Five on Friday

It's MARCH. How is it March?! I can't believe how fast time is flying. You know what else flew by? This week. Whew! We are so ready for a fun weekend ahead.

 

one A // We have spring fever over here and I've started shopping for warmer clothes for the kids. I snagged these super cute dresses below for Caroline from Amazon and most of them have already arrived this week and I am blown away by the quality. Most of them are from Fiream, a super cute and affordable clothing line that I discovered thanks to Natasha!

Now girl mamas, tell me where I can find inexpensive spandex shorts (in bulk) to go under these dresses!

 

 Dinosaur Cotton Dress ($10) // Boat Dress ($13) // Watermelon Dress ($12)

Lemon Flutter Sleeve Dress ($14) // Bunny Pocket Dress ($12) // Flamingo Dress ($10)

I grabbed this cute sailboat two-piece set for Thomas for $15 too!

 

one B // The toddler swim line at Target is on point this season!!! This week I picked up some new swimwear while it's buy one get one 50% off (ends tomorrow!!). For Thomas I got new dinosaur swim trunks, shark swim trunks and a rash guard. And for Caroline I grabbed a new rashguard swimsuit. Here's a round-up of my favorite toddler swimwear:

two // I read a super interesting New York Times article this week about switching to grayscale on your phone to reduce your screentime. Basically you cut the colors by going gray and your phone becomes more of a tool and less of a source of entertainment. Anyway, I tested it out as an experiment for a day and it totally worked -- scrolling through a colorless instagram was a lot less interesting. But I only lasted a day before turning color back on.

three // I can't tell you how much fun it's been to receive all your messages on my insta stories in response to my easy dinner posts. SO many of you have sent me snaps of your dinner using my recipe this week and it made me happy, happy, happy! Since y'all love it, I'll see if Chef Caroline is available and interested in posting another easy dinner recipe soon.

Easy recipe this week -- sheet pan meal with parmesan pork chops (pork chops coated in panko and parmesan), honey glazed carrots and broccoli. Throw in the oven at 350 for 25 minutes and dinner is served! And clean up is easy, easy, easy!

four // I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow. Matt always says I should go short and I always chicken out and get .025 inches trimmed off instead. Anyway, he sent me these two hair styles and I am warming up to the length. Should I go for it? Stay tuned...

five // This cutie patootie rocked her dentist appointment this week. She loves going to the dentist, which is hilarious to me because I love going to the dentist too...and I know that's weird.

Five on Friday!

Happy Friday! Whew, we've got some serious cabin fever over here today. Just got the text that school is closed for the THIRD day in a row.  

one. I had a lot of requests on insta-stories about my shoes I wore in Florida. I found it so funny because the picture I posted didn't even show the full beauty of the shoes.  Here they are in their full glory...and they are ON SALE...and I am obsessed with them...

 Shoes

two. So I just finished All the Missing Girls...and I didn't love it. I knowwww. I knooooooooow. I'm in the minority because so many of you swore this was one of the very best books. I just felt like it was too slow for me and I kept losing interest! I and can't wait to crack open The Good Daughter tonight!

three. I was cracking up last night at the amount of questions I received about the kitty cat night light that Caroline showed off during her room tour on insta-stories! Truth be told, Matt bought it on his own and when it arrived I thought it was SO weird...but Caroline is obsessed with it -- clearly!

Night Light

four. We made these Whole30 Greek Burgers last night and I couldn't wait until my next Meal Plan Monday post to share them. We devoured ours too fast to even snap a picture.

five. There's nothing like an unexpected snow day to push me to finally scoop up some rain/snow boots for the kiddos. At the sign of the first flurry, I purchased these adorable shark boots for Tom and kitty cat boots for Caroline. Both on sale for less than $20! Also purchased a cute dinosaur hat + mittens set (on sale) for Tom so he wouldn't have to use socks as mittens anymore. #secondkidproblems

Shark Boots | Kitty Cat Boots

Happy weekend, friends!

Ultimate Toddler Gift Guide

TA-DA! Toddler gift guide...just in time for Black Friday & Cyber Monday!

Favorite Toddler Toys (ages 2+)

A list of my kids' tried and true favorite (and most played with) toys! At first I was going to sort the list by girl and boy toys but both of my kids love both boy and girl toys so really any of these would work for any 2+ toddler!

$15 & Under

Baby Doll // Tool Set // VTech Laptop // Stroller // Doctor Kit

$25 & Under   

Toy Food // Cash Register //  Remote Control Car //  Dump Truck // Vacuum

Over $25

Magna-Tiles // Lincoln Logs 

Outdoor Toys

My favorite toys for the kids are the ones that I'm not going to trip over 30 times a day in the family room. If they can be played with outside it's a double win in my opinion -- keeps them out of my way and gets the kids outside! Here are some of our most favorite outdoor gifts that our kids looooooove to play with.  

$20 & Under

Bunch-o-Balloons // Scooteroo Bike // Donut Sidewalk Chalk Set // Bubble Machine // Bubble Mower // Tee Ball Set // Soccer Ball

$35 & Under

Water Table // Pop-Up TeePee Tunnel Set //  Slide // Basketball Set // Scooter

 Big Gifts

Playhouse // Bounce House // Balance Bike // Radio Flyer Wagon // Push Car // Ride-On Truck

Boooooooks!

My kids loooooooove books and even though we have piles and piles of them I am always looking for more! We own some of these books or check them out often from the library, and Santa is also bringing a few too.

Duncan the Story Dragon // Pete the Cat Books (any of them!) // Secret Pizza Party // Dragons Love Tacos // Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast // Princesses Wear Pants // Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls // Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site  // Frances the Badger (any of them!) // Have You Filled a Bucket Today? // The Day the Crayons Quit // Berenstain Bear Books (any of them!) // Where is My Truck? // Trashy Town // Spoon // I'm Dirty!

Looking for more meaningful gifts? Check out this post!

***And PLEASE do not forget to use ebates for all your online shopping this year!!! It's FREE cash back just for doing your shopping online! Sign up here if you need a referral.***

These Are A Few of My Favorite Things...

Stumped on what to ask Santa for this year? Me too. However, today I'm sharing a few of my faaaaavorite things that I'd recommend adding to your wish list. All items are tried and true favorites that I own, love and have blogged about (sometimes over-blogged about). Let me know if you need a little elf to shoot this over to your Santa. Happy wish list making!





1. State to State Coffee Mug: This adorable mug perfectly captures my heart in my two favorite states and is hands down my mug of choice each morning! This is also the perfect gift for your long distance bestie.

2. Hearthside Slippers:  An annual wish list item, my mom gets everyone in the family a new set of hearthside slippers every Christmas. They are fleece-lined and so cozy!

3. Iluminage Beauty Eye Mask: This rejuvenating silky sleep mask is embedded with copper, a well-known essential mineral with skin-enhancing properties to help minimize the appearance of wrinkles while you sleep! This would be a good mom, mother-in-law or sister gift too!

4. NARS Mini Blush & Bronzer Duo: This is the most perfect (and best-selling) combination from NARS ever -- my favorite blush (color: Orgasm) and favorite bronzer (color: Laguna) in one mini compact!!

5. Chanel Coco Mademoiselle Eau De Parfum Spray: Another annual staple for my list! I'll never wear any other scent and I always happen to spray my last few drops right around Christmas.

6. Capri Blue Volcano Candle: Both my and Matt's favorite candle (scent: volcano). Matt even asked for the diffuser for his office.

7. Ball Drop Earrings: I wear these ALL the time and always receive so many compliments on them. They pair well with so many outfits -- dressy or casual!

8. 50mm Camera Lens: This is really the only lens I use on my camera and I always get a lot of questions from readers inquiring about my camera lens. Highly recommend!

9. Swig Wine Tumbler: Comes in one billion colors (two of which I own), keeps beverages cold for 9 hours and hot for 3 hours. Oh, and it's dishwasher safe and shatter resistant, making this the perfect stemless wine cup!

10. Revision Black Mask: I use this mask 3x a week! It's so so so good.

11. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer: This concealer (color vanilla) works miracles! It's creamy, smooth and can cover even the darkest under eye circles. 

12. Kiehl's Avocado Eye Cream: A little goes a loooong way. I've been using mine every night for 6 months and it still doesn't look like I've ever used it. This eye cream is very soothing and creamy.

13. Bath Caddy: Conveniently holds a book/iPad, a candle, glass of wine and more. I use my caddy every single night while relaxing in the bath. Oh, and make sure to get this super inexpensive ($5) Epsom salt bath soap too. It's my absolute favorite and smells heavenly (made with essential oils)!

14. NeuLash: I have seen insane results in my eye lash growth since using this lash enhancing serum. It is incredible and works to strengthen your lashes so they can grow longer and thicker!
 

Stocking Stuffers under $15

15. Mario Badescu Facial Sprays: I use this cooling and refreshing facial mist to hydrate my skin after getting out of the shower and I also use it as a makeup setting spray each morning.

16. Neutragena Hydro Boost: If you suffer from dry skin like me, you must must must try this gel cream out. I've also read this product is a major dupe for the Dr Dennis Gross Hyaluronic Moisture Cushion Moisturizer ($58).


17. L'Oreal Lash Paradise: An incredible $7 dupe for Too Face Better Than Sex mascara ($23)! I've never been married to a specific mascara (I swear I've tried them all and they are all the same) until I used this one. I am now on my third tube and not only does this mascara make my eye lashes look fuller, they are drastically longer since I started using it. If you don't believe me, just read the Amazon reviews for yourself.

18. Seche Vite: The absolute best top coat ever. For a girl who pants her nails in bed and wakes up with tons of creases, this polish has been revolutionary. Not only does this seal your polish for a professional look, it fully dries in less than a minute and my manicures now lasts up to a week without chipping!


19. PopSocket: Pop, tilt, wrap, prop, collapse, grip! PopSockets help secure your grip and hold your phone more comfortably so you drop your phone less. It also allows you to securely prop your phone up at an angle for watching videos, etc.

20. MAC Lipstick: (color Twig). My favorite color since my wedding day! Twig is one of those colors that looks good on anyone which is probably why it's a makeup artist's go-to lip color. It truly is an amazing lipstick in every category - color, quality, long-lasting, etc. Here is my favorite $3 dupe for this lipstick too. It's not as amazing as the MAC version but close enough!

21. Sunglasses // My favorite sunglasses! I get a lot of questions about them. They are super cute and are only $12!

Now tell me what's on YOUR wish list. So far this makeup palette is the only thing on mine!

Holiday Gift Guide + Stocking Stuffers for Him

I cannot believe it's time to start shopping for the holidays. I like to get my shopping done as early as possible and the hardest boxes to check off my list are always the guys in my family. If you struggle with man gifts too, I've got just the guide for you...

1.  Modern Bluetooth Turntable with Speakers. Definitely among the top 5 gifts I've ever surprised Matt with. He has been dying for a Harvey Specter style record player for his new office and is absolutely obsessed with this one. To top off the gift I included The Ultimate Frank Sinatra vinyl to start his record collection.

2. Amazon Echo Dot. A voice-controlled device for playing music, making calls, ordering pizza, texting and more!

3. Amazon Fire TV. Enjoy over 15,000 apps, games, and Alexa skills including access to over 300,000 TV episodes and movies on Netflix, Amazon Video, HBO NOW, Hulu, and more. We use our fire stick every day!

4. Nest Thermostat. Want to control your thermostat from your phone or tablet? You need one of these! We have two for our home (upstairs and downstairs) and no longer have to play rock, paper, scissors to decide who has to get out of bed to adjust the thermostat. Nest automatically turns itself down when nobody’s home to help save energy too!

5. Tile Mate Key Finder. For the man in your life who constantly loses his keys, wallet, phone, etc. This magical Bluetooth tracker easily loops onto keychains or attaches to anything you don’t want to lose so you can find it fast.

6. Bluetooth Headphones. Sweatproof tangle-free ear buds that last up to 8 hours on full battery charge. Great for running, hiking, biking, gym etc.

7. Sound Bar. We loooooove our sound bar and use it daily for our TV and for streaming music from our phones.

8. TV Projector. Watch movies or stream TV in your backyard under the stars with this mini projector. We love streaming football games in our backyard with our projector!

9. Fire Pit. And don't forget the marshmallow roaster set too!

10. Grilling Tools Set. This deluxe steel grill set is also a great housewarming gift!

11. Moccasin Slippers. These are seriously the coziest slippers ever. Matt gets a new pair every Christmas!

12. Titleist Pro V1 Golf Balls.

13. Wireless Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker. One of Matt's all time favorite golf accessories, this speaker is perfect for clipping to your golf bag -- rain or shine!

14. Laser Rangefinder. Not just for golfers but for hunters too!

15. Fulton & Roark Grooming Products. The best, and I mean the best high quality grooming products designed specifically for men. Matt keeps the wax-based and shatterproof solid cologne in his gym bag (Ltd Reserve: Sterling), a bottle of luxury face wash by his sink and the shampoo + body wash in the shower. Use code CHARM at checkout to save 15% on your order through 12/31!

16. American Crew Pomade. The secret to Matt's perfectly styled hair. Also a good stocking stuffer.

17. Dolce & Gabana Light Blue Cologne. Ahhh, my favorite man fragrance!

18. BurgaBox of The Month Club. A monthly subscription box shipped to you with simple instructions and fresh ingredients to cook right in your own kitchen! 

19. Yeti Tumbler.

20.  Sipping Stones. Chill your drink without diluting it!

**BONUS ITEM** Matt insisted that I couldn't publish this guide until I included the Minimalist Wallet -- "the ultimate man gift." You can frequently find Matt showing off this super compact wallet to his friends. He is so picky about his wallets and finally found one that he is truly obsessed with. He claims you cannot feel this wallet in your pocket at all when you're sitting down, it fits 8 cards plus cash and comes with 12 built in tools (bottle opener, tool driver, wrenches and flathead screw driver).

GIFTS & STOCKING STUFFERS
Survival Kit in a Can // Golf Tees // Just a Drop // Star Wars Socks // Metal Collar Stays // Pocket Ref // Pocket Knife // American Crew Pomade // Survival Pocket Tool // Portable Charger // Sipping Stones  // Moscow Mule Mug // Fake Lotto Tickets // 50 Caliber Bullet Bottle Opener // Fulton & Roark Grooming Products // Table Topics // Gift Cards // Candy // Gum // Car Wash Coupon
 

Other Wish Lists:

The Wish List for Her 

The Ultimate Toddler Gift Guide 

Christmas Tradition Gifts 

Gifts for Her under $35 

Toddler Bath Time Gifts 

Summertime Gifts for Kids

Wear to Work | Fall Outfits

Y'all loved my last work outfits round-up, so I thought I'd do another one for fall! Here are a few of my recent outfits I've worn the past few weeks. Again, apologies for the mirror selfies! Most of these were literally taken just a few seconds before walking out the door for work.

Dress // Wedges

Top // Pants // Flats

Watch ($17) // Brass Pendant Necklace // Flats // Shirt // Bracelet

 Dress (comes in 5 colors)

Striped Fluted Sleeve Dress ($10) // Tassel Horse Necklace 

 

Dress (Loft -- no longer available) // Wedges

Dress (wearing size small, runs large)

Top (super old) // Brass Pendant Necklace // Pants // Pink Mules ($25)

Dress // Tassel Horse Necklace // Flats     Dress // Booties -- sold out (Similar)

 Top (on sale!) // Booties (on sale!) // Cardigan // Brass Pendant Necklace  

Five (under $25) on Friday!

Happy Friday! Today I'm coming in hot with 5 recent purchases under $25 that you need to know about...

Pink Mules ($25)   

one. I wasn't sure if I could pull off the mule trend. At first, I wasn't sure I even liked them. But then I found this amazing hot pink pair at Target and fell deeply in love. I was so excited to break them in this week and as I was heading out the door for work one morning in my new mules Matt sweetly exclaimed "Babe! I LOVE your new slippers! Very cool!"

two. So it's pretty rare for me to spend more than $10 on a bottle of wine (Nobilo forever!). However, when I do splurge on a bottle of sauvignon blanc it's almost always on a bottle of Cloudy Bay. But I promised an under $25 post so my second favorite New Zealand sauv blanc is Whitehaven ($15). It is just SO good. And because my girlfriend Laura came over to hang out with me last night I decided to break out a bottle! 

Screen Protector ($7) // PopSocket ($10)

three. This is a two-for-one since I did some maintenance/upgrades to my iPhone this week. First, I (well, technically Matt) replaced the shattered glass screen protector on my phone. I posted a picture of my shattered screen protector after I removed it from my phone to insta-stories and had a bunch of people ask me which type of screen protector I use. It's the amFilm Screen Protector ($7 for a two pack) and it has saved my phone on several occasions! The second accessory is more fun. I finally purchased a PopSocket!!! The PopSocket helps secure your grip and hold your phone more comfortably so you drop your phone less. It also allows you to securely prop your phone up at an angle for watching videos, etc.

Striped Fluted Sleeve Dress ($10)  

four. This dress is $10! After one too many Facebook side ads taunting me with cheap cute clothes from afar (China) I decided to take the risk and purchase a few things from romwe. For $10 I thought, why not? Full disclosure: this dress is one super thin layer of polyester and you can tell was made on the cheap, but it's definitely wearable and I have received so many compliments on it. Also, it comes in 4 colors!

L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise ($6.47)

five. OK, I officially feel like the worst friend in the world to y'all for not sharing this sooner. Waaaaaaay back in July, I featured a makeup dupe on a Five on Friday post and then asked my readers to share their favorite makeup dupes. One of my readers, Sarah, recommended L'Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise as a dupe for Too Face Better Than Sex and I immediately added it to my Amazon prime order that same day for $6.47. I've never been married to a specific mascara (I swear I've tried them all and they are all the same) UNTIL I USED THIS ONE. I am now on my second tube and will never, ever, ever use another mascara. Not only does this mascara make my eye lashes look fuller, they are drastically longer since I started using it. If you don't believe me, just read the Amazon reviews for yourself. I promise this is $6 extremely well spent!!