My friends are starting to turn 30 which definitely is a reason for a celebration (not that I need one!) and recently we celebrated two of my very best friend's birthdays. Instead of dinner, we switched it up and I hosted a birthday brunch!

Often when people think of entertaining or hosting an event their mind automatically goes to dinner parties and evening cocktail parties. While I love hosting dinner parties, what about switching things up and hosting a boozy brunch complete with a Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar?  Here is everything you need to pull one together really quickly!

Items Needed:

• Champagne- Duh. Can't have mimosas without champagne! I stored ours in a cute tub (link here)
• Variety of Juice- I always like to have the typical orange juice then a few other varieites- orange & pinapple, grapefruit, etc.
• Fruit for topping- strawberries, blueberries, rasberries, etc.
• Vodka- My favorite is Tito's!
• Bloody Mary Mix- I usually just buy Zing Zang
• Bloody Mary Mix-ins- Bacon, Pickles, Olives, Celery
• Cute Straws
• Assortment of Pitchers- I like to use glass so guests can see the pretty color of the juice! (Example here and here)
• Tags- Helpful to label each separate juice so guests know what they are
• Ice- last but not least, nobody wants a warm drink :)
  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

  

  
  

I purchased the 30 balloons at a local party supply store but here in Kansas City but you can find them on amazon here!

For breakfast I searched a couple varieties of quiches and I will share my recipe soon!

Cheers!

Jenny 

Apple Picking in Weston

Fall is right around the corner! The humid mornings are starting to be replaced by mornings with crisp and cool air. While it is still low 80’s here in Kansas City, the temperature are already starting the drop.

One of my goals on this blog is to showcase things to do around Kansas City whether it be restaurants, shopping areas, fun boutiques, or ideas for a quick day trip. Kansas City is such a stunning and growing city and has so much to offer and I want to take you along as we continue to take advantage of all it has to offer! First up, is a fun day trip- Weston, MO!

Over Labor Day weekend my family and I headed to Weston, MO for some good ole fashioned fall fun. We spent the morning apple picking at the Historic Weston Orchard & Vineyard. There were rows and rows of apples and my nieces had so much fun going through and picking out their own apples! They also offered hay rides through the grounds which looked fun. Under their tent you could also buy different jams, jellies, apple butters, etc. We purchased some jalapeno jam and I can’t wait to make some fresh biscuits so we can try out the jam.

 I also came home with a whole basket full of apples so now I’m debating between making an apple pie or apple crisp? Decisions, decisions…

 After apple picking we went to the Red Barn Farm for apple slushes and to see all of their animals.  They had horses, chickens, sheep, pigs and stunning views. Their Farm Market also had really cute home décor items and fun kitchen items. Even though it was early September they already had all of their pumpkins out so I had to stock up on my favorite cute little white pumpkins- a staple in my fall decorating.

 Being on the farm around all the animals always brings back such fond memories for me of growing up on a farm in western Kansas. It was fun to be able to see my nieces interact with all of the animals and see the joy on their face.

 We finished up the day with pizza in downtown Weston, MO which is the cutest little downtown area.

All in all it was such a fun family day and a great way to kick off the fall season!

Five On Friday- Sweet Summer

Happy Friday!! I hope you have all had a great summer. I can't believe we are already past Labor Day and summer is coming to an end. Let me apologize for going dark on you all, I promised new content this year and then went radio silent. Blogging and I have a complicated relationship. It provides me with a creative outlet but is also the first thing I put on the back burner when times get busy. 

I had a quiet Labor day weekend at home though while my husband was out of town and I spent a lot of time brainstorming for the upcoming months so stay tuned for more content! Until then, here is a five-on-Friday to catch you up to speed on our summer!

ONE. In June we attended a wedding in McMinnville, OR and had the opportunity to go out a few days early to explore the area. It was STUNNING! The weather was cool and refreshing and the scenery was just unreal. Definitely will be on my list of places to return to when we have some more time to spend. 

TWO. Farmer's Markets. One of my favorite ways to spend a Saturday morning is easing into the day with coffee on the deck then heading to one of our local farmer's markets. We are lucky that we have quite a few close to us and I have been trying to take full advantage. 

I also ordered these Debbie Meyer GreenBags to help keep my produce fresh longer and they really work! 

THREE. I turned our breakfast nook into a "coffee bar" room and also storage for our serving dishes and I am really happy with how it turned out. It was one of the rooms I really didn't know what to do with, but it's one of my favorite little nooks now! I've been trying to make specialty coffee at home now and cut down on my Starbucks runs :) 

FOUR. I welcomed in my 29th year! My husband always spoils me on my birthday and if you live in Kansas City and haven't been to Cafe Providence, I HIGHLY recommend it. I love French food and this probably now is my favorite restaurant in KC. 

FIVE. This one is maybe the most exciting, meet our new four legged son, Chief! He is a golden retriever pup and is now 10 weeks old! He is just the cutest thing but is quite the rascal. He has been keeping us busy and up at night! 

SIX. I know it's "five-on-Friday" but I found this "Pumpkin Spice Everything" tank at Target this past weekend and you need to get it before its gone! I love their graphic tanks, they are perfect for lounging, working out, and I think this one will be cute with a cozy sweater this fall! 

I hope you all had a great summer!

XOXO, Jenny 

Dear 2017

(Link here for full outfit details)

There is something about January that always excites me. The start of a new year, a blank slate, a new chapter. The motivation of new goals, new aspirations and a full 365 days to make the most of. 

There is always a sort of nostalgia that hits me too. Another year has passed by, and another one is upon us that will flash by even quicker. 

I know some people don't believe in resolutions, and I do agree with them to an extent. I believe that you don't need a reason to start over, or make a change, why not start now? However, I do like the idea of re-evaluating the last year and setting some concrete aspirations to make the next year even better.

So for me, I am aiming for the following:

Continue to focus on health and wellness. This is always my biggest goal. I consider myself to be a fairly healthy and active individual but my goal for this year is to focus on eating real, whole foods and less processed/ convenient foods and to be active everyday. My mom always told me I only get one body and I better take care of it. So this year, I want to continue to learn more about the foods I am putting in my body and where they come from. I want to focus on making things at home from scratch versus buying processed items filled with chemicals. 

A steady morning routine. This ties to health and wellness but I want to settle into a morning routine of waking up slowly, enjoying a morning workout & meditation, then preparing a healthy breakfast all before I check my e-mail and mindlessly scroll through social media. I deserve to give myself that time to focus on me before tackling the to do's of the day.

Be present and enjoy each and every moment. It is far too easy to be walking through each day heads down staring at my phone or worrying about something in the future. This year, I want to focus on being present. I want to talk to strangers at the coffee shop instead of blankly staring at my phone. I want to enjoy dinners out without documenting everything on social media. I want to fully soak in each and every moment, and  try to always remind myself to take it day by day. 

Saying no to be able to say yes more, without having to give an excuse. This is a hard one for me and always seems to make the list. I have a tendency to overcommit and overextend myself as to not disappoint anyone. What happens though is that I end up  frazzled and only being about to give a part of my attention, my time, and my focus to numerous things. So my goal for this year is to learn to say no without feeling guilty and feeling the need to have an excuse. 

I will keep you updated as the year progresses but 2017, I have a feeling you are going to be a good one. 

What are all of your resolutions?? I would love to hear!

XOXO,

Jenny