• Tiger-striped shortbread cookies

    tiger-striped shortbread cookies

    Looking for the cutest-ever tiger-striped shortbread cookies for the next Bengals game? I’ve got you. These cookies look impressive but are actually super easy. You make the dough ahead of time, refrigerate, and then slice and bake! Once the cookies are baked, you just melt some chocolate chips, dip the cookies in it, and add […]

  • Tips for flying with a baby

    flying with baby

    The first time we flew with Arabella, she was only 3 months old, and I had no idea what to expect. I probably Googled every possible version of “flying with a baby,” “flying with an infant” and “traveling with baby,” and I read a ridiculous amount of tips and suggestions. I did similar searches again […]

  • Yam spice superhero muffins and a giveaway!

    yam spice superhero muffins

    Today I have an awesome, healthy recipe for you AND a cookbook giveaway! The recipe is for yam spice superhero muffins, and it’s from the brand-new cookbook: Rise & Run. (As you can probably guess, that’s the cookbook I’m giving away.) Those of you who have been around for a while probably know that 1. […]

  • Oh Twodles birthday party

    Oh Twodles birthday party

    Long before Arabella turned two, a Disney-loving friend of mine posted photos of her son’s “Oh Twodles” Mickey Mouse-themed birthday party, and I thought it was genius. (For those who don’t know, Mickey and friends all say “Oh Toodles” several times per episode on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, summoning a magical helper thingy). And since Arabella […]

  • What it’s like to do an OCONUS PCS during a pandemic

    OCONUS PCS during a pandemic

    Moving halfway across the globe is never easy. But add in a global pandemic, a stop movement order, local travel restrictions, and children, and a permanent change of station move outside the continental United States becomes pretty overwhelming. In 13 years as a Marine Corps spouse, I’ve been through more than my share of moves; […]

  • Valentine tea

    Valentine tea | Marshmallows & Margaritas

    It’s almost Valentine’s Day! And most of us are still stuck at home. So why not celebrate the day of love with a Valentine tea? I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before, but I always have a planned menu for various parties or events… and I almost always end up not making at least […]

  • Mad for Plaid

    mad for plaid

    Maybe it’s because I was a teenager in the 90s, but I’ve always been a sucker for plaid. So when I was looking for matching family outfits for our Christmas card photos, I gravitated toward all the tartans. I meant to share these sooner, but the cards themselves didn’t even show up in my mailbox […]

  • Christmas tea at home

    Christmas tea menu

    How long do you leave your Christmas decorations up? I always like to leave mine up past New Year’s anyway, but this year in particular I think we need as much cheer as we can get, so we may not take everything down until mid-January. If you’re still in a celebratory mood, but don’t want […]

  • Gingerbread scones

    gingerbread scones

    Christmas may be over, but peppermint and gingerbread season is still in full swing, and that means it’s time for some gingerbread scones! I started working on this scone recipe just after Thanksgiving, when I planned a Christmas tea/birthday party for my mother-in-law, Jane. The overall tea was great and we liked the scones, but […]

  • Festive Christmas clothes

    festive Christmas clothes for women

    Christmas this year is going to look a lot different for many of us, and as someone who has spent a lot of holidays away from my family (even before I became a military spouse), I know that can be hard. It’s especially challenging if you can’t get together with friends who feel like family. […]