DIY Alphabet Wall Art for the Nursery

In one afternoon, you can create a personalized piece of alphabet wall art that would look great in a nursery, a playroom, or a child's bedroom!

Our house is a bit of a mess right now. We're in the beginning stages of a multi-step project to reconfigure some of the rooms. By moving a bookcase out of the living room and rearranging some furniture, we made room in one of the nooks for my new desk.

I'm moving out of my home office upstairs so we can use the room for Caroline's new playroom. I haven't used my office since before she was born, and the room just became a dumping ground for random things. Now that I'm working full-time, it didn't make sense to waste that space anymore. We have a long way to go until we reach the finish line on this project, but it's a start.

Family-Favorite Potato Salad {and Some Thoughts about My Mom}

This potato salad is a family-favorite. It's the perfect dish for any occasion, from a backyard barbecue to a football tailgate.

First-day-of-school photos flooding your Facebook feed. Pinterest boards filled with healthy lunchbox ideas for kids. PSL everything. Judging by my online world, fall is here.

In real life, though, we're heading into a short heat wave and I'm clinging to summer for as long as I can. Even though I love the fall, I'm refusing to get into an autumn state of mind. Instead, I'm writing about potato salad, a side dish most often associated with summer.

I wanted to share an updated version of my mom's recipe for potato salad last summer. But that didn't happen. And then I planned to share it with you last month. Again, that didn't happen.

I had decided I was okay with delaying the post for yet another year to try and keep my blog content related to the current season. But then I had a panic attack one morning after coming to a terrifying realization -- I'm starting to forget my mother.

A Month of Dinners: Menu Plan for September

In an attempt to make my life a little easier, I'm planning all of our dinners for September at once.

I've been at my new job for about a month now. There are days when I feel like I've settled into a comfortable rhythm. And there are days when trying to balance everything seems so completely overwhelming.

I know I'm not the first working mom to feel this way. From what I hear, these kinds of up and downs are pretty standard. They come with the territory. Even so... I know there are still some adjustments Stephen and I can make to our routine to make our lives a little easier.

That's why I've fallen in love with my monthly menu plans all over again. They take a some effort to organize, but the effort is definitely worth it in the long run. Especially if it means eliminating the "what do you want for dinner tonight?" question.

With last month's menu plan as inspiration, here's what I've planned for September.

Unique Home Decor and More from UncommonGoods {and a Blogging Milestone}

Find cool and unusual gifts for any occasion and any recipient -- including yourself! -- at UncommonGoods!

I'm trying not to be someone who always talks about how busy they are. And I don't want to fall into the habit of glorifying busy. Especially since I believe in pausing to enjoy a day unplanned every now and then.

This time, though, I can't get around it because "busy" really is the only way to describe the state of life over the course of the past week. My schedule was jam-packed with meetings, time with friends, anniversary celebrations, and tea parties. I was so consumed with balancing it all that I had to dig deep to find the energy that would carry me to the weekend.

But I didn't balance it all. One major item fell by the wayside -- celebrating Taste As You Go turning eight. That's right... As of yesterday, I've been blogging for eight years, and I can't quite wrap my head around what that means.

Compared to other bloggers, I've never planned anything too elaborate to mark these milestones. I've written blog posts and shared enthusiastic updates on Facebook and Twitter. But I never did anything much beyond that. This year, however, I've decided to shake things up a bit. I'm teaming up with UncommonGoods, one of my favorite online stores for birthday gifts (see here) and personalized gifts (like these), to bring you this round-up of unique home decor and more.

And, you never know... I may just wind up buying one or two of the items in the round-up for myself as a special treat...