My Favorite Face Wash

Growing up, I never had a specific face wash I used religiously. I actually only used bar soap until a few years ago (I know). It’s only been in the last couple of years that I have started paying attention to my face and what I’m putting on it.

We switch things up every now and then, and did Geologie for a long while, which we loved. PJ uses Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Scrub and seems to really like it. I personally love the way it smells and feels on my skin.

But lately, I’ve been using Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser and I’m officially hooked. It doesn’t dry out my (very oily) skin and leaves it feeling smooth and soft. It’s also scent-free, which I hated at first because I wanted my face to smell good, but I’m used to it now and it weirdly makes me feel cleaner.

All you need is a little bit and it goes a long way.

Where Would We Be Without Friends?

After a week of being at the beach, we decided to spend yesterday doing whatever we wanted, which is also a way of saying we decided to spend it doing nothing.

We went to the farm to check on the progress of Holiday House and feed the animals, and then we made the short drive over to see Matt and Beau. They showed us the updates to their house that happened while we were gone, and we drank coffee and sat around their breakfast table talking about everything and nothing. We also settled once and for all who was taller between PJ and Matt. This whole time we all thought Matt was taller, but it turns out they’re the exact same height!

We both agreed it was exactly how we wanted to spend the day. And the whole time I couldn’t help but think, where would we be without friends? Especially when they’re as great as these knuckle heads.

Have a Delightful Friday Evening

Hi friends! What are you up to tonight?

We’re home from the beach after driving all night. PJ woke up last night around 12:30a and felt awful, after a week and a half of already feeling pretty terrible. So, instead of trying to go back to sleep and be miserable while doing it, we decided to get up and head home early. The car was already packed from the night before, so we loaded the kids into it and headed home. They slept most of the way and there were almost no cars on the road at that time, which made the ride home pretty easy.

We came home to a messy, cluttered house, which wasn’t the best feeling in the world, though it did quickly kickstart the act of me cleaning the entire house as soon as we walked in. I am bone tired, but I don’t think I would even be able to rest until the house is at least a little tidier.

It feels so good to be home. With no more beach trips planned until next year, we are officially in fall mode. I think I’ll bring up the boxes of sweaters from the basement this weekend.

Have a good one!! xo

Spending Fall Break at the Beach

We’re back in our happy place for one last time this year.

We already did our last beach trip of the summer, but the kids are on fall break this week, so we decided to spend it…where else? The beach of course! To be honest, it wasn’t our first choice of where to spend fall break. We’re in full-on autumn mode back home and I am embracing the colder weather we’re having with midday coffee breaks and busting out our cozy sweaters, but we decided to make one last trip for the year to wrap things up on the beach house until next year when we can get back down here and get this thing finished.

PJ has been on the phone with contractors since we’ve been here lining them up to come work on the house in the next few weeks. The beach cottage looks so good, y’all. It’s so cute and just how we left it on the inside, though the outside has been completely finished since we left, minus paint and hanging some lights. It feels so good to see it almost completed. All we keep dreaming about is spending the entire summer here next year. This place has felt like a second home for so long (after spending the last 7 summers down here) and I know we’re both excited to have an actual home here to spend the summer months in.

Today was spent at the beach searching for crabs and relaxing. We had a call this morning with a brand for a collaboration we’re so excited about, but besides that, we chose to spend the day with the family just enjoying the sun and each other’s company.

We invited my sister and her fiancé along for the trip, so they’re here with us too, which is always the best feeling to have family down here with us. We did a huge family trip last summer with both sides of our family here and it just felt even more like home. PJ’s family also booked a place for this week, so they’ll be here tomorrow!

It’s shaping up to be a pretty good few days.

Have a Cozy and Wonderful Friday Evening

Hello friends, what are you up to tonight?

We’re heading to my best friend from high school’s house to watch Hocus Pocus 2 with her girls and eat some yummy treats. We’re all so excited. I’ve been waiting more than 20 years for this sequel!!

In other news, we shot a really fun and enlightening campaign this morning, and I can’t wait to share it with y’all. We shadowed a woman who does extremely important and inspiring work and it was just the perfect way to start off the weekend.

What wasn’t the best way to start the weekend was waking up to car troubles with our 99’ Land Cruiser. It’s the first time we’ve ever had an issue with it and can I just say, is there anything worse than car trouble? I don’t think so.

Have a good one, and don’t forget to click here and sign up for our weekend newsletter!! The next one goes out tonight. xoxo

This Corduroy Jacket is Perfect for Fall

I had been searching for a new fall jacket, and I love all things corduroy, so finding this one felt like it was meant to be. Corduroy is one of those timeless textiles that never goes out of style (I remember wearing corduroy pants as a kid!), which is one of the reasons I love it so much.

This jacket is soft and light but still extremely warm. We woke up to 48 degrees today and it kept me cozy all morning. The best part? It’s under $50. Also loving this one and this one.

The Pups' First Time at the Farm

Oh to be young again!

This past weekend, we took our two new pupperonis, Oliver (the darker one) and Adaline to see Ocoee Farm for the first time. They’re almost two months old, so we thought it was about time they saw their future home and meet their future best friends, aka all the animals on the farm.

It was like a breath of fresh air to see them run and roam all over the land just as fast as their little legs would take them. What is it about babies and puppies and kittens that gives us all the warmest and fuzziest feelings? I could have watched them explore all day out there.

By the time they made it to the top of the hill, they were understandably worn out. They took shelter wherever they could: under the dumpster, under the Tiny House deck, under the tractor and the Land Cruiser. I almost forgot how much fun it is to see life through the eyes of little babies.

If you look close, squint, and zoom in, you might be able to see a little puppy hiding underneath those stairs ;).

Speaking of, we’ve received a lot of questions about where our other two pups went who lived at Ocoee Farm. If you remember, we got two little Great Pyrenees at the beginning of this year with hopes that they would be good watch dogs at the farm and scare off predators who were harming our animals. Sadly, after months of trying to make it work, we sent them to live with a family on a farm right down the road from us. It was our fault, as we just weren’t out there enough to spend time with them and train them, and they needed more attention than we could give them. It was a hard decision but I know they’re happier there and getting the love they deserve.

As for Oliver and Adaline, we’re keeping them at our house in town for the time being, since they’re our dog Ellie’s puppies. They spend their days in our back yard with their mom, Ellie, and her mom, Aspen. All four of them are so cute together and incredibly sweet to each other, always showing the other one with licks and cuddles and sharing food with the little ones. It’s all so very fascinating to witness and experience; how dogs take care of and show affection to the ones they love.

Two Exciting Things Happening This Month

There are times when nothing too exciting happens here at home; the day to day school drop offs, the picking up of the house, the shooting and editing content. I like it like that most of the time because I truly love where we’re at in life and those little everyday moments are my favorite anyway.

But sometimes, fun and exciting things pop up out of nowhere and it’s a very welcome little change. Such is the case this month! The next two weeks will be so fun and different and I can’t wait to share why. One will be super fun for the kids and the other will be something I never thought would happen, but will be a very good opportunity for our family. We’ll see how it goes!

In the meantime, another welcome change is the weather we’re having here in Tennessee. It hasn’t been in the 90’s once this week, and it’s actually been rather chilly on our walks to school in the morning. Yay for fall creeping in!!

Have a lovely weekend, friends. xoxo

A Weekend Getaway

After a rather stressful week, mostly due to feeling sick and sluggish after our booster, we’re packing up the car and heading to Getaway House for the weekend.

We haven’t fully decided what we’re going to do with the house just yet (rent it out long term? short term? should we just sell?), though we’re mostly leaning towards renting it out right now. Our minds change daily on pretty much everything, so don’t quote me on that.

The good news with that mindset is that, for now, we can enjoy it as a little weekend getaway. We love the peace and quiet of the secluded property, and the kids love to run around and play in the creek, so it just feels right for our family to spend as much time there as we can.

PJ’s cousin and her daughter are meeting us out there and are spending the weekend with us in their camper next to the house. PJ put in a camper setup specifically for them specifically for this type of weekend. The man thinks of everything, doesn’t he?

We’re taking turns on dinner over the next few nights, and I’ll be making bacon and toast and eggs from Ocoee Farm for breakfast every morning. I’m right in the middle of packing everything up and the boys are just about to get out of school, so I’m off for the weekend. I hope you have a lovely long weekend, friend.

See you on Tuesday! xoxo

A Season of (Slight) Change

Every year around this time, as the light starts to flicker differently in the evening sun and the weather starts to cool off, I like to make some sort of change.

The change is usually towards the house: maybe rearrange a room (or two) or hang a new piece of art. But this year, I decided to make a change to myself in the form of a much needed haircut. I haven’t had it cut since January and more than a few people have let me know it was time to trim it up. So that’s just what I did.

And I love how much lighter it feels, like a big weight has literally been lifted off my head. Sometimes a little change, in any form, can help ring in the new season and give you the sense of renewal you’ve been needing. If you’re curious what it looks like now, click here.

The Last Supper

Last night, the night before Matt and Beau packed everything up and headed back to New Orleans for a few weeks, we ordered pad Thai takeout and grabbed a couple bottles of wine and we all sat down for one last dinner to wrap up the summer.

The last few months have been filled with many late night conversations and yummy food, almost always courtesy of their cooking, thankfully. We know it’s only for a few weeks, but we all agreed on how much we’ll miss each other while they’re gone. Of course we’ll still talk every day, but knowing they’re not just right down the road is somewhat of a bummer, even if it’s only temporary. Then again, distance does make the heart grow fonder. Is that how the saying goes?

It’s funny how we went from seeing them every few months over the last several years to seeing them every other day now, and it’s even funnier how quickly it began to feel normal.

I think that’s how you know who your true best friends are.