I’ve been thinking a lot about friendship lately.​
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As my mom tribe grows, I long to serve them and give back to them as they lift me up daily and encourage me to be the best mama I can be to Grey. This in turn got me thinking about the best ways to give back to them – whether that be through gift giving, spending one on one time with them without the littles or just speaking words of encouragement into their hearts...

I really don't care for the cliche phrase of the "New Years Resolution", as I believe we should be able to set and achieve goals all year long, but I have set forth a goal for Mr. Charming and I for the new year. So, I suppose it can best be summed up as a New Year's resolution.

Tomato, Tomato. (that doesn't work so well in text does it? haha) I guess it should be... Tomato, Tomahto. 

Anyways.

Although I am a HUGE Gilmore Girl's fan (my post on my thoughts on the revival and the Gilmore Girls party I threw coming soon!) I promise that the "Friday Night Dinners" we are planning for 2017 do not resemble a tension filled night in the Gilmore mansion. Quite the opposite actually.

I'll be the first to admit that when life gets hectic (IE: new mom life, running a household, marriage, travel and juggling multiple careers) our social life gets put on the backburner. Sometimes even farther back than the backburner. 

Like, it's not even in the kitchen anymore.

So, I wanted to be more intentional with spending time with those we truly love and care about. The other couples we've connected with. Our oldest friends. Our church friends. Our family. My mama friends. Mr. Charming's guy friends. All the relationships that mean so, so much to us that we haven't cared for the way that we should. 

Enter my Friday Night Dinner plan for 2017.

During the holidays Mr. Charming and I planned to sit down and write down all of the people who we want to spend quality time with. We wrote them all down on strips of cardstock and added them to a jar we plan to keep in a space in our home that we will see everyday. 

Our plan is to draw a name, couple or family from the jar and get a Friday night scheduled with them. Whether its the next Friday, or a Friday two months from now that works with our schedules, we will get it on the calendar and plan to host them for dinner. Being able to connect one on one and set aside a night to really connect. 

Once we've broken bread with everyone in the jar, it starts over again. A plan I hope that will keep us connected and getting real face time on a regular basis.

This doesn't replace neighborhood group, family events, parties we throw, etc. So it's not like it's the only time we see these special people. However, it does allow to conciously schedule quality time with those in our tribe when time can fly by lightening fast, sometimes putting months between conversations, meals and just good time spent with friends and family. 
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I'm pulling out all the acronyms today, folks. 

Last night was epic. My husband's work gifted him suite seats to Tran Siberian Orchestra so we turned it into a double date night event with his sister and her husband. We had a suite just to the four of us and our own waiter who brought us drinks. I loved the intimacy of not being in a huge crowd of people. I think one of the things that made this evening so special was that this is a show my husband has always dreamed of seeing.  A little behind on our holiday advent calendar, it was an awesome way to schedule in a Christmas-related night out. The show was INCREDIBLE. The light show, the story and the music were all phenomenal and I'm so glad we went. 

Now, before I break for lunch today, I come to my third and final acronym. Today's most important one and that is the EWG. The Environmental Working Group is a fantastic organization of people who work hard to keep us alert of what is in our food, beauty and skincare products, and I'm not sure if you've yet been made aware, GMO-Salmon has been federally approved. Which means it's just one more unsafe food that the government is now regulating. More information is located here, with actionable steps we can take to help get our food in the U.S. rightfully labeled, as it should be. 

Make sure to eat clean this holiday season, shop local, shop organic, and if you get a chance, check out Tran Siberian Orchestra when they come through your city, because entertainment is good for the soul. 

Who doesn't love spreading Christmas cheer? If you raised your hand, I'm sorry, and I send you hugs & loves & gumdrops to warm your heart. 

This month, along with the beautiful Ludavia of Nifty Betty, Julia of The Quiet Grove, Ariel from Keys To My Life and my record label NVE/Universal, we thought it would be fun to bring back Christmas Caroling to the digital age. So, let's go caroling! 

As Ludavia stated on her website when she started this movement... "Every Saturday in December at 2pm PST, we are going to fill social media with #caroling by posting a video singing our favorite Christmas carols. You can film yourself singing, have someone film you and some friends, have strangers join in, and if you are really shy about it, simply post a video from YouTube. We are spreading Christmas cheer; so, if you are off key, who cares! We will be jolly doing it."

Simply post your video on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook (or all three!) every Saturday of December at 2pm PST and use the hashtag #caroling. Then watch some people sing their songs, comment, share, and tell everyone about it.

My record label, NVE Records/Universal will be choosing the best of the best to feature across their social media. 

Won't you join us in bringing back a long-lost tradition, building community and spreading joy? 

Christmas is just a short 36 days away, which means crunch time for all of the holiday planning.

​Mr. Charming and I are sitting down this weekend to create our December Advent Calendar that we make every year. This year includes a mix of volunteer work, movie nights by the fire, church and celebration events. And yes, my halls are already decked. This is my favorite time of year. 

As I've grown up, my Christmas wish list and my gift lists to others have changed drastically. Not a huge lover of gift cards or gifts that are impersonal, I like to try to create something special. Whether a nature lover, techie, beauty fanatic or foodie, I like to give gifts that speak to what they love and who they are. And holiday baskets are the BEST way to give multiple gifts that speak to the same theme. 

Holiday Basket Tip #1: Don't Overfill. I like to space things out so that you can see what's inside. Once my food items were placed I added a couple of homey touches. 

One of my favorite types of people to shop for are the foodies in my life. (No shocker there, right?) 

Instead of buying the pre-made food baskets that are laden with sugar and processed ingredients, I like to make them using high quality products. From organic fruit (which always looks beautiful in baskets) to fine wines and homemade baking mixes to my favorite recipes, it's fun and easy to be creative. 

This year, I'm putting little "market" baskets together using products from one of my favorite shops! Based in Austin, Texas, Wild Foods will ship products internationally, (except for their coffee, which is U.S. only) and offer a wide variety of specialty teas, chocolate, coffee and protein items. 

Holiday Basket Tip #2: Themes are good. Since I shopped at a specialty market, I used a vintage market basket as the basket instead of a holiday box or traditional wicker or wood basket. 

For this years basket I chose a pack of Wild Coffee and paired it with mugs I knew would match my friends kitchen. I added in a pack of Wild Sweet Nibs, which are high quality pieces of chocolate that can be used in trail mixes, on ice cream or as a garnish on baked goods, as well as a pack of Wild Chocolate which can be used for cocoa, in smoothies or in baking. 

I finished it off by adding some information on Wild Foods, so that she would know where to go if she wanted to order more and I tied a Christmas ornament that would match her home to the basket as a finishing touch. 

Holiday Basket Tip #3: If you include pre-made goods, or goods for a particular market, its good to add a recipe card or a store info card so your gift receiver can make or buy more if they enjoy it! 

Have you made holiday baskets or are you planning to this year? I would love to know the ones you are creating, especially for the foodies in your life! 

It's no secret that I am an avid music lover. Coming from a background as a touring singer for over 10 years, I believe music is life. It is joy and pure emotion expressed in a beautiful way. It's also no secret (to those that are lucky enough to be dragged to movies by me) that Pitch Perfect was one of my favorite movies ever to hit the big screen. 

Everything from the delightful charm of Jesse and the Treblemakers, to the hilarity of Fat Amy and the amazing vocal arrangements from the Bellas, what WASN'T there to love? Seriously, I dare you to try to find one thing, because it's movie gold. 

And then came the sequel. And I got to "squee!" about aca-perfection all over again. Since Mr Charming put in the theatre, I had yet to have a true "girls night" in the house taking advantage of the space. 

Luckily that all changed this week because Pitch Perfect 2 released on Tuesday and Walmart is offering a Limited Edition gift set complete with blu ray, DVD, HD digital copy and CD of the films songs, so I had to pick that up. I also grabbed some chips, dip and popcorn to keep us energized for karaoke and put the word out to my girls. 

OF COURSE, karaoke. Because what is a Pitch Perfect 2 viewing party without a little singing of our own?

After snacks and singing, we settled in to enjoy the movie. Hands down my favorite movie of 2015, we sang, we danced, we laughed, we cried (because seriously, some of it is so fabulously awkward) and got to spend some great girl time together. It was much needed after a crazy busy week proceeding an even busier week of travel coming up. 

It is always important to take time with your girls. To unwind, to laugh, to sing, to play, to dance and to remember to connect. 

Plan a girls night with your favorites. Head to Walmart to grab the exclusive Pitch Perfect 2 Blu-Ray/Soundtrack combo pack. Soundtrack includes some of your favorite songs from Pitch Perfect and Pitch Perfect 2 (while supplies last)

And I'd get in on that.  

If you're just hearing of Pitch Perfect 2, check out more information on the film, it's stars and to watch the trailer visit their official site, or find them on social media through Twitter, Facebook and their aca-awesome Instagram. 

And a little clip of the nights karaoke by yours truly, because, singing. 

I ADORE FALL. So much so that it must be screamed in all caps. Just a few of the reasons I love fall:

• Friends & Family (we always seem to spend so much more time together.)
  
• Scarves. Boots. The fashion, oh my! 
  
• Travel. We travel a lot in the fall since the weather is so nice in many parts of the U.S. 
• Sipping hot drinks.
  
• Long leisurely walks OUTSIDE. (I live in Arizona, so we don't go outside in the summer for fear of melting or just bursting into flame.)
  
• Doing anything and everything else, OUTSIDE. The zoo? The gardens? A hike? SURE. 
  
• Winter is coming! Which means Christmas and yummy smells and snuggly fires.
  
• All the baking.
  
• All the pumpkin.
  
• All the good food. 
  

My friends & I were just talking about how this season we are intentionally setting our hearts on community. Time with friends. Celebrating and doing life together. This weekend, to celebrate the Fall kickoff, Foster Farms was kind enough to sponsor a little party for us! This allowed me to enjoy many of my favorite Fall activities, like good food, fashion and spending time with friends & family. A friend of ours just had a baby, so a big group of us got together for games, grub and loving on little baby C. 

Since we attended a Kick-Off to Fall Fall/Football party I found it fitting to do a fashionable spin on a referee ensemble, and baby C (along with my brother in law, aka, the Baby Whisperer) looked adorbs in his Purdue jersey. 

I'm excited for Fall for Nosh & Nurture as well, as we will be taking a lot of travel writing adventures & getting elbow deep in gluten-free flours as we bring you all some delicious new recipes. Mr. Charming even has a few up his sleeve he's been wanting to experiment with that are grain-free, gluten-free, everything-but-deliciousness free for all of us. So I'm excited to see him don his proverbial apron (because real men don't need real aprons) and whip up something yummy. 

The food serves was a delicious mix of gluten-free entrees, appetizers and desserts as most of our crew is either gluten-free, dairy-free or other dietary challenge so its always nice to have a lot of options. One of the most popular treats were the Foster Farm's gluten-free corn dogs we cooked up. Though not grain-free (hence, the corn) they are gluten-free and kid-friendly for those who tolerate corn. For mom's looking for other gluten-free lunch & dinner ideas for their kiddos, Foster Farms also makes gluten-free chicken strips and nuggets, available at select stores. 

The adults loved the crispy golden batter and sweet honey flavor and appreciated the high quality hotdogs that Foster Farm uses. The kiddos couldn't tell they were gluten-free and loved them as much as the real thing, and for the tinier fingers we cut the corn dogs into rounds for easy eating & dipping. 

I rarely eat potato, because me and nightshades aren't the best of friends, but sometimes I will splurge. Usually once a month I'll get a side of fries when we go to a gluten-free eatery on our travels or I'll nosh on coconut oil kettle chips. Which is what we had at the party. #nomnom

I made little snack bags into "footballs" and the kiddos thought it was a fun way to serve up their corn dog side dish. I was also proud of my DIY-ing, as I'm not the usual crafter. But you know, tape & bags... not that hard. haha. If you enjoy gluten-free Foster Farms at any of your fall festivities make sure to tag @NoshandNurture and use #FFGlutenFree so we can see all your yummy creations!

I'm looking forward to many more parties this season & would love to know your favorite dishes to serve! Or recipes you'd like to see this season! Leave it in the comments below & have a fantastic fall!

Facebook is the fast-food restaurant of social interaction.

Quick, cheap & convenient. Have a busy day and only have a minute to catch up with someone? Write on their wall. Don't have money to go to lunch or out for drinks, send a private PM with a hello. Need to RSVP to their party, wedding (gasp, please don't ever do this.) or other social event, hey why not, Facebook is right here, the mailbox is waaaaay over there. Click. Send. Etiquette out the door. 

Now. I'm not dissing social media as a whole. I LOVE being able to catch up with family that lives in an entirely different time zone than me. Reconnect with family I haven't seen since I was in Pre-K, or get to see updated photos of all my loved ones. It's great for business marketing and meeting new people.

Week One: Plan one outting this week with a friend. Whether its meeting for coffee on a work lunch break, seeing a late movie or even running and errand together - make time for at least one hour this week. 
Week Two: Aim for two friend outings this week - or one outing and one phone call with two separate friends. 
Week Three: Write a letter to a friend, at least one full page long and mail it in a cute envelope to cheer her up. 
Week Four: Plan an event - dinner party, a night out for a drink, group pedi's, a poker night, anything - and send out  an invite (social media ok for this) to get everyone together. The point is to not just think or plan but to put it into action so you can start making more memories. 

Sounds simple - but I know with our group, weeks can go by before we realize we've got so caught up in our "busy".

Let me see how the challenge is going for you! I will be doing the same! Snap photos of you and your besties together, snap photos of your event planning or of your cute stationary/envelopes and put them on Instagram using the hashtag #NNSocialChallenge. 

Let's bring back REAL connection. One moment at a time. 

I was honored to receive a Liebster Award Nomination from the wonderful Tiffany of The Golden Letter. An award that helps to support & promote fellow bloggers, she has sent me questions to answer in receiving my nomination. Below, you can see the answers to my questions to get to know me a little better & I have also nominated six of my favorite bloggers. 

Do you have a favorite blog or blogger you'd like to see nominated in the future? Leave their links in the comments & I'd love to check them out! #SpreadTheLove. 

Where do you see yourself in a few years?
I use to have a problem with putting too much focus on the future. The "now" was never good enough and with each accomplishment came an expectation for the next "bigger" and "better" thing. So while I believe it's healthy to have goals and there are things I pray are in my future, I leave it in God's hands and focus on what I can do with the time I have right now. 

What motivates you to blog?
Living healthy & helping others to see the truth in what it's all the things we put in our body on the day to day. Whether it be the food we consume to the makeup we use to the things we are cleaning our homes with, I hope to help girls and women learn the value of what God has put here for us and the benefits of using organic products. 

What's your favorite holiday?
Christmas. Hands down. Just feeling Christ so close throughout the season, time with family, baking, cozying up by a fire with a mug of dairy-free cocoa and a Christmas movie with my hubs. It's my favorite season overall. 

A book recommendation?
A book I try to read every single morning with breakfast is Jesus Calling. It helps me to stay in the Word when I'm not diligent about reading the Bible. It gives me a chance to read an inspirational  devotional that applies to modern life that is inspired by scripture. 

What is one goal you are working towards?
My friends call me Slash because of all my various titles and I'm usually working towards multiple goals at once. The main ones at this time are finishing my certification in Personal Nutrition, continuing to grow Nosh & Nurture, working on my first film screenplay and starting our family. 

If you had one superpower, what would it be?
I'd like to teleport so I could see Europe and Australia without having to take really long flights. I'm not the biggest fan of airplanes even though I toured for years. 

Tell me something you love about yourself. 
My drive to create beautiful things. 

If you could create your dream job, what would it be?
I feel blessed that I'm doing that now. Working full time as a journalist, musician and health blogger is a path God created for me, and one that I love. 

Your favorite way to spend a Saturday?
With my husband, cooking a healthy breakfast, if we are traveling where there is a beach nearby, even better. Spending quality time with our fur babies and getting caught up on reading or one of our favorite shows. 

A great piece of advice you've been given?
"Create a life you love". While God writes our story, we were given free will and have the ability to make choices and create moments and opportunities for ourselves with the talents He gave us. 

Your favorite quote?
One that I've held on to since I was a teenager. Elanor Roosevelt said, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." If you take leaps of faith to go after what's in your heart, you can be an inspire, a world changer, a difference maker. You just to believe, and start. 

I nominate the following bloggers for a Liebster Award for their dedication to their little place in the online world. For their creativity, beautiful aesthetic and awesome advice on their niche. Without further adieu.. 

Danielle of Thyme Is Honey
Madison of The Wetherills Say I Do
Merry of Sunshine On My Shoulder
Betsy of Heavens To Betsy
Jessa of In Wealth & Health
Megan of Wit & Wander



Rules of being nominated. Below are the eleven questions you must answer when accepting your nomination on your blog and comment your link here when it's posted so I can read your answers! You must also acknowledge who nominated you and link back to my blog - www.noshandnurture.com - nominate 5-11 of your favorite bloggers and write 11 questions of your own for them. Easy breezy. 

1.) What is your ultimate goal for your blog?
2.) If a celebrity played you in the movie of your life, who would it be?
3.) Favorite easy recipe to make on a busy night?
4.) Best memory you've created in your life?
5.) Name a simple pleasure that brings you immense joy.
6.) Favorite ingredient that makes any dish better. 
7.) What's the best live performance you've seen?
8.) Your #`1 piece of advice to bloggers?
9.) What's your dream vacation destination?
10.) Favorite fashion accessory?
11.) Where do you feel most creative?

There are people. People who come into your life. People you never expect to be lifelong loves. Lifelong friends. People who move your soul. People who rock your core. People who challenge you. People who hold you. The few that you take your walk with through this wonderful and beautiful journey.

My thirties have become such a beautiful chapter thus far. The clarity of relationships, finding my purpose and the purpose of my challenges comes into focus a little clearer. So much to learn still, but so many lessons behind me that help me to appreciate the people that God blesses me with. 

Today has been so special in so many ways. I remember, not long ago, Easter was a holiday where we dressed up for church. Hunted for eggs. Ate chocolate. Had a picnic. Prayed a little. And that was it. But, since my heart, soul, mind and whole being decided to follow my Lord and Savior for all my days, Easter has become this amazing, bittersweet, time in my life where I just can't fathom what He did for me. For you. For all of us. Today is Good Friday. And today, He took up the cross to die for our sins. Thousands of years ago, before I ever existed to anyone but Him, He died for me. So that I could live. And it makes me weep. Tears for Him for the pain He endured, tears for the miracle, and tears of joy for gratitude for his love. 

Tonight we hosted dinner for some of our dearest friends visiting from Omaha, which is far too far away for my liking, but such is life. My friend Karly & I have known each other for YEARS. Since I was a teen, just getting into music. (You'll know her from her guest blogs where she gives all the amazing healthy mama & kiddo tips) Through years of friendship online, we finally met and became closer. She was going to ASU for PR, and I was working on my demo. After signing with my record label she actually became my publicist and the rest of it is pretty much history. Mr. Charming and I are Godparents to her first born son and I love that little dude more than anything. She went on to marry an amazing man, and for the first time tonight I got to meet her second baby. 

Mr. Charming cooked up an AMAZING meatloaf, since we are still on Whole 30, and I fixed a salad and green beans to accompany it. We sat and talked for hours and hours and my heart is full from getting to see and celebrate with our lovely friends. 

And continuing my Proverbs 31 series, this month has filled me with so much joy when it comes to homemaking for all the visits God has blessed us with. Proverbs 31 states;