When my husband and I first moved here we found the cutest little 3 bedroom house. It was an adorable blue single family on a one way street and of course, it was close to the right school. We loved the space, had plenty of storage and at 1200 square feet we felt like we had more than enough room for our family of three. Then we had Penelope. Somehow within the first year of her life we felt like that house was closing in on us. With the addition of one more child in the hous

If you happened to catch my husband and I on HGTV last Summer then you heard me say, "The kitchen is the heart of our home" like ten thousand and fourteen times. Honestly, I said it so often during our filming process that I was basically terrified to see our episode for fear that someone was going to make one of those remix videos of me talking about the Heart-Heart-Heart of our Ho Ho Home. But honestly, our kitchen is the heart of our home. We cook, eat and hang out in the

I don’t know about you guys but I have been in the mood to break out my Christmas decor since we walked in the door from Trick or Treating on Halloween. I’m just ready! Usually I don’t even think about Christmas decorations until Thanksgiving passes but I am seeing so many more friends and family members decorating early this year so I know I'm not alone in this! I’m feeling like maybe it’s the current state of the universe that has made us all so ready for the joy that the h

True to form, the National Hurricane Center starts naming storms and I start cleaning my house. So naturally when Hurricane Irma started looming weeks ago I cleaned the toilets and scrubbed the showers. I went through the pantry and the coat closet. I’ve even put two large baskets aside for our local Hotline thrift store. Considering I live most of my days in a house that is in complete disarray with messes made by the tiny gang of humans that I made myself, I don’t know what

With limited shopping options on the beach we are rounding up the best local stores for Back to School shopping! Knowing that our weather really won't change enough for a full wardrobe swap for another two months, I don't always see a huge need for a major Back to School clothing haul like I did when we were still Northern people! But, between the growth spurts that these kids have had lately and the Summer filled with memories, their current clothes are looking pretty ragged

With the 4th of July falling on a Tuesday this year I feel so unprepared for our annual family cookout! I woke up yesterday in a bit of a panic because I realized that I had some hamburgers and hotdogs in the refrigerator but not much else was planned. Usually, I have dinner planned and the ingredients for a red or blue frozen cocktail and a delish dessert made with patriotic colors. I started to raid the pantry to see what I could come up with and was so excited to find some

I’ll be the first to admit it. I moved to the Outer Banks seven years ago to get away from the hustle. I high tailed it out of suburbia and never looked back because I wanted our kids to grow up in an environment with nature around every corner, less stress and materialism and beautiful weather. I wanted these kiddos to see the ocean every single day as a reminder that there is a big huge world out there and that it’s theirs for the taking! So honestly, when a waterpark was b

Card games. I hate them. I'm not good at them and I always lose. When I was a kid, I remember cheating in Go Fish. For whatever reason, even if I needed a card, I would never Go Fish. I just skipped that part of the game. Of course, I'd end up losing miserably because of this. You would think I would have learned by now... For the most part, I have always felt like I was a pretty put together person. I mean, I wear leggings as pants on occasion and I rarely blow-dry my hair.

If You Want to Hear God Laugh, Tell Him Your (Birth)Plan. I love birth stories. I mean, I really really love birth stories and I don’t think that they are told nearly often enough. So, in honor of our sweet Eloise Rose turning 1 month old, I’ve decided to pen her’s here. It was absolutely my most whirlwind, miraculous, humbling birth and journey and I think it needs to be told. I’ll just say right here that if you are squeamish in the least or don’t find childbirth to be tot

When I packed my hospital bag 12 years ago for our first baby, I packed everything but the kitchen sink. Yet somehow, I still didn't have anything that I needed as a first time mom. Then, four years ago when I packed for baby #2, I packed a ton of stuff that I needed but still, I missed a few important things and overpacked on PJ's and things that created a ton of laundry when we got home. While we wait for baby number 3, I realized how little I have packed this time around a

Our kiddos are so incredibly lucky to have SIX amazing grandparents. We have always tried our best to teach our kids to be good gift givers. We don't want to just put their name on the gift that we pick out for our parents, we want them to be a big part of the gift if their name is on the tag. With six grandparents, that can get pricey! Early on in Joey's life we started our handmade gift collection and more often than not, it's the gift that gets the biggest reaction each ye

The holidays are rapidly approaching and we're gearing up to host Thanksgiving here on the Outer Banks! We have hosted Thanksgiving every year since Jason and I got married and it is truly my favorite holiday to host. I've hosted Christmas and Easter as well but with little ones in our home, I always end up feeling a little bit overwhelmed trying to make sure those holidays go smoothly and that the real reason for the holiday is celebrated. So, I am always happy to host Thank

A few weeks ago we had an unexpected storm. Truth be told, I expected the storm. I just had a feeling that no matter what the weather report said, Hurricane Matthew was going to hit us and hit us hard. I had been feeling that way for quite some time, ever since the storm was a small pressure system in the ocean. I was on a vacation in Nantucket, Massachusetts when the storm path looked like it would work its way up the East Coast and potentially pose a threat to our beach tow

So often I am asked the same question about life on the Outer Banks: What do you guys do in the off season? Is there anything going on there once the tourists leave? YES! 100% yes! "Local Summer" is in full swing and I love every second of it, especially when the weather has been as gorgeous as it is this week! It probably won't come as a surprise to anyone that my favorite activities are usually kid friendly, but there are so many options for this Fall here on the Outer B

Our kiddos get so excited for their birthdays. Year after year, they look forward to a day of being spoiled and celebrated and of course, I was the same way as a child. As Joey gets older I notice him talking more and more about those milestone birthdays that I know I counted down the years to when I was his age. At 12 years old, Joey is talking about turning 13, finally being a teenager. He is also majorly counting down the years until he can earn a drivers license. Teenager

Mom Time... Mom Guilt... same thing, right? But why? This is something I truly struggle with and probably not for the reason that you would expect. I struggle with this concept of Mom Guilt because I just don't feel it. I also don't agree with it. Probably because I seriously have the greatest husband ever who has never once made me feel it... But, I've started talking to other moms about it and I hear so many of the same reasons for the Mom Guilt. "My husband worked all day,

We’re starting to feel it in the evenings here on the Outer Banks, that crisp chill in the air that reminds us that Fall is around the corner even if it is still 80 degrees most days. We’re trading in the heat of the Summer and that charcoal grill smell that has filled our beach town for the past three months in for a scent of southern pine trees and empty beaches. (Can I get a hallelujah?!) With Labor Day behind us and kids heading back to school my Facebook and Instagram ar

We have a surprise! We're so excited that we had the chance to announce the upcoming arrival of our third baby at the end of our episode of Beachfront Bargain Hunt Renovation. Our little beach baby is already so loved and we absolutely cannot wait to meet this little one around New Years Eve! One kid is super excited about the gender of baby Krieg 3.0 and the other is feeling a bit over-powered... Without further ado... we're having a..... Baby Sister Krieg is on the way! Our

Ever since our HGTV film crew pulled out of the driveway in June, Jason and I have been reminiscing and talking about how much fun we have had. The experience was so rewarding and so much fun to do together! But ever since we have been able to publicly talk about this experience, we have been flooded with well-meaning questions about our experience and they are all the same. So with just one day to go until our episode airs, we've decided to answer a few questions here! Our t

Heavens, I learned a lot during our home renovation. A lot. One of the life lessons that I learned during this process was a little surprising for a home reno, but I'll take it! Throughout our process we had tons of open space (removing walls does that) and since we didn't have any furniture yet, there was tons of space for dance parties! Penny was on the brink of her first big dance recital so we blasted "Whats New at the Zoo" and danced to our hearts content, not caring if