Friday Favorites - Fall Style, Kiddo Edition

Happy September, friends! It's been hella hot around here, but, somehow, some of the leaves are already changing and there's highs of 78 forecast for next week. Eeeek! The idea of a proper fall has me so so jazzed! Z's already starting a fall leaf collection, most of which are just dead and brown, but she'll get the hang of it once more of the trees start to change. 

So! Another Friday Favorites! This time it's kiddo style, but, I have to be honest, I'm not loving a lot of the toddler stuff I'm seeing. Lots of blushes and pinks and cats everywhere...so not my style (or Z's, she's all purple and tutus, of course!). So this week, I've picked a few items on my "Must Buy List" for the kiddo this season. 

plaid tunic | denim leggings | moto boots

denim dress | unicorn necklace | sparkle shoes | footless tights

baseball tee | overalls | sneakers

Nothing says fall like plaid, and Z is crazy for boots right now. It's gonna be hard not buying every pair I see...for both of us! And that denim dress works now, with the warmer temps, but with tights or leggings and a long sleeve shirt underneath or a cardigan, fall perfection. And any time overalls are involved with a cute tee and sneaks, I'm super on board!

And we're already thinking about Halloween, aren't you guys? We'll be grabbing our annual pair of skeleton pjs, and this cute festive tee as soon as possible. So many good sales right now, you guys! Take advantage! 

Friday Favorites - Fall Style

It's been about a hundred years since I did a Friday Favorites, and this time I'm doing it a little different.  With the mornings getting cooler here in Virginia (although it's gonna be hot again in a couple of days, it's sure to cool down for good sooner or later), I'm getting super jazzed about Fall. Gator Football starts September 5, which means it's officially time to start shopping for the season! 

Spending the majority of my days at home chasing around a toddler, I'm all about comfort. These girlfriend jeans are a little slimmer and more flattering than boyfriends, which means I'll probably be living in them! 

Nothing says Fall like plaid, and this shirt seems like the perfect addition to my collection, especially with a cute puffer vest for the cooler days and nights. And these booties? So cute! I think it's about time I cute-ed up my shoe collection.

I love a nice slouchy sweatshirt and I've been eyeing this one for a while now. It comes in a bunch of colors, but this blue is perfect for watching Gator games. Those green sneaks? Just what's needed for tossing the football or playing a little corn hole in the backyard. 

Finish everything off with a cute simple necklace (those chunky statement necklaces aren't really my jam) and a comfy lightweight jacket...I'm so ready for temps to cool down and for the leaves to start changing! 

It's also been brought to my attention (thanks Sara!) that PSLs arrive in ten days! I've been kind of over them for a bit, just counting down the days till red cups and peppermint everything arrive. But now that I'll be enjoying a proper Fall, I'm really looking forward to a little pumpkin spice. 

What are you guys looking forward to this Fall? 

Boo to You! and Friday Favorites

Happy Halloween!

This year, I DIYed Z's costume. She's been obsessed with the tutu I made for her first birthday, so I made her a little witchy tutu that's nice and long so she can play dress up for a couple of years. Her b-day tutu looks a bit like Ace Ventura at this point.  And we'll see how long the witch's hat headband stays on. I'm guessing we won't make it out the door. LOL! 

We don't get many trick-or-treaters since most of the kids head to the church down the block. They throw a big fall festival on Halloween, which I guess is better than knocking on a stranger's door and getting free candy? Anyway, since Z isn't quite ready for the whole door-to-door thing, we've decided to walk over and see what the fuss is about. Not sure what to expect, especially with a kid under 2, but we'll see how it goes. 

The weather has been so gorgeous lately, we spend most of our days outside: long morning walks, fun with the water table, and collecting coconuts around the backyard.

But a cold front is coming thru tonight, so we may need to put the water table on hold for a bit. I'm really looking forward to temps in the 70's for a few days. Planning on the first pot of chili for Saturday night. May even have to bust out the fuzzy socks! 

And here are the latest favorites:

I don't know if you guys have seen it all yet, but the holiday stuff is out at Target and it's all so cute! We're hosting Christmas this year, so I'm super excited to start decorating the minute Thanksgiving is over. And I feel the urgent need to head to Target and stock up before all the cutest stuff is gone! 

Have you seen the GapKids/Kate & jack Spade collab? Y'all know I'm a big fan of the Gap, and most of Z's clothes come from there (usually with a really great coupon code!). I'm dying over this bow tie dress with these candy stripe tights. So freaking cute!! A wee bit more than I would spend on toddler clothes, especially since we celebrate the holidays in pretty low-key fashion. But if we were a bit more fabulous, you can bet the kiddo would be decked out in that outfit! 

The Hubs and I enjoy a nice bowl of froyo from time to time, after the kid has gone to bed. These bowls are perfect for a scoop of deliciousness! I've been swooning over them for ages and have visions of the different shades of blue stacked on open shelving in my beautiful spacious white kitchen.  Perhaps I need to spend less time on Pinterest?!

Never have many trick-or-treaters, but we always grab a bag of candy just in case. I sometimes send leftovers to work with the Hubs, but this year, I'm thinking of trying something like these candy bar cookies. There's a ton of ideas for leftover candy on Pinterest (of course). I like the idea of getting to eat a bunch of it all at once!

And as for a post-Halloween breakfast, these apple cider donut holes just might hit the spot. Are they not the most addicting thing in the world? 

And in the spirit of spookiness, have you guys been watching Stalker? Holy cow, is it terrifying! Obviously, you get some great eye candy with Dylan McDermott, but this is the kind of show that I can't watch without the Hubs. It's good, but seriously disturbing. And how about How to Get Away With Murder!!!??? So good! Just when you think you know where it's going, the last line of each episode completely throws it all in another direction. We were so worried that waiting for season 3 of OITNB would be torture, but these new shows are filling the void pretty well.

One more shot of the littlest which before we go...

Hope you all have a spooky and festive Halloween!!!

Friday Favorites

Well, it finally happened. We had more than ten consecutive minutes of thunder-free sunshine on Monday (and a few times since then), so we suited up and enjoyed some pool time. The Hubs set up the water table so Z could splash around for a bit, and we all floated around in the pool to soak up some sunshine. Then something big happened...Z tasted her very first Bomb Pop! If you've never had one, they taste like summer, and I couldn't wait for the kid to have her first taste. She was a mess and she totally loved it!

If you've been spending any time outside this summer like we have, and especially if you live in Florida, you probably noticed that, with all this rain, the mosquitoes are relentless. Z and I are total mosquito bait, so we rarely head outside with out Honest Bug Spray. I'm always nervous spraying repellants since you end up inhaling most of it, but this stuff is totally safe and smells good, too. Honest just started selling some of their products at Target, so you may be able to find it there. (I should tell you that I am not sponsored by Honest, or any of the brands mentioned in this post. I just really love their stuff. We use a ton of Honest products around here and have never been disappointed!)

Have you guys tried Boom Chicka Pop popcorn yet? Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks, but I'm not always into setting up the popper. This stuff is the best and it's not terrible for you. We've found it at Fresh Market and Target. Try the kettle corn. You'll thank me later. I recommend noshing while binge-watching Orange is the New Black. We just got into the show recently and are totally hooked! I just wish we had more nap time to catch up faster.

We live inside of a thimble, but in the event that I wake up one morning and an additional 1,000 square feet or so have magically appeared, you can bet that I'll be adding a sweet playroom to the mix. I've been obsessed with this teepee since the pre-Z days. I don't know what it is about it (probably the polka dots - though I've seen plain canvas ones on Etsy that I love just as much), but I have visions of the two of us snuggled up inside on a pile of pillows, reading Where the Wild Things Are, perhaps with this super cute nightlight by our side.

And since we're talking about how much I love Land of Nod, I can't get enough of this ice cream print. I'm kind of thinking of adding it to our frame gallery above the sofa. (Which may or may not be done sometime this century.) We made some of our own frames and just need to get some glass cut for them so we can get things rolling on that project. In my dreams it looks similar to this from my favorites at Young House Love. We'll see what we end up with...I'll keep ya posted!

You guys have any projects going that never seem to end? I swear, having a kid throws everything into super slow-motion!

Friday Favorites

1. While the rest of the country has been buried under snowdrifts and polar vortexes (vortices?), SoFlo has been experiencing Spring since, well, November. The Daylight Saving time change made Spring seem more official, so now I can get over the fact that we never got more than maybe 3 days of winter. Now it's open windows, art shows, playing outside, and wishing we had a heated pool to enjoy all the sunshine.

striped dress

Although we've been keeping Z on her regular routine, the extra daylight and warm days before this last cool front gave her a chance to have her first backyard bath. The bubbles didn't last very long, but she had fun with more space to splash.

bath squirts | bath toys | turtlemeter 

polka dot swim pants - Honest Co. 

2. And since we have Spring on the brain around here, I'm dying over these sweet Easter pjs that I can't wait to order for the bambino. I mean seriously cute!!

3. I know that Radiant Orchid is the color of the year, but I can't get enough of this Under the Twilight polish by essie. It's a navy blue that goes so well with all of the springy colors you may be wearing right now. Obsessed!

4. Pigtails!!

5. Any lovers of Naked Juice out there? I was never a big fan, thanks to the gritty texture they always seem to have, but while shopping at Whole Foods with and empty stomach one day, I grabbed this pineapple-mango-coconut water and practically chugged the whole thing in the check-out line. So good and not gritty or coconutty at all. I just wish they sold them at Publix...or by the case.

6. And with St. Patty's day around the corner, Lucky Charms have made an appearance in our house. Even Z had a taste - heading for the marshmallows first before devouring the cereal pieces, too.  To keep things festive, without loading my kid up with refined sugar (we'll save that for when she's a bit older), I'm loving the idea of these rainbow kabobs (minus the stick for the bambino, of course). We eat a ton of fruit around here, so these are perfect!

Have an amazing weekend friends!!

Friday Favorites

Hey friends! It's time for another set of Friday Favorites!

1. Long time readers of this blog know that I am seriously obsessed with peppermint. It's my favorite flavor (tied with strawberry - though they'd be kinda gross together) and this time of year makes me soo happy. When I heard that the red cups had arrived at Starbucks, I immediately hit the drive through (Have you tried the peppermint brownie cake pops yet? Get your ass down there and get one!).  So when the Hubs, Z, and I were tooling around Target the other day, this lovely package caught my eye (and one or two mysteriously jumped into our cart).

If these puppies can make it long enough with out being eaten, I have grand plans to use them in a post-Thanksgiving cookie or brownie recipe to kick off the official start of Christmas. Mmmmm...

2. Since the Hubs and I have been chowing down on seasonal Oreos for the last two months (thanks a lot most-addictive-cookies-in-the-world!), I've tried to get back into running. Let me add to that by saying that I am a horrible runner. An asthmatic with bad knees and dreams of being a marathoner.  Not really, but I would like to at least survive a 5K. So I started Couch to 5K and got an awesome pair of running shoes at the Nike Outlet.  They may be the most comfortable pair of runners that I have ever put on my feet. After my first run, I think I may have told the Hubs that it was like running on a memory foam mattress. My knees are happy again. Now if my lungs would just get with the program.

Nike Flyknit Lunar1+

3. You all know of my love of Philosophy products, and this is the time of year when I get to use my most favorite! I swap out my regular body wash for Philosophy Peppermint Stick. It smells outstanding! The only thing better than chowing down on candy canes, is smelling like one!

4. Despite the 85 degree temps in SoFlo, my heart is anywhere that cooler temps reside. I am so ready to start wearing jeans and fuzzy socks on the reg, not to mention cozy lounge pants (a staple for any WorkAHM or SAHM). Right now, I've got my eye on these and these from the Gap (maybe with one of these waffle knit tees from Old Navy?). They just look so comfortable and I can almost imagine myself lounging on the sofa near an open window with a cool fall breeze blowing in. Then I wake up and remember where I live, and the fact that I have a 9 month old. Not much actual lounging going on here...but it's nice to dream!

5. Finally, five years ago today, on a day that was just as blustery, but much much colder that this one, the Hubs and I said our I Dos in front of our closest friends and family. I won't go into the mushy details, but I will say that I am one lucky muchacha. So, I'm not sure if my final favorite is the Hubs, marriage, or anniversaries, but all three are pretty wonderful!

Happy weekend!!!

Friday Favorites

1. This is the time of year when I really start wishing for a front porch, or at the very least a covered entry. We have neither. The front of our home faces east, which means every pot of festive mums just roasts, holiday wreaths fade in the morning sun, and there isn't much space to decorate. Driving around north Georgia this past week on vacation, just about every house had a beautifully decorated front porch with arrangements of pumpkins and pots of colorful mums. Scrolling through Pinterest (I'm loving the porches here, here, and here!) during the holiday season gives me some serious porch envy. It only gets worse as we get closer to Christmas! I really need help.

2. White pumpkins...obsessed! I want them everywhere and am in the hunt for some cute fakes. These puppies below are real and (sad tear) won't last until Thanksgiving.

3. While we were in Georgia, one of our top goals was to find a cute pumpkin patch to take pics of Z. This being her first Halloween and all. We had a cute little outfit picked out, complete with super cute black sequins-covered sneakers that were a baby shower gift. Pumpkin patches in Florida are fine, but it's 1,000 degrees, and I didn't want her first pumpkin patch pic to be taken in a sundress.
Every patch we passed was small and not as fabulous as we had pictured in our minds. Until the last day of our trip. On our way to one of our favorite spots, Amicalola Falls, we passed a place called Burt's Farm. It was so much better than we had imagined! Pumpkins for days!

We didn't have much room for all of the pumpkins we wanted to bring home (they were crazy cheap, too!), but we brought home three little beauties which may or may not end up as baby food or pie. 

Aren't the long stems amazing?! They were all like this. And disregard the wretched table that they're sitting on. It's total junk and will be painted blue soon until the perfect replacement (dreaming of a storage cocktail ottoman) falls from the sky and lands in our living room.

4. So, who else loves Philosophy products? When I was preggo, my wonderful friend Kara gave me a gift set from Philosophy for mommies. I love love Philosophy (which Kara knows very well), especially the peppermint bark lip gloss and body washes. Anyway, among other things, this set included the Purity cleanser, which I went out and bought recently, remembering how much I liked the trial size right after Z was born. This stuff is amazing and a bit pricey. I have sensitive skin and crazy breakouts since having Z, but this makes my skin so clear and soft. You only use a tiny bit at a time, so the bottle will last a long time, making it worth the price tag. The set also had a tiny tub of Hope in a Jar, which was also great, and I'll probably end up splurging on that, too. 

5. The moment Starbucks rolls out all of the peppermint drinks in December, I'm waiting in line and fighting the urge to go every day. Peppermint is probably my favorite flavor, unless it's summer and I'm craving strawberry everything. So when the Hubs and I found this mix in an Ingle's grocery store while on our trip, we both squealed with glee. Ok, maybe only one of us squealed, but we were both pretty excited! I'm not sure if Publix has it or not, but if they do, there will be more gleeful squeals in the future! 

6. And while drinking our peppermint hot cocoas, Baby Tuna may just be wearing these pjs from Baby Gap. The polka dot bottoms are pretty darn cute! I'll be ordering them for her the next chance I get. 

7. ABC Family's 13 Nights of Halloween makes me happy and I look forward to it every year! I don't watch all of it, obviously, but definitely try to catch my festive favorites. Night Before Christmas, Coraline, Corpse Bride, Hocus Pocus, and Alice in Wonderland. They even show throwbacks like Teen Witch and Goonies. Check out the schedule here and enjoy! 

Happy Weekend!! 

Friday Favorites

In my opinion, Fall officially starts on October 1 (though someone forgot to tell the SoFla temperatures). October marks the official start to holiday season, decorating, candy, and yummy baked goods. I love, love, LOVE this time of year! Here's what else I'm loving right now...

1. Pumpkin Spice EVERYTHING! When you live in south Florida, it's hard to get into the fall frame of mind. The leaves don't change, hibiscus are still in full bloom, and it's about a zillion degrees outside. Enter pumpkin spice.

Kisses, Cookies, and M&Ms available at Target. Latte from Starbucks...Yum! 

This time of year, the Hubs starts making pumpkin spice waffles on Sundays. I dream about these all summer. They. are. the. best. and really put you in the mood to jump into a pile of leaves. 

Recipe

2. Fall TV: I'm embarrassed even mentioning how much I love TV, but this time of year my condition is at it's worst. Premier weeks make me happy.  Modern Family, Parks & Rec, Once Upon a Time, CSI, Person of Interest...the final season of How I Met Your Mother (my all-time favorite)... good god I could keep going, but I'll spare you. 

3. Fall evenings at the park: We are so lucky to have an amazing community park at the end of our block. Lots of big shady trees, playgrounds, swing sets, even a little skate park. Now that the temps are so pleasant in the late afternoons, we've started walking over and giving the babe a little swing time. She's always loved the wind in her hair, so swinging is right up her alley.

This is what pure joy looks like!

4. Essie Smokin' Hot: My go-to nail color for Fall. I'll probably being wearing this until December 1. It's from a few years back, but I noticed it at Target a few weeks ago.

5. Halloweeny books for kids: It's no big secret that I am a hoarder of children's books. Although I've been away from the classroom for two years, I still have boxes of books in storage (some of which I may be selling soon, teacher friends...I'll keep ya posted). It's an addiction. So, shock of the year, Baby Tuna has an entire shelf dedicated to Halloween. By the time she is able to read on her own, I have a feeling she will have quite an extensive collection.

More info on all these books, in an upcoming post, so stay tuned. 

 HAPPY WEEKEND!!