Ohgabetta

Image Via It's landed; a throbby kind of headache, slight aches and shivers, and a general feeling of bleh happens every year around the same time and it has hit the Munterhegan household.  It arrives right after the first couple weeks of school begin and just before actual joys of fall start. I first noticed it sneaking in at the grocery store.  People every aisle have been sneezing with heavy gusto and powerful spray free flowing from within them.  It's not like it's a rude sneeze, but rather the uncontrollably loud, exerting type.  It comes from the bottom of your being and is often snotty too.  Ick. Home computer heavy workday ahead, folks.  Attempting to kick it fast and get back to usual pace soon.  Also, totally venting here about a measly cold but thinking lovingly of Texas friends and what they are experiencing.  May recovery and rebuilding be plentiful and steadfast. Happy Monday, love bugs.  Be well. mkh

It's happening; I'm dreaming of a cool breeze, fun patterned scarves, and Halloween movie marathons.  I WANT FALL AND ALL IT HAS TO OFFER.  I'm exhausted from the excruciating high temperatures and look forward to this time of the year coming because of this.  "It's going to cool off, it's going to cool off," I probably mutter 12 times a day to myself. Give me some Remember the Titans, turkey chili, Halloween socks, and a cozy sweater STAT!  Throw some pumpkin cream cheese swirl cake in for good measure, too. In the meantime, out of effort for living in the current season of life, I'm enjoying some of the summer pleasures I'll yearn for around February: watermelon, cherries, sundresses, neon nail polish (I mean, really this doesn't live in one season for me), and longer nights full of light.  That's probably my least favorite part of fall; I don't love how dark it gets so early.  Eh, in every season I suppose a little darkness shall...

Some days you wake up with the best intentions and the highest spirit for what's to come in that very special 24 hour window of time.   And some days you must employ your feel good exercises a little extra. I had a day like this very recently; try as I might I kept hitting wall after wall of frustration: -an extensive work project was almost complete and then poof!   It drifted off into the land of make believe, a mere figment of imagination, only to be revisited in my dreams.   -a burner on the stove decided to literally burn up the inner plate liner and created that terrible burnt smoky smell in the house for hours.   This happened seemingly out of no where, no liquid boiled over, no obvious spills, I was heating water in my teapot! -my hair is peeling after recently having it colored.   This happens every so often when I color it, as I'm sensitive to the dye, and really there isn't much I can do besides a deep conditioning treatment...

My ideal way to decompress at the end of any given day: -create healthy comfort food -give my hair a good wash -lather on a charcoal mask -do a nasal rinse -post up on the couch -catch up on the news and update my to-do list and grocery list Absolute heavenly recharge, folks.   Boomshakalaka.  How do you decompress and simultaneously amp up a day to come? Pepper feels me mkh

Been a healthy cooking, clean eating fool extra lately.  I ain't mad about it! Up top: Croissant with avocado and the utmost deliciousness that is the Holy Grail: Trader Joe's Everything but the Bagel Seasoning Blend!!!   This stuff is good ingredients, incredibly fair priced, and honestly is the most magically tasting addition to toast, veggies, and popcorn, this far.  Can't wait to add it in to other meals as I go. Middle: Aidell's Chicken and Apple Sausage with a fabulous Pero Family Farms blend of kale, green beans, and peppers, and a yummy sweet potato.  Sweet potatoes are having a major moment in my life. Bottom: Lemon and garlic salmon with a blend I threw together of cauliflower, sauteed onion, and spinach, and baked zucchini chips. Can I get an amen for healthy, clean eating?  Hot dog, it makes me feel good!  By the way, not a one of these meals are expensive or inconvenient to prepare.  No reason we can't eat ...

Let me tell you what... I love charcoal masks!  I've read about them often and was instantly intrigued.  I have super sensitive skin so I'm weary of trying new things and typically stick to what I know works and is effective.  The salesgirl at the store shared she has senstive skin as well and she couldn't speak high enough about this product.  In short, very pleased and will be adding it to my self care, beauty routine.  Only next time, I plan to go full on home spa with serene music, cucs on the ol'peepers, and will use the 15 minutes for a thorough bout of meditation.  Boomshakalaka. For reference, I used this face mask found at Ulta .  I learned of this particular one through Kallie over at But First, Coffee.  Love her reviews on products! Any products you were pleasantly surprised to try and love? mkh

Scrolling Instagram recently, I came upon my fave Kardashian sister Khloe's photo: Via What spoke to me more so was Khloe's message: "❥ Gracious God, in the busy-ness of my day, I sometimes forget to stop and thank you for all that is good in my life. My blessings are many and my heart is filled with gratefulness for the gift of healthy living, family and love. Lord, thank you for walking with us through the seasons of our lives. I thank you most of all for your unconditional and eternal love. Amen ❥ Kourtney taught me to always start my day with a prayer of gratitude and end my day with a prayer of love!" I am in love with this messaging.  Some days are extra wonderful full of all the things that make you happy.  Other days you have to work at it and your patience is tested approximately 32 times.  All days are a luxury we should never take for granted, though.  I believe in this logic of the Kardashian sisters and I appreciate this lifestyle and mentality...

It's that time of year; vacations are ending, routines are being ached for, and Publix has their ginormous cardboard school bus planted firmly at the front of the store full of BOGO goodies by the likes of snack packs, composition notebooks, and -my personal fave- crayons.  It's funny how this time of year incites nostalgia for these things and much more.  I close my eyes and remember various first days of school, some more meaningful than others but each special and met with grand gestures. I remember the first day of kindergarten and my ribbon laced socks and poofy floral dress I insisted on wearing despite my mom pleading for me to wear something comfier and more durable perhaps for playground playing.  In third grade, I rode a bus on the first day of school and that stands out in memory.  The summers before 9th and 10th grades, I took both P.E. classes and "Life Management" courses that were required.  Sweating at school for 6 weeks versus 18 weeks during ...

  This adorably humbling little sheet came with stickers I bought for our wedding invites and I must say, it's a lovable and easy exercise to fill this puppy out every few days.  This simple act will remind you to slow it down, give things some thought, and own up to all you have to be appreciative of and for. My mom visited recently and I sent her home with a stack of these as well.  I think it's a nice gesture to incite our gratitude.  I'm always looking to provoke my grateful heart.  Plus, these are super pretty and I love some pretty stationary! What are your answers? mkh

Isn't nostalgia great?  A smell can transport to a previous setting; a sight can jostle the mind; you can actually feel as though you've actually been struck by a memory.  For example, I don't often eat Cookies and Cream ice cream.  Ice cream isn't my go to dessert and when it is CC is not what I reach for.  It's nothing personal, I'm just not an oreo fan so the premise of the flavor naturally deters me. However, when I see this flavor pop up 20+ years later, I'm instantly sent back to being 9-12 years old, going to Kmart with my mom or grandma, and they had their little cafe with an ice cream station.  I loved nothing more than a Cookies and Cream ice cream cone at this time in my life.  It's a fond memory which catapults me into random other memories circa that time. My mom wore Halston perfume when I was a kid and if I catch a whiff of it ever, I'm instantly six years old, sitting on her lap at my grandparent's restaurant, eating the fettu...

I mentioned coming back with #VeryMarriedMunterhegans' updates and here I am!  We've got quite a bit accomplished and quite a bit to go.  The good news is the things needing completion can't in fact be completed until much closer to go time.  As much as I would love to house live flowers already for the grand occasion, they simply wouldn't survive even the greatest green thumb until October. So far we have: our date, venue, menu, my dress and one piece of decor.  Oh and we have invites done and out.  I will say our music playlist is all but done, just needing Munter to sit down with Hegan and extend approval of said jams.  Boomshakalaka. We still need: decor, Hunter's outfit, my accessories, our wedding bands, and to finalize where we will stay.  We are interested in doing an Air B& B and looking for the best option actively.  It's in my hometown which is beautiful and beachside so we shall see where we land. We're incredibly easy going ...

Sometimes I have so much to say.  I want to do it all, tell it all, and write it all!  My intentions as a writer are evolving always and I feel this surge of creativity for it lately.  Maybe it's the longer days in summertime allowing to get more than ever done in a given day.  Maybe it's the meditation I've been practicing a little more than last week.  Or it could be the Orange County public school message signs out front of them, all with the same exact summer message: "Rest.  Read.  Relax.  Enjoy your summer."  I freaking love this message. I'm working on a project now that has me giggling with excitement and I just have to see it through and bring to life.  Half the battle is showing up and when you're a writer that's most certainly true, plus add in getting a paragraph down.  A simple paragraph, really?  Oh yes; when you're overflowing with enthusiasm and inspiration yet you're met with a case of ol'blank screen, that s...