five on Friday

its FRIDAY!!  I slept in until 7am this morning + woke to a bed full of babies, so I would say its off to an amazing start.  we don't have a ton of plans this weekend.. a family birthday party/dinner on Saturday afternoon but other than that we are just laying low.  J is at the fire station so we may bring the toddler party to him!

one. camp castle play mat  

one of THE COOLEST toys we have ever had. I was introduced to Camp Castle through an acquaintance on Instagram (I love that place) and I was floored at the quality and detail of this mat when it arrived. I am OBSESSED!  I have been watching my girls play on this mat for hours since it hit our doorstep and I think you guys should totally get in on this goodness, too. they are working hard to get their brand up and running for a final release around Christmas (perfect timing!!) its 100% wipeable surface with a matte texture (no pet hair!) and a grippy backing to keep it from sliding all over the place while the girls play.  it pretty much has a permanent place in our entry way, but when its time to pick it up, I just roll it up and stick it in the hall closet until we are ready to play with it again!

two. amazing giveaways over on the 'gram!

its been a busy week! I have partnered with two awesome brands to bring you a couple fun giveaways over on my Instagram page. enter HERE for your chance to win one amazing swim suit of your choice from Albion Fit (I'm wearing this top in a size XS and these bottoms in a size small!) I'll announce the winner on Saturday, but in the meantime use code: MASSEYA15 at checkout for 15% off your purchase! 

the other giveaway is for a 4 moms mamaRoo4!!  4 moms is launching their new mamaRoo4, but also their collaboration and commitment to the non-profit project sweet peas, supporting families that have experienced a stay in the NICU.  I'll be selecting a winner today, but you still have time to enter + nominate a NICU mama HERE.

three. SAHM status

I mentioned in my post earlier this week that I'll be a staying home with the kiddos.. actually working from home as a stitch fix stylist, but not having a commute and being home with the girls and Brady.  I've had some (major) anxieties about it because I have always worked outside the home, but we have been praying for a long time about how we would make this work.. and finally its come to the point for us to pull the trigger.  my last day is next week and I'm both nervous and excited!  I will also be able to devote more time to the blog.. and have been working with Kate Handling Creative  for a major overhaul and new design, so stay tuned for that update, soon!! 

four. sister girls

the cutest thing ever has been happening in our house for about a week. Baker moved into a "big girl bed" a couple weeks ago and she's been doing an awesome job sleeping in her room!  

we have been reading books together in Parker + Jolie's room at night before bed and one night last weekend Baker asked to "stay" while she was snuggled up in Jolie's bed.  Jordan has been talking about Baker eventually wanting to sleep in the room with the twins, but I didn't think that would ever happen..but I was totally wrong.  Jordan called it!  Baker has been sleeping on the floor of the twins room on her crib mattress that we had stored in her closet after replacing it with her twin size mattress. the most adorable thing ever.. and now I'm contemplating moving a bed into the twins room for Baker?? we are in the middle of making a 'big girl' space for her in her room, but we actually still have the other twin size bed that the twins used stored in the garage.. maybe I'll set that up, too?

five. NASHVILLE

me and my honey are heading to Nashville next week.. just the two of us!  we are road tripping and stopping for a night in Memphis for some amazing BBQ and then heading to spend a handful of days in downtown Nashville.  I've got a list going for places to see + yummy food to eat, but if you've been there or live there, send all your recs my way!!  I am so excited for this trip! 

happy Friday, ya'll!  I hope everyone has had an awesome week.. lets hop into this weekend asap!

microblading | the solid truth in achieving great brows

I did it!

mama bear tee c/o / "Brady" necklace c/o

I recently had my eyebrows microbladed and I'm SO glad I finally pulled the trigger.  first of all.. I'm way behind on the whole filling in your brows thing.  my poor eyebrows have been through the worst of it.. when I was about Baker's age I got stitches in my left brow, so they grow funky on that side anyway and when I got into high school I started plucking them myself and they were terribly short and thin.. like, SO BAD you guys.  I finally let them grow out and have been getting them waxed in my adult years, but even still I've never kept up with them well at all. it was only recently that I started filling them in.  after getting a brow wax (I love the gals at the benefit bar at Ulta!) she took some time and gave me a mini tutorial on filling my brows in- which actually gave them some shape and I thought- okay this is a major game changer! so, I went from never doing anything with them to filling them in the best I could every day.  regardless, they were still uneven and pretty patchy.  

now, with four kids under my feet, I REALLY wanted something to help create a quicker and easier makeup routine.. not to mention, on the days when I have zero makeup routine at all, I still have a semi-pulled together look. enter in miss Tia Parks . I hadn't mentioned it before (or after) getting them done, but the first time I posted a photo with my "new brows", people started asking about them!  it makes such a difference, more than I expected, actually.  so, with the interest shown on IG, I wanted to share about my experience and maybe what to expect if you are considering having your eyebrows microbladed:)

what is microblading?  
mircoblading falls under the permanent makeup category but it’s much less invasive than getting an actual tattoo and it’s only semi-permanent. 

whats my investment?

Tia is actually running a special right now for the procedure and is charging $250 (!!!) .  a touch up is recommended in 4-6 weeks from the initial application and she charges $50 for that.

how long does it take?

from start to finish, including consultation and the actual microblading itself was about 2.5 hours.  Tia did mention that there are some cases that it can take longer (up to 3-4 hours), just depending on the existing brow shape.

what can I expect?

first thing's first, the eyebrows are assessed, measured and drawn on with a pencil. she fills in (with pencil) where she might like to fill with the ink and then numbing cream is applied (and all throughout the process).  color is matched, the microblading is done, and color pigment is applied all over the brow for a few minutes to absorb into the strokes that were created.

whats the healing time?

7-10 days and up to two weeks! Tia made sure to walk me through the healing process very thoroughly- they started out really dark, almost unnatural looking and then progressively get lighter and finally evened themselves out in the permanent color within that first 10 days.  they will peel during the healing process, and the most important thing was to keep them dry and makeup free during those first couple weeks to allow for the best pigment protection.  some might even recommend to skip the showers and workouts for the first couple weeks to prevent anything from hindering the healing brows. 

how often do I need to get them re-done?

this is directly related to how you care for them, but up to 2+ years before you would need to get them done again.  this surprised me the most about procedure.. I had no idea it would last that long.  while this procedure fills in your eyebrows, the maintenance of them is the same, so regular waxing/threading/plucking is still required to maintain the shape.

does it hurt?

like a mother.  I think my problem was that I wasn't sure what to expect?  I had heard that "it was painless" but ya'll, it was definitely NOT painless. the best way I can describe the procedure is that it feels like she is scraping through my brows.  it does hurt, but she applies numbing cream throughout the time she is working on my brows.  for whatever reason my right eyebrow hurt worse than my left (?) but I LOVE the end result, so it's worth the little bit of pain!

how do I find some one in my area?

if you are local, in the DFW area, I highly recommend Tia!  she is located in Grapevine and can be contacted through phone or her contact page HERE.

if you are not in the DFW area I would look for someone that is certified in microblading.  before/after photos are pretty standard, so check out a few photos online before scheduling, too.

is it safe while nursing?

the truth is.. I had to google this. the initial answer is that its not recommended, but it also comes with personal judgement.  after reading a ton of conflicting information on this, I still felt a little uneasy, so I called my pediatrician and asked her opinion about it while nursing Brady and she did not see a huge issue with having this procedure done.  to me, its sort of along the same lines as limiting my caffeine intake and being careful with certain foods that might upset Brady's stomach.  I do know of some spas that will not perform microblading while nursing (definitely not while pregnant) unless you have a doctor's note.  something to look into before booking your appointment, for sure:)  

is it worth it?
yes.  100x YAS!  it was annoying to go through the whole scabbing/flaking process, and worrying about keeping them dry.  attempting to not put makeup on the but around them.. but it was/is totally worth it! its cut a solid 5 minutes off of my routine in the morning, which is HUGE considering I usually only get a handful of minutes to throw myself together. she changed the arch of my brows and made them more even and I just love them! 

BEFORE

 AFTER

LOVE! 
if you're in the area, definitely give Tia a call + book your appointment!

I'm going for my touch up in a couple weeks and plan to do another post then. its amazing what a little shape to your brows can do for your entire face!

newborn sleep essentials | tips + tricks

after four babies I think I've gotten a pretty good handle on what healthy sleep looks like for an infant.  that being said, all four of my kids have slept completely different from each other.   I've heard a billion things in regards to what it technically means for a baby to sleep through the night.  somewhere along the way someone has offered the magic "6 hour" timeframe and stated that was technically sleeping through he night. but goodness, in those early weeks I would be grateful for just a consistent 3-4 hours, am I right?  cluster feeds are not fun!

as first time parents with the twins, neither Jordan or myself had any clue as to what to expect as far as sleep goes with them.  Jolie was tiny- four and a half pounds of tiny.  she grunted and snorted like premature baby would keeping me up all night long worrying about her and checking her with every peep she made.  they both slept in a single pack and play in our room until about 4 months of age and we moved them to their separate cribs and neither slept through the night EVER.  Jolie finally figured it out around 6 months of age, but Parker didn't sleep through the night at all until about 15 months old.  even then she would only give me a full night's sleep randomly about once a week. at age four they are both in bed around 8pm.. often still awake until after 9pm and Parker wakes me once a night for a hug and is up every morning before the sun. 

Baker is an amazing sleeper. AMAZING.  she also slept in the pack and play in our room and was sleeping through the night at 6 weeks of age, flipped to her belly to combat a bit of reflux and she found her thumb really early and would self soothe through the night.  way different than the two before her.  around 6 months I did have to go through some sleep training with her (see my post on sleep training without CIO HERE) and worked like a charm.  Baker now goes to bed around 7-7:30pm every night and will sleep about 14 hours.  she prefers to stay in her crib until well after 9am in the morning.

so, now there is Brady. I will say that he sleeps pretty well so far!  one thing I did do before with the other three, and have been doing with Brady now, is maintained a consistent sleep routine.  with the twins we were totally winging it.  we didn't know what we were doing at all, and I think I can speak to most first time parents in that those first couple months are a total blur.  I tried my best to follow routine and keep up with what all the books and apps were telling me to do for them regarding sleep but every day looked different for us and with two babes it was a little bit more difficult to manage.  when Baker came along, I was more seasoned and went straight to work on getting her into that sleep routine I had attempted before.  I have found that there are a handful of items and processes that have worked with all four of my kids and I hope that you guys can benefit from my sharing what we do!  

routine 

I mentioned in Brady's 2 month update (HERE) that we recently started working with him on getting into a consistent sleep routine.  before now I was really focusing on getting to know him and his natural habits.. feeding him on demand, which included through the night.  reflux played a part against us in the sleep department, but once we got that under control I started him on a trail routine.  it definitely takes some tweaks and changes depending on your little one, but so far this is working for us!

bedtime routine @ 10 weeks

9pm: bath soak- usually about 20 minutes, bathed in lavender soap (we love Tubby Todd!) 

9:30pm: out of the bath, rub down with lavender lotion and into our jammies!

9:45-10pm: nurse + bed

bathtime really is a huge component to our bedtime routine.  I've learned that giving Brady a bath, no matter if its outside of that nine o'clock time frame, helps him sleep more soundly and also gives him the sense that okay this is what we do around bedtime.  he has come to really love the bath and it offers time to let him relax and chill out before he goes to sleep for the night.

you can find Brady's bath seat HERE

location

Brady sleeps in the dockatot- which we have been absolutely LOVING. I get asked about the dockatot all the time! I won't say that it is magical and can 100% guarantee that it will make your baby sleep through the night, because so many other things factor into healthy sleep for you and baby, but it is really something both Jordan and myself have come to love using for Brady.  we have used it for travel and will eventually use it in transitioning to the crib and upgrade to the larger dockatot grand as he continues to grow.  consistency is HUGE when it comes to healthy sleep habits, which is why the dock is so awesome.. we just move it around as we wish! Brady sleeps in the dock in our bed, and for now this is the only place he sleeps at night.  when I make the transition to his crib here in another couple months there will be a whole new process, especially when he starts napping in his crib, but at this age Brady knows that when he is in the dockatot that it is bedtime.

full belly

AND burped!  

personally I think the very best way to ensure a great sleep is to make sure they are fully fed and burped!  with Brady's reflux issues I have had to make sure he is burped really well before I lay him down or he will be awake about a half hour later with gas troubles.  holding him upright just about 10 minutes or so after he's eaten for the last time before bed is extra helpful in keeping him comfortable to get into a deep sleep and to hopefully sleep through the night.  I also have learned that the more the baby eats during the day the longer and more satisfied he will be through the night.  be really consistent with feeding your infant every 3 hours while you are trying to establish a sleep routine.  if he's sleeping randomly for a 4 or 5 hour stint through the day then he will make up for what he's missing out on during the night.

the swaddle

when it comes to swaddling, all of my kids have been different.  the twins were in the swaddle until almost 6 months.. no joke.  they loved it.  they were swaddles at night and during the day for nap time.  they were smaller than your average, so size wise they might have been the equivalent to a four month old, maybe? after we got them out of the swaddle, Parker and Jolie transitioned to sleep sacs and slept in sleep sacs until they were over a year old.  

the swaddle had its 15 minutes of fame with Baker and then she was done.  we stopped swaddling her all together by 6 weeks of age and after we moved her out of our room at four months she used a sleep sac until about 6 months.  she didn't care for it the same as the twins- maybe because she's a summer babe and its so hot she didn't need/want the extra coverage?

so, now with Brady, we are back at it with the swaddle.  nighttime is the only time we swaddle him and we have discovered the most AMAZING swaddle (they have sleep sacs, too!) nested bean has created the Zen Swaddle, which offers a breathable lightweight option for swaddling Brady.  the swaddle features a weighted egg on the chest and sides of the swaddle that simulated the weight of my hand so he falls asleep with the comfort of mom or dad close by.  not to mention that the fabric has the perfect amount of stretch to get him in a good solid swaddle- the tighter the better as it helps him feel the most secure.  once Brady is swaddled he knows its time for bed! when we transition out of the swaddle (the Zen Swaddle is useable for babies 0-6 months of age) I'm totally getting my hands on the Zen Sac to keep up with comforted sleep habits.

wanna try one out for yourself?? I'm so excited to share that the great folks at the nested bean are offering a special discount for my readers!  use code MASSEY15 for 15% off your entire purchase!

if you have any tips and tricks for sleep that you have done with your babies I would love to hear them! I'm always learning as I go and getting encouraging feedback from you guys is just the best!! 

baby boy essentials with Carter's

• this post is sponsored by Carter’s; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
  

  
  my absolute favorite go-to when dressing my girls in their first year (and beyond) has been Carter's.  when Parker and Jolie were born, there wasn't a whole lot that fit them outside of Carter's brand- they were so teeny tiny at just 4 pounds and 5 pounds! they wore their babysoft sets, sleep and plays, and the original bodysuit well through their first year of life, and Baker followed suit with the sweetest hand-me-downs fitting her like a glove.

  during a baby's first year, its all about the baby essentials, fit for any occasion, and Carter's always has what I'm looking for.  I appreciate the one-stop-shop, and no one does the coordinating outfits better than Carter's.. even with the newest addition being a baby boy!
  
  when we found out we were pregnant with Brady I was clueless on how I wanted to dress him.  there were so many options and styles.. and ya'll, I was really good at dressing three girls.  what was I going to do with a boy??  building a collection of baby boy clothes was totally new for me!  but I knew, without a doubt, that my first go-to would be Carter's.
  it has been SO FUN.  so, so fun!  

I stocked up on all the adorable newborn clothes to fill Brady's empty drawers with visions of him wearing them soon.. and here we are with an 8 week old Brady in our arms and I cannot get enough of how precious he looks wearing these comfy clothes!  he's changing by the day and his most recent milestone is learning to play and interact with all of us- his little voice is just the sweetest! and he's growing like a weed- I mean.. where did those cheeks come from?!  time if flying and snapping these memories of my fourth baby's first play time on a quilt under his little play gym will be something I won't forget.  I have pictures of all four of my kiddos playing like this and wearing a Carter's sleep and play or onesie..
Carter's has been along for the ride since the very beginning.

the warm weather is here, so whether we are playing in the coolness of the house or at the park, dousing ourselves in bubbles, or going on family dates to Costco- which always turns into 2 hour expeditions and scarfing slices of pizza while loading the groceries and wrangling babies into car seats, I really focus on dressing my kids for comfort.  side note: Costco pizza is WAY delicious.  

I'm so hungry.. getting back on track here.. of course I want them all to look super cute, but lightweight and breathable is key.  I also need to make things easy on me. with four kids under my feet, it is a lot to worry about when it comes to getting dressed let alone making decisions on what all four of them will wear.. just to the make a trip to the store or post office.. or Starbucks!  it can be a bit overwhelming..which is why there are (many) days they don't get out of their jammies!

I think, as mom's, we all go through seasons of change.  walking into this stage of motherhood, welcoming a fourth baby, is absolutely the most crazy its ever felt for me as a mom.  I feel like I'm in survival mode and going through the motions to get through the day. it is true that our life is more like controlled chaos and less like the rainbows and unicorns it might seem to be, but I am counting every single day as part of something that I wouldn't change for the world, will never forget, and I never ever want to take these moments for granted.  these babies are the lead characters in 4 years worth of the most colorful memories one can imagine and I couldn't be more thankful for the woman I have evolved to since becoming a mother.  these days I find myself seeking grace, patience, and joy in all these little moments that I would have never noticed before having kids. 

I don't even remember what life was like without them!

these little faces that bring so much happiness into this house and its hard to say that I don't want 4 more.. Jordan may loose his mind, but a girl can dream, right?

one of the best parts about shopping Carter's are the affordable prices.. and even more so when there is a coupon code involved!  ya'll, I appreciate coupons and discounts because.. FOUR kids! holla!

Click HERE for 20% off your entire purchase online and in stores:)

in the meantime I'll be over here sobbing in my third cup of coffee because Brady has grown out of his newborn size clothes and is fittingly way too well in size 3 months.  babies don't keep!
thats the truth!

photos by b faith photography

peaceful sleep with owlet baby care

I am so excited to be teaming up with Owlet Baby Care to share about our experience with this amazing monitor and explain a little more about how it works!  it has seriously changed the way we (all) sleep at night! of course, with a new baby come sleepless nights, and the middle of the night cluster feedings is not what I’m talking about.. it’s the worrying through the night if my baby is okay.  in Jordan’s line of work he has seen many unfortunate situations and he is on high alert through the first several months with a new little one- he wakes at the smallest sound or grunt or movement that the baby makes!  when I was pregnant with Brady I discovered the Owlet Smart Sock 2 and I shared with him the technology of this amazing product and he and I both were SO excited about it!  

I thought that maybe since Brady was baby number four that I (and Jordan, too) wouldn’t experience that same worry that filled my brain during the night in our first few weeks (and even months) home with the twins and even more so with Baker. well I was wrong, it was for sure still there and with each child it seemed like I was getting more and more anxious.  

with Brady, this anxiety started while we were still in the hospital.  he had a few drops in his oxygen levels because of silent reflux episodes.  he woke me one night, at 2 days old, hitting the side of the hospital bassinet with his little arms as he was gasping for air.. talk about terrifying.  since we have been home I constantly check him during the night and luckily we haven't had any episodes, but my peace of mind comes from the Owlet. its completely changed our sleeping game.

this tiny sock fits perfectly around little man’s foot while he sleeps. it’s very soft and he doesn’t seem to notice at all when he's wearing it- even fits easily under his footie pajamas! after using it the first night, both Jordan and myself were able to confidently fall asleep between feedings and sleep with ease. we will take what we can get to be as well rested as possible for another day of crazy with four babies, ya know?!

this magic sock it is definitely a MUST HAVE for every new mama.. as well as second and third time and in my case, fourth time mamas! while Brady sleeps, the Owlet Smart Sock 2 tracks his heart rate and oxygen levels with pulse oximetry- its the same technology as the little red light they clip on your finger at the doctor's office.  the Smart Sock 2 is designed to notify you if your baby’s levels fall out of the preset zones and sends the information to the Owlet app on my phone and to the base station sitting close to where we sleep.  if something outside of the present zone is ever detected the color of the base changes and it plays a loud song to notify you. 

there has been a couple nights the sock has lost connection when I’ve gotten up to change Brady’s diaper and Jordan has even gotten the notification on his phone while he's been at the fire station. the app is really amazing because we can see a live feed of Brady's readings that are being tracked, even when Jordan isn't home!

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about our experience with the Owlet Smart Sock 2 and if you are on the fence I strongly suggest you climb right over:). if your anything like me and worry about your baby when they sleep this would be the one thing I would invest in.  I don’t think you can every put a price tag on something valuable like this. 

photos by bfaith photography/ thank you Owlet for collaborating on this post 

summer florals | haberdash soul co collab

coming out of my weekend hiding for a rare post on a Sunday morning.

ya'll.. this is SO GOOD.

I've teamed up with one of my favorite small shops, haberdash soul co., for an exclusive collaboration to create my very own mama + mini kimono.

when Chanel approached me with this opportunity I had one thought on my mind.. SUMMER. 

she gave me free reign on the design, style, and fabric options and she took her talented hands into making this creation in my brain a reality.  

how gorgeous is this floor length summer floral kimono with a bit of vintage vibe??

just in time for wearing to the pool, the lake, on the sandy beaches for vacay.. and not just for wearing over your swim suit!

cut off jean shorts + tank + floral kimono + oversized sunnies

check.check.check.check.

I'd say thats perfect attire for wearing to brunch on the patio.

someone bring me a GIANT bloody mary.  

please:)

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 I'm WAY proud of this and WAY flattered at the opportunity to work with such an amazing gal like Chanel.

YALL- look at these tiny twin babies in their original HSC baby kimonos?!  

when these shops have been dressing your babies since they were little bitty, its more than just the clothes/hairbows/stuff.. we've become friends and they support me just as much as I support them.

I am SO excited to share that our limited edition mama+mini kimonos will be released TONIGHT at 8PM CST to the haberdash soul sisters facebook group and the remaining will be released to the public at 9PM CST.  be sure to follow along for updates on HSC Facebook, IG (both myself, @masseya and Chanel, @haberdashsoulco) for more info!  

they will be available on the haberdash soul co website!

happy (summer) shopping! 

photos by b faith photography

mama + mini kimonos // haberdash soul co

mama + mini swim suits c/o kortni jeane

layered necklaces c/o jays + jewels

baker's head wrap (old) c/o shelby chic boutique

(use code PBANDJ at shelby chic for a discount code that never expires!)

in the kitchen with Hello Fresh

we had a special and rather delicious delivery hit our doorstep last week.

 while you might be thinking I'm talking about Baker's cheeks.. I am actually talking about a giant box filled with a week's worth of ingredients from hello fresh.

 I found myself back in the kitchen this last week, excited to make and try three new recipes delivered straight to my door.. without any meal planning or scouring of pinterest to figure out what I was going to prepare for my busy family.  

pregnancy and postpartum leave me little motivation to meal plan and cook for my crew.. so I tend to just cook what I know is easy and quick.  the WE EAT section of the blog has been far neglected and it gives me hives to think about how terribly I've been slacking in that department. 

we have been eating a lot of grilled chicken/steak and salads.  the crock pot makes an appearance here and there and occasionally I'll get a wild hair and turn on my oven.  there was ONE week towards the end of my pregnancy that I planned and prepped three new recipes and on meal one/night one the side spilled over the edge of my casserole dish in the oven and that mess sat there for another week (or more?!) before I cleaned it up. every time I went to use the oven I remembered the mess there in the bottom and scratched that plan for dinner and threw chicken nuggets in the microwave instead!  

 this is a far cry from my days (pre-kids.. well pre-FOUR kids) when I would meal plan every single week, five or six different meals for the days ahead.  I love being in the kitchen and I'm actually a pretty great self-taught cook (just ask Jordan!)- but time isn't something I have a lot to spare in this life stage.   So, I find myself seeking out a different route at dinner time and love the idea of quick, easy, healthy, and of course delicious!

enter hello fresh.

in case you have never heard of hello fresh or have never tried a meal delivery service like this (I'm a newbie!).. lemme break it down for you.

hello fresh is a service that delivers fresh ingredients for healthy recipes right to your doorstep.  they pride themselves on encouraging their customers to cook with fresh ingredients and in turn helps you stay healthy and beats any type of convenience, frozen, or fast food. 

hello fresh employs a dedicated team of chefs and dietitians creating recipes on a weekly basis to ensure that your dinners are balanced and wholesome.

MAJOR brownie points for hello fresh.. they have a dietitian (holla!)

there are three meal plan options

the classic plan (meat + fish recipes; 2-4 adults; choose from 6 recipes)

the veggie plan (vegetarian options only; 2-4 adults; choose from 3 recipes)

the family plan (meat, fish, + veggie recipes; 2 adults + 2 children; choose from 3 recipes)

 

 we selected the classic plan and received three meals consisting of three different protein options (shrimp, beef, and chicken breast).  everything arrived crisp and fresh in a refrigerated box.  each meal was pre-portioned and packed with all the ingredients in individual kits, so I didn't have to worry about sorting them out myself.  this also made storage in the fridge really easy, too!

I wasn't home when my box was delivered, but I was pleasantly surprised when I got the box off the porch (and out of the Texas heat!) that everything was still very cold! All of the meats and dairy is wrapped with special wool and cooling material to keep them fresh until you get home during delivery day.

hello fresh has a wealthy selection of recipes and adds 10 new recipes to their rotation every week

there's absolutely no commitment and you can skip, pause, or cancel your subscription at any time.

all of their meals range between 500-800 calories per serving and full nutritional information for every recipe can be found on their website!

last, but definitely NOT least- hello fresh recipes are not labor intensive or overwhelming at all to make.  each meal can take about a half hour to 45 minutes to prepare! my experience this week has been that I can get these meals on the table in about 35 minutes.

 I'm so excited about these boxes arriving every week.  when we budgeted our groceries while including the classic plan (for 4 people) we actually found to save money.. getting three different healthy protein options into my grocery cart isn't always cheapest route, so I can appreciate what hello fresh has to offer!  not to mention, it keeps me motivated to get back in the kitchen- I really have missed it and the consistency of cooking balanced and healthy meals.

wanna try it?!  hello fresh has graciously offered a generous discount code to my readers!

use code MASSEYA30 for $30 off your first box!  

 dinner is served!  and.. you guys!  it is as delicious as it looks! my former food blogger self might be a little proud that the burger looked very close to the picture on the recipe card hello fresh included:)  presentation is almost as important as taste.

almost.

thank you Brittany for cooking in the kitchen with us, and to hello fresh for sponsoring this post!