I Moved!

Hey guys!  I decided to make the shift over to Wordpress so now you find me over here. Hope to see you there!

Currently

The Currently link up with Anne and Jenna has most definitely turned into one of my favorite posts to do. Even when life gets really busy and blogging gets harder to do, it's good for the soul I think to reflect back on life lately! So here we are again, this month talking about what I'm toasting, going, smelling, wearing, and wishlisting.

Toasting...

The Cavs! My husband has been a fan of all Cleveland sports his entire life and when we first started dating we spent a lot of time going to Cavs play off games (before Lebron broke the hearts of Ohians everywhere and left for Miami). It's been a fun thing to follow along with and my husbands' superstitious ways have definitely rubbed off on me. I didn't even watch Game 7, just stayed upstairs and stalked the score on my phone then ran downstairs to celebrate with him. So much fun and so happy for the city of Cleveland to have that to celebrate!

Going...

To Costco! We had a Costco open up right by us a couple of years ago but we had never gone because we had always been gifted a Sam’s Club membership. That membership lapsed and we decided to give Costco a try and I’m almost ashamed to admit how excited I was about it. So far I'm liking the options far more than the ones we had at Sam's Club, but I'm not quite at fan girl status yet.

Smelling...

Fresh peaches! My dad bought a bunches of peaches from The Peach Truck, which is a company who drives around to different locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Pennsylvania and I guess you literally buy the peaches right off the truck. He shared a bagful of them with me and they've sitting in a bowl on our kitchen counter and I love catching the smell of them! Jacob and I ate several of them on their own, but I made this mango and peach salsa recipe and it was insanely good. Minimal ingredients and easy to throw together made it just my speed.

Wearing...

The university I work for announced last month that they were implementing a summer dress code that allows us to wear jeans every day through September 2^nd. I think I’d get way too bored if I wore jeans every single day, but I’ve definitely taken advantage of the change in policy and worn them more often. It’s been nice to have the pair of flares I purchased a few months ago as an alternative option to the skinny leg jeans I’ve relied on for so many years.

Wishlisting...

More stuff from The Jones Market. :) I just recently ordered this necklace for myself and then this necklace for my sister-in-law's birthday later this summer, and I just keep eyeing the line of t-shirts she launched. I know I don't need it, but I really think I want this one! 

All American

striped tee, jeans, & necklace: Discount Fashion Warehouse / shoes: Target

When I think of the 4th of July, I tend to shy away from going full on patriotic with a red, white, and blue look (maybe that's just because I realized I don't own much red!) and am a lot more likely to turn to a look that has that all American / girl next door type of feel to it. A navy and white striped tee, flares, and some comfy open toe booties felt like they fit the bill. If we're talking practicality though, maybe a 3/4 sleeve shirt and long pants wouldn't be the best for enjoying a holiday in the heat of July but it'd be perfect for the next day if you have to spend it being back to work in an overly air conditioned building. ;) 

I hope you all are having a great 4th of July holiday!!

My New Favorite Must Have

shirt: Target / cardigan: Old Navy / pants: Discount Fashion Warehouse / shoes: Payless

It’s official, I now consider olive skinnies to be as important to own as black skinnies – they’ve hit my list of closet must haves! I’m not really sure what else lives on that list (maybe I should think about that more!) but I can tell you that I went through a transition time where my previous favorite pair of olive skinnies no longer fit and I had yet to find a replacement pair. I felt a little lost during that time! I work in an environment that has the flexibility to be pretty relaxed when it comes to dress code, so olive skinnies can be work appropriate for me but still have that casual feel that lets me wear them on the weekend if I want without feeling too overdressed. Some of you might raise an eyebrow at that, but let me tell you – our weekends are usually pretty quiet and casual, spent trying to wear out a one year old so the bar is set pretty low! ;)

10 Photos

I got the idea to post the 10 last photos on my phone from Anne, who got the idea when she saw Kait do it. I loved it so much because it’s just a fun little thing to do to give some random insight into my day to day life outside of the outfits I sometimes decide to put on before I head out the door for the day. I hope you have as much fun reading as I had putting it together! 

Disclaimer: I drafted the post on Friday afternoon but because I'm me and the weekend/beginning of the week was really busy, I'm just getting around to posting it. I'm a pretty frequent picture taker so there's more recent pictures on my phone now, but we're still going with the pre-Friday round up. :)

So here we go, left to right by row!

1. Trying an eyebrow powder and snapping a picture of the instructions since I didn’t find them on the container – haha! I don’t wear much make up and I’ve always thought that if I only have time for one type of make up to apply then mascara will make the biggest difference, but I think I’m close to saying giving your eyebrows a boost is right up there too.

2. Relaxing on my parents’ front porch, one of my favorite places to be. I wish it didn’t take a two hour drive to get to this change in scenery and company!

3. Jacob at my parents’ house, trying to figure out what it’s like to be able to have space to roam around in.

4. Playing in the fountains at the outdoor mall near our house, sticking close to momma at first.

5. Finally getting braver!

6. With his new favorite stuffed animal, the big tiger he keeps calling “kitty kitty”.

7. A picture of a picture – this is my favorite picture of my dad. Candid shots are my favorite!

8. Hanging with my favorite guy at our favorite bar, grabbing a drink to celebrate Father’s Day.

9. In REI, where his favorite thing is all the bikes! They’re even hanging from the ceiling, which is what he’s pointing out to my husband.

10. I like to organize and get really sentimental in times of stress – the most recent byproduct of that being a re-arranged office, complete with a coloring/play area for Jacob and framing the map that used to live in my car as a teenager with the route to my aunt’s house highlighted for me by my dad. A nice little reminder of what life used to be like before smart phones could always give you directions!

Do You Think Anyone Will Notice?

tee & sweater: Target / pants & shoes: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand) / belt: H&M

Although warmer weather has had me gravitating toward some lighter and brighter options, a black t-shirt and black jeggings will probably forever more be my go to uniform. Thank goodness for layers in the form of cardigans, blazers, and denim jackets and of course some good accessories, but my current favorite way to switch the black on black pairing up is with shoes! Flats are what I wear the majority of the time, so although I felt a little bad about adding 3 pairs to my closet last month I knew that they were fun enough to feel like I’m adding a little personality to a look that really could get boring if I’m not careful. Maybe it'll prevent my co-workers from realizing I wear the same thing over and over again? One can hope! 

Looking for Balance

shirt: thrifted / blazer & shoes: Target / shoes: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand)

Let me tell you, there’s nothing that stops the standing in front of my closet wondering what in the heck to wear faster than a toddler standing at my feet demanding to be picked up and held. On this particular day I was feeling like my options were limited, but that’s probably because I’m behind on laundry and half my closet may be either in the dirty laundry hamper or clean and piled up beside the drying rack. ;) I had bought this blouse back when I knew I was pregnant but was in that stage where you want everything to be a little forgiving because you haven’t told your co-workers you’re pregnant yet and didn’t want a growing belly to be obvious. It has the perfect amount of swing to it and the style feels pretty light and flowy, especially with the almost embroidered detail. Looking for a little balance, I went for more structure with a striped blazer. The ponte blazer style from Target has been my favorite – you get the structure of a blazer but so comfortable that I’ve never felt constricted the way a blazer can sometimes make you feel!

Thrifting Gold

tee: H&M / denim jacket: Old Navy / skirt: thrifted / shoes: Target

I feel like I struck thrifting gold with this skirt. The comfort level is unreal, I love the length of it (I can hike it up a bit for an above the knee look or wear it lower below the knee if I want), and the print is perfect for summer. Skirts had been really high on my priority list of things to buy and this one totally fits the bill. Here’s hoping my good luck continues and I find some more great options!

Jacob: 18 Months

I started drafting this post when Jacob turned 18 months, and to probably nobody’s surprise by the time I’m getting around to posting it he’s already 19 months. Either way, here we are having survived the first year and a half so I wanted to share a little bit about what he’s like since we’re at an age where his personality and his strong will are developing quickly! So here we go, 18 things I’m loving lately about my 18 (now 19) month old:

1. Twirls his hair when he’s sleepy, and even grabs my hair to twirl too when we’re laying together at bedtime.

2. Has told me “I lub you” once – heart melted!

3. If he wakes up early enough, goes running to the couch if he sees his dad getting a bowl of cereal for breakfast and makes him share.

4. Loves to be outside.
5. Will put his dirty clothes in his laundry hamper if I ask him too.

6. Is obsessed with puppies so it’s probably disappointing to him that we don’t have one.

7. Doesn’t like to leave the house without a toy car in each hand.

8. Gives us “kissies” when we ask him to.

9. Is always on the go.

10. Likes to help me with laundry because I let him hit the buttons on the washer and dryer.

11. Tries to sing “Toooodles” back at Mickey when he watches cartoons.

12. Charlie Brown Christmas will calm him down immediately and will never be deleted from our dvr.

13. Runs at me with his arms wide open and then wraps me up close for a hug.

14. Although I don’t always find it so cute if I’m ready for bed, he’ll wiggle down from our bed and take off running loops through the upstairs bedrooms while laughing like crazy.

15. Can do the hand motions to the Itsy Bitsy Spider if you sing it to him.

16. Is really attached to his mother. ;)

17. Loves to climb onto things, most recently the coffee table which was equal parts funny and terrifying the first time we caught him hanging out on top of it!

18. Gets really excited and points and shouts anytime he sees a car drive by or happens to notice an airplane fly by. 

On Lowering Those Expectations

tee: Sam's Club / jacket: Marshall's / pants: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand) / shoes: Payless / necklace: Target
*outfit from the night of our anniversary, taken on my lunch break the following week because apparently my work wear and date night wear are interchangeable - ha!

My husband and I recently celebrated our 5 year anniversary and I was really excited because it landed on a Saturday and I was feeling like I could finally bring myself to plan an overnight trip away from our 18 month old son. So we coordinated my in-laws coming to our house that weekend to stay with Jacob and then pretty much nothing went as planned.

I had really high expectations for our night and wanted to do something fun that we haven't gotten to do since becoming parents. First we thought maybe we’d head up to Cleveland for the night and hang out downtown like we used to do (my husband lived there when we met and then we always planned a night spent downtown once a year for something sports related after he moved to Columbus) but then I wrecked my car that’s been paid off for years and had to buy another one, so we were on the fence about spending the money on a night away. Once we figured out that the Cleveland marathon was the next morning we landed right on the other side of the fence and discarded that idea because we knew a hotel room would be difficult to come by, expensive, and downtown would be a major pain when we tried to leave the next day.

So that left us with the incredibly rare childcare arrangement but back to no plans. We thought about getting a hotel room in Columbus and maybe a dinner out at a non-kid friendly restaurant we hadn’t been to, but then we still hadn’t made a final decision on the morning of our anniversary and all of a sudden had a toddler on our hands who basically lost his mind if he wasn’t attached to me. And then he wouldn’t sleep, and then the weather was pretty much miserable – think lots of rain and freezing cold in mid-May.

Basically that left us as 2 very cranky and frustrated adults with zero plans still made, and no way were we going to get a reservation anywhere by this point. I’ll admit that when we finally left the house, still with no idea where we were headed, I snapped a little bit and finally owned the fact that I felt overwhelmed by choices because I guess I literally have no idea anymore what people do for fun in Columbus at night without kids ;) and also that I really didn’t care what we did as long as we spent some time together.

That led to the most random of date nights, which looking back on our relationship I think has always been when I’ve had the most fun. We just wandered around, having drinks and splitting an order of wings at our old favorite bar we always went to before having Jacob, then going to Melt and snagging a seat at their bar because fried mac and cheese bites sounded amazing, and then decided to end at Cap City Diner because we wanted dessert and one more drink.

I think we would’ve headed back and crashed sooner if not for the fear that Jacob would still be awake and we really wanted to avoid the normal routine (since we feel like we’re a bit too attached to that), but it was totally worth it and I’m so glad I forced myself to let go of those expectations I had set and just go with it for the night rather than getting caught up in the idea that our anniversary had to be this grand celebration. Maybe we’ll give that another go in another 5 years, but for now I’ll celebrate in a less grand way, probably with a drink and a victory cheers in our pajamas once we finally get our kid to bed for the night! ;)

Moving Slowly

shirt & pants: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand) / denim jacket: Old Navy / shoes: Payless

On days when I’m really tired, moving slower than usual getting out of the house to start the work day, and I just don’t have time to do anything more than throw my hair in a ponytail it feels a little too easy for me to want to throw on something equally as casual as a ponytail, like a plain black tee with my black jeggings. I finally decided that throwing on a button up is just as easy and actually just as comfortable, but makes me feel like I look way more pulled together than I actually am for the day. Sure I brought the level of casual down quite a bit by adding the denim jacket, but still prefer to embrace the thought of the more pulled together I look, maybe the more pulled together I’ll act. ;)

Currently

I swear it always seems to be something, but we’re just coming out of another rough patch that left me feeling not mentally capable of maintaining anything other than my full time job. While I’m still not sure if the severe sleep struggles Jacob was having were related to teething, a developmental phase (because the attachment to momma issues are so fierce right now), or just a funk I’m just glad we’re finally emerging from it and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate a return to writing than joining in with the Currently link up with Anne and Jenna again!

Planning...

A presentation at work last week on the topic of ex-offenders in higher education. For the first few years out of college I worked for an agency supporting ex-offenders, and then spent another couple of years working for another agency that didn’t exclusively work with ex-offenders but it was frequently a barrier for the clients I worked with. I felt a little rusty and it’d been awhile since I had done a presentation of any kind so my nerves were definitely at play. I’m proud of what I put together though and think it went well – now I’m just glad it’s done!

Enjoying...

Finally getting some time back home last weekend. We live in a subdivision in the city/edge of the burbs and my parents live in the country on a little more than 2 acres. After multiple weekends of spending outdoor time at our house having to redirect Jacob out of a neighbor’s yard every 2 seconds, I was craving a trip back home and letting him just run. We got to do that over the h

holiday weekend and it was so refreshing to just relax and take things slow for a day!

Buying...

I’ve been drawn to pastel pink and floral patterns lately which is such a shift in my preferences! Maybe I’m sick of all the black, or ready for the weather to finally start acting like it’s spring/bordering on summer. :)

Craving...

Iced coffees, loaded up with lots of almond milk, a little bit of Trader Joe's dairy free vanilla creamer, and just a touch of Torani's s'mores flavored syrup.

Pinning...

Any look I can find that involves a loose fitting tee and a cozy sweater it seems. I think I could live in that style! Now that the weather is warming up, I’m craving all the lightweight sweater options that help transition coming in from the heat to the cranked up air conditioning both at work and at home. 

Mondays Are For Wine

t-shirt: thrifted / sweater: Target / hat: Target / necklace: The Jones Market / jeans: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand) / shoes: Macy's (Minnetonka brand)

When I was in college t-shirts were my favorite thing to thrift and the more random the print on it the better. I hadn't been thrifting in a really long time and finally found some time to go and found this t-shirt that says "mondays are for the bachelor and wine". Truth be told I don't watch The Bachelor and even if I did it wouldn't be on Mondays because I'd record it and then watch it in segments during my 20 minutes of peace and quiet in the mornings throughout the week. But I like wine! ;) Does that count for anything?

Blue on Blue

shirt: Target (exact) / pants: Discount Fashion Warehouse - Express brand (similar) / shoes: Target (similar)

Bringing back a good fitting pair of flares into my closet has been really refreshing because it’s given me another option I enjoy reaching for outside of the skinny jeans that are in heavy rotation and a pair of boyfriend fit distressed jeans that have been a go-to style for me on the weekends. The length requires a heel but these peep toe booties with a chunkier heel have been the perfect option lately because they’re so comfortable that I truly don’t notice that I’m wearing heels (as long as it’s a typical work day of course). Quite a big deal for this chick who has mostly given up on her collection of heels! 

Linking up with Living in Color...

A Very Happy Mother's Day

tee: Target / sweater: Target/ jeans: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand) / necklace: The Jones Market

Mother's Day gave us gorgeous weather here in Columbus so I finally got my wish of purchasing our family membership to the zoo and taking Jacob for the first time. My favorite from the trip = Nora the 6 month old polar bear who is just recently old enough to make about an hour appearance each day. Jacob's favorite = the goats in the petting zoo area. Kyle's favorite = realizing the zoo sells beer, even though cashing in on that discovery had to wait for a future trip. ;) 

Lately I've been all about a simple, neutral look and the weekends take that concept to another level. Converse, a comfy tee, a necklace from The Jones Market is all I need most weekends, and throwing on a cardigan rather than a hooded sweatshirt when some warmth is needed makes me look a little more pulled together than I'm probably feeling. This lightweight cardigan was perfect to combat the very slight chill in the air at the beginning of our visit and then took up barely any space underneath the stroller when it was warm enough to let it go. Even better when it's one that can be worn in cold weather too like this look!

Linking up with Anne and Jenn for mom style remix... 

Currently

It's been a long couple of weeks that's included a round of hand foot mouth disease for Jacob (miserable) and a car accident for me, and then trying to play catch up at work. Everything's starting to feel settled again, so I thought I'd bounce back with my favorite link up with Anne and Jenna to share a little bit more about life currently!

Celebrating

Our 5 year anniversary is coming up this weekend and I think that’s an accomplishment worth celebrating! My in-laws are coming to stay the night and watch Jacob for the evening so we just need to decide how we want to spend a date night. We don't have any family in town, so alone time typically only happens either when Jacob's asleep or when we take a day off work and still send him to daycare so I'm feeling a little bit like I'm not going to know what to do anymore! 

Reading

I’m not actively reading any books right now, but I started a reading list for when I have the energy and these are on it – On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City by Alice Goffman, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond, and Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. Our main library is just a few blocks from where I work and I used to walk down on my lunch hour if I needed to escape for a bit, but they’ve had a major renovation underway for the past year. They’re scheduled to re-open in June and I’m excited to have them back!

Pondering

How serious we really are about the potential for Jacob to be an only child. A lot of the friends/acquaintances who had their first close to the time I had Jacob are pregnant with baby number 2 already, but I haven’t even had an inkling of baby fever. Thankfully nobody close to us is campaigning too hard for it (although my mother-in-law recently teased us about it) but I question whether or not we could handle it. I’m already never on time to work and always tired. So I guess either I think I’d crash and burn by adding another to the family or maybe my level of functioning couldn’t get any worse so I’m worried for nothing. ;)  

Sipping

I’m not picky when it comes to coffee because of the amount of creamer I typically put in it anyway, but Starbucks coffee has never been a favorite of mine for some reason (probably the taste + cost). I recently tried their caramelized honey latte though on a coffee and park date with a friend and I think I’m hooked. I went into Starbucks the other day and they were out of the stuff to make it and I couldn’t bring myself to order anything else because my heart was so set on that so I l just smiled and laughed and said thanks but no thanks when the guy gave me some other suggestions and left to instead spend just $1 on an iced coffee at the McDonald's next door.

Going

Car shopping. :( I was driving a 10 year old car that’s been paid off for probably close to 5 years and I wrecked it like I mentioned above. Thankfully Jacob wasn’t with me, but I did enough damage that it wasn’t worth it to pay to fix it. Although car shopping is on my list of least favorite things to do and it was really nice having only 1 car payment in our household, I’ll admit that it’s nice to have a new (to me) car too.

The Casual Professional

tee: Old Navy, blazer: Target, jeans: thrifted (Gap), shoes: Payless, necklace: The Jones Market

I've wanted to try the blazer, boyfriend jeans, and heels combination for awhile but have always had two challenges. First, jeans are reserved for casual Fridays at work or the weekend. By the time Friday rolls around I'm usually in the mood for something more casual than a blazer and heels, then the second challenge is that I can't even think of the last time my weekend plans would involve wearing this outfit. 

One of those fundraising weeks where we were allowed to pay to wear jeans was the perfect opportunity to try it out because while the feel all over campus was more casual than usual all week, it still was a normal work day with student appointments and meetings. Heels and a blazer are my go-to items for instantly feeling more professional and they certainly didn't disappoint on this day!

Linking up with Bri...

New Favorite Denim

shirt: Target, pants: Kohl's, shoes: thrifted, purse: gift from my SIL

If you caught my March Spending post from Monday then you've already heard about my good find in the form of a denim shirt, but thought it needed another post that would have you feeling like I'm writing a love letter to a piece of clothing. Because seriously, this may be my new favorite shirt. It's structured enough while not being too fitted, thick enough that it prevents wrinkling, and so comfortable that it may be replacing the black t-shirt that's often being paired with black jeggings on days I just can't mentally pull it together enough to form an outfit. 

On the day I wore this look, I wore my favorite pointy toed leopard flats with it but when the forecast threatened rain and I had plans to walk to lunch with some co-workers so I decided to throw on some sneakers for my lunch hour instead. And you know what? I really liked it! Although I joined in the #momstyle link up with Anne and Jenn last week to talk about how I typically style my sneakers, this look felt decidedly mom-ish to me but in a good way! Like a "I care about how I look enough to wear my denim on top instead of on bottom and I'm tricking you into thinking I put in more effort because I have a button up on but don't make me give up my sneakers because I want to comfortably chase my 1 year old all over the damn place" type of way. Is that a thing?! Let's make that a thing. :)

March Spending

Discount Fashion Warehouse (all items are Express brand) - shoes (see here) $5 / flares $10 (similar) / dress $18 (exact) / necklaces $7 each (similar & exact)  = $47

Kroger - chunky knit sweater (similar for a way different price) = $11.24

Target - denim shirt (exact) = $24.99

Total = $83.23

Although we're more than halfway into April, I still wanted to talk about what I spent on clothing in the month of March. For awhile I thought that the denim shirt from Target would be the only thing I bought, but we had Good Friday off of work and I already had an appointment meaning Jacob went to daycare so I couldn't resist a solo trip to my favorite store, Discount Fashion Warehouse. I was hoping to find some skirts, but no such luck. 

I didn't walk away empty handed though! I couldn't resist a new pair of flares for only $10. I had held on to an older pair in my closet and gave them another chance back in the fall. I liked the look but the fit is a little bit big on me so they weren't as fitted through the thighs as I like them to be for this style. I'm hoping they'll be a cute option this spring and summer with a wedge or maybe even some heels if I ever decide to break those out again. ;)

Other finds included the olive dress that should be perfect to throw on this spring with sneakers or sandals on the weekend or layered up with flats for work, plus some longer necklaces just for some fresh options. Lately I've been feeling like if I'm not wearing something from The Jones Market then it needs to be a little bit more simple and delicate option. 

All in all I'm comfortable with what I went. The hunt continues for skirts so maybe in April I'll get a little more serious with that effort!

Sneakers

tee: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Victoria's Secret brand), sweater: Old Navy, jeans: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand), shoes: Converse

On the weekends I literally live in my black Converse. I'm pretty sure mine are a pair of men's shoes, and I know they were picked up on clearance back when Target carried the brand. Do they even do that anymore? I feel like it's been awhile since I've seen them around, but my ventures out to Target are at an all time low which is very much a good thing for the family budget. 

But either way, these shoes are comfortable even with no socks and laces undone like I always do. I can easily throw them on for a walk around the neighborhood with Jacob (a favorite past time of his), for errands, out to lunch, and pretty much anything else we seem to get ourselves into on the weekends. Our free time is spent pretty casually!

I've found that sneakers don't have to always be paired with the jeans and a sweatshirt route I used to always lean toward. Pair them with a plain tee and a necklace from the Jones Market and I'm good to go. Need an extra layer? Throw on a cardigan! I'm not sure they're even still considered to be in style, but the grandpa style is a favorite of mine and I live in the couple I have on the weekends. 

tee: Kohl's, denim jacket: Old Navy, pants: Target, shoes: Converse

Granted, I work in an office that's really casual but I've found my Converse can even have their place in a casual Friday look. While I could easily throw on a pair of jeans and a university t-shirt (I work as an  Academic Advisor at a local university) and call it a day, my favorite way to wear them is paired with pants that aren't jeans and a denim jacket for good measure because can a denim jacket really do any wrong?!

Linking up with Anne and Jenn...

Funky

I feel like I'm coming up out of a funk I fell into for a few weeks and between work being a little bit challenging lately (and not in the positive leads to personal growth type of way), a very close friend unexpectedly losing a family member who was a teacher and coach to us all throughout our childhood, and finally feeling the 5 extra pounds that snuck back on it was hard to pull myself out of it. But a couple of lunch hours spent on walks last week, an early release granted on our Friday work sentence ;) and some time to myself to go thrifting which hasn't happened since maybe before I had Jacob I think helped me start to rise above my own attitude.

Then we woke up on Saturday morning to a dusting of snow and a text from my mother-in-law saying they got 7 inches of snow overnight and guess where we were headed for the night? Right to their house! I couldn't help but be annoyed because I don't want to wear boots and freeze my ass off anymore, I want to be able to let my kid run off some energy outside and I want to take him to the zoo damnit! I don't know why I'm so obsessed with this, but he's never been and my parents bought us a family membership as early birthday presents so the first nice weekend we get I swear we're going. 

But we got up to their house and it was so pretty it was hard to stay annoyed, and as much as I love living in the city it was just relaxing to surround yourself with sights in the country like this gorgeous snow covering hay bales in a field by a weather beaten barn. It kind of made me want to move back home (our parents live relatively close to each other so it all kind of feels the same) for maybe all of a day. Thankfully some sunshine, a break in the attitude our 1 year old has been throwing my way, and some much needed rest is helping me start to feel like myself again. It feels good to be back...

Sentimental

I think I'm probably the most sentimental person I know, with some of my prized possessions being things like my aunt's scrapbook that includes a postcard my Grandpa sent her from Japan when they learned WWII had ended and he'd be headed home, the small diamond earrings Kyle has offered to upgrade but I refuse and wear them almost daily because they were a present to me our first Christmas together, and the necklace strung with an old button from my Grandma’s collection and Aunt’s baby ring attached too.

But those are things, granted things that I would be devastated to lose, but there’s also the memories you hold onto when you think back on your childhood and thankfully those are much harder to lose track of. Last Thursday I had the day off work and the morning completely to myself. I had a few errands to run and took full advantage of hitting up Trader Joe’s right when they opened and pretty much had the place to myself.

I decided I deserved something a little special so I decided to buy myself flowers. There’s so much to love about Trader Joe’s in my opinion, but isn’t their flower selection a big one?! Tulips were an easy decision because we were right on the verge of spring and nothing may convince me more that nice weather is indeed on its way than a bouquet of tulips.

I noticed they also had 10 stems of daffodils for only $1.49 so I grabbed those too because it reminded me of my parents’ house. I grew up on just a little bit more than 2 acres of land, not enormous especially for living out in the country, but plenty of space for my dad’s previous hobby of gardening to be evident. Daffodils were always spread throughout the various flower beds in the yard and in the spring you could almost always find a single stem in the kitchen.

That memory sent me into a spiral of thoughts that remind me of home, like the smell of the lilac bush that lived outside the kitchen window (lilac is still my favorite smell!) and every year my dad giving me morning glory seeds to plant and tend do. I started thinking - what things will Jacob remember 30 years from now about his childhood, or maybe even about me as a mom when he was young? And then I all of a sudden felt the urge to start a tradition with Jacob, maybe plant some morning glories somewhere but at least have some fun with some seeds and some planters this spring. To which my non-sentimental husband looked at me and placed a bet against how long those poor plants would last with me in charge of them.

A fair bet, but I think I’ll try anyway! :) So I to hear – do you have any specific memories you hold on tight to, or any fun traditions you’ve started with your little ones?!

Thanks Pinterest

tee & boots: Target / pants: Discount Fashion Warehouse (Express brand) / cardigan: Old Navy / necklace: gift

I’m back to pretty frequently scrolling through Pinterest aimlessly in search of some kind of outfit inspiration, which is perfect for having plenty of options to choose from when Anne does her Pin to Present linkups. :) Sometimes I’ll try to exactly replicate a look because I like it so much, but other times I’ll find inspiration in just something as simple as a color combination. This look is an example of that, with this being the pin that caught my eye. I have a red blouse and could’ve worn my nude flats, but unfortunately Mother Nature threw us a really chilly start to spring so I opted to layer up instead!

Weekend Round Up

These downloads are meant to be phone backgrounds, but that spot is firmly reserved for a cute picture of my child. ;) But I printed the “You’ve Got This” one and put it in a small frame in my cubicle and it’s a perfect subtle reminder during those really busy 1today when it feels like your to do list is gaining items at a faster rate that you can check them off.

Did you read my Jess the Mess post earlier this week? Has me deserving this award, I'm convinced.

What do you guys think of the colored jeans trend? I read this post that said neutral colors were good, but that the brighter pairs were ones to ditch. My red jeans survived the latest closet clean out (although I haven’t worn them since then) and I just wore my cobalt pair a few weeks ago, but now she has me thinking about those items!

I really want want of these cement planters but they're only local to the Bay Area so that's a no go. I came across a local etsy shop though so could get this one instead of I decide I could keep a plant alive long enough to make it worthwhile. 

I was browsing Pinterest on Friday morning for side dishes to cook for Easter and kept being drawn to options full of vegetables like this one which is strangely healthier than what I’m usually drawn to. But then I went for shamrock shakes with co-workers on my lunch break, we had Chinese take out for dinner, and I ate Easter candy for dessert so that didn’t last long!

My husband is currently putting this 3 foot tall toy together while Jacob naps. I hope it’s finished before he wakes up so that we can enjoy the look on his face when he come back downstairs and sees it all ready to play with. :)

Oversized

dress & boots: Target / sweater: Kohl's / necklace & bracelet: The Jones Market

When I was pregnant and shopping for clothes that would fit my growing belly, I tried to pick up some things that I knew would work post-baby too. Don't get me wrong, by the time I started my third trimester in mid-August I felt like I was living in the same few maternity dresses but my initial strategy worked really well in my second trimester. 

This dress is one of those items. It's so incredibly comfortable that it does live up to it's description as a t-shirt dress. I sized up from my usual size and bought it in a large. My weight moved through an almost 60 pound range when you include my size before I got pregnant, up to what I was the day I delivered Jacob, then down to what I am now. While now I wish I had this dress in my true size (a medium) because it looks a little bit sloppy on its own, I still love to wear it with layers. This black oversized sweater is another pregnancy favorite, but more fitted options like a denim jacket or a blazer would be perfect too!

Very similar dress here. I tried it on and it was too short for it to fly for a week day like I wanted it to be able to, but at 5'9" I consider myself on the taller side so if you're shorter than I am you'd probably have good luck with it. Gosh I wish Target had tall size versions available!

Linking up with Work Clothes I Suppose...

On Not Having it Together

One of my best friends gave me the nickname Jess the Mess after some tough news led to a really fun night together back when we were maybe 23 and it was totally fine to head downtown to the bars and have a little too much fun. Needless to say our lives are entirely different now, but sometimes I text her funny stories for Jess the Mess: momma edition. No alcohol involved for these ones, just pure examples of those times when I’m not doing the best at adulting. ;) The other day was a perfect example, as demonstrated by the following…

- No make-up because just as I was going to put it on, Jacob decided to somehow find the least safe items around and tried to eat them.

- Rocking day 3 hair and not being able to figure out which way to part my hair in order to best hide the post-partum regrowth that’s STILL going on.

- Consistently out the door in the morning 15 minutes later that what I was planning on.

- Then running even later because my gas light came on and I don’t want to get stuck on the highway somewhere between work and home today. But I only got $10 worth of gas so I can use my gas perks at the gas station right next to our house. Here’s a little insight on how that will go down though: I’ll put it off until my gas light is on again and I’m nowhere near the gas station with my gas perks and so I’ll pull into whatever one is closest and just get $10 worth and then the whole process will repeat itself again…haha!

- Oh, and the coolant in my car has been just low enough to trigger my car to tell me to get more and I’ve been putting that off for over a week now. Eeek…

- And as I’m typing this post up, it’s only 9:45am! Who knows what else this crazy day could throw my way. Anyone else have any funny examples of how life gets the best of you sometimes? I want to know that someone is laughing and shaking their head right along with me please! :)