The Urban Darling

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!

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

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, vintage Christmas tree, traditional Christmas tree, Phoenix, The Urban Darling.

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

Decorating, home decor, interior design, The Urban Darling, Bloomscape, Caraway, The Citizenry, Minna, Noon & Moon, Plant Addicts, houseplants, bedding, linen bedding, silverware, dinnerware, ceramics, baskets, linens, plants, cookware set, neutral, neutral style, neutral home, neutral decor, boho style, Spanish style, bohemian style, modern home, modern neutral, lifestyle blogger, Phoenix, Phoenix blogger, desert style, neutrals, earth tones.

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!

Beauty | My Life

Mommy Makeover | New Hair, Fillers, & My First Wax

By Esperanza on November 7, 2024

Mommy makeover, mommy, makeover, self care, hair makeover, new hair, hair before and after, fillers, botox, waxing, brazilian wax, hair removal, Lady & Wolf Salon, Giovanni Med Spa, Opal Raw Beauty, Phoenix, beauty, Phoenix blogger, lifestyle blogger, mommy blogger, The Urban Darling.

At 7 1/2 months postpartum, it was time for a little mommy makeover! I needed a boost in confidence and some self care after many months of sleep deprivation and non-stop mommy duties lol. I wanted to get my hair done (dye & fresh cut) at my favorite salon in Scottsdale. I wanted to freshen up with some botox/fillers at Giovanni Med Spa and I decided it was time to try getting my first wax at Opal Raw Beauty! In this blog post, I am sharing more about my experiences at these local Phoenix businesses.

Holidays | My Life

Our First Family Halloween Costume

By Esperanza on October 31, 2024

Halloween, Halloween 2024, Halloween costumes, family costumes, family Halloween costumes, baby costumes, avocado, baby Halloween costumes, family photography, baby photography, couples photography, lifestyle blogger, family blogger, mommy blogger, lifestyle, family, fashion, The Urban Darling.

A few weeks back, Andrew and I thrifted the cutest baby avocado costume to dress Sage in for his first Halloween! I was just going to dress him up, but then I realized it would be really easy to do a family Halloween costume with that theme. Baby Sage was an avocado, I was an avocado tree, Andrew was an avocado farmer, and Arlo was the farmer’s dog, although he wasn’t feeling very photogenic that day, so we only got a few photos with him lol. I think it turned out so cute for our first Halloween together as a family, and I can’t wait to see what we come up with next year!

Home Inspiration | Urban Darling Home

Our New Sofa Sectional From Rove Lab

By Esperanza on October 30, 2024

Rove Lab, sofa sectional, Rove Lab Sofa Sectional, sofa, neutral style, modern style, modern neutral, boho modern, boho chic style, boho home, modern home, neutral home, interior design, lifestyle blogger, fashion blogger, mommy blogger, baby boy, dog, Phoenix, Phoenix blogger, The Urban Darling.

Andrew and I have been living in our rental home with Sage and Arlo for a month now; I can’t believe how fast that went by! We recently received our new sofa which we have been so excited about. It’s the M1 Sofa Sectional from Rove Lab, which conveniently arrived at our house in boxes, and it was so easy to set up. The sleeper sofa that we had been using temporarily has now been moved to our guest room, and the new sofa totally ties the whole space together! I really wanted the neutral cream color, but after going back and forth, we decided a colored sofa would be a safer bet with a dog and a baby in the house. I was a little nervous about the bold color at first, but after decorating it in our space, I realized it was perfect with the rest of our aesthetic and design style.