I'm Part of the Minivan Mafia!

So it happened! I am now the proud owner of a minivan! I am absolutely loving my new Honda Odyssey! Eight seats, heated front seats (keeps my booty toasty), leather, sliding doors, a built in cooler, moon roof, and a bunch of other fancy stuff! I sat in this thing for hours yesterday, no lie! I even tried to invite friends over to hang out with me in the minivan for some reason they  declined. Weird. Anyways, we comfortably loaded all three kids and went on our first car ride as a family since Grayson was born. For the last seven months we've had to take two vehicles to go anywhere as a family. Who new I'd be a minivan mom AND be excited about it!?!

In my attempt at staying stylish while picking up my new momobile from the dealership, I wore my new floral print cold shoulder blouse from Express. I am loving this silky blouse. Its so bright, fun and versatile. Great for everyday but could easily be paired with a skirt for a night out. Also I can wear it with white shorts and sandals in the summer! I'm not one to usually wear patterns but I'm trying to step out of my comfort zone lately and this pattern was not overwhelming at all. I paired it with a pair of dark skinnies, matching red flats and a long cardigan.

Now that I'm a part of the minivan van world I can't wait to purchase a Minivan Mafia graphic tee and pull up to Lily's school tomorrow with the other minivan mommies. I feel like I'm part of new gang. A gang of cool moms! Is that pushing it? It might be, but I think it works ;)

You can find wear to buy similar items on sale at the bottom of page

 

Cold Shoulder blouse

 

Express This is the exact shirt I'm wearing. Not on sale, but it is B1G1 (buy 1 get 1) 50% off

 

Target

 

Jeans

 

Old Navy

 

Express   Express jeans are on sale B1G1 for $29.90

 

Cardigan

 

Target 

 

Red Flats

 

Target

 

Target

 

 

The One Shirt Every Woman Needs!

 The one shirt that I have found to be the most versatile and timeless is the Chambray Shirt. The ways to wear this shirt are not only endless but can be worn all four seasons! I've put together six cold weather outfits to give you an idea on how to mix up your look.

1. My number one look lately has got to be laying my chambray shirt under a sweater or cardigan and rolling the sleeves up. I love the look of a patterned or stripped sweater but a solid color works just as well! Classic yet not too preppy!

2. Tuck your denim shirt into a skirt, any length works, for a fun yet simple style that can easily go from running errands to a lunch date with a friend!

3. The contrast of wearing a denim shirt with white jeans (don't be scared) just looks so crisp and clean to me. You know, as long as it wasn't finger painting day for your toddler! Have to protect these white jeans. ;) Add some knee high boots, a statement necklace, and you'll be ready to take on the day.

4. One of the most popular looks that I've seen, would hands down have to be wearing it over a black and white striped tee or blouse. There is something just so classic about this look. Normally, I would probably wear a long gold necklace or a bold long red statement necklace for a little "pop" of fun but with a grabby baby that just doesn't work at the moment.

5. Denim on denim. It can be done. My personal opinion is that if you are going to do this, your top should either be darker or lighter than your blue jeans. I just feel that the contrast is visually more pleasing and also easier than worrying about trying to find the right shade shirt that matches your pants.
Whenever I do the denim on denim look, I make sure to add a bit of brightness to my ensemble. Here, I paired it with my cream and orange flats and a coordinating bag.

6. Another way to layer the chambray is to layer it over a dress. This works with different length dresses. Maxi to shorter. Button it down, wear it as a light cardigan, belt it with a skinny belt, or even just tie it around your waist.
I choose to (as seen in an early post) wear my denim shirt, buttoned down and under a stripped t-shirt dress. Then belt it and pair it with black tights and boots.

Hope this gave you some ideas ways to wear your chambray shirt! These are just some cold weather ideas. Can't wait for summer when I can find new fun ways to wear this shirt!

Here are a few places that you can get one if you don't already own one or just want another in different shade! Just click on the store name to take you straight to a denim shirt at a great price!

Target                 Banana Republic

Old Navy            Forever 21

Gap                    American Eagle   

Kohl's                H&M

Minivan Shopping Stlye

This week we visited a number of car dealerships and spent hours test driving different minivans. A minivan is something I never could have imagined wanting. "No freaking way", I would have said just last yr. Since my son was born that quickly changed. You know its time for magical sliding doors once some giant dummy parks so close to you passenger side at the grocery store that it is impossible for you to put your son and his car seat in the car! The fact that I had to put my tantrum throwing toddler in the front seat and then climb and practically shove the car seat over her seat to get to his side was just about enough to make me go to the offending car and violently kick the crap out of it. Luckily (?) Lily's meltdown was a distraction enough so that didn't happen. Needless to say my small compact car is no longer working for our family! Did I mention that we can't go anywhere as a family because my 18 yr old would have to take her own car? Or that my husband always has to drive because he cant fit on the passenger side because of Grayson's rear facing seat? Yup, the Corolla has got to go!

So in my attempt at still being cool driving a minivan I wore my skinny jeans and black platform ankle boots. I put on my cozy mustard colored pullover (no mustard is not just for Fall...at least it shouldn't be), and white infinity scarf. I also made sure to add a stripped undershirt for a little fun and because its cold and I needed the extra layer.

After driving and viewing all the vans my view of them is starting to change. I mean have you seen all the awesome features that they have now?! It's not your moms old van. No, the new ones are so amazing. I am literally counting down the days till I can park one in my driveway and call it mine. I've already been a "cheer mom" for four yrs I'm sure I could be a soccer mom too. As long as there's a spot for my lipstick I'm set :)

Where to buy similar items:

Sweater

Target

Easy January into February Decorations

It's been such a hectic week here at my little house! Started the week off putting the rest of the Christmas decorations away, making Jan/ February decorations, a 3yr check up, lowering Grayson's crib, a 1st haircut and finally finished the week off by minivan shopping! I believe we test drove every make and model! Let me tell you driving from car dealership to car dealership and testing out different vehicles is super exhausting with little ones. We have narrowed it down to two vans and will hopefully make a decision in the next week or so and then a purchase in February. My dream of sliding doors will soon become a reality!! ***Squeal***

One of my favorite things to do in my home is to decorate my kitchen table. I try and switch things up every month or so. With Christmas being yet it still being winter I wanted to keep things "wintery" and not too spring like. Not only do I enjoy recycling items from throughout my house to use but I love DIY. I got inspiration from Pinterest for my table and did a DIY table runner. Which must be extremely popular because I have seen it pop up on tons of other blogs and on Instagram posts lately! I simply cut some extra material that I had to the desired length. Flipped it over and used fabric glue to glue down the seams and then ironed the material once the glue was dry. Next I took some black acrylic paint. I started in the very center and top of my runner and painted a "O". Then an "X" under that and then on the bottom another "O". I then continued an alternating pattern on each side. I kept the paint brush strokes light towards the end to get a soft worn look.
Once dry I recycled/ reused items to get this romantic wintery feel which is perfect for January and for February. I used a small red cake platter, a white mason jar with silk flowers, and a ceramic deer antler. All on clearance either this year or last year at Michael's. The tea cup and saucer was just an extra that I had in my cabinet. I added the small candle to it to give it that extra oomph. The "Time for a Cup of Tea" sign is just left over scrap book paper.

Next I put more of my unused scarp book paper to use for some lovely heart banners.
 What you need.
*Scrapbook paper
*Large heart shaped cookie cutter (or you can just draw it out)
* scissors
*hole punch
*ribbon or yarn
* push pins

After tracing and cutting out hearts, I hole punched each. Threaded the ribbon through, then pinned the ribbon up where I wanted it displayed. Very simple. **Side note. I plan on saving these not only to use next year but in my Daughters room once we redo her room.  

 

 

 

Leather

 

What is it about a leather jacket that makes you feel instantly a bit badass? I have a couple of leather jackets in different cuts but this one is my go to when I just want to be casual. Every closet needs to have at least one well cut leather jacket. Black is always classic but browns and blushes are just as versatile. You can add a leather jacket to pretty much any ensemble. From a simple white t-shirt and jeans to a lace dress and everything in between. I wore olive jeans and a stripped shirt from Express. I bought this faux leather bomber jacket with hood years ago at Forever 21. They have a very similar one right now (see link below) in black and blush color.

                                                                                    Where to find similar items:

Leather Jacket
Forever 21

Target

Olive Jeans

Target

   

The Red Boot

I’m a huge fan of BST (buy, sale, trade) sites on Facebook. You can get some pretty awesome things for a great price. Last week I was scrolling down my news feed and was shocked to see a pair of red Hunter boots in excellent condition for only $50! I happened to be first to comment and picked them up that afternoon! I've been slightly obsessed with having these red boots ever since the movie Mr. and Mrs. Smith came out. Remember the scene were Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's house gets blown up and Angelina is wearing them with a white shirt? Yup, I've wanted them since 2005! Well, after wearing these I could simply kick myself for not purchasing them sooner! These boots are amazing! Not only are they super stylish and needed for all the rainy New England days we have but in my honest opinion they are better than my snow boots. Right now Hunter is having a sale on a ton of their boots and I'm thisclose to buying another pair! Big question, which color? Green, black or violet? Even bigger question, how do I convince the hubby that I NEED another pair?? 

Anywho, so after the blizzard on January 7th, I figured yesterday would be the perfect day to finally try out my new boots. As always I kept it casual with a white cable knit sweater and light blue jeans. I accessorized with a black hat, red blanket scarf and bright red lips. I completed my outfit with my gorgeous new boots. I feel like the red of the boots took my simple outfit to the next level. I'm not going to lie but I felt kind of posh shoveling my front deck and thought that this outfit would have been divine sipping a coffee while reading a book at the local Starbucks. However with the baby and now three year old (Happy 3rd bday Lily!) I settled for the grocery store and a trip to CVS. Way more entertaining ;)

Where to find items bottom of page. As always I try to find everything on sale or at a reasonable low price. Just click  on the links below to take you to the similar item !

Boots:

 

Hunter

 

Target

 

Blue Jeans:

 

Old Navy

 

Cable knit sweater:

 

Kohl's

 

Old Navy

 

Hat:

 

Old Navy

 

Macy's

 

Scarf:

 

Forever21

 

 

 

 

 

 

White jeans

For years I envied those who were brave enough to sport the white jean. Seriously, what super woman with kids could go through the day WITH kids and successfully wear white jeans without them getting ruined? Even without young kids I put off getting them because I was positive I'd spill something on them. Love the look but just unrealistic to actually wear. Well, recently a friend was going through her closet and gave Asia, my 18 yr old, and I a pair that she no longer wore. Perfect opportunity to see if I could make it through the day without ruining them. Let me tell you I boldly put on those beautiful, yearned for, white jeans with a new found confidence that I would make it through the day without ruining them! Within 20 minutes my 2 yr old got her 1st ever bloody nose, wipped her finger on my magical jeans **insert crying face and bubble being burst here**. Then while I was tending to said bloody nose my 6 month old tried to climb up my leg successfully ripping apart **much like my dream** the strategically placed trendy tear, a good 5 inches down my shin.

Now this might not seem like a good selling point and I will admit I was momentarily crushed but I threw those sad jeans into the wash after stitching up the tear and they were all better. And really....the above could have happened no matter what wash of jeans I was wearing. The next week I tried again and I, low and behold, made it through the day. Pretty sure it's award worthy, just saying.

Being a SAHM (Stay At Home Mom), I'm not one to spend money too often on new clothes for myself. My husband being the amazing man he is knows this and gets my gift cards to my favorite clothing stores on holidays, our anniversary, and my birthday, so I will be able to spoil myself a bit. For a former shopaholic this is just the tits! Or the shiz, whatever you're comfortable with. Well, for Christmas, my brilliant husband gave me a gift card to Express **squeal!!!** and I bought a new pair of white jeans, without the trendy rip since Grayson apparently dislikes that look and will wreak havoc upon them.

 I'm in love all over again. My magical white jeans and I decided that being paired with a baggy cozy off shoulder pullover sweater was the only way to go on this blustery winter day. I kept the accessories to a minimum with my new XOXO watch, also a Christmas present, and gold rings. I chose my suede black wedge ankle boots and finished the look by cuffing my jeans up. Side note: cuffing your jeans is kind of a must do with ankle boots ;)

So all in all, don't be scared of white jeans. You only live once. Buy some bleach, Oxy Clean, and maybe a Tides Stick for your purse or diaper bag. Have fun and remember to not hold  back with your style because you might get dirty. That's life! But maybe don't have your toddler finger paint or eat spaghetti on your "White Jeans Day." ;)

Similar styles found at bottom of page

 

 

Jeans:

 

Express

 

Target

 

Old Navy

 

 Sweater:

Express

Target

Gap

Boots:

Target

Kohls

Watch:

Amazon

Target

Kid's Travel Bins for the Car

With the new year being upon us I decided that I would try to be a tad more organized. That being said I figured it was time to update my travel boxes in the car especially since its no longer summer, the kids are bigger, and Lily is now potty trained during the day with the occasional accident. Summer clothes just doesn't cut it when its 30* outside!
 I have 3 bins. An extra clothes bin, a food bin, and a "keep the toddler entertained" bin. I also have a blanket for each child.

First thing I did was update the kids "extra clothes" bin which I keep in the trunk.
1. 2 complete sets of clothes for each child. pants, shirts, onesies for Grayson, socks, panties, and pajamas.
2. A package of wipes, 2 diapers for Grayson and 2 Pull ups for Lily in case we're out late.
3. Bib
4. A container that holds a Ziploc bag, diaper bags and some grocery bags. I used a small empty Pringles container. I cut construction
 paper to wrap around it, glued it and decorated it with stickers. Easy peasy.
5. A mini travel bag (see below)

Restocking the mini travel bag was next. I have the Safety 1st one and love it. https://www.safety1st.com/infant-health/health-grooming-kits/baby-s-healthcare-kit-arctic-ih3670500.html I added and removed a few items to fit our needs. Ours now holds
1. Comb
2. Diaper Cream
3. Lotion
4. Hand Sanitizer
5. Medicine (Ibuprofen and Gas Drops)
6. Boogie Wipes https://nehemiahbrands.com/product/boogie-wipes-saline-nose-wipes-45ct-fresh-scent-pack/ and Wet Ones
7. A small snack size bag containing band aids, nail files, q-tips and antiseptic wipes.
8. I also included a container of hair ties, clips and barrettes for Lily.

The mini travel bag fits easily inside the extra clothes bin.

 

My second and favorite bin I updated was probably the "Keep the toddler entertained" bin. I keep this next to Lily's car seat. I just added a few of her favorite things to keep her occupied. I used a small Q-tip container for stickers, added a coloring book, crayons, a couple small toys, 2 books and a no mess water painting book from Melissa & Doug. This thing is amazing. We have four so far! You fill the little brush with water and they "paint" the pages with it. When the pages dry they can do it all over again. I highly recommend this product! http://www.melissaanddoug.com/search?q=water+wow&lang=default 

This is just a shoe box size container with a flip top lid. https://www.walmart.com/ip/20699735?wmlspartner=wmtlabs&adid=22222222222015135493&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=e&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=10374744645&wl4=kwd-1105722839716&wl12=20699735_0&wl14=sterilite%20flip%20top%20box&veh=sem



 

The third bin I have is for snacks, which I keep on the floor of the backseat. I like to add just couple of easy snacks incase I forget to put something in the diaper bag. I've found that having cups, spoons and forks is also a great idea.

 Last item that I have in the car are these cozy blankets. Not only are blankets just great to have in your car in general but since its winter and extremely unsafe for children to wear jackets in their car seat it's a must. Any blanket will do of course but my kids love these 3 in1 pet blankies. I love them as well because they roll right up. http://www.animaladventure.com/my-pet-blankie