Meet Me

hi. I’m megan. It is SO nice to meet you.

I began blogging as a way to document being newly married and becoming a young mom. I initially started this blog in July of 2013 on tumblr (right when my daughter was turning two months old), but I officially launched my blog on its current platform on January 23, 2013. I had blogged off & on over the past several years but wanted a new blog specifically dedicated to our family, my marriage and my daughter. I LOVE to write and I think if I could have any job in the world - other than being a stay at home mom - I would choose to be a freelance writer. I would write books all. night. long.

The name of the blog "A Blessed Nest" comes from a pillow we were given at Olivia's baby shower - it says "OUR NEST" and it sits on our couch in the living room. Every morning, when I look at it I have a heart that is full of gratitude for the blessing it is to live the life we are living, to be married and raising a family in our home and to be experiencing life as a family of three through the ups and downs, chaos and messes, and fun adventures that every day brings. 

This blog will feature posts on topics such as marriage, motherhood, making your house a home, hosting & entertaining, cooking, baking, nutrition and living a gluten-free lifestyle, style tips, current trends in baby-wear, favorite products (including reviews), unique Shop Spotlights, room & decor styling, DIY projects & tips, and more, all centered in our faith.

I’d love to get to know you! So here’s a little bit about me.

Daughter of the King  // Jesus is my Lord & Savior.

» Both my husband and I have committed our lives to Christ and daily we strive to love each other the way God has called us to love. On Sunday, September 8, 2013, Olivia was dedicated to God at three months of age. We are raising her in a God-centered home, just as we plan to do with all our babes in the future. 

Married to my best friend, Dustin // More on our love story later but here’s a sneak peek.

» We met in 2006 on Christmas Eve. We ate spaghetti & meatballs for dinner. I was 16 years young. He was 21. I was in high school; he was in college. We became very close friends over the next two years. I knew I was going to marry him, pretty much from the moment I met him. We didn’t begin dating until 2008, when he asked me out shortly after I had begun my freshman year in college. Our first date was at Panera Bread, and then afterward he bought me hot chocolate. We sat in my dorm room drinking hot chocolate and he put his arm around me. I was like a giddy school girl. 

» We dated throughout college and in June, 2011, Dustin took me by complete surprise and proposed on a rainy Thursday night. I always knew he was the man God had planned for me to marry because he is exactly the man I need. My weaknesses are his strengths, and he keeps me grounded in so many ways. We got married on September 1st, 2012. Life got even busier (and more exciting!) after our wedding and honeymoon, when we found out we were expecting! Read more about that HERE.

Blessed with My First Pregnancy || September 2012-May 2013

Loving Life as a Stay at Home Mom to my 1 year old daughter, Olivia Beatrice.

»  Olivia is a true gift from God - she is everything we believed and confessed that she would be - strong & healthy + tender & mild - and so, so much more. We cannot imagine our lives without her and it is hard to believe that I lived for so long not knowing who she was even though she was always meant to be ours. 

RN (BSN) by degree // Graduated May 2012

» I am currently an RN in my state but not actively working as a nurse. I get asked - at least once a week (no joke) - why I’m not working in the field I was educated for. Honestly? I’m already doing my dream job - Being a Mom. I dreamed of being a mom since I could walk and talk. I graduated college at the top of my class in May of 2012 and passed my state boards a few weeks later. I then began the job hunt and was fervently praying for my dream job. I was thinking something along the lines of OB Nursing, Mother & Baby Couplet Care or NICU/Pediatrics Nursing. I asked God for my “dream job” over and over. A few months later, I found out I was expecting. He answered my prayer beyond all my wildest hopes - by giving me my true dream job.

A Few of My Favorite Things //

» I love to cook, bake, try new recipes & grocery shop (yes, you heard me; anything related to food, count me in)! I think one of the most wonderful ways to show someone you love them is through cooking and baking - by putting time, energy, resources, ideas, and creativity into a meal. It shows SO much love, one of the many reasons I love to host dinner parties & entertain friends and family so often.

» I eat 99% gluten free by choice. Beginning in February, I am starting a 4-week series on Living a Gluten Free Lifestyle. All the recipes I post are also gluten free.

» Another passion of mine is hot yoga. I began vinyasa flow about two years ago, after I got engaged in 2011. I played tennis throughout highschoool and I also enjoy cardio and weight lifting, but for me, hot yoga is my vacation from the busyness and chaos of life. It is my quiet time, my time to breathe, my time to let go of everything. I intend to practice my entire life, and right now I’m blessed that I am able to take my favorite classes every week!

» I love to play games, especially Scrabble (more on that later). I love any game related to words, boards, or cards (I think that covers everything, right?) My family and I have a tradition of playing charades during the holidays, which is also so much fun. I am looking forward to playing games with Olivia as she gets a little older. I can see a lot of Candy Land (and 52-card pick up!) in my future!

» I enjoy decorating, home styling, organizing and cleaning. My idea of a perfect day would have to involve some type of cleaning or organizing. When I’m having a bad day, my husband reminds me to do a little cleaning and I feel better almost immediately. (Seriously).

» I also love photography. I am a total beginner, but I enjoy learning about photography and taking photos with my DSLR and my iPhone 5S. Olivia is my favorite subject to photograph, as if that would be a surprise. I also value professional photography very highly, and we have been blessed to have the same photographer from our engagement, wedding, maternity, and newborn photos. I am already squealing at the thought of having Olivia’s 1-Year Photos in a few months! Dustin and I invest in photography because it is one of the most important things I feel I could spend my money on. The only way to fully capture a moment, a special day, a certain age, a new chapter or a life event is through photography - the photos are what will last once the moment has passed.

» I am passionate about reading the Word, chicken pad thai, laughing loudly & often, drinking ice cold grape juice, staying active, kissing & hugging my husband & daughter daily, eating coconut icecream, being crafty, thinking creatively, baking almond shortbread, celebrating holidays & having special traditions, savoring dark chocolate sea salt caramels, reading books, celebrating every day moments, loving others, growing our family, eating blackberries in the summer, sewing & quilting, beautiful fabrics, customer service, rubber stamping & card making, dressing Olivia in festive outfits for each & every holiday, and meeting new people. I am so passionate about people and I would love to connect with other wives & moms who I can walk alongside and be an encouragement and a blessing. 

» “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6