How do you celebrate birthdays in your house? Any fun traditions?

Honestly Dave and I have never personally been big birthday people! I’ve never been the friend that cares if someone forgets my birthday or we skip a celebration. BUT, having kids has given me a little kick in the butt and made me realize how important it is to them! We always celebrate as a family. The kids usually wake up with lots of balloons, presents and they get to pick every meal for the entire day. This year I think will be a bigger celebration since we are finally settled in Charleston, have a great group of friends and Covid seems to be less of a worry. Charlie and Jack will get parties this year! George probably won’t get a celebration for a few years. I think we are still just beginning to form traditions.

Do you think you’re now in your forever (or forever-ish?) home?

I think so, yes! I mean never say never I guess. But we really really love where we are. In the Spring, Dave and I sat down to figure out what we needed to do to this house to make it exactly what we want/need. Adding the fourth bedroom was the first step, we would love to update our landscaping next year, add a little gym to our basement/under our house (it is uninsurable space here in SC because we are in a flood zone so would just finish a small part) and eventually redo the kitchen. We love our kitchen but the cabinets are not deep enough and we want to redo our island. We would keep the layout but just update cabinets, countertops, backsplash and island (so maybe everything haha). Otherwise, it is perfect.

What’s your fitness routine and diet these days? You look great!

Yesterday’s post touched on this! And honestly after a very indulgent summer I’m in a bit of transition. In terms of exercise, I usually do 3 days of cardio and 2 days of strength a week. That is my general goal. Sometimes it is more, sometimes it is less. My diet fluctuates but in general I would say I am not someone who craves junk food. I generally keep a healthy diet and my indulgences include pasta and cheese. I don’t eat breakfast, my lunch is light and I let myself usually eat whatever I want for dinner. I will say I try to choose healthier options/swaps – like I’ll ditch the bun on my burger, use lettuce cups instead of tortillas, I don’t eat much dairy or processed sugars. If gluten free is an option, I usually choose that.

Some lunch examples: salads, tuna salad in romaine lettuce wraps, grilled chicken with buffalo sauce and veggies with ranch, peanut butter on rice cakes with banana and honey, avocado toast, omelets, veggie sandwiches.

Dinner examples: protein and salad, chopped salads, burgers + friend (I usually skip the bun), tacos, pepper nachos, sheet pan dinners, pasta.

If I fall off the wagon one day, I get back on the next.

How do you put three to bed at night? Having my second and nervous about the changes.

It’s honestly easier than I thought! If I’m solo it takes a little longer but usually Dave and I divide and conquer. I would say my biggest piece of advice for families when adding another baby is acknowledging the change. When Jack was born, I would lay him in his crib while I put Charlie to bed. I remember telling Charlie that I wouldn’t be able to lay with him as long because I didn’t want Jack to start crying. When George was younger I would bring our BabyBjorn Bouncer into the boys room and he would help us put them to sleep. Now, George goes to bed around 6:30/7pm and then Charlie and Jack (who share a room!) go to bed around 8/8:30pm. Charlie and Jack are easy because Dave and I put them both to sleep, we switch off who lays with who and sometimes we read a book all together or sometimes we each read separate books. We sing a couple songs and lay with each of them for a minute. Some nights it is quick and I tell them I don’t have time for a song and we kiss goodnight and that’s it, too! It varies but overall, you figure out your routine and it is easy, I promise.

How long after starting your career did you have consistent income? Debating a change!

Oh man. Income – probably 3 years, ha. For awhile it was just making enough to pay the bills and invest back into my business, or make purchases to share on the blog, etc. It took a few years to get into a groove of actually seeing money build up in my bank account and maybe even save a little. I would say it took a solid 5 years to feel comfortable with my money situation.

Does it feel like your style is always evolving? I would love to feel like I really know my personal style.

Yes! I think my style hasn’t necessarily changed but has maybe shined more living in Charleston. I love me a pretty dress. Chicago had a much more urban vibe, where now I can’t imagine wearing black jeans to an event. Ha! It’s definitely a softer, more southern sense of style. I think social media can sometimes make it hard to really define what you actually like. With so much influence (hi!), I find that we are consuming so much stuff that all of a sudden we wake up one day with all this shit that we don’t even like. I think a big part of that is knowing your body type. There are so many things I see on influencers who’s style I LOVE but we have completely different bodies. I’m at the point where things that are trendy or the must-have item that look amazing on someone else, I know would look terrible on me. Knowing your body, knowing what you feel best wearing – I think those are two really important things to note when defining your style.

I was just thinking about this the other day because a couple influencers who I love to follow have very minimal style and always look effortless. I would love my style to be that way but when I put on a white tee and jeans I look like a little boy. Like classic pieces don’t resonate well with who I am haha. So although I’m drawn to that style, it’s not what I feel my best in. Does that make sense? Just like we evolve in who we are over the years, I think our style does the same in some way.

Are you and your siblings alike?

Yes and no! I think birth order is very interesting. I’m the oldest and definitely the most controlling, opinionated and I order them around haha. My sister is the middle and she is more easy going, relaxed and hilarious. My brother is the baby and the entire family still treats him like the baby even though he is 28. But overall we all have very similar sense of humors, we have so much fun together, we all really value our family and make it a priority to talk and love on each other. We all bring something different to the table!

Any quick + easy meal ideas for solo parenting?

My go to is tacos OR pasta with red sauce and melt a little goat cheese in there. TRUST ME. Goat cheese crumbles while you’re mixing in the red sauce into the pasta makes it the most creamy, delicious pasta ever.

Any fun updates from Olive Lane?

Yes! September is going to be a big launch month for us!! We are bringing on a lot of fun brands and products. It has been a big learning experience, especially with all the craziness of supply chain issues. We took a little break from onboarding new products to really make sure the brands we are working with can follow through on product and help us create a really solid collection of items for your home/kitchen. We are also bringing on more pieces for entertaining! I feel like we have a really solid collection to cook with (although bringing on some more pieces there!) and I really want to help you set the table for your family and friends this fall and winter. Anyways, lots of goodness to come! I’ll be sharing it all 🙂

My fortieth birthday is coming up and I want to treat myself to a classic designer bag. Do you have any faves for every day (under $2k)?

Yay happy birthday! I love the Bottega Loop Mini, this Khaite tote, this green bucket bag from The Row and this Gucci crossbody!

Need a dress for a black-tie wedding — any suggestions?

I just saw this gorgeous dress for $104 and LOVE IT. So simple and classic but sexy. This Needle & Thread dress is stunning. I love the pink and green of this dress, pair with fun earrings. This dress is stunning, too.

How do you feel being on the other side of pregnancy/postpartum time?

I feel great! But also sort of sad. I still see a pregnant belly and get a little sad that that phase of my life is over. In general I had really easy pregnancies and labor. I was one of those weirdos who loved labor. But I also feel really grateful for the phase of life we are in as a family right now. Watching our kids grow, getting into a better groove with George and managing three kiddos.

What fall shoes are we wearing with dresses?!

Good question! A few styles I’m loving my Margaux demi flats (I have in gold and brown), I am eyeing a pair of Golden Goose Ballster sneakers and I want to pull the trigger on these clogs!

Advice on making friends in a new city? Having a tough time finding a good group!

Say yes! Say hello at the park or on a walk. Sign up for tennis lessons or ask a couple girls to drinks or dinner. I think as we get older it is okay to have a couple of groups. I don’t want to be associated to a group. I want to be the girl that people want around regardless of groups! I say put yourself out there and you’ll see the return!

Favorite shampoo/body wash for the boys?

I usually use Burts Bees or CeraVe. I guess I should switch them from baby wash, ha.

If you had to put together a meal of all your favorite foods, what would it be?

Ohhh – I’m going to turn this question into what would I eat in a day if I could have anything. Breakfast – probably some sort of pastry like a croissant or cinnamon role or a cinnamon raisin bagel toasted with butter. Lunch – turkey sandwich with bbq kettle chips and a diet dr. pepper. Dinner – cheeseburger and fries. Dessert – some sort of warm berry crumble with vanilla ice cream.

Submit your questions for next month by emailing carolyn@helloadamsfamily.com with the subject line, “COFFEE WITH LIZ!”