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As a kid, my Thanksgiving plate was basically white — turkey breast, mashed potatoes, and a dinner roll. It’s not that my family didn’t have more choices on the table, it’s that my midwestern palate just never got very developed. I never ate the cranberries, the gravy or the stuffing. Being the baby of the family, my parents never forced me to try things I didn’t want to try, so my experience with food was limited, at best.

With Thanksgiving only a little over a week away, most of us are planning what dish we’re going to bring or who’s going to host this year. I’m sure the last thing on your mind is what you’re going to wear to your Thanksgiving dinner. Rightly, you are thinking about the food and the people.

Every November, I bust out a couple of recipes that I only make once a year—my pumpkin cookies, and my pumpkin pancakes. Jade loves them both so much that he looks forward to me making them all month long.

Thanksgiving and Christmas are only weeks away and I’m sure many of you will be traveling to visit family and friends. When we are with our loved-ones we often get comfortable (or not) and sometimes may abuse our host’s kindness. To avoid that pitfall, I wanted to share with you my 8 tips for how to be a good house guest.

To be honest, I wasn’t sure I liked the menswear inspired oxford trend for women. At first, I thought they were just too masculine, too clunky. The majority of the oxfords I’d seen in my Pinterest and Instagram fashion feeds were more traditional. They looked like a shoe my husband would actually wear.

Rocco is obsessed with two things right now—trucks and basketball. He especially loves fire trucks. So for his second birthday, we decided to throw him a DIY fire truck birthday party.

My baby boy, Rocco, turned two last month. For Rocco’s first birthday, I made him a low sugar smash cake decorated with cheerios. The cheerios were the dangling carrot to get him to try the cake. It worked, sort of.

On Halloween night, our friend invited us over for crockpot chili before we wrangled our toddlers into a wagon to go trick-or-treating. I asked my friend Amy what I should bring, and she said whatever I’d be baking for the blog next week. I didn’t have an idea in mind, so I decided to make the perfect side dish for chili— a honey sage cornbread.

Probably my current favorite trend is track pants. You can find them in all sorts of prints, patterns and textures, like those used in this sequin track pants look. I’m so in love with this trend because the track pants I’ve been wearing look lux, are dressy enough for work, but are super comfortable without looking sloppy.

It’s Rocco’s first Halloween where he will go out trick-or-treating. He doesn’t understand what Halloween is, but we are excited to bring him to our friends’ house to go out for the first time with their two kids who are a bit older than Rocco.

The dull pain in my head throbbed in time with my vibrating rear view mirror. Lil’ Wayne blurred the asphalt behind me in syncopated rhythm. It was afternoon and I was still burping up the prior night’s fun. I was flying through the swamplands of Louisiana behind the wheel of a yet-to-be-released, iridescent infrared 2015 Lexus RC F-Sport, when I came to the sublime realization that I was on a de facto vacation, doing actual guy stuff for a change.

In many cultures, an evil eye ring is an amulet, a symbol meant to protect it’s wearer. Whether you believe in the curse of the evil eye or not, these eyes have become a staple fashion trend popping up on all sorts of accessories.

Halloween is just a week away. I searched Pinterest to find totally fun Halloween desserts that I think both kids and adults would love. There are so many cute desserts out there. I’m always so impressed with other bloggers’ creativity and craftsmanship when it comes to fun desserts.

Last week, I tried out 15 different lipstick shades attempting to find my perfect lipstick color. I asked for reader feedback and many of you left me comments on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and here in the comments section.

Halloween symbols like spider webs, bats, and black cats are not just for October 31st anymore. Halloween inspires fashion works year round. Last year, I showed some of my favorite Halloween-inspired items, like this baby vamp ring I still want. With this story idea in mind, I set out to find Halloween-inspired fashion that I would wear regardless of the season.

One of my favorite fall trends is the long vests I’ve seen from Dior, Givenchy and others. I love the long vest trend because it can be worn so many ways. Buttoned up and worn alone as a pseudo-dress, belted tightly at the waist with long flowing pants, paired with shorts for a fun going-out look.

I’m a busy mom of two under two and a lot of times it’s a challenge fitting in a proper meal. My husband was out of town recently, and the only time I ate a full meal was when the kids were both napping, which I think happened, like once. During busy times, I sometimes grab an energy bar to tide me over to the next meal. The downfall of these convenience snacks is their price and (sometimes) their artificial ingredients. I decided it was time to try a homemade version, so I chose to make pumpkin spice granola bars.

I recently read this article talking about how women should know which lipsticks work for them by the age 30. Oops. I guess I missed that ‘something you’re supposed to do in your 20’s’ memo. I’m going to be 35 this January and I still haven’t really gotten my proverbial feet wet in the world of lipsticks.

Do parents treat their high needs babies differently when they are older? Do the early years with a difficult baby affect how you see or treat them moving forward? Do parents grow to resent their high needs child?

I didn’t try Nutella for the first time until about a year ago. Gasp. This is even more shocking because I’m a true peanut butter and chocolate lover. There is no better food flavor combination, in my humble, baked-good-obsessed opinion.

With so many trendy fall coats under $300, it’s hard to decided on which style to buy. Whether you’re into capes, military-inspired, mixed media, or robe coats, almost any style goes. If you’re searching for the hottest trend, then you’ll get a robe style coat, which is extra popular this fall. If you like classic, you might opt for a trench, a car coat or a lady-like style.

Besides a ripped seam or a missing button, I haven’t sewn anything since I was a teenager. Despite my hesitation, I’ve decided to make Rocco’s Halloween costume this year. I turned to Etsy and DIY blogs for inspiration. Per usual, I was impressed with what I found on Etsy. The selection of Etsy Baby Halloween Costumes was better than I imagined.

The minute October (actually September) hits, it’s pumpkin everything. My Pinterest feed is flooded with pumpkin recipes and pumpkin decorating ideas. I’ve also posted my fair share of pumpkin recipes—pumpkin scones with pumpkin butter, and cranberry pecan pumpkin cookies.

It’s no secret that I’m a midi skirt fan. Midi skirts are feminine and flirty. Their longer length is more conservative, but midi skirts can easily be made sexy with a crop top or fitted sleeveless blouse and sky-high heels.

Yesterday, I posted part 1 of our free Bahamas vacation. I shared my favorite pictures we captured on our journey to Nassau and a few we took while at the resort. The resort was nice, but we wanted to explore the real Nassau—outside of the gated confines of a lux resort.

Ya mon! After six sun-filled days on our free Bahamas vacation, we’re home. I already miss the crystal clear turquoise water. My husband won us an all-inclusive trip to the Bahamas last year on the Price is Right. In case you missed my post about it, here’s the video link. Watch closely and you’ll see me jumping up and down after he wins.

Military inspired clothing is a mainstay in the fashion world. Nearly every season, you can find touches of military inspiration. Military styles were all over the spring 2015 runways, but you can get this style now.

One of my favorite bakeries in Phoenix makes the most delicious apple oatmeal cookies. I love that they use dried apples, so the texture is even chewier than your standard oatmeal cookies.

New York fashion week spring 2015 ended last week. Although I didn’t attend, I love spending time scrolling through the runway shows and picking out my favorite looks. There are so many different designers and looks that I loved, but these four designers really stood out to me. It also became apparent I have a serious thing for lace and the shattered glass technique.

You’re thinking, “wow, so original, knits for fall”. But I’m not talking about your favorite go-to cashmere sweater, I’m talking about every kind of knit you can imagine—oversized, with extreme turtle necks, chunky, and with prints. No knit is forgotten this fall, but chunky knit sweaters are definitely a must-have fashion trend.

Rocco’s second birthday is next month, so I’ve been tossing around toddler boy birthday party ideas. For his first birthday, we kept it very basic—with the healthy smash cake as the main event.

Awhile back, my husband showed me the instructions for no ice cream maker homemade vanilla ice cream using ice cube trays and a food processor. It all seemed simple (and ingenious!), so I bought the ingredients to try it for myself.

My sweet natured son constantly amazes me. Of course there are many toddler tantrums, when he flings himself to the ground with his crocodile tears streaming down his full cheeks. But what has surprised me the most about his growth and development is his goodness, his sweetness, and how he radiates love, especially the love he shows his baby sister.

The thing I look forward to most about fall is getting to break out my boots and light coats. Now that we are back in Phoenix, it may be a few more months before I get to wear my fall short boots. But that’s besides the point.

My kids aren’t in school yet, but my toddler son already loves snacks. He especially loves those animal-shaped crackery snacks. Even the the whole grain organic versions I buy are still more processed than I’d like and his snack selection is seriously lacking at this point. He will eat most fruits, an occasional string cheese, dry cereal, and yogurt. Most of the time, the crackers win the snack selection battle.

With two kids under two, I don’t have many opportunities to wear sexy heels, like these black crystal caged booties. When I saw the Sergio Rossi pair, I was drawn to the striking scalloped cutouts encrusted with strass crystals. The high thin black heel and gold back zip add sexiness to these heels.

After five years away, we are making our new home in Phoenix (again). I recently realized it is also the only city, (besides my hometown of Green Bay, WI), that feels like home.

Three years ago, we arrived in Irvine, California, knowing nothing about Orange County, other than what I’d seen on that Housewives show. I expected to find droves of women with pronounced plastic surgery, caked on makeup, fake lashes and expensive (slightly tacky) clothing. I also looked forward to, namely, the weather and the beaches.

Besides mascara, blush is my other beauty must-have. Even if I don’t have time to do my 5 minute face, I always find time to throw on some mascara and a quick swipe of blush. Blush is a must because it instantly brightens your face.

Last week, I found my freezer chock-full of frozen blueberries. The only problem was, we were moving in a few days (more on that later) and I didn’t want them to go to waste. I looked up numerous dessert recipes trying to find one that would use the most berries–since I had four pounds to use quickly.

As a kid, I always dreaded the end of summer break, but there was one thing I looked forward to—back to school shopping. School shopping was an event. I loved picking out a brand new trapper keeper, backpack and lunch box for the year.

By far, my favorite fashion accessory is a crystal statement necklace. Awhile back, I talked about statement necklaces and why they are so versatile. A chunky or shiny or truly eye-catching necklace is still my go-to accessory because it instantly changes the whole vibe of my outfit.

I’ve mentioned my obsession with all things lemon before. During both of my pregnancies, I craved lemonade, which is odd since it’s not a drink I usually choose. Sure, it’s yummy, but I would almost always order an ice tea or diet coke over a lemonade. But while I was pregnant, I drooled over that combination of sweet and tart and couldn’t get enough lemonade.

Metallics were everywhere on the spring/summer 2014 runways, such as Saint Laurent. Earlier this spring, I shared a gorgeous Saint Laurent gold metallic futuristic dresses in my Oscars fashion post that I would love to own. But if all-over metallic is too much for you, don’t lose hope.

I don’t like giving up my bread and baked goods, but I’ve found a low-carb diet is the most effective way for me to lose my baby weight. When you think low-carb, what comes to mind? Eating triple cheeseburgers with piles of bacon in a lettuce cup. No, I’m not eating that. I’m usually eating lean proteins, tons of veggies and protein shakes. But it gets boring. Fast.

When I saw this look, I fell for the classic black and white floral print dress. Black and white is timeless, and as long as the floral print is fairly simple, this dress style could last for years.

Rocco is at an age where he is constantly trying to assert his independence. Jade and I nurture his independence through free-play and letting him explore as much as we can. Despite our best attempts, there is at least one daily battle, usually more, because we won’t let him get his way.

About four months ago, I got my hair cut and colored by the best stylist I’ve found in Orange County so far. And as the adage goes, you get what you pay for. It was a great haircut and hair color job that I really loved.

In honor of today, National Milk Chocolate Day, I started searching Pinterest for interesting milk chocolate recipes. Surprisingly, a lot of recipes don’t specify milk chocolate in their titles. It seems a lot more recipes use bittersweet or baker’s chocolate.

For one of my first fashion posts, I used flowers as inspiration to create a fashion collage (part 1, part 2). Even after a year of posting, we liked the idea so much, we wanted to repeat it again this summer.

There are a lot of things I love about Southern California — access to gorgeous beaches, great shopping, the most amazing farmer’s markets and fresh produce. But the thing I’m reminded of most often is how gorgeous the flora is here. I officially love Southern California flowers.

My favorite summer fruit is watermelon, no contest. I remember being a kid and getting so excited when my mom would cut up slices of watermelon for a snack on those hot and humid Wisconsin summer days.

I’m sure you’ve seen the ring stacking trend that’s been popular since last spring. I think stacked rings might be a little overdone at this point, but what I love about the trend is taking those delicate rings and wearing them alone. Delicate jewelry is definitely on trend this summer.

I think I might have found my new favorite 2014 trend, stripes and florals together.

Last weekend, our local Orange County Wisconsin Alumni Chapter hosted a day at Zoomar’s petting zoo in San Juan Capistrano. Jade and I haven’t attended any alumni events since Rocco was born. We also haven’t ventured out of the house with both kids, other than a quick trip to the farmer’s market or a walk around the park. Now that Gigi is over her colic, we figured we should try taking both kids out for the day.

We visit the farmer’s market nearly every Saturday. This past weekend, what stood out the most were brightly colored heirloom tomatoes. Jade always gives me a hard time because I’m Italian, but not really a tomato person. More accurately, I don’t like raw tomatoes that much—except for cherry tomatoes.

Colic is Satan incarnate. “She won’t stop crying. I seriously can’t take this anymore. Will this ever stop? Is something wrong with her? Is she ever going to be a normal baby?” I repeated to myself, tears rolling down my cheeks, every day for two months straight. This is life with a baby who has infant colic.

Probably my current favorite fashion trend is the black and white trend (seriously, here, here). I love it because it really is timeless and classic. Black and white clothing, even with patterns or prints, can be worn for many seasons.

One of my favorite parts of summers as a kid were trips to my friends’ cottages in northern Wisconsin and vacations at my grandparent’s lake house in upper Michigan. I loved everything about it (well, except the mosquitoes). Trips to the lake meant boating, swimming, walks on the beach, sandcastles, bonfires, and grilling out. And a weekend up north wasn’t complete without s’mores.

Summer sunglasses are a must. I lived in Arizona for six years and I learned first-hand just how important it is to wear quality sunglasses. If you’ve been to Arizona, you know that sunglasses are a non-negotiable with that blindingly bright sun most of the year.

This Fourth of July weekend, I’ll be chasing this little guy around, spending some time at the pool with friends, grilling out, and playing with sparklers. I hope you have a safe and happy holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July!

I was invited to try out a new fitness studio called the Haute Room. I agreed to review the class and the Haute Room is giving one lucky reader 5 free classes! The opinions in the review are completely my own.

Not sure what dessert to make this 4th of July? These quick and easy peach turnovers will not let you down. They are so super simple to make, and really delicious. All you need is fresh peaches, puff pastry, and a few other ingredients. I liked this recipe for easy peach turnovers so much, I shared it with SheKnows.

The fourth of July is only days away, and I have bbq on my mind. Since many of us will be grilling out this coming weekend to celebrate, I thought it would be fun to find some unique bbq side dishes.

When I saw this printed skirt and top look, I was drawn to the bold patterned skirt in a perfect midi length. The easy chambray tank gives a casual edge to the straight skirt, which could be easily dressed up or down, depending on the occasion.

With so many sunscreen choices out there, I wanted to give you a rundown of what to look for to keep you protected this summer. I’ve mentioned it before, but my biggest health and beauty mistake of my youth was not wearing sunscreen. I have brown spots and skin damage to show for it.

I’m a season late, but the start of this summer seemed like as good of a time as any to clean and reorganize my disaster of a closet.

Summer is officially here tomorrow! If you haven’t already found the perfect suit for the summer, I’ve come up with four different scenarios and swimsuit tips to help you find the perfect suit. If you are looking exclusively for a one-piece, check out 10 one-piece suits under $50.

I miss my carefree summers in the Midwest. When I see corn on the cob, I’m immediately transported back to my childhood. I grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin. When we would venture outside our little suburb, we’d quickly be surrounded by cornfields and dairy farms as far as you could see. My dad would always say ‘knee high by the fourth of July’ referring to the corn’s growth that season. No, we didn’t live on a farm, but the crops’ growth was just a part of the summer time conversation.

I love lace clothing. It doesn’t matter what season, a lace blouse or lace accented dress is always feminine and sophisticated. Those adjectives generally don’t come to mind when I think about shorts. But shorts can be more than just for the gym or lounging around the house.

I’m so excited! SheKnows recently accepted me as an Experts Among Us contributor. Published this past Friday, my very first article talks about how we decided when was the best time to have a second baby.

School’s out for the summer! With graduation ceremonies wrapping up, it officially feels like summer is here. Let’s celebrate the start of summer with these must-try summer sangria recipes.

When Willie Nelson wrote “On the Road Again”, I doubt he did a road trip with toddlers. I’m almost certain it wasn’t in a four-door sedan, with excited children asking, “Are we at the beach? How long until we get to the beach?” every two minutes.

Posh In Progress turned 1 yesterday! To celebrate, I wanted to try something daring, a multiple layer cake with blue ombre frosting and our Posh logo.

I can’t believe it’s already been a year (tomorrow) since we started Posh In Progress. I started the blog as a way for me to share my current fashion obsessions, experiences as a new mom, and my favorite recipes.

Have you ever had a raw baby bok choy salad? Until last week, I didn’t even know you could (or should) eat it raw.

It’s officially beach season, yay! I recently bought a practical beach tote (on sale!) for lugging Rocco’s sand toys to the beach. Although practical, I also wanted to get a cute adult-friendly version to go with my new one-piece (seriously, how cute is this for such a steal?!), so I started browsing for black accented woven beach totes.

My last living grandparent, my Grandpa Richard Vivian, passed away at age 86, less than a week before Giada was born. Yesterday was his funeral. Since I was not able to be there, I wanted to take a minute to say goodbye to my grandpa, to share what he meant to me, and what he taught me.

Have you gotten your dad’s or husband’s father’s day gifts yet? You still have a couple of weeks to find the perfect gift. I’ve mentioned before how many cool and unique gifts you can get on Etsy (for moms). I love that these items have a handmade quality and many of them can be personalized for your dad or husband. Here are eight neat father’s day gift ideas I found on Etsy.

I wanted to make a special treat for the kids in honor of the holiday weekend. Our good friends from Phoenix, Sean and Amy, were in Newport Beach for Memorial Day weekend. They have two kids, Patrick and Ellen, who are almost 3 and 5. I figured homemade bomb pops, made with fresh fruit, were a great way to kick off summer while also being patriotic — they’re kinda red, white and blue, if you squint a little.

Fashionable women in the 1950’s and 60’s, like Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn, popularized the cat eye trend. The cat eye style seems to reemerge every few years. This time around, there are so many unique and interesting cat eye frames in all sorts of exaggerated shapes, patterns, and colors–many well under $100!. Tortoise cat eye sunglasses are ladylike and have a retro feel.

I made these brown butter cherry bars recipe with fresh cherries a few years back for a dinner party. I liked them so much, I wanted to share them with you.

Plastic flip flops aren’t cute. They serve a purpose at the beach, by the pool or in the gym shower, but that’s it. They look (and are) cheap and they don’t provide any foot support. With so many cute flat sandals for women under $100, let’s do ourselves a favor and bury those plastic flops in our beach bags.

A chambray button-down shirt is classic and timeless. I like to layer mine over cotton dresses, like I would a cardigan. Chambray has a casual, cool feeling and the lightweight material is perfect for summer.

Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, so I got to thinking about my all-time favorite chocolate chip cookies. My favorite happens to be from La Grande Orange in Phoenix, Arizona. They make the tastiest, giant, chocolate chip cookies with sea salt. I emailed them to ask if they would share their recipe with me. They politely said no, stating it is a signature recipe that they will not publish. I get it, but I was a bit disappointed.

Summer came early to southern California. My car thermostat read 100 yesterday. Taking care of my skin in the summer means I retire my winter standbys (like heavy creams) and dig out my summer skin care essentials, which always includes light-weight, oil free lotions and products with SPF.

I don’t have much time to browse the mall like I did before I had my daughter. Now, I mostly use online retail sites to stay current with what’s new. The other day, I went to Nordstrom’s site and saw this stylish look. I love this crochet top and skort look because the coral is bright and cheery, and the army skort (yes, skort) looks fresh with strappy heels.

This Sunday is my last, first Mother’s day and I’m already nostalgic. This is my first Mother’s day having a daughter, and my last, first mother’s day, since we don’t plan to have any more children. As I reflect on what Mother’s day means to me this year, it dawned on me that there are now three generations of women in my family. Now that I have a daughter, Mother’s day feels different somehow–when daughters become mothers to daughters.

Why are you calling it vegan leather? If it is leather, it can’t be vegan. Why don’t you call it what it is? It’s faux leather, imitation leather, leatherette, fake leather.

I first noticed fruit inspired fashion accessories when I was window-browser shopping Neiman Marcus’ new handbag arrivals. I fell hard for Edie Parker’s orange slice clutch. Why? Because it’s unique, it’s playful, it’s unexpected and it’s fun.

For a lot of people, Mother’s Day means buying flowers and a card. As a child, I always preferred making my mom’s cards. I remember making a few wonky presents as well—like a paper box covered in padded shiny ivory quilting material with a pink paper heart on top. (It was hideous, but she loved it).

Juicy, red strawberries lined nearly every stand at the farmer’s market last Saturday. You know it’s strawberry season when you can get three crates for under $10—we paid a mere $6 for all these gorgeous gems. So what to do with our overabundance of strawberries? We decided on an elevated version of strawberry shortcake by making orange pound cake with strawberry coulis.

I wanted to share these wonderful Cinco De Mayo margarita recipes because, during my coming of age in Green Bay, this wonderful holiday passed us by, which is a darn shame.

It’s time to retire those tweed jackets and wool slacks until next fall. I’ve talked about how suits can be fashionable before (here and here). If you are shopping for a new suit this spring, you are in luck. There are so many stylish, modern and sexy spring work suits for women that are appropriate, no matter your dress code.

If you look back at my recipes, you’d probably think I only eat baked-goods. Seriously. I have a problem. But seriously, I eat a lot of vegetables too. They just usually aren’t as interesting to blog about. I changed my mind when I made this shaved asparagus salad the other day.

I love the midi skirt trend this spring. It is ultra feminine and shows off a trim waist and slim ankles. A sheer white midi skirt is crisp, clean and timeless. White always feels fresh in the spring and summer. Some major designers agreed showing head to toe white on the runways for spring.

“Fresh garlic? Are you sure those aren’t onions?” That’s what I asked the nice lady who stopped us at the farmer’s market to tell us how darling Rocco is. We exchanged some niceties and then she mentioned that we had to try this farmer’s fresh garlic. So we ventured over to the farmer’s stand and were allured by the sweet smell of the fresh garlic. We love trying new things, so we grabbed a few stalks, looking for ones with big bulbs.

Peeps easter candy is are freaking adorable. There is no denying their cuteness, but who actually eats them? The giant chocolate bunny was always the star, while the Peeps ended up stale at the bottom of my Easter basket. So what other creative uses for Peeps could I try?

I recently met a new baby bib designer on Instagram. We got to talking about her new business and Etsy shop. After learning about her fledgling business, I started poking around on Etsy. I quickly learned there are tons of really talented designers, creators and crafters on Etsy.

Women’s jumpsuits are flying off the shelves this spring. Nearly every retailer is carrying them and I’m especially loving all the great printed jumpsuits out there.