Category Archives: Katie Loves This

Katie Loves This: Edition 7

Welcome to February, friends!

Is January always 99 percent busier than you expect it to be? It is for our family.

Here are some favorites that we’ve been stockpiling since our last edition of Katie Loves This. What have you been swooning over since we chatted last?

One.
I seem to have an itch to buy a new pair of shoes and I’m loving these New Balance 420 Sneakers (Nordstrom, $70). I wear sneakers at least three days a week and I realized recently that all of mine are bright colors. A pair of black sneakers would be a nice addition. (However, I’ve vowed to not buy any more shoes until I Instagram-sell some of the ones I don’t wear. My shoe closets/baskets/under-the-bed storage containers are stuffed!)

Two.
Does anyone else already have summer on their mind? I certainly do. I’d love to build the kids somewhere to play in our backyard and have fallen in love with this design a million times over. I had pinned it three times, from three different websites, on my Outdoor Spaces Pinterest board and finally hunted down the original post on The Handmade Home. Which I’m now obsessed with via Instagram.

Three.
I’ve had the worst time finding a book to read since the new year. I’ve started and stopped reading a few books (including Lena Dunham’s, which I was just not that into, sadly), which I try very hard not to do. Last night, I started One Plus One by Jojo Moyes and it’s captured my attention. Have you read it?

Four.
Last, but certainly not least, I had to share this post from my lovely friend Nichole, who has also been my editor on-and-off for the past few years. This is her first post with mom.me, a site that I adore, and she nails it with her thoughts on keeping Valentine’s Day simple (SIMPLE!!!) and shares an easy way to do with her Failproof Valentine’s Day Treats.

Katie Loves This: Edition 1. October 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 2. October 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 3. November 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 4. November 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 5. November 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 6. January 2015.

Katie Loves This: Edition 6

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And… we’re back!

Happy new year! I hope that your holidays were as lovely as ours. We took some true time-off to relax, enjoy the kids and spend time with family. It was much-needed and I feel rejuvenated after some major December burnout.

I’m excited to work on some new things on bellingFAM this year and even more excited to bring back some of the things that I started working on when bellingFAM launched, almost a year ago now.

First up, back to Monday morning favorites with the latest edition of Katie Loves This.

One.
I don’t watch many YouTube channels, but this one, I love and I can’t help but recommend. Long Story Short with Megan and Wendy is kind of like having coffee with your best girlfriends. In fact, I’m pretty sure that I’ve had some of these same discussions with my mom friends. I have a subscription, so that it sends me an email when they post a new video. Super handy.

Two.
Every year, I have an idea of what I’m going to bring to Christmas Eve with our family and every year, I switch it up. As in, when I go to the grocery store that morning. I’m a hostess’s worst nightmare. I pulled up this Rosemary Cranberry Spread (via Pinterest for the pinners) which was easy and delicious and savory.

Three.
Mugs are hot right now. They’re the new graphic tees for 2015. You heard it here first. I received a mug from Ashley Brooke Designs for Christmas (thank you, AF!) and now I’m obsessed with her fun designs with witty sayings. I think her Hello Sunshine Mug is a cute gift, because if you’re like me, you have a million family and friend birthdays in January.

Four.
This was a Christmas favorite in our house, so I had to share it here. The kids received the L.L.Bean Kids’ Adventure Duffles and they’ve used them every single day. They’re not too big, making them the perfect size for the kids to carry on their own (even Everett!), but they hold quite a bit of stuff. Trust me, they’ve tested them out over winter break!

have something for me to love? send me an email! i’d love to hear about it! bellingFAM@gmail.com xxoo.

Katie Loves This: Edition 5

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Another Monday, friends! Did you have a good weekend? I spent it shopping in Seattle with eight buses packed full of 400 women. I can now officially serve mimosas in a moving bus without spilling. I think I’ll put that on my resume. Although, I did fall into the lap of one of the ladies, so, maybe I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.

Here are some favorites from the past week… What are you loving?

One.
I almost, almost bought these DV by Dolce Vita sneakers at Nordstrom this weekend, but I needed an 8-1/2 and they were going to have to order them for me, so I passed. But, I love them. A lot. Santa, are you listening?

Two.
These feather gift tags caught my eye on Pinterest and, as it turns out, they are a free printable from Love vs. Design. Confession: I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to gift wrapping ideas.

Three.
Do you shop at Trader Joe’s? I’m obsessed with their Pumpkin Cranberry Crisps and will happily eat an entire box in one sitting. (There isn’t THAT much in there, really.) I love them with a little goat cheese on top. Seriously. The entire bag. Yum.

Four.
I love this DIY Thanksgiving Table Runner. I spotted it on Pinterest and finally hunted down the original post on Spoonful of Imagination. Maybe we’ll get our own table runner started this year with the kiddos. Because that’s exactly what I need in the midst of cooking Thanksgiving dinner… kids with paint on their hands.

Katie Loves This: Edition 1. October 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 2. October 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 3. November 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 4. November 2014.

have something for me to love? send me an email! i’d love to hear about it! bellingFAM@gmail.com xxoo.

Katie Loves This: Edition 4

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Hello, there. Happy it’s-really-cold-out Monday! The weekend whizzed by, didn’t it? We were busy and recovering from colds and headed into a week that will make me BEG for Friday. Let’s get it started out with some favorites from the past week… What are you loving right now?

One.
I’m still mad at coco+kelley for making me like things from Chico’s. It’s so confusing. Because, this blouse. And, this vest. And, ohmygodstopit.

Two.
I have an entire Pinterest board dedicated to hair and with a cut and color on the horizon (much-needed, let me tell you!), I have this picture on my mind. What do you think? Too much? Not so short, for sure, but blunt and uber-bright… (Picture originally from & so it goes…)

Three.
Speaking of Pinterest, if you’re on there, you’ve probably been re-pinning all of these yummy, pretty recipe pins from Damn Delicious. I finally took the time to check it out from my computer, rather than my phone, and it’s sooo good. Dinner ideas galore!

Four.
In things that have surprised me this week news, I’m obsessed with Katherine Heigl’s Instagram account. I know that everyone says she’s a total bitch, but I think she looks like a lot of fun. And, like a great mama.

Katie Loves This: Edition 1. October 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 2. October 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 3. November 2014.

have something for me to love? send me an email! i’d love to hear about it! bellingFAM@gmail.com xxoo.

Katie Loves This: Edition 3

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I’m trying hard to think about anything outside of all of the caffeine I need pumped into my body this morning. Because, Halloween + weekend slumber parties + daylight savings time. Even my tired is tired. Here are some of my favorites that popped up last week… Enjoy!

One.
Can we get an “amen” for the fact that one of our favorite (local!) kids’ clothing brands, kate&jAMES just came out with their first thing for the mamas? Loving their Ello Love Women’s Pullover Raglan, which is currently taking pre-orders. Get one.

Two.
I’ve had this recipe for Mini Poppy Seed Ham Sandwiches on Hawaiian Sweet Rolls pinned on my Dinner Pinterest board for ages and we finally made them last week. They are GOOD. The kids weren’t into the mustard sauce, but you could easily just put it on half for the adults. A note: I did bake it for about 40-minutes, not 20-minutes, like the recipe indicates.

Three.
This article on EverydayFamily, Real Moms Dish on the Power of Mom Friends, was a favorite last week. Some of the moms featured (and the author!) are gals that I’ve written with around and about on different sites and I loved reading more about the mom friends in their lives.

Four.
For a laugh, you must add What Would Yeezus Wear to your Instagram account. You can’t get much better that this.

Katie Loves This: Edition 1. October 2014.
Katie Loves This: Edition 2. October 2014.

have something for me to love? send me an email! i’d love to hear about it! bellingFAM@gmail.com xxoo.

Katie Loves This: Edition 2

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The first edition of Katie Loves This was a hit! Thanks for emailing me some of your favorites, too. Look forward to featuring them! Here’s what I’m loving this week…

One.
The last time I made chili for dinner, it was lame. It was a basic recipe and it took a LOT of extras to make it taste like anything. Loving these chili recipes for fall from around blog-land. Hoping to find a new favorite.

Two.
This new Salted Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix from Not Without Salt. Enough said. Buy some for everyone you know. And then more for yourself.

Three.
Remember that family who did the Christmas jammies rap? They had a new song drop for Halloween, Kin and Moose: Gin and Juice Halloween Parody from the Holderness Family. Hilarious, as always.

Four.
The planner that I’ve been using since I was in college (that was a LONG TIME AGO) didn’t come back this year. This is the new version and I’m trying to get on board, but really, this paper calendar loving girl is in mourning.

Katie Loves This: Edition 1. October 2014.

have something for me to love? send me an email! i’d love to hear about it! bellingFAM@gmail.com xxoo.

Katie Loves This: Edition 1

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There are always a ton of little things that come across my desk each week that aren’t really worthy of a full blog post, but that I’d still love to share. Hope you enjoy this new series on bellingFAM, which will be posted every Monday… Be sure to zip me an email (bellingFAM@gmail.com) if you have something you love. I always appreciate the tips! xxoo.

One.
I’m obsessed with this chalkboard skull for Halloween. We did a Halloween Pinterest Party with the Savvy Sassy Moms team (great for Halloween ideas, if you need some!) and it was one of my favorite finds.

Two.
I hardly need another jacket, but I really adore this one. Loving the pop of bright pink against the army green. (The North Face Aconcagua Jacket, OnlineShoes.com, $160)

Three.
Dishing Up the Dirt came to me via Pinterest and I’ve been obsessed ever since. I think it was this recipe for Spiced Apple Cider Champagne Cocktails that got me hooked. Loving her on Instagram, too.

Four.
We chatted about this book a little on Facebook last week and I’m nearly finished. If you haven’t read Eleanor & Park, add it to your must-read list. You can grab it on Amazon.

have something for me to love? send me an email! i’d love to hear about it! bellingFAM@gmail.com xxoo.