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August 8, 2013

Mixing Prints

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I love the idea of mixing prints and patterns. When I see it on others I always envy how effortless they make it look. “Oh, hey I just threw this on and I look perfectly pulled together”, ya know? JCrew is the king (queen?) of this, always pulling it off seamlessly. I think Jenna Lyons, their creative director, has played a big part in encouraging the printed pairings. Here she is wearing a striped top and floral pants. Effortless. Well I decided to give it a shot. At first I was going to pair this top with my solid bright green shorts, but then I saw my pink graphic shorts and the lightbulb went off (not literally). Although both pieces are Gap and not JCrew, I think I managed to pull off a bold yet slightly reckless look. And for those of you who know me, reckless is slightly out of my element :)

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August 7, 2013

Baby time!

Not me, silly! I’m good for now ;) But it sure is baby season around here. How about for you guys? I received two baby shower invites in one day, enough said. Since I imagine there are a few of you out there that are expecting or have a friend or family member who is, I gathered 10 baby essentials for you.

Let me preface, moms will obviously need the basics (diapers, wipes, lotion, baby wash, burp clothes, bottles, strollers, onesies, Dreft, thermometers etc) to begin. Many of these will probably not fall on their list of registered items, but believe me, new moms don’t know everything they’ll need. They’ll thank you later. Heck, many of these items I didn’t know I needed until I had them myself! It takes an army of items just to stay sane on any given day.

Without further delay, my 10 baby essentials (in no particular order):

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  1. Stroller hooks. Although more of a necessity for those living in urban areas (you know, when you use your stroller more than your car…sigh…miss those days), these things are key for holding your diaper bag, shopping bags or any other items you don’t have an extra hand for.
  2. Snack traps. I swear, children are bottomless pits. As soon as they know how to move their hand to their mouth these things become very handy.
  3. Good Nite Lite. This will be helpful once little toddlers make the move into a bed. You set the time you want the sun to come up, signaling it’s morning and time to get up, the goal being to keep children in bed the entire night. I was shocked to say the least, but our son would come running into our room as soon as his sun came up. A piece of sanity (and sleep) saved.
  4. Miracle Blanket. I was the swaddling queen for the first 4 months of my kid’s lives. They quickly learn how to wiggle out of most swaddles, hence waking themselves up. This blanket holds the swaddle while they slumber in their little cocoon.
  5. Sophie. She doesn’t need much introduction, but she’s a teething savior.
  6. Sleep sak. Once my kids were finished being swaddled, I switched them over to sleep saks as opposed to having loose blankets in the crib.
  7. Ergo baby carrier. I can’t say I loved this carrier for newborns (they offer an insert), but from approximately 6 months on, this carrier is a dream. It’s comfortable, well designed and never hurt my back.
  8. White noise. White noise is definitely an essential to the sleeping habits of my children. I believe it played a key role in why I now have two great sleepers on my hands.
  9. Aden and Anais blankets. Although technically for swaddling, I used these for everything from nursing covers, to burp cloths and as extended sun shade for strollers. Oh, and Prince George was wrapped in one as he left the hospital ;)
  10. Pacifier clip.  My son never took a pacifier, but my daughter (who’s the exact opposite in every way) did. This amazing eight inch piece of material is just genius. It keeps the pacifier from falling on the ground or getting lost  in the mix of things countless times per day. (more…)
August 6, 2013

What She Wears: White t-shirt

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Today I’m linking up with my friend Becky over at Mommy in Heels for this month’s What She Wears feature. This month the girls decided on the basic white T. Endless possibilities, right? I decided to pair mine with a black maxi and my denim jacket that’s been getting its wear this summer. I love maxis but totally agree with some of you out there that they can be way too hot for 80+ degree days. They are, however, perfect for those days that hover in the 70’s. Oh and the comfort level of a cotton maxi and a cotton T? You can’t beat it. (more…)

August 5, 2013

Pie Pops

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These days cake pops are becoming just about as popular as cupcakes and I’m a huge fan. I have heard, however, that they’re no easy task to make. I then came across pie pops and thought they were a genius idea. I’m not always up for an entire piece of pie or the guilt that comes along, but these little delights satisfy my cravings in two bites. I took these to my family reunion over the weekend and from what I saw they were a hit!

I won’t lie, I definitely took the easy route on this batch using pre-made pie dough and canned pie filling. I’d typically use this dough recipe, but I just didn’t have the extra time available. There are plenty of pie pop resources online, many that link back to this one, but the steps are rather simple: (more…)

August 2, 2013

High Five for Friday

This week has come and gone and now it’s August?! Our house has been passing around a lovely summer cold. My husband is now the last man standing. Kids are funny though, colds make them cranky but they sure don’t slow them down!

Here’s a look at my week in photo’s, minus the couch lounging and scattered tissues laying around the house…

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  1. Catching fireflies/lightening bugs with Jack.
  2. New wrist candy I scored on sale this week at Riley on Main.
  3. Enjoying some scenery along a run I was able to get in this week.
  4. I think I can assume that my baby is too big for the Bumbo when she can carry it around, right?
  5. Hair is all trimmed up. Anyone else have hair that grows like a weed? It’ll be back to my shoulders in a few weeks!

 

We’re looking forward to the weekend with my family’s reunion on Saturday and then Jack and I are heading to Hershey, PA on Sunday to see the JT/Jay Z concert. An evening all to ourselves and a bed and breakfast to top it off, yay! Thanks for watching the kids, Mom!

What’s lined up for your weekend?

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth for High Five for Friday.

August 1, 2013

Falling for Fashion

I don’t know about you, but between the catalogs that are rolling in daily and the emails that continue to fill my inbox, I am being bombarded by fall fashion! Those marketers must be doing their job well, because I am just smitten over a number of pieces.

Here’s a look at what’s currently sitting in my shopping bags on various sites. Maybe my husband will swoop in and bring those bags home to me? I can hear him laughing in my head :)

 

Falling (more…)

July 31, 2013

A room in progress

Since we moved in to our condo in March, I have been slowly working on my son’s room. He shared a room with his baby sister while we were in Hoboken, so I’m enjoying creating a space of his own. I wanted to skip the whole toddler, kiddie bedding because A) I’m not a huge fan of any of it and B) I’d be buying new bedding as soon as he grew out of it in no time at all.

I’ve been piecing it all together and here’s a look at how it’s coming together:

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Potterybarn Kids bed, Serena and Lily bedding, Land of Nod alphabet decals, storage basket and bins, Penny Lane dresser, Target cube storage (more…)

July 30, 2013

A little open back

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Green is one of my favorite colors to wear, from mint to turquoise to hunter green . I have had this sweater for a while now and each time I wear it I forget how much I love it. It’s perfect for summer days with 70 degree temps. It’s light, soft, colorful and playful with an open back…

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July 29, 2013

Whirlwind Weekend

Happy Monday everyone, I hope you had a great weekend! Sometimes our weekends are nice and peaceful and other times they end up jam packed with activities. This was was of those such weekends for us. I’m just now coming up for air and could use a weekend to recoop!

My girlfriend and I took our kids (4 in all) to an amusement park on Friday. Somehow all of the stars aligned for us. The older two were perfectly behaved and got along for the entire afternoon and the younger two were happy as can be and even took naps in their strollers for us (this is always a hit or miss for Madelyn). Jack rode his very first roller coaster and had to keep reminding me that I didn’t need to squeeze the living daylights out of him to keep him safe…oops.

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July 26, 2013

High Five for Friday

Happy friday, friends! What a fun, eventful week we had. It was full of quality time with family and friends which included a lunch with the kids, my mother, grandmother and sister, at a Victorian cafe. As my mom was reviewing her tea etiquette, my daughter was wobbling around doing her best to destroy the cafe in no time flat.

I found a chest of drawers for my son’s room that I was thrilled about. It’s a refurbished antique dresser from Penny Lane in Hollidaysburg, PA. She has some great pieces if you happen to live in the area. I’m quite impatient, so for me to hold off on buying pieces I like in order to wait to come across pieces I love is quite the task for me. In this case, however, I did and it was well worth the wait. I found the perfect refurbished antique dresser that I can’t wait to get into his room. I’m sure my 4 year old is just as excited as I am (sarcasm).

Here’s a look at the rest of my week in photos:

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  1. New chest for my son’s bedroom.
  2. We spent the afternoon with good friends who happen to be photographers. These are the images I ran into in their studio’s kitchen. My babes growing up before my eyes!
  3. I mentioned I’m not yet ready for fall, but JCrew’s fall sneak peak sure has me anxious!
  4. A new read which will hopefully refresh my grammar and punctuation that I’m surely butchering these days.
  5. My prince and princess enjoying their tea hot chocolate. Our English affair to help welcome Prince George :)

What was your favorite moment of the week?

Linking up with Lauren Elizabeth today for High Five for Friday.

See you back here on Monday!

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