I graduated from college in 2007, at the ripe-old age of 23. I had a handsome boyfriend, parents that still provided a roof over my head, and I drove a BMW all the way from Atlanta to Santa Barbara- where I would live beach side for the next several years. I was young, carefree, and just a bit cocky; and I was blindly ignorant to the abyss of uncertainty the next few years would bring.

The pleasantly sunny, crisp weather lasted nearly mid-way through February, making me hopeful we would get through winter unscathed. But, sadly, the cold arrived the past few days- confining us to the coziness of our homes all holiday weekend long.

Luckily, we have a trip back to California to look forward to on these bitter cold days- only a week or so to go until MM boards her first flight, and to Mema's house we will go!

I've been having serious withdrawals lately- my mama + sister are on the last leg of an incredible but way too long trip around the world, while my other sister has been back in California since the holidays. And I miss them terribly.

I've fallen off the healthy bandwagon this winter. I really enjoyed the holidays and football season through my taste buds- and it was delicious. Now, in hopes of pulling it together, I've taken to the web to find some healthy and simple mommy recipes.

We decided to marry in a church. The Catholic Church we both grew up attending; the one my husband's parents were so involved with; where we were both baptized, and then our daughter after us. A beautiful, sentimental location for both of us; but it came at a few creative costs...

It's like I woke up one day and this chickadee became a little girl overnight. I know she's still a baby, not yet eight months old, but she's becoming a little human more and more every day...

Oh, how life is different with offspring. I've written a lot about the transformation from party of two to party of three- how it has redefined certain words for me, and how the transition into motherhood was so incredible I could never have prepared.  And the journey continues. Almost eight months in, and I'm learning every single day. I can't say it always gets easier, but it certainly stays interesting and full of so much joy. Here are a few things I've learned so far...

After three days of being spoiled rotten by beautiful springtime weather and lots of happy walks outside, the rain clouds descended; humbling us and leaving mom scratching her head to find an activity. Lucky for us, my other half is a "doer"- the kind of guy that is chock full of ideas and always wants to be on the go. His suggestion? Take the babe to the aquarium!

Have you heard? My little Maddie Mae has been teething- for what feels like her entire 7-plus months on this earth. Her first two came in super early- by month three- meaning she's been rocking the bib-look for about four months now.

Recently this photo showed up in my FB feed- the number "4" tattoo I got with my sister four years ago.

My husband will tell you the tattoo was for him- that it commemorates his lacrosse number, despite the fact that it predates my knowledge of his very existence.

Instead, this one was for the girls- for my mama, two sisters and myself. Four very different ladies that love each other fiercely and unconditionally no matter where we are in the world.

Oh, hey February. So happy to be here. And what better way to kick off the month of love than with my very first giveway? Woot Woot. I'm so happy to be hosting with some of my favorite ladies to give one lovely reader this adorable Valentine's Day gift for mama and her little.

T.G.I.F: Looking forward to the weekend ahead- a combination of some mommy time and a girls' night out, mixed with maddie's second swim class and hopefully some lazy family mornings in bed. I haven't gone out much sans Maddie in the last eight months, but I always feel like my tank is a little more full after a carefree night with good friends.

When your PJs match your mood: These Roberta Roller Rabbit pieces are giving me all the heart eyes. MM is a Roberta fan- having worn her onesies and swaddles since day one. So when I found a super cute pair of matching mama-jammies, I couldn't resist.  Perfect for lazy snowed-in mornings curled up with MM and a cup of Joe, I see these hearts getting a lot of use in the near future.

Truth: I've never been big on Valentine's Day. In fact, I'm not even sure if my husband and I have really ever celebrated the holiday. That being said, I was having severe holiday-withdrawals in the weeks following Christmas- left full of cheer, with nowhere to place it. With the decorations all put away and peppermint-laden baking no longer acceptable, I started to explore my options.

Before I had MM, I really wasn't a fan of all the primary-colored plastic toys out there.  Aesthetically, they're pretty hard to look at, and at the time, there was something super cheesy about them to me. I think I had envisioned an earthy, neutral-toned playroom filled with wooden toys a la Melissa + Doug.

Winter Storm Jonas, so nice to have met you.  You gave us an excuse to spend the day by the fire- to catch up on our worst DVR'd Bravo, in our comfiest of sweats.  You had Maddie mesmerized.  You gave Henry a challenge.  You finally gave us a taste of Winter.  You somehow made it feel like Christmas again- as we cuddled up all day as a family.