Dressing The Boys

It's a well known fact that there is a plethora of adorable girl clothing. You can find perfectly cute items from almost any store. The bows, shoes, leggings- what's not love?

Shopping for boys proves to be a bit more challenging. I have a pretty specific way I like to dress Tanner- preppy and classic. Of course, not everyone has the same tastes but I love me some smocking, polos, pastels, and monograms for baby boy.

 

A lot of the stuff I like can be kind of pricey, especially the smocked outfits. However, you can find good deals online, especially from places like Zulily and Smocked Overstocks on Facebook.

 

I got these monogrammed shorts on Etsy. Could you not spend hours searching all of the amazing stuff on this site?

 

Other shops we love are Mini Boden, Baby Gap, Vineyard Vines, and of course, Target. Anything Tanner wears, inevitably, gets food, drinks, dirt etc all over. So, easy care is a must. Almost everything we've bought has stood up really well to all the wear and tear.

 

Here are some of our tried and true favorites:

Via Nordstrom

Via Nordstrom

Via Gap

Via Vineyard Vines

 

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Things you need now- Cheap Thrills

 

Duri Miarcote

Via

At $6 a pop, you can't afford not to get this. As a relatively new mom, I'm still adjusting to the fact that 'me time' is pretty minimal. I still love me a good mani/pedi, I just can't make it to the salon that often. With this, you simply apply your regular polish, top it with a layer of Miracote, and voila! A perfect, quick nap time mani.

 

Nest Pumpkin Chai candle

 

Via

For a candle this is a bit pricey ($30). But I'll say it's totally worth it. The combination of pumpkin and chai spices is perfection- not too strong but definitely fills the room with the scent.

 

Old Navy leggings

Via

These leggings are where it's at. $23 plus there is almost always a sale. They suck you in and don't shift around creating the dreaded muffin top. I really love all of Old Navy's activewear, mainly because a lot of it comes in Tall sizes.

I did bite the bullet a few months ago and got a pair of Wunder Under's from Lululemon. Meh....I wasn't in love with them and they didn't stay put when I was moving around. I tried a few sizes and it really didn't make a difference. Back to the store they went! I'm not spending $100 on workout pants that aren't perfect.

 

Chapstick original

Via

This is random, I know. But over the course of many years I believe I have tried almost every Chapstick known to man. More recently, I was into Burt's Bee and EOS. I liked the smell of BB and the feel of EOS but not vice versa (if that makes sense?). Mark randomly brought home a tube of this original Chapstick which I hadn't used in eons and what do you know? I loved it! It went on so smoothly. I think I prefer that there's not really a scent to it and bonus, it has SPF.

Ikea tent

Via

And for the kiddos, this mini circus tent. We have definitely gotten our $20 worth out of this thing. Although it doesn't necessarily match our decor, it does conveniently house all of Tanner's little cars/mowers/tractors and whatever else I feel like tossing in at the end of the day. There is an Ikea about 35 minutes from our house so we make the trek occasionally. But let me tell you it is madness. You've got to have a game plan or you will just get sucked in. We have several pieces of furniture from Ikea and they are all surprisingly great quality.

 

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Home Renovation: A Year Later

When we purchased our home, we went in knowing that it would need serious work. I don't think I fully grasped exactly how extensive the renovation would be until we were in the middle of it. The photos really speak for themselves. While they're not professional, you will see its a dramatic transformation.

Not a single room in the house was left untouched. We utilized a contractor and various local companies for the major work and my dad and Mark knocked out the smaller scale stuff (which there was a lot of). There are still some big projects to tackle but it was come a long way and we are just thrilled with how everything has turned out.

BEFORE: Entry

AFTER

BEFORE: Living Room

 

 

 

 

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What I'm Watching

I love having a weekly tv schedule- it gives me something to look forward to each night. Fall shows are the best in my opinion and now that I have Downton Abbey and Game Of Thrones, Winter isn't too bad either.

Nashville

Source

This show brings the drama in a major way. I'm a big Connie Britton fan (from Friday Night Lights) and she does not disappoint as Rayna James. I generally find Hayden Panetierre annoying but I think this role is perfect for her. I also really like watching Kimberly Williams-Paisley. She's been one of my faves since Father of the Bride.

 

Revenge

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If you haven't seen this, do yourself a favor and start the series immediately. It can be a little cliche and kitschy at times but it is SO addictive. I got Mark hooked on it and is one of the few shows he'll actually watch with me.

 

New Girl

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New Girl is just awesome and hilarious. My mom turned me on to this and i was skeptical at first but I gave in and now I love it. Zoey Deschanel is quirky and weird (as I imagine her to be in real life). Schmidt is hands down my favorite. Another one Mark will actually watch with me.

 

Real Howeswives of Beverly Hills

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I'd be remiss not to mention my beloved Bravo. It goes without saying my obsession continues and whatever is on, I'm watching. I'm pretty excited for the upcoming season of RHBH and the cast additions. Frankly, they look a little scary- I mean, a witch? Andy should have just brought on Alison Dubois! From the previews it seems like Brandy will be overindulging (!) and Kim Richards will be back to her usual self.

I've been watching, unenthusiastically, The New Atlanta, Eric & Jessie (Newlyweds 2.0!), and all of the 'bonus' footage/reunion of RHNJ. I'm glad people are leaving for next season- I can only take so much of the Melissa-Teresa- Manzo family business.

Source

Are there any shows I'm missing out on?!

 

 

 

 

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TGIF

I'm just going to gloss over the fact that I've been MIA since.......April.......

 

Between moving from Charleston to Cincinnati, living with my parents for 8 months, to buying/renovating a house, and chasing around a very active toddler things have been just a tad busy around here.

Some (semi) recent happenings

My little man turned 1!

Finally became homeowners again

Had lots of girl time

Took a great vacation to Charleston & Kiawah

Visited Mark's parents in NC

Scoped out the local parks

 

And this a seriously edited version.

We are officially suburbanites now and while it's definitely been a change we're really enjoying it. It's so nice to have a garage (any designated parking, at that!), a yard, neighbors more than 3 feet away, and free reign to do whatever we want to the inside AND outside of our house. Having a mall and Target 5 minutes away doesn't hurt either.

 

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