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Family

my dress // white blazer // booties similar ones here and here // ray-bans
Do you ever put together matching outfits for you and your kids? I love doing this with my girls! They probably won’t let me do it forever so I have to enjoy it while I can, right? Ha! Nordstrom is where I go to find matching booties for the three of us. It’s so convenient—have I mentioned the curbside pickup for online orders? I’m just so obsessed with it.
I like to think my girls (and the boys too) are pretty fashion forward but are also just like any kids and like to run around outside and be tough on their clothes. Anything I pick up at Nordstrom Kids always lasts and keeps them looking stylish too. And yes, I let her borrow my Gucci bag. I can’t shame her for her good taste. 😉
Thank you Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!

Girls Cape // Skinny Jeans // Taupe Faux Leather Booties

Boys Stripe Sweatshirt // Red Shorts // Sneakers

My Blazer// Dress // Sunglasses // Similar Booties

How do I find outfits for my kids? I focus on quality fabrics, patterns and clothes they will actually wear and love. When I see them get excited about a shirt or a cool pair of shoes, that’s when I know I’ve found something they not only like, but they’ll actually wear! And yes, it’s all found at Nordstrom!

The moment my oldest saw this cape, she exclaimed, “This would be great for Lake Arrowhead!” And I agree. It’s super soft and perfect for chilly early mornings and late nights. We love it up there. Likewise, my son loves his sweatshirt and especially his new sneakers. He won’t stop wearing them! Kind of like his obsession with his soccer uniform. He wears it so much that hubby and I had to hide it! Anyone else have this happen with a kiddo?

I’m so thankful for Nordstrom curbside pick-up for days when I have to be at soccer practice, art class and tumbling class. Their customer service has won over this busy mama for over a decade. What are some of your Nordstrom faves?

Thank you Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!

 

girls stripe dresses // red sandals

older boys stripe sweatshirt // red shorts // boys sneakers

younger boy’s A OK tee // graphic jogger pants // boys sneakers 

I’m so excited to partner with Nordstrom Back to School for kids. I’m loving all their laid-back pieces to add to my kids’ wardrobe this fall. I honestly love shopping for their autumn staples just as much as my own and Nordstrom makes it too easy.

Because we spend most weekends in the mountains, I was happy to find a lot of pieces that layer really well! Going from warmer temps in LA to the cooler mountain temps can be a little tricky so I had my oldest pick out a plaid blazer to go over her yellow dress. And yes, I let her borrow my Gucci belt bag. You can’t fault her good taste. The boys’ shoes were sporty and adorable. Now I just wish they knew how to tie their shoes, but let’s reserve that for another blog post shall we? Likewise, the girls loved their boots because they look like mom’s! I wonder how long I will get away with them saying that?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again—Nordstrom is simply one of my favorites for the kids. With all these adorable back to school options, how can you not want to pick something up for your kiddos?

I’m

Thank you Nordstrom for sponsoring this post!

his jeans // polo // hat // shoes // Reid’s shorts // Reid’s tee // Sneakers

 

Preparing your family for a new baby is both fun, but a little worrisome as well. We don’t really know how the kids will adjust to their new roles. Our kids have been pretty close in age, so the transition for them was not dramatic. However, now with our fifth, we have an age gap of 5.5 years between our youngest and the newborn. He is used to being the baby in the family and it’s all about to change. We’ve been researching how to best prepare him for his transition from baby brother to BIG brother. Here is some advice we’ve found:

 

Before the baby is born:

 

·      Tell him how special he is as a big brother. Explain how he’ll be able to teach his little brother how to draw rocket ships, build Lego’s, play soccer, make paper airplanes, etc.!

 

·      When the baby is born, have a gift prepared for each older sibling that is “from” the baby. We will be purchasing Lego sets and stuffed animals for each one. Also, have the kids give a “birthday gift” to the baby. Make sure to pack it ahead of time so the kids can bring it with them when they come to meet the baby for the first time. Make sure to have the camera ready to capture the moment they present the gift as well.

 

·      Have your child make a drawing to frame and hang in the baby’s room. I especially love this one!

 

After the baby is born:

 

·      Make sure to take pictures of both the new baby and the older siblings. Also take plenty of individual pictures of each child as well.

 

·      Have a few small gifts prepared for the older children when the baby receives gifts from friends/family.

 

·      Make sure to continue to snuggle with your older children and give them individual attention when you have the opportunity.

 

·      Invite the kids to sit next to you when nursing. Remind the kids how good they were at eating. Also, open up the photo album of when the older kids were born. They love seeing what they looked like as babies.

 

We’ll see how our youngest transitions. So far, he’s pretty excited. In fact, all the kids are pretty excited. For that, we are thankful.

We bought a car!

My teenage dream was to have a suburban and six kids. I’m not sure why I decided this was my family goal, but my vision was set. Ever since we discovered we were pregnant with number 5, we found our beloved 7 passenger SUV to be lacking some much-needed cargo space. After researching, friendly conversation and a little negotiation, Reid and I agreed on a car! Reid will admit he still wants a smaller SUV, but alas, I won. Who can turn down a dream I’ve had since I was 15, let alone a 36-week pregnant woman! We drove home with a silver Yukon XL and I believe we got a pretty good deal on it. Read on.

How did you buy it?

We decided to try Hertz Rent2Buy, which works like this: You reserve the car online, rent it for a couple days and if you decide to buy it, they waive the rental fee. So we reserved a silver Yukon XL, but when we picked up the car, they brought us a gold one instead. We decided to pass on the gold and wait for our first color choice—the silver 2017 GMC YUKON XL. We ended up looking all over the web, craigslist and local dealerships until Reid found a silver one online at Hertz Car Sales in San Diego. We liked how responsive they were and, yes, the price was a big deciding factor—they sell under KBB value. Bonus!

We made a day trip to San Diego to look at the car and ultimately decided to bite the bullet and purchase it. Ironically, once the kids learned the new car rules, like no eating, no crayons, no drinking, they actually decided they liked our old car better. Oh well. It’s my dream. I’m super happy and can’t wait to pack for a long road trip! Big Sur, Omaha, Vail…

It’s officially back to school season and I am running around like a crazy person. Any other moms feel like summer went by way too fast, but are also happy to send the kids back to school? Such a catch 22. But anyway, with this time of year comes back to school shopping and I’m looking to one of my favorite brands to get the job done—Uniqlo.

GIRLS

BOYS
boys blue stripe tee // yellow puffer jacket// boys flannel shirt and red padded vest// boys jeans (yay for a relaxed fit and elastic waist, less complaints!) // socks not pictured but pretty necessary
A note on size: I found the fit pretty true to size. The 5/6 fit my 5 year old perfectly all the way up to my 10 year old who took the 9/10 size. 

Uniqlo really is a one-stop-shop for all things back to school. They’ve been around since 1984 (started in Japan—so cool!), which tells me they must be doing something right. And their prices are so reasonable. They actually design and manufacture every single item they sell, which is what keeps prices down.

Because I’m all too knowledgeable on how rough my kids, in particular, are on clothes and shoes, I’m all about an affordable retailer with good quality items! I was also happy to discover they sell baby onesies as well. If you’re looking for simple clothes at a great price-point, check out Uniqlo now! Ps. I did purchase this dress and trench to match my daughters and still can’t believe how affordable and chic their clothing is! Now, if I could only convincing Reid we need to go to Paris was just as easy. Ha!

All opinions are my own. Thank you Uniqlo for sponsoring this post!

LOL tee // girl’s moto bootie //girls hoodie tunic // girl’s cat flat // girls skinny jeans // boys flannel shirt // boys reversible camo jacket // boys lined jeans // boys green rugby 

4 Back to School Tips

I’m a big believer in EASING your kids into school. It’s a big change for moms, dads, and kids alike, so here are some tips to make that transition easier!

1. Go to bed earlier. I’ve found the back-to-school transition goes a lot smoother when kids are already adjusted to their new schedules. This means you should ease them into a morning schedule 4 weeks before school starts. I know that sounds like pulling teeth, but trust me, the keyword is EASE.
2. Have a treasure chest! I ordered all the little toys my kids are obsessed with from HERE so when they’re done with a subject or practicing piano or pass some test or goal, they get to choose ONE item from the chest. This works best for ages 5-10, in my experience.
3. Lower your expectations. The first couple weeks are rough getting into the new routine. Give yourself and your kids some grace!
4. Set their clothes and shoes out the night before. This helps so much so there’s no room for guessing or a possible disagreement. 
Thank you Lands’ End for sponsoring this post!

 

Boys Rash Guard Top // Boys Shorts 

Girls Navy Suit  // Girls Ruffle Shoulder Suit

My suit // Sunnies // Necklace

We spent the day in Laguna beach after a week at Lake Arrowhead. We stopped at Whole Foods, made some turkey sandwiches, packed them in a cooler and headed off to find a good beach!

After building lots of sand castles and escaping lots of strong waves, we went to visit my aunt’s for spaghetti and fellowship! We headed home shortly after with thankfully lots of sleepy heads. The boys suits are some of my fave and are linked above. The girl’s suits coordinate though my eldest is asking for a matching stripe so I better get on that. Hope you had a lovely Saturday!

“There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” 

Jill Churchill

xx

Shalice

Yesterday we took a day trip with my in-laws to Anacapa Island, 20 miles off the coast of Ventura. The best thing we did was buy a bunch of one-time use cameras for 3 kids and  1 pink instant camera my oldest saved up her money for. From the 1-hour ferry boat ride to the whale sighting to hiking around the island with a guide, 27 pictures on an instant camera went fast, but it was so much fun for the kids to capture the trip through their eyes.

We brought our lunch since there are no restaurants on the island. But we weren’t ready for the wafts of foul smells from the outhouses as we ate our picnic lunch. Yuck. Even though the smells and the nesting, and sometimes aggressive, western seagulls protecting their young, were among the cons of the trip, we still had an amazing time. The views were breathtaking. Something out of National Geographic with cliffs overlooking pebble beaches boasting sunbathing sea lions. So pretty.

If you go… don’t forget:

Water, sunscreen, cameras, snacks (in addition to lunch), dress in layers since the boat ride is chilly but the island gets hot. Also, don’t forget comfy shoes!

But if you ask my kids, in the end, after the long drive, the hike up, the 100 stairs, the squawking gulls protecting their young, they unanimously agreed seeing the huge blue whale and dolphins skimming our ferry boat was THE BEST part of the day. Go figure.

my jacket // jeans under $80! // cami similar // sneakers // sunglasses


maxi dress and similar in solid print // sandals I also like these on sale // sunglasses // red bag // tassel earrings  

More Summer Weekend Faves

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Memorial Day weekend was spent with Reid’s parents and sister and niece. We had a full house and lots of eating out and fun cousin time. We took them to Hollywood and the walk of fame, Rodeo Drive, Laguna Beach, and to see our cabin in Lake Arrowhead. It was a packed 4 days with lots of traffic and quality time together.  I’m still trying to catch a nap! On Memorial Day, we caught up with friends at the Montage Hotel which happens to have an awesome beach, picnic lunch, and ended at the top of the world park in Laguna Beach. It took a little hike and I’m not going to lie my legs were super sore from a long day. I wore the comfiest maxi dress, arch support slides and statement earrings. However, the views on top were worth the trip up. All in all, a great weekend and lots of memories.

xx

Shalice