The Urban Darling

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!

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!

Baby | Urban Darling Home

Modern Neutral Nursery For Baby Boy

By Esperanza on November 24, 2024

Nursery, neutral nursery, nursery room, baby boy nursery, baby boy, modern nursery, modern neutral, neutral style, baby boy style, baby style, lifestyle blogger, mommy blogger, family blogger, Dadada Baby, nursery design, interior design, The Urban Darling.

When we moved into our new rental house, I was so excited for Sage to have his own nursery! While Sage and I were living at my parent’s house, we had to share a room. Luckily the room was big enough for me to have my bedroom space on one side and his nursery space on the other, but I was really excited to decorate a true nursery room for him. His furniture set from Dadada Baby is so perfect for this modern neutral nursery for baby boy! In this blog post I will be highlighting the furniture and other decorative aspects of Sage Wylder’s new nursery.

Flagstaff, Arizona, USA | Travel

Our Stay At High Country Motor Lodge In Flagstaff, AZ

By Esperanza on November 22, 2024

High Country Motor Lodge, hotel review, hotel, Flagstaff, Flagstaff hotel, hotel design, hotel lobby, hotel experience, lobby design, boutique hotel, family travel, travel blogger, family blogger, The Urban Darling.

We had the best time on our trip to Flagstaff and an amazing stay at High Country Motor Lodge! Formerly a roadside motel, the property has been renovated into a beautiful 4 star boutique hotel. It’s located minutes from downtown Flagstaff which made it really easy for us to sneak back for Sage’s naps in between exploring the city. It was the perfect hotel for our first family trip! With a unique nordic spa experience in a mountain setting, a cocktail bar & lounge, and it’s convenient location I couldn’t recommend this hotel more for your visit to this Arizona mountain town. In this blog post, I am sharing our experience at the hotel!

Home Inspiration | Urban Darling Home

Decorating Our New Home & Brands We Love

By Esperanza on November 18, 2024

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We have been living in our rental home for a few months now, and it has been so fun decorating our place together! Andrew moved down here from Portland, OR, with only what he could fit in his car, and I had previously been living with my parents for a year, so I didn’t have a ton of furniture either. We both love decorating, so we were super excited to make this house feel like home. I would describe the style of our home as modern Bohemian with natural decor pieces, Spanish-style elements, and unique vintage finds. The setting is mostly neutral with hints of bold colors like terracotta and green (our favorite colors!). I finally feel like our place is really starting to come together, and I wanted to share some of the brands that we love, and pieces we have incorporated into our home in this post!