It's not often that the whole Santschi family is able to get together since we all live in different states, but over the weekend we had the opportunity to spend a few days as a unit in Nashville, TN. We had the chance to love on the newest addition to our family - Asher! It was the first time my husband and I got to meet our sweet nephew and it was so special. Asher is the first grandbaby in the Santschi family and he is already so loved! 

We arrived on Saturday morning and couldn't wait to see the little man! He is an adorable little nugget and is already pretty good little sleeper.

Grandma and Grandpa Santschi have been back and forth to Nashville all month long, helping these new parents find their groove. Grace and her husband (my brother) are doing fantastic and are already getting the hang of this parenting thing.  

Saturday night, while the grandparents happily babysat Asher, we took the new mom and dad out on the town! Even though it was just for a couple hours, it was such a fun time and a great outing for these new parents to get a chance to kick back and relax. 

On Sunday, Asher had his next big outing when we went to one of our absolute favorites - Arrington Vineyards. It is a beautiful vineyard founded by Kix Brooks with the most gorgeous views and delicious wine. This is a treasured spot for our family. We brought plenty of snacks with us, bought a few bottles of wine and had a lovely afternoon, filled with lots of laughs, on the hillside of Arrington, TN. 

Of course, it's not a trip to Nashville without some hot chicken, so before we headed back to Kansas City on Monday afternoon we stopped at Hattie B's for lunch and some lip-burning chicken paired with a cold one. Yum! 

It felt like such a quick trip, but it was a much needed and wonderful time spent with family. We are already so in love with Asher and are incredibly thankful to God for this blessing and joy He brought to our family. I'm so excited to see my little nephew grow and watch my brother and sister-in-law develop in their new role as parents. I can't wait to see this sweet little squish again soon! 

This is currently my favorite recipe - Thai Chili Chicken Meatballs with a spicy peanut sauce. It's flavorful, delicious, super easy to make, and it's husband approved! It takes just about 10 minutes to put together, 15 minutes to bake, and it only lasts about two days in our house. They are so scrumptious!

Originally, I found this recipe on SimplyGlutenFree.com, which is full of wonderful options for anyone who has celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity. After making these the first time, I tweaked a few things to better fit our taste buds. 

Happy Friday! I am so thankful for good girlfriends! This is my girl Meg, she is a workout warrior, adorable mama and an all around sweetheart.

Shop our looks by clicking on the photo below. Enjoy your weekend! 

It's amazing how much life can change in just a week's time. On the second day of 2019, our lives changed forever when we met Asher. He has already had a tremendous impact and our hearts are so full. This list will no doubt grow much longer over the years, but in just seven days, here is a look at 10 things I've already learned since meeting our son.  

​1. Single moms are the real MVPs, I have absolutely no idea how you do it. 

2. The nights are hard, but make the days so precious. 

3. I can actually function on very little sleep...barely. 

4. God gives grace for each and every moment. We don't have to have it all figured out. 

5. Recovery postpartum is a real thing and takes time. 

6. I never knew my capacity to love until now. 

7. The enemy wants you to live in fear, trusting God is a hard lesson to learn. 

8. Hormones are real and come with lots of tears. Cy it out, then be sure to treat yourself! 

9. Secure that diaper tight or expect pee on everything. Ha! 

​10. It takes a village and I'm so thankful for mine. 

Yes, it's the weekend! I'm sharing the comfiest pajama bottoms that are HALF price right now! Plus, I also linked the most amazing smelling candle available on Amazon. Click the photo for all the details. 

Hope you all enjoy your Friday! 

We recently visited Seattle, over a cold and rainy weekend, but we didn't let that slow us down. We discovered it was a fun city to explore rain or shine! This was a work trip for my husband, so we had limited time to see the city, but we made the most of it.

If you're headed to Seattle anytime soon, here's some of the places we hit and enjoyed!

This is an obvious stop, but a must-do! Whenever we are traveling to a new city, we like to spilt our time between super touristy spots and places the locals hang out. This touristy spot provides some gorgeous views, along with the history of the city and how the needle was constructed. 

Tip: Bundle up (you'll be glad you did!) and go before noon and you'll save $10. 

Website: Space Needle

Another hot spot and tourist destination! It's the market of all markets. There is plenty to do and see as you stroll through this nine acre market place - try local foods, explore the historic district, visit with local artists, watch the fishmongers at Pikes Place Fish Market shout orders and throw fish to each other, shop antiques and much more. I think we explored at least four floors of shops and it's all impressive! Plus, the original Starbucks is located right on the corner outside of the market. 

Website: Pike's Place Market

This was such an interesting stop. There are only two Starbucks Reserve Roastery and Tasting Rooms in the country - this one in Seattle, another in New York and they are currently building one in Chicago. This one is just nine blocks from the original Starbucks at Pike's Place and this 4,000 square foot store showcases the entire coffee making process. You can watch the coffee beans roasting, taste rare Starbucks Reserve brews and specialty drinks, take the stairs in the library to the overlook to watch the entire production. It's a very unique and interesting experience. 

​Website: Starbucks Reserve

During this quick trip, we were able to meet up with my aunt and uncle who have lived in the Seattle area for many years, so they were our tour guides for an evening! We drove over the long bridge from downtown to Bellevue just as the sun was setting, which made the landscape even more beautiful.

We were having so much fun catching up, I hardly took any photos. We grabbed drinks at JOEY Bellevue, before heading to the botanical garden to see their Christmas light display! For dinner, we went to Serafina (more on that below) before driving back over the bridge and through the beautiful downtown area. They were wonderful tour guides, driving us through all the hot spots and sharing the history of the city. Such a fun night exploring! 

We stumbled upon this place through Yelp since it's close to the Space Needle, which was our next stop. The coffee was incredible, the food was equally delightful and they were very accommodating and switched out the sides for us.

Address: 407 Cedar St. Seattle, WA 98121
Website: tilikumplacecafe.com

This was a fantastic brunch spot! They had shuffle board, darts, plenty of TVs to watch the football games, and great, efficient service. To start, I ordered my favorite, a spicy bloody Mary and it came with a short local brew too - both were delicious! For an entree, I chose the Smoked Brisket Hash, which was "smoked brisket, sweet onion, pickled peppers, house ketchup, breakfast potatoes, two eggs." Absolutely phenomenal. 

Address: 310 Terry Avenue North, Seattle, WA 98109
Website: bravehorsetavern.com

This is a quaint little Italian restaurant located in the Bellevue area. My aunt and uncle took us here during our trip to the east side of Seattle and it did not disappoint! On the left was my entree, one of the specials described as, "braised beef short rib, baby potato confit, cipollini agrodolce, haricot vert, red wine jus, gremolata." It was superb. I didn't snap of photo of everything, so the one on the right is from Yelp, but it's what my husband ordered. He had the Rigatoni Bolognese, which was "anderson ranch lamb, fennel sausage, marjoram, pecorino." 

Address: 2043 Eastlake Ave. East Seattle, WA 98102 
Website: serafinaseattle.com