Home – Brooke in the Desert

Recent Buys I’m Loving

February 14, 2020by BrookeLeave a Comment

Today I wanted to do a quick round up of my favorite buys from the past month! First up is the Nespresso Espresso machine that my husband and I decided would be our Christmas gift to each other. I love being able to make lattes at home, and this one is so simple to use! HIGHLY recommend this one if you are in the market for an espresso maker.

Espresso Maker

I finally caved in to the hype and bought an air fryer! This one has so many rave reviews on Amazon I figured I couldn’t go wrong. It seems like a superfluous kitchen gadget, but it truly has been such an amazing investment! It cooks things so quickly and the cleanup is minimal which makes it great for busy weeknights. I’ve been using it a ton and it makes the best salmon and chicken.

Air Fryer

Please pardon my messy fridge, but adding these bins has been a big improvement. We always seem to lose things at the back of the fridge, and bins allow us to easily pull things out and take better inventory of what exactly we have.

Organizing Bins

At the beginning of the year I had mentioned that one of my goals for the new year was to do a better job of meal planning. I’m still struggling with this one, but this handy little meal planner/grocery list magnet is helping me improve in this area.

Meal Planner Magnet

Our back door is the congregation place for all of our shoes, and while we have a mud bench area with some shoe storage, it doesn’t give us nearly enough space. I added this shoe rack to hang on the back of our laundry room door (which is right next to our back door) and has been doing an amazing job of keeping our doorway clutter free.

Shoe Rack

I recently snagged this cropped Vince cashmere sweater on sale, and I loooove the silhouette and color. Vince just makes the best sweaters, and I’m always so excited to find a great one on sale. I’m also loving these new jeans which are the AG Isabelle style – they have the high rise that I love, with a slightly updated straight leg.

Sweater | Jeans | Booties | Bag

I’ve been eyeing this cute little sweater for awhile, and finally grabbed it. It’s a really cute, wear with anything top with a fun sleeve detail. These are another pair of AG Isabelle jeans that I snapped up on major sale at Shopbop.

Sweater | Jeans | Booties | Bag

Anyone else watch Newlyweds back in the day?! When I heard this book was coming out I knew I had to read it and bought it the day it was released (and finished it within a few days). It was a fun blast from the past with lots of 2000s nostalgia and Jessica’s honesty about some horrible things she has overcome is really inspiring!

Book Book

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Holidays

Valentine’s Day Gifts To Give Yourself

February 10, 2020by BrookeLeave a Comment

As Carrie Bradshaw once said “the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all, is the one you have with yourself.” So this Valentine’s Day, whether you are single or not, treat yourself to something fun! Here’s a few things I’ve come across that I’m loving…

Valentines-1 Valentines-2

One :: I’m really sensitive to scents, and this one is a great option for people with sensitivity to strong smells

Two :: This cozy plush throw has rave reviews and is under $40

Three :: Treat yourself to a luxe designer lipstick

Four :: I love using a chilled roller to apply serums for an extra bit of pampering

Five :: This affordable rose scented spray is a staple in my beauty product arsenal

Six :: A great $15 dupe of the popular and pricey YSL heart sunglasses

Seven :: This is one of my favorite scented candles

Eight :: Such a gorgeous eyeshadow palette

Nine :: This pretty marble frame is only $17

Ten :: These are my favorite pajamas and this lavender color is perfect for Valentine’s Day and spring

Eleven :: This cozy pink sherpa is currently marked down to $52

Twelve :: I love anything rose scented and you can’t go wrong with Jo Malone

Thirteen :: Leather leggings are a wardrobe staple that every gal needs

Fourteen :: How darling is this vintage floral luggage set?!

Fifteen :: Pearl headbands are still so popular, and this pink $7 version will be perfect for spring

Sixteen :: This is one of the cutest Valentine’s gift sets I’ve seen! I love both Essie and Sugarfina and this is such a fun set.

Seventeen :: A silk pillowcase makes for a nightly beauty treatment and is a gift that keeps on giving

Eighteen :: A luxurious set to give yourself a bit of pampering

Nineteen :: This cheery $30 sweater looks so cozy

Twenty :: This pretty satin robe is only $30

Twenty One :: Wear your own initial, or those of loved ones with this dainty necklace

Twenty Two :: Undoubtedly one of the best movie lines ever

Twenty Three :: Not only is Le Creuset fantastic cookware, this will look pretty sitting on the stove

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Home Decor

Super Bowl Party Decor

January 20, 2020by BrookeLeave a Comment

The Super Bowl is two weeks away, and if you are like me…you may be more excited about the halftime show, the commercials, and the food. But in a house of all boys, I figure I may as well make it as fun as possible for me too! And any excuse to have a themed party is pretty much right up my alley. This year I’m planning on decorating and letting Cole invite a friend or two over for a little Super Bowl party, and today I wanted to share some cute decoration finds I’ve come across.

Superbowl-1 Superbowl-2

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Holidays, Home Decor

Valentines Inspired Finds For Around The Home

January 11, 2020by Brooke1 Comment

I always feel that my home looks so bare after taking down all of the Christmas decorations, so with Valentines Day around the corner, it gives me an excuse to add some cheerful decor! Valentines Day is definitely a holiday that can veer into (dare I say) cheesy territory, but by adding simple touches in red and pinks, it keeps things sophisticated. Also by sticking with florals and items that don’t scream Valentine’s Day, these decorations can stay up all spring as well! Today I wanted to share a few of my recent buys, as well as some other things I’m loving as well.

I found a few really cute things at Target for Valentine’s Day dinner like this cute heart embossed pitcher, glasses, serving utensils, and these blush napkins (which will be perfect for Easter too!). And how cute are these little pancake molds?! I can’t wait to make the kids some Valentines pancakes (dyed pink of course).

Here’s a few more things for the home I’m loving!

One – This gray heart platter is so pretty and could really be used year round

Two – These also have matching measuring cups!

Three – These blush tumblers only look expensive

Four – Flowers/greenery that will be gorgeous on the mantle all spring

Five – A ruffled heart dish is perfect for serving a pretty fruit pie

Six – This cheeseboard is stunning, and would be gorgeous paired with the gray heart tray

Seven – Such a romantic piece of art for any room

Eight – Perfect size for serving up a romantic dish for two! Would be such a sweet wedding gift too

Nine – Why not add a little Valentine’s touch to your bathroom with this affordable bath mat

Ten – Put this wreath on your front door and leave it up all spring

Eleven – I’ve been eyeing these blush dishes for about a year now. I love them as everyday plates to use for Valentines and all spring.

Twelve – Inexpensive throw pillows are an easy way to add a little pop of pink

Fashion, Holidays

New Year’s Eve Outfit Inspiration

December 29, 2019by Brooke1 Comment

New Year’s Eve is only a few days away, and today I wanted to share a few outfit ideas if you are still in need of some last minute inspiration!

Glam

Top | Skirt | Shoes | Bag

Touch Of Sparkle

Sweater (Banana Republic, old – similar) | Pants (H&M, old – similar) | Shoes | Similar Earrings | Bag

Fresh Winter Whites

Sweater | Skirt (Similar) | Headband | Shoes | Bag

Playful Feathers

Sweater | Skirt (Banana Republic, old – similar) | Shoes | Bag | Similar Earrings

Casual Metallic

Top | Jeans | Pumps (J Crew, old – similar) | Bag | Similar Earrings

Wishing you a wonderful and safe New Year’s!

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Holidays

Our Christmas

December 27, 2019by BrookeLeave a Comment

After a whirlwind week of lots of festive fun and cheer, Christmas is officially over. But I’m really not ready for the fun to be over so today I’m reminiscing and wanted to share some scenes of our holiday! Last week I attended a fun mom’s night out Christmas party with some fellow moms at Evan’s school. It’s always fun to get out for a little mom time!

Top | Jeans | Similar Earrings | Shoes | Bag

Both kids had sweet little class parties that I got to help out with. Evan’s class had a pajama party book exchange, and they also made gingerbread houses and wrote letters to Santa.

Pajamas

Cole’s class made some old fashioned crafts to give as Christmas gifts, and we also had a little party wrapping their gifts and decorating sugar cookies.

Christmas in Boise is so magical! Downtown is transformed with lights and a beautiful Christmas tree. We spent an afternoon strolling around downtown taking in all of the decorations and we went for a carriage ride.

My Coat | Sweater | Jeans | Scarf | Boots

The city of Caldwell (about 20 minutes from Boise) has a beautiful plaza they transform into a winter wonderland at Christmas. On Saturday we met some friends there for dinner and then spent some time strolling the plaza and we went for a horse drawn trolley ride. The plaza is magical with such an incredible light display, ice skating, fire pits, and a patio where you can warm up with a hot cocoa. We had an absolute blast and want to go back over our break!

Another incredible light display that we never miss is the Botanical Garden’s Winter Garden Aglow. It is a really extensive display and takes a solid hour to walk through.

We always spend an afternoon decorating gingerbread houses and making cookies for Santa…

Christmas Eve we have developed a tradition of driving around to see the Christmas lights before we open our matching Christmas pajamas to wear to bed and put milk and cookies out for Santa. There is a house we always stop at where the owner dresses up like Santa Claus and they give out cocoa and candy canes and everyone warms up around the fire pit they put out.

Christmas morning post unwrapping presents! The kids must have made the nice list since they got everything they asked for from Santa, so they were pretty happy campers.

Pajamas

After presents we lounged and watched a few Christmas movies, and then we got dressed and headed downtown for Christmas dinner.

My Coat (Banana Republic, old – similar) | Dress | Heels (J Crew, old – similar) | Bag

The only family pic I got of all of us and it really didn’t turn out (boo!) but here’s the best I could do!

I hope you had a wonderful holiday with the ones you love!

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Holidays, Life in Idaho

Feeling Festive

December 19, 2019by BrookeLeave a Comment

It’s officially the most magical time of the year and holiday festivities have begun! Over the past few weeks we’ve attended a few local holiday events which were so fun and really got us into the Christmas spirit. Our first event was a holiday block party at one of our favorite Boise hangouts – Bown Crossing. It’s a cute little street filled with shops, restaurants, and our local library. The kids got to make ornaments, we listened to carolers, ate a great dinner at Boise Fry Company, and did a bit of shopping (while enjoying lots of hors d’oeuvres!)

This past week we went to another great local event at Scentsy Commons (the company is headquartered here). They have a beautiful Christmas light display every year, and on a few select nights they also have a live nativity, carolers, refreshments, and visits with Santa. It was a really lovely evening and so nice to pause and reflect a bit on the true reason for the season.

Besides just talking with the kids about the reason for the season, it is so important to me that our family actually takes part in some type of service and giving back. Cole’s school partnered with another local school for a wonderful service project this holiday season that Cole got to take part in. Each class had a category of needed items, and Cole’s class was tasked with shopping for and donating school supplies for children at a local school that has 70% of the students living at or below the poverty level. The PTA president spent some time really talking to the kids about the harsh realities these children face (for example how these children are so poor that they all share a family toothbrush), and how much giving these things truly means to these children. Together our schools were able to fill 526 boxes of gifts and every child from pre-k through seniors in high school were able to receive a gift.

Our family also spent this past Saturday afternoon driving around Boise and delivering some donations and Christmas cheer! Here are the causes we have decided to focus on this year, and if you are looking to make a donation this season these are all wonderful organizations!

Idaho Foodbank – They are in need of canned goods, pantry staples, and shelf stable milk. You can drop off donations at your local fire station from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm daily.

Boise Bicycle Project – They have received a record number of requests for children’s bikes this holiday season and they need gently used children’s bikes so they don’t have to turn anyone away! You can also make a financial contribution.

St Vincent De Paul – Each season they organize a no-cost Toy Store, where parents who cannot afford a gift for their child can go select a toy and stocking stuffers. Toys can be dropped off at their Toy Store located at 2160 S Broadway Ave Boise Monday – Saturday from 9:30 am – 5:00 pm

Save The Children – This organization supports and provides humanitarian aid to migrant children and families at the US-Mexico border

Saturday evening we headed out to The Village at Meridian for dinner and some more holiday festivities. The Village really is so magical at Christmas with their beautiful decorations, ice skating rink, fire pits, water fountain show, and this year they added a really neat light show. We also tried a restaurant we’ve been wanting to try for a few months – The Donut + Dog. (Yep it is hot dogs & donuts!) It is a really fun casual place to take the kids!

We’ve also started getting our Christmas gifts wrapped and ready to go for friends and teachers! Preparing and wrapping teacher gifts is something the kids and I spend an afternoon doing together. This year I put together a little holiday themed gift basket for Cole’s teacher, and for each of Evan’s five preschool teachers we gifted them a cute festive set of earrings.

Earrings Honey Sampler | Candle | Kitchen Towel Set | Gift Basket

We also got our annual Christmas photos with Santa back! I so look forward to these sweet photos every year. If you are in the Boise area and interested in these photos next year (or are looking for a family photographer) I totally recommend Jenny Leigh Photography! She takes great photos and is wonderful to work with.

Kates_Santa_November16,2019-9703 Kates_Santa_November16,2019-9687 Boys Pajamas (Gap, sold out – similar)

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