AUBREY KINCH

written November 2019

We spent the first half of this week in Rocky Point, Mexico (Puerto Penacso) as it's one of our favorite places to escape to. We live in Arizona and this is essentially "Arizona's beach" being a 4 hour drive away. I had a lot of DM's when I shared we were headed down for a few days both of excitement from local AZ friends who go and others from people thinking we're crazy for visiting because they felt it was dangerous.

A little back story, I've been vacationing here since I was little and my parents have been since they were dating. I grew up with this being a regular place to get away to and when Andrew and I got married, it morphed into being somewhere we chose to go for trips, too. When coming down often, you actually get close to and get to know the community and people there since you visit the same places regularly.

Because a lot of the same questions come up often when we visit, I thought it would be good to pull those FAQs and have a hub for them to reference for people!

What documents do you need for traveling to Mexico since you drive?

Anyone who is 16 years or older will need a passport to travel across the border and back. With the kids, we take a photo copy of their birth certificates and that's all required for them but when Drake is 16, he will need a passport to be able to enter and exit the country.

What are your favorite places to visit?

Where do you normally stay?

When we do a condo, we stay at Sonoran Sky. It's a beautiful resort that has a few pools, kid friendly, right on the beach and the rooms are perfect. They are set up with their own kitchen, laundry rooms, bedrooms and all so we bring food down with us so we eliminate eating out quite a bit and save money.

Is there a lot to do down there?

Relaxing!! I know some people love to adventure and do lots on vacations but we like to chill, relax, do nothing and have no agenda which is why we enjoy Rocky Point. Everything is slower paced and we don't actually make plans aside from where we're eating and if we're doing the beach or the resort pool. They do have ATVs to rent and parasailing... but we've never done that.

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!

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

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!