Are you sitting down? Because you are going to need to stop what you're doing to make it through this post. Remember when this used to be a straight-up mom blog and we talked about daily life, little kid milestones, and everything in between? At some point, the girls grew up and we had to start sharing different parts of our lives and learn to relate to our readers in completely different ways. I had no intentions of returning to our roots, but you know what they say about the best laid plans. It looks like Taz + Belly is getting an old-school reboot in the form of baby number three?! I've been the very worst blogger this year, but it is not without its reasons. We discovered several weeks ago that we had made a significant error in calendar calculations and despite our perceived ...
by the numbers
The Monthly Report | December
lighting | Christmas lights is the obvious answer, right? I think we strung more lights this year than ever before. We have so many more surfaces to decorate in this house, the girls requested extra lights in their room, and we added lights to our front porch for the first time ever. I briefly considered getting complicated with the outdoor lights, but a simple swag ended up being my favorite. We're also lighting plenty of cinnamon scented candles this month. One, because it smells like Christmas and, two, because our puppy found a source for rotten potatoes and we can't seem to keep her from eating them. spending | I'm actually hoping to be spending less this month. We've already bought our tree and any extra decorations that we'll be adding this year and I'm so close to being finished ...
The Monthly Report | October
Remember that time I decided introductory paragraphs were unnecessary and that the time I stressed over what to say was better spent doing something else? Well, I'm still firmly in that camp. Welcome to The Monthly Report -- two days late, but totally necessary since I've been avoiding the internet like the plague. Shall we?styling | I'm styling tons of cute fall outfits, but only in my head. While it feels nice and crisp when we first wake up every morning, by mid-afternoon we're simmering at 85* again. It looks like fall outside, but unless you're heading out after dark, shorts and tanks are still completely appropriate. I've been saying for weeks that I was going to share a fall wish list on the blog, but it's seriously hard to shop for cozy sweaters and jackets when it's still so humid ...
The Monthly Report | September
You know what I've decided? Not every post needs an introductory paragraph. For at least five posts a month, I sit here and stare at a flashing cursor, while trying to figure out how in the world to tell you we're about to talk about books or our day in the life or a list of letters. Maybe that's not necessary at all?!celebrating | Ella's birthday is Monday and I'm in crunch mode. Last September, she mentioned having a surprise party. Yes, it's weird to request a surprise party, but mostly she just wanted me to plan something without her knowledge. We're within a week of her birthday and it's nuts. She asks me 47 times a day what I'm planning and since she only asked for one gift, she now asks me when it will arrive / when she can open it / did I actually purchase it, every single day. I'm ...
The Monthly Report | August
snacking (on) | Barkthins are my new favorite snack and we can be found in bed with dueling flavors on any given night. Josh prefers almonds and sea salt, but I love the pretzel version the very best! I'm also eating this chicken salad any chance I get -- on carrot sticks, pretzel thins, or gluten free pita chips. anticipating | I'm anticipating our Colorado trip so very much. We are currently en route to Atlanta and should be on the ground in Denver by mid-morning. We're headed to Red Rocks for The Head and the Heart Concert tonight (woohoo!) and have a super fun, adventure filled week ahead. Time away with your spouse is so important and we try our hardest to plan a long weekend trip every year. We'll be celebrating our FIFTEENTH wedding anniversary next week, so this seemed ...
The Monthly Report | June
planning | The only thing getting planned around here is our beach trip. Although maybe I should call it planned since the rest of my family is already there. I've enjoyed a few days at home to myself and I can't wait to spend eleven uninterrupted days with my people in our favorite place. In the spirit of planning, I did make my reservation for next summer earlier today. It gets harder and harder to book a site on our favorite street and the earliest you can call is one year in advance. My mom and I spent the morning on the phone and beach trip 2018 is officially in the books. wishing | I'm wishing it was Wednesday, because: beach. And as much as I do not want to wish the next two weeks of my life away, I'm also wishing the newest canine member of our family was already home. ...
The Monthly Report | May
baking | I really love to cook, but I'm not much of a baker. If you need some tried and true paleo recipes, though, we love this banana bread and these chocolate chip cookies are always a hit! listening | I'm always listening to something good, so this is my favorite kind of prompt. After Anne mentioned it in a post last week, I revisited the most recent Head in the Heart album. It provided a perfect soundtrack for solitary painting in the camper this past weekend. Josh bought us tickets to see them at Red Rocks for our anniversary this summer, so I needed to brush up on the lyrics anyway. I also binged the Up & Vanished Podcast after a friend recommended it a few weeks ago. While not as good as season one of Serial, it was very interesting and seems to have found some ...
The Monthly Report | April
accomplishing | More than I did the first quarter of this year. I'm not sure what prompted an entire quarter of laziness, but I managed to get it together [mostly] in March and I'm hoping to keep up the momentum. I finally sent our taxes off to the accountant, so that's good. On my list this week is tackling all the paperwork. I haven't established a good system since our move, nor have I figured out where I want everything to live. I'm trying to put some thoughts down on paper and establish a new rhythm before the year gets away from me. feeling | Determined. I know it's only been two weeks [eleven days, if we're getting technical] since I joined Orangetheory, but I already feel so much better. I'm sleeping like a champ, so much less bloated, and I'm able to get up easier each morning. ...