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Halloween
10.08.14

Our favorite Halloween Books (and a cozy reading corner)

A few days ago I got our Halloween books out.  I like to keep seasonal books stashed away during the year and then pull them out for the holidays.  Makes them seem special!
(Halloween books in our previous house.)
 
This is an October tradition we have done for years.
I found this cute inexpensive basket at Home Goods to hold seasonal books.  My kids were so excited when they came home from school and found the Halloween books out!  Funny such a small thing made them so happy.  Like now that the Halloween books are out it’s really October.  (Although that’s kind of how I feel about my pumpkin spice candle!)
I put a simple placemat under the basket so I don’t scratch the marble.
(Same placemats I’ve been using on my bathroom counter.)
 Having the books right by our chair and lamp created a cozy little reading corner.
I re-styled the right side of my bookshelf.  Still looks a little cluttered to me but every time I take something off it looks even more “off.”  I do love the ampersand (also a Home Goods steal).  And the fun black and white stripes and deer print are from Emily’s shop.  (Do you read her blog?  Love it.)  The deer’s wreath is coral which ties in with the rest of the coral in the family room.  Like I said, it’s the little things.  :)
We have collected several fun Halloween books over the years, but we have a few that stand out.  The favorites that get read again and again and again.
 Humbug Witch.  My personal favorite with a cute surprise at the end!
Room on the Broom.  Adorable story.
There was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Bat.  This is new to us this year and Kole is in love.  I think we’ve read it over 50 times already.
Thanks for Thanksgiving is also a favorite in our basket.  Thanksgiving story, obviously not Halloween, but it’s such a beautiful story with a great message.  I shared it last year in a post on having gratitude in our lives and creating gratitude journals.  I love the illustrations.
And wow.  Go Away Big Green Monster.  Probably our most read and re-read book to date by my little man.  I think this year he is out growing it (perfect for a 2-3 year old).  Very simple story but something about it he just couldn’t get enough of!
And one more fun book – not necessarily Halloween but anything to do with monsters can be Halloween, right?  Leonardo the Terrible Monster is such a cute story for pre-school aged kids.  Another favorite!
Every afternoon when we are home you can find one of my three kids plopped in this chair reading a Halloween book.
It never takes long for them to toss off the pillow and get nice and comfortable.
 Even Kole’s “friends” are enjoying the new Halloween basket.
:)
A simple October tradition.
One of our “little things” that makes this time of year extra special.
xoxo, Erin
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Christmas1
10.06.14

10 things to do now to ensure a more enjoyable {less stressful} December

Taking a quick break from all things Fall today to talk about another beloved season right around the corner.  Did you know that there are only 79 days until Christmas!?  It really will be here before we know it.  I’m all about enjoying the season we are in and not rushing on to the next one, but here’s the truth — December is BUSY.  And for me, sipping hot chocolate while driving around looking at Christmas lights in pajamas with my kids is much easier (and more enjoyable) when I’m not stressed about a million things that need to be done.  In the past 10 years of being a mom I have had organized Decembers and not so organized Decembers and I’m a firm believer that organized Decembers are better!  When I take the time to plan ahead and don’t have as much on my plate in December it’s much easier for me to relax and really enjoy the magic of the holiday season with my family.  So.  I sat down this weekend and starting making a list.  And checking it twice.  :)  Here are 10 things I came up with that we can all start doing now to ensure a less stressful December.

1)  Make a list of family/friends you are buying for and plan your budget.  Nothing fancy.  Just grab a notepad and write each person down and how much you are able to spend on them.  Include everybody you want to get a gift for:  family/friends/neighbors/teachers/kids’ friends/etc.  (*I always buy a few extra gifts in case I accidentally forget someone I wanted to buy for.)

2) Start brainstorming gift ideas.  This is especially helpful if you have little ones and are *helping* Santa.  :)  I like to have a place to jot down gift ideas whenever they pop in my head.  This also helps me come up with ideas for my husband because he is so hard for me to buy for!  I like to come up with something fun and different each year for friend/neighbor/teacher gifts so it’s helpful to have a few different ideas jotted down for them as well.

Here are a few past posts full of fun gift ideas to help you start brainstorming!

Cookies or Candles for friends.
{My applesauce cookies are perfect this time of year!}
Christmas Pretzel Hugs for neighbors.
You can also see my favorite gift ideas for kids here (2011), here (2012), and here (2013).  

3) Set up a Christmas wrap station and organize your wrap supplies.  Now is the time to get wrapping supplies in order.  In our previous house I set up a Christmas wrap station in my son’s nursery (it was the only space I had!).

In our new house I have a cupboard in my office where I store wrapping supplies that I’m planning to organize soon and start putting to good use.

4)  Start shopping!  I love to shop but I have to say that I DREAD shopping in December.  The mall is madness.  Way too busy.  Not worth it if it takes 20 minutes just to park your car!  On-line shopping helps a lot with this but the best solution is to start your shopping early.  Even if it isn’t completely done, having most of it figured out before Thanksgiving makes for a much better December!

5)  Wrap as you go.  The past two Decembers (because we were so busy building the house and then moving) I’ve spent Christmas Eve wrapping everything for my family.  I always underestimate what a time consuming activity it really is to wrap every one of those gifts!  This year I’m using my wrap station and I’m going to wrap as I go.  As soon as I buy a gift I’m coming home to wrap it!  When I’ve done this in the past, I wait to put bows/ribbons on them and write in small print on the back of the gift who it’s to and what it is to remind me a few days before Christmas.  Then I can stick a bow/ribbon/tag on it and call it done!  This year on Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed instead of being buried in gift wrap, I’ll be curled up on the couch with my husband watching It’s a Wonderful Life.  :)

6)  Start working on your Christmas cards.  If you haven’t had family pictures yet and plan to send out cards this year, schedule them now.  We just had our pictures taken on Friday and my goal is to have my cards addressed and ready to mail out before December 1st.  Now is also the time to update your Christmas address list.  Set aside a time this month to go through and make sure you have recent addresses and add any new friends/co-workers, etc. you want to send a card to.

LOVE receiving/displaying Christmas cards from family and friends each year!

7)  Start planning for holiday parties if you entertain.  If you are planning to have any type of get together during December now is the time to prepare!  Make your guest list, plan your menu, decide how you want to decorate and what you’ll need to buy for the party.

8)  Start making any homemade gifts you want to give this season.  Every year I give my husband a calendar for his office full of current pictures of our kids.  And every year I wait until December 20th to start working on it!  Why oh why do I do this!?  This year I am choosing the pictures I plan to use for his calendar this month.  Then I can toss in a December picture in December and get that thing made and wrapped and under the tree early avoiding my annual mad dash to Kinkos praying that they can print my calendar overnight.  :)  If you plan to make any other gifts for loved ones this year, now is the time to start making them!

9)  Plan ahead for Christmas Decorating.  This part is fun to plan for!  It’s a good time to assess what you have and what you might want to add this year to spruce up your house for the holidays.  Especially if you plan on making something fun for your house.  Most of the time DIY projects take longer than you think they will.  Getting a jump start now on anything you want to make to decorate with (a wreath, tree ornaments, etc.) will allow plenty of time for any errors in your process that have you running to the craft store at 9:00 pm.  :)

My Christmas card garland displaying our past Christmas cards is my favorite DIY Christmas decor.  I’m excited to add to it and display it this year in the new house.  :)

10)  Spend some time thinking about Christmas traditions for your family and ways to make the season special.  I like to plan activities to do with my kids that teach them the true reason for the season.  We try to serve others often throughout the year with our kids, but this time of year it is especially important to find ways to serve and help others.  (Planning to do a post in more detail about this at some point!)  I also love setting up simple family traditions to do each year with my kids that make December feel extra special.

Things like watching our favorite Christmas movies together.
Reading our favorite Christmas books next to the tree.
Sipping hot chocolate together (just started our hot chocolate station tradition last year!).
 And waiting in anticipation to see where our elf will pop up each day.

Like I said, I’m all about savoring and enjoying Fall.  But a little extra planning during the next month will go a long way in helping us all have a much more relaxing December!

And I am definitely all about that as well.
:)
I hope these tips help you do the same!
xoxo, Erin
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Parenting
10.02.14

A sweet reminder

Had one of those days.  Laundry piled high, husband working late, busy schedule, messy house, forms to fill out, lots of homework, out of groceries (seriously!?  again!?), overly tired 4 year old, too many to-do’s, behind on e-mails, splitting headache.    
Got the kids all in bed and went to my room to change into my pj’s.  Back to the kitchen to take some Tylenol and clean the disaster that was our day.    
And in the middle of the messy counter I found this:

Oh my sweet girl.  You have no idea how much I needed that tonight.
Motherhood.  
Never easy.  
But always worth it.

xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
10.01.14

Fall in the kitchen

**UPDATE:  If you are new here (hello!) you can see my latest kitchen decor post here!  And don’t forget to sign up to be on my e-mail list so you don’t miss a post! ;)

Happy Tuesday everyone!  Sorry for the delay in posting.  I seem to have a lot of beautiful distractions in my life lately.  They are the very best kind of distractions, but distractions none the less.  :)

I’ve added some touches of Fall to the kitchen!
Simple groupings that are making things feel cozy.  That’s the word that pops in my head when I think of Fall.  Cozy.
I picked up a few plants and so far they are still alive!  Going on two weeks so this is a new record for me.  Feeling good about that!  I put the larger plant in a wooden crate.
And then placed a mini white pumpkin next to it in one of my bowls.
You can’t tell in these pictures, but that bay window has such a beautiful view out to the backyard.  It’s one of my favorite spots in the house and the view makes doing dishes not quite as painful.  Nice to finally have some greenery on the inside as well!

I shopped around my house for a few things to place next to my new blue jars.  Baby breath is so inexpensive and adding a bit of it here and there added some Fallness to the kitchen.  Is Fallness a word?  Is to me now.  I’m adding it to my mental dictionary which is full of all sorts of “words” that my husband tells me aren’t really words at all.
Except he’s wrong.  :)
 I replaced my summer lemons with mini white pumpkins (told you I can’t get enough of them!).
 Then added a couple more white pitchers in a tray on the counter.
My display cupboard?
 You guessed it.
Added a few white pumpkins there too.
Because why not?
Easy way to Fallify the cupboard.  Is Fallify a word?  It is now.  :)
Do you love how I photo bombed my own picture (far right)?

Here is a picture without the glass so you can see what’s on display without me looming in the shadows.  Things are spread out a bit to accommodate for the cupboard doors.

I added a couple of pumpkins to some old candlesticks and a pitcher full of flowers for a centerpiece on my table.. but I didn’t love it.
I’ve already changed it around.  And most likely will five more times before I find time to post about it again.  That’s my decorating ADD coming out to play.  Did you know that you can have OCD and ADD at the same time?
True story.
I’m living proof.  :)

Added some baby breath to the butler’s pantry too.
And switched my summer snack station to AUTUMN.
Fallifying the kitchen!
One white mini pumpkin and made up word at a time.
:)
kitchen-refresh-2
**UPDATE:  If you are new here you can see my latest kitchen decor post here!  And don’t forget to sign up to be on my e-mail list so you don’t miss a post! ;)
xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
09.25.14

Fall Console Table

Well.  It has become crystal clear to me lately (as our summer ceases to cease) that I’m going to have to create my own Fall if I want to enjoy this beloved season.  Fall isn’t happening outside in my neck of the woods so I’m going to make it happen inside.  Starting with the console table!

I had so much fun styling this table.  It is so very me and how I love to decorate.  Mixed neutrals with a pop of color.

Speaking of a pop of color, aren’t the coral roses beautiful!?  Perfect addition to go with the rest of the coral in this room.  I picked them up at the grocery store for 10 bucks.  Kenny came home from work a few nights ago and I told him “you bought me roses today because you’re nice like that.  Thank you!  They’re beautiful and I love them.”

Sometimes we just have to take matters into our own hands.  :)

And how adorable is this pitcher!?  A white pitcher with black AND gold stripes?  Perfection.  Have you seen it at Target?  Hands down my favorite thing I’ve bought from that store.
And that’s saying a lot.
I used a simple white platter from the kitchen to hold a few Fall goodies.  I love natural looking Fall decor.  Although my twigs and pine cones and pears do have a bit of gold bling.  :)  I always use a lot of mini white pumpkins when I decorate for Fall too.  Can’t seem to get enough of them.

The branch is from a tree in my area.  I have to tell you my story.  I get home with several branches I’ve cut and I find “the one” and I’m pruning it to go in my vase.  I’m having quite the Martha Stewart moment feeling so impressed with myself for “bringing the outdoors in” when all of the sudden a HUGE green spider comes crawling off of the branch and onto my arm!  I seriously screamed so loud!  Scared me to death.  The girls came running and saw the spider and they screamed too.  I grabbed a napkin and killed that sucker so fast and then looked around at the total mess I’d made with dirt and branches all over my kitchen and had to laugh.

Martha moment was sweet while it lasted.

But now that it’s all behind me I have to say that I love my branch.  Worth the near heart attack?  I do believe so.

Now this table is such a happy spot when you come around the corner and into the family room.  Having a bit of real decor in the house is making me excited to add more.  This is such a fun time of year to nest.  Are you a nester?  I could stay inside my house all day long nesting.  Organizing, decorating, cleaning.  Ok..  maybe not the cleaning.  But definitely the organizing and decorating.  Too bad other things (like life) get in the way.  :)

Had to smile when I came across this picture.
See those little feet popping up in the bottom right corner?
What would I do without my little helper (and his animals) who are always around to assist with styling and photography?    Not to mention great conversation.
Probably get a lot more than just a console table done.
But the company is worth it.
He makes me happy….
You know the rest.
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
09.22.14

Dining nook chairs (and a rug!)

Some of you have been asking me if I ever found chairs to go with our table in the dining nook.  I did!  And forgot to share them with you.  But I will now.  Here they are.  :)    (*side note – this nook is so BRIGHT and sunny that I have a really hard time photographing it so excuse the poor photography!)

For chairs I ended up going with the Constance Metal Dining Chairs from Ballard Designs.  I love them but I originally wanted something different because they are the same style of chair that I have in my formal dining room (just metal instead of wood).  I tried out several wooden chair options but the varying colors of wood were clashing with the wood in the X base of the table and making it look too red.  I didn’t take any pictures of my attempts, but trust me when I say – they weren’t looking very good.  So I decided to go with metal and for some reason, the mixed metals don’t bother me like the mixed woods did.

This also wasn’t the first rug I tried.  Rugs are tricky!  My designer/friend who helped me with my drapes and pillows suggested this coral rug from Home Decorators (she knows my love for this pattern) and at first I thought oh no – that is way too much coral for me.  But nothing else was working so I decided to order it and just see.  And when I first laid it down I thought – oh no – that is way too much coral for me.
But it ties in the coral from the family room and my husband liked it so I promised him I’d live with it for a while before sending it back.  That’s why we only have four chairs down instead of six and there is no pad under the rug.  This was just a sample.  :)
And you know what?  I think I like it more every day.
It’s nice to have a pop of color in the nook.  And it’s nice to have the coral tie in from the family room.  And it compliments the blue decor I’m using in the kitchen.  And I know you’re not supposed to start sentences with ‘AND’ but I’m doing it anyway.
 And I’m keeping the rug.
:)

I also tried the coral rug in my office/craft room and it looks good in there too so I decided that if I get tired of coral in the nook, I can always move it to the office.

The best part?  It is an indoor/outdoor rug so these three can be as messy as they want.
:)
xoxo, Erin
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Fashion
09.19.14

Fashion Friday (preparing for Fall)

Happy Friday everyone!  What a week.  Slow on the blog because my little man and I have both been under the weather.  Luckily we are turning a corner so hopefully next week will be better!  I’m also crossing my fingers for cooler weather in our area because it has been HOT lately.  Record highs on the coast and crazy humidity.  So hot that I honestly got dressed and did my hair one day this week and spent the rest of the week running around in gym clothes and a pony tail.  With ice water in hand.      

Attempted to take a selfie to show you the shirt I wore on the one day I cleaned up and then realized you probably want to be able to read what it says.  :)
Ellie to the rescue.  This is my all time favorite T shirt.  I flew here on my unicorn.  Of course I did.  Seems to explain quite a few things actually.  :)  Made me smile so I had to have it.  Found it at Nordstroms for 20 bucks and it’s super comfortable.  Do you love that my definition of “cleaning up” consisted of my favorite slouchy t-shirt?  That is the way this week has rolled.  
Aside from my favorite go to T, this week was far from fashionable.  But.  I did start going through my closet to assess what I have for Fall.  I honestly have hardly bought clothes in the past two plus years.  One or two things here and there, but not much.  Any extra time/energy/money has been spent on our house.  But surprisingly (even though styles have definitely changed) I still have quite a few basics that will work for this Fall.  Which made me think about how when buying clothes it’s smart to spend your money on classic, solid colored items that will stand the test of time.  It’s fun to buy a crazy patterned top or dress here and there, but I never spend much on those types of items because without a doubt, they look “out” by the end of the season.  
Here are a few things I’ve had for years that still work today:
(pictures are a few years old.. obviously)  :)

Boots.  Most of my boots are basic, solid colored boots that still look good years later.  My little buddy’s boots on the other hand are going to be a tad too small this year.  :)

Scarves.  All of my simple, solid colored scarves can be worn in new ways.  

Dark jeans.  A good pair of dark jeans is a staple for Fall!  A nice fitting pair of jeans can last for years and in my opinion is a smart place to spend a little more.  Unlike tops that look worn and outdated quickly. 

  You can read a past post of mine on jean tips here.

Solid colored sweaters and cardigans stand the test of time and can also be worn lots of different ways.  
Just like I shared a couple of weeks ago with my striped Old Navy dress.  
(Fun to hear so many of you bought it btw!)  :)
Vests are another Fall/Winter staple that look good year after year.  
 Love this vest I saw on Pinterest.  I think from J Crew.  

 This is another Fall outfit I have pinned on my Clothes/Fashion board.  Love it.  I’m always drawn to solid colors, a great pair of jeans and boots with a fun, simple top/scarf/vest.

Very much like this combo as well.  So even though I haven’t bought much in the way of clothes in over two years, I still feel like I have a lot of basics to wear this season.  I can add a few fun things and combine them with my oldies but goodies for multiple looks.  If the weather decides to cooperate that is.

Since I’m flashing back a couple of years I have to share these pics I found of my little buddy helping me with my Fashion Friday photo shoots…

Hmmmm.  What can I put down mom’s boot to get her attention?  

She’s ignoring my boot trick so I’m just going to insist she picks me up.  

 Now I’ve got her right where I want her.  
Almost.  

 Mission Accomplished.  
:)

Here’s a picture from this week to show that three years later my little guy is up to as much mischief as ever.  He was playing hide and seek (his favorite!) with Ad and she could not find him anywhere.  I finally started helping her and we searched high and low and finally found him hiding under the dining room bench.  I was cracking up!  I didn’t even know he could fit under there.  So glad I had my phone with me at the time and caught the moment she found him.  He was so proud that he’d out smarted his sister and had all of our attention.

Some things never change.  
:)

Happy Weekend everyone!
xoxo, Erin
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Parenting
09.17.14

Chore Charts – teaching kids responsibility

Remember in July when I mentioned that I was searching for a way to teach my girls more about responsibility and managing money?  Since then I have read books and searched on-line (and asked all of you!) for different ideas to give me a jump start.  There are so many different ways to approach chores and allowance systems.  I think the most important thing to think about is what will work for YOU.  What works for one family won’t necessarily work for another.  I gathered different ideas from various places and ended up creating something customized that fits our needs.  I thought I’d share it with all of you in case it gives you an idea or two for your family as well!

You all know how I feel about a good list.  :)  Because I’m a list girl, a daily check list made the most sense to me.  There are three sections – Morning Routine, After School Routine, and Family Space.  If the items in each section are checked off, they earn 40 cents.  Three sections worth 40 cents each – so they have the ability to earn $1.20 each day which means up to $6 a week.  I know this isn’t much.  But we’ve never done an allowance before so my girls think they are going to be rolling in the dough.  :)  As they get older, I’m sure I’ll add to their responsibilities and increase their earnings.  I’ll also make them more responsible for paying for more things on their own, where now they are just earning extra spending money.  (I am having them save 10% to give, 20% to save, and the rest is for them to spend how they choose.)
Morning Routine – This section is easy but the girls only earn their money if they don’t have to be reminded to keep getting ready.  I wanted to eliminate me having to say “are you finished with breakfast?  Then what should you be doing?”  Maybe my kids are the only kids who get distracted in the mornings, but man.  We sure get distracted.  This list also reminds them of the little things – like if they are sick, did they take their medicine? etc.  
After School Routine – After school my girls are busy with this list!  They have to unload and put away their things in our mudroom, get their homework done, do their reading, typing practice, feed the turtles, clean their room and bathroom, and put away any of their clothes I’ve washed.  They also have to get their backpacks loaded and ready for the next day on their own.  LOVING this and I’ll tell you why.  It has taken all of the pressure off of me.  I don’t have to remember everything that needs to be done anymore.  When they say “can I play” I don’t have to ask if the turtles are fed and their room is clean and try to remember what else needs to be done.  I can just say “is everything checked off your list?”  

Family Space – Each week I choose three areas of the house that I want them to help with.  They are responsible to help make sure those spaces are kept clean.  I left those lines blank on the checklist so I can change them to what I want, when I want.  I’ll rotate through quite a few jobs so that they learn how to take care of different areas of our house.  
We’ve now used these for two weeks.  A few thoughts:
– The only down side I’ve found with this system is that I’m printing these lists everyday.  I’d like to eventually make something that is more permanent but for now, I really like that they have their list with them after school and are checking things off as they complete them.  (Thinking at some point we’ll switch to white erase boards or I’ll put them in a page protector or laminate them.  Something so I’m not wasting paper!)
– After they finish each section I check that they are done and write at the top of their page what they earned for the day.  Checklists go in a trey in my office and I pay them at the end of the week.  
– Because of after school activities – gymnastics, dance, church activity days, singing, swim lessons, etc. there are days they don’t earn all of their money simply because there isn’t enough time.  Morning and After School Routine Sections always get finished but a few times the girls haven’t had time to help with their Family Space.  And that’s ok.  On days we have more time at home they are able to do everything.  
– Because so much of the new chore chart is weekly/school stuff, we’ll still do our simple to-do list I write on Saturdays.  No money for that.  If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.  :)
– I love that the Family Space section forces me to teach them how to clean things I probably wouldn’t have taught them otherwise.  It’s always easier for me to just do it quickly myself!  But my girls want to earn their money so it is forcing me to stop and teach them how to unload and load dishes, wash counters, vacuum floors, clean bathroom sinks, keep the pantry organized, etc.  
– The other day my girls wanted to order a pretzel from a pretzel truck that visits their school.  I said – “Sure!  Use your own money!”  Then they debated whether or not it was worth it.  Nice.  
– I don’t have to nag them to get things done anymore.
– I love that.  :)
New chore charts!  Helping all of us stay on track around here. 
:) 
p.s.  If you are looking for a system for little kids you can see the Star Behavior Charts I made for my girls when they were younger.  These worked well for us for years!  

xoxo, Erin
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Favorite Things
09.12.14

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday friends!  Third week of school is behind us and I feel like we are adjusting to our new schedule and getting in a good routine.  Excited to share a few things I’m doing around here that are keeping us on track!  But for now, a few favorites to take us into the weekend…
Like these fun towels I landed on at Target.  Bright happy colors and a fun geometric pattern with that price tag?  Sold.  #GO TARGET

K.  Horrible HORRIBLE picture I know but after I shared this pic of today’s dinner prepped in the morning on Instagram I had several requests for the recipe.  These are Crock Pot Chicken Fajitas and they are really good.  EASY to make and they taste great.  I especially love them left over.  You can find the recipe here.  Good Crock Pot recipes are always a favorite!
Speaking of good food… have you tried these Light and Fit Strawberry Cheesecake Greek yogurts?  I’m desperately trying to lose a few pounds.  Remember our trip to Maui?  And all of the fudge?  Paying the price for that little “I don’t care how much I eat!” vacation.  These make a great snack and they are so good they don’t taste nearly as healthy as they are.  (Not fudge good mind you.  But healthy yogurt good.)  :)

So many favorite things about this picture!  Love my little buddy.  Love that I got him in pajamas the night I took this picture.  Love that football is on again.  I’ll feel differently by the end of the season of course.  When I’ve had my fill of never ending games dictating our schedule.  But for now, it signals Fall and makes my husband in a fabulous mood.  My husband in a fabulous mood is another favorite.  He puts up with so much more of my antics when the Chargers are playing.  And when the Chargers are winning?  Not much I can’t get away with.  :)

Speaking of my little buddy, here is my favorite Kole quote of the week:  “mom, you know yesterday when I was being mean and slammed the door and you had to get mad at me?  My BONES made me do it.”

I seriously laughed for 20 minutes.  He would be such a well behaved kid.  If it weren’t for those bones of his.  Ha ha!  :)

I know Christmas is still months away but in my book it’s never to early to start getting gift ideas!  These Kidoozie car tracks have been such a hit with Kole.  He loves to build all sorts of contraptions with them and then watch the cars race around and around.  The tracks are so easy to assemble that even toddlers can put them together.

 And clearly they’re not just fun for boys.  :)

A few favorites I picked up at an impromptu trip to World Market this week.  Fun for the kitchen.  The mini strainers were 2 bucks each!  Adorable.  

K.  Remember how I told you I was loving HGTV’s show Fixer Upper?  A cute couple (Chip and Joanna) fix up homes and she decorates them so beautifully.  Darling family.  Great show.  Decorating ideas galore!  Last night I landed on their website and Joanna has a blog!  You need to check out the farmhouse they renovated.  It’s amazing!  If you like that style.  Which I do.

This picture is from a post she wrote on Fall decorating.  What a great idea to use a wreath as part of your centerpiece!  Love her style.  Love the show.  A favorite of mine for sure.  Check it out if you haven’t already!

Oh and she also has a store.  Which was a dangerous discovery for me.  

Here’s hoping the Chargers have a killer season.  
:)
Enjoy your weekend!

xoxo, Erin
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Home Decor
09.10.14

Family room update (pops of coral)

Ok.  Finally sharing the current state of our family room!  It still feels unfinished to me, but progress has been made.  I’m warning you all that I took way too many pictures of this space.  Then the indecisive side of me came out to play and couldn’t decide which to post/not post so apologies in advance for the picture overload!
 Added a few pops of coral which instantly livened things up.
And I’m in LOVE with this new lamp and my “happy when skies are grey” sign I happened upon in Utah over the summer.
I have a few seasonal ideas for the right side of this console.  I love color but something about this room calls out for more neutral pieces to me.  Blues, greys, whites, woods, tans…

I’m still looking for a better couch throw.  The coral blanket on the right side of the couch in this picture is one we’ve had for a while and it’s too thick.  My kids love to snuggle in it though so it will always be close by.
 Wait basket on the right hiding all of my buddy’s toys.  :)
 Ellie decided to photo bomb this picture.  :)
I haven’t styled the coffee table yet.
Just a start with this white tray, mercury vase and coral flower.  I’ll put some pretty flowers/plant in the mercury vase at some point.  (Tray and flower are both from Target!)
K.  I have to say that these bookshelves are kind of driving me crazy!  I’ve had them styled so many different ways and I still don’t love the way they look.
I think I just need larger/less items than I’m using.  From far back in the kitchen they look too cluttered to me.  But they are an improvement from previous attempts so they are good for now.  “Now” meaning  for the rest of this week of course.  :)
 I did add a few Fall touches with my all time favorite picture of my little pumpkin at the patch.
And these mercury pumpkins from Pottery Barn.  SO in love with the white/silver striped pumpkin!
Remember when I shared my all time favorite Fall quote?  I wanted to frame it so I was thinking about how to write it myself and then decided to hunt a little on-line first.  Lo and behold I found this chalkboard print on Etsy!  Too perfect!

Still loving the new floor lamp we scored for such a great deal over Labor Day.  I’d love to add a small end table next to this chair too at some point.  This is a great chair for reading (one of my girls is always in it with a book!) so it would be nice to have a place next to it to set things.

And we finally found a mirror for over our fireplace!
I love its clean lines and it’s the perfect size, but what a pain to hang!

Quick blurry phone pic of my husband and our carpenter attempting to get this perfectly straight.  Took almost two hours!  Let’s just say this baby isn’t going anywhere for a while.  :)

Excited to add more accessories to my mantel at some point.

A quick view from the kitchen.  The ski lift sign above the TV is a new/old addition.  I’ve had it for a couple of years and always planned to use it with my Christmas decor in the new house.  A few weeks ago I remembered it and decided to try it above the TV and I really like it there!  I grew up snow skiing so it feels like a piece of home to me.  Plus we don’t get snow in San Diego so I figured it brings a little “cold” into our lives around here.  :)

I haven’t added anything new to the kitchen.  I’m too busy just trying to keep it clean!  But I plan on styling it better and maybe trying to bring some of the coral accents in this space as well.

I’m also planning to add more greenery and just haven’t had time to do it.  Thinking a fiddle leaf fig plant might look good in that left corner?

Like I said, progress since I last shared pics!  Sorry if I just took up all of your free time that you didn’t really have with that post.  :)  If you have a question about a certain item let me know and I’ll answer in the comments.

Enjoy your day everyone!
xoxo, Erin
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Uncategorized
09.08.14

Blog Books (best present ever!)

Have to share this with all of my blog friends today!  Kenny and I celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary yesterday and he surprised me with the best present.  Ever.

He put all of my blog posts into books.  Everything.  From 2008 until now.  You guys.  I could not believe he did that!  I had no idea and I seriously cried for an hour.  It’s something I have always wanted to do and just haven’t had time for.  Means so much to me!  He has been working on them for months.  Each book is different.  Most years have several volumes.  As you all know, I blog a lot.  :)

We have all had so much fun looking through everything this weekend.  Remembering fun times.  These books are such treasures to me.

(circa 1992)
Who knew this crazy guy would turn out to be such a stud!?  
:)
Love him more than turkey sandwiches, really good second hair days, cherry ice chap stick, and my label maker.  And he knows that’s saying a lot.  ;)  Feeling so grateful this weekend for him.  
And for blogging.
It has been a great 17 years.  
The best.

xoxo, Erin
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Fashion
09.05.14

Fashion Friday (striped sleeveless jersey dress)

Happy Friday everyone!  What a week!  It was a hectic one around here getting used to our new schedule.  I’m afraid I’ve over scheduled us!  May have to cut a few things out so that I can keep my sanity.
Or not.
My sanity hasn’t been a priority for a while now so why start making it one now?  ;)
Despite the current state of my sanity, I’m ready to talk fashion.  It’s a great way to de-stress. :)  So excited to share my recent fun find with you all today!  I seriously think this is the most versatile dress I’ve ever owned.  It’s the striped sleeveless jersey dress from Old Navy.  Fun for summer, but also a great wardrobe staple as we head into Fall.

What I love about this dress is that it’s so simple and basic.  I can put any color of sweater/jewelry/shoes with it for a fun new look.  Here are a few ways I’ve been wearing it…

Yellow Anthropologie sweater and yellow shoes.  I’ve had both for years and feel like they have new life with this dress!
Here it is with another simple yellow sweater.
 I also wore it a week ago with my navy sweater and a thin yellow belt.
And with this simple blue shrug that I’ve had for years.

This dress looks short on the on-line model (who has legs that go on for days!), but as you can see, on a shortie like me it’s actually knee length.  :)  Other than that it fits true to size.

Here I am in the dress without a camera in my face.  :)  Every time I wear it I get compliments on it.
If you like it, it’s on sale at Old Navy for $25!
Plus they are having a sale until Monday.
You’re welcome.
:)
I’m feeling better already!  Sanity is slowly restoring itself.
Have a great weekend everyone!
xoxo, Erin
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