• baby clothes
    Family & Motherhood

    my go-to shop for baby clothes

    I’ve been a fan of Zulily ever since my girl was born. A friend suggested I check it out for baby clothes when we were both feeding our newborns at all hours of the night. I remember texting each other deals that were ultimately bought at 4 a.m. In those hours, I was introduced to favorites like Robeez, Jack & Lily and Zutano. In a way, it was another insight into the newborn baby world that I would otherwise never know before becoming a parent. I learned the difference between 24 months and 2T clothing and baby vs toddler shoe size. Now, of course, Zulily has more than just baby…

  • Lifestyle

    The Prettiest Everyday Dinnerware

    I received the Stone + Lain collection for free, but all opinions are my own. When my husband and I married, we went through the standard registry items of linens, dinnerware, and all the newlywed things. We picked out a pretty black and red dinnerware set that we later regretted as it cracked and chipped if you looked at it weird. I’m glad we also got a more formal set. After the years and our recent move, we donated the red and black set and bought a basic white set that is pretty much indestructible. While it works, I really wanted something to replace the B&R set in a pretty…

  • Lifestyle

    Emoji Day is July 17th

    Today is Emoji Day (July 17th), so I thought I’d share some tips on how to make learning fun with them! Whether it’s rainbow poop or a talking unicorn, emojis have become mainstream and a part of our everyday life. The Japanese word meaning “picture letter” has been used in almost every form of written communication. Some people even go as far as to say communication is more understood with emojis. They have become a fun way to express feelings and events across all spectrums with the use of a simple image that anyone can understand.   IDENTIFYING EMOTIONS Emotions can be difficult to process, express, and describe depending on the…

  • Lifestyle

    Attention Kids! Zulily has an Awesome Contest for Young Fashion Designers

    Superman costume with pajama pants? Backwards dress with mismatched socks? We’ve seen the sometimes crazy fashion outfits kids put together. At the end of the day, it’s all about expressing personal style and letting these little ones get creative. So while we may think these outfit ideas are a bit nuts, fashion is the perfect space to try anything and see what works. You might even be witnessing the next future Kate Spade or Christian Siriano! If you’ve been nodding your head reading this, listen up because I’ve got something I think you’ll love. Zulily is holding the most awesome contest for young fashion designers. Open now through July 31,…

  • Lifestyle

    The Sleep Ritual That Works for Me

    We all know the effects of a good night’s rest. We are calmer, more focused, less stressed and with more energy to handle what each day brings. Research on the subject of sleep has shown that it even clears waste from the brain and supports learning and memory. So while the body is sleeping, the brain is very much at work.   It’s no surprise that while we understand how important sleep is, many of us don’t get enough of it. As a mom, it’s almost impossible. Whether it’s the stresses of the day looming over our heads at night or the to-do list for the next day, it can be difficult to…

  • Lifestyle

    Sleeping with essential oils (and other things)

    I have a lot of things in my nightly arsenal to help me go to sleep. Sleep podcasts, meditation sessions, music, a notebook, diffuser, and essential oils. It wasn’t always like that. Every time my son doesn’t want to take a nap, or my daughter gives me the “but I’m not tired”, I want to tell them how they’ll regret it one day. I remember the ability to stay up until 3 a.m, waking up early to get to class. I also remember having long weekends where I could sleep until noon like it was no big deal. Like I said before, things are different now and sleep doesn’t come…

  • Family & Motherhood

    Hey Parents: Does Date Night Still Happen?

    My husband and I went to Hawaii for our 10th anniversary. For the first time in a year and a half, we had the opportunity to slow down and truly relax in each other’s company. Usually, our daily communication revolves around things that need to get done and kids. Our date night lasted 5 days on a beach in warm weather without having to worry about getting someone a snack. We have a date night notification on our calendar that goes off every week and 99% of the time we dismiss it. At the end of the day we are spent, ready to relax and watch some TV by ourselves.…

  • Lifestyle

    Arts and Crafts Station

    We have a LOT of empty toilet paper rolls in our house. My daughter makes a point to go around the house and collect them for a future project. We have 2 freezer bags full of them ready to be created into something. When we moved into our new house, I knew we needed a space dedicated to arts and crafts. The kids are at an age where it’s something they like to do, and a space dedicated to that is important (mostly so craft paper and glue aren’t all over the house). There is a little nook in the kitchen area that has been granted that space as a…

  • kid's bedroom
    Lifestyle

    Our Kid’s Bedroom

    When our kids were little, we had them share a room but split them up once we realized they kept waking each other up at night. Not in the sweet, playful way, but the crying, bedtime routine all over again way. With a toddler and infant, that was not something we wanted to go through every night. We made the guest room a separate kid’s bedroom. After the kids got older, our girl decided on her own to sleep in her brother’s room for company. His room started out as a guest room, so there was a full-sized bed there in addition to the crib. Over the years they would…

  • new home
    Family & Motherhood

    New Home Fairy

    We are finally starting to feel like we’re settled into our new home. With the exception of wall art and some organization, I feel like we are at the point where things can get done in a slow, more relaxed manner. The first time we moved to CA from Texas was stressful in the sense that we didn’t know what neighborhood we wanted to be in, the selection was slim and we had massive sticker shock on the house prices just for rent. We went from an apartment in very hilly Nob Hill, to an extended stay in Oakland and then finally to our place near Dolores Park. It was…