favorites

Friday Favorites

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The weather is finally giving us teases of fall in So Cal and for some reason, fall brings out my desire for cooking and baking! I’m sharing a few of my recent favorites this week!

Pizza Night

This isn’t really a recipe, it’s pretty much just already made for you items put together to make something yummy! If you haven’t tried the pizza dough from Trader Joe’s, you’re missing out! Already made dough in the refridgerated section makes it super easy to roll out and add toppings. We love the herb crust, and I got the plain one for the girls. I grabbed the container of pizza sauce, some shredded mozzerella, pepperoni, canadian bacon, tomatoes, basil, and the frozen pineapple tidbits and voila! Pizza night!

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Spooky Chocolate Chip Cookies

A festive treat that everyone loves are these spider chocolate chip cookies! They are basic cookies with a few details added to make them spooky. Melted chocolate chips in a ziplock bag (tip: use a freezer bag so it is a little thicker. I started with a basic sandwich baggy and the seam popped!) make it easy to pipe on legs to the chips to make them look like spiders.

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Bone Broth

There is nothing like a hot bowl of soup in the fall and winter months! This year, I’ve been so inspired by Teri from No Crumbs Left and Alex from The Defined Dish  I made my first batch of bone broth. You can check out Teri and Alex’s blog posts for all of the benefits to your health and differences between regular broth and bone broth, but I can tell you my house smelled AMAZING all day and it just elevated the taste of my chicken noodle soup! As I used whole roasted chickens from the market or we bbq’d or baked chicken, I was freezing the bones.  I saved carrot peels and tops and the bottoms and tops of celery, too! When I was ready, I added it all plus a halved onion, some whole peppercorns and a splash of apple cider vinegar to a stock pot and filled it with water until it was all just covered. I brought it to a boil and then lowered to a simmer for 12 hours! Teri and Alex sometimes do their’s for 24 hours, but I wanted to use mine for dinner that night. If you want more cooking inspiration, I linked their Instagram accounts. They cook mostly Whole30/Paleo but do incorporate some non-compliant foods. They make eating healthy look DELICIOUS!

Pasta Salad

This may seem like a summer side, but here in So Cal, its sweater weather in the morning and pool weather by the afternoon. Clearly the weather can’t make up it’s mind, and I can’t either. A super easy but delicious way to get in some veggies and impress your friends at a bbq – this pasta salad will please them all with chunks of cheese and spiral noodles!

  • box of pasta, cooked according to directions and rinsed under cool water
  • cherry tomatoes, halved (1) 
  • English cucumber, diced (1)
  • bell peppers, diced (2)
  • broccoli, cut into bit sized pieces (1 small head)
  • Colby jack cheese, diced (1/2 small block)
  • Italian dressing, made per the directions on the seasoning packet (I do extra red wine vinegar and less oil)

Toss it all together and chill until serve time. I found that some extra dressing was perfect for guests to add if they preferred.

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Hope you found some inspiration for cooking this weekend!

Have a great Friday!

Whitney

Color Inspiration | October 2017

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Black is so classic. It’s neutral, it’s strong, it’s bold, it’s clean, and it’s slimming! What’s not to love? Whether your wardrobe consists of mostly black, you love the rich look of a black car, or you’re just in the Halloween sprit – I think it is safe to say black may be the most popular color overall. Sharon from Mama Chit Chat and I are hosting our monthly link up to share what is inspiring us this month – B L A C K. Grab the graphic below and share what’s inspiring you by using the link tool!

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black manicure. I used to think black was too bold for my nails, or that it was only for rock n’ roll chicks. Now when fall rolls around, I see October as the perfect excuse for a moody mani! You?

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black tank. I could probably wear some version of a black tank, tee, or long sleeve everyday if I let myself. It’s easy, goes with pretty much any bottom, and typically always flattering. The tassels on this tank give it something a little extra and I think helps transition from summer to our Southern California “fall”. I couldn’t find this one online (I got it at Old Navy in the middle of summer) but this one is super cute with the lace detail!

p.s. I was wearing this same tank at the pumpkin patch too!

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black sandals. I think I mentioned these in a past Five on Friday post and I still love them! They’re easy to slip on, comfortable, and still look like a step up from just your average flip flop.

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black diffuser. I cannot wait to set this up in our soon to be industrial farm inspired office! I’ve had my eye on the Rainstone diffuser since I started with Young Living and I can’t believe I actually own it!

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black bike. I am so excited to finally have a beach cruiser! I am looking forward to just riding around the neighborhood, to our sisters’ houses, and especially to bring it camping. We’ve been wanting to be able to ride the kids around and explore when we go places so I cannot wait to test it out! The girls loved being pulled around in the trailer the other day, so I hope that lasts!

Have a wonderful October and hope you found some inspiration in all of my B L A C K things! Grab the graphic below and link up with us (open for a week)! We’d love to read and support one another! If you’ve missed past months, you can catch up here:

August | September

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Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

xoxo

Whitney

Life’s Essentials | Newborn Favorites

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Although its been a minute since I’ve had a newborn in the house, I’m currently going through a purging phase. I have SO MUCH STUFF I’ve hidden away, or that was stored after Aubrey grew out of it and then brought back out for Blake.  Blake is now on to toddlerhood (cue the proud Mama/yet wants to keep her a baby forever tears) and it’s time to pass along the baby items. I did a couple posts a long time ago about the key things we registered for with Aubrey and our newborn faves, but now that I’ve gone through it twice, I’d love to share another perspective!

 

Newborn Favorites

 

When I was registering and looking for baby gear during my first pregnancy, I felt like I was focusing on what was new, trendy, and looked nice. Looking back, there was a few things that really ended up being worth it – but for the most part, just because its new or fancy does not mean functional! By baby #2, function wins every time!
Diaper bag | a backpack style diaper bag is just so helpful! Carrying a shoulder bag, and an infant car seat, and probably and bag or two of groceries is just a set up for disaster. My bag was constantly falling off my shoulder. I felt like I was always leaning to one side to keep it up which made carrying an awkward newborn even more uncomfortable! I invested in a Skip Hop backpack when I was pregnant with our second and I’ll never go back! Super comfortable and frees up your hands for the other 10 million things you need to carry! There are so many cute options now too!
Things for baby to go in | Lets face it, most of the time babies want to be held. But when you do get that time they’ll sleep or hang out somewhere else besides in your arms, you need somewhere to put them! We had quite a few “things for our babies to go in”, but we had the best luck with the Rock n’ Play for napping or just hanging out when they were little little! As for bed time, I loved the Halo Bassinest. I could adjust it so they were the perfect height for me to see them even while I was laying in bed! I could swivel it over when I needed to get them out, and even rock it a bit if they were fussing.
Carriers | For the times they don’t want to be put down (basically always) baby carriers saved me – especially with my second! I found that the Baby K’tan had the feeling of a wrap, but was super simple to use and I loved it when Blake was a newborn!! Once she got big enough to support herself a little better, I moved into my Beco Gemini and haven’t looked back (we are still using it at 14 months)!
Nursing | I literally felt like I was nursing the majority of the hours of my day. Along with a good Netflix series, a super long phone charger cable, and plenty of snacks I recommend a water bottle you love and an awesome nursing pillow. I tried a few, but the My Breast Friend Pillow was always the sturdiest and most helpful for me! I also loved the little pocket on the front to store my phone/water/snacks when I would get up and move.
Sleeping | Sleep is like a four letter word for my babies, but if I did have any luck it was because of swaddling and sound. We still use these sound machines to this day anywhere that they’re napping! And the Halo Sleepsack Swaddles have always been our favorites! Once they grew out of wanting to be swaddled we used the sacks without the velcro arms. Perfect to act as a blanket for them!
Newborns don’t need much – but these items definitely saved us during those crazy weeks of feeling like a mombie.  I wish you luck with your new babe if you’ve got one on the way!!
xoxo
Whitney

Fall Bucket List

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It’s Fall you guys! The decor is coming out, the temperatures have been in the 70s-80s here in Southern California (which is a sad excuse for fall – I know) and I’ve got all the fall spice diffuser blends going! Autumn is in the air! Now that the girls are getting older, I am so excited to start incorporating some more seasonal traditions and to experience their joy! I put together a little Fall Bucket List and I thought I would share some memories from past Fall experiences to kick off the season!

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one| Last years fall photos were such a good memory. Aubrey was crazy, but Blake was just old enough to be aware of what was going on and they turned out really cute!

|if you missed it, I wrote a post about choosing outfits for family photos here|

two| Camping. Although we go camping throughout the whole year, we save some spots just for fall and we love it!

Bumpdate {27 weeks}
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Bumpdate {18 weeks} sunset

three| Visiting the Pumpkin Patch – Field trips, with friends, with family…basically any reason to go to the farm!

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four| Annual walk to dinner with friends and trick or treat! Aubrey’s first Halloween we started a tradition with my Mom Squad where we walk to dinner close by our neighborhood and then trick or treat our way back home. Such a fun night!

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five| Wear festive jammies. Who doesn’t love a cute set of jammies for the holiday?!

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I cannot wait for all of the memories to be made this year! Hope this first week of Fall has treated you well! Cheers to pumpkin spice lattes and boots!

xoxo

Whitney

p.s. Next Thursday join Sharon and I for our THIRD edition of our monthly link up! We’d love to have you!

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Favorites {battling the baby bug}

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Favorites {battling the baby bug}
since Friday, Aubrey has been fighting her first cold…so so sad for my mama heart! she has been surprisingly happy but overall a little more tired and clingy. I’ve been trying to stay away from any medicines right off the bat and have found a few must haves to get her through these snotty days!
one. {humidifier} I’ve basically had this going in her room every time I put her in there to sleep. I definitely noticed a difference when we were out yesterday and she napped without it twice! I think it just overall helps with her congestion.
two. {essential oil diffuser} yup, I jumped on that train! I didn’t go all in, but I borrowed my sister’s diffuser to see what it was all about and I’m definitely going to invest in my own! she recommended the breathe and lavender oils and I really think they’re doing the trick!
three. {NoseFrida} definitely not Aubrey’s favorite item and maybe one of the grosser things I can add to the “things I do as a mom” list, but I swear this snotsucker is easily just as addictive as it is disgusting! the satisfaction that comes from clearing out that goop from her poor little nose is disturbing. it truly pulls out so much and helps her breathe so much better!
along with these few items, I’ve done a few other things to hopefully help.
four. we put a few magazines under one side of her crib to elevate it a bit to hopefully keep any fluid out of her ears!
five. {extra sleep} we are definitely not on any type of regimented schedule around here, but I have noticed she’s been wanting to sleep much more. some days more often and some days for longer periods of time, but its definitely taken a toll on her energy levels.
six. {mama time} just in case she wasn’t clingy enough, we’ve spent lots of time nursing, cuddling, standing in the steamy bathroom, and sleeping {well she is sleeping while I awkwardly try not to let my arms fall asleep}. I’m soaking in the extra squeezes and kisses but hope she get a little bit of independence back soon!
it has been so hard to see her not feeling well, but I’m also kind of glad to get our first germ session out of the way {I’ve been overly protective and worried about it since she was born!}.
do you have any tried and true products or tips to help heal a sick baby?

Newborn Favorites

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now that Aubrey is past the newborn stage and we are finally getting into a groove, I wanted to share some of the things that we {mostly I} loved when she was a bitty {and still do}!

Newborn Favorites
nipple balm. it took me over a month to try this cream.  I had been using ‘boobease’, and lanolin in the beginning and they were no match for the not so good latch that Aubrey had. this stuff was a lifesaver!
maternity tank. I totally have a mom uniform, and these are apart of it! these Liz Lange tanks from Target are awesome! so soft, long and stretchy! perfect for nursing {I always like to pull the neck down instead of the whole shirt up}, can be worn on their own or under a sweater or button up.
leggings. also apart of the uniform! I’ve been wearing these Gap leggings throughout by pregnancy.  they’re super soft, don’t fall down and I just love them!
bassinet. up until last night, literally, Aubrey has slept in the Halo Bassinest.  I originally planned on using the rock n’ play for night time, but I was nervous about her preferring sleeping so cozy in there and on an incline. the bassinest has been great! I loved that I could roll over and see her right there, even reach over and touch her 100 times a night without getting up! #lazymomproblems one of the big things they advertise about this is the side that lowers so you can easily get out the baby from bed. I felt that it was a little awkward/difficult to push down, but I guess it helped out nonetheless! also, it has a wide base that sits on the floor. super stable, but for people with itty bitty bedrooms like me, it BARELY fit on the side of my bed!
nursing pillow. I have loved having the My Breast Friend pillow. I didn’t realize how much I took it for granted until I got a Boppy as a back up.  the MBF pillow latches on, so it doesn’t scoot away from your stomach when the baby is laying there and it is also ridiculous looking but awesome that I could walk around the house and it would just help support her enough that I didn’t have to put her full weight on my arms! again… #lazymomproblems I do wish it wasn’t so difficult to get the cover on and off and that the pillow itself could be washed, but its foam so you can’t. also, the pocket is super convenient…phone, nursing bra pads, etc.
rock n play. even though I didn’t use the rock n play for bedtime, in the early weeks Aubrey napped in this all the time with me out in the living room! now, we use it for her to play in while I’m in the kitchen, when we are eating dinner, when I’m doing laundry and want to move her around the house! basically anytime she is over being on the floor and I can’t hold her that moment, this will buy us some extra time! I’ve always wished it had an attaching bar so she could have toys overhead! then when I bought one for our friends for their baby shower, the one they registered for had it!! its a bit late now, but I wish they had sold it separately!
swaddle. after one of our prep classes at Kaiser where they talked about the Halo Sleepsack, I had it in my head that it was the only one we should use because it was ‘Kaiser approved’.  it ended up being great {even though I’ve tried other ones and am not so neurotic about it anymore}! she can still get her arms out sometimes, even when she was a few weeks she could, but I really like it!
water bottle. just like pregnancy, I am eating and drinking ALL. THE. TIME! a water bottle you love to carry around from room to room, or multiple to keep around the house, was essential. I noticed myself not having enough hands to carefully carry a cup, so a bottle has been perfect!
pacifier. even though Aubrey only used a pacifier correctly for like 2 weeks around 2.5 months, she still loves her Wubbanub pacifier! she chews on the side of it and cuddles geoffrey the giraffe all the time!
netflix. this is totally just for mom, but I’ve spent countless hours on the couch feeding, burping, and napping with the baby! I don’t think I could have made it through if I didn’t have 11 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy to get me to that 3 month mark!

I’m sure there are many more favorites, some being super obvious {what would I have done with out Scary Mommy and mom.me articles on Facebook at 1, 3 and 5 am}, but those are the ones that stood out in my forgetful mind! Aubrey is already approaching the 6 month mark and there are SO many new things about to happen and I’m so excited! eating, crawling, more interest in toys…anyone have any good recommendations for this stage? happy Monday friends!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things {stocking stuffers}

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we are one week closer to Christmas and its Thanksgiving in 2 days! the time is flying and I’ve already done some shopping! what’s next on the list? filling my hubby’s stocking! he always does such a good job finding my favorite little things at target and even sneaks in some awesome gifts! I’m already excited to buy a new stocking for our little miss for next year and fill it with goodies, so I’m trying to put some extra thought into Todd’s this year before the little girl take-over in 2015!
this is week 2 of {My Favorite Things}, a linkup with  April, Elise, Katie, & Zelle.
Start {here} if you missed week 1: My Favorite Things {my list}

My Favorite Things {stocking stuffers}

{for her}
I’m really loving the apparel and items geared towards your home state! this would go perfect with a state shaped cutting board for the hostess or a shirt from the Home T!
monograms are everywhere. gold is everywhere. and what girl doesn’t love Kate Spade?! this necklace is cute on its own, or layered with longer ones!
although I didn’t jump on the iPhone 6 bandwagon just yet, I’m sure there are many many people that have and a new case {especially an adorable one with gold polka dots} is sure to
four. lipgloss
holiday lipgloss sets are so fun and useful for all those holiday parties! this Smashbox “on the rocks” set is even on sale at Nordstrom!
not pictured. the favorites
like chapstick, yummy candy, nail polish, bobby pins and small amount gift cards! it’s always fun to know that special person notices all the everyday items that you use and love! I can never have too much chapstick or too many bobby pins! a $5 Starbucks gift card never hurts either to buy your fave holiday drink!
{for him}
something to add to the bar collection of a whiskey drinker! I know my dad would be all over these!
same as for her. new. phones. everywhere.
fun for the guy with a man cave, backyard patio or just enjoys a cold beer on the weekends! Williams-Sonoma has a few cute novelty mounted bottle openers like the mustache {pictured}, a bulldog, a skull or an anchor.
four. cologne
cologne is something my husband wouldn’t go out on his own and buy himself.  we’ve shopped the counters before and he’s given opinions, but I typically try to make notes and buy it for him later! a new scent is appropriate for the holiday parties and a fresh start to the new year!
not pictured. the favorites
again, just like us gals, guys have those fun little things that make it easy to personalize and fill the empty spaces in their stocking! chapstick, scratchers or lotto tickets, a cigar or my husband’s addiction, gum!
head over to one of these gal’s blogs to join the link-up!

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week 2 of the linkup series with April, Elise, Katie, & Zelle!

First & Second Trimester Favorites

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the first 27 weeks of pregnancy have flown by! as quickly as it has come and gone, there are a few things that have gotten me through the uncomfortable, yucky feeling moments of pregnancy {so far}! I know I’m not the only one to experience these things, so I figured I’d share my favorites {even though they are pretty predictable}.

First & Second Trimester Favorites
1 {Contigo water bottle}
I always have a bottle of water with me, and these 24 oz bottles by Contigo are awesome! refillable, dishwasher safe and the perfect size {not too heavy but you don’t have to fill it up every 5 minutes}!
2 {Bumpnest pregnancy pillow}
I will admit, it was a love hate relationship with the bump nest at first! I’m used to sleeping on a very flat pillow, so for me it was a little too much cushion to have under my head! I spent the first couple weeks figuring out where my neck pain was coming from…but once I realized that was the only thing that changed, I flipped it over {so the curve where you would normally put your head is at the bottom of the bed} and it was AMAZING! I still use my regular pillow under my head, but I have the bump next curved around my front and back and it is wonderful! it makes it so much easier for this tummy sleeper to get used to sleeping on my sides!
3 {Mustela stretch mark creme}
I bought this after reading the pregnancy recommendations of Jessica from Little Baby Garvin and so far I really like it! I’ll notice some itching in the afternoons and evenings and a quick shower and a layer of this cream feels so good on my stretching tummy! I know they say its hereditary, but let’s hope this keeps the stretch marks away!
4 {maternity leggings from the Gap}
these are by far the best item of clothing ever! you would think my regular yoga pants or leggings would do just fine – I mean they’re stretchy, right? wrong.  when sitting, my pre-pregnancy yoga pants {mostly Pink by VS}, put pressure on my lower belly and were super uncomfortable! these are the softest, coziest leggings and sit perfectly below the belly! I even wore 2 pairs layered the other night when we were going to an outdoor party and they kept me perfectly warm and didn’t bunch up or anything! definitely something I’m going to keep in my closet after this little girl comes for as long as possible!
5 {mini cans of ginger ale}
you guessed it – morning sickness {or all day sickness, really}! especially in my first trimester, getting up to get ready in the morning was a chore.  I felt lazy, nauseous and just all around yucky – especially if I started the whole shower/get ready routing without having something in my tummy! these little guys were the perfect pairing to go with my delicious crackers {haha}! crisp and straight from the fridge cold, the smaller size can was the perfect pick-me-up when I couldn’t get going!
6 {saltine crackers}
goes along with the not feeling so great fixes.  I had baggies of these crackers everywhere {my night stand, my purse, my car, my desk at work} so they would always be within reach.  it was so much better for me to eat a couple crackers before I got up, on my way to work, or between breakfast and lunch instead of waiting until it was too late and feeling sick.  these were definitely life savers!
well those were just a couple of things that helped me get through – along with lots of rest, a very hardworking and patient husband, takeout food and other helpful friends and family that were always willing to chip in when I didn’t feel 100%!  I am so grateful to have had an easy, healthy pregnancy so far and am looking forward to the excitement of the third trimester {hello nursery plans and baby shower} and bringing this little miss into our world!
{whitney}

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things {my list}

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the holidays are coming up fast and I’m welcoming them with open arms {and Jessica Simpson Holiday Pandora already}!  I’m so excited to link up with April, Elise, Katie, Zelle these next 3 weeks to share A Few of My Favorite Things for 2014!

This is Todd and I’s last year as a party of 2 and it’s a bittersweet feeling to know our holidays will never be the same {although I’m sure so so much better}! gone will be the focus on the two of us – and we will welcome the first time experience of the holidays through our little girl’s eyes, which I cannot wait for! until then, I’ll be keeping this year’s list about “wifey-Whitney”, not “new-mommy-Whitney” quite yet!

my list 2014

one. michael kors purse

I may be trading my designer bag for a diaper bag very soon, but I’ve loved this Michael Kors satchel for so long and I’m obsessed with this pale gold color!

two. bump nest pillow case

although this is a little mommy-related, this pillow is my life saver right now and my pillow case needs some love after so many washes and the daily wear!

three. monogram coffee mugs

I may be late on the monogram coffee mug band wagon, but I just love these from Anthropologie, or these gold ones from William Sonoma!

four. mac book pro

obviously a big ticket item, but I’m dreaming of the day I have a macbook! my laptop is just not cutting it and I’d love to have this beauty!

five. vince camuto boots

its almost winter, and who doesn’t love a pair of boots {especially when my shoes have been the only reliable item of “clothing” that have consistently fit me lately}.  these over the knee boots

head over to one of these gal’s blogs to join the link-up!

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week 1 of the linkup series with April, Elise, Katie, & Zelle!