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Growing up, one of my favorite things to do was work in my dad’s woodworking shop in our basement. He had a little desk for my sisters and I, where he would keep a bucket of scrap wood. We’d paint and glue whatever we could — he still has a little “SHOP” sign (complete with pretty flowers, of course) that I made hanging up outside of his shop space in the basement.
My love for wood and its beauty is almost genetic when you look at the history of wood-loving people in my family. My grandpa is an amazing carpenter, carver and skilled artist when it comes to wood. In his late 80s, he is still learning and trying new skills when it comes to his artistry. Every time we come home, there is something new that he’s carved and built displayed in his home. Growing up, my dad would build beautiful pieces for our home, including desks for all 3 of us girls. I cannot wait to get mine out of storage and set up for Harlow in her new room!
My dad also made our kids a crib made from cherry wood. He sent two panels to my grandpa to carve, which makes it even more special. You see, this cherry wood isn’t just purchased from a local lumber yard, it is wood from the family farm on my dad’s side. When trees were cut down, they were kept in their storage shed made for the wood — letting it dry and age, so it could be used to create.
I love how timeless wood is — it can be passed down through the generations, usually becoming more beautiful with age.
And speaking of time — see what I did there? ;) — creating a watch with links made of wood is right up there in the list of beautiful pieces of art created with wood.
Enter, Wood Watches by JORD. The minute I saw these watches, I was smitten. When I opened up the box and tried it on? They are more beautiful in person. I wanted to share some outfit ideas with you all today, inspired by my JORD Wood Watch.
I love navy, corals and red together, and I’d happily wear this outfit on repeat this summer. I love hats, but I always feel too self-conscious to wear them. Maybe that will be a new goal for this summer: learn how to wear hats confidently. Ha!
// outfit two
The evenings here in New England still get decently chilly. I mean, not cold, but not hot. There is often a great breeze, and I’m most comfortable with a light weight button up and comfy jeans. This would be the outfit I’d pair with an oversized JORD Wood Watch, for sure.
// outfit three
This look would definitely be my pick for a datenight. Simple. I love how your JORD Wood Watch can completely be the star of the outfit — especially when drawing attention to the same hand with a bright and bold clutch.
Wondering where the name JORD comes from? Jord, pronounced “yord” is swedish for earth, soil or land. JORD’s mission and vision was (and is) to create a sustainable, modern and beautiful timepiece — keeping their designs simple and efficient. Did I mention that JORD Wood Watches are self winding? No need to get a new battery, ever. And they also allow you to measure your write when ordering, so that your watch comes ready and sized for you.
A conversation piece. A masterpiece. A timepiece. JORD Wood Watches are really something else, and I’m honored to have had the opportunity to share them with you today!
Harlow’s at “the cation Bible school” this week, so Jones and I are getting a lot of walks and errands done each morning. It’s amazing how quickly errands can go when you’re only taking one kid in and out of a carseat. Who knew.
xo
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I haven’t shared much about our apartment hunt in the Boston area while we were packing up and tying up loose ends in Pittsburgh. I had no idea where we should live or where to look. I mean, I had a million suggestions from friends, cousins of co-workers and step-sisters of in-laws of other co-workers. We had a lot of suggestions and “you guys just have to live here!” that was in the same breath awesomely helpful and completely paralyzing.
Uftdah.
We ended up finding a managed apartment building that fit a lot of the items on our list: access to public transportation for Andy, laundry in the unit, and I was able to snag it from Pittsburgh. Well, I tried to, at least. I spoke with the property manager about the only 2 bedroom apartment that was available…and as I was pressing submit to our deposit money and application….I learned that someone else had just clicked that pretty little button before I had.
Awesome.
I had a good cry and then learned that he would hold a 1.5 bedroom apartment for us to look at when we came out to visit a month prior. The “.5” being a small and door-less room considered an office that we could use as a bedroom. We bought a blackout curtain and curtain rod before picking up our keys: hanging a curtain in the doorframe as we blew up airmattresses for that first night in our apartment.
You know what? We love the small. Anytime I mention looking at a new house or moving, Harlow gets said and declares, “but this is our house! I want to stay here forever!”
I love that one of her favorite things about the apartment is that she gets to share a room with her brother. It’s honestly gone so well, even though their room is pretty tiny. The thing that was driving me crazy, however, was the mess of stuff and the unmade bed. Harlow loves helping me make the bed, but making her twin bed that sat against a wall proved difficult.
Enter Beddys.
Beddys is the most genius of companies, creating cute bedding that is not only comfortable and warm, but also so easy to use. Harlow is so proud of making her bed all by herself — I love glancing in their little room and seeing it just a little more put together!
The Beddys set (for a twin) consists of the bedding that fits over the mattress, a matching pillow case and decorative pillow case. The inside of the bedding cover has super soft minky fabric. It’s easy to wash and iron and can be zipped down on either side. The quilted design is continued down the sides, so it looks like a quilt tucked in around the bed edges when it’s zipped up for the day.
Happy Wednesday!
xo
thank you, Beddys, for sending this gift. All opinions are my own.
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“In the craziness of packing up our home in Pittsburgh and moving to Boston, meals and groceries were often an afterthought.” <– that was how I was originally starting this post, but the reality is that meal planning was an afterthought just in our every day life in general. It’s definitely not my spiritual gift.
My Aunt Rebecca gave me a great piece of advice when she learned we were moving, however: “your uncle and I have moved many times over the course of our marriage, and every time we moved to a new city, we made a point to think of habits we wanted to leave behind and new habits we wanted to create.” Those words of wisdom really lingered with me as I thought about ways I could improve our family’s dynamic through habits left behind and habits created.
Meal planning.
Let’s just say it how it is: I’m awful at it. I’ve tried reading about the “20 crockpot meals in a day” or “45 freezer meals in a weekend.” When I really get down on myself about it, I’ll have about 30 tabs of Pinterest open to various ideas and recipes — but then I’ll end up on a kick of one specific thing (Moscow mules, for example) and end up down a rabbit hole of things that really have nothing to do with meal planning, even though I started out with the best intentions.
And then I would read through those crockpot recipes, and they just didn’t sound very good. Or on Sunday night as I planned meals, I struggled finding a balance between tried-and-true and try-something-new. The trying something new when it comes to something food is something that terrifies me for a few reasons:
- It often means that I’m buying a slew of ingredients for a specific recipe. Those ingredients add up and may or may not be used again frequently.
- What if it’s awful? I have a family waiting to eat.
- Forgetting an ingredient — what if I get half way through preparing it only to realize that I forgot to grab one of the most important things? Shopping with two kids? Definitely more than a possibility.
So needless to say, I’ve been terrible and boring in the meal planning and dinner department.
That all changed when my friend, Audra, introduced me to Blue Apron. I signed up thinking of it as a bit of a splurge, but after receiving a box for a few weeks, my outlook completely changed. We now get Blue Apron 2-3 weeks a month. During the weeks we don’t receive a box, I typically make recipes we received (and loved!) in previous shipments or from their database of recipes. I’ve never enjoyed cooking so much, and these are a few reasons why:
- Blue Apron forces me to meal plan. A week’s box includes 3 meals, so it means I’m only planning dinners for 3-4 evenings. I can plan what we will eat around the meals we are eating when I prepare Blue Apron meals.
- We get to try so many new recipes, without spending a ton on new ingredients or large quantities. Living in a tiny apartment, this has been huge for us as well! I didn’t bring many spices, nor do I have room for very many.
- I feel empowered as a cook — and Harlow loves to help! I absolutely love the new groove that we’ve started with Blue Apron. Harlow and I chop and prepare the ingredients while Jones takes his afternoon nap, and then we head to the park or to meet Andy at the station. Harlow has started being so exploratory in her eating, asking about various ingredients and spices as she asks to “try new foods ’cause it might taste goooood!” <– she sings what she says whenever possible. And who can name that tune!?
- No commitment. None. Nada. Never. I look ahead and see what Blue Apron is cooking up and decide if it’s a good fit for us. If it’s not, I skip that week.
- Shipping is always free. Who likes to pay for shipping!?
- Harlow loves opening the Knick-Knacks Bags. :) “It’s like a present, mommy!!” Ah to be three again!
- Blue Apron takes pride in where they source their farm fresh ingredients. That makes me proud to feed my family — especially after watching this video from an insert they included in a box a few weeks back:
If you talk to me long enough, you’ll hear me singing the praises of Blue Apron. I can really say it’s been a game changer for us, and I’m so excited for you guys to try it too! The first 50 of you will get TWO FREE meals off your first Blue Apron order. Not sure if Blue Apron delivers to your zipcode? You can check out the full map of delivery zones here! And here is some news for you: Blue Apron is launching in Texas and will soon ship to even more of the country very soon! So go ahead and sign up!
These fish tacos we made during Cinco De Mayo week — they were so delicious and the guacamole was ridiculous–in the best way possible. We will definitely be making them again!
Want to know what’s on our menu this week? I’ll be cooking the three meals for the week – Flat Iron Steaks, Turkey Kibbeh, and Rice-Flake Crusted Hake – along with 2 recipes from the Blue Apron recipe database. (yup! You can get ALL of their recipes online!) I made the Hearty Chicken Salad last night and it was awesome.
Struggling with meal planning this week?
I have two ways to help: go sign up and get TWO free meals! And then plan this week’s meals using all the recipes at your fingertips. I promise you won’t be sorry you did!
xo
Sponsored by Blue Apron.
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You don’t have to be around long to know that I adore . Love’m. Like’m. Can’t get enough of’m.
I’ve loved receiving post-baby, pre-baby, growing-baby and now post-baby again! When I was pregnant with Jones, there weren’t maternity clothes available, but I still received some of my most favorite Fixes to date!
But life with baby bumps and Fixes just got a million times better! Mmmm yup. Stitch Fix now offers maternity clothes! It’s true! It’s true!
I actually got to try out one of their first maternity dresses back in September when I was about 3 weeks out from Jones’s arrival. It was great those last weeks and since it’s super nursing-friendly, I still get use out of it now.
These were two of my favorites from one I received while pregnant with Jones! You can see my first bump-fix here — and my second one here.
In addition to maternity, also just released their new availability for petites! Don’t get this confused by circumference — it’s not XS, it’s defined by shorter inseams, shorter arms and narrower shoulders. I’m tempted to try out a few petites pieces given how narrow my shoulders are — I shall report back!
If you are new to and want to give it a shot, you can sign up ! If you’ve already tried Stitch Fix but are expecting or would benefit from the petites pieces, be sure to let your stylist know in your Fix notes! Make sure to log in and update your profile to reflect your due date and/or petite sizing!
Have fun! I’m excited to see these maternity and petite Fixes!
xo
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Even though Pittsburgh has had a pretty cold winter, I hate bulky coats. I need something to block the wind, so I love a coat with a bit of length. When I’m lugging around a carseat (because COLD) and a 3 year old, bulky is annoying and I tend to overheat, even in the coldest temperatures. This faux waxed canvas parka from Joules is perfection.
It’s not too bulky, it keeps me warm, it has a great hood, it has awesome details, big pockets and it’s timeless.
I love it.
Who’s ready for Spring? We hit record lows this morning in Pittsburgh, and we are lounging around the house with another 2 hr delay! I’m hoping they don’t end up canceling entirely, Harlow’s super sad to have missed Thursday due to the cold already!
xo
coat c/o Joules
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A few months after Harlow was born, someone asked me if there was anything I loved that surprised me. I thought about it for a moment and responded, “I had no idea I’d love nursing as much as I do.”
We’ve all got our things and that just happens to be mine. I love that I’m forced to slow down for a moment — it’s one of the tangible times when I notice how much change and growth is occurring. I notice how Jones’s eyelashes are so much blonder than Harlow’s ever were. I see my fingernail shape on his tiny fingers.
I don’t remember who recommended it to me, but I purchased a few Earth Mama Angel Baby products before Harlow was born. When it came to nursing, this product and this product saved me. I was so thankful for each of the items and now purchase them often for shower gifts. They are always at the top of my recommendation list. I’m the worst “product user,” but all of these items I used up completely — and typically ordered more!
From bath herbs to tea to spray and bottom balm — it’s the perfect gift (for someone expecting or for yourself!) This product is my absolute favorite, and I recommend it to just about everyone.
A little bit about Earth Mama Angel Baby:
Earth Mama believes in the natural process of birth, and the healing power of nature. Our mission is to provide safe, herbal alternatives for pregnant, postpartum and breastfeeding women, and babies of all ages, and to help educate people about traditional plant medicine and safe personal care. We manufacture natural and organic products that work, combining generations of women’s wisdom and traditional plant medicine with the safety and assurances of contemporary evidence based research. If it doesn’t measure up to Mama’s standards, it doesn’t leave the building. (via)
Earth Mama Angel Baby would like to giveaway a Postpartum Recovery Essentials Bundle to one of you! It makes the perfect gift for someone expecting or with a newborn! (or keep it for yourself!)
And we all just take a moment to remember how teensy Jonesy was? how has he gotten so big already. ack!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
xo
