It's that time of year again! The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is here and open to non-cardholders (aka me!). If you're a blogger or avid blog reader, or like to follow influencers on Instagram, you likely already know allll you need to know about this sale. It's one that I personally keep an eye out for every year because it includes some staples that I like to try to buy while on sale. For instance, I've never purchased a North Face jacket from anywhere/at any time other than this sale -- and every North Face jacket I've gotten for the girls has been passed down through all of them! So it makes sense to get the deal, if you can, on quality products. 

I know this year looks very different for many, so please know these posts are just for fun. I love shopping (and especially filling my "cart" and then not buying anything, or only buying one thing -- is that a hobby of anyone else's? lol), but I never want these shopping posts to come off as pressure-y at all. Just sharing what has caught my eye this season and what's on my actual wish list!

Women

The Natori Bra is the "regular" (non-sports) bra I wear daily and I always replenish them during the anniversary sale. They're great quality, comfortable, and pretty!

I've talked about Wit & Wisdom Jeans so much I should probably be a spokesperson. In fact, if I've seen you in person, I've probably shown you the stretchy inside of the waistband (please comment if I've done this to you! haha). They are the best, though -- so comfy, so cute, so genius! This style was on my wish list but is sold out. Check out some of their other styles!

I've never had a pair of Spanx leggings but they've long been on my wish list! I love this faux leather pair because, let's face it, this is as dressy as I'm going to be getting this fall/winter. Paired with a long sweater -- how cute? Hello Thanksgiving. If you have a pair of Spanx leggings, do they live up to the hype?

This Patagonia jacket is unfortunately also sold out, but it was on my wish list because I could use a mid-weight winter jacket for running around. I feel like this is one of those pieces you'd have in your closet for years and years -- especially in black!

I am a sucker for a high-top sneaker, and this Dolce Vita pair (love this brand, I have other Dolce Vita shoes that have lasted for many years!) lined with plush looks like the comfiest. I know this pair is getting a lot of blog love, but I'm personally a fan of these!

Kids

My oldest has had this North Face jacket (in a different color) for the past two years and it's held up great. I love that it's reversible -- we actually would just flip it to the furry side for her "dressy" jacket. She could use a new one this year!

I don't know if I'll pick up this jean jacket for C, but man it's cute! I love this style of a jean jacket mixed with sweatshirt sleeves/hood. So fun for the fall (and can still be used in the spring!).

These classic Sperry duck boots are perfect for snow and/or rain, and the anniversary sale is a great time to grab them for a good price! Unfortunately they're sold out in C's size, but I'm going to keep an eye out for restocks.

And there you have it! I told you I'd only share the things that were on my personal wish list (so easy to go down the rabbit hole of things I could potentially want... but not really need at all ;)). Have you shopped the Anniversary Sale? If so, what did you pick up? Happy midweek, y'all, we're halfway there!

Friday Favorites

 Hello, sweetest friends! So happy to see you here once again. I hope you've had a good week and have some fun plans for the weekend ahead! I have a lot to share/update you on today, so grab a cup of coffee and please say hello. :)

1. School Decision

Early last week I wrote a blog post all about my thoughts and feelings about starting school. I was so, so torn about what to choose for my kids. I think what made this decision so tough for me (and so many others) is that I just want the best for my kids -- I want to choose the option that is in their best interest -- and we're all making these decisions simply not knowing so much. My husband and I were leaning toward our district's hybrid option for most of the time, but truly on the last day (pretty much the last hour) we had before we had to decide, we had a change of heart. I talked to my oldest about it and she expressed that if she couldn't play with friends at school and really interact/socialize, she'd like to try the virtual learning at home. So that's what we went with. And I'm not going to lie, I had a good cry about it all. I feel content with our ultimate decision, but of course, it all just sucks. However, as I talked about in that post last week, I am determined to make it not suck as much as possible for my kids. I've already grabbed several things for our learning at home -- here's what I have so far:

2. Hair Cut

On Tuesday I went for my first hair cut in a year! I got at least 6 inches chopped off and feel so much lighter and better. My salon did a great job with precautions so I felt safe while I was there. It was also a good little mental health break/booster, getting out and taking care of myself a bit! Have you had a hair appointment yet?

3. Kitchen Sneak Peek

I shared this sneak peek of our kitchen update on my new Instagram page a couple of days ago, and am so excited to do an entire blog post about it. We did everything ourselves, so I have some DIY tips for those of you who might be interested in doing the same. It was definitely a lot of work, but we saved so much money and are thrilled with the results!

4. Dance Class

This week the girls had their first in-person activity/class since COVID came around, and I have to say, it made my heart so darn happy. We are only sticking to outdoor activities right now, and when the girls' old dance studio where we went for years organized some outdoor, socially-distanced dance classes for both of their age brackets -- we had to jump on it. Luckily, the weather was absolutely perfect and the girls really enjoyed it! I loved seeing them pirouette-ing around, just being kids. :)

5. Outschool

Speaking of activities, have any of you heard of or used Outschool? It was advertised to me so I made a (free) account to check it out (clearly the advertising worked!), and it seems pretty neat!  There are a ton of online classes for kids on there -- everything from gemology to tea party/etiquette class to dance classes and much more. I'm thinking it might come in handy especially this winter when activities are potentially very limited again. The prices seem reasonable, too. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Hope you have a relaxing weekend!

Weekend Favorites

Happy weekend & first day of August!

Phew, what a week! I feel like most of my days have revolved around back to school research, talking to other parents, discussing all of the various points with my husband, calling my own mom with updates, reading and debating and writing lists... repeat forever. I know so many of you are in the same boat and I've really appreciated you being alongside me with all of this. The fact that we are all in the thick of this together is comforting. And somehow, we will make the right decision for our families (I shared more of my thoughts on this topic on Monday, here).

Anyway, coming at you a day late with Friday Favorites! Here's what I've enjoyed this week:

-Loving connecting on another level with my new Instagram page where I share my favorite finds, fashion, home decor, and snippets of motherhood. It's a brand new venture and I'd love to meet you.. so come say hello! :)

-This viral message with a pediatrician's advice to parents about making "the school decision"

-Hadley got the round version of this swing for her birthday, and the kids have already gotten so much use out of it. Who am I kidding: I love it too!

-Literally lol'ed at this video -- and then wondered if someone secretly filmed me. Too true!

-I ordered 4 of these kids' mask lanyards -- two for each of our older girls -- so they don't lose their masks or put them down on dirty surfaces. You customize them with their names, fun colors, and a little charm. How cute/genius is this?! They should arrive today so I'll share what we think of them on Instagram stories.

-Check out the new Oprah magazine cover. Powerful.

-I made this salmon twice in one week it was so good (and easy). Let me know if you try it!

-And two sales happening this weekend I wanted to share: bareMinerals Friends & Family (everything is 25% off and free shipping -- this is the foundation I've been using daily for years), and J.Crew is taking an extra 50% off sale styles (sign up for their free rewards program and get free shipping all the time)

Have a wonderful weekend & start to a new month. <3