Tie dye is certainly having a moment. It’s something that my kids have enjoyed doing every summer, as did I when I was young. But I have to say, my tie dyes never turned out looking nearly as good as the ones that are available to us today. With such a wide array at our fingertips, I find that I can be pretty particular when I narrow them all down. It has to have a pretty color combo and a good fit (be it oversized, cropped or include accents such as ruffles or puffed sleeves).
I was thrilled when I found the sweatshirt that I’m wearing above. It’s going to be the one I reach for on all those chilly summer evenings while we hang outdoors. I also realized just how much I love pairing tie dye with white for summer. It makes for quite a striking combo! Below are my favorites that I narrowed down after scouring and scrolling and scrolling. And if you’re more adventurous than me right now, let me know if you’re making your own!
We are all likely to be spending more time at home this summer than we typically would, so my plan is to create as much fun as we can. We cleaned out our garage over the weekend and dug out all the summer toys to wipe down and immediately put into play. Our kids love playing outside and take advantage of each and every toy there is to play with.
My girls especially love breaking out the water toys. From sprinklers to water tables, if water is involved, they are occupied. Although I don’t consider myself a ‘gardener’, I do care for our outdoor flowers and landscaping and all kids have taken a part in giving a helping hand. It’s always more fun for them when they have their own tools. Then there’s the obvious outdoor snacking which can be made more fun with homemade popsicles, ice cream or snow cones! Finally, and most importantly, there are outdoor games. Below I’ve included games that the whole family can enjoy!
See below to gather some ideas on keeping your family entertained all summer long…
If you’re anything like me, you’re finding it a little bit difficult to break free of your sweats lately. But with warmer weather (hopefully) on the way, many of us are going to be spending a lot more time outdoors. From walks around your neighborhood, back yard grilling and wherever else we may be able to venture off to, kimonos and ruanas are a great, easy piece to turn to. They’ll turn a simple ensemble into a chic, pulled together, look like you know what you’re doing type look. In my opinion, they work well over solid basics as many of them come in colorful prints. I’d also recommend wearing more form fitting layers underneath, otherwise you’ll lack any sort of shape. Kimonos and ruanas also make perfect cover-ups to toss on over your swimsuits. I tracked down a bunch of cute options for you to check out below, should you be lacking one in your closet!
Guys, if you’re not a coffee drinker, I’m sorry. Kidding of course, but my first cup of coffee each morning is something I look forward to now more than ever! We used a Keurig for years which was convenient, but I think I forgot what I was missing. We switched back to a drip pot (actually for the first time in our marriage) a year or so ago and haven’t looked back. We prep it and the the ‘delay brew’ every night so that we walk down to a fresh pot every morning. We’ve been quite happy with this coffee maker, although to be honest, we don’t take advantage of all the specialty brews that you can prepare with it. We do enjoy using our french press every now and then on the weekends. It’s our fancy coffee.
When we switched to our coffee pot, I grabbed a pretty canister to keep our beans in. I typically grind them at the grocery store and having a sealed canister keeps them fresh and ready for our daily use. We all know the importance of a good mug. If you’re one that’s constantly re-heating, this one may be a smart choice for you. It keeps your drink hot for as long as you need!
If you enjoy iced coffee as my husband often does, this Hyper chiller is a great option for you. It chills your coffee of choice in minutes. And when it comes to creamer, their are so many options, but Nut Pods have been an ongoing favorite of mine. Flavorful, dairy free and light in calories (because I’m typically intermittent fasting), I enjoy a handful of their flavor options.
Below I’ve gathered our coffee staples and some fun options to help brighten your mornings! Cheers to the weekend everyone!
This past weekend while we enjoyed some incredible weather we started getting our back deck put together. It’s always so rejuvenating to create another space, or rather, an extension of your home and living space. I have a feeling most of us will be spending even more time at home than we typically do this summer, so I’m determined to make as much use of our deck as we can. With this in mind, I curated a few inspiration boards for outdoor living. I asked each of my kids which one they’d prefer and they each chose a different one! I guess it proves that they’re all to be desired <3
You can shop the products I’ve shared by clicking on the images below.
Shop the space:
The ‘tranquil retreat’ would most certainly take life poolside, or near the shore, but it could just as well be set up in any back yard…with an inflatable pool ;)
Shop the Space:
I love the simplicity of this look. It feels cozy and inviting, with a chic, updated vibe to it. Black has a way of grounding outdoor elements while setting a backdrop for nature to shine.
Shop the Space:
Who wouldn’t want to run out to this space every morning (and afternoon and evening?!). Bright and cheerful and ready to invite all the neighbors over….at a distance ;)
Let me know which was your favorite style from above and how you plan on spending your time outdoors this summer!
The days all seem to run together lately, but there’s one day that’s approaching that should certainly stand out from the rest…Mother’s Day. Moms around the world are in over-drive right now and they deserve some recognition now more than ever. Whether you decide to gift her with something sentimental, practical, or to pamper her a little, I’ve gathered an array of items that she’s sure to appreciate! I hope you find something special for yours….and then feel free to forward this to your spouse ;)
Hi all! I figured it was time for a little ‘Insta Update’. I share so much of life and daily (quarantine) outfits over there and a lot of it never makes it over here to the blog. So for the sake of sharing and documenting, here’s what’s been going on over the past month or so…
These Spanx active leggings are phenomenal. If you are ordering anything from Spanx for the first time, you can get 15% off your order with this code: http://fbuy.me/v/mzerby They run true to size, but if you’re in between sizes, I’d size up. I wear a S in their leggings for reference.
Sephora’s spring sale opens to Insiders today (just an fyi, it’s free to sign up) giving everyone access to 10-20% off their purchase. Cosmetics rarely go on sale, so I always enjoy taking advantage of any discount I can get. Most of the items you’ll see me sharing below have been long-time favorites of mine. Three more recent favs, all of which I’d recommend especially during this quarantine, are the tanning drops, makeup eraser and lip balm.
I’ve becomes a huge fan of the tanning drops over the past few months. I blend them into my face and body lotions twice per week and in turn get a sun kissed look that I am in desperate need of. The makeup eraser is a little piece of magic. Once wet, it quickly removes every drop of makeup from your face (mascara included). It’s a dream, I promise. And this lip balm not only moisturizes but also gives your lips a custom pink that compliments you.
Scroll on to read more about my other top picks or click on the images below to head to the product pages.
Beauty Blender: Because they need refreshed every so often ;)
Moroccan Oil Styling Cream: I use a small pump of this on my wet hair just before blow drying. It’s for all hair types and helps to prevent frizz and also shape your ahir style.
Charlotte Tilbury cream shadow: This is a newer find and I love the way this cream shadow applies. It can be soft and subtle for everyday or easily bump it up for a more dramatic look. I have the shade ‘Jean’.
Gimme Brow: I have thin eyebrows that need all the help they can get. This brow gel applies easily and gives a very natural look, enhancing your brows.
NARS tinted moisturizer: It’s rare that I wear full foundation, but this tinted moisture is what I reach for nearly everyday that I apply makeup. Just enough coverage for an everyday look.
They’re Real mascara: Another longtime favorite, the wand on this mascara works wonders, grabbing and lengthening each and every lash.
Mineral Veil: I love using this powder to soften my makeup and hold everything in place.
IT CC cream: when I want more full-coverage than my tinted moisturizer, this is what I reach for and boy does it do the trick!
All Nighter: I’ll apply a few sprays of this on most days and it does a great job of keeping my makeup in place all day (or night) long. If you spend the time to apply your makeup, you may as well make it last!
Becca lipstick: A favorite lipstick of mine, it applies beautifully and they have some great color options. Orchid is my go-to.
Hoola bronzer: My go-to bronzer that gives me those touches of color exactly where I need them.
I don’t know where you fall in terms of home projects right now. When the quarantine initially began, I found myself tackling small projects around the house, like cleaning out drawers and reorganizing our pantry shelves. Then we did a big deep, spring clean throughout the house. We also began tackling some of the annual outdoor spring tasks, cleaning up the yard and landscaping. As the weeks have been rolling on, I figured we may as well jump on to some other projects that had previously been on the back burner. Like painting.
Our hall bath had paint that was chipping and peeling away around the shower (my kids like their showers toasty!), so although I wasn’t necessarily changing it because of the color, it was more out of necessity.
To the right you can see the old color. A soft, pretty, barely there light blue. It related well to the countertop and I didn’t have any problem with it. But since we were going to paint, I figured we may as well give it a change. I first thought about going very neutral to switch things up, but that left for a very boring palette. I ultimately decided to stick with a similar shade but took it a little richer. I still worked off of our countertop (which is the bossy element in that room), and pulled out a beautiful blue grey.
The top row above were the colors I had narrowed down. Zircon would have been a bit too gray, North Star a bit too blue, Olympus White not quite enough tint to it, so Sherwin Williams Reflection is the one that hit the mark.
You saw from above that I obviously sampled the color, because trust me, these miniature swatches can be deceiving!
My recommendation when sampling your color is to paint a large sample onto white cardboard or heavy cardstock leaving three edges with a white border and painting to the very edge on the fourth side. This will allow you to move it to various areas of your room (regardless of what space you’re talking about) while holding it up to windows, counters, furniture, etc. This will help to eliminate your current wall color from influencing the color you’re sampling. Basically, don’t do what I did above ;)
Thankfully Sherwin Williams is offering curbside pickup, so a quick phone order in and we had everything we needed to tackle the room.
I’ve been asked how we tackle these projects because yes, the whole painting process can be daunting. Thankfully, Jack is always open to these projects (we’ve painted almost every room in our home ourselves), and we balance each other out with the work. Prep work is key and Jack is very diligent in that regard. Remove everything you can, sand and spackle when necessary and cover your floors and other surfaces. He masks and trims and I handle all of the rolling. It’s quite therapeutic. We always make sure to paint two coats, even with good paint (we use Sherwin Williams Duration line) we still find we are happier when two coats are applied.
You can see in the image above how the blue/grey also relates to the floor tile, pulling out the grey amongst the other taupes and pink beiges.
I didn’t change out any decor at this time, so everything in there is what we previously had. I’ll do my best to link both exact and/or similar items for you below.
I’d love to hear about what projects you’re all getting yourselves into lately! And if you’re struggling with wrapping your head around the perfect paint color, make sure you reach out (via the Paint Consulting tab at the top of the page) so we can discuss your needs.
Second to lounge-wear, my pajamas are getting more than their fair share of wear these days. Since I know we won’t have anyone randomly coming to our door, I don’t always have a reason to get out of my pj’s! I’m someone that can hold onto my sleepwear for much longer than I probably should. Once in a while I’ll add a few pieces, but overall, many of them are pretty shabby looking. I have a few matching sets and always turn to them first, so I decided it may be time to give that drawer a little refresh. I started digging (online) and found a bunch of cute sets, separates and slippers. You can see everything I found below if you’re also in the market for a little update!
