The Sweetest Occasion

04/01/2023

⭐️ My mommy surprised me and all my Mini Company besties with matching jammies for the night before our first competition! ⭐️⁣
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👯‍♀️We dance tomorrow and we can’t wait!👯‍♀️

09/08/2022

Wow. It has been a minute! I am not really sure where 2022 has gone, but it’s the year I have been least present online in well over a decade. It appears I needed to step alllll the way back and hit the pause button.⁣
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Since it’s been so long since I’ve said hello, I thought maybe a little reintroduction made sense, so hi! 👋 My name is Cyd.⁣
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I am Mom of Noah (21), Ethan (20) and Emerson (6) - and our pups Harper and River. Wife of . Lover of old houses, hosting parties, backyard fires, travel, expensive champagne, being barefoot and corn hole grudge matches.⁣
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I’ve been a content creator since 2008 when I founded my site thesweetestoccasion.com, long before any of us OGs had any idea what blogging or social media would become.⁣
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These days I am producing less content for myself, having left the world of the full-time self-employed to step into the roll of Editor at Food Fanatic , a food site owned/operated by . It has been an incredible couple of years of professional growth and I’m excited for what’s next.⁣
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After taking a moment to consider where I’m at and where I want to go, I realize I still have big dreams for The Sweetest Occasion. For over 14 years, TSO has been a reflection of my heart and soul, and I’m not ready to give that up.⁣
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No matter how this new chapter reads, you can always expect:⁣
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🥂Loads of entertaining tips and tricks⁣
🌮Tons of delicious recipes from appetizers to cocktails⁣
🏠 A look inside the renovation of our 112+ year old home⁣
👩‍❤️‍👨 My husband and I sharing our home, our love of cooking and our fully real selves⁣
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That said, I am over the hustle. You won’t see as many Reels as elsewhere. You won’t see a super curated editorial calendar. I am sure the algorithm will hate me, but oh well. 🤷🏻‍♀️⁣
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What you will see is us continuing to share our home, our projects and kitchen antics in real time just the way I’ve always shared those things with you, my friends.⁣
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And that’s what I’ve got. A semi-retired OG internet hustler saying, “Hi. I miss you. I doubt I’ll play by the “rules” but I am ready to be back.” See you soon, besties! ⁣
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Photo by

11/17/2021

I love this! Such a perfect way to simplify Thanksgiving 🙌🙌🙌

Looking for the ultimate Thanksgiving hack? Fire up the Instant Pot with these 12 recipes perfect for a feast!

Yes. You can make an entire Thanksgiving dinner right in your Instant Pot. Check it out 👇👇👇

https://www.foodfanatic.com/slideshows/instant-pot-thanksgiving-recipes/

11/15/2021

I’m getting ready to gear up for the holidays around here and we’re kicking things off with Em’s birthday party next weekend! ✨🍂🦃 She’s hosting Friendsgiving for all her besties and I honestly can’t wait. But also - how is she nearly SIX?! 😭😭😭⁣
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And then after her birthday we’re jumping headlong into Thanksgiving and onward we go. I have a feeling we’re going to blink and it’s going to be 2022, so for now I’m planning all the glittery, festive magic I can, while already starting to binge too many Christmas movies.⁣
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Let the games begin!⁣
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11/09/2021

These sound so good! 3 ingredients?!

This beloved recipe for our favorite 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies is trending on foodfanatic.com right now and with good reason! They are super tasty and, you guessed it, they're made with just 3 ingredients! Perfect for after school or weeknight baking, and perfect for peanut butter lovers of all ages.

Share this post to share with your friends and check them out here: https://www.foodfanatic.com/recipes/3-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe/

11/03/2021

After too long without traveling for business, solo airplane rides sans children and in-person networking are a thing again and I am.here.for.it. ✈️🌴⛱☀️🌊The view isn’t too shabby either. Thanks !⁣
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11/01/2021

When you have the kind of moms who start planning your Halloween costumes in earnest in July, there’s a safe bet you’re going to ✨show up✨ on the 31st.⁣
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We had such a great Halloween weekend with our neighborhood family and these sweet little Sanderson sisters! Their costumes are from and we added velvet capes from Amazon. The quality of the dresses is so good and we look forward to many play dates of witchy adventures.⁣
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And now…onto sparkly season! ❄️🤶🎄⁣
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10/22/2021

✨GIVEAWAY✨ Many of you know I've been on a wellness journey for most of 2021, which includes learning a lot more about nutrition and how my body responds to how I fuel it on a daily basis. [AD] When Ancient Nutrition]] asked if they could send me a few things to try out I jumped on the chance!⁣
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I have quickly fallen in love with the Organic Super Greens, which I've been using to make this oat milk latte. I love that it's packed with super foods and loaded with antioxidants, probiotics, and adaptogenic herbs - all things I've been trying to incorporate into my life regularly since I started this journey several months ago.⁣
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Find the recipe for this oat milk latte below and check out Ancient Nutrition]] and my stories today for more!⁣
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✨GIVEAWAY✨⁣
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TWO winners are going to win a 6-month supply of Super Greens to try out for yourself. Here’s how to enter:⁣
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✅ Follow + Ancient Nutrition]]⁣
❤️ Like this post ⁣
👯‍♀️ Tag a friend in the comments - tag multiple friends in separate comments for multiple entries!⁣
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🥬SUPER GREENS OAT MILK LATTE🥬⁣
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* 1/2 scoop Ancient Nutrition Super Greens⁣
* 2 tablespoons water⁣
* 2 teaspoons honey (or more to taste)⁣
* 6 - 8 ounces oat milk⁣
* Ice⁣
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In a glass or bowl, combine Super Greens with water and honey using a small hand frother until nice and smooth.⁣
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Pour into a tall glass over ice then top with oat milk. Stir gently to combine. Sip and enjoy!⁣
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Giveaway closes on October 30th, 2021 at 11:59PM Eastern. Winners will be contacted via Instagram Direct Message. Giveaway entrants must be located in the U.S. and at least 18 years of age. This giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram.

10/14/2021

Happy anniversary to the boy I never dreamed would one day end up my husband, the human I dare not imagine living without. Nearly 30 years of friendship, 10 years together and 4 years married. As it is, it was always meant to be.

It took lessons hard learned, long winding paths around and through and within one another's lives, to finally, completely find ourselves together. As he wrote in the card he sneakily left on the kitchen counter this morning, "And we're only at the beginning of our adventure."

On a beautiful October day we were married right here at the home we love so dearly. On this plot of earth we share with the friends we were always meant to find and forge a family with, we gathered all the greatest humans we know and made the thing official after long before choosing each other for a lifetime.

We were married in the middle of the street and then filled our people up with cheese, cookies and champagne. It was pretty damn perfect and probably a bit magical, too

Here is too many more days, months and years of being surrounded by this kind of love and wishing you all the same.

09/27/2021

This Million Dollar Bacon recipe is my most popular post ever! I recently updated the post with more details and tips for making this super simple recipe. It's a great addition to brunch or perfect for adding to burgers or sandwiches. Give it a try and let me know if you love it!

An easy recipe for Million Dollar Bacon (also called Millionaire Bacon) made famous by First Watch restaurant - candied bacon with spice!

05/01/2021

I have missed entertaining so much and I couldn't resist putting together this sweet Kentucky Derby drink station! A drink station is always a crowd pleaser and makes any gathering, even the small ones, feel super festive and special.

Today I'm sharing my tips for recreating this drink station at thesweetestoccasion.com and talking all about the best Kentucky Derby drinks including the Finlandia Vodka Oaks Lily! (The derby isn't just about mint juleps, you know.) It's fruity, tart and so refreshing for sipping on a Saturday in May. 21+

LINK: https://thesweetestoccasion.com/2021/04/kentucky-derby-drink-station/

05/01/2021

Is the Kentucky Derby even the derby without bourbon?! 🐎🥃🍋 While I'm loving the Oaks Lily cocktail I shared on the blog this week, I couldn't resist sharing a couple more of the Run for the Rose’s official cocktails with you!⁣
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✨Woodford Spire✨⁣
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1-1/2 oz Straight Bourbon Whiskey⁣
2 oz lemonade⁣
1 oz cranberry juice⁣
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Add ingredients to mixing glass and stir. Pour over crushed ice. Garnish with a lemon twist.⁣
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✨Old Forester Mint Julep✨⁣
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2 oz 86 Proof⁣
3/4 oz simple syrup⁣
8 - 10 mint leaves⁣
Extra mint to garnish⁣
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Fill mint julep cup or cocktail glass with crushed ice. In a mixing glass, combine bourbon, simple syrup, and mint leaves. Lightly bruise mint leaves with a muddler, then strain into julep cup. Garnish generously with mint.⁣
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#21+ ⁣