How is the holiday shopping going friends? Have you started? Are you done? Haven’t even started to kind of think about going there? Ha. :) I hope my Gift Giving Printables have been helpful! (You can snag them here if you haven’t already.) I’m not there yet, but I’m still hoping to have my Christmas shopping mostly done before December hits. So far I’ve bought most of my gifts on-line and that has made things so easy! What did we do before there was on-line shopping!? On my list of things I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving. ;)
Today I’m partnering with Nordstrom to share holiday gift ideas for everyone on your list! I have spent a lot of time rounding up my best, favorite items for the whole family! One thing everyone in my family gets each year for Christmas (and they always have!) is a new pair of shoes. Because #1 – I’m a shoe lover. :) And #2 – because my kids are usually due for a new pair this time of year. Their feet grow so quickly! I’ve rounded up my favorite shoes (a lot of them are on sale right now.. YEA!) along with other fun favorites I have and love. I’m also sharing a few things I’ve already bought this year to give to others.
So if you’re on my Christmas list, stop reading NOW.
I mean it.. I love you but stop reading and go away. :)
Ok friends.. let’s do this! I divided my favorites into gifts for the women in your life, the men, and some fun ideas for the kids. I hope my round-up of holiday gift ideas for everyone on your list gives you a few ideas this year!
*affiliate links used
Favorite shoes for women that would make great gifts..
So many of my favorite things..
Favorite shoes that would make great gifts for the men in your life..
Other favorite gift ideas for men..
Favorite shoes that would make great gifts for the girls..
Other favorite gift ideas for girls.. (younger and older!)
Office Christmas Decor with Container Store Gift Wrap (and a giveaway!)
**Giveaway at the end of the post is now closed.
Friends! Today’s post is making me slightly giddy. :) I’ve partnered with The Container Store to share some fun ways I’m using their gift wrap in my home this holidays season! Yes.. you heard that right. I’m partnering with The Container Store! Ahhhh! (Angels are singing in the background in case you didn’t catch that..) You all know how I feel about The Container Store (my home away from home!) so this is definitely a pinch me moment for me and my little blog. That isn’t so little anymore but still feels that way to me. :) You know their saying “Contain Yourself!” That’s how I always feel when I walk in their store! I try to contain my excitement and honestly can’t! That place is too much fun. I’ve been buying their gift wrap for years so I’m thrilled to share their new Christmas collections with you all today! They are darling!
(affiliate links used)
Do you remember my cute little mudroom tree that was new last year? I was so excited to decorate it again this year! This mudroom leads to our garage and car so we are in and out of this room 20 times a day. This little tree makes us all so happy when we are rushing around it. :) (And no.. we don’t use the dutch door much this time of year (two doors in this room!) so it works to have the tree in the corner.)
I LOVE red, black, tan and white colors for Christmas so I used paper and ribbon from their Signature Collection and their Alpine Collection. I love the way they tie in so well with my tree decorations! Now friends.. I am NOT a skilled gift wrapper. (Ask my sister who is so good at gift wrapping.. she teases me about my gifts every year!) I can’t tie big pretty bows and I don’t like to spend a lot of time decorating gifts that will ultimately be torn apart. That’s why I love these collections so much! Everything color coordinates and looks so cute together. Even if you’re not a fancy gift wrapper it looks like you are! They make it look like you spent a lot of time putting together the perfect gift when really it was done for you. I’ll take it. :)
One things I’ve always loved are The Container Store’s gift tie-ons. Such a fun and easy way to dress up a gift and then they can be used as Christmas tree ornaments so it’s like a little mini gift on top of your gift. :)
I always use their chalk labels too!
This year The Container Store gift wrap was so cute that I decided to use some to decorate my office for the holidays too! I’m so excited to show you.. come in come in! :)
Aren’t things looking all sorts of festive in here!? Ellie walked in a few days ago (she didn’t know I had decorated the office that morning) and suddenly yelled to me in the kitchen “Mom! I love this room! It’s making me so happy and excited!”
Mission accomplished. :)
I put some Christmas books in our baskets on the wall so that I can easily snag one to sit down and read with Kole after school. Even my girls still love hearing their favorite childhood Christmas stories!
Then I used some cute gift tags from the same gift wrap collections I mentioned earlier to make this fun display on our chalkboard! You could make something similar for a fun advent calendar to count down the days before Christmas.
I’m thinking we’ll use it to write down all of the fun activities we want to do during December (make our annual pretzel hugs, visit Christmas card lane, deliver an anonymous gift to a neighbor, etc.) and then we can pull off a tag once we’ve done that activity and try to fit everything in!
I love this fun red polka dot gift wrap so I used it to cover my mini chalkboard and add a fun pop of red.
My sweet baby snowman pops up all over my house every holiday season as most of you know. :) I so wish I could just have one or two days with Kole that small again! I would hold him and smell him all day long. Moms with babies.. I know you are in the thick of it and most likely so exhausted all the time like I always was when my three were little.. but try to see past it and know how quick of a stage it really is! Hold them and love them and smell them and enjoy them as much as you possibly can every single day! — K- where did that rant come from!? Sorry.. baby pictures of my kids do that to me. Ha! Back to my office decor after a minor detour. ;)
Wrapping paper is such an easy, inexpensive way to decorate! I love the color pops and whimsy the cute Santa and Dinosaur gift wrap bring into my office. They are especially fun for a kids’ space. Try switching out pictures in clip boards and frames on your wall with wrapping paper for a fun holiday look that’s easy to switch back when Christmas is over!
Moving on to the other side of the room! I should have warned you about the picture overload at the beginning of this post but I figure you all just know that will be the case with my posts by now. ;)
Merry Christmas wooden blocks over my computer and El added the Santa screen saver. :)
And more gifts! This room turns into our gift wrapping station during the holidays so you can always find lots of gifts and tape and scissors and wrapping paper in here! It’s usually not this tidy. ;)
I used more gift wrap from the Signature and Alpine collections to wrap these presents in my office. So cute!
Isn’t this paper fun!? And I know Kole will play with this cute little dinosaur tie-on more than he’ll play with what I have wrapped inside the box! I’m keeping the owl for our tree. :)
I used the space on this wall by the door to hang up past Christmas pictures my kids have drawn. Their artwork makes me so happy! Best decor around. :) I always get asked how I hang things to my walls like this and my secret is painter’s tape! I use blue painter’s tape to stick so many things to my walls! It peels right off and doesn’t leave a mark or hurt your paint.
So that’s it! A little Christmas in my office. I hope you enjoyed the tour. :) You can find office sources in this post.
Huge thank you to The Container Store for sponsoring this post! And for coming up with such darling gift wrap that makes wrapping holiday presents so much easier! And a lot more fun.
:)
NOW! I have some fun news for all of you! The Container Store has given me a gift card to give to one of my readers for $150! YEA!!! My mind is racing with all the fun you can have with $150 in The Container Store this holiday season! To enter make sure you are subscribed to my blog (subscribe at the bottom of this post if you haven’t already) and then leave your name and a comment on this post telling me one thing you are excited for this holiday season! Good luck sweet friends!
*This post was sponsored by Tapered Collection but you wouldn’t be reading it if I didn’t truly love their products. All opinions are my own! :)
Happy Friday friends! We’ve had a busy week! Lots going on with the kids outside of the house.. lots of decorating going on whenever I can steal a minute inside of the house. :) I LOVE decorating for Christmas but you know what I don’t love? Fanning out the tree branches. It’s the only part of the whole Christmas decorating process I don’t enjoy. And I can’t complain about it to my husband because then I get grief about “then why in the world are you putting up so many trees!?” Ha ha.. we do have quite a few this year. :) I can’t help it. I love them! So I will continue to climb on ladders and fan branches until my fingers are about to fall off. {sigh} Oh well. Small price to pay. ;)
But before we get into all things Christmas decor, today I’m sharing something else I’m loving with you! Friends. I’ve found the perfect tee! And you know how I feel about tees. I’m so excited about these! The founder of Tapered Collection reached out to me a while back to see if I wanted to partner on a post about her tees. I did some research and read all about them and to be honest, they sounded too good to be true! I told her to send me some to try out and I figured I’d wear one or two and just see if they met the hype. Um.. let’s just say that they exceeded my expectations so much that I’ve hardly taken them off this month!
Ok.. let me tell you about these tees and what makes them so special. First of all.. I love the material. They are thick and soft and comfortable and high quality and they DON’T shrink in the wash. At all! You can wash them, dry them, they wash beautifully. They are also longer than some tees which I love (it drives me crazy when tees are so short I feel like I can’t bend down!). But the best part is that these tees are made for real women and are so flattering. They have some give in the midsection! If you’ve had kids or don’t love your waist line you will definitely appreciate these tees. :) This tee is the Long Sleeve Henley and I absolutely love the fun neckline!
So cute with my camos! You can see how this tee is fitted at the top, drapes in a flattering way with some give around the mid section, and then is fitted at the bottom. I so wish I would have discovered these after having my three kids. This is the perfect tee to wear for months after having babies! And years after that if necessary. ;) (Btw.. they fit true to size and I’m wearing an xs)
I wore this Henley Tee last week to meet a super hot guy for lunch. Don’t tell my husband. ;) Seriously though, we have had the hardest time prioritizing a date night because our weekends have been so busy so we’ve been trying to meet one afternoon during each week for lunch. Just one quick hour of uninterrupted conversation that doesn’t include any scheduling, the not so hot math score, friend drama, the upcoming science project or who’s taking who to what birthday party. It’s an hour of conversation about us and our interests over pizza and I look forward to it every week!
The Short Sleeved Tapered Tees are perfect for layering! I’ve been wearing mine under all of my cardigans..
and jackets.
Another fun detail on all of the Tapered Tees is this wide, fitted band at the bottom. Just gives your outfit a little something extra. :)
I wore the white Long Sleeve Henley to Ad’s last play performance under my green military jacket. She was the cutest little lioness I’ve ever seen! So proud of her.
We all are. :) And now we are officially taking a break from theatre productions until after the holidays! This mom needs a break from at least one child’s activites!
Ok.. I saved my most favorite tee for last! It’s the Three Quarter Tee and I am seriously going to LIVE in these. Love that the white is opaque, not sheer! I never like white tops that are see through and I’ve found that most are.
Like the short sleeve tee it’s perfect for layering.
I even dressed the black Three Quarter Tee up a bit for church one Sunday. :)
Then I washed it and wore it again a few days later.
And then washed it and wore it again a few days after that. Ha. :)
But the best part about this tee? When I come home at the end of the day and trade in my skirt or jeans for sweats, it works with them too. Now that my friends.. is what we call a wardrobe staple. :) Nothing like a good tee!
These tees cost a bit more than your regular tee, but they aren’t like your regular tee! They are such nice quality and with the way they fit and wash and all the ways you can dress them up or down they are worth it! Especially if you live in tees like I do. This weekend Tapered Collection is having their Friends and Family Sale and you can get 20% off of your purchase! Click on MY LINK HERE to get the discount (or any of my links in this post and add FALLFRIEND at checkout). Yea! Awesome tees on sale for everyone! (Yes mom.. I’m buying you some too.) :)
And what do you know.. my favorite Three Quarter tee is perfect for fanning out tree branches! Even if I’m not. Addison took these pics and got me laughing so hard I almost fell off my ladder!
If any of you need me this weekend you know where I’ll be!
Happy Monday friends! On Saturday I shared some recent fashion favorites with all of you (I’m going to be posting fast and furious to fit everything in during the next two months!) but I forgot to include a picture of this gorgeous pink pom pom throw! So here it is. To pretty to not share and I’m loving it in my bedroom. It comes in 2 other colors and would be a beautiful gift for any home decor lover – like all of us. :)
Ok.. moving on to all things Christmas! Have you started decorating yet? Or do you like to wait until after Thanksgiving? I wish I could have Christmas decor up for half of the year. I really do. In fact last year I left one of my trees up through January.. ha! I wasn’t ready to take it down after Christmas. So I didn’t. :) My philosophy has always been to decorate for the holidays whenever and however you want! Do what makes you happy. Christmas decor makes me incredibly happy so I start early. :) Today I’m sharing some of my favorite Christmas decor I started pulling out this weekend! You’ll see how I’m using a lot of these items in my home soon, but I’m sharing them early because unfortunately the good stuff always sells out FAST.
These are a few things I’m decorating with this year that I’m so excited about! The pillows I’ve had for a year or two (merry/stag/plaid) but I needed a new tree skirt this year and just ordered this Alpaca faux fur tree skirt – it’s so soft and beautiful! It’s the first tree skirt I’ve owned that isn’t red! And I’ve loved adding a new cute little deer to my collection each year. They are adorable and look so cute on a table or tree or mantel.. anywhere you put them! (big deer/small deer)
I ordered these lit glitter birch trees on-line and loved them even more when I saw them in person! They are really nice quality trees and aren’t the little lights beautiful!? (They are battery operated and these two are the medium and small sizes.)
And this Santa Magnetic Advent Calendar! I actually bought this at PB right after Christmas last year. It was the only thing that wasn’t marked down and I bought it anyway.. after getting all sorts of grief from my husband for shopping an after Christmas sale and coming home with the one item that wasn’t on sale. Ha. And now it’s actually on sale! I should have just waited and got it this year. Oh well! I’m so in love and couldn’t wait to pull it out of my attic! The snowflake is magnetic – so fun to count down to the big day. My kids will love it.
Almost as much as I do. :)
The merry towels are a new addition for the bathroom. :)
After years of messing with real garland (and the crazy mess it left after the holidays!) I finally splurged on this lit magnolia garland last year.
It lights up at night and looked so beautiful on my stairs! And the best part.. no mess. :) I got so many questions about this garland last year and it sold out fast. Happy that they brought it back for any of you who wanted it! My girls can’t wait to get going on their snowflake wall again this year. :)
I always get lots of questions about this Santa hat tree topper and it also sells out quickly every year too so don’t wait if you want it! You could obviously use any Santa hat to top a tree, but this one has wire in it and sits just right without much effort. My type of decor. ;)
Kole 7 years ago. :) This pillow was his favorite when he was a baby because of the little red bells. I had to sew one back on because he pulled it off when he was two. Best part of Christmas isn’t it? The memories that come with all of the decorating and celebrating.
Our stockings come with all sorts of memories too. I’d love to mix it up this year and do something different on this mantel..
but these stockings are a long time tradition and I don’t think this little Christmas elf will let me. :)
7 years ago and it feels like this was yesterday. Can’t wait to celebrate another Christmas with these three!
In other fun Christmas home decor news.. Chip and Jo’s new line was released at Target this weekend! Looks so good! Did any of you get to check it out!? I’m so hoping I can squeeze in a quick Target run this week. I don’t really have time.. but I might have to make time anyway. :)
Links are below to the Christmas decor I shared above along with other favorites that will be popping up in my home this season! I hope that whenever you start your Christmas decorating.. you enjoy it immensely. :)
Happy weekend friends! I have so many cute fashion favorites to share with you! LOTS of fun things on sale and LOTS of pictures so I’ll keep the chit chat to a minimum. Or try to anyway. I always do my best but can’t make any promises. As you know. :) Huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post! They are having their huge Fall sale right now and so many fun things are 40% off right now! Dangerous! In the best way possible.
(Affiliate links used)
First up – my favorite Vince Camuto over the knee boots are on sale! I love these. Obviously. I have them in three colors.. ha. :) They are so comfy for a heeled boot and I love the suede! They look good with everything and I live in them in the Fall/Winter.
A few things I’m loving lately and wearing with these cute boots..
This bell sleeve ribbed sweater is another recent soft and cozy favorite that looks cute with these suede boots. It comes in so many colors! I love this blue. The material of this sweater is so smooth! It’s gorgeous in person. My purse is this grey Leather Satchel. Similar to other Rebecca Minkoff bags I have? Yes. I can’t help that they call my name. :)
This color of boots I wear the most is called “foxy” and they have enough grey and tan in them to work with every color. That’s what I always look for when I buy a new couch! Ha. Home decor and fashion have a lot of similarities. :) I love this color of boots with black tops and sweaters! And yea for cool enough weather to finally wear this hooded cardigan. It’s so cozy I feel like I’m in pj’s when I wear it.. always a good thing. :)
A closer look.. I wore this outfit twice in one week! Made sure I wasn’t going to see the same people. And then I tell all of you so that sort of defeats the purpose of trying to be sneaky about it.. ha. :) {purse/earrings}
These Adidas sneakers come in several fun color patterns and are seriously so comfortable. And while we’re on the subject of comfortable.. did you all see that Nordstrom has their Ugg socks back in stock for the holidays!? Ahh! LOVE these! I bought a pair last year and gave a few for gifts. Everyone I gave them to loved them! I loved mine so much I grabbed a pink pair for this year. So cute and cozy! I love slipping them on every morning when I wake up. These Adidas sneakers and the Ugg socks are a happy present for your feet. :) Sharing some other fun Adidas shoes and Ugg slippers below. They make perfect gifts in my opinion! This pair is on my wish list! Maybe in black or green? Flashback time for sure. :)
Wearing my pink Ugg socks in this pic with these Velour PJ Salvage pj’s. {Top/Bottoms} I can’t even begin to tell you how cozy these are. I’m so excited for the time change this weekend because it means I get to put these on even earlier each night. :)
And speaking of pj’s I can’t wait to put on.. TEAM SANTA. I couldn’t resist! :) So excited to bust out my Christmas decor this weekend in this sweatshirt! I would turn on Christmas music if I could but my kids want to wait a couple of weeks on the music (sigh). What’s wrong with them!? I could do Christmas for six months! EASY. :)
He loves my taco shirt, but I’m a hit with the teens when I wear these Adidas sneakers. I like to remind all of these girls that I bought them first. ;)
The types of pics you get when you hang out with dancers. :)
These two besties in black are nicknamed Pizza and Taco (long story!) so when I saw these purses at Nordstrom a few months ago I couldn’t resist. :)
I wore these Adidas sneakers on Halloween too. So much walking! I wanted to be comfortable. :) I dressed up as the family photographer this year. ;) Also wearing this flare sleeve sweater that is one of my go-to’s! It fits so cute and I get compliments every time I wear it. I’m so bummed it’s sold out in my size in blue or I’d buy another one! The only thing you have to watch is cooking with these sleeves. I was wearing this sweater a few weeks ago and went to heat Kole up some soup and about started my sleeve on fire! Ha! Some would say that the flare sleeve sweater needs to go. My first thought was “exactly why I shouldn’t be using this stove.. time for take out!” ;)
Cutest side tie sweatshirt that’s also on sale! I bought this at full price a while ago and have been living in it. I love the pink, but that color tends to wash me out so I came home with the grey. {Favorite AG Jeans}
I wore it a couple of weeks ago with my Hudson Camo pants (similar Hudson’s camo pants on sale!). Isn’t it cute!? Just so casual and comfortable and you can dress it up a little with jeans and booties or wear it with sweats or leggings.
Snapped this heading out on a hot date with my favorite little man! We went to see his sister’s play together. :)
Whew! K friends. Long post I know! But seriously.. can you believe how many cute new things are on sale right now at Nordstrom!? Great time to get a few gifts bought and wrapped early. You can check them off your new list! :) And maybe pick up something cute for yourself in the meantime because whew.. all that Christmas shopping wears us out and we need a pick me up to keep our energy going. ;)
Enjoy your weekend friends! Signing off with some pics we took right before Trick or Treating on Halloween. We had such a fun evening with friends! As my 7 year old would say.. the evening was “EPIC.” Ha. Love that kid. :)
Three fuzzy animals. Two crazy ninjas. And one family photographer who just wanted to wear a favorite sweater and comfy shoes. :)
And my friend’s dog. Because his outfit tops them all. Wonder if he got it on sale at Nordstrom?
Free Christmas Printables for Organized Gift Giving!
Happy November friends! Oh my word. So excited just typing that! It’s November! I LOVE November. And December! Don’t even get me started. Best time of the year! But I’ll admit. Sometimes those excited “Christmas is coming!” feelings also come with a side of anxiety anticipating all that needs to happen during the next two months. I want to make this time of year special for my family and I want to enjoy it myself. I want to be in a happy, good mood! Not running around like a stressed out, sleep deprived maniac. Been there, done that. ;) For me to be at my best during the holidays I have to be organized. One of my main goals every year is to have if not all, most of my Christmas shopping done before December 1st. It’s the best feeling to start December with gifts ready to give! Maybe even already wrapped! But for me this takes some time because I like to make sure I’m giving gifts that my friends and family will really love and enjoy. Giving gifts is a way we show people that we care about them so I like to put some thought into my gifts. I’m trying to teach my kids that it’s not about the gift or how much money you spend.. it’s the thought behind the gift that tells people that you love them.
So I’ve created something to help be us be more organized and thoughtful this year with our gift giving! These are my free Christmas printables for organized gift giving. I’ve been using and LOVING them! I’m seriously so excited about this because I make printables all the time for myself. You know I’m a huge fan of lists. :) But now I’ve finally figured out how to create and share them with all of you too! My blog besties! Printables for everyone! It’s a printable party and we’re all invited!
K – you get that I’m excited. I’ll move on now. ;)
This first printable is just a basic list for you to use to write down everyone you’re giving a gift to (extended family, friends, kids’ teachers, etc.) and a line next to their name to write down two or three gift ideas if you’re still brainstorming. I have two of these filled out and they have been so helpful! I wrote names of everyone I definitely want to give something to and an idea or two about gifts. Then when I buy/make their gift, I’ll check the box on the left. Done! I’ve been carrying them in my purse so if I’m shopping I can pull them out and remember what to be looking for.
I use this separate list for gift ideas for my kids! I usually pull this list out in September so next year I’ll get this list up on my blog earlier. I like to brainstorm ideas for my kids for a few months because I really like to get them things they actually NEED or will love for Christmas. I don’t want any more extra “stuff” in my house that I know will end up in a goodwill bag in three months. :)
I put three lines at the top of this list because I have three kids, but obviously if you have more kids you’re buying for, print more than one! Or if you have one or two kids you won’t fill all the columns. Or use the columns for something else! Whatever works for you. And these are just ideas! I won’t necessarily buy my kids everything I write down. But sometimes I’ll be somewhere and see something and think “oh.. Ellie would love that!” Or Addison will come downstairs with slippers on that have a hole in them they are so worn out and I’ll think “slippers would be a good gift!” If I don’t write that stuff down when it pops in my head, it pops right back out and then before I turn around it’s two weeks until Christmas and I’m buying them things they don’t really love/need just to have presents for them to open. Not good! This list has solved that problem for me – I start jotting down ideas when they come to me early in the Fall and then Christmas shopping is a breeze! Santa still pulls the bulk of the load of course. But I do what I can to help. :)
This last printable is my favorite and it’s one for the kids! They write down people they want to buy/make a gift for and then write down a gift idea or two. The focus is on giving, but I also added three lines at the bottom for them to write what they would love for Christmas.
I had Kole and Addison each fill one out and they had so much fun thinking about who they wanted to give a Christmas gift to this year.
It made me smile when I saw that Kole put question marks next to my name so I wouldn’t see his gift. :) He listed family and his close friends and we talked about thinking about gifts that each person would really love or enjoy. He did everything completely on his own except asking for help spelling a few words. He wants to ask Santa for a camera this year so he can take pictures with mom. The sweetest thing! Love him. I could use a good photography assistant. ;) Now when we have some down time or he tells me he’s bored I can remind him that he wants to make cards for his grandparents for Christmas and we can get working on them. Bonus. ;)
Addison had some fun ideas for her grandparents and wanted me to cover those on the blog so that the surprise wouldn’t be ruined. ;)
Every year I crack up at what she wants for Christmas! Two years ago she sat on Santa’s lap and asked for a slinky. Seriously! That was all she wanted. I said “Ad.. that’s what you want? A $5 slinky? This is Santa and Christmas.. it’s your chance to dream big!” Santa and I were cracking up. :) And she got her slinky. It’s all about the thought behind the gift anyway, right? ;) Looks like this year she wants a little spa set, a foam roller (I think this is something for your muscles she has heard about in volleyball?) and you know.. either a snake or world peace.
I’ll have to see what I can do about those last two items on her list. (Um.. how about another slinky Ad?)
Anyway.. you get the point! :) It’s a printable that helps kids think about gifts they are giving to others ahead of time so they have some ownership in the process. It also helps parents get a jump start on the gift buying/making. Win for all!
So that’s it! Three free printables that help me stay organized when it comes to gift giving every year. I hope they help you too! Just head to the bottom of this post for the sign up form! Here’s to a more organized, less stressful holiday with well thought out gifts that are bought/made and wrapped ahead of time.
Happy Monday friends! Major picture dump today. Sometimes Mondays call for major picture dumps. This is one of those Mondays. :) I never shared our Fall living room decor and thought it was time with Halloween just a day away. Which I can’t even believe as I’m saying that! (Typing that I guess I should say.. is it weird that I always feel like I’m talking to all of you? Even though really I’m just typing away in an empty room alone on my couch because everyone else in this house went to bed hours ago? I do love our late night chats..) Point is.. this month has flown by. :)
*affiliate links used
I decorated this room for Fall in under an hour. That’s my favorite thing about having neutral furniture and a neutral rug. So easy to make a few quick switches and have a totally new look!
I updated the gallery wall with some new/old Fall pictures of our family. Clearly I can’t get enough of that picture of Kole when he was a baby next to the pumpkins at the patch. Had to have one of them in every room in the house this Fall. ;)
A few new pillows on the couch. I kept all of the navy in the room and love the existing navy pillows with my new orange velvet pillows from PB.
Cozy.
My 3 little pumpkins a few years back. :)
I used a lot of real pumpkins to decorate other rooms in my home this Fall so I loved displaying all of my faux pumpkins in my dough bowl.
I didn’t do much to change the shelves. Just added a few little pumpkins here and there.
And of course you can’t add Fall decor to your living room without including a cozy throw. Or two. Or ten.
I’ve shared these Bliss Plush throws with you before.. they are a bit of heaven on earth in my opinion. :) I really can’t say enough about them. They are so stylish, the perfect length, come in LOTS of colors, and they are the ultimate in cozy! What more do you need? :) This blue throw is the Majolica Blue and it’s such a rich, gorgeous color. I love the way it pulls the blues out of my pillow. Giving lots of these throws as Christmas gifts this year! Can’t wait.
Fall in the living room. We don’t get the pretty orange colors outside in southern Cal so bringing some of that Fall feel inside the house makes all the difference.
I was so quiet and snuck a couple of pictures of Ad and Kole over the weekend.. he was reading his library book to her and I wish I could have recorded their sweet little conversation.
Signing off but I have to share my fun news for any of you who missed my weekend IG announcement! My all time favorite pair of AG jeans that I live in are ON SALE!! Seriously I about fell off my couch when I discovered this news late Friday night and I ordered another pair in record speed! These never go on sale! And they are the BEST jeans! They are already backordered in most sizes so act quick if you want a pair. And if you want to know what they look like just check out every fashion post I’ve written over the past two years. I’m wearing them in 90% of my pictures.. ha! I call them my “good self-esteem pants” because they seriously take off pounds when you slide them on. Like magic! :)
You can find the link to them above or on my Favorites Page that I just updated with some recent favorite things! (This cozy cardigan also made my favorites page.) I know a lot of you love gift ideas this time of year so I’m going to keep this page updated and full of fun favorite things that make great gifts. I also have something else fun coming up to help you with your gift giving this year so stay tuned for that! I seriously can’t wait. The most wonderful time of the year is finally here! I mean AG jeans on sale and Christmas right around the corner!?
It just doesn’t get any better than that my friends.
Mens Fall Clothes (gift ideas for the men in your life!)
When Nordstrom reached out and asked me if I was interested in partnering with them on a post about mens fashion two quick thoughts ran through my head. The first one was “awesome.. I just already bought Kenny so many fun clothes for Fall!” Followed quickly by my second thought which was “shoot.. now I’m going to have to photograph him in them..” I knew all too well that a photoshoot featuring my husband would be more work than it was worth! He is so sarcastic and takes nothing I do seriously.
Perfect example. First picture we took. I said smile and he did this. Then when I told him he was going to have to take this serious and help me out he answered “babe.. I’m the new face of Nordstrom.. don’t give me any grief.”
Then he laughed at himself which always makes me crack up too and before I knew it we were laughing and getting absolutely nothing done.
Pretty much how I envisioned this experience going down. :)
Just when we had stopped laughing and were ready to try again a little someone appeared outside and wanted to join the party.
I decided at this point ‘if you can’t beat em join em’ and just gave up trying to control the photoshoot. I started snapping pictures of whatever they threw at me. :)
I did manage to catch a few sweet moments between the two of them. Love my boys! Even though they both drive me completely crazy. :) I also really love this cotton/cashmere sweater. SO much that I bought it in two colors for him!
He was a good sport and agreed to try it on in both colors for me to make up for his earlier shenanigans. ;) Isn’t the teal fun!? I loved the teal and the tan, but it also comes in a grey and a darker blue. Kenny is lucky that he can dress pretty casual at his office for work so this is the type of stuff he wears every day. He’s had these shoes for almost two years. They have held up so well and are still his favorites!
The rest of the pictures I just snapped of Kenny when he was wearing the clothes I wanted to share with you all. Much easier than a planned photoshoot with this one! Getting ready to make the morning eggs. He makes me and Ellie scrambled eggs for breakfast most mornings and some evenings when El comes home from dance hungry. Bad things happen when I try to scramble eggs.. ha!
This was a few weeks ago when he was heading to the mountains! Which sounds so nice right now because we are having a massive heat wave. He hasn’t been able to wear his new jacket since but I know he will wear it out this winter. Especially when we visit family in Utah. I love this jacket! It’s lightweight but also really warm and comfortable. The color is a favorite too. I was excited when I found this for him.
I buy my husband a new vest every Fall because I love him in them. :) This crewneck sweater looks good on its own and is perfect for layering. When I bought him Cole Hann shoes in blue last year I wondered how much he would wear them, but they look good with so many outfits! He wears them all the time.
I was waiting one morning before he headed out the door to work to take a picture of him in this sport shirt, but his “hang on two seconds while I check this e-mail” turned into minutes and I couldn’t wait. So this is what we got. Pretty typical scene in my house anyway. :) LOVE this shirt. The slim fit dress shirts from Nordstrom are our favorites for him because they have such a nice flattering fit and are comfortable. This one doesn’t wrinkle much either.. bonus!
This week we had our family pictures taken.. ahh! What an exhausting ordeal that always is! Getting everyone in coordinating clothes and cleaned up and to the correct location on time. Then smile and look your happiest when everyone is completely exhausted and over it before the photoshoot even starts.. sounds familiar!? Ha ha.. :)
But we made it! Took pictures in 90 degree heat with my boys in sweaters, but they survived and if I can just get at least one pic of everyone smiling for a Christmas card this year I’ll be a happy mom! Fingers crossed. I snapped these pics with my phone when we were done with the photoshoot. Boys were in great moods after it was all over!
I bought this textured color block sweater for Kenny for pictures and I love it so much! Can’t wait for it to cool off so he can wear it again. Such a nice sweater and he loves the way it fits. I told him I was so jealous of his role in family pictures. He met us at the location from work and just put on what I gave him to wear. That’s it! His role. I pick a photographer, pick a location, put together coordinating outfits for the whole family (which moms know is a lot of work!), get me plus all the kids ready and out the door on time (which moms know is an even bigger amount of work!). Then I’ll choose the picture to use, choose a card, get them made, update addresses, get the envelopes addressed, mail them out.. etc. etc. etc. Kenny meets us somewhere and puts on a new sweater.
Like I said.. jealous. ;) Lucky for him I LOVE giving and receiving Christmas cards so it’s worth the work to me!
These boys just don’t know how good they have it! ;)
Huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post and for keeping my husband comfortable and looking his best!
And to my babe.. thanks for volunteering to be “the new face of Nordstrom.” I don’t know about that.. but I do know I’m lucky to have you. Sarcasm and all.
Well! Happy Wednesday friends. By the time you read this post, it will be Wednesday. I know this because today (Tuesday) on my IG stories I was sharing details on my shiplap Halloween display and I told everyone happy Wednesday. Then text messages from friends, IG messages and a phone call from my mom came pouring in. All informing me that I was off a day and that it was in fact Tuesday. Ha ha.. oh my word. So embarrassing! Mom brain! I get it often. So happy Wednesday friends! Let’s hope I can keep things straight for a change. :)
Sharing some Fall decor in the mudroom and my new rug in this space today!
(affiliate links used)
I decorated my mudroom the same as I have in past years. A throw, pillows and wreath from Home Goods. Simple orange touches to bring in the season!
This wreath usually only lasts about a week on this dutch door before my husband complains about having to move it to go in and out of the door and takes it down. Kinda similar to how he complains about having to take off the pillows on our bed every night and the way I keep moving his precious family room clock around where he can’t see it. Ha! I don’t get it.. I mean .. what does he expect? That we live here too? ;)
And this beautiful painting of the Eiffel Tower I got when we were in France last year. It was the only souvenir I bought that whole trip! I love it so much and it reminds me of such a fun week with my husband. (I still need to write about France! Post #3,486 on the list.) ;)
It just makes the whole room feel warm – always a good thing! Speaking of PB.. oh my word you guys. I’m trying to contain myself when it comes to their Christmas decor, but seriously! They have the cutest things this year! I know.. I say that every year. ;) But they always do! I just ordered these bathroom towels and this vintage Santa advent calendar. And their Christmas signs! How cute is this one!? Trying to figure out a fun spot for it. Also my favorite Magnolia Garland is back in stock! I know I know.. we haven’t even had Halloween yet. But I have to decorate early to have posts ready for the blog so my brain is already in total Christmas mode. (Major job perk in my opinion.) ;) I’ll be showing you all of my favorite Christmas decor in a post at some point, but things are already backordered and the good stuff always goes so fast! It’s hard for me to contain my excitement when it comes to Christmas decor. All things Christmas really! I have so many fun things coming up on the blog.. can’t wait to share it all with you!
Speaking of all things Christmas coming up.. I’d love to hear from you! What would you like to see on Sunny Side Up this holiday season? Christmas decor? Fun holiday outfits? Ways to stay organized during the holidays? Gift ideas? Things we do with the kids? Anything specific? I have some fun things planned, but would love to also make sure to cover anything specific you’d enjoy!
Such a happy time of year! Ok.. back to Fall and Halloween. I hope you enjoyed the Fall mudroom decor. Since I’m taking it all down November 1st.
Happy Monday friends! Our hallway is looking festive for Halloween! I call this my shiplap trick or treat Halloween picture display. Try saying that three times fast. :)
My kids love seeing their past Halloween costumes! Every time they walk past these pictures they stop to look at them. :) I found the cute Trick or Treat letters here on Kristen’s fun blog and just put them up with blue painters tape. I also used blue painters tape to hold up the pictures. I got the cute pumpkin, bat and witch hat at the craft store.
Lots of fun memories on this little shiplap trick or treat Halloween picture display. :)
Another fun way to display Halloween pictures for your kids and family is across a fireplace mantel. I love putting together scrapbook albums for my kids, but a lot of times our pictures in those books get put away and not looked at often. Pulling out holiday pictures and using them as decor is such a fun way to enjoy them every year.
Plus it just makes you excited for the holiday! I can’t believe Halloween is already next week. It always sneaks up so quickly doesn’t it!? I still don’t have costumes for all of us.. ha. We are slackers this year!
But the hallway is looking festive! So we’ll just focus on that.
Huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post! And for keeping my little buddy so stylish all the time. :) (Affiliate links used.)
Couldn’t share clothes I’m loving for my girls without including my youngest sidekick and partner in crime. :) We spent a fun afternoon together last week! Ran a few errands.
And then had a yogurt date. The two of us have yogurt dates together all the time. It’s our thing because we like yogurt. And he likes gummy worms on top of his yogurt. And when I’m in a good mood (which is usually the case when I’m getting yogurt) he gets away with getting lots of them. :)
Army green and orange is a combo I love when it comes to clothes for my little buddy and this Peace tee is a favorite. So is that second grade smile. :)
We had a great chat about his upcoming field trip to the fire station (which convinced me he needed this darling shirt.. ordered!) and the nice girl he sits by at school and future playdates and future holidays and future yogurt outings. He talks non-stop and I just sit and smile and listen and take it all in. His laugh. The enthusiasm in his voice for the smallest things. The way he says “hanitizer” as one word instead of “hand sanitizer.” The gummy worm munching. I enjoy it all. Because second grade doesn’t last forever even though I wish that it would.
Then we went to the grocery store to pick out some more pumpkins. Because #thirdkid. This is the closest we are going to get to a pumpkin patch during this crazy busy month!
But he doesn’t seem to mind. He picked out a few little pumpkins for his bedroom. Just for fun.
Then we went in the store and got a treat for mom and dad too. Just for fun.
A few days after we decorated our porch he was wearing his Sharpest Tool in the Shed tee so I told him to smile for me for a picture for this post and this is the look I got. So anti-picture lately! This morning I was walking him into his school and I stopped to take a picture of him quick with my iPhone and when another student with her mom walked by Kole pointed at me and said to them “she takes way too many pictures… she is a blogger AND a mom.” Ha ha.. the girl’s mom and I had a good laugh.
Yup.. rough life buddy.. those two things make a deadly picture taking combo. Like it or not. ;)
His pose of choice. Because he lives with teenage girls.
Then I told him that if he’d give me one good smile (because it’s a tradition for mom to get a good picture of him on our Halloween porch each year) I’d let him water the plants.
And there’s my smile. :)
His favorite.
A win for both of us. :)
There are times however, that this child of mine is more than happy to ham it up for the camera.
I love that El is watching me with a look that says “how long are you going to let this go on?” Ha ha.. I’m easily amused. :)
I have more pictures of him dancing and acting silly than of anything else. LOVE this henley top! It’s just a handsome shirt. Looks so good on and it’s lightweight. Perfect for our “winters” and perfect to layer with a vest or jacket if we venture to colder winters. His blue Asics have been hands down our favorite shoe he’s had. He loves how comfortable they are and I love velcro for busy mornings. Plus they have held up amazingly well considering all they go through in a day! When he grows out of them I’m just going to buy another pair. Looks like they come in an orange too so we’re in business. :)
This colorblock stripe t-shirt is a lot like the henley. So soft, lightweight and I love the casual look. He was trying to explain chess to me in this picture. Again.
He has been taking a little after school class and learning how to play and loves it! The game isn’t quite as thrilling to me, but I’m trying. For him. :) He won this little cardboard set and plays it non stop with anyone who will play with him.
I see a real chess set in his future. If he keeps up his good behavior until Dec. 25th. :)
And last but not least my boys on their way to church last week. I can’t do a Nordstrom clothes post for boys and not mention our favorite white dress shirt EVER that I continually stock up on. I know I’ve mentioned it before, but if you need a white dress shirt for your son (or any boy in your life!) this smartcare wrinkle-free dress shirt is worth every penny! Toss it in the dryer and it comes out like it is pressed and ready to go! I hate to iron and seriously wish every shirt was just like this one. I also love the zip ties (stripe) and (solid) for my little buddy. Easy on and off. We’ll take it! (His shoes are Vans slip-ons.) Kole needs a new coat/jacket this year and so far this one is my favorite. I’m also in love with this shirt for him (great price!) and just can’t decide if I want the black or orange! And I stocked up on these for him – cutest patterns and they come in solids too.
Well! That about sums up what is in his closet and my on-line cart for my little buddy for Fall! So many fun things for kids from Nordstrom right now! It’s just a fun time of year, isn’t it!? And a fun season of life.
*Huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post and for helping me keep my middle school girls in style and feeling good about themselves! (affiliate links used)
My sweet Addison is doing a little modeling for me today to share a few cute things she has been wearing lately! Fall Fashion for girls! Although our Fall fashion might look a little different than yours since it has been over 80 degrees on the coast this week. (Sigh..) October is always one of our hottest months! And so sad and stressful with all of the fires. I don’t like to wish away this month, but we are definitely excited for some cooler temps. They usually come around in November.. after my kids have spent Halloween sweating in their costumes. :)
There’s my girl ready to go. :) First up.. we are loving this top and these high waist moto pants! The pants are stretchy and comfortable and they go with everything. My girls have them in black too and wear them all the time.
They have them for women too and are almost identical to this pair I bought and lived in last Fall. Very flattering! And did I mention that they are perfectly stretchy for Fall comfort food? ;)
So darling, amazing quality and only $32! El has it in navy.
These Zella tops are so cute and are 40% off! My girls wear them over dance clothes or to school. Zella has always been a favorite brand of mine so I love finding cutie Zella items for my girls! These pink sneakers are also so fun and Ad’s favorite shoe right now.
Ad really wanted this t-shirt dress and when we first saw it on-line I wasn’t sure. I know leopard prints are in, but to be honest, I’ve never been a huge fan.
But then it came and she put it on and it looked darling! Such a cute, casual fit and I love the blue. It will look good layered with leggings and a levi jacket when it gets cooler too. She won me over quickly with this dress.
Heading to play practice with a close friend in this cute sweatshirt dress! It’s hard to see in this pic but it has shimmery thread so even though it’s causal and comfy there’s a bit of glam. Another dress that was high on her list. I think she was hot the day she wore it, but was too excited to wear her new dress to care. Ad loves fashion like her mom. I’ve definitely had my fair share of days sweating in a scarf that I couldn’t wait just one more day to put on. ;)
I didn’t know yesterday was crazy hair day at school so when Ad walked downstairs for breakfast with her hair like this my brain was instantly racing.. ok.. how do I fix this situation without hurting feelings.. ha ha.. Total relief when she told me! Whew. ;) Her shirt is our favorite brand of Nordstrom tees! Sub Urban Riot. They always have darling tees with fun sayings on them. They are also really nice quality and a great fit for a tee. They hold up well after many many washings!
Good job on the crazy hair Ad. Next time tell your mom the day before. ;)
I know you’ve seen me in Sub Urban Riot tees a time or twenty. :) My favorite good vibes tee just came out in a sweatshirt! And I kinda want the Work Hard Be Nice tee like Ads along with Taco Tuesday because Kole loves the Lego movies and would dig that. ;)
A favorite past Sub Urban Riot Top El lived in. I’m only here for the snacks. Sounds about right. ;) Guess what’s crazy and so fun and also sad!? El is growing out of the “girls” section of clothes! I can’t even believe it. She can still wear some of it, but is starting to gravitate to things in my departments and fits in a lot of xs tops like I do. I thought this was so great and said “El! We can start sharing clothes! This will be so much fun!” But after the “oh wow.. mom.. really?” I got followed by a teen eye roll I’m thinking she isn’t as excited about this new development as I am. Ha ha..
Long gone are the days I had complete control and could put them in colorful, matching little dresses and do their hair! Sometimes I miss those days! This picture reminded me of a note I got from Ellie the day I did her hair in that side pony tail. I was in a hurry because we were going somewhere so I mixed up her regular pony tail and did a side pony tail (because I’m wild and crazy like that) and she HATED it. We didn’t have time to fix it so I said “leave it and we’ll take it out when we get home!” Then while I was doing Ad’s hair she slipped this note under the door for me…
I do not like the new hair style. I hate it. But I do love you mom.
That is an all time favorite. :)
Two nights ago I went to go to bed and laid down on another note. This time from Addison. She had snapped at me about something right before I dropped her off at play practice earlier that day and then immediately felt bad. She wrote me the sweetest note apologizing and said at the end “and I am sorry for having a teen moment.. it won’t happen again!”
Such a darling note but that last line just made me laugh out loud!
Oh my word sweet girl. It most certainly will happen again. Lots of “teen moments” will happen with both of you girls over the next 5-6 years. Let’s just hope I have the stamina to handle them all.
If they are always followed by sweet notes apologizing I’m pretty sure that I will.
:)
{POST SOURCES}
{Cute sweaters we are loving and can’t wait to wear when it cools down!}
xoxo, Erin
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Do you remember my cute little mudroom tree that was new last year? I was so excited to decorate it again this year! This mudroom leads to our garage and car so we are in and out of this room 20 times a day. This little tree makes us all so happy when we are rushing around it. :) (And no.. we don’t use the dutch door much this time of year (two doors in this room!) so it works to have the tree in the corner.)
At the top of my chalkboard I added a cute wreath and
