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I'm Shay! I’m a cookbook author, lifestyle blogger, travel agency owner, wife and mama who loves making every day special for my family.

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Mix & Match Mama

Everyday Life, Shay ·

New Blog Design!!


New Blog Design

Holy cow.

I’ve gone and done something crazy.

I combined my two blogs.

(And my world didn’t come crashing down…I really thought it might.)

For several years, I’ve known that I should have one blog instead of two…and I finally got up the nerve to combine them.

I started my lifestyle/family/random blog on August 3, 2007.  That’s nine years ago friends.  Nine years is a long time.  I was six weeks out from my miscarriage, full of fertility drugs, not happy with my job, sad, and bored…so, several of my friends had just started blogs to chronicle their lives with new babies and such and thought, dang it, I don’t have a new baby…but I need a hobby and some sort of creative outlet, so I started a blog.  And then along the way, on August 28, 2011, I launched my food blog which really is just an extension of the other…but was on another website…and so I managed both.  Two sites, one girl sharing her life…I was divided.  But now, everything is here on one site.

Everything.

Every recipe.  Every picture of my kids.  Every post on adoption/infertility/traveling/organization/faith.  Every Friday Favorite, What’s Up Wednesday, Shade of Shay.  Every. Single. Thing.

The content of both blogs isn’t changing.  Every day, I’ll post one recipe and one lifestyle post (tomorrow is my June Book Review!) but instead of checking two sites, you’ll just come here…and both posts will be featured.  #thankyoutechnology

Today, take a look around.  If you click the “Food” category across the top, then you can see all of my recipes and even search by ingredient.  Speaking of searching, there is a search bar on each page that will also help make it easy for you to find things.  And bonus, my site will now be much easier to navigate on mobile devices. #woohoo

So, there you have it.  I’ve seriously been nauseous over this because I DO NOT LIKE CHANGE WHEN IT INVOLVES TECHNOLOGY.  When I do an Apple update on my phone, I get stressed out.  I’m an old dog that has a hard time learning new tricks.  I’m sure there will be a few kinks and growing pains this week as the site finally goes live.  I will be working them out as quickly as possible because the last thing I want to do is confuse/irritate you (and by you…I mean my mother who is probably already dialing my phone number right now because everything looks different and she doesn’t understand…), so please be patient with me.  I’m nervous and excited today.

Whew!  Okay, we survived day one.  After you look around today, come back tomorrow for my June Book Review!  I have read some great books this month that you won’t want to miss!

If you only take one thing away from this post today, please take this: I love this little community so much.  Over the last nine years, you ladies have been there with me through the good times and bad and for that, I am forever grateful.  You bless me each and every day.  Love you all so much!

xo

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Comments

  2. Erika Slaughter says

    Wahoo!! Friend it looks AMAZING over here! I was breathing into a paper bag kind of nervous for you but I’m loving this new look!

  3. RPR says

    Love this new design Shay!! I was one of the people who didn’t really enjoy blog hopping between your recipe and shull family blog. All the very best!

  5. jamie says

    i love the new design! it is beautiful! can you see us all twirling around, dancing and jumping with exitement??!?

  6. Patty says

    I love your new design and it’s very easy to navigate. Looking forward to reading your book reviews for June. Happy Monday!

  7. Sarah Lewis says

    LOVE it! Thank you…love having one cohesive site and love the Mix & Match logo 🙂 good job mama!

  8. Liz Even says

    Looks so great!! You are such an inspiration to so many!! Love your family! And your food, travel, and books are great too! Bust breath! Looks good!

  9. Melissa Carswell says

    Congrats. It looks great and will be much more convenient for me as one of your followers of both blogs. Also love your new profile pic. Best of luck!

  11. Stephanie Spring says

    Love, love, love the new site! It’s so clean and organized! Gorgeous!

  12. Sheaffer Sims says

    I LOVE THIS! I mean, it just makes sense, right? And besides the function of it all, it just looks SO GOOD! I’m so excited about this and know everybody is going to love it! YAY!!!!!

  13. Brigid says

    I read from my phone every morning and you’re right, this is much more mobile-friendly! And it looks so great!!

  14. Tracy says

    Nice! Will the old blogs be set up to automatically reroute to this new one? I checked the old ones this morning and just assumed something had come up and you weren’t blogging. It was only when I checked Instagram that I saw your news.

    • Mix and Match Mama says

      Yes! All of the kinks are being worked out now and (hopefully!) by tonight, it will all be squared away!

  20. Angie McKay says

    I always read your blog through bloglovin, is it still going to be able to update there?

  24. Hannah Hardy says

    The new site looks AMAZING!! I love that I can find everything all in one place now! 🙂

  27. Jeanie says

    Ack! What’s your phone number? I’m like your mom (but older). I kid; it looks very nice.

  29. Krystin says

    Love the new site Shay! I’ve followed your blog for years and love watching if evolve?

  30. Mel @ The Larson Lingo says

    It looks AWESOME!!!!! Love that you combined them. I am with you…change is scary!!!

  32. Catherine Prell says

    Shay, everything looks beautiful! So happy for you! I look forward to continuing on your journey with you. I can’t wait for your book review tomorrow — I have read so many of the books you recommend!

  34. Lauren McLean says

    Your new site looks awesome!! I’m a huge fan of your new logo too, the entire look got updated didn’t it?? I completely agree with you on the technology front…I don’t like change either! In fact I just got the new Microsoft Office update at work and spent half the day being resentful that my inbox looks different now, lol. But this change is definitely for the better, it’s so sleek & clean-looking. Woohoo!!

  35. Angie says

    Oh I love it!! Changing a blog IS stressful, I think your new design is great and will make things so simple for your readers! AND hopefully you, too!! 😉

  39. Abigail says

    Love your blog no matter what but it really does have such a fun and fresh new design…loving it! Good for you taking that step of faith to do something scary 🙂

  41. serisblog.com says

    Shay,
    Love the new format! You can call the change a success. And wow- 9 years blogging! I wonder what your very first post was!

  42. Angela Ellingson says

    Such a great idea! I love it, girl! I’m curious if you’re still with blogspot or who your website is through?

  43. Denise Ross says

    Lov your new site, Shay. Glad you’ve updated it and put them all together now. I’m the some in techno updates myself. Heart in mouth kinda moments really. Looks great though and glad you’ve taken the plunge to do it. Woohoo you!

  45. Jaren @ Diary of a Recipe Collector says

    I love the new design! I know that must have been a super tough decision, and I always find it inspiring that you run two blogs! I have trouble keeping up with one! Wordpress is a different animal and it took me a while, but I now love it! I’m pretty darn impressed with how techy I can be now!

  46. Caroline says

    oh my gosh, this looks SO good! LOVE your blog, I look forward to reading every single morning!

  48. Kristi Brooke Thetford says

    Love, Love, LOVE the new layout/design! I think it was a great idea to combine – plus better for your “brand” and how awesome that you chose Mix and Match Mama all that time ago, it just works. 🙂 Keep doing you! Love to follow along.

  51. Keisha Dawson says

    The new design is beautiful! Such a fresh look, and I hope it makes things a little easier for you to manage!

  52. Lindsay @ Lindsay's Sweet World says

    I love the new look, Shay! It looks fantastic! Gives it a whole new feel! And I know it will be easier for you to manage one website instead of two. And I’m totally with you on not liking change when it comes to technology. It gives me major anxiety. I’ve been wanting to buy my own domain and revamp my blog, but I’m soooo nervous to do it. I guess I just need to do it!

  53. Kelly says

    Hi Shay,

    Love the new look. Congratulations on successfully combining your two blogs. I too hate change when it comes to technology (I think my iphone has several updates that really need to be done but I’m too scared!!)
    I really enjoy reading your blogs everyday and I love that they are both in the same place now. Your blog is one of the main reasons I started up my own.
    I can’t wait to see what other exciting things you have planned for the summer. Its winter down here in Australia 🙁

  54. Cortney P says

    Love Love Love reading your blog every morning!! I usually get frustrated when someone changes it up on their blog but I have to tell you that you nailed it with this change!! I love the previous/next buttons!! I have not seen that before. Thank you for letting me see a sneek peek into your life 🙂

  55. Wendy B says

    Hi shay!
    Wow, quite the change of look for your new website. It took me awhile to navigate around. I love reading your life blog everyday! I finally got it… I see now that both your blogs are side by side for each day.
    I can get used to it…. What I miss are the beautiful pictures of Kensingron, Smith and Ashby on the right side panel of your previous home page. I also loved the design of your previous life blog. It was such a “happy” design with all the colors and flowers… But I guess I will get used to this one at some point. I think you are so great! I love how positive you are with life. You and your family are such an inspiration!
    Congratulations on your new website. I’m like you. I liked what was working… But if this will help you to be more efficient with 2 blogs combined to one, then I’m happy and excited for you.
    Love your blogs.

  56. Melissa Moehring says

    I can no longer access your blog from my feedly reader! Will that be updated?

  57. Lolli says

    Shay your new posts since the change no longer show up on my freedly, and advice on how to get it back?

  58. Leigh says

    The blog design is beautiful!! Love it – I was going to comment about feedly too – as it did not automatically update. Not sure how you would communicate this, but hopefully all us feedly readers will figure it out soon!

  59. Laura says

    I absolutely LOVE the new design and the idea to combine sites. Feels more like a magazine, which is what your blogs always were to me. ❤

  60. Erin McGuire says

    I’m so glad this is why you weren’t popping up in my blogger feed last week!!! I was crazy panicked that something was wrong with you, the kids or your brother’s new baby. My blog feed didn’t like the change and didn’t pull this new combined area over – darn! But I found you, thank goodness! And now I can binge read last week’s posts. 🙂

  61. Katie Davis says

    I love the new design and would love to know where you got that great plaid shirt you are wearing in your new “profile” picture to the right? So cute!

      • Katie Davis says

        Ok yay, that is what I thought. After much research I found the same one on e-bay. Thank you! I just wanted to tell you, I have been a fan of your blog for a long time. My husband and I got married and lived our first 2 years of married life in Plano. We even almost bought a house in McKinney, but circumstances brought us North instead. I love getting to still feel connected to a place we loved living through your blog!

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