Home Decor

Friday 5 (on a Monday)

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Well hello! It’s been a day or two or ten since I last posted on the blog. I’ve missed you all! :) My painters reached out last week and told me they had an opening and could paint my hallway so I dropped everything I had planned and said YES PLEASE HOW FAST CAN YOU GET HERE!? Then they came and it was a total circus for four days while they painted the molding. They decided to spray so they had to tape off the hallway and WOW. I had no idea how tricky life in our house could be without our main hallway. It connects ALL the rooms together!

Let’s see.. can’t get anywhere from the living room..

Family room and kitchen were taped off too. (They cut these slits in the plastic for the evening when they were gone so we could sneak through to the stairs! During the day I had to wake up the kids early and hurry and get them downstairs so that they wouldn’t be trapped upstairs all day. Then we had to walk around the outside of the house for everything. I’d make breakfast and then walk outside to take food to Kenny in his office. Then back outside to go back to the kitchen. Then back outside and around the house to come in the front and use the bathroom. Then back outside to head back to the kitchen. Then outside again to go to my bedroom/bathroom to get ready for the day.

Yeah.. got old pretty quick. :)

I found it was easier to just retreat with the kids to my bedroom and stay put out of their way as long as possible. We started a Harry Potter marathon so of course Kole had to have his snake stuffed animal with him at all times. This pic made me laugh.. he was living his best life with snacks and a movie in mom’s bedroom! I tried to work (I have so many things to share with you all!) but kept getting distracted by my crew and the paint crew. Hence the crickets on the blog. Get ready for lots of catching up this week!

My painters finished and the house was a disaster! The dust from sanding was EVERYWHERE! Even though it’s cleaned up now I have no doubt I’ll still be finding hidden dust for months from this little project.

But the mess and hassle were well worth it! This is how things looked with the primer up.

And these are some night shots I just took of it all finished…

Still obsessed with our new mirror!

{shiplap wall sources}

I’m SO happy with how it turned out and wish I could just show you all in person! Molding has a way of making everything fabulous doesn’t it!? Plus the white just brightens up the entire space. Sometimes our hallway felt a little dark to me and the white makes it feel light and bright and airy during the day. I’m thrilled with the end result and even more thrilled to have this project finally checked off of my list. I had no clue when I started it in March that it wouldn’t be finished until July! Or that my family would all be home with me all day while it was going on. Probably a good thing I didn’t know or I wouldn’t have done it. ;)

I added a little tour of the hallway in IG stories over the weekend and saved it to my highlights if you’re interested! (*I’ve been getting lots of questions about the white paint. It’s a new mix so I don’t have a color for you. We were trying to match my original paint but had to tweak it to match 7 year old paint. :) My original white paint is listed on my paint printable (with the rest of my house colors) that you can download HERE.

2) In other news.. I finally ~~wore Kenny down~~ got Kenny’s approval to take down our family room mirror! You might remember I’ve been trying for years and he has been resisting because it was such a huge pain to put up!

I asked Joel (my painter) if he’d take it down and touch up the mantel paint where it was attached after he finished the hallway. He and Kenny were laughing. Kenny walked in and saw this happening and just shook his head and told him to ignore me and leave it alone. Joel told him “sorry Kenny.. I only take orders from your wife.” Ha ha. There wasn’t much my poor husband could do. I’m pretty tight with my carpenter and painters at this point. ;) I actually think Kenny was relived because he knew it was coming down at some point and he didn’t have to do it himself!

{family room sources/new brass lanterns}

I’m absolutely thrilled to have it down! Even though I loved this mirror originally, it made this mantel really hard for me to decorate. It was up for 5+ years and change is so refreshing! I’m loving a clean slate for the moment and am going to take some time deciding what to put in its place. I do know that it will be something I don’t have to attach to the wall! I’ve learned that I like to switch my decor around too much to be locked in on one item. For now I have these beautiful brass lanterns I bought a few months ago up there until I decide on something larger. So sorry to those of you who were team Kenny and liked the original mirror! I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me. ;)

1 – Tie Dye Twist Front Pullover 2 – Tie Dye Lace Up Hoodie 3 – Star Seeker Camo PJs 4 – All American Shortie PJs 5 – Sportswear Woven Sweatpants

3) Cutest lounge clothes/pjs I’ve been debating! We’re home so much this summer and I’ve found I’m either sweating from the heat outside or freezing (with the air on) inside. I’ve been wearing comfy lounge clothes, pjs or workout wear almost every day. It’s definitely a causal summer wardrobe this year!

{lux performance tank/leggings}

Vuori joggers and leggings are still my #1 go to and a lot of favorites were restocked on their site last week!

Their daily leggings are so comfortable, a great fit and perfect for everything! Exercising, lounging, running errands. Same with their joggers. You all know how I feel about their joggers! Between you and me I ordered my 5th pair last week. Let’s not repeat that little fact to my husband until he has recovered from the mirror fiasco. ;)

Vuori favorites:

1 – 4 Pack Youth Masks 2 – 4 Pack 3 – Amadi Tie Back Masks 4 – Gingham Ear Loop Masks
5 – Gap Family Masks

4) Life with masks! Crazy how it has become the new norm. I found some cute options on-line and had to share! Some of the masks I shared above sold out before I could get this posted so I linked my favorite mask options below!

Of course ETSY has TONS of fun options too. We like these disposable masks and I just ordered these for my kids to try. We usually wear washable masks but sometimes the disposable masks are a nice break in the heat because they’re so light weight!

{Kole’s mask}

This pic! I sent Kole to a half day one week tennis camp a few weeks ago – literally the ONLY summer camp I could find that was running that he would enjoy. They can distance pretty well with tennis but they had to wear masks and gloves for part of the time. Kole insisted on also wearing his hat and sunglasses so he looked like this every day getting out of the car. I had to suppress a laugh every morning! Crazy times we’re living in.

I got to meet some fun new friends from IG! These two cute girls (tried and true moms) came to San Diego for a quick visit and I was so happy they reached out to get together! We hit it off famously and I have no doubt that will be the first of many more future hang outs. So many of my closest friends have come from blogging and IG! #grateful. :)

*I was wearing this cute top from Anthro I got for my bday in March and it’s on major markdown right now!

Another look at it. Very slimming how it gathers at the waist!

{Packable Mesa Straw Hat/Zella Cargo Pants}

They brought me this darling hat when we met too! So sweet of them!

It’s Madwell too.. how did they know!? :) So perfect to keep out the summer heat! I linked other fun similar options too below. A fun style right now!

{Chunky Wool & Jute Rug}

5) And last but not least a few random pics I found on my phone! Kenny’s mom bought Kole this Harry Potter Chess Set (so fun) and we’ve had games going around the clock. Nobody can beat Kole at chess! It’s kind of funny.

Addison and Kenny are a lot a like and are both super competitive (El and I aren’t competitive at all!) so they have been trying so hard to beat him. They play each other and then the winner always plays Kole.

Kenny has been practicing on his phone every night trying to get better at chess and beat him but so far Kole is still the reining champion. It’s killing my husband and cracks me up! So proud of my 10 year old little chess champ!

Summer snacks. Sorry boys. Mostly pink cups at our house.

I was closing our back yard gate and turned around and snapped this pic. It was a little cloudy and the grass looked so green. Summer in San Diego!

Enjoy your week! I’ll be back soon.

For real this time. ;)

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

07.08.20

Our 4th, decor and a fun sale

*affiliate links used

We’re back! Took a quick trip over the 4th and it feels good to be back home. We were starting to get a little tired of so much home time so it feels good to feel good about being back in our routine. :)

{gingham pillows – just $12 each!/similar flag lumbar pillow/tassel trim pillows/white tray/diamond rug/similar outdoor set on sale}

It made me happy to come home to all of my patriotic decor even though the 4th is behind us. It’s cheering me up so I’m going to keep it up through July.

(sidenote: these cute navy gingham pillows are favorites for spring/summer decorating – size 20×20 and they are only $12! They come in lots of colors.)

{similar flag banner – just $13!}

{entry sources}

{living room sources}

Do you leave your patriotic decor up through the summer? Crazy to think that before we blink it will be time for leaves and pumpkins! All things Fall are so up in the air right now. It’s hard to know what life will look like for all of us at that point! Adding seasonal decor always cheers me up so I’m looking forward to Fall decorating because keeping our home inviting and cozy is one thing that I can control right now. We are all spending a lot of time in our homes so it feels especially important this year.

{hallway sources}

I’m working on some organizing projects around here and will have more to share soon! Yesterday I just focused on getting us all unpacked, cleaning the house, buying groceries and laundry laundry laundry. Always a busy re-group day after we take a trip!

Here are a few pics from our mini vacation. We love going to Park City in the summer and have had this trip booked for a year. We were torn on going with the virus situation but decided to do it last minute (drive instead of fly) and to just be as safe as possible. I’m so glad we did. Once we got there we spent the entire trip outdoors and it was absolutely beautiful! These pics are straight from my phone with no editing.. so pretty isn’t it!?

We honestly just hiked every day! Kenny and I woke up early and hiked in the morning and then we’d get take out for lunch and then hike in the afternoon with the kids.

{favorite tank/Align leggings in grey sage/Natori sports bra – loving this!}

The Park City mountain trails are absolutely breathtaking! My husband is always happiest in the mountains.

We also watched some fun movies together and enjoyed long drives. It was a pretty chill summer vacation and really not that much different than what we’ve been doing at home, but the change of scenery was what made it feel special.

Quality time with these 4 is always my favorite.

So is the Park City white barn.

My sister lives in SLC so we drove to her house for the last couple of days to spend the 4th with her and her family. My brother and his family came too and it was so much fun being with them all again! Especially with everything Car has gone through this year. Love her so much and I’m just beyond grateful every second of every day that she is ok. (Breast cancer for those of you who are new here but things are looking really good so far!)

The kids were SO happy to be together again. Nothing beats cousin time! We usually spend the 4th at my sisters and go to a parade and then swimming and a big firework show at a nearby club, but none of that was happening so we had to get creative! Instead we kept them busy with tie-dying, water games in the backyard, a piñata full of candy and our own firework show. Honestly it was one of our best years yet!

My sweet niece is getting so big! Spending time with her is always a good thing and she had 3 teenage babysitters at her beck and call!

Mid day we sent all kids upstairs for an electronic break so that their parents could have a break! All cousins are pictured here other than the oldest and the youngest who decided to take naps. :)

Always in my happy place with these two.

Car and her husband made the most delicious meal and so many fun desserts. They always go above and beyond for the 4th when we come! We of course ate NON-STOP. I’ll be working this little weekend off all month!

I found this cute top on Amazon right before our trip. Felt a little Dukes of Hazard in it but festive for the holiday. ;)

I didn’t get pics of our do-it-yourself firework show in the parking lot behind my sister’s house but I so wish I would have. We were cracking up at the guys! They had a little too much fun blowing things up. Ha.

Such a fun week. I hope your July is off to a good start! I’ve got a list of projects that I want to wrap up before my kids start school (even if they’re starting school in their bedrooms!) so now that I’m caught up on housework I’ll be chipping away at those in my free time. Be back soon with progress. :)

SIDENOTE:

I had some July 4th weekend sales rounded up to post and then our weekend was so busy with family I didn’t have time to get the post up. The MAIN sale I was the most excited about and wanted to share is still going! T3 is having a huge sell (20% off) on all of my favorite hair tools through July 12th! I absolutely love their products. I’ve used their twirl trio curling iron for years. I use all barrels, but love the 1 inch the most. (It’s my go-to every day and what I used to get my hair curled like it is in the 4th pics above.) Their Cura blow dryer is my favorite and I have the grey but it now comes in this cute pink color too. Honestly if you don’t have thick hair any blow dryer will work, but if your hair is at all thick and takes longer to dry I would highly recommend trying it! I went through so many blow dryers before I found “the one” and this is it. :) They have some great deals on styling sets too and I picked up this detangle duo. Just wanted to share for any other hair tool/product lovers like me! :) *Remember to use code FRIENDS20 at checkout!

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

06.30.20

Patriotic Shiplap Wall

*affiliate links used

Don’t mind me. Just enjoying a fun little patriotic moment in my hallway. :)

I’ve been moving my little faux olive tree all around my house and when it landed in this spot I fell in love. I decided I needed something else to sit with my tree so I pulled my two woven ottomans together and of course they were calling for.. you guessed it.. one of my flag lumbar pillows! I can’t have that pillow without the coordinating banner so there you go. Instant patriotic decor in the hallway.

This year will definitely be a different 4th without fireworks, parades and parties, but I still wanted to make it feel special for my kids. I pulled up past pics of the 4th that we’ve spent with family and developed 15 8×10’s for my shiplap wall. So many good memories we get to be reminded of every time we pass through this hallway!

*I used painter’s tape to hold the pictures.. but you already knew that. :)

I’ve had this basket since the holidays (it’s the one I used for the trees on my Christmas porch!). It was all I could find that was a close fit, but it felt a little big for the olive tree so I ordered a few inexpensive options to try.

{woven planter baskets/natural seagrass basket/black & natural basket — family room sources HERE}

I love all of these cute baskets! I could tell the black and natural would be too small and the largest basket would be too big so I tried the middle two. I was feeling a bit like Goldilocks at this point. :)

I snapped this with my cell on a cloudy day so it’s bad lighting but this was option #1. I just didn’t love it as much.

Option #2! This basket is a favorite but I felt like the design would be too busy with the stars, stripes and pictures. (Keeping it for something else!)

So ultimately I ended up with the basket I started with! Ha. Still a little big, but the best basket overall for this spot. Sometimes you just have to try a few options to appreciate what you already have. ;)

I love how this fun decor brightens my hallway but what I love more than that is seeing my kids stopping to look at the pictures throughout the day. I see them laughing and remembering fun moments with their cousins and I see my husband stop and smile and get misty eyes looking at the picture of my girls with his grandma who passed away not long ago. This is the type of decor I love having in my home the most.

We all need to be reminded of fun memories right now. Remembering good times in the past gives us hope for more good times in the future.

I’m so grateful that this wall does exactly that. :)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

06.30.20

Patriotic Living Room Decor

*affiliate links used

Feeling festive around here! I wasn’t going to do much decorating for the 4th other than putting our flag on our front porch. I’ve been so wrapped up in a few organizing projects and wanted to get those finished first. But then I thought I’d maybe add just one banner. So I did. And it was kinda fun. So I thought maybe I’d add just two. Ok.. three banners then I’m DONE! Before I knew it one evening I went from thinking I wouldn’t do much to decking my entire house in red white and blue.

So I guess we’re talking patriotic decor this week! Because I have a lot of it. :)

The only thing I didn’t get around to was switching out my summer gallery wall pictures because they have a lot of pink in them which isn’t really working with the red.

Oh well. I think we’ll live. ;)

{wing chair/topanga linen throw/stripe tassel pillow/wooden vases}

Here are a few pics of my patriotic living room! It really didn’t take much to add some festive touches for the 4th and honestly it cheered me up immensely. It was beginning to feel a little ground hog dayish around here (6 month long summer mostly at home anyone!?). I don’t think I realized how much I needed the pick me up!

{similar octagon mirror/similar banner/similar mantel beads here & here}

A simple banner and beads was all I needed to update my mantel! I’ve had the together sign for years (Home Goods find) and I’ve especially loved having it up the past few months.

{similar coffee table beads here & here/faux hydrangeas/white tray/similar pom throw here & here/red herringbone throw}

I kept my shelves really simple. Just my vintage books (ok – my mom’s vintage books that I’ve been “borrowing” for years), my favorite wooden dough bowls and my two new wooden vases!

{navy chevron throw}

{Amalie navy pillow/flag lumbar pillow/stripe tassel pillow/palermo cotton throw/sofa/similar lamp}

My cute burlap flags in a white pitcher always make easy decor for the 4th!

I also added a few simple touches in the entry. SO simple. It took all of 10 minutes!

I’ve been looking for a new console table for this spot for a while now. I moved the white mirrored table I usually have in my entry into my bedroom and love it in there! I love this rustic console table too, but I feel like it’s a little TOO rustic for my entry and I’d love something a little longer. For now I decided to stick with the rustic theme and added my beloved American Flag print (similar option here), some candles and a long time favorite navy lamp. The large wicker basket below holds a stripe navy throw.

{similar console table}

{navy bench/del mar cotton throw}

I dug through my Christmas decor to find a red pillow! I paired it with a favorite tassel throw and done. We are ready for the 4th!

I hope your week is off to a good start! If you’re feeling a little down, pick a room in your home and give it a good clean out! Add some seasonal decor or fresh flowers, light a candle and enjoy your clean, updated space.

It always seems to work for me. :)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

06.26.20

Friday 5!

Happy Friday! I hope you’ve all had a good week! So much to chat about today so let’s jump right in shall we? :)

*affiliate links used

1) Ok.. you all know that I am a total sucker for all things time management. It’s my favorite topic to learn and study because while I’m an organized person with my surrounding and belongings, I haven’t always been as organized with my time. After years of reading books and listening to podcasts on this subject I’ve learned so much about how to be more intentional and productive with the time I have. Something I desperately crave as a working mom of 3! I know many of you can relate. Last Fall I was geeking out over my favorite topic looking up things on-line and I came across Productivity Bootcamp! A program all about productivity. I was so intrigued! Of course I was. :) The more I looked into it the more excited I got about learning from Jordan (who was new to me at the time!) and I bought the program! Then I thought about how to hide it from Kenny because he just shakes his head and always says “if you’d just work on your stuff instead of spending all of your time studying about productivity you’d actually be productive.” Ha. Guess there’s a little truth to that. ;)

BUT.. I bought the program and I watched every one of her videos (a lot quicker than suggested because they were SO good) and I LOVED them! I soaked up every word she said. I took notes and I tried some of her suggestions and honestly learned so much from her. Even though at this point I feel like I’ve established my own systems and routines that help me stay focused and productive, it’s always so enlightening to see how other people do it and pick up an idea or two I can incorporate! Jordan is a mom of 8 (you heard me!) who runs a successful blog on budgeting. She also has a program called Budget Bootcamp. The reason I’m sharing this all with you now is because I noticed that for the rest of June (which isn’t long) both of her programs are 30% off! I haven’t done her Budget Bootcamp (I’m sure Kenny would rather I listened to that one..ha) but I really enjoyed Productivity Bootcamp and wanted to share it in case any of you are feeling overwhelmed and struggling to manage your time. I reached out to Jordan to tell her how much I loved her program and she gave me a 10% off code for my readers (enter SUNNYSIDEUP at checkout), but for the rest of this month it’s better to just get the 30% off (enter TAKE30 at checkout). Now that I know Jordan better (she is seriously amazing) I have no doubt that the Budget Bootcamp is also great. I just wanted to share the sale in case either of these programs would be helpful to any of you! I actually watched some of my Productivity Bootcamp videos a second time during the stay at home order to gear up and get ready for when things get crazy again. :) You can check out both of her programs HERE.

2) I started getting questions on IG about the status of our hallway molding and I realized that other than mentioning this project in an earlier post I never shared our progress on the blog! Right before the stay home order hit I had my carpenter add some molding to this hallway. It’s something I debated doing when we built our house but decided to wait and then later regretted that decision! Better late than never. :) You can see how it stopped after our front entry before so now I’m just taking it all the way down the hallway.

I snapped a few pics at night with my iPhone so ignore the horrible lighting, but these show what we had done. I’m so excited about it!

{lantern pendants}

My carpenter finished installing the molding and my painters came and caulked everything. They were just starting to tape things off to prep for paint when everyone was sent home in March! Bummer we weren’t able to finish it, but it was the least of my worries with everything going on at the time. My painters are busy again now that everyone is back to work so I’m patiently waiting for them to come and finish the job! I could do it myself (I did a lot of painting in previous homes!) but it would take me so much longer and wouldn’t look as good. Also this is a tricky job because we have to match the white paint exactly to the rest of the white paint that it will blend with in my hallway. We can’t just use the exact same color of white without tweaking it a little because paint fades over time so it would look too bright right next to 6 year old paint. I’m happy to wait and leave this one to the pros. :) I’ll share paint progress as soon as it happens!

{arched metal framed floor mirror}

3) My new hallway mirror came this week! I seriously looked for the perfect mirror for this spot on and off for over a year. My ceilings are tall and this hallway is really wide so I wanted something both tall and wide but the only mirrors I found that met the measurements I wanted were from Restoration Hardware for around $4,000 or more.. yikes! I sacrificed some height with this mirror but I LOVE how wide it is and I LOVE the style and I LOVE that I didn’t have to spend $4,000. :)

It’s so beautiful in person.. these pics just don’t do it justice! Mirrors open up a space so much.. I love the reflection we now have of this hallway. I’ll share more/better pics when the molding is finally painted!

{faux pink peonies/white jars/cutting boards here, here & similar here & here/navy rugs/rug pads/marble tray/faux plant here & here/silver pendants/gray vase/similar bowl}

4) I always get asked about the marble and wood cutting board I have in my kitchen and I found an almost identical round serving board on Amazon!

Here are a few other Amazon home favorites I landed on this week. The sponge holder looks so handy (perfect place to let your sponge dry on the counter!) and I love the herb art prints for a kitchen or pantry wall. Adorable vintage looking bread bin and of course I had to have some cute lemon dish towels! All so fun to brighten up our kitchens in the summer.

1 – Sponge Holder 2 – Lemon Dish Towels 3 – Round Serving Board (another fun option here)

4 – Vintage Bread Bin 5 – Herb Art Prints

5) A cute new outfit I’m envisioning! The shoes and jeans are staples in my closet and I just ordered the pink jacket and top to try! I really want this crochet hobo bag too.. SO cute.

1 – Floral Flutter Sleeve Top 2 – Puff Sleeve Denim Jacket 3 – Wedge Sandals

4 – Crochet Hobo Bag 5 – AG jeans

{getaway cargo pants/despina strappy sandal}

Also these favorite Zella cargo pants from last summer are back in stock and going quick! They are so comfortable and light weight and a great fit. I’ve worn them 3 times this week.. can’t seem to quit elastic waistbands these days. ;)

Alright friends.. that’s it for now! Signing off with a pic I snapped quick today of me with my little buddy. Love him. We both plopped on the couch around 3 pm and decided we didn’t want to get back up. Maybe time for another round of our latest obsession (since I introduced it to Kole) Princess Bride?

It’s summer so..

as you wish.

;)

xoxo, Erin

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Fashion

06.21.20

Summer Favorites and Father’s Day Love

Sharing a round up of recent summer favorites! Lately I’ve been obsessed with all things BLUE and RATTAN. Don’t those two things just scream summer time!? I’ve been gravitating to them so much! I decided to pull some of my favorites together to share with all of you and ended up doing some major on-line shopping myself (seriously the weekend sales have been insane the past few months!). I ordered this cute gingham skirt for the 4th and this beautiful rattan wrapped stool. I have my eye on this Cane drink ware collection and can’t wait to try on this cute white tie front shirt along with several other items in the collage below! I pulled some beautiful pillows together for a fun summer arrangement to share and now I want to also buy the couple I don’t already own! I seriously get into so much trouble finding good deals for all of you. Just ask Kenny how much he loves my weekend sale posts. Ha. Happy Father’s Day babe! You’re going to love this new rattan bowl. We’ll share it! ;) Speaking of Father’s Day.. wishing the best ever to all of the amazing dads out there! Below my collage are some personal pics I rounded up. I teared up going through them today! So grateful for my dad and the dad Kenny is to our kids. I went a little picture happy going down memory lane so I’m apologizing in advance for a more personal, sappy post. Feel free to skip it if you too hear my husband singing “A Whole New World..” ;)

*affiliate links used

1 – Square Neck Jumpsuit 2 – Calista Statement Earrings 3 – Shimmer Blouse

4 – Tie Front Shirt 5 – Gingham Midi Skirt 6 – Square Neck Tee

7 – Rattan Bowl 8 – Ring Drop Earrings 9 – Bell Pendant

10 – Faux White Roses 11 – Kentfield Long Pendant 12 – Tory Burch Leather Satchel

13 – Espadrille Wedges 14 – Granada Slide Sandal

15 – Floral Navy – Gingham Navy – Pom Navy – Topanga Navy – Stripe Tassel

16 – Lanterns 17 – Wall Art 18 – Faux Citrus Trees

A few pics of me and my dad.. :)

My mom and husband both give me a hard time because I pretty much worship my dad. He can do NO wrong in my eyes. My mom will laugh and say “your dad’s not perfect you know Erin!” Kenny will laugh and say “I know I’m not your DAD” (emphasis on DAD). But here’s the thing. My dad IS perfect. He is smart and funny and kind and calm and hard working and the BEST listener. (Addison refers to her grandpa as “a great listener in a family full of talkers.” Ha. TOO true!) He taught me all of life’s most important things: how to load a dishwasher, how to shoot a bow and arrow, how to drive (this was rough), how to hang a gallery wall, how to understand Algebra 3 (this was even more rough), how to mow a lawn, how to work hard, how to show respect, how to have empathy, how to treat others, how to find gratitude even in hard situations, how to balance a checkbook – ok dad.. we maybe could have focused on that one a little longer.. ;)

Happy Father’s Day dad! I am forever grateful and so proud to be your daughter. You always have been and always will be perfect in my eyes! Except for that one time you grounded me for moving and destroying the bunk beds you made. Harsh. They really would have looked better on the other side of the room. We can debate this further the next time we chat.

I was looking for pics of my dad and came across this one and laughed remembering this shopping trip! Typical afternoon with my parents I wrote about at the end of this post. Dad it’s time for another Nordstrom trip! Wear your good belt. ;)

And to my sweet husband on Father’s Day… THANK YOU.

For all of the stories you’ve read.

For all of the puzzles you’ve helped put together.

For all of the deep, important conversations.

For all of the time spent playing house and dolls and legos and trucks and having tea parties.

For constantly being such a good sport.

Over and over and OVER again.

For always being there to help with whatever is needed.

For sharing your love of nature and the great outdoors.

For teaching all of the important life skills.

For ALL of the Halloweens.

For SO many silly costumes you wear just to see smiles on 3 kids’ faces.

For helping with all of the homework and going to all of the school events.

For making special nights even more special.

For ALWAYS making them laugh. Nobody makes them laugh like you do.

For comforting them when they are sad or scared.

For sitting through so many plays and dance performances. And even starring in some of your own. ;)

For always planning our family vacations. You are the BEST vacation planner.

For always working so hard to provide for our family and for also prioritizing time off to spend with us.

For holding their hands every step of the way.

And for always being there no matter what.

You are the BEST daddy we could have ever ask for. Happy Father’s Day babe! Don’t let it go to your head, but deep down I believe that YOU are pretty much perfect too.

(Even though I will absolutely deny that I said that later.)

Happy Father’s Day to all of the amazing dads out there! You are all heroes in my book and deserve to be celebrated big time!

Rattan bowls for all!

;)

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

06.19.20

Pool Towel Rack

Happy Friday! How was your week? Good I hope! This week flew by so quickly for me. Summer days are long but the weeks are short. Ha. ;) I’m sharing my new pool towel rack today. I’m so happy to finally have a solution for our outdoor towels! When we finished building our house and bought patio furniture I invested in some cute pillows and these nice striped pool/beach towels. I’ve loved them! In the summer when we entertain large groups of people I set them out on the bottom of our lounge chairs for everyone to use.

Or I hang them on these hooks in our little outdoor pool bathroom that’s on the side of our house. (They are on sale this weekend!)

During the winter months when we aren’t using the pool as much I store all of my pillows and towels in my little mudroom closet. We’ve used these pillows and towels for 5 summers now and they are still in great condition because I bring them in when we aren’t using them. I don’t like to use these striped towels for my kids’ every day use so that I can keep them nice for entertaining, but also because the towels are huge! I bought the largest size (that was all that was available when I bought them – now you can buy pool and kid sizes). My kids are in and out of our pool all day most summer days (with or without friends) and they just need smaller towels to use to dry off quickly.

I have old pool towels that they use for every day, but because I make them re-use them (so that I’m not washing towels ALL DAY EVERY DAY) our yard usually looks like a mess of random towels tossed over all of our outdoor furniture. It’s a beautiful sight to see out of our french doors every morning. ;) It hasn’t been a big deal, but I knew I could come up with a better solution so I started looking for pool towel racks/hangers on-line. There are a lot of options but everything I found I either didn’t love the look of OR it didn’t hold enough towels OR it cost a lot more than I wanted to spend. So I started thinking outside the box about what else I could use and found something I’m so excited about!

Then I had Kenny assemble it for me. While he watched Moana with the kids. He loves Moana. He seriously loves all Disney/kid movies a lot more than he loves assembling things for me so by pairing the two together I make it seem like a better deal. I’m tricky like that.

Ready to see my new pool towel rack?

It’s actually a coat rack! And it’s EXACTLY what I was looking for! You can find it HERE. This could be used in so many different ways to organize! I love that it has lots of hooks and racks below to set clean, dry towels or pool toys. I ordered these new pool towels that look like our other pool towels but are a lot smaller and less expensive for every day. (It looks like most colors of these exact towels are sold out, but I’ll link to lots of fun towel options at the end of my post). What I really wanted was towels that were smaller and light weight – perfect for my kids to use and reuse every day and a lot easier to wash when I do need to wash them!

This coat rack has so many hooks! I can easily hang lots of towels or wet suits out to dry.

Remember my cute vintage style hobnail pots from my last Friday 5 post?

I found a perfect home for them!

{Diamonds Rug}

For now my towel rack is sitting by this outdoor furniture set. I’m loving that my kids always have a towel when they need one AND a place to hang their wet towels after they use them. Also bonus that my towels match the pillows so everything looks more put together. No more random old pool towels all over the yard. Mission accomplished!

{faux white hydrangea stems/similar marble coasters here or here}

Last summer I had real flowers outside on these end tables but this year I went with faux. It only took 3 of these hydrangea stems to fill my vase! Now I don’t have to worry about watering them/switching them out.

The simple addition of the towels and my pots made this spot feel more cozy. It also helps that my white cushions are now sparkling clean!

Remember how dirty they were before?

They look brand new again! (Details on how I clean my outdoor furniture here.)

I have no doubt my pool rack won’t look this tidy all summer and that’s fine (although the coordinating towels will help!). I’m just excited to finally have a place my kids can hang their towels and suits.

I thought I’d share this in case any of you are looking for a similar solution for pool towels or for wet suits from time spent running through the sprinklers!

It feels so good to have this area scrubbed, clean and decorated. Now it’s time to get cozy on this couch, watch the kids swim and enjoy it!

Happy Friday everyone!

*P.S. I updated my SHOP page (so many cute things I’m loving right now) for anyone who is interested!

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Favorite Things

06.15.20

Gift Ideas for Dad

Father’s Day is Sunday! To be honest I wasn’t going to do a Father’s Day Gift Guide this year because I’ve been working on other projects and posts that I’m anxious to get done, but I was shopping on-line for my dad and Kenny today (totally had that on my to-do list 2 weeks ago and kept putting it off) and I found so many fun options! Too many good ideas not to share them. Most of these items ship quickly for last minute shoppers like me! Now I just have to make sure Kenny and my dad don’t read this post. :) So grateful for dads and all they do!

1 – Hybrid Electric Trimmer & Shaver – I’ve heard enough good things about this that I finally ordered it for Kenny. Perfect for shaving or just trimming if our current situation is inspiring more facial hair than usual. Ha. :)

2 – Jack Black Shave Essentials Kit – Perfect gift to go with the electric trimmer and a great price!

3 – Best Dad Ever Tee – Point made!

4 – Sausage & Cheese Gourmet Gift Box – What is it with men and sausage!? Kenny loves it and so do my friends’ husbands. This is a perfect Father’s Day snack plate!

5 – Apple Watch with Sports Band – Kenny’s number one favorite thing ever. He never takes it off!

6 – Workout Gloves – Love these! An especially great gift now since gyms are re-opening.

7 – Yeti Cooler – My parents bought this for Kenny and I a few years ago for Christmas and we have LOVED it. Perfect for camping! We’ve also used to keep drinks cold for outdoor parties.

8 – General Repair Tool Set – Such a perfect set with all the essentials if it’s time to replace old tools! This would also be a great gift for new husbands/dads just starting their tool collection.

9 – Adidas Hiking Shoes – Kenny and I are obsessed with hiking lately so I wanted to find him a good pair of hiking shoes. These have amazing reviews!

10 – High Performance Backpack for Hiking & Camping – Another perfect gift for the hiker/camper in your life.

11 – Indoor Searing Grill – Another item I’ve heard amazing things about. I’m buying it for Kenny but secretly I want it for me! Perfect for nights I want to grill something but don’t want to deal with our big outdoor grill.

12 – Under Armour Tee – The PERFECT workout tee!

13 – Board Shorts – Kenny has these and I love them on him. :) On sale!

14 – Lace up Sneakers – K I know that I share these beloved shoes on EVERY men’s gift guide but they are Kenny’s favorite shoes and they are the lowest price I’ve seen them!

15 – Cozy Flip Flops – A summer staple!

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

06.12.20

Friday 5

Happy Friday friends! I’m sharing all sorts of randomness for Friday 5 today! I seriously can’t believe it’s already mid June. I just realized a few days ago how quickly the 4th is sneaking up. I usually decorate for the 4th before Memorial Day in May so that we can enjoy the patriotic decor for a while, but this year with everything going on I didn’t even think about it until this week! I’m going to pull a few things out this weekend and spruce up our outdoor spaces.

Some of my favorite decor for the 4th is back in stock and 20% off this weekend! This cute flag lumbar pillow sold out quickly last year so don’t wait if you want it!

These cute little burlap flags are also favorites on sale. Place them on any table inside a vase or jar..

{my hydrangea plant is real but this is a great faux option/ceramic planter pots}

or inside a plant for easy patriotic decor!

I rounded up a few other favorites below. Isn’t this linen floral pillow pretty? A fun way to decorate with red, white and blue in the summer without going over the top. Not that anything is wrong with over the top! ;)

1 – Flag Embroidered Pillow Cover 2 – Liberty Burlap Flags 3 – Urban Villa Dinner Napkins

4 – Darlene Floral Linen Pillow Cover 5 – Pieced Flag Linen Lumbar Pillow

{cap sleeve wide leg jumpsuit}

2) Ok.. fashion talk! This beautiful cap sleeve jump suit was on sale a while back and I snatched it up and am IN LOVE! This picture really doesn’t do it justice. It’s so beautiful and has such a flattering fit. It’s really long on me so I’ll probably have to have the length taken up a bit. I tried it on with the highest heels I own and I seriously tripped in them multiple times just walking down my hallway! Guess it has been a while since I last wore heels.. ha. :) It’s back at full price (hopefully it will go on sale again!) but THIS jumpsuit was just marked down and it’s almost identical. Same brand.. the only difference is that it’s a v-neck and has flutter sleeves. So pretty! I’m tempted to get it too. I won’t be wearing this much until the Fall but such a fun outfit for dinner with friends or a dressy event that I don’t want to wear a dress to. Eliza J is one of my favorite brands for dresses – they are always amazing quality and such a great fit! Here are some favorite Eliza J dresses that are on sale.. I just ordered the dot dress to try!

Here are 5 other things I’m loving and debating right now! Still into all things cozy since we are home more than usual so this robe and pjs are sitting in my cart. The cute gingham top would be perfect over a swim suit with cut offs for the summer! And both pairs of these fun sandals are on major sale.

1 – Mia Wrap 2 – Gingham Tie Shoulder Tank Top 3 – All American Pajamas 4 – Anica Sandal
5 – Miller Flip Flop

These cute blue Tory bags are also on major sale right now!

3) A few fun things that came in the mail! I mentioned trying out this faux olive tree in my last Friday 5 post. I was worried it wouldn’t look very realistic because it was such a low price for a tree like this but it looks so good! It’s a little thinner and more sparse than some I was looking at but perfect for a cozy corner. Keeper! I’m not keeping it here (obviously – I can’t open the cupboards). I just snapped a pic after I got it out of the box to share. I’ll share it again in its final resting place. I need to find a cute basket to put it in too!

Loving these vintage style hobnail pots! They remind me so much of my grandma Ellen (who Ellie was named after). She had lots of dishes like this and a hobnail candy jar that always sat on her coffee table. When we were little my brother and sister and I would always race to it when we’d get to her house to see what treat she had for us. :) My favorite faux plant fit in the large pot perfectly! I added a few of my favorite faux peonies in the small pot. These will be so pretty with some real plants and flowers in them too.

Another recent obsession is these under eye masks (on sale for half off right now!). They work so well and are perfect for mornings that I wake up with puffy eyes! I had one on last week and Kole woke up and walked in the kitchen and jumped.. ha! It totally scared him seeing me wearing these strange things under my eyes. But I think my puffy eyes would have scared him more. ;)

4) Addison turned 14 at the end of May and we had such a fun weekend celebrating her! I found these cute tissue paper fans to decorate with and we all wore blue. It’s her favorite color. :) We spent the whole day doing everything she loves starting with her favorite pink drink from Starbucks and ending with one of her favorite movies. Her cute friends all came by and surprised her too. A few days later she graduated from Middle School (a fun drive by graduation). I can’t believe I now have TWO girls in high school!

I gave her a snow cone maker for her birthday and she has been in 7th heaven whipping out snow cones! I got it at Target and couldn’t find it on-line, but this is another option around the same price. Kole gets so excited when she gets it out!

The 3 of us are obsessed with shaved ice (Kenny and El don’t like them!). Our little snow cone maker will have to do until we can make it to Maui again. :)

5) School is officially done and it feels so strange this year going from a slow pace to an even slower pace. Nice to take a break from all things zoom for a while though! We haven’t been able to go back to church yet (California is still SLOWLY re opening) and Ellie’s sweet church teachers have left a little surprise on our porch for her every week since church and school were shut down. This one said “orange you glad it’s summer” and was full of orange treats. :) So thoughtful of them! I’ve been trying to establish at least a morning routine with the kids. They have some chores and a few other things they have to get done every morning after they wake up (Kole is working on his typing skills and learning the states and capitals). Then the afternoons are free! Lots of outside time in the pool. I’ve been spending more time with my kids during the day so my work/computer schedule has shifted to its usual summer hours of some morning work and then getting most things done between 9 pm and 2 am with project/picture time in-between kid activities. Bring on the under eye masks! ;)

{exercise tank/leggings}

The virus situation has been hard (really hard in so many ways!), but one thing I’ve loved is having so much time with Kenny. Now that he’s working from home we talk so much during the day! He’s always popping out of his office to say hi and see what the kids and I are up to. :) Then every evening we go on a hike together. Sometimes the kids join us, but a lot of nights it’s just the two of us. We’ve found so many great trails right behind our neighborhood that we didn’t even know about. Kenny snapped this of me last night on our way out the door because I wanted to show you this cute favorite tank! It comes in so many colors and the back is darling! You can tie it in the back for a more fitted look or leave it untied if you want it loose.

Neither of us have been able to get our hair done yet. Salons are finally open here but they have been so booked! I’ve been patiently waiting for my hair app next week. Luckily Kenny could care less about the sad state of my roots and seems to love me anyway.

If that’s not true love, I don’t know what is.

;)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Organization

06.10.20

Organized Sports Equipment

*affiliate links used

I’ve mentioned a time or two that I’ve been working on our garage. Organizing our garage has basically been a 5 year project for me. Ha! Can any of you relate? Let’s be honest.. garages are HARD spaces to get under control. They often become a home for ALL the extra things we may or may not use. I’m happy to report that I’ve almost cleared out ALL the extra things (that I know we WON’T use) and my garage is so close to being done! This is the last pile I’m dealing with this week and most of it is sports equipment. I have struggled to find a good solution for our random sports equipment (tennis rackets, balls, rollerblades, etc.) so for years it has all just been in a pile on our garage floor with all of the balls in this black garbage sack.

Until now. :)

{Chunky Wool Jute Rug – all family room sources in this post}

A few weeks ago I was searching for organizers for our garage slat wall (more on that soon!) and I came across some fun organizers for sports equipment. I found SO many good solutions (all linked at the end of this post!) and ended up going with this storage system. (It just sold out, but is available here in white or you can get this system which is basically the same thing. This is another similar option for less but it looks like it’s backordered a while!) Kenny and I put it together over the weekend while we were watching TV (guess that show!) and I snapped this pic quick with my phone. Typical scene from my family room on a Saturday! There’s usually a board game up we’ve been playing and some type of project I’m tackling on a blanket. :)

I decided to put it next to our garage door because this door leads to the backyard where my kids usually play with our sports equipment. Easy access! I almost ordered this system that hangs on the wall (I had a different spot picked out for it) but then I decided I wanted to be able to move it around if our needs change and I’m using it for something else.

Honestly I don’t know why I didn’t look for something like this sooner! Before I even put the items inside I could tell it was EXACTLY what we needed! Ready to see the after?

Ta-da! Took all of 8 minutes to put our random sports equipment inside and wow. What a difference!

Plenty of room for all of the random sports balls!

Along with a handy little shelf for other miscellaneous items. The top rack can hold more balls if needed and this similar set up (for the same price I paid) has another row of baskets on top.

Side storage for things like tennis rackets, baseball bats and hockey sticks.

There are also a few hooks on the side you can hang items from. I’m not using them now, but I’m sure they will come in handy at some point!

This is one of those simple projects that didn’t take much effort and will have a huge impact. It’s so nice just getting our sports equipment up off of my garage floor so we aren’t tripping over it every day getting into our cars!

Plus it’s going to be so easy for my kids to keep these items put away where they belong after they use them. WIN!

Our garage cupboards and drawers are finally organized! My goal is to finish our garage slat walls this week and then I’ll start sharing pics of this space. This is one project that is going to be beyond gratifying to check off of my to-do list! 5 years and much blood, sweat and tears later.. :)

So funny.. once I got all of our sports equipment organized my kids suddenly had a new interest in everything. Kole saw it and immediately started playing with his tennis rackets and hockey set and Addison took off in her rollerblades. It made me smile and remember how when they were little all I had to do was rotate their toys around in new spots in the house and suddenly old items became fun again. :)

Quick trip around the house to make sure these rollerblades still fit before she put pads and a helmet on. They do! We were laughing.. not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. Ad is hands down the shortest student in her entire 8th grade class! Kole is 4 years younger and is about to pass her right up. (Sorry Ad! One of many gifts from your mom.) ;)

We’ll just keep the rollerblades on this summer. They add at least another 2 inches!

Below are lots of fun options for organizing sports equipment depending on what you need! I love all of these systems. Anyone else tackling your garage this summer?

{ORGANIZING SPORTS EQUIPMENT}

xoxo, Erin

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Organization

06.06.20

Weekend Organizing (and thoughts on recent events)

What a heavy week. How are you all doing? I have been so emotional this week with everything going on. The murder of George Floyd was absolutely heartbreaking. So are the riots (not the peaceful protests) and the overall division of our country. I shared some of my thoughts in this IG post and then to be honest.. I had to take a break from social media. I always have to take regular breaks from my phone and social media to keep my sanity, but this week there was so much negativity during a time when we really all need to be coming together instead of tearing each other apart. I know that for me (and my family) the real learning and growth is going to come from educating ourselves about racism and having important conversations at home. I want to read books, listen to podcasts, watch documentaries and better educate myself. Then I can explain things to my kids and share anything that is helpful to me along the way. I grew up in a small town in southern Utah that honestly was like a bubble without a lot of diversity. I was taught about racism in school, but there weren’t any conversations about how it has become a part of our society today. Our diverse culture in San Diego is one of my favorite things about living and raising my kids here. My kids have grown up with friends from such a wide variety of backgrounds and the way they all treat each other gives me hope for a better tomorrow.

I’m also focusing on kindness during this difficult time. I think it’s what we all need more of right now. Less judgement. More love and empathy and kindness. Even towards people who might see things differently than we do. One of the clipboards in my office has a quote that says “throw kindness around like confetti.” My kids always tell me it’s cheesy and it is, but I love it anyway. :) You never know when a kind word is going to make all the difference in someone’s life. I know that the kind words many of you send (whether it’s on my blog, social media or in an e-mail) lift me up in so many ways. There have been countless times when I have been struggling with something or having a hard day and I get one of your thoughtful messages and my whole outlook changes. Kindness matters and makes a difference! It becomes a ripple effect and is what we need more of in this world.

I can hear Kenny singing “A Whole New World” (his immediate reaction whenever I start to get sappy) so it’s probably time to move on. :) We’re heading into a weekend after what has been a hard week for so many and while we can’t control what is going on around us, we can control the spaces inside our home! (For the most part.. unless you have kids.. ha.) ;) You all know that nothing makes me feel better than cleaning out a drawer or cupboard and this weekend I need a pick me up. I’m planning on doing some organizing while I start listening to a new book on audible. If you think a little organizing would be good for your soul too I’m sharing a round-up of organizing projects that can be easily done over the weekend! Below each picture I’ll link the post it’s from if you want more details on a certain space.

{Organized Kitchen Series post 2}

Organize the space under one of your sinks! It’s a spot that can get messy quickly if you don’t have a place for things. Don’t worry about having the perfect dividers, bins or baskets.. those can come later if needed. Just toss things you don’t need, wipe your cupboard out and put back what you use. Such a lift!

{Organized Master Bathroom}

{Organized Powder Bathroom}

Easy way to corral toothbrushes for busy mornings if you have a bathroom by the door! So funny.. we haven’t used these toothbrushes for months. I’ve missed a lot of things during our stay at home time, but our rushed mornings trying to get 3 kids to 3 different schools I do not miss!

{Organized Master Bathroom}

Having your make-up organized makes such a huge difference! It’s the drawer you usually start your day with. Toss old make-up, wipe out your drawer and put the things you love and use the most back neatly. Easy weekend project that will have a huge impact on your daily life. (Along with organization I also shared my favorite make-up and hair products in my bathroom post.)

{Organized Office}

Most kids are out for the summer! It’s the perfect time to organize school supplies. Who knows what school will look like in the Fall. If you weren’t happy with your kids’ home ‘school zone’ now is the time to think through what might work better for next year. I’ve seen a lot of creativity in this area.. closets and other spaces turned into mini offices, etc. I’m really hoping kids are back at school (at least part time!) in the Fall, but I’m going to have things set up and ready for home school in case they aren’t.

{Productive Office}

One way to do this is to have a space set up for important papers (a home for your paperwork AND for your kids’!).

{Organized Paper Files}

Organizing paper you don’t need daily but want to keep can take a little more time (especially if you haven’t done it before). If you have a lot of paper do this project over a weekend in baby steps! Friday – gather up ALL of the loose and miscellaneous papers throughout your home. Saturday – go through them all. Place everything you can recycle in a sack and organize the papers you need to keep in categorized piles. (I always use sticky notes for the piles when I do this.) Sunday – put the categorized piles of paper in folders and label them. Keep them in a filing cabinet, drawer or file box. Done!

{Organized Greeting Cards/Organized Office}

Organize all of your greeting cards and set up a drawer or cupboard to hold things you need for mail! I’ve loved having all of our cards, envelopes, stamps and packing tape in one spot. Kenny was looking for some envelopes the other day and asked me where they were. “In the mail drawer of course!” I told him. He shook his head. “Ahh.. you have a mail drawer. Why am I not surprised?…” Clearly he doesn’t read my blog or he’d know all about this beloved drawer. Does it make you happy to know that you can probably locate things better in my house than my husband can at this point? Ha.

{5 Healthy snack ideas}

If you’re trying to eat better this summer prep some healthy snacks over the weekend! I always eat better when I plan and prep things ahead of time. I’m horrible with meal planning (I truly DON’T enjoy it) but I usually try to at least wash and cut up fruits and vegetables and prep some healthy snacks.

{Organized Blankets}

Go through blankets and donate any that aren’t being used as often! Corral the rest in one spot in your home.

{Organized Master Bathroom}

Then do the same thing with your bathroom towels!

{Organized Master Bathroom}

Then you’ll be on a roll so go ahead and do the same thing with your kids’ bathroom towels. :)

{Organized Kitchen Series post 2}

Wipe out the crumbs in your silverware drawer. Buy a new silverware tray if yours is getting hammered!

{Organized Kitchen Series post 3}

Tackle the junk drawer. Always a feel good weekend project!

{Organized Kitchen Series post 3}

Create a spot for your cleaning supplies in a closet or cupboard. I also keep a few cleaning supplies in various bathrooms so that it’s easy to do a quick clean out in those spaces when I have time.

{Organized Jewelry}

Come up with a way to corral your earrings and other jewelry.

{Theatre Room Organization}

Organize (or donate/toss) all of those DVD’s! Hands down one of my favorite organizing projects. I still love opening this drawer. It gives me all the feels. ;)

{Organized Outdoor Pool and Toy Storage}

Summer is here! Time to get your kids’ outdoor toys under control. I’m working on sports equipment in our garage and will share progress soon!

{Organized Luggage Closet}

Adding hooks to this closet under our stairs created so much more storage! Another easy weekend project that can make a huge difference.

Now that my kids are out of school we are definitely going to sort through their closets! I always do this in January and then again in the summer. Kids grow so quickly and their closets can get out of control if I don’t make sure we go through them at least twice a year. This is an older pic.. Kole’s closet does NOT look this tidy right now. But it will soon. :)

{Kids School Work – What to Save and What to Toss}

I’m also hoping to organize my kids’ school work in a better file system this summer. I’ll share it when I’m done! My post on what school work I keep and what I toss might be helpful if you are doing the same this summer.

{Zone Cleaning Charts – an editable printable}

I’m also linking our Zone cleaning system and my Daily Expectation Charts for any moms who want some structure this summer!

{Daily Expectation Charts}

I know.. slim chance of that right? In a way if feels like we’re going from one version of summer to another!

Hang in there everyone. 2020 has been quite a year so far. The good news is that it can only go up from here. ;) Thank you for the kindness you’ve always shown me. I’m so grateful for each one of you. I’m praying for you and your families and for our country right now. Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Love always wins.

I can’t help it. Go ahead Kenny.. live it up..

“A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us, “No”
Or where to go
Or say we’re only dreaming…”

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

05.30.20

Friday 5

Happy Friday! This week was a blur wrapping up school with my kids. Addison’s last day was today and Kole and El have one more week! I’m so excited and ready to be done with all things Zoom. I know I’ll most likely lose my mind this summer with nothing on our agenda, but with the unique school at home situation we’ve been in I’m more than ready for a break! Ok.. time for Friday 5! 5 random things going on around here along with 5 things I’ve had my eye on in both home decor and fashion. Fun!

*affiliate links used

1 – C & B faux olive tree 2 – Amazon faux olive tree 3 – WE faux olive tree
4 – PB faux olive tree 5 – SM faux olive tree

1) Kicking things off today with faux olive trees! Olive trees have slowly become the new Fiddle Leaf Fig of design and are popping up everywhere! I’ve wanted one for my formal dining room for months and just haven’t pulled the trigger yet because there are several options that I love and can’t choose between! These are the 5 I’ve narrowed it down to. My #1 favorite is this Mediterranean faux olive tree (gorgeous!) but the price tag isn’t so gorgeous. Ha. A lot more than I want to spend on a faux tree! I’m leaning towards ordering the Amazon option and seeing how I like it in person.

I’ve also been looking at cute pots for summer plants and baskets for faux trees and found so many cute options on Amazon! These are my favorites..

Speaking of plants.. check out my little hydrangea bush! It’s so beautiful! Still small and nothing like you see on the East Coast, but progress from last year so I’ll take it. :)

I snapped this view of our front yard on our way home from our walk tonight. Such a beautiful time of year with all of the flowers in full bloom. I find myself wanting to spend all day outside.

1 – Vuori Lux Performance Tank 2 – Natori Sports Bra 3 – Align Pant ll 25″
4 – Vuori Performance Jogger 5 – NB Accelerate Shorts

2) Because we’re home bound and going on a family walk every evening you can pretty much find me in joggers and workout wear 4-5 days a week. I try to wear my jeans at least once or twice a week just to make sure they still fit. Ha. (The struggle is real with quarantine snacking.. am I right or am I right?) :) I rounded up 5 athletic wear favorites! I’ve mentioned before that my favorite bras are Natori. Seriously once I tried one a few years ago I tossed all of my other bras! Now I have a nice collection of Natori bras for every day, but I had no idea they also made a sports bra! I just ordered #2 and I can’t wait to try it. Vuori performance joggers (#4) are hands down my favorite. And I own a lot of joggers that I love! Trust me they are worth every penny.. you won’t want to take them off. They are usually sold out at Nordstrom so I was thrilled to find them in stock in several colors on their website. I also love their tanks (#1). Lulu Allign pants are so slimming and I love them in the camo multi grey (#3). On my wish list!

{Vuori performance joggers/memory foam flip flops}

3) I might have to make an exception from my workout wardrobe to venture out in this new denim dress I just ordered! It was so funny because 10 minutes after I ordered it I got a text from my friend Vanessa and she said “I just saw a denim dress from the new RP summer collection that is so YOU!” I told her I was one step ahead of her and had already ordered it. We were laughing!

Wonder how she knew I’d love it? Maybe because I have 5 similar denim dresses already that I wear on repeat. Predictability is a good thing right? :) My style with clothes is always little more on the casual side so denim dresses are pretty much perfect in my opinion. You can dress them up with heels or add a pair of boots in the fall OR sneakers/sandals in the summer for a completely different casual look. My friend knows me well!

4) I’m still trying to do my 15 minutes of organizing a day. I have several bigger projects going on, but still try to spend 10-15 min on something small. Most of the things I organize this way never make it to my blog or IG stories because they are just so simple (cleaning out old socks in a sock drawer, sorting through some of Kole’s old books, 15 min to tidy the fridge.) Quick mini bursts of organizing each day. Quick mini bursts don’t seem like much, but if you do it every day it makes all the difference! Here is a recent example..

Messy drawer in my entertainment center below our TV. Don’t even ask me how all of this random stuff accumulated here!

I took everything out, vacuumed the drawer (Dyson linked here) and put it all away. I tossed a lot of it and the rest belonged in my office or other places in the house.

Now I have a clean drawer to store my laptop, lap desk and coasters! My kids have completely taken over my office so it’s nice to have my laptop in a central location.

5) We recently made my sister’s Feta and Tomato dip and I was reminded once again how delicious it is! A quick and easy snack if you want to mix it up this weekend! I shared the simple recipe HERE.

*Recent pic of my sister with her husband. I set the two of them up and take full credit for their happiness. ;)

Speaking of my sister.. I can’t thank you all enough for your thoughtful comments, well wishes and prayers for her over the past few months. I shared this update in IG stories in a recent Q & A, but I wanted to let you all know here too that she recently finished radiation and her x-rays look clear! (Breast cancer if you missed this post.) We are incredibly grateful. She is starting hormone therapy and they are watching her close, but so far things are looking really good and she is feeling a lot better. I have been so worried about her with the recent virus situation (and still am!) but I’m mostly just beyond grateful that things are looking better and not worse. Thank you again for your love and support. It means so much to me and my family.

On that happy note I’m off! Time to wrap up and post this baby since it’s now past 1 am. Friday 5 is going live on Saturday.

Like I said.. predictability is a good thing right?

xoxo, Erin

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