wallpaper | desk | chairs | diffuser | cake stand

My husband is the sweetest. A couple weeks ago when I was looking at wallpapers for our office he made the comment that I'm the one in there the most and I should decorate and choose as I please. We share this space and while he is in here, it's not a ton so when he said that, I was pumped to be able to get exactly what I envisioned!

I love working. My job is the greatest and being able to have the designated space and a space I like to be in is even better. We had a custom desk built from our friend Mike at Dec1Designs and it anchors the whole wall so I went with the Vintage Peonies Wallpaper from Anewall. I was torn between this and this lighter wallpaper, but because we've not done a dark, bold wall, I went with it!

Our wall was a custom size so they made the mural to our dimensions and it shipped right away. They have three different options of finish you can choose from - traditional wallpaper, pre-pasted wallpaper and self-adhering vinyl. We went with the latter because we've used vinyl on our textured walls before and had good experiences with it. It's not recommended to use their products on textured walls but rather smooth surfaces as the texture can create air bubbles that expand. That said, you know I went with it regardless - best judgment here, friends!

I am linking as much as I can above and as we get things finished up in the whole room, I'll be back and sharing again! I need to shop and style a shelving unit, D1D is making a console table and oversized cork board for me and then a rug to top it off!

Happy Tuesday, friends.

photos by Jenna Wilkes Photography

That's a wrap!! We took our family pictures early this year to be able to check it off the list and it was a relief getting them all back to sort through and pick our Christmas card. You might have seen the debate here and I'm happy to say, they've been ordered and delivered and I'll share our final selection very soon!

Our photographer, Jenna, worked with Andrew at Discount Direct before he left and she's been our go-to for a few years now. The kids love her, she has such an eye and does amazing work with our natural, AZ desert! Plus, her galley she sends always has a slew of images so I have plenty to choose from. Girl knows I like options!

While Emery and Hollyn's dresses are both past seasons, I've linked below my dress, the guy's tops and some fun options for you planning for this holiday session and getting updated photos. Also, check out this post for some tips on coordinating for pictures!

use code CHEER19 thru Monday, October 21 for 10% off your holiday order with Minted!

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We got our pictures back from our photographer for our 2019 family session which means it's time to pick our Christmas cards! I always have the hardest time deciding and one year I even picked a few and then everyone got a different card in the mail. That was actually really fun and cool seeing different ones at friends and family houses during the holiday season.

This time, I have 9 favorites and am sitting on it about a week before I finally pick. If this was your card, which would you pick to send? The back we normally add a whole block of a yearly update but Minted has templates to add even more pictures, a cute pattern to match or something to tailor for you and your desires. We use them every year and love the variety they provide.

I'll be back later in the week to share our family pictures in a photo dump and some tips for shooting family photos. In the meantime, here is a post from last year with some tips that may be helpful as you plan your next session!

Happy Wednesday, friends.

xx

Friday we went up north for the afternoon and did the pumpkin patch. Would you believe me if I told you we've never done this before? This is actually our first year doing this and while it always seems so daunting in my mind - we had a great time! It was the kids and I with some friends so daddy missed out while he was working this time but I know it will be part of our annual Fall Festivities each year to come. We have our Fall Bucket List from this post printed and we can finally check this off the list! Woohoo!!

We also celebrated Drake's 14th birthday this weekend and that just makes me feel so old. We will have an 18 year old in 4 years and that seems so close to now. He is such a special boy and someone I hold so dear to my heart. I couldn't be more proud of this son of mine.

Today we're making these pumpkin bars while my nephew is here playing and we did cinnamon rolls yesterday for Drake's birthday request. Check them out for some fun baking for your home!! Hope you all had a great weekend, too!

sweatshirt - The Ever Co | leggings - Lululemon Align (I wear size 8 in these) | sneaks - Nordstrom | hat - Nordstrom | sunglasses - Amazon

This is not a drill! It's that time and most people already have all the fall goodies out on their porches, decked in their homes and planning all the fun Halloween and Fall activities. Us Arizona people though... not quite. I can't seem to get in that head space until it's cooled down so give me another month and I'll catch up! But because lots of other friends around the country are digging into the festive and cozy vibes Fall brings, here's a fun bucket list we curated for making the most of this season!

Now cheers to all things Fall, Festive, Fun and Cozy! I'll be joining in on these things with you very soon!

xx,

Aubrey

We love this recipe! It was given to us when we had Emery and it's on heavy rotation when we're meal planning and cooking so when we have friends or family who need served and loved on with a meal, it's a go-to for us. Give it a try with a margarita on the side and I promise you'll love it!

INGREDIENTS —

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 packet dry ranch seasoning

1tsp cayenne pepper

1tsp garlic salt

1/4c olive oil

1 cup mild salsa verde

1/2c ranch dressing

5-7 tortillas (I buy the frozen, uncooked pack from Costco)

1 pack Mexican style shredded cheese

DIRECTIONS —

Shred chicken in crock pot with 1/4 c olive oil, 1 packet dry ranch seasoning, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper to taste. I do on low for 6 hours.

Mix salsa verde and ranch dressing together in a bowl. Cook tortillas (if you have the frozen uncooked ones, as well).

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large casserole dish, spread salsa/ranch mixture across bottom of dish. Lay out all tortillas on counter to add inside ingredients. Spread salsa/ranch mixture to laid out tortillas, add a pinch of cheese, and a handful of cooked, shredded chicken. Roll up all tortillas and line the casserole dish. Once filled, pour salsa/ranch mixture over the top and sprinkle with cheese.

Cook for 30 minutes. Serve with sour cream, avocado and garnish with cilantro (optional on all the fixings).

ENJOY!

Have you been to in an indoor fun park before? I haven't ever taken the girls although they've been with family while Andrew and I have been out of town - this was our first time and we had a blast at Uptown Jungle! It's been so hot in Phoenix the last couple days so this was the perfect escape for 2 hours and wore the girls out. That's a complete parenting win.

I didn't really know what to expect but when we got there, we signed in, got some grip socks, placed our bags in a cubby and went straight for the trampolines. We had a trampoline at our old house so Emery knows the drill but Hollyn hasn't ever been on one so being a whole new experience, I was laughing so hard at how she "jumps". You have to watch the video! Since she was a little hesitant about the trampolines we spent a lot of time in the Toddler area which was much more her jam.

I'm not really a helicopter parent when it comes to stuff like this and I loved walking through and experiencing it all with them. Hanging, climbing, sliding, jumping - they keep asking to go back already. Can we also talk about how Emery was SO BRAVE and climbed the wall?! She is freaking fearless and it makes me so proud! She did two walls and was so pumped about it. I was so proud of her!

Since their birthdays are so close together and we do their party as one big event, I already told Andrew I think we should have it here. Our home has been feeling a little too tight for bigger gatherings and Uptown Jungle would be perfect to host a group of kiddos with a big range in ages. Again, parenting win!

Now that we've been and the girls won't stop talking about it, I saw they have specific days and times for discounted playing (even a special Homeschool slot!!) and I'm marking it in my calendar to take the girls the next few weeks while it's still too hot for parks outside in Arizona. Perfect way to spend some time running and getting all the wiggles out!

Thank you for hosting us, Uptown Jungle Peoria!