Adventure Pack

I love these little backpacks from Skip Hop. They are pretty small so I can't pack a ton of things we don't need while out. Summer is coming up and today I thought I would share the things we need on a daily basis for our adventures. Aren't you glad I didn't call them our essentials. 

 

First off is bug spray. We do a ton of hiking and the ticks are out of control. I really like the California Baby version because it has been very effective so far. I also use the Honest Company's sunblock. It isn't really thick and goopy and I can rub it in easily. Now you can purchase at Buybuybaby so that is really much easier than ordering. 

 

I like to have sunglasses on hand because sometimes the glare from ponds can be blinding. Sammy is really sensitive to sunlight. I also try to bring a hat along for the same reason. Sammy is very fair skinned and I try to be smart about the sunlight. The toddler area at the pool is also not shaded in the slightest and any bit of coverage I can get from things like hats I take gratefully. 

 

I try to always have a water bottle for the two of us along. I try to avoid plastics because of the BPA so this glass one from Lifefactory is one of our favorites. The little munchkin bags are to help us not litter and for any kind of dirty clothes we encounter. I keep them in the little jujube quick. I pack a full change of clothes down to socks. That I sometimes leave in the car outside of the pack but try to always have that change of clothes. 

 

This pack works for us for the pool, hiking, the park, or anything that comes up for us to. We take our adventures very seriously around here. 

 

Blooming Where I am Planted

I am a suburban mom. I grew up in mid sized cities (Lincoln, Omaha, Bossier City) and loved it. Those cities were lovely. I spent the majority of my school years living in a trendy part of Omaha called Dundee. It was some of the best memories of my life and I tell myself every Fall that I am going to move back.

My husband grew up outside of a very small city and lived on a hobby farm complete with chickens and horses. My dream of moving to DC or Boston is pretty much never happening. In the last year I have made a decision to try to bloom where I have been planted, or moved because I bought a house in the burbs- not really an innocent bystander who had zero choice in this matter.

I decided it was high time to start learning to love my neighborhood, love where I live and start noticing and being proud of my place here in this world. There are a lot of ways to make life amazing and I am going to do my best to notice and document the things about living in the burbs worthwhile and a blast!

My goal is to start taking things as they come and work on the things I had been putting off until I felt something better came along. I am sometimes guilty of putting things off until I lose a dress size, or until we have another child, or until we built my dream home. I am going to start becoming the type of person that really lives each day for what it brings and not waiting to start living until I reach some arbitrary goal.

Week of Clothing Wednesday!

Monday- Cute Gap jeans with a Gap dino shirt. I wanted some coverage as it was very sunny and Sammy is fair. Also not insanely hot so I can hopefully sneak in more days like this.

Tuesday- It is pretty clear I am dying to go camping. Carters has some great new shirts lately. Check them out! 

Wednesday- Gap through and through. 

Thursday- Tea chevron shirt with some Carters shorts. 

Friday- This shirt is amazing. I got every size! Gap jeans to round it out with the sandals. 

OOTD

Memorial Day

I am pretty wiped out from the weekend. Cleaning and going. Grocery shopping and bike riding. All good but Tuesday came as quite a shock. Here are some photos of our most recent park visit. 

Review Hunter Boots

I got Sammy a pair of the first boots from Hunter. They retail for $50 and come in a bunch of pretty cute colors. He's had them a few weeks so I wanted to report my thoughts regarding them.

First, I think $50 is expensive for children's shoes. But I do feel that is in line with many other retailers similar products. The Hunter brand is historic and their wellies are extremely well known for quality products. I felt that this was worth the money spent.

I did order a size larger than Sammy wears. I felt like if I could get a few seasons or even two years out of these boots, then I would be more willing to spend the money. The fit is really great, he does have a lot of room to grow, but they way that they are made- he can easily walk. He's three and still learning to be very steady on his feet. There have been no stumbling issues.

They have held up very nicely- toddlers can be tough on shoes. I do feel like the yellow highlights every kind of gunk he gets on the boots. I took him to a "touch the truck" event and the boots did get a bit of tar on them. (I removed most of that with an eraser)

The boots are very cute, hold up well, and will last him for a while to come. I went ahead and got him a second pair two sizes larger than his current pair for the future. Hunter is having a final sale with free shipping so his second pair cost me $35 which I thought was pretty reasonable. I also wanted to get him some of the Hunter cleaner/buffer for the boots. Every blogger I have read recommends the Hunter brand cleaner for the rubber products because of the high quality rubber's tendency to bloom - or look like you threw some flour on your boots.

All in all- I am really happy that I finally got Sammy a pair. (And a second pair - but I know that I don't have a problem when at least a didn't get him a second pair for this current size!) I highly recommend them even though the price point is a little much. I got a gender neutral color so that I could pass them down to make my dollars stretch a bit further.

Week of Clothing Wednesday!

Monday was chilly! We did a nice long sleeved Cherokee shirt with some Gap jeans. Basic but I love this shirt.

Tuesday things were warmer thankfully! This Winter sometimes feels endless. Zara suspenders and a nice tee. Just some color and fun. I love suspenders. 

Wednesday was more of a May day. Nice Gap shorts with a Gap tee. Simple but the shorts give it a little something extra.

Thursday is a Gap shirt and Gap cutoffs. I did put his orange chucks with this. Pop of color is so my favorite.

Friday H&M suspenders. I love suspenders. Sammy would wear them all week if I thought I could get away with it. Gap dino tee that I love! I did put his brown chucks on with this outfit. I really love converse as well. I have some plans on a yellow pair from journey.

OOTD

School Days!

OOTD

1) Carters Spring jacket. 2) Hunters First Rain Boots 3) Cherokee toddler long sleeved tee 4) Gap Toddler skinny jeans in yellow

Week of Clothing Wednesday!

Monday- It was fairly warm but we've been in a dire clothing rut. I think most moms of boys get this whole thing going on where you have enjoyed the heck out of your separates but it is getting hard to make fresh looks. Enter my new saving grace... Shorts. I love them! I am still pairing with long sleeved shirts to get a little more mileage out of my faves. 

 

Tuesday- I am in love with this chambray shirt from Carters. It is really easy to dress up or just give an outfit a little extra pop of cool. I paired this with khaki shorts and his orange chucks.

 

Wednesday- Gap jeans and a Gap tee. I love this dino tee!

Thursday- It will be a bit cooler here so we are using his Carters lined camo pants. A superhero Gap tee finishes the look. I am really loving camo for summer.

Friday- Zara jeans & suspenders. Gap tee and some chucks. Really simple yet those suspenders just give this outfit the pop it needs and strangers will comment on them for sure. 

Tips on Transitioning from Winter to Spring

The days are getting consitently warmer. There are fewer days now where you need to bring that jacket. Here are some of the things we've been doing to go from Winter to Spring in a fashionable and fun way.

First off let me say I totally blew my spending budget lately on fun things (like a zoo membership) so our clothing budget is not really where it should be for a haul. We desperately need shorts. We are probably ok on shirts but I need to have more than less because it is hard for me to get everything cycled through the laundry quickly.

1) Get a few pairs of shorts that are neutral and go with everything. I went to Kohls (I never shop there really) and picked up three pairs of their Jumping Bean brand shorts. They are ok. Nothing fancy. Each pair was $7. I also got two pairs from Carters and they were a little less - I was working my coupons. With the things I bought before we needed to size up I have enough to last a week. We're still newly potty trained so I have to have two extra pairs at school each day.

2) Socks. Get some ankle socks. Target is the best place for toddlers I have found. If your little one is too small get some high chucks or fold the taller ones down. It is a stage that every mom faces- the dorky sock because ankle socks only come in larger sizes phase. Sandals take care of this to some extent.

3) Don't be afraid to go for it! Create some interesting looks using long sleeved shirts and shorts. I put Sammy in a button up from Genuine kids with some of those Jumping Bean shorts and it turned out really cute. (OOTD from yesterday). Today I paired a nice Gap long sleeved striped shirt with another plain pair of shorts. Long sleeves can be rolled up and it won't get above 70 today here.

4) Statement Piece! Get something you absolutely adore for this season. For me- I am getting a wonderful pair of shorts with suspenders from Zara. I am going to let everything else be basic and fun and use that to do any dress up occasions that crop in our lives. I have a three year old- dressing up isn't my thing these days.

5) Try on shorts and shirts from last summer. Boys clothing can sometimes work again the next summer depending on the waistline of the shorts. I typically put things that were looser the summer before in a drawer when fall comes around and then in the next Spring try them on again. If they don't fit I can just add them back to the previous size run's space saver bag. If they do fit, I have just saved on a new pair of shorts. 

6) Space Saver Bags. These are my little BFFs for clothes storage. I prop one inside of Sammy's closet and as he outgrows things, I fold and place into the bag. When complete I get the vacuum in there and seal and throw with the rest. This way I have the clothes organized for the next go round and it doesn't take up a ton of room.

7) Say No to Jorts. (jean shorts) Well... Say only if they are interesting and really adorable! I personally style wise thing you are better off to cut short a couple of pants that didn't make it in the knees. If the detailing is great and there is some good interest- maybe pick up one pair of dark ones and wash them carefully.

8) Soft clothes that breathe are your friend for this time. Anything pretty stifling you just won't reach for as often. If the clothes must be more structured- make them a statement piece and get your money out of it.
 
9) Put sunblock and bug spray into your bag. We are constantly outside once the weather is nice- and it gets hard to remember to pack those every time. Just put into your everyday bag so you never need to give it a second thought when you want to go head outdoors.

10) Have fun! Get outdoors. Find a nature center and go on a hike! Take your toddler on a bike ride around the block. Go to the park or zoo. Just get outside and lead your life in an active and healthy way! The bonus is that you will have amazing pictures!

OOTD

Not so Neutral!

It can be fairly daunting to pack for the hospital to give birth and not know the gender. Enter the gender neutral bringing home baby outfit. This gap onesie is cute for either gender and the pants are fun. A little knitted neutral and some fun shoes give a burst of personality without being too girlie or too little boy. It would be fun to grab a really saturated color headband for photos. Maybe mint to match the mocs. Have fun and think outside of the box!

Shirt & Pants Gap Baby, Hoodie Zara, Mocs Faas Designs

Week of Clothing Wednesday!

Shoes are really saving us from boredom these days. We're nearing the Summer and a LOT of his outfits are repeats and it has been hard to get really excited about showing what he's been wearing. The boots really were that shot of freshness we needed. They are freaking adorable. (We bought a size up to make them last longer.)

Monday- Some darling Gap jeans and a nice Tea pullover. I really love the pattern on this one. It looks great with the boots or with some moccasins. 

Tuesday- Plaid pants to help us out of our rut. British tee from Boden! I put his orange chucks with this one!

Wednesday- Zara tee that I am in love with and some Cherokee jeans. Some Hunter boots really set off the top! 

Thursday- Our Gap skinnies are skill on the verge of needing a mending job. This Gap tee is really adorable and looks super cute with the mocs. I love the jeans rolled a bit! Can't get enough of a little hipster vibe. 

Friday- Low key! Some sweat pants. We all need more dress down days! This little tea shirt gives it a bit of personality. A little style tip here. If you want your childs clothes to look really cool but they are dress down and very casual- keep the fit on the pieces close to the body.  The difference in darling and sloppy is in the sizing. Find a brand that fits close to the body (children's place sweatpants!) and you will feel better about those days.

OOTD

Zoo

Post Picture Day

Sammy had picture day at preschool. He came home disheveled so I am praying it went ok! Preview! 

His hair is somehow fallen, and he's switched to his boots for adventure! 

Week of Clothing!

Monday- Still digging this whale shirt from Carters. The thing that makes this little guy special is the shorter sleeves and vintage fit. Really amazing on! Just basic dark jeans. I threw on some striped socks and some orange chucks.

Tuesday- Loving this Zara tee. The fit is rather vintage. And adorable. If you follow us on instagram, you will find it paired with the amazing arrorw leggings from Zara as well. Super amazing with our yellow Gap skinnies. Hole is forming in knee. I will be doing a post on mending that soon!

Wednesday- Gap jeans with some flare. This Zara tee is so amazing. Really cute stamped whale pattern with a striped pocket. Loving this! I am really too obsessed with Zara clothes for Sammy right now. They just have the look that we're going for at the moment. I love that it fits in seamlessly within his eclectic wardrobe.

Thursday- Zara suspenders and a nice Gap tee. Orange chucks. Sammy has a good friend that is so in love with Dinos. She is pretty adorable so I now try to get Sammy more interested in all things Dino. Maybe only because when that kiddo is a Paleontologist- I know her Mama is going awesome places and hello! I am thinking I need to go too! Well that and I just think that Dinos are really interesting!

Friday- Still wearing this Valentine's day number. I am not spending money on a holiday shirt I can't keep using. That and the girls do fawn a certain amount at school over him. Since I dress him up often I really like to get a couple of days in there that are really casual. AKA no suspenders! (Even thought I would put them on every day if I could, they are so freaking adorable!)