The Urban Darling -

Vintage Inspired Valentine’s Day Photoshoot

By Esperanza on January 21, 2025

Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day photoshoot, couples Valentine's Day photoshoot, Valentine's photoshoot, Valentine's photography, couple's photography, fashion photography, vintage photography, baby photography, vintage style, retro style, baby Valentine's photos, family blogger, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling.

I had a vision for some cute Valentine’s photos I wanted to capture with Andrew to remember our first Valentine’s Day together! On a recent thrift trip to Goodwill, we thrifted this adorable red gingham fabric for Sage’s 1st birthday party which is coming up at the end of the month, along with several other camp-themed finds. It has a vintage feel to it that I thought would be so cute for a Valentine’s themed photoshoot! I did a quick DIY paper heart garland with twine and a hole puncher to use as a prop, which turned out perfectly. We shot these during Sage’s 1st nap, but I couldn’t resist taking some Valentine’s photos of him when he woke up!

Our Favorite Baby Products From Lalo

By Esperanza on

Lalo, Lalo baby products, baby products, baby toys, Lalo baby toys, baby play kitchen, play kitchen, baby tower, play tent, high chair, first bites kit, baby, montessori, montessori bay, neutral baby style, baby boy style, family blogger, mommy blogger, lifestyle blogger, The Urban Darling.

Before I became a mom, I would see these adorable wooden play kitchens and I knew that I wanted one for my baby one day! I am so excited that Sage is finally old enough to play in his baby play kitchen from Lalo. When Sage and I were living with my parents, he loved watching his abuelita cooking. Now, he loves watching my partner Andrew in the kitchen. Andrew is a chef, and we have already started involving Sage in the kitchen when we are cooking. When he is old enough, he has a wooden tower that will allow him to work at the counter with us. For now, he seems to really enjoy banging around his baby play kitchen with his food and toy sets he got for Christmas!

My 2025 Valentine’s Day Gift Guides For The Family

By Esperanza on January 10, 2025

I thought I would share a roundup of Valentine’s gift ideas for him, her, and for toddlers! As a first time mom, I was the most excited to put together a Valentine’s gift guide for toddlers. I had a lot of fun working on that one, so I hope you guys enjoy it! It’s always a little tricky finding things that aren’t candy candy or just too cheesy. As always, I try to offer ideas of gifts that are classic and timeless. There is something for everyone’s budget as well!

Getting Dressed Up For Our First New Year’s Eve

By Esperanza on December 28, 2024

New Year's Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's photoshoot, New Year's, New Year's photography, couples photography, fashion photography, New Year's photography, lifestyle photography, lifestyle blogger, family blogger, fashion blogger, couples style, party dress, vintage dress, mens suit style, mens style, dressy style, party style, The Urban Darling, Phoenix blogger.

Not only have we been celebrating all of Sage’s first holidays, but Andrew and I have been celebrating all of our first holidays together too, which is really special! I can’t believe that after 4 months of dating, we didn’t have a single photo of just the two of us. It was about time to correct that, so we thought we would get dressed up in honor of our first New Year’s Eve together. It was really fun seeing each other in our fancy party attire, and I think we look pretty snazzy if I do say so myself!

Food | Urban Darling Home

5 Easy Gluten-Free Breakfast Ideas

By Esperanza on December 20, 2024

Gluten-free, Gluten-free baking, Gluten-free recipes, Gluten-free breakfast ideas, Gluten-free cookbook, Gluten-free diet, Gluten-free pastries, baking, cooking, cookbook, chef, modern kitchen, neutral kitchen, family blogger, breakfast ideas, easy breakfast ideas, family style, The Urban Darling.

Andrew and I recently filmed a video for my socials of five easy gluten free breakfast ideas. We spent the whole day baking and shooting these delicious recipes that we have been enjoying for days now. I snapped a few photos on my camera that I thought I would share in this blog post with the finished dishes as well! I thought it would be helpful for those of you that are gluten-free or have recently gone gluten-free. For those of you that are new here, Andrew is a chef & food consultant and these recipes are all from his cookbook, “The Simple Art Of Gluten-Free Baking Cookbook“.

Family Style | Holidays

Family Christmas Photos In The Arizona Desert

By Esperanza on December 19, 2024

Holidays, holiday photos, family photos, holiday family photos, Christmas, holiday style, family style, family photography, family blogger, lifestyle blogger, fashion blogger, couple style, vintage style, baby style, baby boy style, vintage baby boy style, desert photoshoot, desert, Phoenix, The Urban Darling.

I wanted to show Andrew this beautiful spot that my family and I have visited several times since moving to the Phoenix area. Superstition Mountain is located in Apache Junction has been the backdrop for many photoshoots like my full term maternity photos and some family photos with my mom and sister after Sage was born. I thought it would be the perfect spot for capturing some holiday photos of Andrew, Sage, and I as well! I love that I have captured so many life milestones in this gorgeous desert setting.

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA | Travel

Flagstaff Travel Guide | Where To Eat, Stay, & Things To Do

By Esperanza on December 12, 2024

Flagstaff, Flagstaff travel guide, Flagstaff restaurants, Flagstaff coffee shops, Flagstaff breweries, brewery, coffee shops, restaurants, travel guide, Arizona, Arizona travel, family travel, family trip, family style, traveling with a baby, where to eat in Flagstaff, where to stay in Flagstaff, what to do in Flagstaff, family blogger, family travel, The Urban Darling.

In early November, we went on our first trip together as a couple, and as a family! Andrew, Sage, and I spent a few days in Flagstaff and boarded Arlo at a local dog boarder. During our time there, we stayed at an amazing hotel, High Country Motor Lodge (read more here), and ate at some incredible local restaurants. In this blog post, I am sharing those spots as well as fun things we did while touring the city! I actually visited Flagstaff with my parents last year (read that blog post here), while I was still pregnant and healing from my traumatic breakup, so it was very full circle to go back with my son and new boyfriend Andrew. It was such a great trip, and I can’t wait to see where we end up going next!

Baby | Baby Style

Sage Wylder’s Seven & Eight Month Baby Update

By Esperanza on December 10, 2024

Baby, baby update, baby boy, baby must haves, mommy must haves, first baby, new mom, first time mom, baby style, neutral style, neutral baby style, baby milestones, baby photography, boho style, sustainable style, neutral nursery, desert style, desert vibes, lifestyle blogger, fashion photography, lifestyle photography, The Urban Darling.

I am just now getting Sage’s seven and eight month updates up, the months have been flying by! He had his first cold at seven months which was super tough because I was sick too. He started sitting up, and rolling on his own, which he was very pleased about! He also started taking swim lessons, and he loves splashing around in the pool at my parent’s house. This boy was definitely meant to be outside! I couldn’t wait to spend more time outdoors with him when it cooled down here in Arizona. At eight months old Sagie had four teeth and several more are popping through. He loves eating his homemade blends, and going on walks! Nighttime sleep was super tough, and at the end of eight months he was down to two naps during the day. I was super excited to take him on some fall trips, and to experience his first holiday season (my first holiday season as a momma).

Holiday Home | Holidays

Our First Holiday Season As A Family

By Esperanza on December 6, 2024

This time of year has been extra special, not only because it’s baby Sage’s first holiday season, but also because it’s our first time celebrating them as a family with Andrew and Arlo! Meeting Andrew this year was such a blessing after everything I went through in the past year, and I have so much to be thankful for. I remember being so sad last year at this time while I was still pregnant, and emotionally recovering from a difficult breakup. It’s amazing how much has changed in a year! Andrew has brought so much happiness into my life, I’m so lucky to have a second chance with an amazing man who makes my son and I feel so loved.

Gift Guides | Holidays

My Holiday Gift Guides For 2024

By Esperanza on

The month of December is already flying baby! For those of you that are new here, my son Sage Wylder was born January this year, so it’s his first holiday season which has made this time of year even more special. Things have been crazy over here! Andrew drove the whole gang down to Colorado so that we could spend Thanksgiving with his family, and we just bought tickets to fly down there for Christmas. I somehow found the time to throw these holiday gift guides together for those of you who need some ideas for what to gift your loved ones this year, hopefully you find them helpful!