some simple staples for fall

Alright, alright, alright.

It was not my intention to do two shoppy posts in a row so please accept my apologies but the kids had other plans for their precious nap time and this was hanging out in my drafts just praying to be picked and some of the items are on serious sale so -- the shoe fits for today, I suppose.

More about me me me me me SOON.

I think I did a pretty good job of sticking to my summer basics this summer and while of course it still feels like summer here (as it should - we do live in Florida) it's fun to think about a little fall uniform lineup using things I already have and maybe adding a couple newbies here and there.

Did you know today is national run-on sentence day? It is. Sorry coffee.

1. basic grey t-shirt - self explanatory. The sleeves can be cuffed or not cuffed which makes it a lot more exciting than one might initially think, amiright.

2. basic white t-shirt - I won't scale my Everlane soapbox but suffice it to say I might be their biggest fan. Simon isn't picky about much but he can't handle t-shirts that get stretchy necks after one wash and so - he's a recent Everlane convert since they pass his semi-picky test.

3. graduate cardigan - longer cardigans are all over the place (and I just discovered that there's such as thing as a coatigan???? back in my ancient day they were known as sweater dusters) or so it seems and this one is really lightweight and great for warmer fall climates or dressing up your tee and yogas - or so I've heard.

4. anorak - I've had this jacket for a couple of years and last year bought two more colors on clearance because it is the bomb dot com. Seriously. It's a great length, has a zipped in hood, big pockets, a drawstring waist, and um maybe that's it. I think it's the big collar that sold me? I don't know but I love it.

5. high-rise denim - I've already blogged about these at length so I won't waste your time again but my sister-in-law texted me that she bought a pair and loves them too. So, there's that. I still love the look of distressed denim but will forever love darker washes the most. Don't tell my holey jeans. Thanks.

6. long sleeve striped peplum - I'm not letting my peplum love go quite yet. I have to admit that I've only ordered this but the reviews seemed positive (it runs big, is warm, and long almost like a tunic) - I'll update as soon as it arrives.

7. high-rise flares - flares 4ever. I tried this pair on recently and was impressed with the fit/look for the price. I already have a super similar pair or else I would've been tempted to bite especially because they are on sale. 

8. black floral dress - I'm so so SO happy darker florals are "in" right now (although -- who decides what is in? I don't know - I just keep seeing them all over the place) along with the midi dress length. Match made in happy heaven. And this dress has (wait for it) pockets.

9. New Balance - predictable as ever. Maybe I'll branch out on the sneaker front one of these days. I wear these all day - most days. If Phoebe sees me puting on a different pair of shoes she get sent into a tizzy and dee-mands to know where I'm going because it's probably somewhere fancy. Without her.

10. ankle boots- ankle boots seem to be inescapable these days so I'm giving my beloved clogs a little breather and trying the trend. I have these but ankle boot queen Audrey says this pair is top notch for the price.

I'm tempted to add in some bonus accessories but I also want to get this up before midnight so I'll leave you alone.

Until tomorrow!!

bye.

a few ways to save when shopping online

hmmm shall I take a sip of my coffee or take a bite of my hair first? decisions galore.

denim (lucky thredUP find)

shirt - thrift store (similar here)

purse - c/o

wedges

yikes, Grace -- why don't you just hand us a pillow and tuck us in for a nice long nap with a post title like THAT?

I know! I know.

It's not sexy (although are things ever at the Camp? no) or wildly exciting BUT I've been rolling these around in my head for a few weeks and wanted to share my vast and expansive wealthy of knowledge. Lies. Nothing is vast or expansive in any of my knowledge banks but maybe a few of these little tips will help you - MAYBE. Frugal fingers crossed.

And my post title says a few but I came up with seven. Fluff those pillows. 

1. Secondhand - A lot fashion bloggers have blogged about how amazing these jeans are but the price? Not so amazing. I stalked thredUP for a week or two and watched the new arrivals like a hawk and found a pair for 90% off the original price. Yee Haw.

2. cart campers - okay so this doesn't work with every store but it does work with MANY stores. Make sure you're "signed in" to said store (my favorites are: ASOS, Old Navy, Anthropologie, Madewell, I'm blanking but there are more!) and put things in your cart (duh) and unless your size sells out (a risk you take) the item is bound to eventually go on permanent or temporary sale and you can snatch it up. This works especially well on Anthro's home items because they don't seem to sell out quickly and they mark them way, way down toward the end of the season. I love that ASOS puts things in a special little saved section after an hour of being in your cart and that J.Crew factory emails when something in my cart is about to sell out so I can decide if the price is finally right.

3. eBates - my brother tipped me off about eBates a couple years ago and going through your eBates link really adds up - especially around Christmas when (if you're like me) you buy almost everything online.

4. phone - I have a little rule for myself that I don't buy things on my phone. It's too easy and convenient to impulsively snag something. Plus, then I'm sure to go through my eBates link once I'm on my laptop. And now we're veering into budget territory which isn't a bad territory but it's not the point of the post. Back on track, Patton.

5. check Amazon - it's not always the case but sometimes (especially with shoes, especially especially with tennis shoes) things can be found for MUCH cheaper on Amazon. I remember when I was looking at this Maggie London dress at Nordstrom - certain colors were selling for a fraction of the price over on Amazon.

6. J.Crew/J.Crew factory - I know you know but but lots of classic J.Crew styles can be found over at J.Crew factory. For example ... this $350 dollar coat can be found over on Jcrew factory for $160 (and they have frequent sales).

7. Returns matter - again, another no-brainer but free and easy returns are key. Nordstrom, ASOS, Zara, and Madewell's denim (why not everything, Madewell?!) all include the return label in their packages. Amazon Prime does not but they refund your shipping if you send it yourself and you can print a label easily (if you have a printer, otherwise! you might have trouble) and I'm sure there are others I'm forgetting or just don't know about -- YET. Zappos gives you an entire year to return your (unworn) purchase as does Online Shoes.

Now that I've typed all these out I'm scratching my brow and wondering if they are even helpful but I can't let seven typed out points go to waste now, can I?

Don't answer that.

I didn't include the obvious like: never pay full price at Old Navy because if you wait a day or two - it WILL go on sale and it's smart to stock up when they are giving out super cash. And of course lots of places occasionally mark their clearance an additional 30/40/50% off and you can find some serious steals. And of course I hate to admit how much free shipping can make or break a purchase for me but it can. Listen up, retailers!

Simon just peeked over my shoulder and his eyes immediately glazed over so that's my CUE. Off to more exciting pastures - like bedtime routines. Party emojis forever and ever.

Friday on a Sunday

Linking up with Kelly!

1. as promised, collage-o-photo-fun

R-L/top-bottom

1. nap skipper
2. B was quite taken with this lady baby's hair.
3. ladies in hand-me-down Hawaiian prints (thank you Ruth!!)
4. eve of J's birthday wearing their fun shirts
5. from the sweetest friend
6. student of the month
7. shirt forever and ever and ever tucked into his undies
8. sneak peek or full peek at another dresser revamp
9. children at river - still life

2. This Is Us - everyone gave it glowing reviews and I did enjoy it! I think I had heard that SO many people loved it that my expectations were super high and while it didn't disappoint it doesn't rank up there with my all time favorite: Friday Night Lights ... yet. I didn't see that plot twist coming but Simon kept saying how outdated that delivery seemed so - it all made sense at the end. I have to admit that I'm super excited to watch the season premier of Grey's Anatomy tonight -- drama city.

3. I'm SURE you've seen the "describe yourself in three fictional characters" meme floating around and they are cracking me up. Simon and I tried to brainstorm ours last night and this is the best we could come up with ...

Simon ...

Captain Von Trapp (his pick)
Jim (mutual pick)
Matt Saracen (my pick)

4. And onto G-unit

Elizabeth Bennet (his pick)
Eeyore (my pick)
Pam (mutual pick)

If you think these are terrible picks - you try it! It's difficult. Seriously.

5. Books: Okay so I finished both Eight Hundred Grapes and I was pretty underwhelmed with the second half of the book which was disappointing. I'd give it a 3 out of 5 stars if I was in a generous mood. It may have been because I switched to the audio version half way through and it just seemed to change the entire tone? But, the plot was lacking too. Boo. Anyway, I also finished The Secret Life of Violet Grant and love love loved it. I'm so glad/relieved there are two more books in the trilogy. Onto Along the Infinite Sea!

6. Julie started a YouTube channel! Woo to the Hoo. So so so so SO excited.

7. Oh! Thank you for all of the book recs for Julia last week - I loved all of the votes for Elephant and Piggy because that is Phoebe's favorite book so if I could get Julia to read it to her -- champagne and bonbons - where you at?

Have a great (rest of your) weekend!!

trying the trend: overalls

overalls

sandals

purse (c/o)

tank

fitbitness (band)

photos by la-la-la-Laura!

Well, I finally bit the trend bullet just as I imagine the trend is leaving the trend station and found some reasonably priced overalls during a recent 40% off sale but I'm not sure I'm totally sold. I like them more than I thought I would but they are definitely not something I reach for every day. Maybe I need to look into overall shorts? Or it seems like a lot of the cool kids have wandered over into flare-alls territory (which, admittedly, I did try these but they were way too short and not in a cute cropped flare way, at all) so maybe I should follow suit. Or maybe I can just let my curiosity curl up and die. I think that would be fine too. 

The first thing Sebastian said when he saw me dressed in my overalls was, "oh, why are you dressed like a Minion?" and then Theo walked in and asked why I was wearing one of Bosco's outfits so it's safe to say that my kids are big BIG fans. 

Anyway, I'm glad I tried because that's the whole point of the series. I'm thinking I might be daring and go the denim skirt route next (why why WHY did I get rid of my college collection?) or maybe go extra wild with boots and a dress? Time well tell. It always does

And now I'm off to muck some stalls and then return my outfit to its rightful Minion. 

adios. 

keeping up with kombucha

This post was created in partnership with KeVita. Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for a giveaway at the end of the post!

I know you know how much we've enjoyed going to the beach since we moved here, as evidenced by my multitude of posts about our trips. I hadn't really thought much about the evolution of how our trips have changed in the past year until the other night. It's funny because initially I thought that taking a nap and schedule dependent little baby would be more difficult than taking a happy-go-lucky mobile baby/toddler to the beach but guess what? I was wrong.

Previously, one of us always had to be sitting with a napping Bosco or walking him around in the carrier and that person, unofficially, had the easier job because he was pretty happy and agreeable and sometimes asleep thanks to the world's largest sound machine mere feet away.

And now? He's almost a full-time job for both of us at the beach because he did not get the shy gene that some of our kids possess and sprint-crawls to various neighboring beach goer's camps, to the water, and to giddily destroy his sibling's sand creations.

Sebastian forming a human barricade until Simon can come to the rescue.

We find ourselves having to kind of, "deep breath and gear up" for the great Bosco chase beachcapades these days. Basically, what I'm saying is that we still love love LOVE going to the beach but wish we could switch out our batteries about 1/2 way through our trip. Luckily, KeVita offered to send some of their wonderful products that are perfect for busy outings with the kids.

B sees the water and all but leaps out of my arms ...

At home he wants to be held, held, and held some more but at the beach? hasta la vista, MOM - go ahead and show off your KeVita all by yourself.

I know a lot of my friends are big Kombucha drinkers and as usual, I'm tardy to the party but I'm hoping I'm only fashionably late because the benefits of KeVita's Master Brew Kombucha are kind of mind blowing. Brimming with live probiotics, organic acid, and natural caffeine (80mg is equivalent to a cup of green tea) KeVita's Kombucha is a genius and much healthier alternative to my afternoon/evening caffeinated drink of choice that inevitably leads to a crash and bedtime burn right when I need that last push to get the kids down.

If you're not ready to go full on Kombucha, KeVita has a really tasty line of sparkling probiotic drinks ...

... to help ease you in. My favorite is the Strawberry Acai Coconut and Simon's (not pictured) is the Lime and Coconut Mojita.

I didn't think Simon would go for even the sparkling probiotic drinks but he ended up drinking most of my drink I had designated for myself on a recent beach trip before drinking his own Lime Mojita on the drive home ...

caught red sparkling strawberry-handed.

Without being able to actually give you a taste of my/our sparkling probiotic drink - I'll try to explain as best I can. They are light, refreshing, and fruity having been naturally fermented with Water Kefir Culture and have four strains of live probiotics and four billion CFUs that help support digestive and immune health.

And the real deal Master Brew Kombucha is also sparkling but has a bolder brewed taste. It's fermented with black and green tea, kombucha culture and also includes two strains of live probiotics and four billion CFUs and is enriched with B vitamins. Master Brew Kombucha come in a wide variety of flavors including: Ginger, Pineapple Peach, Raspberry Lemon, Citrus, Dragonfruit, Lemongrass, and Mango Habeñero.

Anyway, it helps me keep up with these little hooligans ...

... and realize that kombucha is living up to the hype.

In addition to tasty drink making, KeVita also recently launched a new #innerselfie app that's (you guessed it!) a really fun selfie app. For every photo uploaded through the app, KeVita will donate $1 to the Gastric Cancer Foundation. If you're going to take a selfie - might as well be for a good cause, says I.

Anyway, would you like to try some KeVita for yourself? Good! Because they are generously giving a 3 month supply away to one lucky reader! Follow the Rafflecopter widget to (hopeful!) victory ...

Thanks for reading and playing :)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

six!

 

You'll never guess based on the post title and above photos but ... Julia turned six today. I say it every year because she's the oldest and blazing the uncharted trail on our parenting front but I can't believe we have a six year old on our hands because she really and truly was just born yesterday - or so it seems. We're going to wake up to driver's ed and prom next year - or so it also seems.

I remember always feeling like Julia was an especially difficult toddler or maybe I was just a new mom (probably the latter) but she's more than made up for her (alleged) rough toddlerhood these past few years and grown into such a fun little lady. I've mentioned before how much she adores school and we were able to bring doughnuts to her class at lunch today and really see her in her element which was a blast.

All she wanted to do for her birthday was go swimming and eat pizza for dinner along with strawberry cake (aka not my traditional carrot cake) for dessert. There were a couple of very last minute (aka last night) requests for purple balloons and a, "character party" and I'll let you guess which dream we made come alive. We have a trip to Legoland planned as kind of a joint Sebastian and Julia celebration in October - lest you worry she was completely deprived of a celebration.

I've always said I just didn't have the Pinterest party gene in me (though I admire and salute those who do!) but that I'd always make the kids homemade cakes, at the very least.

You want to know the origin of that cake and icing?

box and can.

And guess who is just as happy - if not happier?

Everyone involved.

Happy, Happy Birthday sweet Julia Grace! 

Sunday Fundown

I had this post set to go for Friday so I'm sharing it today but I really can't thank everyone enough for all of your love on Friday's post on Felipe. I feel so undeserving and grateful and appreciate each and every one of you - thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

1. Not that any week feels lazy and empty but this week felt especially busy and full and when I look back at what I accomplished I um -- painted a dresser and finally folded ALL of the lingering laundry. Just keeping those standards flying high and mighty, as always.

2. Normally my camera roll is brimming with recent photo goodness but all I found was a couple of photos of the kids walking into the gym ...

a certain little two year old has got a little case of Fall Fever. We'll try harder to spice up the cameral roll for next week.

3. Okay, I'm really hopeful that you seasoned moms can help me out here. Julia's birthday is this week and I'm hoping to get her some beginner (super beginner!) books that aren't super boring. I don't know if such unicorns exist but maybe you know of a couple. I have this set sitting in my Amazon cart but in case there's a set that shines brighter - I thought I'd ask you. Thanks in advance!

4. I'm going to bank on Julia not reading this post but her godmother and Aunt Mary sent the most adorable St. Julia keychain made by my good friend's talented sister, Maria. I'm fairly to very certain it will be Julia's favorite gift.

5. If you read a lot of the same blogs I do you may have seen that Nordstrom is now carrying a smallish selection of J.Crew items. Normally I wouldn't care but you cannot beat the ease of Nordstrom's return and exchange policy (return label included in the box - so appreciated) along with free shipping. This shirt is the only thing that really caught my eye but if my first love, J.Crew Factory, I'm sure I could find a few more.

6. A lot went down on my book front this week - yay. I finally finished The Night Circus and while it was definitely a departure from my usual fluff - I loved it. It was slow at some points but well worth the read. I also finished A Hundred Summers and really loved it. I immediately used my free Audible trial to listen to the first in a trilogy (I think?) - The Secret Life of Violet Grant because I wanted to read more from Beatriz Williams. I was almost that person that went grocery shopping with head phones last night because I didn't want to stop listening. I'm so glad there are two more books after this one. ALSO! Of course! Eight Hundred Grapes finally came off the hold list at the library and while a few of my close friends told me it was, "eh" -- I'm thoroughly enjoying it. That might change once I get to the ending but - you know I'll let you know. Okay, that's it. Sorry. Sort of.

7. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your Sunday! We were going to go to the beach but it's pouring rain all of a sudden so ... I'm guessing we might not. Boo.

Bye!

Felipe

San Felipe de Neri Parish in Albuquerque where Simon and I were married a little over seven years ago

{pronounced: fell-ee-pay, as opposed to: fell-eep aka the horse from Beauty and the Beast}

I keep going back and forth and back and forth AND back and forth about sharing this. I've written and promptly deleted scads of posts and I know I ramble on about a lot of things but rarely get deeply personal but am making an exception today. I might regret it but if this helps even one mom feel a little bit less alone during the dark period following a miscarriage, the vulnerability is completely worth it.

Throughout my last few pregnancies I've all but begged Simon to agree to name the baby (if it's a boy) Felipe. I just love the name and the tie to the beginning of our marriage. But, he's held firm, "Felipe Patton?! A blonde Felipe?!" and I GUESS he's had a point. Until now.

I recently miscarried Patton baby #6, whom we named Felipe and while we know that as parents our primary goal is to get our children to heaven and that's exactly where the baby is -- it's still been unpredictably difficult for me. The night we spent in the hospital after finding out that we would not be welcoming a new baby in early February like we had so joyfully anticipated was emotionally and physically painful but not the dramatic tear fest that I might've imagined. I'm not sure if my grief was buried under deep layers of denial or my emotional response was just delayed but the sadness settled in the weeks following the miscarriage.

I'm definitely coming out of the fog but there are still grief triggers that take me by surprise that I'm learning to cope with and know that the grieving process can be a long one. I'm oddly thankful for the sadness because while I always sympathized with moms that had lost babies - I can now empathize so much better and keep them close in my daily prayers. I hate that it took a miscarriage of my own to do so but I'm grateful for that silver lining.

I've found comfort in reading more about St. Philip and his big heart (an autopsy found two broken ribs after his death - attributed to the physical expansion of his heart) and want to plaster his quotes all over our house because he seemed so encouraging and joyful. One of my favorites: "a cheerful heart is more easily made perfect than a downcast one."

I hope I don't come off as selfish for being so sad about losing a 6th baby when we have five very healthy kids here on earth. Simon and I are so grateful for our children and we love them so much and couldn't wait to learn all about this next little one's fun and undoubtedly feisty personality. We've seen firsthand that little babies grow into wild, crazy, and wonderful kids but that wasn't God's will this time around and while difficult, we have accepted that reality.

I'll close with another favorite Felipe quote that I've found myself repeating over and over to myself on especially trying days, "Let me get through today, and I shall not fear tomorrow."

Thank you for reading and always being so kind to me and my family!

San Felipe de Neri, pray for us (and say hi to our sweet little baby in heaven!)

drugstore addict

This was a sweet scene recreated shortly after with Bosco playing the role of Phoebe and Phoebe acting as Julia. I'll let your minder wander around the fun that was that aftermath.

Motherhood is a highway.

Anyway, as stated many times before - I'm not a beauty/makeup/anything expert but that doesn't stop me from reading all the reviews and putting said reviews to the test on occasion. I've started taking my skincare more seriously in the past few years but I just cant quit you, drugstore makeup.

A few recent standouts ...

1. Maybelline Brow Drama - I know everyone seems to love the Anastasia Brow Whiz and maybe I should hop on that train but I have incredibly light eyebrows and I'm scared of looking like I took a sharpie to my forehead if I do anything too drastic. This stuff is light but at least brings my brows to life (I don't think they'll ever be on fleek) and doesn't melt off in the humidity. I don't wear it daily so I think it should last me for quite some time.

2. NYX Big & Loud Lash Primer - I've read lots of glowing reviews of NYX products so picked this up recently and really like it. It's not something I wear daily but when I do wear it it doesn't leave my lashes looking or feeling crunchy (pet peeve) and now that I'm poking around other primer reviews it looks like this one got better reviews for half the price. Nice job, Grace.

3. Vaseline Lip Therapy - Rosy Lips - I know lots of bloggers reviewed this stuff and seemed to love it so - I tried it. It reminds me of a product I toted around in my high school backpack that I loved back then and I love this stuff now. Just a hint of color blah blah. I just have to be careful because if Phoebe got her paws on this -- game/life over.

4. Essie Gel Setter - I've tried a few different gel top coats and this one has gone the longest sans chips and isn't difficult to get off.

5. Sally Hansen - Totemly yours - okay this shade is virtually identical to OPI's Dulce De Leche that I blogged about a few weeks ago (this one might be just slightly less pink? just slightly!) but I just love Sally Hansen polish more than OPI. I don't know why - it goes on thicker and dries faster or something. But, they are both my favorite nude polishes.

Any drug store funions you've picked up lately? I'm ALL eyes.

Stitch Fixed

I'm guessing the vast majority of you are at least vaguely familiar with Stitch Fix but if not -- read allll about it here! This post isn't sponsored in any way shape or form but I do use my Stitch Fix affiliate link - fyi!

Okay, let's get on with it

I normally love at least one or two things from every Fix I get but I have to admit that I sent everything in my last two boxes back. I genuinely think there was some sort of mix up because one box was full of styles/patterns I had specified I didn't like and the other box was very much geared toward someone that lives somewhere with much colder weather. Anyway, Stitch Fix was really nice about it and refunded my styling fee both times and I figured the third time might be winner and IT WAS. I've never really and truly wanted to keep every single thing but this was the first time I was tempted (I didn't! prudence won out, thankfully).

First up is this embroidered dress. It looks and feels a lot pricier than it was and I loved the looser fit - I should've taken my stupid hand off my hip in the first photo but the dress lays very loose and would be great in hot temperatures. It's slightly shorter than I normally go for but thought it would be cute for nicer dates or um - I don't know. I'm sure an occasion will present itself. I hope.

I kept it because it's rare that I really love a dress. Plus - it goes so well with my Fitbit and flatforms.

Onward. You know how much I love the looser fit peplum trend so you can imagine my excitement when I pulled this bad boy out of the box ...

It looks black but it's navy and I thought I would keep it but once I tried it on it felt a little short and boxy and I wasn't super in love with it soooo back it went.

Next up! I was so impressed because I'd forgotten that I pinned a few of these kick (cropped?) flares recently but my stylist noticed and added them. They remind me of my very first pair of capris that I never thought I'd want to wear ever again but here we are. I hate to be that person that says, "I swear they look better in real life!" but -- they do. I swear. Courtesy laugh.

When this trend first popped up (or um, I guess back around) I was like, "ohhh no you don't! no no no no no!" but I kept them because the rise is perfect and they fit well and my resolve is anything but weak. If I lived somewhere cooler I might pass on these but I'm almost 100% certain I can wear these year round with flats and wouldn't they look cute with my dream boots? (dream being the key there)

The brand of the jeans is Mavi and the style was: Anika (Phoebe's middle name) so of course! I took that as a sign. Coolia 4ever.

For our fourth contender we have the orange blouse in the above photo. I'm not a big lover of the color orange (on me) but I was surprised how much I loved it. I was SO tempted to keep it even though I thought I'd hate the longer bell sleeves (can I pull of this look? probably not but I wanted to TRY) but I ended up really liking them. Anyway, these bell sleeves are so hot right now that I'm just going to be on the look out for something slightly more affordable (I love the mock neck style on that one). I also found this one. Or maybe my fomo will fade eventually.

And last but not least (or maybe least since I didn't keep them) are these sandals ...

shorts/tank

I didn't think I would love them as much as I did but that's what's funny about Stitch Fix -- I pull things out of the box and am kind of side eying the situation but then I put said questionable whatever on and am sold. But, I didn't get these sandals because I know I could find something similar on super sale now that all the fall/autumn/everyone's favorite season stuff is out on the store floors. But, I do love these. And my fancy pedicure.

Anyway, that's that. Shout out to my stylist (Kristin) for putting together the best Fix ever. You have more than mastered your craft!

Oh! I love that they always include different ways to wear the pieces and generally explain why they chose everything -- feels very personalized ...

Okay. I'm done! But, what do you think? Did I keep the wrong and send back the rights? Orrr ... what? I'd love your thoughts!

Have a wonderful night. 

the quickest!

I normally make these quick but I'm going to make them really quick today.

Linking up with Kelly!

1. Have you seen the trailer for this documentary making the rounds on Facebook? It looks so good. (Thanks for sharing, Nell!)

2. As mentioned last week, I'm making my way through A Hundred Summers and am really, really enjoying it! I'm in the process of making a little page of my favorite books and unless the ending is weirdly awful - it will definitely be making the cut.

3. I'm having a little closet sale today and tomorrow - right on over here!

4. Inspired by Blythe Motherfiking Fike (her official name) -- I found this chair on OfferUp (an app much like Craigslist) for a steal. Not a brand new West Elm couch steal like Queen B but ... a steal. It's just beat up enough that it's perfect for our house of horrors/kittens/angel children.

5. And that sweet Home Sweet Home sign? My blog friend (that I've met in real life!) just opened her Etsy shop and she makes them by hand - in her garage. She recently had a baby and teaches full time and needed something to do with her free time, I GUESS. Anyway, girl's got TALENT.

6. And I just saw that the shelf is on clearance right now. Did I just squeeze three takes out of one picture? We all have our own gifts, don't we?

7. And on a housekeeping note - I think the time has finally come (even though I've always said never ever) to switch over to Wordpress - or at the very least - away from Blogger. Things are so clunky on the back end and tweaking anything is almost impossible and words in my posts are sticking together after I hit publish but look fine in draft etc etc etc ETC. So, do you know anyone that offers this service without a huge headache? I mean - I'm sure it's a headache but - you know -- maybe like a Tylenol headache versus an Excedrin Migraine type of headache? Is that person you?? Let me hire you -- PLEASE. Okay, thats all. Thank you!

Have a great weekend!

park and ride

Before Simon started his fellowship lots of people warned us that it might be worse than residency in the hours department which I didn't believe for one single second. Not one.

And for once in my life -- I was right.

While we're excited for Simon to be finished with training (still two years to go - it's an Iron Man, not a cute little marathon) we both admit that we are probably getting a little bit spoiled with the flexibility of his hours right now. The adult world will definitely be a bit of a reality check but we're making the most of these years for now.

Por ejemplo ... yesterday Simon suggested we bike to a playground downtown with the three little kids because we could!

When we bought our triple jogger off of craigslist a few years ago the seller kindly threw in two bike trailers which have gotten very little use until this year. Simon bikes the kids to school sometimes and um, I haven't done that yet. And maybe I never will - you never know.

Anyway, back to yesterday's ride!

I tucked my phone into my trailer pocket which Phoebe immediately found, threw her favorite song (Cheap Thrills) on, and snapped MANY wildly flattering photos of her Clydesdale that I won't be posting - de nada.

The ride was just a touch longer than I thought but it felt good to do a different kind of exercise and other than Phoebe asking for water almost the entire time - it was fun. We even timed it right so that we saw Sebastian happily playing out at recess as we rode by the kids' school. Do we live in Pleasantville? Or Tampa? I don't know.

Bosco and his kingdom.

Or just the University of Tampa. Same thing, B. Same thing.

I kept telling the kids to be careful when they got off the merry-go-round because they'd be dizzy but you know who almost toppled over?

Their guardian who underestimated the power of pushing it around while holding Bosco down so that he didn't stand up, fly off, and earn himself a trip to the closest emergency room.

Our whips ...

... stolen from Snapchat because I'm that kind of blogger now.

Normally I'm the bench warmer parent at the park but my how the tides have turned -- just this once ...

Bosco found it as comical as I did.

Crawlers gonna crawl ...

He's giving Theo a run for his retroactive money in the latest walker department. It's going to be a tight race.

Theo is in the super fun, "genuine smiles for miles when he sees a camera" stage of life ...

the funnest.

Phoebe saw Theo scale the concrete 1/2 circle so of course she wanted to do the same but when the rubber hit the road she would not not not let go of my neck ...

until she womaned up and did ...

And that was our morning at the park - to ourselves! mostly! which is the best, as I'm sure you know!

Cheers to fellowship. For now. 

blind improvement

Well, today I'm blogging about something I never thought I'd feel passionate about or blog about but I do, and am, because life is just a box of chocolates, isn't it?

If you've been reading along for the past few months you know that we've slowly (ever so slowly) been trying to get the house looking a little better than when we first moved in, project by project. One thing I never even thought to update was our blinds but Blindster (kind post sponsor) generously offered to help us out in that department and both Simon and I were shocked how much nicer the living and play rooms looked with new and improved blinds. Our old blinds were fine -- a few of them didn't stay up, and on more than one occasion the entire structure would come crashing down on me if I didn't slowly cradle it up when opening the sensitive sucker.

Almost all of the wands used to turn and open our blinds were broken in half or fallen completely off when we moved in so it feels extra luxurious to be able to open the blinds with just a little string pull - especially in the playroom, where we really need the natural light.

Holding a child with one arm and opening the blinds with another?

living large!

The great thing about Blindster is that their customer service is exceptional and they are very committed to ensuring customer satisfaction and offer a Fit-or-Free Guarantee, which means they'll remake your blinds within 60 days of mis-measurement - free of charge.

Our old blinds hung down far beyond the bottom of the windows and it's amazing how much more polished the windows and therefore the room looks with the correct blinds installed. We opted for faux wood blinds because our kids might take it upon themselves to try to break them and faux wood holds up better than real wood. Simon was so happy to see that the top molding was magnetic 

because we had issues with our previous blind moldings staying put. 

If anyone is in the market for someone to model blind operation 

I just might know a girl ;)

Blindster's prices are all well below retail value and you can get 40% off your order with code: CP40 at checkout until September 18th. 

I never thought I could be overwhelmed with options in the blind department but Blindster's inventory is impressive and there really is something for every room aesthetic. 

Happy Wednesday!