Well here it is: my sixth and final 2020 gift guide. This one is for the guys and includes all the goodies fit for the men in our lives.

OK, folks- here it is. The highly requested gift guide for the hostess. And truly, this might be one of my favorites yet.

These little gifts would be the perfect way to spread a little love to the hosts and hostesses in our lives this year- whether in person or virtually, I’ve got you covered.

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend and is excited for the fresh week ahead. We took it easy over here at the Matkovic house - we moved slow, enjoyed the Charleston sunshine, and got a few things done around the house. It was just the speed we needed to refresh before the holidays are officially here.

You guys- nothing makes me happier than to report that I am typing this blog post from the comfort of my new desk chair, at my new desk in my home office. Ah, the tiny victories of 2020 that keep us all going.

In today’s gift guide I’m sharing some of my picks for the little kiddos in our lives- most of which I have on my list for our Lila Lee:

It’s here folks: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year.

And I’m not sure about you, but I’ve been looking forward to it since early March. In fact, if you follow along on Instagram you might recall we had not one, but two {much needed} impromptu “Christmas” celebrations earlier this year to lift our spirits during quarantine. Nothing like a little fir tree, red and green garland, matching family PJs and a Christmas puzzle to put a smile on your face.

Hey, y’all! Happy Monday!

Hope everyone had a beautiful weekend and that your weeks are off to a great start! Ours got off to a very early start today, but LL is giving me a much needed nap time right now, so I have a few minutes to share my fourth installment of my 2020 gift guides: Stocking Stuffers. This list has a few inexpensive trinkets to fill your stockings with for all ages.

Well, we made it to Friday, folks!

And I don’t think there’s ever been a more deserved weekend.
This weekend I’ll be continuing the birthday celebration with a little dinner with friends and I can’t wait for some much needed laughter, cheers and delicious food.

For the last few years my extended family and a group of close friends have replaced traditional gifts with eachother for one big, good old fashion game of Secret Santa. We typically organize it through the site, Elfster- it’s super easy to use and organize everyone’s wishlists; and then swap gifts at an annual Christmas Eve dinner we would have at our favorite Connecticut restaurant.

Happy Friday!

I hope everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends, yummy food and great wine. Today is Black Friday, meaning lots of sales- and I’ll be sharing some of my picks over on my Instagram stories throughout the weekend.

Today’s gift guide is for the boys. And it’s heavily based on the tastes of my other half. He’s an outdoorsy type- one that loves building fires, rugged plaids, LL Bean and a nice whiskey in the winter.

I'm the kind of person that always has a box of cake mix in the pantry. And generally speaking, this is something I'm not super proud of. I'd much rather be the kind of person that whips up a cake from scratch on the rare occasion a home-baked cake is needed; or the kind of person that didn't crave cake; or the kind of person that doesn't eat most of said cake in one sitting; or some combination of the three.

But being that I'm not, I had a box on hand yesterday. And on that cold and very rainy day, when my daughter was on a nap strike and happened to be fighting a cold- I've never been happier to be that kind of person.

A few weeks ago I shared a few tips from the pros to the make the most out of your family holiday photo shoot {here}.

As I mentioned, our session with Candy Shop Photography took place in our local park- in the very spot I grew up taking my family photos. Maddie had a blast, as usual- laughing, running, and being her usual goofy self. And dad and Henry were total troopers {and dreamboats, to boot}. As you may have noticed from my distinct absence from most of my frames here and on Instagram, I'm a little camera shy- so I definitely had a few butterflies in my stomach over this year's shoot. Especially because it was at 8am, making it wholly inappropriate to have a helpful mimosa or two. To be honest, last year's was a hair before sunset, so it was a totally different story.

Yes, I know: it's not yet Halloween and I'm posting pics all red and green. But the most wonderful time of year is so close I can taste it; and it's never too early to invest in a little holiday cheer. Particularly when it's spotted on adorable baby bums. And I fell so in love with these itty bitty bloomers from Monogram Mary that I just couldn't wait to share. They're the perfect addition to any festive dress- each one customized to suit your fancy. From whimsical to classic, she creates the perfect accent for any occasion.

Admittedly, it's been quite a while since I've baked something, seeing as my arms have been wrapped around my little nugget more often than not. But now that Maddie has become quite the rugrat, it's left me with a bit more free time and at least one extra hand to get back to the kitchen- just in time for some seasonal sweets.

These two have my whole heart, no doubt about it. The past six months with our little family have been the best of my life- full of joy, laughter, smiles, and many lessons learned.