This post is sponsored by St Pierre

SAVE this post. Send it to a friend. Press print. This is the only Thanksgiving stuffing recipe you need. Made with St Pierre Brioche Loaf, it’s slightly sweet, savory, full of flavor and gives off the “only Grandma can make stuffing this good” kind of vibe.

I love stuffing! It might just be my favorite thing to eat on Thanksgiving. This recipe is completely unique starting with the choice of bread. This step is crucial because this is the vessel that carries all of those savory flavors. When you use random stale bread you are doing such a disservice to the dish. St Pierre Brioche Loaf is utterly decadent and has a delicate texture with an irresistible richness. It works so nicely with the veggies, herbs and my signature surprise ingredients-savory mushrooms and crisp apples.

I hope you try this recipe and it becomes part of your Thanksgiving tradition. Oh and instead of adding this to your Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich, try it in an egg scramble-absolutely amazing!!!

Brioche Thanksgiving Stuffing

By @BrandiMilloy

Ingredients

1 loaf St. Pierre Brioche Bread

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 medium onion, diced

3/4 cup celery, diced

3/4 cup carrots, diced

1 cup mushrooms, diced

2 large eggs

1 cup veggie stock (chicken or beef is fine)

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped

3 sprigs fresh thyme, just the leaves

1 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped

1 small apple (granny smith works well), peeled and diced

Salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut brioche bread into 1” cubes and bake for about 10-15 minutes until toasted.

Meanwhile, into a pot over medium high heat add butter until melted. Add onion, celery and carrots and cook until everything starts to soften, about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Into a bowl whisk together the eggs, veggie stock, herbs, apples, mushrooms, and salt and pepper. Add your cooked vegetables and mix to combine.

Pour mixture on top of toasted bread and stir to combine. Bake stuffing for about 45 minutes. If your stuffing starts to get too brown, cover until finished baking. Enoy!

Photography Credit: Stephanie Day of @ographr

This jalapeño popper dip is as fire as @taylorswift putting @killatrav on the map!!! Because let’s be honest —no one knew who he was until she threw him a bone! I’m all about Miss Americana & the Heartbreak Prince because I’ll be 87 you’ll be 89. And since Taylor Swift watching @nfl @chiefs Watch Parties are going to be a thing now you’ve got to make my Popper Dip!!! So much easier than making stuffed jalapeño poppers because it’s a dump and stir situation in the slow cooker. Let me know if you try it!

Jalapeño🌶️ Popper Dip

By @brandimilloy

• Ingredients

• 2 (8oz packages) blocks of Philadelphia cream cheese

• 8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (plus more for garnish)

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise

• 2 jalapeños, seeded & chopped (plus 1 more for garnish)

• 1 (4oz can) jalapeños, drained

• 1 (4oz can) diced chilis, drained

• 1/2 cup pepper jack cheese, shredded

• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese

Directions

Add cream cheese, bacon, mayo, jalapeños, chilis, pepper Jack and mozzarella into a slower cooker and mix. Set to medium. Right before serving give it a good mix and sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and garnish with sliced jalapeños and bacon. Serve with crackers, chips, French bread and especially cold cucumbers, celery & carrots.

.

Brioche Waffle Fries + Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip = Your New Halloween Party Trick

This post is sponsored by St Pierre

Lightly toasted Brioche Waffles with a kiss of cinnamon are sweet and satisfying paired with the most fluffy whipped mascarpone pumpkin dip makes it a delicious treat you’ll be craving this season and beyond!

I love St Pierre Brioche Waffles and always have them on hand for breakfast, an afternoon snack or an after school treat. Plain, topped with a drizzle of nut butter or fresh fruit–I’ve introduced these to so many friends and family. They taste so fresh and I love how they are studded with pearl sugar for an extra indulgent crunch. 

Entertaining is my love language–actually, it’s more like a family affair. We entertain every week. My husband (equally) loves to cook and I like to bring people together and make them feel welcome. And our get-togethers always have one dish or drink that is a little more special or unique. I like to keep things interesting!  This recipe is one that will get everyone talking because it’s so good and an unexpected way to enjoy these delicious Parisian cafe inspired waffles. And then the dip is not your standard heavy cheesecake style filling. The Italian sweet cream cheese brings a light elevated twist to this playful pairing. I know you’re going to love it just as much as my family. And if you’re not a pumpkin fan let me just tell you I’ve even converted a non-pumpkin lover into one because of this dip!

Watch here to see how to make it and then scroll down to grab the recipe.

Brioche Waffle Fries with Pumpkin Cheesecake Dip

By @BrandiMilloy

Ingredients 

For the Waffles

• 1 bag St Pierre Brioche Waffles

• Cinnamon

  For the Dip

• 1 can pumpkin puree

• 1 8oz. Tub of mascarpone cheese

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• Pinch of salt

• Cinnamon for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Slice each waffle into four pieces. Place on baking sheet and sprinkle with cinnamon. Toast for 5-7 minutes in oven. 

2. To make the dip into a bowl whip together the pumpkin puree, mascarpone, maple syrup and salt. Whip until light and fluffy. Serve waffle fries with dip and enjoy!

Whipped Feta & Grilled Grapes

by Brandi Milloy

Ingredients

• 1 bushel green or purple grapes

• 7-10 figs, sliced in half

• EVOO

• 1-2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

• 1 large block feta cheese

• 4 oz. cream cheese

• 1tbsp. honey plus more to taste

• Black pepper

• Zest from 1 lemon

• Serve with toasted pita or bread

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Place grapes and figs on baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, oregano and thyme. Roast at 400F for 15 minutes.

2. To make the whipped feta: add feta to the food processor and mix. Add cream cheese, honey, black pepper, lemon zest and mix until smooth.

3. Serve dish with whipped feta spread in a shallow bowl, top with roasting grapes and figs. Serve with toasted pita or bread and enjoy!

This recipe is so simple! It’s basically the recipe on the back of the package of NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch morsels but with one less egg and some pumpkin puree! Once you make this, it will become a staple in your home every fall.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Oatmeal Bars

by Brandi Milloy

Ingredients

• 1 1⁄4cups unsifted flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1⁄2teaspoon salt

• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 cup butter, softened

• 3⁄4cup brown sugar, firmly packed

• 3⁄4cup granulated sugar

• 1 egg

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 3 cups Old-Fashioned Quaker oats

• 1(11 ounce) package NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Butterscotch Flavored Morsels (about 2 cups)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl; set aside.

3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Add pumpkin puree.

4. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels.

5. Press into a greased baking pan.

6. Bake 18- 20 minutes or until bars have cooked through but are still soft.

7. Cool in pan before cutting.

As soon as peach season hits I can’t get enough of this salad. It’s so simple to make and the payoff is huge. It feels very gourmet and special but it’s just a handful of ingredients and super easy to toss together. When you grill the peaches they get a little caramelization and char and it develops their flavor so much. I love to drizzle them with honey and fill their vessels with a little blue cheese crumbles. I serve this over a bed of arugula that I toss with the zest and juice of one lemon and a little olive oil. It is perfection! Scroll down for the full recipe and watch the video to see how I make it.

Grilled Peach Summer Salad

by @BrandiMilloy

Ingredients

• 3 firm peaches (not too ripe)

• 5 oz. arugula (most bags are 5 oz.)

• 1 lemon

• 3 tbsp. olive oil

• 4 tbsp. of blue cheese crumbles

• honey to taste

Directions

1. Heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Slice peaches in half, removing pit.

2. Once your pan is hot, brush the pan with avocado or olive oil and add your peaches flesh side down. Grill for 3 minutes without disturbing. Try to lift your peach and if it doesn’t budge, give it another minute before flipping. Grill the other side for about a minute to avoid cooking the fruit too long. Remove pan from heat and set aside.

3. Add your arugula to a large bowl or platter. Zest 1 lemon and squeeze out the juice being careful to catch the seeds. Drizzle olive oil on top and gently toss together.

4. Add peaches on top of salad and sprinkle blue cheese on top making sure you get blue cheese inside of each peach vessel. Drizzle peaches with honey, about 2-3 tbsp. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Thank you to the National Honey Board for all you do to support bee health, champion pure honey and nurture the planet. And special thanks for sponsoring this post.

I love any excuse to host a party! But a party with a purpose, now that’s my love language.  We all know bees do a lot for us. But in addition to gathering nectar to produce honey, honey bees perform another vital function - pollination, making them a critical component of our food supply. In fact, about one-third of the human diet is derived from insect-pollinated plants, and honey bees are responsible for 80 percent of this pollination.

June 20-26, 2022 is National Pollinator Week. And especially during this time of the year we really get to enjoy the benefits of pollinators. From the bounties of fresh produce to beautiful flowers, it’s a good reminder how essential pollinators are to our planet.

I can’t think of a better way to honor these amazing creatures than hosting a party to celebrate and spread the word about what you can do to protect them.

Here are my 5 essentials for hosting a dreamy, buzz-worthy soiree!

1. SUSTAINABLE DECOR

Opt to invest in decor pieces that you love instead of “fast disposable partyware”. I’ve had these neutral textiles and platters for years. Instead of a tablecloth, I overlapped cloth napkins together and added some freshly planted bee-friendly, local wildflowers in pots. I love how this really brought a romantic garden vibe to the space.  Lighting is a magical way to add ambiance and mood. I used these single candlesticks and this single beeswax pillar candle was the perfect focal point without being “too theme-y.”

2. FOOD THAT ISN’T FUSSY

Small bites are my go-to menu anytime I host. 90 different crops are reliant on the hard work of beekeepers and honey bees. These crops include a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts, so I wanted to feature a few of my favorite pollinator foods. My pear crostinis with mascarpone, thyme & honey are always a hit and so simple to make. Simply grill sliced baguette with a little EVOO, spread on a thin layer of mascarpone and top with sliced pears, a drizzle of honey and a sprig of thyme. I elevated my signature lemon arugula salad by adding grilled peaches topped with blue cheese crumbles and a drizzle of honey too. And a party isn’t a party without a platter of cheese, crackers, fruits and, my favorite, honeycomb!

3. SIGNATURE DRINK

There’s something special that happens when you commit to limited beverage options-your life is easier and you stop playing bartender at your own party! My blackberry, raspberry and honey smash is a light, refreshing beverage that can easily be made alcoholic by adding your favorite liquor. Make a big batch right before your guests arrive and allow them to serve themselves.

4. ACTIVITIES

Encouraging guests to plant their own pollinator plants, like lavender or poppies, is a fun hands-on activity and doubles as a party favor. I picked up these mini pots at my local nursery and found some wildflower seed packs online.

I also set up a honey & cheese pairing with an assortment of different cheeses and delicious honey varietals. Did you know there are more than 300 unique types of honey available in the US alone? I picked up Avocado Blossom, Orange Blossom, Clover, Blueberry and Buckwheat honeys and put them in these little glass honey jars.  It’s so fun to see if folks can guess which is which!

5. USEFUL PARTY FAVORS

For me, party favors are a meaningful way to remind someone (after your party) of your time together. I tied honey sticks and dippers together with twine and included these beeswax candles shaped like a beehive, honeycomb and bees. I also wrapped my honeycomb honey cereal bars in little cello bags for a sweet take home treat too!

This party was so much fun to put together. I hope these ideas give you so much inspiration to plan your own pollinator party. You can learn more about what you can do to protect bees by visiting www.honey.com and then head to my Instagram @BrandiMilloy for more behind the scenes!

Happy Hour is my love language when it comes to hosting. I'm excited to partner with @worldmarket to show you my stress free entertaining tips.

Food: Instead of a traditional charcuterie board, I created a Mediterranean Mezze platter by pairing grilled artichokes, bruschetta, olives and crackers with cubed feta cheese and fresh veggies. I’m all about finger foods and adding a mix of raw and grilled veggies. I also set up a DIY pita station with citrus grilled shrimp on a pink himalayan sea salt block and a board with grilled asparagus and toasted pita for guests to easily serve themselves.

Drinks: Put your sparkling wine on ice and provide fresh garnishes like fruit, mint and flavored syrups for a bubbles beverage station. World Market has so many options for curating a signature drink combo!

Decor: I love how these solar powered rattan lanterns add drama and ambient lighting. I have a few on the table and hung one from a shepards hook. I love layering cloth napkins or placemats instead of using a traditional tablecloth. And a handful of fresh wildflowers in pots bring some color and freshness to the space.

Entertaining Essentials: I prefer using sustainable serveware like these upcycled bamboo fiber plates. They are dishwasher safe and elevate your happy hour. And you can never have enough boards-I use them for everything from presenting small bites to serving.

You can find all of my tips, product links and more photos by reading my latest blog post on BrandiMilloy.com What's your favorite thing to serve for happy hour? Let me know below!

5 Daily Habits to Level Up Your Wellness Routine

Thank you to up4® Probiotics for sponsoring this post

(up4® is a trademark of DSM)

 Ever since becoming a mom I really haven’t made my health and wellness routine a priority. My daughter Milly will be 5 this summer and son Sonny will be 3 and it’s been too long since I’ve been consistent with my self-care. So last year, I decided that it was time to commit to getting stronger and doing more things that make me feel good. Because we all know that when your cup is full, everyone benefits. Here are my 5 daily habits that have leveled up my wellness routine!

Every day I MOVE MY BODY

At least 3 times a week I go on an hour walk. We live about a mile away from the water, so I love walking there and back in the mornings to get my blood flowing. There’s an incline on the way back so it’s a nice way to get my heart rate going and sometimes I’ll alternate walking and running. I do these walks early in the morning because I’ve learned that I’m more likely to move my body if I do it first thing in the morning. Last summer I discovered an outdoor mommy bootcamp that I do once a week. It’s led by a female trainer who is also a mom and it’s such a supportive group of women.  Everyone goes at their own pace and it’s only 45 minutes. I’ve seen a powerful change in the way I feel and I’m so proud of myself for committing to this workout.

GO OUTSIDE

I try to go outside as often as I can. Especially during the work week, I understand how easy it is to feel tethered to your desk or indoors in the comfort of your home. But it’s amazing how getting outside and going on a walk can completely transform the way you feel. Is there a coffee shop close by you can walk to? A park you can take your next conference call? Going outside and connecting to nature can be as simple as soaking up a few minutes in the sun, walking barefoot in the grass or watering your plants on your balcony. No matter where you live or what space you have, there is so much nature to be cherished!

Practice MINDFULNESS

Mindfulness by definition is a mental state achieved by focusing one's awareness on the present moment.  It’s savoring the moment. It’s cherishing the mundane, the everyday, the “boring”, the normal. It’s slowing down! Some of my favorite mindfulness practices is to sit still and listen. Go still and be quiet…even if it’s just for five minutes.  I started meditating last year and it has helped me feel less stressed, more connected to myself, more patient.  After the loss of my Dad, it has helped me heal, release emotions and let go.

EAT MORE GREENS

If you have it, you’ll eat it. This goes for healthy and less healthy options. I noticed that if I had a bag of cookies in my pantry, I was more likely to eat them. If I had carrots and hummus if my fridge, I would still eat them but I’d probably eat the cookies first. Becoming a mother changed my diet significantly because I know better and want to do better for my children and modeling is the most important factor in that. I stopped buying store bought cookies and decided if I wanted a cookie, I’d have to make it homemade. Then I started buying more produce and would wash, dry, cut and store them as soon as I got home. Now it’s part of my weekly routine which has been helpful in eating more greens. The next thing I did was try to eat greens every meal. Sometimes this looks like a veggie scramble in the mornings. We also serve a salad almost every meal and sometimes it’s the star of the show. For example, on Taco Tuesdays we will do burrito bowls over greens or if we have fish for dinner, we always serve it with a salad. One of my favorite ways to serve veggies is by roasting frozen veggies with EVOO, salt and pepper and serve it as a side. I take my children grocery shopping with me, and they love to pick out produce. We will experiment with things we’ve never had before and I’ve discovered the more involved they are in the process, the more likely they are to try them.

DAILY PROBIOTIC

#sponsored Along with my daily vitamins, I enjoy taking my up4® Probiotics for maximum daily digestive, immune and overall health support.* up4® Probiotics are Made With Simple Goodness—clean, safe and effective ingredients with products that are vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, dairy-free, preservative-free and soy-free. I take the capsules after a meal, but they also have gummies if you prefer. up4® Women’s is formulated with 50 billion colony-forming units (CFUs) of a proprietary multi-strain probiotic blend and whole cranberry powder to support urinary tract, vaginal, digestive and immune health.* up4® Women’s works naturally with your body to keep you feeling healthy and ready to tackle the day.* If you’re looking to level up your health head to their website https://up4products.com and use my code BRANDI20. And be sure to check out my latest YT episode where I take you through my health and wellness routine.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

I love traditional tuna salad but you will be blown away by the way this tastes using zero tuna. It's some type of sorcery! It's one of those recipes I wish you could taste before knowing what's in it because it's so good but not what you think! I like serving this as a dip with tortilla chips but it's delicious on its own or served between two soft slices of bread. Watch my video below and then scroll down for the recipe! And then don’t forget to find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tik Tok @BrandiMilloy

No Tuna Tuna Dip

by Brandi Milloy

Ingredients

• 1- 15oz. can chickpeas, drained rinsed with skins removed

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 1/4 cup pickles, chopped

• 1 -2 tbsp. capers with liquid drained

• 2 tbsp. olives, chopped

• Zest and juice from 1/2 lemon

• 2 tbsp. mayo (I prefer Kewpie)

• 1 tsp. mustard of your choice

• 1/4 tsp sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a large bowl, add the chickpeas and mash them up until they are quartered but not mushy. Add celery, pickles, capers, olives, zest and lemon juice, mayo and mustard and mix. Add sea salt and black pepper and taste. Keep in air tight container in the fridge and enjoy up to 3 days.

I love all no bake cookie dough but there’s something special about this one made with homemade cashew butter that makes it even better. The rich nutty cashew flavor with sweet honey, dark chocolate chips and flaky sea salt almost transforms it into a desert all its own. I love making these for my kiddos when we travel or go on road trips. They’re a really great afterschool snack, and it’s a treat that I’m not too worried about giving a few of. I cannot wait to hear what you think about these. To learn how to make them watch the video below and then scroll down for the full recipe!

No Bake (Cashew) Cookie Dough Recipe

by Brandi Milloy

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup cashew butter

• 2 tbsp. honey

• 2-4 tbsp. coconut flour

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

• sprinkles

Directions

1. Combine your nut butter, honey and coconut flour. Add your salt, chocolate chips and sprinkles and fold to combine. Scoop onto parchment lined plate and place in fridge for 10-30 minutes to set up. Enjoy! Store in fridge in air tight container.

Keeping kiddos content when you’re traveling helps keep everyone’s stress levels down. Here are my favorite kid’s activities (ages 2-4) for the plane or when you’re on a road trip.

Tangram Puzzle

Take n Play Matching Game

Plus Plus Big Blocks

Magnetic Characters

Wikki Stix

Water Wow Coloring Book

Busy Book

Barrel of Monkeys

Playdoh

Tangram Puzzle

Plus Plus Big Blocks

Magnetic Matching Game

Magnetic Figurines

Wikki Stix

Water Wow Book

Busy Book

Barrel of Monkeys

Play Doh

I'm the queen of dips! It's my go to dish to bring to parties and if I ever wrote a cookbook it would be filled with half dip recipes. You can pretty much take anything and make it into a dip. I love that. I love finger foods and dipping things into other things. Spicy dips, savory dips, cheese dips, sweet dips. Haha! This recipe is SO easy and inspired by all of the things I use when I make deviled eggs plus a secret ingredient that makes it so much more creamy and richer. The best part is you put everything into a food processor. Super simple!!! Serve with chips, bread or veggies and it's a real beauty! Learn how to make it here and then scroll down for the recipe.

Deviled Egg Dip

By Brandi Milloy

Ingredients

• 6 hard boiled eggs

• 1/4 cup mayonaise (my favorite is Kewpie)

• 1 tbsp. mustard

• 1/2 tsp. sea salt plus to taste

• 1/4 tsp. black pepper plus to taste

• 1/4 tbsp. paprika

• 4 oz soft cheese like Boursin garlic & herbs

• smoked paprika, for garnish

Directions

1. Place eggs, mayo, mustard, salt, pepper and paprika in food processor and pulse to blend. Add cheese and continue to blend until smooth.

2. Pour into serving dish and garnish with paprika and serve with veggies, toasted bread and crackers and enjoy!

This is one of my favorite brunch or daytime party entertaining desserts! It obviously has so much wow factor but also it tastes so good! Folks go crazy over it. It’s essentially a ginormous hand pie so to serve you just slice into squares! I love how you can customize it based on what you’re craving and the jams or jelly you have on hand. This one is bursting with strawberry flavor! I love how bold and fresh it tastes. And the puff pastry sub for pie crust makes it even that much more flaky and delicious.

Next time I make this I definitely want to stuff it with brown sugar and cinnamon and make a cream cheese frosting kind of like a cinnamon roll brown sugar situation. What do you think? What’s your favorite flavor pop tart?

Giant Strawberry Pop Tart Recipe

by Brandi Milloy

Ingredients

• 1 box Puff Pastry

• 1/4 cup jam

• 1 tsp. cornstarch or arrowroot powder

• Zest from 1 lemon

• 1 egg white, beaten

• 2 cups powdered sugar

• 1 strawberry, smashed

• 1-2 tbsp. milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.

2. Roll out puff pasty to flatten slightly. Use a fork to poke holes into it.

3. Into a bowl add jam, cornstarch and zest and mix. Add jam to the center of the puff pastry leaving about 1/2” around the edges. Roll out the other puff pastry to flatten slightly. Layer the 2nd piece of puff pastry on top and press down along the edges. Use a pizza roller to trim the sides of the dough if there is any overlap. Press a fork along the edges of the pop tart to seal. Prick the the top of the dough to create vents and then brush the with egg white.

4. Bake 10 minutes and then check on your pop tart to make sure it’s getting too brown. If it is getting too brown, cover with parchment. Bake 10 more minutes or until golden and cooked through. Cool completely before frosting.

5. To make frosting: mix powdered sugar and strawberry together. Add milk 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency. Frost pop tart and garnish with sprinkles. Enjoy solo or sharing is caring!

Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post

How spectacular is this board!!!! I loved teaming up with WorldMarket #worldmarketspokesperson to bring you my favorite Christmas morning tradition with this holiday breakfast board! It’s all of my favorite treats like donuts, pancakes, cookies and fruit.  If you want to see how I pulled this together make sure you’re following me on Instagram @BrandiMilloy. Scroll down to see more photos and then head here for the full recipes!

Sonny’s room reveal! Palm trees, peace sign and sunshine vibes! This space is all about creating an environment just for him where he can develop and grow! Even though this kid gets all the hand-me-downs from big sis (the crib and glider were hers plus so much more), I wanted to make sure I channeled his personality and interests in his room. He’s so sweet and chill so the peace sign from Kawaiian Lion felt right. I love how it makes a statement and is a piece of art I’d totally use in another area in my home if he ever grows out of this vibe. And since we live in SoCal I’m always thinking about earthquakes and conscious of putting anything above his crib that could hurt him. The color of the sign really sets the mood for the rest of the room.

Haha please note that you can see Milly’s old bite marks from when she was teething. Sonny never chewed on his crib! Btw, this crib was a floor model so we saved huge on this!

This rug is SO soft. We used to have it in our living room but it was too small for the space and felt more like a bedroom kind of rug. It would also be great for layering! It’s not quite cream and has some variation in the color of the wool threading so it’s easy for hiding little stains but we also don’t wear shoes in our home and there is no food allowed upstairs so that’s helpful too.

Even when I was pregnant with Sonny I felt like his color was green. I originally wanted a green dresser and thought about painting this one but that would just be a travesty since it’s gorgeous with the mahogany wood and burnished brass hardware. His dresser is sold out but I found a smaller one in the same finish or this similar one in walnut. The changing table on top is removable and was from Milly’s dresser that we got on Craigslist!

This shelf cubby and baskets was a swap find from another mom who was giving it away. I’m all about second hand furniture especially something like this for the babes. It’s the perfect size for him and helps keep his toys organized in one space. I also love how it can be used as a bench or a place for him to play with his Dinos and cars.

Since Sonny is a Leo sign, I naturally gravitate toward lions. This round rug provides a great little cushion for creating a reading corner in his room. I also had fun adding some texture and more color in this area with the green and striped throw pillow. Pillows are such an easy and affordable way to change up a space!

I also love the pillows and blanket on his glider. The mud cloth inspired rust pillow is from World Market and the blue washed linen lumbar one compliments it nicely. The blanket is from Sackcloth & Ashes and comes with a book called Everyone is Someone. For every purchase of the set, they donate a blanket to a child in foster care. I really love the coastal shades of this blanket and it pulls more of that orange and blue that I adore.

One of the most used “toy” investments we’ve made for Milly & Sonny is this Montessori play gym featuring the Pikler triangle/ball tracker slide/climbing ladder set plus wobble balance board. We’ve gotten endless play from these pieces and can not rave about them enough. I’ll bring them downstairs when friends come over to play. We also have the rocker which can be used to rock and do teeter totter, slide, a tunnel and so much more. They toss a blanket over these and set up a fort. They play with their toys on them. They slide, climb, jump and more! The company we bought them from were local and have since closed but here are some places that sell them as well: Pikler triangle, balance wobble board. The younger you get these for your children, the better!

This display bookcase is such a beautiful way to create a home library for your child. The forward facing bookshelf encourages early reading and makes it easier for your child to see the cover of each book and prompt them to read on their own! I love rotating our books out each season or more. Above the bookshelf is a print showcasing helicopters my dad flew when he served in Vietnam. It’s very special to us and I love how Sonny will always point to it and say Baba. Those Shel Silverstein books are from when I was a little girl and the little doll beside Sonny in this next pic was mine too. There are so many little details in this room that are meaningful to us.

You’ll notice behind me we have a Blueair air purifier in his room. We put Blueair air purifiers in both Sonny & Milly’s room to help remove airborne pollen, smoke, dust, VOC’s, microplastics, bacteria and viruses. We have one in our great room too. Clean air is a non-negotiable for me, especially because Sonny has really bad allergies. Did you know, the air indoors can be up to 5 times more polluted than the air outdoors? That’s so crazy to me! But with us living by LAX and an oil refinery-even though we are by the water and get that beach breeze, it’s easy for pollutants to come in the house. We’ve been so pleased with our Blueair Blue 411 Auto air purifier, and the sleek, modern design goes great with the entire aesthetic of the room.

Let me know if you’d like to know more about Sonny’s room or have questions about where anything is from. Head to my Instagram @BrandiMilloy for more behind the scenes!

One of the best compliments I’ve ever received was that I’m the queen of boundaries. Direct quote. That person was referring to work and the way I handle business. That was a lesson I learned from a former colleague of mine years ago who noticed I was saying YES to every extra task, opportunity, etc. and eventually my hard work, flexibility and eagerness to do all of the things turned into “Brandi will do it.” I was being taken advantage of and my availability to step up and do the things was now being taken for granted. She sat me down and said if I don’t start saying no I’ll lose the respect from my superiors, colleagues and will be sending the signal that this behavior is okay. Because when you start to always be available and always give in to unreasonable requests/demands, it’s harder to set boundaries. It’s like in a relationship. Once you show someone they can speak/do/treat you a certain way, you are opening the flood gates to absolute havoc. So the next time someone asked me to do something extra, or to help them do something that wasn’t my responsibility or wasn’t going to affect me in a positive way or benefit me professionally- I told them, “let me see if I have the bandwidth and resources this week and I’ll get back to you.” Even just giving myself the power of pause and not immediately answering with a “yes,” allowed me to step back and assess what I was giving my time, talents and energy to.

Now let’s talk about the power of no when it comes to relationships, platonic and the like. I feel like now that I have a family this one is easier but when I was single I rarely said yes to a random after work happy hour because for me that time was for recharging and doing my own thing. I’m also not a bring drinker, don’t like spending money on things that have no meaningful purpose and I also didn’t want to hang out with people I just spent 8 hours with to be honest-even though I love them!!! I reserved friend time for weekends but during the week that time was for me. Now that I’m married with two babies, weekends are always for family so that means when we make decisions about what we want to do, we check in with each other before we commit. We keep a family calendar via google so everything goes in there. We still do things without each other on the weekend, of course but for the most part it is reserved for us. And by us I mean us four. I do not feel obligated to celebrate every extended family member’s birthday or attend an event just cause family will be there. You do not gain access to my family and our energy field just because we are related.

This leads me to not accepting every invite we get. The idea that I could have every weekend for the rest of the summer/fall/winter/year booked already with no room for rest or spontaneity is absolutely nauseating. Don’t get me wrong-I love to plan and have things to look forward to but when you are on the go non-stop it leaves no space for reflection, introspection, instinct and the ability to go with the flow when the moment finds you. Feels so robotic to me to know what I’m doing every day or weekend until the end of time. Depressing actually! I also have big feelings on being busy just to be busy but that’s for another blog post. Friends say this will change when Milly starts going to elementary school and we get an invitation for every classmate’s birthday but I don't think so. I’m all about choices especially when it comes to my children and they will be able to choose based on what we have planned already or what our weekend will look like that week. And I think especially because my children are under 18 I still ultimately have the ability to decide where we spend our time and what situations or experiences my children are apart of.

Living with intention is something I strive for in many aspects of my life, our life. The power of no gives you so much freedom to say yes, yes to only things you really want to do, yes to what truly pours life into your soul. Setting boundaries is a healthy way to safeguard your space, conserve energy where it is meant to be and treasure life’s amazing gifts! I’d love to know what you think about this and how you determine if things are right for you. Do you have a hard time saying no? Do you save days just for doing nothing? I’d love to get into it so leave me a comment on my latest IG post and let’s chat!

Thank you to World Market for sponsoring this post

AFTER

BEFORE

For me, home is about creating a cozy inviting space where people will want to gather and spend time. Our home's color palette is a lot of natural, earth tones with shades of blue. Since we've only been here a year, I'm continuing to slowly furnish each room-being super thoughtful about what I bring into our home. I want gorgeous pieces but also ones that function well for our family. Each season, I love to layer in new decor pieces to bring fresh energy and personality to the space. Right now, World Market's fall collection is all about tons of texture. From crushed velvet to cane to fluted wood, the new collection is full of pieces that are on trend, global inspired and versatile. Many of the pieces are great for small spaces and feature multipurpose use! Scroll down for some of my favorites and then head to my instagram for more!

The Leanna Loveseat features impressive channel tufting along the back and sides. The rust velvet like fabric adds warmth to any space. This would be great in a living or sitting room for unwinding with a book.

This Cecile Bookshelf can be used as a bookcase, console table or buffet. The curved ends with the open weave rattan cane give it an upscale boho look.

World Market's fall collection is all about multipurpose pieces. This Acrylic Waterfall Desk can be used as a desk for a home office or even a space for children to do their homework. Place it in the entry way and it's a spectacular console table. Use it as a bar or a place to display your wines with a few accessories.

The Megan Swivel Chair comes in ivory or gray fabric-which are both great neutrals for styling with throw pillows. Super versatile, you can use it in a dining, living room or as an accent chair in a bedroom.

I love incorporating poufs into a space for extra seating or for kicking up your feet at the end of the day. These basketweave velvet poufs are playful in style but feature an elevated sage green and they don't take up too much space.

This Round Gold Hammered Coffee Table is an exclusive piece from World Market. Crafted in India, this round table infuses rich texture and has functional storage for blankets, extra pillows or a hiding space for my children's toys.

Scroll down to check out more pieces from the new fall collection including some behind the scenes from our fall small spaces shoot!