show who cry when they are asked to get rid of a gross old t-shirt. All of my items spark joy! HELP…but I am determined to make this house a calm & organized place. I am going to live by the 80% rule. Your house should never be more than 80% full. Our condo was 120% full.

Living with my parents made me realize I need a fraction of my clothes. I brought a very small amount of clothes to my parents. We lived there for almost 2 months. I NEVER ONCE missed an item of clothing that was packed in storage.

I am actually the opposite of Marie Kondo. Tidying does not bring me joy. But every once in a while, I get in major nesting, cleaning, decluttering mode and go crazy. Luckily, I am in that mode right now and prepared to declutter and organize this house from top to bottom.

So here are 7 tips that help me declutter my closet

1

start with an empty closet.

I agree with Marie Kondo here. Whenever I clean out my closet, I take every single item out of my closet and drawers before I purge and organize.

2

keep things that are easy to wear.

you know what I am talking about, the shirts you can wear with anything, the sweaters you wear over and over again, the skirt you can pair with everything. And the opposite is true. Purge the items that are hard to wear. I have items in my closet I absolutely love, and hang on to them purge after purge, but they are too hard to wear. I try to style them, I try to put them into an outfit, but they just do not work with my wardrobe and lifestyle.

3

purge items you hang on to “just in case”

I have an entire wardrobe of suits and business attire from when I was practicing law. I am talking nice suits, ones I invested a lot of money into. I have not been able to part with them. Not because I like them, not because I have any use for them, but because I keep saying “what if I go back to working in an office?!” I do not plan to do this anytime soon, and when I do, I will want to buy new suits. I need to get rid of them. You can expect these on a poshmark account soon!

4

ask yourself, would you wear something else first

you only attend so many baby showers a year. I have dresses that I say “I could wear this to a baby shower.” But I never actually wear them to a baby shower. There are countless other outfits in my closet I would wear first. I have countless sequins outfits, I keep them because I tell myself they are great new years eve outfits. Guess what, I have rang in the new year on the comfort of my own couch the past 3 years in a row, and there is no end in sight. The old sequins skirts and tops need to go.

5

did you wear it last season?

when it comes time to bring back out your summer or winter wardrobe, ask yourself if you wore that item the year before. If your answer is no, you are probably not going to wear it this year. Let it go.

6

keep your color palette.

you know your color palette. Do you wear a lot of red, beige, black, pink, blue? Whatever your palette is, keep those items. I wear a lot of black. 3/4 of my closet, which is color coordinated, is black. Day after day, I reach for the black items and neglect the rest. Most of my outfits looks like some version of the above, head to toe black. Having a closet full of my color lets me get dressed almost mindlessly when I don’t have time to put together a true outfit. If you know you are not going to wear the brightly colored sweaters and tops, let them go.

7

less is more.

I do not need 15 sports bras. Bottom line. I do not need 4 pairs of black booties. I do not need 20 swimsuits. Even if I like all of those items, I do not NEED all of them. I am never going to be a minimalist. I do not want to be a minimalist. I like my stuff, it brings me joy. But there is a happy medium between minimalism and just plain excessive. So, instead of going item by item and deciding if I want to keep it/if it brings me joy (Marie Kondo style), I am going category by category. For example, I will put my sports bras and workout clothes in a pile. Then BEFORE I go item by item, I am deciding how many pieces I want to keep. If I decide I need 7 sports bras, then I am picking my 7 favorite and purging the rest. If I went sports bra by sports bra, they would all stay because I love them all. Deciding first how many I need/want helps me eliminate.

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