Good Morning! Can you believe we are only 24 days away from Spring? After our second snowstorm this month, I am so ready for it. It doesn’t help that I’ve been reading and watching gardening tutorials on repeat, which makes me very eager to get my hands in some dirt. 🌸 I also need spring to hurry up and get here so I can get back into playing tennis. I’m embarrassed to say it’s been since Hawaii since the last time I picked up my racket.
Before I begin with this week’s recap, I wanted to say thank you for all the support on Monday’s post. I wasn’t sure how to put my thoughts into words with that subject, but you all seemed to understand. I was also surprised to learn that many of you were having the same thoughts, and I loved hearing your opinions on the whole art of blogging vs. social media world.
Anyways, I hope you all had a fantastic week and even better weekend, and let’s get this recap started!
Like last week, I didn’t blog much of my weekdays, but I do have a few photos to share!
After finishing up my blogs, I had some avocado toast and tried to finish up a painting of the new house with cottage style flowers. I regret starting this project because it’s taking forever, but I refuse to leave it unfinished. I may try to knock it out while watching Bachelor tonight.
For dinner, I finally decided to try out Hello Fresh. I had a $50 coupon in the mail, and that meant a week’s worth of meals for $20 bucks! This was their stuffed poblano peppers! I used Daiya cheese and Kite-Hill for the replacements to make it dairy-free, and the recipe was phenomenal. Kyle and I both loved it. There was a ton of extra filling, so I added a couple of bell peppers in there to make it last longer. The leftovers were a nice treat the next day.
We had a snow day on Thursday!
The snow is always prettier and more enjoyable when it’s rare, which is the case down here. I didn’t feel the same when I was living in the midwest. It only stuck onto our cars, but it was nice while it lasted.
I am going to try to change up my breakfasts soon. I haven’t gotten sick of my avocado toast and fresh fruit yet, but I think it’s time. Once the ingredients run out, I’ll try something new 😊 It’s pretty much the same thing every day, remember how long it took me to kick my protein oats breakfast? 
On Friday, I took a trip to the mall with my mom, so we could get out of the house for a while. It was cold and rainy all week, the perfect excuse to hang out and get our steps in at the mall.
The only thing we ended up purchasing was Chipotle! I couldn’t believe it, but this was her very first time trying Chipotle! She’s a fan (I mean…who isn’t?)
Friday evening, I made rice, shrimp, and zucchini from Hello Fresh for Kyle and I. Another win at dinner with their meal service.
The house is coming along so quickly. Every time I come here to blog, something has changed, and that is why we visit so often. It’s also important because sometimes we’ll notice things they did wrong, and we’re able to have them fix it before it’s too late. Last week, we saw they installed a few solid doors, but we had glass doors, so they made sure to get the correct ones installed 😊
Our railings went up, the crown molding, trim, cabinets, doors, brick, and a few more things! It’s so amazing to see it look like an actual house.
We are eventually going to change the white railing posts for black wrought iron ones. We weren’t fans of the ones the builders had as an option, and they were super pricy, so we will have those installed later in the year along with the wrought iron door that leads into the loft. I think that’s the fun part about building a house; we get to continue to add our personal touches once you move in as well. The only problem is being patient and not trying to do it all at once!
But one of the first things I’ll do is change out the hardware pulls on the cabinets. They do not go well in my kitchen, and I need something a bit more modern. I think they’ll look fabulous in a kitchen with more of a farmhouse feel, but that’s not the look I’m trying to do. One of my neighbors has them installed in her kitchen, and they look really fancy and fitting in there, but with my kitchen being SO WHITE, they stand out too much. The ones I have in my hands here will be the replacements 😊 
On Saturday, we headed to a few home stores to check out stair runners. We think we know which ones we are going to go with, and we love that they come from a local store! We are going to try to shop local for decor pieces as much as we can. The store is called Main & Gray, and it’s in Fort Mill SC if you’re local and want to stop in there! They have some amazing decor and fun pieces to add to your living space.
I love the Dash & Albert black and ivory rug for our stairs. They’ll be able to custom cut the rug for us to have installed, which is going to be a must since we have two dogs that like to spring down the stairs! Safety first 😊
We love bringing the contractors Krispy Kremes on Saturday mornings. There are always new contractors working on the house, so it’s fun to meet them and give them a treat for working so dang hard. 
On Saturday afternoon, I picked up a few dahlia tubers to put in pots to kickstart for my garden. In a few months, I’ll be able to plant them in the yard!
Saturday night, Kyle and I headed to my friend, Emily’s housewarming party. ♥️ It was nice seeing the girls, and finally getting out of the house to be social. The end of February is always a hard one for me. I feel like cuddling up and going to bed at 7 pm and waking up when it’s spring. I still have to force myself to be social, but once I’m out, I have a good time. I know for a fact some of you can relate lol
Sunday morning called for gluten-free french toast, fresh strawberries, sautéed blueberries, and maple chicken sausage.
We usually wouldn’t stop by two days in a row (wait, yes we would!), but we had to see what the front looked like since they were putting the siding and board and batten up! I wanted to cry when we pulled up to the house because it finally looked like a home. I still want to white-wash the brick, but that will be another thing added to my to-do list. I’m hoping that my flowers will cover it all and then I won’t have to worry about it right away.
Oh, and did I tell you…WE GOT OUR CLOSING DATE!
We will be moving into our home on April 24th! That’s 59 days, and it’ll be here before we know it. We are going to try to have all the lights installed, and a few more projects done before officially moving in. We decided to take our time with selling our current house, and we most likely won’t put it on the market until April.
When we got home Sunday morning, Kyle finished up some work, and I finished up a blog post from my potted herb garden, I did a few years back. I thought I lost those photos, but finally found them in a random album on my lightroom! I was so happy and finished writing up that blog, and I’ll have that go live Wednesday!
I made some vegan & gluten-free peanut butter chocolate chip cookies! I want to perfect the recipe a bit more (thinking coconut oil will do the trick), and then I’ll share that recipe with you all. They were delicious, but I want to work on the texture 😊
Kyle made dinner for us last night, and we ended our evening watching American Idol. I’m so happy it’s back because it’s our favorite Sunday tradition. I don’t crave chicken wings, but Kyle is the ULTIMATE at making them. I still need him to write out his recipe for the blog.
It’s time for me to head out on a dog walk before the rain starts and get back in with some coffee and catch up on emails and your comments! Have an incredible week, and I’ll catch up with you in the next blog post!
Questions for you!
- Do you ever find yourself trying to tackle too many things at once?
- What Spring activity are you most looking forward to?
- Describe your weekend in one word.
Oh yes!
I currently have way too many things going on but I think that is normal when moving.
We are downsizing so much rt now and simplifying our lives as well as our belongings.
We are going to live as nomads in an RV for a while. The first three months we will be at an RV resort close to where we currently live so our two young children can finish their school year.
Then we are hitting the road along the West coast kind of zigzagging from So.Cal. to Arizona, to Nevada, then back to central Cali, then North California all through Oregon, Washington and finally North Idaho.
We aren’t sure where we want to settle from there… It’s just really exciting to have new adventures after two decades in Southern California.
In spring I am definitely looking forward to getting my health back on track and living and enjoying the outdoors more.
It is sad to say goodbye to all our friends and neighbors. So I try my best to focus on what is ahead and that makes me happier.
I grew up in the mountains of Truckee North Tahoe, California so I miss the outdoors a lot.
What dream come true to build your home. I enjoy your posts even if I don’t always leave comments, thank you for sharing your food and life adventures, you always inspire me!
Hi, Kristina!
Oh, for sure!! & with you downsizing, I’m sure it’s hard mentally and physically.
I think that it is going to be the coolest adventure with your family. It’s one many people dream of doing but never do it. I hope you come back and share your journey with me because I just think that’s amazing and very inspiring.
I’m sure growing up in Tahoe gave you that natural outdoorsy and adventurous attitude! That is awesome
xo xo thanks for stopping by to read and comment!
oh gosh I know that well– having to make yourself get out of the house. We moved 6 months ago and I made myself make an account on bumbleBFF last weekend to try to meet people, because if it were up to me, I’d never leave the house, lol. I’m not much for beer or anything, so it can be tough to go out and meet people when that’s a big thing in my area.
I’ve (thankfully) gotten to be a lot better about not overloading my plate in terms of things I need to do, but on Saturday, I had a whole day set out for myself, as my husband was doing car stuff all day, and after a long run, I was just toast. And that’s alright! 🙂
My weekend in one word: active! As it gets to be warmer, though, we’re definitely going to be spending a lot of time hiking! I’m hoping to camp more often, but we’ll see what happens.
Hi, Krista!
I can totally relate to that! lol Good for you for making yourself get out there though!
That is what Saturdays are for!
Ahhh hiking sounds so good right now.
Your house is looking great! I’m excited to see all of your progress photos. Will you be decorating the inside with new furniture?
Yes!! Some old and some new!
Congrats on getting your closing date! That is so exciting! 🙂 I just love seeing the progress on your beautiful house!
Do you think you will continue ordering HelloFresh? My boyfriend and I’ve been ordering meals from there for about 6 months now and all in all I think it is a great concept!
Thanks, Nadine!
I will definitely order from there when I don’t feel like cooking for one week or if the menu looks good! I am going to try a few other meal services to compare! 😃
All the time. My husband is constantly telling me to relax and I never listen to him–one day, after doing way too much in the span of a couple hours and starting on the dishes even though he said he’d do them, he stormed into the kitchen and shut the light off so I couldn’t see the dishes. I think he got his point across!
Hiking in the woods with my dog–I still go in the winter, but it’ll be so much better in sunshine and warmth.
Cold. But I am in Chicago!
Have you ever tried the NadaMoo organic non-dairy ice cream? It’s super-good! For the past five months, I’ve eliminated gluten and dairy to try and help with some thyroid issues I’ve been having, but I think I will probably keep it up even if I get better; it’s a lot easier than people would think. I appreciate your recipes even more now!
Hi, Breeanna!
HAHAHA that is so funny 😂
Ohhh yes to that! I can’t wait to do that this summer!
I have tried it! 😊 really good!!
I just wanted to say that I look forward to your recap posts so much! Highlight of my day when I get to read them while sipping coffee to start the week.
Awwww thank you so much, Katie!!
1. Do you ever find yourself trying to tackle too many things at once? EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! Oh man I’m horrible about this!
2. What Spring activity are you most looking forward to? Just being outside in general!
3. Describe your weekend in one word. Incredible
So exciting to see all of your house stuff come together!
Hahaha, same girl!!
LOVE hearing you had an incredible weekend! 😃
& thank you!!
Hey Taralynn!
I’ve been reading your blog faithfully for the last 4 or so years and I recently wanted to give a go at intuitive eating after suffering from restriction and food anxiety for years. I remembered you had a post a few years ago about intuitive eating and I ended up getting the book in that you recommended and have been reading it! I really like it so far, but I would love to see an updated blog post on what intuitive eating looks like for you after a few years of practice. I’m a very very healthy weight and exercise about 6-7 days a week but I can’t seem to kick the leftovers of diet culture that still stick in my brain. Anyway, just a note to say that’s a post I’d love to see! I’m a big fan of the blog and especially the recaps
Hi, Sarah!
Congrats on taking those steps towards eating intuitively. I know it can definitely be tough!
I don’t think I’ll be doing a blog post on intuitive eating or anything like that for a while, but I’m in a place where my eating has been extremely NORMAL for the first time in my entire life. I think a lot of that has to do with seeing a therapist consistently for a few years, removing myself from ALL fitness for a while, and leaning towards new hobbies.
My headspace right now is really a “who cares if I gain weight” and “eat as healthy as a can, but anything I want if I want it” and it took me a while to get there. You can’t eat intuitively if your brain is still caught up in looking a certain way or working out too much to achieve it. I’d definitely think about talking to a professional because t’s the only thing that truly helped me.
I am queen of trying to do too many things at once! My husband says I don’t know how to relax lol.
I’m most looking forward to planting my vegetable/fruit garden. Last year was my first attempt and aside from some strawberries and grape tomatoes it was kind of a dud. Hoping to make some improvements based on what I learned from last year.
My weekend word would be, Productive! Got a lot of yardwork done and helped my friend get some things prepped for her wedding.
Woo! Love productive weekends!
Hahaha my dad always said that to my mom when I was growing up!
& a fruit/veggie garden sounds amazing!
So I’ve never built a house before but why can’t you just get the cabinet pulls you want installed now? Why do you have to wait?
We’d have to pay for a change order and it’s cheaper to just wait and install them when we move in.
I’m so glad I finally had time to sit down and read your blog! I’ve been reading for about 5.5 years now and it’s one of my favorite ways to relax. Lately I’ve been super busy with grad school, rushing to try and get things done on time, and feeling slightly annoyed, and a little bit jealous honestly, that nothing in my life was moving as quickly as I wanted. Can you tell I’m impatient? 😹
I started with your Valentine’s Day post and read through to the most recent and I feel so much better. I love hearing that slowing down the wedding planning and house selling has resulted in less stress for y’all and more living in the moment. It’s a great reminder, and reality check to me, that the experience is the important part, not how quickly it happens.
I’m so glad you’ve kept blogging. I definitely needed to read this today and get a reminder that slowing down can or revising plans can actually turn out better.
Hi, Emma!
I totally get the impatient moments in life! But… sometimes I wish time would honestly slow down! It’s awesome you’re in grad school, you’ll be finished before you know it!
Thank you for your kindness. Definitely happy we aren’t stressed about it now!
Hi Taralynn, great recap! your house painting is so cute, cannot wait to see how your garden turns out, Question, are you going to do a wild flower patch in your garden? along with all the other plants (roses etc) you are putting in. Its so amzing how fast they are getting you house build and finished, also i think you made the right decision with changing the cabinet handles.
I am forever trying to tackle to many things at once, on top of work I am currently, trying to reno my house, organise a car show for next year and trying to get my health back on track.
Its odd to think you are heading into spring and I am heading into winter, so the winter activity I am most looking forward to is hiking the Tongariro Alpine Crossing with all my CrossFit friends, its going to be cold but a once in a life time experience.
My weekend in one word: Lazy, with work so busy, and having to make a big life decision last Friday, I just needed to chill out and only walk my dogs.
Have a great week!
Hi, Harriet!
I’ve always been fascinated with planting wildflowers from the seeds and seeing which flowers pop up. There’s a huge hill behind our house that leads down to a creek, so I was thinking about doing some wildflowers down there like poppies, zinnias, and a few others that aren’t invasive and that are native to the area!
I feel like you’re always doing the coolest things, and you were born to multi-task! How’s your reno going?
Sometimes you just need a lazy weekend! Good for you for taking it! xo xo
Those types of wild flower will look incredible on the hill, they will also make great photo back ground and blog content. honestly my reno is taking forever, I am past the stage of doing it all myself, so I am waiting on our painting staff to finish off there jobs then going to put them on my place to get it finished off before winter.
It’ll all be so worth it when it’s finished!
Hi Taralynn!
I agree with you about being social – for me it happens a lot since my boyfriend and I moved in to a new apartment. We love to cuddle on the coach and sometimes it costs us to go out and meet people haha 😀
But once I am out, I feel great because I actually love talking to people and visiting new places 🙂
What I miss the most about Spring are our weekend trips to Costa Brava. I can’t wait for April 🙂 It’s really relaxing for me to drive along the sea and just breathe the air.
My weekend in one word: romantic 🙂
Congrats on getting your closing date! I can’t wait to see the final effect 🙂
Hi, Milena!
Yes, I think that’s such a normal thing for people to go through. But once you’re out, it’s so fun.
Ohhhhh gosh, I bet that’s a gorgeous scenery!
Awwwww love that 🌹
Thank you, we are so excited!
My weekend in one word? Wet. The UK has had 3 winter storms back-to-back this month.
Oh no!
We’re getting that weather this week!
I’m definitely always trying to do too much at once – it’s overwhelming! I can’t wait for the warmer weather too… but not looking forward to the humidity, ugh! ❤️✨
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
Hi, Charmaine!
I fee ya, girl! The humidity is rough!!
I am the queen of trying to take on too many things at once! Currently I have a full-time job, a part-time job, full-time graduate school, and a husband and toddler. Oh, and I’m training for a 30K! I’ve found that for me to stay on top of it all self-care and some quiet time for myself is super important! I like to get to work early and reflect before clocking in, and taking time to read your blog and just relax is one of the things I look forward to in my week.
I’m mainly looking forward to spending more time running outside in the good weather, and getting my veggie garden up and running!
Hi, Dorothy!
WOW, you really are doing a lot! but good for you!!
love that you come here as a part of your relaxing 💜
Can’t wait to hear about your garden!
Can you link your cabinet pulls please? I’m looking for similar ones for my home as well!
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Liberty-Square-3-3-4-in-96mm-Center-to-Center-Matte-Black-Bar-Pull-P37280C-FB-CP/301379371?MERCH=REC-_-pipsem-_-307791098-_-301379371-_-N
Here you go!
Hahaha I am the queen of tackling too many things at once 😂 I most recently managed to move from Oregon to Illinois, host my family’s Christmas party (will still not fully unpacked), continue wedding planning, and start a new job all at the same time. It has been a wild 2 months or so! So I feel ya haha
But oh my gosh I am so excited for you!!! April will be here in no time 🙂
Hope your week is going well so far <3
I mean, if anyone can handle it, IT’S YOU! 😉
ohhhh cannot wait for it!!