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Happy Halloween!

Tuesday, October 31, 2017

Happy Halloween!

True story: Over the weekend Steve and I were just doing our usual weekend evening thing of watching TV (Stranger Things 2, anyone?!) and eating, and I started scrolling through IG and watching Stories only to remember that it was a huge "going out" weekend. I loved seeing everyone's costumes! It's been a while since we've dressed up and gone out (ok so I dressed up a couple of years with the kids - ha!) but, honestly, experiencing holidays with the babies is so much fun to me. Here are past Halloweens since the girls were born:

2014 - Bumblees (C was 11 months old)


2015 - Dorothy (C was 23 months old)


2016 - Witch & Pumpkin (C was 2 years 11 months, H was almost 4 months)


And this year, both girls are Jessie from Toy Story! I'll share pictures later this week. :)

We didn't carve pumpkins, but I'm okay with that. We've crossed most of the other "to-dos" off of our fall bucket list like picking pumpkins, playing in leaves, going on a hayride, apple picking, making chili, watching It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, going to the fair, making apple crisp, and reading fall books. Speaking of books, each of the girls got a new Halloween book at breakfast this morning! Do you have any Halloween traditions?

I hope everyone enjoys the day, whether that means a festive donut at work or trick or treating with your kids tonight, or both! 

Five on Friday

Friday, October 27, 2017

Well, a few days away from November and it finally feels like fall, y'all. Speaking of November, it's one of my favorite months. I got engaged in November, Carrington was born in November, and my favorite holiday is in November: Thanksgiving, of course.


What are you all up to this weekend? Tomorrow we're heading to some orchards to pick apples and pumpkins with our great friends, whose daughter just turned three. On Sunday Steve is taking the girls to a birthday party and another one of my dear friends is coming up for a spa afternoon (she treated me to a gift card for my 30th birthday -- what a gem). Can. Not. Wait.

Here's the short list of thoughts for Five on Friday:

+ Halloween candy. Does anyone else have zero control when it comes to buying and then eating all of the Halloween candy before it's actually Halloween? I posted this on my personal Facebook page yesterday and some good tips were: wait until the day before or even the day of to buy it or buy non-edible stuff or buy candy you don't like. These are all grown up and logical options, and for some reason I can't go through with any of them. Sigh.

+ Random act of kindness. My mom (hi Mom!) told me that she was in line at Target the other day picking up a couple of small things and a family in front of her bought a whole cart full and received a $5 gift card back as a promotion. Well, they turned around to my mom and handed it to her -- they told her that when they get a promo gift card like that, they like to pass it along to another shopper. How cool is that? It's similar to buying the person in line behind you a cup of coffee at Starbucks, but I thought it was a fun twist.

+ Toddler smoothies. Carrie loves her a smoothie. I keep a bag of mixed frozen berries in the freezer (I like the antioxidant blend from Market Pantry at Target) and mix it in the blender with a little whole milk. Voila! A healthy, couldn't-be-easier smoothie.

+ Currently listening to... I've been really into Halsey lately. She just has a cool sound -- I've been loving all of her songs, especially this one!

+ Currently watching... I'm looking forward to beginning Stranger Things 2 with Steve tonight. Perfect for this time of year. I've also been religiously watching This Is Us, of course, and the new season of Shark Tank. I can't believe how long that's been on -- and I've been a fan since the beginning! #old

What about you? What are you listening to and watching lately? What about reading? All I can manage to do is quickly flip through a magazine these days. Someday I'll read actual books again... someday. ;) 

Have a great weekend!

DIY: Vintage High Chair Makeover

Wednesday, October 25, 2017


Today I'm welcoming my very first guest poster: my husband! 

I told him a while ago that I often get questions about our vintage pink highchair that we use for the girls' birthday celebrations (well, now only Hadley's since Carrington has outgrown it). A few friends have asked where we found it, how we made it over, and even to borrow it for photo shoots and such. I love that it was a relatively simple and cheap DIY but is getting so much use and love! 

I found the highchair at our neighborhood garage sale when C was about 6 months old and it was love at first sight. I immediately pictured using it as a special prop for birthdays. The woman who was selling it said it was in her basement for forever. I ended up scoring it for $3! If you're interested in one, would keep an eye out at garage sales, on Craigslist, and on . I recently saw an almost identical high chair being given away on our local "buy nothing" Facebook page I'm a member of. 

So, without further ado, please give a warm welcome to my hubby as he explains how he took this gem from yellow to pink and gave it new life:



Hi Lucky Lifestyle readers, glad you're here. Interested in a fairly simple DIY? Let's dive right in. After Jen decided on a paint color (we used paint leftover from C's room -- Behr "Strawberry Yogurt" paint & primer two in one), I got to work stripping the existing yellow paint off of the highchair. I didn't just want to paint over the old paint because the chair appeared to have painted more than once already so the texture wasn't great. To do this, I used a gel type paint stripper, but I'm sure others would do the trick. Gel type paint stripper is the consistency of jelly, so it is easy to apply to all parts of the chair  at once without having to reposition it. You can use a paint brush to apply the paint stripper, just make sure to wash the brush after you are done. Make sure to wear eye protection and chemical resistant gloves while applying the paint stripper (NOT nitrile gloves - this paint stripper may dissolve nitrile gloves). Make sure to only use paint stripper in a well ventilated area.

Apply the paint thinner to all parts of the chair, and then wait about two hours. The chair should look something like this:



Scrape of the paint using a plastic putty knife. The plastic will help you avoid gouging the wood. The paint should scrape off easily, if not, apply more paint thinner and wait. 



As you can see, the paint should be falling off the chair.


If there are multiple layers of old paint, you may need to finish scraping the current layer, and then reapply paint stripper and wait to scrape off the next layer. Continue this process until you can see the original wood.



Once you can see the original wood and have finished the stripping process, remove any paint stripping residue with paper towels and allow the chair to dry for twenty-four hours. Once the chair is dry, sand down any rough spots or imperfections using sandpaper. Start with a lower grit sandpaper (which is coarser) and work your way towards a higher grit (which is finer). Most places sell packs of sandpaper that include a variety of grits. This will give the chair a uniform smooth finish. Make sure you wear a respirator while sanding (particularly if your chair is older and there is any chance lead-based paint was used on it at some point). Once the chair has a uniform smooth finish, you are ready to start painting. Depending on how particular you are, and what you are going to use the chair for, you don't need to get every last bit of the old paint off.

I like to use foam brushes for a project like this, as they are both cheap, and don't leave brush marks. I also removed the tray portion of the chair to make the painting process easier.


We used some leftover paint from when we painted Carrington's room. This was fine since we only intended to use this chair as a photo prop; however, if you intend to use this as an everyday functional piece of furniture, you should find a paint or vanish that is rated for contact with food. 


One or two coats of paint should do the trick, and then you can reattach the tray if you removed it.


And viola, photo prop complete (below photo from C's first birthday).



Family not included.


Thanks for a great first guest post, babe. ;) Hope this is helpful to anyone who may be interested in a project like this. Happy Wednesday! We're halfway there!

A Saturday Away + WAHM Ideas

Monday, October 23, 2017

First of all, I want to thank you for your support and love for the Facebook post I shared yesterday. If you missed it, Scary Mommy published a letter I wrote to Steve about an early miscarriage we had two years ago -- you can read it here. The letter was written a couple of months after our loss and I decided on a whim to submit it since this month (October) is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. I hope that it will help others in some way to know they aren't alone. 

............................................................................


This weekend I spent time in the Poconos with my work family. Anyone who knows me IRL knows that I reeeeally don't like to spend time away from my biological family ;), so that tells you how much this group of colleagues means to me. I've been at my current job for almost six years and can't tell you how grateful I feel to have had the opportunity to find such flexibility. I started off there full time before I had the girls, and once I had kids my company worked with me to move to a work from home position with a part-time (ish) workload. Believe me when I say I know how rare it is to find such a company, and I so wish more organizations adopted this flexible approach. Because of their willingness to work with me and genuine delight in my growing family, I have been able to live my dream of being home with my kids while also keeping up with my career. Don't get me wrong -- some days the balance (or lack thereof) feels impossible. Some days I get discouraged. Some days I feel super productive, and others I feel like I got nothing accomplished. But I have to think that is how most families feel, whether parents work full time in an office, work from home, work part time, or stay at home. 


I do think that slowly, slowly more companies and fields are beginning to realize the benefits to being flexible. Here are some resources that I found interesting with various work from home options: 




Anyway! We had a great time playing games, doing karaoke, talking, dancing, competing in a talent show, eating, and even doing a morning meditation outside. It was a refreshing little escape from reality! But of course, I couldn't wait to get home to the girls. We had a low key rest of the day on Sunday playing outside and hopped right back into the routine today. By the way, I've gotten a bunch of questions about the sneaks in the picture below - they're from Target (shocking, I know!) and so comfy. :)


Hope you have had a wonderful start to the week!

Sister Sister: An Update on the Girls

Thursday, October 19, 2017

I can't believe I have an almost four year old and a 15 month old. Two daughters. Two little girls who are alike in some ways and oh-so-different in others. 

I thought I'd share a little update on each of the girls, survey style, since time is flying by at a speed I can't quite wrap my brain around. But first, an update on sisters.



It's the coolest thing to see C and H growing into their roles as sisters. C as big sister, and H as little sister, with all that each of those titles entails. Yes, C is somewhat "typical" when it comes to being the older child: she likes some semblance of order and can get pretty miffed when H comes charging in like Babyzilla (if you've seen her in action in real life, you know!). But she's gotten good at dissolving frustration into a fit of giggles while proclaiming "She's just the silliest, mom! She's a rascal-y girl!" I can't help but laugh, too. 



And H also embraces her role as youngest by testing her sister every chance she gets. She likes to take toys and watch C for her reaction. But, man, does she adore her big sis. The first thing she does when she sees her is lean in for a hug. 



They really adore each other. They are at ages now where they are starting to play together instead of separately or side-by-side. They make each other laugh -- sometimes over the silliest things -- and Steve and I just look at each other, like we're on the outside of some inside joke. I pray each and every day that their bond just continues to grow and strengthen. I think they're off to a pretty great start. :)


Carrington, 3 years 11 months

Carrie is nearing her FOURTH birthday, and though I can hardly believe it, it shows. She attends preschool three mornings a week this year and jumped back into the swing of things without a hiccup. She has and shares pretty complex thoughts and asks a lot of good questions. 

SIZE: Wearing mostly size 4t with some 5t, and 9.5 shoe

LOVES: Little sissy, play dates with her friends, gymnastics, swimming lessons, her trampoline, playing picnic/tea party, playing doctor, hide and seek, playgrounds, her trampoline, playing pretend, kinetic sand, legos, books

DISLIKES: Not being able to do something, having her hair brushed

FAVORITE FOOD: Any fruit, raisins and almonds

FAVORITE DRINK: Milk

FAVORITE TV SHOW: Peppa, Mickey, Doc McStuffins

FAVORITE MOVIE: Toy Story, Frozen

WANTS TO BE: A doctor, a mommy, and the other day she told me a firewoman



Hadley, 15 months

Hadley is equal parts snuggly and spitfire, runs wherever she goes, loves to eat, and has the sweetest little heart. She is SO active!

SIZE: Wearing 18-24 months clothes, size 4 shoe, size 4 diaper

LOVES: Copying everything her big sister does, babies, dolls, animals, running, jumping, climbing, dressing up, shoes and accessories, the playground, music, dancing, getting her teeth brushed

DISLIKES: Getting her diaper changed, sitting still for books

FAVORITE FOOD: Any fruit, peas, macaroni and cheese

FAVORITE DRINK: The only two drinks she has - milk and water, but loves both!

SAYS: mama, dada, puppy (pup pup), cheese, belly, please, baba, bye bye, hi, ow

SLEEPS: 7:15pm - 7:15am with two naps, both about 1.5 hours

It sounds cheesy, but I look at these two girls every day and feel so very grateful that they are here, that this is my life. I am living my greatest dream each and every day, through all of the challenging and tiring and amazing. 

Yes, Me Too.

Tuesday, October 17, 2017

One of the goals I had when I started blogging was to not only post about the fun stuff (weekend recaps, style, kid stuff, etc.), but to also touch on the tough stuff. It's one of the reasons I wanted to focus on the word lifestyle. Life -- real life -- isn't just Target runs and toddler tales. Sometimes things get messy and hard, and I don't want to shy away from that. I think we can talk about it all. I think we should.

With that said, I'm sure you've noticed the phrase "me too" trending on social media in response to the recent Harvey Weinstein news and, I think, current administration. If you haven't, women (primarily) are encouraged to post "me too" to demonstrate the magnitude of sexual harassment and assault. On my own news feed, I've seen several women post so far. I've also seen a few people say they'd like to see other hashtags and trending phrases from men, instead of putting the burden of publicly revealing/reliving a painful experience on women to make the point.

But, of course, the ugly truth is: almost certainly, each and every woman can say "me too."

One of the things I got fired up about after the Weinstein scandal broke were those calling out his victims, crying "Hypocrites!" "She should have reported him!" "She allowed him to harass/assault that many more people!" I thought, wait. Wait a minute. This power hungry, obviously disturbed man does this and people are calling out his victims? Color me confused.

Yes. Yes, we should talk about it. In an ideal world, we should each report every verbal or physical assault. But the truth is, a lot of life happens in the grey areas. Some victims of sexual harassment and assault are not yet women: they are girls... children. They may not understand for years or decades what has happened, or they may simply be scared. Some women don't want to -- cannot -- lose their jobs. Most of us fall into that grey area. We think, well that felt uncomfortable. I don't want that to ever happen again. But who do I tell? Will they believe me? Sexual harassment belittles us. In the moment it occurs and beyond, it whittles us down to feel like nothing more than something (not someone) for a man to look at.

So what do we do? I don't have the answer, but I think we start with tucking our pointer finger in when it comes to telling those on the receiving end of this how they should have handled it. I think it begins with hearing and believing that this is a real problem. I think it involves us raising our children to see and learn well the meaning of integrity and respect for all. I think it entails building work environments and, eventually, a society where the consequences lie in the behavior, not the reporting of the behavior. It means standing up for those who may not feel safe enough to stand up for themselves. It would be heartening -- and I believe, crucial -- if among those standing up for and beside women were men.

And no, not every man is to blame. And yes, men are sometimes also on the receiving end of sexual assault and harassment. I hear and believe each of you who says you have been through this also, whether you shout it or whisper it. 

And yes, me too. More times than I can count.

Five on... Saturday!

Saturday, October 14, 2017

Good morning and happy Saturday, beauties!

What is everyone up to this weekend? I grabbed drinks and a late dinner with a few friends last night and went to bed way past my usual bedtime. ;) But it was definitely worth it. Today is pretty low key for us -- just some errands to run. Tomorrow we are heading to an Okotoberfest with some friends and all of the kids! 

I'm a little late to the game this week, but I thought I'd still link up with some of my favorite reads for a Five on Friday (or, in this case, Saturday). Here we go:

+ Baby names. I had a post published earlier this week on Today's Parenting Community page explaining a little about why we chose to keep our baby names secret until the girls were born. Check it out and let me know what you think! Did you (or would you) keep your names a secret or announce them beforehand?

+ Carrington in Parents magazine. We all know toddlers and preschoolers say the funniest things. Three months ago, I submitted one of my favorite things Carrie's ever said to the Bloopers contest in Parents magazine and eventually forgot about it. Well, a friend (Hi, Gretchen!) posted on my Facebook last night that she saw Carrington in the November issue of Parents, and sure enough I had the issue on my nightstand so I flipped to that page and there she was! Too funny! I'll have to tear it out and add it to her "baby" book.



+ A quick and tasty dinner. When I think fall and winter, I think comfort food: warm, cozy, filling meals. But those aren't always the easiest or quickest to cook! One of my go to comfort food recipes (and, I'll warn you, it sounds gross -- hear me out!) are meatloaf muffins. If you like meatloaf but want something that cooks quickly and is perfectly portioned, you'll want to try this. Serve with potatoes or rice and you're all set!



+ On a more serious note. I recently read this powerful post from one of my favorite bloggers, Joanna Goddard, about sexual harassment. What I love about her corner of the Internet, besides her thoughtful insights on all things from light-hearted to heavy, is the great reader engagement and comments. She wrote a brave piece on the tails of the Harvey Weinstein news and I appreciated going through all of the reader comments to realize the very clear but little-talked-about reality that it seems all women have experienced some sort of sexual harassment (and, in some cases, assault) at various points throughout their lives. I know I have. But we don't always talk about it, and we definitely don't always report it. It opens the door to an interesting and important conversation, I think. Have you been following the news or this topic at all? Thoughts?

+ I knew I loved Denzel. Enjoy this quote... and your weekend!

via 

Flying With a Preschooler

Wednesday, October 11, 2017


I'll admit it: When C and I flew to NC a couple of weekends ago, I was out of my mind nervous. It had been 5 years since I'd been on a plane and it was C's first flight. Flying had never really made me anxious before, but all of the sudden the idea of putting my first baby up in the sky in somebody else's hands made me crazy. I wanted to pull the pilot aside to interview him: So, how long have you had this job? How did you sleep last night? Nothing will turn a normal person into a nut faster than having a kid. ;) 

In addition to all of those thoughts about safety and the "what ifs," I had questions about how she would do. Would she be scared? Would she be loud and would we get the side-eye from fellow passengers? Would we make it through security smoothly? Would she be bored? It turns out she wasn't the least bit scared and was honestly unimpressed by the whole thing. The airport employees helped us at every turn and she got badge stickers from security (who also complemented her Paw Patrol carry on). She couldn't really see out the plane window, so she wasn't scared of the height. There were a few things we did and brought that I think made it all go a bit more smoothly, so I thought I'd share in case any of you have trips with little ones planned soon. For reference, C is almost 4 years old and no longer naps.

1. Start talking about it in advance.
I think one of the things that helped warm C up to the idea of an airplane and flying is that we began talking about it, referring to it as our "adventure," early on. We'd point out airplanes in the sky when we saw them and would talk about how we'd get to go on one soon, too. We'd bring it up pretty often, so by the time the actual day arrived, C was used to the idea.

2. Let them have their own carry on.
This is helpful for two reasons. One is that the child gets to feel special (and like a grown up) with their very own carry on, and two is that you get to fill that carry on with extra stuff you might need along the way. We flew on a fairly small plane so my carry on actually got tagged to be checked as we boarded the plane -- I quickly took a few things out and shoved them into C's backpack. I was so glad we had it along!

3. Snacks.
This is the biggest "duh," but maybe the most important tip. Snacks never fail. Bring several. Bring a variety. Bring old favorites, bring new snacks. I brought: an apple, a banana, a baggie of goldfish, a baggie of raisins & almonds, a baggie of teddy grahams, and lollipops (C is obsessed with this kind). I kid you not when I say we were through 90% of the snacks by the time we boarded the plane. I stored them all in a soft lunch bag (then stored inside C's backpack) so I'd easily be able to find them all in one place.

4. Don't underestimate the power of technology.
If you have an iPad or other small electronic device, bring it -- and don't forget to download shows and movies in advance since many planes don't have wifi (or it's painfully slow!). I bought these Frozen headphones at Target the day before we left, and I'm so glad I did. Planes can be really loud and most young kids are sensitive to loud noises, especially in unfamiliar environments. I think the headphones helped tremendously in making C comfortable and happy... and the rest of the plane didn't have to listen to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. 

5. Bring a few new activities. 
A couple of new books, a tracing book with a dry-erase marker, those $1 play packs that come with a few crayons, paper, and stickers... new and varied activities will be a life saver on a plane ride. I picked up a new $1 book in the Target dollar section along with a Play Pack to keep C busy there and back. New things are exciting and will keep a preschooler's attention (just a bit) longer than something they're used to. :)

Bonus Tip! 
If your kiddo is extra afraid as the plane takes off or just bored waiting on the runway, a fellow passenger told me that her pilot husband used to tell their son that he could make the plane take off by pushing the button on his armrest. He'd have him pretend he was the pilot and once the plane was ready to take off, he'd tell him to push the button -- she said it took years for the kid to realize he wasn't the one making the plane move! I thought that was a cute little trick.

Do you have any family trips coming up? Any other tips for flying with kids? I'd love to hear!


A Wilmington Wedding

Monday, October 9, 2017

How was your weekend? Ours was mostly relaxing, which was much needed after last weekend! We did a few things around the house, picked up some pumpkins, went to C's swim lesson, and did a lot of playing indoors since it's still pretty sticky out. I also ran to the mall during one of Hadley's naps and quickly tried on a few things at Lord & Taylor (they're having a really great store-wide sale right now), which I shared over on the LL Facebook page. The vote was heavily in favor of the black dress, which I scooped up for $27. Thanks for those that weighed in! It was fun!

Before we get too far away from it, I wanted to share a little recap of my cousin's wedding in Wilmington, NC last weekend! 
My cousin Gina and I were born two months apart and have always been very close, despite the fact that we've never lived in the same state! Last weekend she got married in Wilmington. It holds special meaning to her, but I'm guessing that a lot of people have never been there (I hadn't been!). It's a sweet little town! Lots of little shops and restaurants (and LOTS of places for coffee, including Bitty & Beaus which has gone viral) and a waterfront, as well. Carrie and I stayed in the Marriott Residence Inn, splitting a two bedroom suite (complete with a kitchen and living room!) with my mom and brother, which turned out to be a great and really economical choice (thanks to my bro for booking it!). 

THE FLIGHT
We flew in from Philadelphia on Friday morning so we'd be able to make the noon rehearsal. It was Carrie's first time on a plane and I had no idea what to expect. Would she be nervous? Bored? Excited? It turns out she's incredibly brave (no surprise) and pretty unimpressed by flying... haha! She was an awesome little traveler. In a separate post, I'll share a few of the things I brought and a couple of tricks that I think made the flight go so smoothly. She was the only kid on both flights (there and back) and everybody commented about how well she did. Proud mama right here.

kind of a tiny little plane (insert wide-eyed emoji - ha!)

my expert traveler about to depart on her first flight!

FRIDAY
Friday was the rehearsal at 12pm. I wore a maxi dress I've had for years and I'm glad I wore something cool because it was hot. C wore the most adorable little white summer dress from Target. We rehearsed at the gorgeous ceremony location and then room-hopped until we got a ride to our hotel. We got settled and then grabbed a casual dinner with my mom and brother once they arrived around 5pm, and Carrie and I were both fast asleep by 8pm. We were tired and needed to rest up for the big day!

we made it to the hotel! so sleepy.

SATURDAY
Saturday began bright and early with me joining the bride and other bridesmaids to begin getting hair and makeup done at 8:30am. Carrie came later around noon, so it was nice to have a couple of hours in the morning to relax, help where I could, take some pictures of the lovely getting ready space, etc. The hair and makeup artists were great! 

 beautiful getting ready space.

hair and makeup done! 

with my gigi. <3 

adorable robes for getting ready.

We got dressed and helped Gina change into her stunning dress (the one from Kleinfelds!), and then went to take lots and lots of pictures. Before we knew it, it was time for the ceremony. It was so pretty, simple, and well done and then we were off for more pictures followed by PARTY TIME. The reception space was almost completely made over from my cousin's vision. She'll be the first to admit she's a perfectionist, and that served her well here: her vision came to live and it turned out great! The cocktail hour featured passed hors d'oeuvres and two stations: mexican and southern. The various themed foods were displayed on the wall. I wish I had a picture of it! The best part of all was, she looked so happy. That made my heart soar.

 doing the flower girl thing. :)



here comes the bride!

The tough part for me was balancing matron of honor duties with caring for my three year old, who was also in the wedding. For this reason, I didn't have a chance to try out the photo booth or stay late into the night to dance. But that's ok -- everyone was happy, and I without a doubt had the cutest wedding date. ;) The other bridesmaids were wonderful and everyone pitched in. It really was a great team effort! 

place settings (and my beer ;))

see the wall of donuts in the background? i mean...amazing!

C dancing with the groom. :)

SUNDAY
On Sunday we headed to a brunch on the water and then went back to the hotel to pack up and check out. My mom, brother, Carrie and I went to Barnes & Noble to burn some time since our flight didn't depart until that evening. My mom and brother dropped us off around 3pm and our flight departed a little after 6. Once again, Carrie did great on the flight home and we had the prettiest views from the plane as we landed right around dusk. We couldn't wait to see the rest of our little family!

our dinner at the airport.

almost there...

home sweet home.


All in all, it was a beautiful weekend and I am thrilled for Gina and her new husband, Eric. They had a fantastic day to celebrate the kick off an exciting new chapter and we wish them all of the love and happiness in the world. Anyone interested in my matron of honor speech? If so, maybe I'll share it over on Facebook. :)

Hope you have a great start to your week!

Friday Favorites

Friday, October 6, 2017

I think we can all agree it's been a pretty somber week. But throughout the week there have been, as there always are, things to make us smile and remember all the good in the world. Here are a few things that have inspired me this week:

+ Ellen aired an episode on Tuesday (taped Monday) that showed a highlight reel of some of the acts of kindness she's featured on the show before. A must watch.

+ Coldplay's beautiful Tom Petty cover.

+ My hometown newspaper published an article about someone who created a way for residents to donate to unpaid school meal accounts. I've thought about this before as a real, tangible way to help in your community. Love this idea.

+ On the Today Show this morning one of the featured guests was Rachel Platten, singer of Fight Song. One of the things she said struck me: she said that no matter who does or doesn't like her or her work, "my only job is to write from my heart." I took that as, it's not our job to please people... it's just our job to do our thing. Takes the pressure off. ;)

+ And, of course, these two little girls. Today Hadley is 15 months old and Carrie is inching closer and closer to 4. I can't believe it. I plan to do an update on both girls here next week! 


Happy Friday!

Columbus Day Sales Roundup

Wednesday, October 4, 2017


(Sung to the "tune" of the LMFAO song "Shots")

sale, sale, sale, sale... sale sale, sale, sale, sale!

Do you buy items full price? I hardly ever do. Unless it's Target, but even then... I try to wait until Cartwheel throws me a deal. ;) I'm not the girl that goes right for the clearance racks, but I do always wait for a sale before making a purchase because... there will always be a sale. So why pay more?

Columbus Day is a surprisingly great time to keep an eye out for sales. To make your life easier, I thought I'd do a quick roundup of some of the best sales I've seen. Shop them through Monday!

KIDS

Pottery Barn Kids: 20% off everything with code FRIENDS (including furniture & clearance)

Carters: 50% off the entire store (search RetailMeNot for a code for an extra 25% off a purchase of $40 or more)

Gap: Up to 50% off everything, plus an extra 20% off with code MORE (sign up for their emails, since they'll often send exclusive extra promo codes via email)

Gymboree: Take an extra 30% off everything with code FRIENDS30, plus free shipping

CLOTHING/ACCESSORIES

GiGi New York: 30% off everything with code WEAREFAMILY (my favorite handbag ever is from here... and you can personalize!)

J.Crew: 40% off a bunch of new styles with code YAYCLOTHES

Banana Republic: 40% off, discount taken at checkout

Ann Taylor & Loft: Extra 40% already reduced prices

Lord & Taylor: Extra 20% off with code COLUMBUS (plus, shop in store and use a $20 off of $40 coupon for extra savings)

HOME

Pottery Barn: 20% off everything with code FRIENDS (including furniture & clearance)

Ballard Designs: 20% off all rugs and holiday (I drool over everything in this store)

Kirklands: A variety of sales, from 25% off harvest decor to up to 20% off accent tables
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