Baby #2: It's A Girl!

image

image

image

image

image

We found out several weeks ago that baby #2 is a g-i-r-l! We are excited to welcome this sweet baby into our family! I am really thrilled that Weeks will have a little sister, and she will have Weeks as an older brother. She is already one lucky girl because of that! 

We announced it on instagram last week, in case you missed it:

A little informal but oh, so sweet! Me and my little shopping buddy hit up Target and got him such much needed new pajamas {how is he in a size 4t??} and I bought baby girl her first swimsuit/rashguard that she might be wearing towards the end of summer. Thanks for following along friends!

Saturday Shopping: LOFT finds, Beauty Buys + Pregnancy Pillow Help

I used up my Christmas gift card from Sephora and got a few new things and an old favorite. Don't you just love a gift card?! I have heard nothing but rave reviews about the Living Proof Restore Shampoo and Conditioner and I really wanted to give it a go since I was almost out of my Bumble and Bumble {I still would recommend the B + B, but my hair does better with alternating products}.  After a week, I have used it and I have to say I love it! My hair feels fresher, lightweight and healthy. The overall feel is the biggest improvement and I think it has been easier to style as well. My hair smells so fresh all day, and it actually did much better with going days in between washing. So happy with it! I also purchased this Mask Treatment in December, and I use it about once a week. I am also really happy with it and how healthy it has made my hair feel!

I used this concealer a while ago and I am circling back to use it again. I am pretty picky about concealers and I really like this one. 

I got a sample of a Tory Burch trio of perfumes and my favorite is the one below, Jolie Fleur Bleue. 

Two things I have purchased from Loft {non-maternity} that are 40% off, and so in love with each:

Relaxed Swing Sweater
Just got this sweater this week and it is fabulous. Since it is oversized being a swing sweater, I went with my normal size {small} and it is a great fit with plenty of room for a growing bump. I wish they had the cobalt blue in a small because that would be perfect with white jeans for early spring!

Powder Jersey Tunic
I got this right before Christmas and it is so cozy and cute. I also went with my normal size here and it fits fine. It's a really lightweight material which is nice because sometimes the sweatshirt look can seem bulky on. Highly recommend!

So, I have come to the conclusion that I most definitely would like a pregnancy pillow. I held out with Weeks, and I've made it almost halfway through this pregnancy with out one, but after some recent back pain and struggling to stay comfortable at night...I'm going for it! Stephen is thrilled there will be some giant noodle shaped thing in the bed. But, I would love your tips if you have used one before. Momma needs a good one and I obviously have no prior knowledge to these other than reviews online! The two below I have looked into but I am open to hearing about others, and I would like to order soon. Please send me your recs Mommas! 

Leacho Snoogle Total Body Pillow

Cracking up over this next one and that caption:

PharMeDoc Total Body Pillow

Pregnancy Style 1: Current Favorites

I thought it would be fun to do a feature every now and then on pregnancy style. I swear there are even much better options now than there were three years ago, and at affordable prices! I really don't mind buying some maternity clothing because this is a time I want to feel as good as I can in what I am wearing, whether that means buying something with a "maternity" label on it or not. Truth is, I think once you really have a bump you need the length of maternity tops, unless you are wearing a tunic style or oversized. Right now, I am still wearing most of my regular clothing but I am slowly adding in things here and there. 

So on a normal day at home, I am wearing something really similar to this:

lightweight modal leggings  // long sleeve V neck //

 {I own this pair of similar tennis shoes, similar and SO comfy!}

I just ordered these leggings because I could use a pair for every day of the week...that is all I really want to wear #sorrynotsorry! I also own these leggings {not maternity, flattering, BEST ever!} which are still fitting fine, although I'm sure that won't last much longer than a month, or two, if I'm lucky.

 western chambray shirt  //  howl tunic // solid v neck t 

I see the chambray shirt as being a real work horse in your maternity wardrobe! It would be perfect to wear now with leggings and then wear it into the Spring with white jeans or even shorts. I just picked this tunic on a Target run yesterday and I love it! It is so soft and the color is actually so much prettier in person, right on point for this seasons hot blush color. I lived in the Gap Pure Body tops with Weeks, and I have already bought a couple for this time around too. Get them in all your basic colors for easy everyday tops and for layering. Trust me, they are amazing.

 audra maternity dress, more sizes here, in navy here

This dress is so cute!! You cannot beat this LBD. It would be so nice to have one dress you can change the look with accessories from statement necklaces, to a scarf to dress it down, to tall boots or even heels! It also comes in navy for those that don't need black! 

 bateau top 

Perfectly preppy with adorable red stripes. Totally looks like something I would wear pregnant or not. I love this and would wear it now through Spring and Summer. 

Any other pregnant readers out there with some favorites for me? 

2016 To Do List Part 1

Hey everyone! I thought it was fitting to start off the week with filling you in on whats on our radar for Spring. Plenty to be done and this is just part one :) Some of these are in progress now and I will show you the real photos of the spaces as we really get going on them!

New Front Door

For an old house that has beautiful, solid wood interior doors, the front door situation was a really big letdown. The inside is just a flat panel and the outside is actually fine. The door casing and locks are very old school and can't just simply be replaced. It took me a solid 6 months to figure out how to unlock the door! We also have a storm door that is so unattractive and deteriorating. We have picked out a new door and I can't wait for it to be installed soon! New lighting will also be happening outside the door and is yet to be decided on.

Inspiration: source 

Brick Walkway

In progress!! If you follow me on instagram, you have seen the sneak peek. This was a big undertaking for Stephen but we wanted to take advantage of the warmer weather while we could, because the rest of winter is likely to be cold and wet. This house was built in the 1970's and it has never had a front walkway! This is mind boggling to me. Makes sense that the front door was ugly. But really, all those years with pizza deliveries and packages being dropped off...and they never had a front walkway?! We knew we would have one from the day we laid eyes on the house, and we are finally getting going after tackling some more important things. Below is my inspiration that made us pull the trigger!

Additional Laundry Room Cabinet

This is a small project but we have a space in the mud room that can be made into a small bench/storage area. Right now, Tucker's giant plastic dog food container is there and it is 1)not cute 2)collecting dirt from foot traffic. Hoping Stephen can come up with a custom unit here!

Inspiration source

Master Bath Renovation

A room that I am really excited to get started on and also really nervous. Of course, it's right off of our bedroom and I am not keen on a dusty mess being right there while I am sleeping at night. We are going to try to do as much as we can to save money {we as in Stephen} instead of hiring out for all the work. Even demo-ing costs money so there are a lot of factors to consider. I am thinking light, white and bright: my favorite combo for bathrooms. Taking on master bath is not something I necessarily want to jump into right now, but we know it's the best time to do it before another baby.

Inspiration source

Exterior Storage Room Revamped

Luckily, this isn't my arena and I am happy to add in my tips for paint choices, cabinet locations and whatnot, but other than that I am letting Stephen take the reigns! He received some gift cards for Christmas that he is using towards replacing old shelving with new garage storage cabinets that are sure to keep things tidier and clean. He is making great headway already with one side of the room getting painted. Since there is so much in this room, and we don't want to haul all of it inside, it makes sense to work on it one side at a time. It is a good size room that can be so much more useful by utilizing space more efficiently. I really don't go in here much and if I do I tiptoe in and run out because it is dark and creepy. Totally excited about it getting freshened up so if I need a screwdriver or hammer I am not creeped out by walking in there!

Easy Entertaining App

Just popping in real quick because I was reminded today about a seriously delicious app I made on New Years Eve that I had not shared yet! This is not reinventing the wheel or anything but it was just SO easy and SO good that I had to share! 

CHICKEN AND WAFFLES!

I had never made them before and was quite unsure of exactly how good it could taste together, with out adding anything fancy to it. But simple is best in this case, I think.

You will need Eggo Mini Waffles, Chic fil A nuggets, and maple syrup.

I toasted each Eggo waffle on the lowest setting, then flipped them and toasted them again {I think one side of my toaster toasts hotter than the other, plus, since these are frozen you want them to warmed throughout} Separate each mini Eggo on a pretty serving platter {to make things way fancier than they are!} and add one nugget and a toothpick to each. Drizzle with maple syrup and keep some extra on hand in case anyone wants extra for theirs! 

I ran to Chic fil A about 5:30 that night for a few 12 packs. By the time we ate, the nuggets were not even piping hot, but I sort of enjoy them that way. Is that weird? Seriously, make this for your next gathering and you and your guests will not be disappointed! Would be perfect for a Super Bowl party coming up soon!

Have a great weekend y'all! 

Time to Organize

 tape dispenser // pencil cup // pens // shoe box // sweater box // 

nordic basket with optional lid // hampton bins // mercado baskets // la jolla basket 

So, the Christmas has all been packed away neatly in the attic {I splurged on tons of new ornament storage containers last year!} and it got me thinking about the rest of the house. This is definitely the time of year that I like to start fresh and begin my Spring cleaning of sorts. In order to make our room transitioning work {read a little about the rundown here}, then we absolutely have to purge and organize everything from our closets and cabinets, to the common areas like the counters and desk tops. 

I dream of one of those beautiful closets like every other woman, but until that happens, I have to work with what I have. One thing I already ordered is a set of these shoe boxes to store my off season shoes. Heck, if I really like them, I might get them for my in season shoes too. They also come i in bigger boxes for taller heels and boots as well. I grabbed a few sweater boxes that I might start out with some summer things, but they will hold my large collection of scarves come summer time.

Getting new office supplies to keep organized is sort of like getting new workout gear for being inspired to workout! I always enjoy new pens, clean and cute ways to store them, and anything acrylic fits the bill. These would be a great start!

Last but not least, I love having ample storage bins for behind the scenes and not. Keeping things tidy in the cabinets makes for finding things easier and looking neat. We can't seem to have enough baskets and bins around, we probably have them in each room. Not pictured above, but I love this basket line as well, which Weeks has in his room: one for laundry and one for toys.

Any tried and true organization favorites of yours?

Cheers to 2016

Happy New Year! As usual, the holidays came and went so quickly. We were happy to spend the majority of the last couple of weeks with family, celebrating Christmas and this and that. It's finally back to normal now and I kind of look forward to the routine even if it just means normal days. Normal days are good. They are actually great!

watercolor calendar 

I don't have too much to get into today as I am inching my way back to a normal routine, but I did just want to check in and give you all an idea of what I have planned on here coming up! I am outlining a post now of the house projects we have lined up over the next several months. Let's just say things are looking busy as we prepare and change things around to suit our family of three plus baby #2 on the way! Speaking of baby #2- I am absolutely sparing everyone {and myself} of weekly pregnancy posts, but please let me know if you have any pregnancy topics/posts you would love to hear about. Other than that, any other requests? Recipes, shopping, decor, sales...you name it! Just let me know, especially as we start off on a new year. Two big room changes will be coming up as we transition Weeks into a big boy room and change his old room into the new nursery! I love kids rooms and I am so very excited about these! 

Cheers to 2016- may it be healthy, happy and safe!