The Cake by Hannah

A small town girl spreading kindness like buttercream frosting

Silky Smooth Jazz Fall Playlist

The soundtrack to fall is jazz. It just is.

Like, the whole earth needs jazz when the nights get crisper and the leaves start to change. And because this is fact, I have created a Fall Playlist with my favorite silky smooth jazz. Most of it’s from the 50’s, though I have some of my current favorite jazzy stuff on as well.

Shop my dress you see, here! This is literally my favorite dress is my closet right now and I get so many compliments on it every time I have worn it. The shape and ruffles are so feminine!

 

 

Burgundy Dress + Knoxy Update

Happy Labor Day and happy Mommy Monday, gal pals! I hope you are getting a nice day off and enjoying some extra time with the family.

It’s officially September and I have pulled out all of my favorite transition pieces that are my favorite fall colors (but can also beat that heat here in Texas still!). This burgundy dress is SO CUTE and the fit with the bunching on the sides is very flattering for every shape! It’s also conveniently enough a great one to chase after your babes in because it stays put. I can speak from experience, obviously… 😉 It’s also available in olive and a gorgeous slate gray that I think I might need to get!

Shop here.

But gosh y’all, it’s seriously so crazy watching Knox in this season. We are just shy of 2 years old and he is a full-on little boy. I am loving it! He wants to see everything, asks questions *of course we can’t understand half of them..haha*, and he is doing 3 word sentences randomly that blow me away. He is so kind and gentle, funny, and I just feel so lucky to be his mommy. I think my favorite thing currently that he does is he will walk around with his Buzz Lightyear, “shhh shhhh shhhh-ing” him while he pats him on the back. He no doubt picked this up from the nursery at church and it kills me. He is so sweet. Yesterday at church I had one of those moments that I was like “WOW God, help me to really develop this nurturing side of Knox and keep him a kind kid” when the ladies in the nursery told me he was going around making sure every kid had their cup and was patting babies on the back and playing with their hair if they were crying. Like… WHAT? So special. I want to bottle up his sweetness and save it for later.

We prayed every night when Knox was in my belly for a fierce spirit with a tender heart. I feel like we are getting to see that tender heart play out already and it just truly melts me. Mamas, pray over your children and watch God show off. It grows my faith constantly to see things I prayed so specifically for pan out in different areas of my life, parenting or not, with no explanation than the Lord’s doing. How sweet God is to hear our prayers and answer them just to show He cares.

Have a great day, friends! You are rockstars and so loved.

My bag is the Original Fawn Design.

All photos by Cottonwood Road Photography for The Cake by Hannah

How I Saved My Eyes + My Bathroom Refresh!

You guys, okay. I am excited for today’s post for two reasons:

  1. I finally am sharing a peek at our fresh bathroom! It’s nowhere near done, but I am so excited about where it’s headed.
  2. Today is a prime example of working with a brand I LOVE and use already.

Here’s the thing you guys… I am blind. Like, so blind. I must be in contacts or my glasses at all times other than sleep or I will be useless. I have had glasses since the 4th grade and have worn contacts since 7th grade. The first 13 years of wearing contacts, I only wore monthly contacts. I would order a 6 month supply and switch them out roughly every month (but was really bad about keeping up). About two years ago, for some reason, my eyes basically just were rejecting contacts. Didn’t matter the brand or how on top of switching them out I was. My eyes were fuzzy, itchy, and red all the time. I thought I would never be able to wear contacts anymore and have to get Lasik if I ever wanted to see again sans glasses.

Then, it was actually my best friend who suggested trying dailies (which I didn’t even know existed!) and it changed the entire contacts game for me. I will never do anything other than dailies now that I know how much it helped me and saved my eyeballs. I have been using Cooper Vision’s Clariti Daily Contacts for two years! So, when they randomly reached out to me asking if I happened to use them… I was like WHAT?! YES. YES, I DO!

I order mine through Costco. DUH. And it’s so much cheaper than anywhere else! This is one of those things I know is so niche, but I really do care and these really did change my eyeballs and saved their life. *I am not being dramatic.* Things got so bad it would feel like I got sunscreen in my eyes if I looked at the sun. This all went away almost immediately when I changed contacts!

OKAY, so next up: MY BATHROOM!!!!!

We have these colors all throughout my house now, and I am here for it. My walls are SW Alabaster, vanity is SW Inkwell, and my doors are a fun mixture of 1/2 Stardew and 1/2 Uncertain Grey. You just come in and ask for a half gallon of each and then to mix it together! It’s so pretty.

We are slowly painting all the doors in our home this mixture, and are restoring some furniture with the Inkwell. I also have some dreams of an Inkwell accent wall in my dining room with gold frames! A key to freshening up your home is picking a pallet and sticking to it in all your main spaces. It helps your resell value and is just aesthetically pleasing.

I linked below some of the additions to our bathroom I have in my cart, waiting for my budget to say “go!” 😉

 

8 Things That Changed Our Home and Marriage

Today is about something I feel really passionate about, and I hope it is helpful to you! Let me start this by saying Paul and I haven’t always had a “great” marriage (oy to our first year). Loved one another always. Communicated well? That’s a big fat NOPE. 😉

We have certainly had seasons we definitely were butting heads more than we were in sync, and even still we can *of course* have “off days.” But, I would say we are lightyears from where we started, best friends, and I truly would’t want to hang out with anybody else more than him. Our fights diffuse way quicker and we are on each other’s team! We’ve changed some things in our home and implemented routines that matter to us and have established for us a home culture that is peaceful, unified, and rooted in our faith. I really do believe (with counseling and mentorship!) that these are some practical ways our home has transformed into a peaceful and flourishing space for us and Knox to live.

“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:29

This scripture is so good! Though it’s obviously not God speaking into relationships or our homes specifically, we are called to match God’s heart. And the more we take on his character of humility and gentleness, we will find peace! In  our homes, our marriages, our friendships. Everything!

Our individual relationships with God spur one another on together- it’s not the other way around.

When we got married, we knew that we were both serious about our relationship with God. But, for us, we’ve really watched our marriage grow the more we’ve valued our personal quiet times with God. Asking one another questions about our prayer life, worries, fears, etc… these help us grow even closer. But, it starts with our own personal relationship and time with the Lord. And, the more we grow in Christ as individuals, the more our home and marriage changes. It’s all hand in hand.

Getting control of finances and spending.

Mo money, mo problems… right? But, no let’s get real for a second. Careless spending and a frustrating bank account can be a tension point for couples. It really is true! It’s not about how much, but are you spending what you have well? Learning how to manage money, wise investments, and a healthy budget has changed our lives! Seek help and I promise, you’ll be amazed. Again- it’s not about how MUCH. It’s about learning to be wise with what you have!

Say sorry, and you don’t always have to “win” or be understood.

Holla! This one is for me. Listen, I get it. If you are a justice seeker, the need to “win” a fight can be a downfall of ours because we feel so deeply moved by our convictions or frustrations. Our marriage changed when I stopped needing to win. And, frankly, so many of my battles were rooted in unmet expectations that weren’t worth a battle to begin with. This has been a game changer for MY life and my marriage. I am not angry about things I can’t control in my marriage or home like I used to be. This affects me and my personal health more than anybody or anything else! I just feel… lighter? It’s the best word I can find to explain how it feels to care less about things that just don’t matter.

Help one another, take on burdens (chores included!!).

Ain’t nothin’ sexier than an empty sink. But for real, I feel like we are in it together when we evenly take on the burdens and challenges of every day things. Groceries, chores in the home, paying bills. We split it all!

Serve the local church together.

“Hannah, you guys work at a church. Of course you do.” NAH, you can too. And it’s important you do. Whether you are leading a small group or serving as a greeter at the front door together, SERVE. Serve the church and serve the vision to bring more people “home” together. Nothing will unify your home more.

Spend time at least once a week intentionally catching up on things without any distractions- worries, excitements, schedules, etc.

I mentioned this briefly above, but ask one another intentional questions and sit down to for real talk at least once a week. We honestly do this just about every night at dinner together. This includes discussing our week together, our schedules, current joys and frustrations, etc. I feel like our home is less chaotic since we’ve started valuing this!

Pray together.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. We pray together laying in bed before we fall asleep. Paul will usually ask, “What do you want me to pray for tonight?” It can be 30 seconds or it may be significantly longer. But pray together!

Be best friends and find joy in life together.

Paul really is my best friend. I hate experiencing things without him! All of the above things I have mentioned have laid the foundation for this. It’s a journey and one that isn’t anywhere near perfected (and never will be!). But our home and marriage is significantly different because of these things, and I think they can work for you, too.

Take these and tailor them to your own family! Pick things you value together, and stick to them. Fight for goals together. Write them on your fridge… Whatever it takes! Your home WILL change as you implement unified values together.

xoxo,

Han

Meals for Your Family!

Hiya, friends! One of the things I absolutely get asked the most is “What do you eat?” A. It’s a valid question considering my husband and I both have ridiculous food allergies and intolerances. B. I get it! It’s so hard cooking meals every night, whether for 1 or 10. Because of this, I started my weekly meal plan email The Cake for Dinner. It’s been so fun hearing from those of you who have already started using my weekly meal plans to help alleviate the stress of answering the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?” If you haven’t signed up yet, what are you waiting for?! Follow this link to join the community.

Today, in the name of meal planning, I am sharing meals for your family that I often go to for planning our week. When you get my meal plans, I send you the meals for that week, budgeting tips, and the shopping list by category. So this is just a glimpse at the goodness you could be part of every Sunday when that The Cake for Dinner meal plan hits your inbox! Find many of these on my Eats Pinterest Boards, and join the party over there.

A List of Family Meals 

Pulled Pork, Sweet Potato (mashed or baked), green vegetable

Pulled Pork and Rice Bowl (or quinoa), with corn, tomatoes, broccoli 

Stuffed Pulled Pork Peppers

Chipotle Bowls (Steak, rice, tomato, salsa, beans)

Chicken Fried Rice

Crockpot Pork Chops, Carrots, and Sweet potatoes 

GF Sweet and Sour Chicken

Turkey Taco Burrito Bowls

BLT Pasta

Spaghetti

Lettuce Wrap Burgers

Greens Bowl (Sweet potato, greens, egg, and avocado)

Chinese Lemon Chicken (with rice, broccoli, red pepper)

Loaded Burger Salad Bowl

Cheese and Rice Broccoli Bake

Steak & Baked Potato 

Pulled Pork Stuffed Sweet Potato

Salmon, quinoa, greens

Chicken, sweet potato, brussel sprouts 

Mediterranean Chicken Bowl (on romain lettuce, cucumber, tomato, hummus, feta)

Chicken Sausage Pasta (squash, zucchini, broccoli, onion & pasta sauce)

Fall Harvest Bowl (Chicken, sweets, apples, brussel sprouts)

Sausage and cooked carrots 

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad 

Taco Night

Sheet Pork Tenderloin and potatoes 

Vegan Fettaccuini 

Shrimp and pasta 

Peanut Thai Chicken, Broccoli and rice 

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