If you are anything like my family, you are ready to get out and about in some spring sunshine! My boys are so much happier when we are outside, and there are so many fun spring family activities to keep them entertained, learning and in good spirits.
SPRING FAMILY ACTIVITIES
1. Take a walk. So simply, but just going for a little stroll (babies in wagons, strollers or walking) is great! Just breathing in fresh air and exploring the simple things outdoors right around you is great!
2. Picnic outside. I love doing this! Pack a blanket and some fun picnic friendly foods.
3. Head to a park. Swings, slides, play tag.
4. Do a scavenger hunt. The boys are still so young, but the other day I just hid big items and had G go find them. He loved it!
5. Kick a ball in the yard.
6. Sidewalk chalk!
7. Paint outside. Set up a big huge roll of paper and let them go to town. Then have a big tub of water outside to clean up after so you aren’t worried about the mess.
8. Grab a blanket and a book and read under a tree.
9. Blow bubbles. You can even get a bubble machine and really go crazy. We got this one HERE. (Under $15 and works like a charm!)
10. Go to the Farmer’s Market. For little ones it can be a great learning opportunity to learn different fruits, vegetables, colors and shapes.
11. Let the kids help you wash the car. (Or play in the water…)
12. Build an outdoor fort… (or Pitch a tent to play in outside!)
NASHVILLE SPRING FAMILY ACTIVITIES
1. Eggstavaganza is at the Nashville Zoo on 3/31/18. So many fun activities. You can see when all the Egg Hunts are and all the info HERE.
2. Cheekwood! We love it here. There are so many beautiful tulips now and they are celebrating “Cheekwood in Bloom.” They also have a fun spring art hop on 3/31 with food trucks, a beer garden for the parents, egg hunts, face painting, rabbit petting, song time, etc. You can find the info on that HERE.
P.S. I’ve got a whole bunch of Easter/Spring home decor, baby goods, spring dresses, and so many other spring goodness up HERE.
An Organzied Home: How To Create An Organized Pantry
I’ve teamed up with Alesia at A Well-Organized Home here in Nashville to organize my pantry and in turn my life. HA! Sounds dramatic, but it’s really not. Keeping my home clutter free makes everything function more smoothly, and ultimately keeps stress down.
Spring cleaning time is here! It’s so important for me to keep this new house is the best functioning order I possibly can. Two babies and working from home is enough on my plate. I don’t want to constantly be in choas on top of that.
The hardest part is truly just getting it all started. Once everything has it’s perfect place, it’s much easier to maintain. That’s where Alesia comes in.
When I asked her what A Well-Organized Home is all about she told me…
“Put simply, a well-organized home makes home more peaceful. By helping others organize their homes, I want to help bring peace into their homes. As moms, we’re often the ones who are expected to know where everything is in our house. How many times a day do we answer “Where is {insert item here}?” When we can answer this question quickly, without having to search ourselves, it takes just a little stress out of our day. Even better, when we have areas organized and labeled, oftentimes we can avoid this question altogether because our families know that items have a “home.” I want to help the overwhelmed moms and families that are going a million miles an hour in fifty different directions feel just a bit calmer and at ease when home. Home should be a place where we can exhale, not a place where we get stressed out by opening the pantry, linen closet, master closet, etc. The best thing a client can tell me is that by organizing a space, it has brought more peace to their home and family.”
I mean.. I just love this on so many levels.
TOP TRICKS TO ESTABLISH AN ORGANIZED PANTRY
1. Use acrylic bins and a few different styles of baskets. Acrylic bins are great for grab-and-go snacks, and baskets are great for items that you want to keep in their original packaging.
2. Clear canisters are great for decanting more than just your pantry staples. They can be used for any product that you always have on hand, like cookies, crackers, pasta, etc.
3. Label, label, label – Labeling makes life easier on you and the rest of your family. Now everyone doesn’t have to ask where something is!
4. Always have an “extra” bin. We all have a tendency to overbuy something, so having a bin to keep the “extra” in helps corral those items in one place.
5. Take stock of your pantry before going to the grocery store. Take five minutes to quickly look over your pantry before going to buy groceries. Then you’ll know what you actually need and won’t overbuy.
I also asked Alesia to break down the process of having her come into your home and help you jump start your organization. (Whether it be a pantry, closet, office, etc.)
She explained the process like this:
*Initial consultation at no charge, with no obligation
*During the consultation, I come to your home, take a look at the space or spaces you want organized, and ask a lot of questions. I want to know who all uses the space, what you like about it, what you don’t like about it, how you’d like it to function, how often is it used, etc. I ask a lot of questions because there is no one-size-fits-all for organization. For me to get the space functional for you and your family, I need to understand your family and your family’s habits, so that’s why I ask so many questions.
I’ll also take photos and measurements during the consultation. I will also look at what organizational products you already have in that space (if any) and talk to you about if you want them incorporated or if you want to start from scratch.
The consultation can last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, depending on the size and number of spaces you want me to look at.
*After the consultation, I take all of the information I’ve gathered to create an estimate. I’ll break the estimate down by space and also by organization service and supplies. All supplies are a pass-through, meaning you pay exactly what I pay for them. Organization service is on an hourly basis I usually base it on a range within an hour or two (i.e. 4 to 5 hours, 8 to 10 hours, etc.). I’ll email over the completed estimate (usually within 24 hours).
*Once you’re ready to move forward, we’ll settle on a date or dates to complete the project. Clients can be home when I actually do the organizing but they don’t have to be. It’s whatever they feel comfortable with – I’m fine with either!
SURPRISE! We are also giving away a complete organized pantry makeover to one lucky winner! You can head on over to Instagram to enter and for further details. Check that out HERE.
Does anyone else get in a rut with all the dreary weather? It’s been rainy and cold over here in Tennessee and I feel like the boys and I have been cooped up in the house for what feels like forever. I truly love staying at home and soaking in all the sweet moments with my babies, but when the weather is like this it puts me in a funk. The cure for that? A coffee date with friends and dreams of sunshine and spring outfits!
I’ve been seeing this adorable coffee shop, Coffee & Coconuts, pop up on my Instagram feed and it did NOT disappoint. It’s something straight out of a magazine and has such a California cool vibe. The most picture worthy coffee shop ever and the avocado toast and homemade organic coffee syrups were equally as incredible.
Katie, with Beauty By K2, was one of my first “Nashville friends.” It’s been so fun hearing her talk about her dream of starting a makeup business and going to esthetician school to watching her turn that into a thriving reality. We decided to team up to bring a neutral spring look and head out together for a little coffee date after. Much needed girl time!
These jeans might just be my favorites I’ve ever had. They are high waisted, but super comfortable. The waist is the perfect length to wear the crop top trend but not show any belly area. (Perfect for mamas that aren’t really wanting to show it all..) I loved the busted knee, and the crop is great for spring. They run true to size. I couldn’t resist this neutral striped crop top ! The straps are removable and it’s light weight, but not sheer at all. It’s still cold so I paired it with my absolute favorite thing I own… THIS DUSTER. It comes in three colors (I own them all…) It’s something you can wear year round, and it amplifies any outfit. It literally feels like you are wearing a robe. Totally worth the splurge. (Size down…)
Katie created such an easy neutral look that I will be re-creating a LOT this spring. We both are all about prepping our skin before we start. It’s ALLLL about the skincare (huge post on that coming next week.) Directly before we used Tarte’s H20 moisturizer. It’s got a cooling affect and soaks into the skin. Your skin feels so soft directly after use which I love. Then we did a few sprays of Urban Decay’s Quick Fix hydrating prep and prime spray. (I have dry skin.) It reduces pores and hydrates to help makeup look more flawless. My go to foundation has been Tarte’s Amazonian clay. It’s a full coverage, and has SPF. (SO important.) The Naked Palette has been a long standing favorite of ours for YEARS. She used shades “buck” in the crease, “half baked” on the lid and smog in the outer corners. These three together are a neutral (but still glam) dream. The perfect amount of shimmer.
With this neutral look, the perfect nude look keeps the whole face fresh and clean looking. We used the Urban Decay in “stark nude” .
She finished the look with some blush. Spring is all about a beautiful blushed cheek! Katie blended Mac’s powder blush in the shade “melba” on the cheekbones.
Spring is all about the braids! She whipped this look up in under 5 minutes! The key to creating braided looks is pulling the braids with your fingers and making them appear wider and slightly “undone” or “messy” looking. She left room and looped my braid through to give extra dimension. (Does anyone else remember the red topsy turvy braid from their childhood!? My mom used this on us ALLLLL the time. We hated it because she would do it sooo tight.)
I’m ready for all the spring outfit looks, braids, sunshine and flowers!
Check out another neutral pretty spring look HERE.
All the Easter Inspo! Easter tablescape, baby outfits, dresses & decor.
We have a lot of upcoming travel, so my family will be joining us in Nashville this Easter! It was exciting for me to go get the decor to set up and make everything beautiful for our first Easter in this home.
Now don’t get me wrong I love a good theme, but I wanted to choose pieces that could be used again and again. I just added in these adorable hip hop hippity hop print napkins that were under $3 a piece. I love that they don’t SCREAM easter like little chicks or bunnies, but adds the perfect touch. Ditch the script texts napkins and this goes from Easter tablescape to spring tablescape. I added in a striped grey napkin on the inside to make them very “full” looking.
These beautiful magnolia napkin rings are under $5 and can be used all spring. They bring so much life to the table, and I love that they help to fill the space. I’m not a fan of everything looking too “matchy-matchy”, but I just could not deny these painted magnolia wine glasses. Since the magnolias were such a statement, I wanted to keep the rest of the table simple. (I also wanted our marble table to be able to show as well.)
These rustic white wood chargers are great for year round. They are on sale right now, and I plan to use them for everything. I’m already planning on using them with some emerald green, grey and gold for Christmas time. (9 more months, but who is counting?!)
I plan to serve Easter lunch family style, so I wanted to leave plenty of room in the center of the table. Some fresh flowers in a vase and a small candle finished out the look. If you follow along on my Instastories you may remember how I make these arrangements so inexpensively. I just grab a few grocery store flowers (these were $5) and then also grab some sort of green stem. (Eucalyptus is always great!) On the vase I take scotch tape and make a grid. (Two horizontal strips of tape and two vertical strips of tape.) You then just fill in the grid with the florals and greens and it creates an easy arrangement!
EASTER DECOR
Here are some other Easter/Spring themed decor items that are just adorable, and can make your home the perfect amount of “modern festive.”
EASTER BABY ITEMS
I also wanted to share some of the adorable baby items I’ve picked up for G and Wilder. It’s easy to go overboard with the littles on holidays, but I tried to find items that (mostly) can be worn all spring.
EASTER/SPRING DRESSES
I love a good floral print, but typically steer clear of it on myself. EXCEPT for Easter, and the spring really just makes me want to throw on a floral dress! Here are some of my favorites!
Meet, Kristee! My sister is three years younger than me and after many years of fighting over clothes and well, just about everything, we are now truly best friends. She’s expecting her first baby, Bo, in May. (On Trey and I’s anniversary!) G and Wilder are excited to be big cousins, and I’m so excited for her to join the mom club. Since she’s been pregnant and moved to South Carolina, we have become even closer. We talk every single day, and typically a FaceTime or two as well.
Kristee is the most innately mothering soul I’ve ever met. She lives for babies and children. Not only is she a teacher, but she also spends her free time working with kids in after school programs at the Y and various other organizations. Kristee is not a “show up and get out” kind of person. Each child is so special to her, and she makes deep connections with them and their families. I’m proud of the woman that she has become.
Unfortunately, teachers don’t make even close to what they are worth. It blows my mind that the people that shape our children’s future are so financially undervalued. If you are a parent you know, diapers are NOT cheap. I heard about Incredibundles I knew that I had to nominate her and help her try to relieve the financial burden and win diapers!
Here is more information straight from them, if you would like to enter for yourself or someone special that you know!! I mean, who doesn’t want to win diapers?!
IncrediBundles.com – the home of the bestselling Year of Diapers babygift – wants to make life easier for one mom by giving her A Year of Diapers! We want you to nominate a mom (can be you, a friend, coworker or family member) and share a photo or video of them on Instagram using the hashtag #WinDiapers telling us in the caption what their story is (why did you nominate them? what makes them the best mom ever?). The post that gets the most likes wins! Giveaway starts on 2/26 and ends 11:59pm EST 3/11. Follow Incredibundles.com
for more chances to win!
Want to know more about giving a Diaper Subscription from IncrediBundles.com? It’s the foolproof baby gift chosen by thousands of gift-givers across the country. IncrediBundles.com is the home of the ultimate baby gift – a Diaper Subscription where your recipient gets to choose the brand and size diapers they would like to receive each month. Gift-givers can give a 3-Month, 6-Month, 9-Month or 12-Month Diaper Subscription. Check it out: HERE.
Here’s how an IncrediBundles.com Diaper Subscription works. Upon your purchase of a 3, 6, 9 or 12-month Diaper Subscription, IncrediBundles.com sends an adorable announcement package featuring a beautiful plush teddy bear nestled in one of the company’s chic, trademark storage containers. The teddy bear holds a certificate that announces your gift. This certificate features a unique code your recipient will use to activate her subscription. Then, each month, your recipient can log in to their subscription and select the brand and size diapers they would like delivered straight to their door that month. IncrediBundles.com features all of the major brands – Pampers, Huggies, Luvs and Members Mark.
IncrediBundles.com can send the announcement package directly to your recipient or to you, the purchaser, to present at a baby shower. It’s that easy!
You can see my entry for my sweet sister on Instagram HERE. . I’d love it you would “like” and help her win diapers!
Spring is on the horizon and I’m oh so ready for it! I’m so excited to start rocking some new spring (lighter) looks. Ya’ll know I love a good white on white, but this updated ivory on ivory is even better!
I’ve started to stock up on some staple pieces that I wanted to share! These ivory jeans are an update on the white jeans that have been popular for awhile now. The distressed hem is great, and they are such a good price point. ($78) They fit true to size. This neutral hat is perfect for lighter color threads in the spring/summer. (It’s also a great price point at $58!)
I know I brag about Spell & The Gypsy Collective all the time, but they are such a great company. This graphic t-shirt is great, because it’s light and neutral and also something slightly different than the band tees.
Shopbop is one of the best retailers for designer pieces (and some great reasonably priced one too)! They are currently having their best sale, the buy more, save more event. Perfect time to stock up on some spring style essentials. This sale gets me.. every dang time! It’s 15% off of orders $200+, 20% off orders $500+, and 25% off of orders $800 and up.
UNDER $100 SPRING ESSENTIALS
SPLURGE WORTHY STAPLE PIECES
I love a good designer piece as much as the next girl, but hate paying full price. This is the best time to stock up on some staple items that you can where on the regular. (I swear by my Golden Goose sneakers for example..)
I had so much fun designing and co-hosting a beautiful baby shower for my sweet friend, Mallory Ervin.
One of the most crucial things when planning an event is picking the right vendors, and let me tell ya……. we nailed it! If you happen to be in Nashville, I couldn’t possibly recommend these sweet ladies any more.
Mallory and Kyle are waiting until their sweet babes arrival before finding out the gender, so we wanted to find a theme that was very gender neutral. She also loves everything French inspired and even studied abroad there, so a Parisian Chic look was the perfect fit.
Noelle Nashville is a hot new hotel in Nashville, and this ballroom is DREAMY. It has beautiful herringbone wood floors, sky high ceilings, unique light fixtures, and the prettiest natural light. We also were able to get the food and drinks through the hotel. Their staff is incredibly accommodating and made everything as easy as possible.
Please Be Seated is always my go-to for rentals. Mary, the owner, is so fun to work with. She has the greatest eye. I brought her a mood board, and the picture I found on Pinterest ended up being an event that they did! I knew I wanted to do something a little different, and wanted to utilize tall benches since the ceilings were so tall. With the french baby shower theme we wanted to do a mix of glam pieces, with some rustic touches. The velvet benches on one end were so glam, and the wooden chairs provided that small touch of rustic. We kept the tablescape very neutral with grey linens, and marble chargers. The gold flatware really popped on the table, and the vintage glasses and candle votives filled the table so nicely.
We also wanted to create a comfortable “sit and stay awhile” kind of vibe. Please Be Seated has so many beautiful furniture set up options, that we utilized a couch, chairs and beautiful marble end tables. The vintage layered rugs are from one of my favorite shops in Nashville, Apple & Oak. They finished out that space perfectly!
Keeping that mix of glam/rustic balance throughout the florals there were roses, but also lots of eucalyptus and thistles. Foxglove and Heather created the most perfect florals I have ever seen! If you are getting married, having a party, or whatever it may be in Middle Tennessee….she’s unreal! And so sweet and amazing.
Sincerely Hope Designs created this banner that read “For this baby I have prayed” in French. She also did the calligraphy for all the acrylic sign boards, and the invites. I love a good theme, so it was important to me to keep that throughout. Since they don’t know they gender, one sign had a place for guests to take their guess with either, “rose” or “bleu”. Next to the cake and macaroons the sign read, “oui oui cherie.” (“yes, yes darling” in French.)
The “mom-osa” bar was adorned with a gold “bonjour bebe” to match the invite and continue with the theme. It featured fresh squeezed orange, grapefruit, and pomegranate juices with fruit toppings as well. It’s such an easy touch to add to an event and it looks as great as it tastes!
It was such a fun day filled with so much love and light. As a new mom, I just know how much of an exciting time this is and it was great to be able to play a role in helping to celebrate that!
At the beginning of the year I made a pact to bring more purpose and intention to the blog. Living a healthy lifestyle is important to me, but not easy.
Let me preface this post by saying I don’t always live a perfectly healthy lifestyle. I fall off the wagon and struggle. However, recently I’ve been more successful with it and it’s all about a mindset change. It’s important to me to implement this healthy lifestyle to our children so that they don’t develop bad habits. Also, I’ve noticed my productivity, mood, energy, and overall demeanor is just better off when I’m ON the wagon.
With that being said… here are 5 tips to Star living your best life. NOW!
1. Start Now, Start Small
Start today. Don’t wait until the New Year. Don’t wait until the weekend is over. Don’t wait until after a trip. Just pick a small change you want to make, and start NOW. You could start with something as simple as cutting out soda completely, taking a multivitamin everyday, going for a daily walk or jog. Whatever it is, once you implement a healthy habit into your life you see the effects that is has on you. Once you see those effects, you want to incorporate more!
2.Practice Makes Perfect
It is unrealistic to think that you will be great at any given change right away. “Diets” are fads. They don’t work. If you want to truly change your lifestyle that involves forming habits. On average, it takes a little over two months before a behavior becomes automatic. Be kind to yourself and allow room for mistakes and growth. Nothing worth having is easy. It is not easy the change to living a healthy lifestyle. Practice those habits until they become second nature.
3. Find Your Balance
It is unrealistic to think that you will stay on the straight and narrow all the time. Balance is the key. (As is life…right?!) Everything in moderation, including moderation. I’ve chosen a couple things that are pretty much hard “no’s.” Soda, for example. Then there are things that I really enjoy and do not want to deprive myself of, pasta for instance. On Sunday’s we like to cook a “feel good, comfort meal.” Finding whatever balance works for you. Decide on some things that you will essentially complete cut out, what you will limit, and what you can’t give up.
4. Enlist the Help of a Partner/Motivator
Everything is more fun with a friend. Self control is not an easier thing, but it sure is easier when the people closest to you are there for moral support. For me, it’s next to impossible to eat healthy and exercise when my husband is on the junk food wagon. Right now we have committed to living this healthy lifestyle together and it’s made it a million times easier for me. If you have that friend that you can text to talk you off the chocolate ledge, reach out. Enlist their help to motivate and keep you on track. It also helps for you to be that person for someone else. Simply hearing yourself speak to them is also reinforcing those thoughts to yourself. You are what you think. Your thoughts become your actions. When you tell yourself you can do it, you’ve won the battle.
5. Plan Ahead
When I sat down and really evaluated why I was struggling with eating unhealthy and not sticking with a exercise routine it all boiled down to planning. With two babies under two, my days are hectic. Most of the time I just didn’t have the time to go to the grocery store so I would get the easiest delivery at the final hour when I was so hungry my stomach felt like it was eating itself. With just the littlest bit of time management and planning life has been SO much easier. Sundays are a great day for me to sit down and find some recipes to try and plan out what I need to get from the grocery store. If you can meal prep for days that you know will be hectic, even better. Making planning out your week a priority keeps you going down that healthy lifestyle path!
And of course.. outfit details. Tip: if you wear a size XS/Small you can get a boys size 10 or 12 and save TONS on designer finds. ThisGucci T-Shirt has quickly become a closet staple for me and I was able to save several hundred compared to the women’s version. (It’s the size 10 for reference, it’s snug and fits as a fitted shirt would.) I LIVE in this Duster. It runs a bit oversized so I sized down. It truly feels as if I’m wearing a robe, and makes the simplest outfit a little more chic. These leopard booties are my new favorites! You can totally treat leopard as a neutral. The block heel makes them super comfortable which is key for me these days….
P.S. Read more on saving on key designer pieces HERE.
P.P.S. Iced coffee with some almond milk or coconut milk is a great healthy alternative!
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner which makes me grateful to feel all the love in my family. More than anything, I hope to be raising kind kids that are loving and compassionate.
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner which makes me grateful to feel all the love in my family. More than anything, I hope to be raising kind kids that are loving and compassionate.
My husband always shares the quote, “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.” How true is that?!
This day in age is full of bullying, comparison and competition. Top that with the growing concern of every detail of life being seen on social media and our children are growing up in a trying world. More now than ever it’s important to instill kindness and compassion in our children.
I believe this is something that needs to be taught. If hate is taught, so is love.
Going back to my New Year’s Resolution to be more intentional in my life, being intentional with my parenting trumped all. How I live my everyday life, and how I treat my boys will affect their decisions for the rest of their lives. It’s SOOO important for me to be intentional with my words and parenting with something so great at stake.
I did my due diligence and read up on ways that I can be raising kind kids.
Some of the following really stood out to me and just made sense. We’ve been implementing them into our everyday life. Even if you aren’t a mom, these can be useful to know!
Raising Kind Kids:
* Above all else setting an example yourself is key. Being a strong moral compass for your children to mimic your actions is paramount.
* Prioritize kindness, compassion, strong morals, etc. If we constantly are worrying about their achievements, sports accolades, “success” we lose sight of what is important.
* Make it a habit to ask your children daily what they are grateful for that day and what kind act they did. Since my babies are so young, I just tell them mine. For example, “Georgie I am so grateful for you. Thank you for being kind and sharing your truck with your brother.” It’s a great way to start and end the day too!
* Practicing and teaching mindfulness. This in return leads to kindness.
* When they outgrow toys, have them help bring it to a friend or donate to someone in need. A friend of mine’s daughter gave Georgie her little guitar when she had outgrown it. He still loves it so much! She learned a good lesson, and G has a more meaningful and special toy. Win-win!
* Always encourage sharing. (I thought this was simple.. but you’d be surprised! Having G be more social with playdates and My Gym I’ve noticed so many parents that will take a toy back that their child was playing with or something similar.)
* Reward them for kind actions with experiences or getting to do something special not getting something special. This also encourages them to appreciate moments over possessions.
* Go out of your way to be kind to others. Remember, your child is watching and learning! (This includes your significant other…)
I hope everyone has a Valentine’s day filled with lots of love!
I grew up in the Midwest and we had our fair share of snow. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good snow day, but COME. ON. SPRING. It’s just cold to be cold over here in Nashville, and these baby boys just want to be outside all day.
Spring style is about to be here, and I can’t wait! Until then, here is a little transition outfit idea. Denim Jackes are the perfect transition piece. I styled mine over this $10 GRAPHIC TEE, and added a stripe scarf for interest and my go to white booties. (The pop of white is perfect for spring style!) They are also on sale for half off and are now under $100!!
We are trying to beat off the cabin fever by doing little workouts inside and getting out any chance the temperatures spike up! However, this Wilson clan is all MORE than ready for spring!!
Some SALES I’ve been shopping this week:
Too Faced– Up to 30% off site wide. I was out of my favorite mascara and ended up snagging a couple other items as well.
Shopbop– One of the best to find designer pieces, and they’ve added A TON to the sale. They also are offering 15% off regular priced items using the code: FORYOU15.
Revolve– They have a ton of staple winter/fall items on mega sale. So many great jackets! I grabbed this black velvet moto jacket on sale for under $100.
Anthropologie – They are offering an additional 25% off sale. Since we moved in to the new house I’ve been crushing on all of their home decor.
P.S. You can check out my favorite spring transition outfit from last year HERE.
