You should probably take your next cruise with Amy:)

Thursday, December 22


In 1992 I bought my first CD…it was Amy Grant's “Baby Baby” album. Guys, I was obsessed with this CD! I remember memorizing all the lyrics and reading through the CD booklet for hours on end…yep, I was a pretty cool 2nd grader:) But really, that was a SWEET album! 

So of course I was excited to hear that Inspiration Cruises & Tours is offering an Amy Grant cruise up to Alaska this summer! If you are new to hearing about Inspiration, make sure to check out my posts on our Tahiti cruise from this summer. Kevin and I were privileged to spent 10 days exploring French Polynesia (Bora Bora, Moorea, Ta'haa, Raiatea). Let's just say it was an epic adventure where we got to swim with stingrays and sharks, ride scooters around the islands, paddle board, wake board, and hear Chuck Swindoll share from God's word. Unforgettable!

I digress….

Back to Amy Grant! {my second grade hero!}

The cruise is July 8-July 15, 2017, and is going to one of my absolute favorite cruising destinations… ALASKA! Kev and I got the chance to go to Alaska a few years ago, and it was amazing. So crisp and clean with incredible history! They will be cruising through Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, and the Inside Passage. Have you ever been?

And…what's super fun is that Matt Maher and Ellie Holcomb will be on the cruise leading worship alongside Amy!! So basically you can get a cruise the same price as other cruise lines, BUT you get the added bonus of some amazing worship leaders and great people!


I had SUCH an amazing trip with Inspiration, and honestly feel like if you are looking to go to Alaska, this could be an awesome option. (Here’s Inspiration’s interview with Amy, in case you’re a fan like me and were curious what's she's been up to since 1992's Baby Baby, ha!)

Have you been singing along Amy’s Christmas hits in the car, mall, or at home? If so, let me know which are your favorite.

Happy Almost Christmas sweet friends! I hope these next few weeks are sweet as you celebrate the birth of our Savior and usher in the New Year with fresh hope:) xoxo 

Cutting down our Christmas Tree in the Mountains!

Friday, December 16


One of the traditions I hold quite dear from my childhood is cutting down our Christmas tree in the mountains. Every year, a few days after Thanksgiving, our family would load up and drive with another family to cut down our tree. My mom would pack snacks and a huge steaming thermos of hot chocolate, for which we'd be so grateful for after a day hunting down our tree and dad cutting it down.

So this year, being back up in Northern California, I was so thrilled when my childhood friend asked if we'd want to go up to the mountains with them to cut our tree. Kevin had never gone before, so it was super exciting showing him my old stomping grounds!

The amazing part of the trip was that it was literally snowing the entire drive up there, so much so that cars were sliding around on the roads, and we had a few close calls during the day (I was just thankful I was not driving, haha!). But, it was absolutely gorgeous!! The snow was so crisp and clean and as Kevin and I hunted for our tree, the snow was falling and it was absolutely still.

Kevin was a total champ and chopped our tree down. Our tree looked so good out there in the snow, and then when we chopped it, we realized it only had 3 sides…one side was flat. haha! #treefail! But then we realized it would be the perfect side to put up against our wall…and it really is!

We got home, put our tree up, and began to decorate (which will come in another post!). Hooray for family traditions that continue until this day!!

Happy Friday friends! Kev and I are flying down to SoCal to host a party for his parents…should be fun:) Hope your weekend is great! xoxo


Products that changed my skin…on sale now!

Wednesday, December 14

No other brand has changed my skin like 100% Pure. I know i've talked about it before, but I truly struggled with acne for a big chunk of my adolescents and into my 20's! (You can read more about that here). So if that's you, I can totally relate! 

It wasn't until I made some major life changes that my skin started getting better. The biggest change was throwing away all my toxic skincare and make-up, and starting over with totally PURE and CLEAN products, which is ALL 100% Pure sells!!

You can see my favorite make-up products here, and my favorite skin-care products here. I have one change i've made to my skin-care routine, which is that I started using the coconut whipped body butter as my every day moisturizer. It actually all started on accident, when I ran out of my old moisturizer, and all I had was the body butter. So I used the body butter, and my skin felt SO hydrated and moisturized! I've used it for about 6 months now, and I literally haven't had any break-outs that entire time and my skin feels so good!

Right now,
all products are 20% off,
there is free shipping,
and the body butter is even discounted!
(It ends Dec 15th, so get on it!!) 

So, if you've struggled with acne or sensitive skin…look no further. I promise you these products will truly change your skin!! To get your 20% off, just click on the link below!!

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Santa Cruz and Capitola with our British Mates!

Monday, December 12


 I've slowly but surely been making my way through the one week trip we took up the California coast with our dear British friends Matt and Katie (and their son Isaac). If you missed it, we started in Southern California (Laguna and Newport), then drove to San Luis Obispo and Big Sur, and then on to Santa Cruz and Capitola. I spent all my summers as a child in Santa Cruz, so it holds a special place in my heart:) Capitola is a tiny little town with colorful buildings and a lovely beach, so we made that our home base to explore!

We arrived into Capitola late on Thursday night, and nestled into the sweetest AirBnB that was right on the beach! It had a little balcony, so after they put the baby down, we wrapped up in blankets and ate ice cream right out of the cartons and talked and laughed for hours. In the morning, we woke up with the sunshine streaming through the huge window! Kevin and Matt took Isaac on a morning walk where they saw the sun rise over the ocean. Kate and I were still snuggled up in the beds, and we talked and relaxed as we took in how beautiful the view was!

That day was filled with a walk around tiny (but adorable Capitola), and a breakfast at Zelda's on the beach. We then drove to the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk (where I spent my childhood summers). If you've never been, the boardwalk is a total must! It's incredibly historic, with many of my favorite rides dating back to almost 100 years ago (the Big Dipper and Carousel). Matt and Kevin rode the Big Dipper, and we all rode the carousel, which has rings you can pull and try to throw through the clown's mouth (which is so fun!). Matt and Kate tried their first salt water taffy, and Matt tried his hand at some of the carnival games:) It was a great day!!

That evening we loaded in the car and headed to Yosemite…but that's for another post!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!! xoxo