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Family

FamilyFoodKid friendlyLA blogger

Cinco de Mayo with the Family

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

:: my romper :: flats :: gold flatware :: white tablecloth  :: Photo’s by Tasha

We met up with our friends for a fun Cinco de Mayo party, think lots of Fanta, fresh guac, Corona and freshly squeezed lime. Did I mention fresh guac? We had pollo asado and carne asada, salsa, and were too full of fresh guacamole to entertain the thought of having dessert. I included the guacamole recipe below. All in all, it was a beautiful warm night of our littles serenading us on the mini guitars, piled high tacos, sugar highs, and sugar lows. Ultimately, we were so excited to have found a community of friends that makes California feel like we never left home.

Guacamole recipe:
2 Avocados mashed
Squeeze a whole lemon
Salt to taste

FamilyHomeInteriorsShopStyle

Our Bedroom Makeover

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

duvet cover :: pillows gold  navy :: lamps :: sign :: headboard similar :: faux fur throw :: mug :: Los Angeles Sign ::

After we moved, our room was the last to get some decorating love. It was the room I dumped everything in, and it swiftly became the least most relaxing room in the house. Enter some new (cheap, so stock up!) white sheets , fresh linen duvet, new pillows, an amazingly soft faux fur throw, vintage bedside tables (hubby refinished) and our vintage Los Angeles sign we brought from the downstairs living room. Violà, a bedroom with more character, simple design upgrades and an incredibly soft bed.

So if you’re a weekend warrior, or comfort queen, here are 3 under $100 bedroom must-haves to make any weekend a holiday weekend (not including Netflix or Nutella).

1 – 2- 3- 

$68 pillows :: $98 faux fur throw :: $47 lamps (on sale)

FamilyFoodie FridayHomeHow to

Little B’s Smoothie Recipe

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

 

Foodie Friday is back!! Like most things in life, something that started as a fun idea is now a full-blown ritual. As in, don’t even think about changing any thing up or bad things are going to happen. It’s pretty simple actually. After we drop off the kids at school, Brooks and I come back home and make smoothies. There it is. Quite honestly, I usually go through the mail and email while he begs and begs until I help him pull out all the ingredients. I literally put all the ingredients on the rug and then he sits there with the Vitamix and happily puts things in the mixer. I won’t say it’s all smooth sailing. Just today, while he was pulling out the spinach, he pulled out the glass jar of strawberry jam and it shattered. And mixers and children (well, adults too to be honest) don’t always go well together. So like I said, it’s not always smooth sailing, but it is worth it. He “cooks” his own food, and we both get yummy smoothies and fun memories.

Some of the Pros of cooking in the kitchen with your kids:

It’s fun! He’s learning and you’re both doing something fun together–it’s Quality Time!

You’re making memories

An opportunity to teach how to clean up

You get to stretch your patience muscle

Cons

Your patience muscle is getting stretched

Things will break, fall, and Legos are always involved. I don’t even know how, but it’s true

The mess (this almost deserves two bullet points, but I’ll leave it at one)

B’s Smoothie recipe

1 frozen banana

2 packets frozen acai bowl mix (we get ours from Costco)

1/2 cup – 3/4 cup  almond milk 

1 T chia seeds

1 handful of kale 

Blend in the Vitamix and enjoy chilled!

my cutoffs and a $55 version :: striped top :: similar under $100

Vitamix :: his sweater (on sale!) :: his similar  cutoffs  :: photo’s by Tasha

More denim cutoffs I’m loving here:

collaborationCollaborationsFamilyHomeHow to

5 Steps to a Spring Home Refresh with Anthropologie

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel



Spring is not just a season to open the windows and air out the house, but a great time to refresh your favorite room in the house.  Reid and I collaborated with Anthropologie Home to give our living room a fresh new look and feel with a few minor and major changes. Here is what we did.

1. We de-cluttered the entire room and got rid of old and unread books. This is a good first step for everyone.

2. We changed the living room paint color from a yellowish tan to a crisp white. Paint is your best friend! If you’re on a budget, start with paint. Be very careful when choosing white paint though; know your lighting and color tone. You don’t want to end up with sterile.  We have found Benjamin Moore’s Decorator White to be a great, versatile white.  See how the artwork and furniture pop!

3. We then created a mood board with all the furniture and accessories we have and want. Consider ALL your furniture too, not just the furniture currently in the living room. Switching furniture from other rooms in the house is another cheap design trick.  Let the room evolve and repurpose unexpected pieces in your space, and if you can, add one major statement piece. We added the Anthropologie blue slub velvet couch, which not only became the statement piece for the entire room, but it anchored the look and design.  It is decadent and sleek as you might imagine; the selection in Anthropologie’s home collection is surprisingly large. We chose a settee so that we could float the couch in the center of the room.We moved our vintage sectional into our TV room, which is much better for watching movies as a family.

A. We relocated our mid century credenza to be under the picture window.

B. We moved our bar cart from the dinning room to the entry foyer.  I love how it gives a whole new purpose to the bar cart.  Now it’s a place to leave our keys.  Plus, we don’t drink (that much) anyway!  It’s better for displaying pretty books and keys.

4. We added new artwork to the fresh white walls and moved our beloved Los Angeles sign to the bedroom.  A few years ago we started the tradition of gifting artwork for our wedding anniversary.  Last year was the Los Angeles sign and this year is the ocean painting from Anthropologie.  I love how it pulls the slush velvet blues from the couch. Add life to your space, literally, with greenery.  Don’t be afraid to go big.  As long as the branches don’t scratch the ceiling, I say go for it.

5. Lastly, add updated pictures to your frames.  We recently worked on a project with photographer Justin Coit and created a new gallery wall of our favorite family pictures.  The kids love seeing the beach as we go up and down the stairs and through the living room.  The drift wood branch was a souvenir from our most recent beach outing and contrasts the metallic bar cart beautifully.  Plus it give us memories of the beach every time we walk through the front door. Love our refreshed living room!

Thank you Anthropologie for partnering on this post! 

Velvet Slub Couch :: ANTHROPOLOGIE :: Summer sky wall art ANTHROPOLOGIE :: brass frames ANTHROPOLOGIE : settee :: gold pillows ANTHROPOLOGIE ::

my sweater :: jeans :: mug ::

Shop the items by clicking the image below

Order your custom velvet couch here!

FamilyMarriage

Anniversary: 10 pieces of advice to the newly married

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

So, today marks our 10 year anniversary. Those were some fast years … some smooth, some rough, but all pretty great as a whole. Since 10 years is hardly a drop in the bucket in the great scheme of Life, I recently interviewed a couple special, more experienced people, to help me put together 10 pieces of advice to married couples and singles! Marriage can be wonderful, but like anything worth having, it takes work. Read on . . .

keep realistic expectations of yourself and your spouse

recognize you both will have different gifts and abilities. don’t fight it. and no, you can’t change it.

you will fight over stupid things. just expect it. and when you do, talk first to your spouse, instead of your girlfriend and mother.

listen to your spouse, not your parent.

go on dates and do the things you did when you were dating to keep the romance

read scripture together

try to do what the spouse likes to do. if its a football game, watch it. if she likes photos, help her.

have dinners together, despite the busy schedules

don’t compare your relationship to other couples. its really tempting, but avoiding this will ensure more contentment.

go on dates. (it bears repeating)

Your turn. If married, what is your advice? Feel free to weigh in. Happy Anniversary Reid! Love you to the moon and back.

AccessoriescollaborationCollaborationsFamilyFashionSpringStyle

Casual with Abercrombie + Fitch

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel



While it may seem like Abercrombie + Fitch is catering more to the younger set (think tweens and teens), a recent shopping trip there was an eye-opener. Abercrombie + Fitch has stepped it up and I’m loving all the colors, enviable basics, and great classic styles that made it so popular in the first place. If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll notice I’ve been wearing this trench coat on repeat. Thankfully, this taupe beauty happened to arrive at my doorstep during the heart of LA’s crazy cool and wet February weather. Also, these jeans and gingham top, like most Abercrombie + Fitch items are under $100.
Oh, and did I mention the kids’ section? The selection is melt-your-heart good.  The darling shorts are still darling after lots of active wear–and still in one piece, without holes. They’re cute AND shenanigan-proof. Can you ask for more? And I was more than happy that he actually liked his hat well enough to keep it on. His dad is even jealous of that hat.  It’s the little things in life that make you smile, right? Thank you Abercrombie + Fitch for sponsoring this post and reintroducing me to the brand and new styles. Go find some new favorites!

Photos by Tasha

His HAT  // His WHITE SHIRT // His SHORTS //

My JEANS // My PLAID SHIRT // my TRENCH COAT

FamilyStyle

This is Family – Santa Monica

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Photographer Justin Coit reached out to me with an idea.  He explained he was doing a photographic collection featuring families.  Our family caught his eye.  Of course we took him up on his idea.  The intent of the collection was to capture our family as we are.  That made me a bit nervous.  (Our Christmas card is never a perfectly posed picture, if you know what I mean) Behind the scenes is typically more crazy than what I see as beautiful and the lollipops eventually run out!

Photo day came on a warm Saturday in January.  We told the kids we were going to the beach and someone was going to pictures of us playing.  We all love the surf and sand, but were hoping to keep the kids out of the water.  (You know, so we’d look more perfect)  They had their complaints, but once we got there and we took our first photo together, with lollipops, they were sold.  The kids quickly took to Justin – after all he brought them juice boxes and a kite – the boys kept grabbing stuff and the girls kept saying photos were never more fun. We ended up getting soaked and full of sand, but have no regrets.  This is my family.  From the beach to the pier, the entire project was natural and fun.  It was a beautiful day of beautiful moments spent with those I love most.  Thank you, Justin, for capturing these moments so beautifully.

5 Family Beach Day Musthaves
lollipops – I like the fruit colored ones, 2. veggie chips, 3. blanket – ours is from Hand & Cloth, 4. mini waters, 5. Spray SPF I like this one.

photography: Justin Coit insta: @justincoit / This is family project /  location: Santa Monica, CA

FamilyStyle

Family Weekend: 4 Top 4 Avocado Toast in LA

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

 

Our family weekend was full of energy, and started with brunch at Dinette. So much yum and lots of people watching! The kids enjoyed the croissants while we went for the avocado toast, which was no sacrifice let me tell you. You almost can’t believe it’s good for you. We love avocado toast so much that I compiled my top faves in LA below. Am I missing one? Let me know! And, if you’re curious, see our top coffee shops in LA here.

Top 4 places to get avocado toast:

Ledlow (So many good layers and a little kick. Not to mention the whole place is insta-worthy)

Winsome (I loved the creaminess. So good and super kid-friendly. It always makes my list.)

Gracias Madre (Oh my goodness. You will be asking for a double order. Don’t forget the guac. This place is also insta-worthy)

Dinette 1608 Sunset Blvd. Great people watching, kid and dog-friendly, and great avocado toast. Go early.

FamilyOutfitOutfitsShopStyle

6 Fave OTK Boots

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

faux leather leggings NORDSTROM :: boots STUART WEITZMAN similar :: leather jacket BLESSED ARE THE MEEK similar :: gray sweater KIT & ACE similar :: necklace DYLANLEX  ring :: JPJ

 

It’s no secret, over-the-knee boots are the must-have of the season. Wear them up or down, with leggings or skinny jeans, and recently I even wore mine with a ruffle dress (more of that to come!). Talk about versatility! I love the fit-like-a-glove feel and the heel isn’t too high to make chasing my 3 year-old an impossibility. As I’m sure you know by now, the kid’s got tons of personality and spunk so chasing him happens more than I’d like. Below, I show 6 OTK boots for every desired heel height and budget, from $69 to $875. See also how I styled them here. Don’t forget, you’ve got until midnight tonight to enter the ring giveaway!

FamilyStyleTravel

4 Days in Yosemite

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

 

my coat :: sweater :: jeans :: nike roshe id

One of our bucket list items has always been Yosemite. Big trees, bigger mountains and stunning stone ridges, did I mention waterfalls? I only read about and saw distant pictures of it but to see it in person, is like in the middle of the Grand Canyon so vast, untouched, and wild. While it was a chilly 38 degrees, and we attempted a couple hikes by the falls, all we could think about was the hot chocolate in our little chalet. And little it was but there is something alluring about cozy cottages around the holidays. So good. I think the kids spent most of the day up in the little chalet loft while the hubs and I cooked (well, defrosted, Portuguese stew called “Feijoda).” The latter takes me right into my first tip. If you’re renting a cabin, bring obviously lots of snacks, waters, organic cinnamon rolls (from a tube) and FROZEN dinners. Who wants to cook on vacation? For lunches, we enjoyed the tasty spread at Tanaya Lodge and Big Fir Lodge for their cozy ambience and yummy burgers. For fun, if Badger Pass is open, don’t forget to bring car chains, ski’s and warm thermal underwear. In the end, I’m so grateful we did this short 4-day getaway, just what we needed. Don’t underestimate a rest from the hustle of the holidays, school events, LA traffic for some family bonding in the woods. From the oldest to youngest, we all felt the bond.

What’s on your vacation bucket list?

 

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