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Family

Travel

The Travel Stroller We Took to Milan

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Shown: The Baby Carrier in Wild Child

use code shalicenoel for $20 off!

If you are in the market for a stroller, or thinking about being in the market for a stroller, or just like the idea of being in the market for a stroller, this is the stroller for you! As you can imagine, with five kids spanning eleven years, I’ve owned my share of strollers. But the Colugo Compact stroller is hands down the best compact one I’ve ever owned. It’s perfect for travel, quick trips, trips when you’re not driving anything that has a Texas-sized trunk, or anytime you need simplicity and convenience. Did I mention it is only 16 lbs?

Why I love the Colugo Compact Stroller:

While there are SO many reasons, here are a couple you need to know:

1. It is easy and quick to break down. My seven-year-old can do it without breaking a sweat.

2. It is lightweight and slim. I can get it in and out of the car easily, without having to take everything out of the trunk before I do.

3. The fabric is machine washable and can be switched out if you tire of the design. I have camouflage and just ordered the black for winter. I love it! And you did catch the “washable” part? It’s WASHABLE. 

4.  It’s comfortable! It has a thick cushion that Levi actually sleeps in, which is no small fact. Those who know Levi well know that he is NOT a great sleeper.  I only wish he slept as well in his crib as he sleeps in the Colugo!

When we went to Milan this past fall, we brought the Colugo. It managed to fit in an overhead bin, a Prius Uber in Milan, and the little coat closet in our apartment, not to mention all the cafes and coffee shops we visited. To be completely honest, the Prius Uber driver gave us a bit of grief at first, saying “NO STROLLER” over and over. But after Reid did a little demonstration with the stroller and said molto piccolo (very small) a few times, he let us in! .

 Believe me, I’ve tried SO many brands and this is always the stroller that ends up in the back of my car. DON’T FORGET TO USE CODE “shalicenoel” for $20 off your entire order of $125 or more, for new customers, one use per customer. 

Items shown: THE COMPACT STROLLLER // THE CARRIER

At 16lbs, it’s so easy to break down and carry!

Thank you Colugo for sponsoring this post. All opinions my own.

Family

4 Family Workout Ideas and How to Get Started

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

4 Family Workout Ideas + How to Get Started

Our family loves staying active and recently I’ve gotten quite a few questions from you guys about things we do as a family to sneak in exercise and how we got started making it a habit. I love these questions and am happy to answer them, however, I have to admit, Reid is a workout junkie and has done a great job not only teaching the kids about fitness but me too! Ha! So I will say, it helps to have him to kind of lead the way, but here are some ideas!

Go for family walks

This is one of the best ways to get started exercising if you ask me! Not only does this give you and your family a chance to move and get some exercise in, but it’s also great for talking and catching up with your kids and spouse. Start with a few walks a week and before you know it you’ll be moving on to my next idea!

Plan active activities for the family

This is something I want our family to do more of in 2020! We don’t want the kids growing up thinking of working out as a chore, but more as something they enjoy doing and I think finding fun, local activities to do like obstacle courses, a 3k or 5k, or even spending an afternoon at one of those trampoline places sounds like such a great way to show the kids that exercising is fun.

Use commercial breaks on TV to exercise

We try not to overdo it with the TV in our house, but when we do have TV time as a family, we try to make it into a game where on commercial breaks we have little fitness competitions. For example, one commercial break we might see who can do the most push-ups and then on the next one it’s jumping jacks. It’s fun for the kids and Reid and I. Plus, it doesn’t feel like a chore at all!

Playing games with the kids!

If you have kids, a great way to get exercise in for both you and them is by simply playing with them! We play tag and soccer all the time and plan on seriously breaking in the backyard at our new house with lots of outdoor games!

As for getting started, like I said, Reid kind of lit the fire for our family so I think it helps to have someone around that’s extra motivated simply because they enjoy working out. If you don’t have anyone like that in your family, then I recommend starting really small. Go for a family walk – even if it’s at a leisurely pace – and commit to doing it at least two to three times a week. Doing things like this will help you build the habit of moving your body, which is the most important thing in my opinion!

I hope this helps those of you who have been asking about family workouts and it inspires your family to get moving!

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

FoodFoodie Friday

The most amazing dinner my kids loved: Chicken and Mushroom Crêpes

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

We had the MOST AMAZING meal the other night and I feel like we’re not friends if I don’t share it. Yes, that good.

This month, my aunt is staying with us in the MIL suite, spoiling us with delicious meals. We’ve been able to try dishes we’ve never had before. The plus side is, I’m snacking less because I want to save room for her AMAZING dinners. This one we had last week was so good, I feel like we wouldn’t be friends if I didn’t share it. The cream sauce is pure comfort, the mushrooms are tantalizing and chicken, tender, yes this is a family wide winner. Get your Instacart ready, because this should be on your menu next week. Yes, that good. Ingredients and directions below. Now, what am I going to do in February other than pine for delectable dinners like this that I nonchalantly enjoyed every day and dismally replace them with frozen pizza. Yikes, I better make some Valentines Day plans, stat!

Bon Apetit!

Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Crêpes

1 teaspoon butter
1 cup vertically sliced onion
1 garlic clove minced
3 cups thinly slice baby portobello mushroom caps about 6 ounces
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup fat-free less sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
 1/4 cup crème fraîche
2 cups shredded roasted skinless boneless chicken breast
6 French crepes (or make your own basic crepes below)
Thyme sprigs, optional

1. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, sauté 2 minutes or until onion begins to brown. Add mushrooms salt and pepper cook three minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are tender stirring frequently.

Add wine, and cook three minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently. Add broth and chopped thyme, cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; add crème fraîche, stirring until well blended. Add chicken, tossing to coat.


2. Place 1 crêpe on each of 6 plates spoon about 1/3 cup of mushroom mixture into the center of each crepe; roll up. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yields 6 servings. My kids loved it!

Basic Crêpes from allrecipes

I love a good basic crepe for savory dishes or last minute dessert when paired with jam or nutella.

1 cup all purpose flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

1/4 teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of butter

Directions:

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour and the eggs. Gradually add in the milk and water, stirring to combine. Add the salt and butter; beat until smooth.
  2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each crepe. Tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.
  3. Cook the crepe for about 2 minutes, until the bottom is light brown. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook the other side. Serve hot.

Enjoy! Let me know what you think of this dish and if you want to see more.

xx

Shalice

FoodRecipes

Easy (Healthy) Family Dinner: Chickpea and Kale Curry

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

This is one of my favorite recipes as of late. It was originally featured on the Goop website. I made a couple changes and note that even Levi likes it. Guess what? It is healthy for you. I love the creamy texture of the coconut milk, chewy texture of the kale, and slight spice of the curry. Note, this is not spicy. It tastes better the next day so save the leftovers.

Enjoy!

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

4 large cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons minced ginger

1 teaspoon garam masala (I forgot this, and it still tasted good)

2 teaspoons curry powder

½ teaspoon ground coriander

1 small pinch cayenne pepper

2 (14.5-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup light coconut milk

2 packed cups finely chopped kale leaves (about ½ bunch)

salt and pepper to taste

lemon juice to taste

1. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook for 7 minutes, or until it begins to soften. Add garlic, ginger, and spices and cook for another 2 minutes.

2. Add chickpeas, stock, and coconut milk and bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

4. Add the kale and another pinch of salt and simmer gently for 10 more minutes.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice just before serving.

Home

Why We Sold Arrowhead

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Our pj’s are on sale!

12.16.19 We closed on our beloved arrowhead home.

When we moved from Chicago to LA, we anticipated giving up the opportunity for homeownership. We knew it would be crazy out here, so we decided to rent until we really knew the area. While renting, we were longing to sink our teeth into a house. We looked for houses all over, made offers, waited and prayed. The doors kept closing. 

Out of frustration, we decided to rethink homeownership. There are many benefits to renting, but wow, we really wanted to sink our teeth into a house. That’s when we made a unique decision. We decided to buy a cabin in the mountains with the potential to rent it out. Reid was once told, “rent where you live and rent what you own.” As Reid obsessively searched the real estate listings in Lake Arrowhead, he finally came across some doable options. Our A-Frame was a diamond in the rough and we knew it had SO much potential. We leaped on it and didn’t turn back. After 6 months of design and countless trips up and down the mountain, the place looked pretty special and we loved it. 

How did we find the A-Frame?

Reid kept his eye on the real estate listings for Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead. I think he looked at every house listed for a month straight. We knew how much we were willing to spend and we did our research and looked at Airbnb listings to find daily rates and how often they booked. That way we knew if we rented the A-Frame for a minimum of 10 nights a month we would cover our cost. It’s all about timing and seeing potential in what seems unlikely – don’t be afraid to jump on something you don’t exactly want. 

What did you learn from renting it out?

Renting the A-Frame on Airbnb was a great experience and helped offset our remodel expenses. Our guests were super polite and we received great comments. Although, of course, there was one funny thing that happened in our year of short-term renting. Our oven knob kept braking. We have no idea why, but we went through four knobs in two months! Reid finally made a video of how to turn the oven on and would text it to the guest when they arrived. That seemed to do the trick.

The grand finale of our rental was the 24” snowstorm over Thanksgiving of 2019. Our guests lost power for the entire day, ran out of firewood and their phones died. Needless to say, they loved their snowed-in experience and their kids thought we “staged” the snow. A great ending to a year of hosting guests.

What does it take to be an Airbnb Superhost?

Communicate clearly

Touch base with the renters, but don’t act like you are babysitting them.

Make your guests feel welcome

Clean

Comfy beds (thanks Lull Mattress! We got so many compliments on our comfy mattresses)

Respond quickly

Why did you sell?

The decision to sell was easy for me but hard for Reid. While I loved going up to the mountains as an escape from the LA grind, I still found the trip exhausting. Packing the family up for a couple nights was a lot of work. The kids also started soccer and our free weekends became not so free. We found it more difficult to spend time up there. I decided I would rather invest in our primary home. I wanted a house we could live in, design and make a home. Reid, on the other hand, was a little more emotionally attached. This was his vision and a great experience for him to see his drawings come to life. He loved the quiet of the mountains and the architecture of the A-Frame. But in the end, we both agreed that we would rather have a permanent home of our own. Thus, we decided to list the A-Frame on the MLS with Christine Williams who was referred to me by a friend. 

With the sale of Arrowhead, we were able to have a down payment for our new house and super thankful. While we are sad to see it go, we are overjoyed for the lasting memories we made there.

See more about the renovation, inspiration, and links to products we use, HERE.

HomeUncategorized

We’re Moving! (Plus sneak peek of the new home!)

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

After 4 years of renting, numerous offers, and bidding wars, WE BOUGHT A HOUSE. Even crazier, we’re moving 5 days before Christmas! Never a dull moment around here. We laugh because every Christmas we do something crazy like travel or move and we have a less than normal Christmas. I’m super excited to show you more of the house, our plans for it and interior design. Yesterday, we took a video tour of the house with Tim & co, and I can’t wait to show you more! I’ll admit, it was a little daunting talking into the camera so long, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy the home tour.

We plan to clean carpets and the house before we move in, as well as pack up 7 people after settling 4 years in this rental house.

If you think we are crazy, you are probably right but I can’t think of another Christmas and birthday gift I would rather have. I’ve been dreaming about home content for ages and so happy to finally have a home to renovate and decorate. Unlike a rental, I can actually pick all the light fixtures, YAY! Are you ready for some home content?

In the meantime, here is a major SNEAK PEEK to get an idea of what the new house looks like:

Here are some home items that I am loving!

Family

Family in Plaid

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Boys shirt with bow tie // Boys Blazers // Boys Chinos (runs small, size up)// My plaid pants in size 4 // My taupe sandals // Cotton shirt

Reid’s sneakers // Reid’s jeans // Girl’s sneakers // Red Beret // Girl’s faux leather jacket // Girls Dresses from zara here are SIMILAR

My kids don’t love family pictures, but here are some ways we make it easier.

Since I get asked often what are some tips to styling a great family photo:

1. Pick one print (here I chose black watch plaid)

2. Pair that print with neutrals for example khaki pants, white shirts, white dresses, and neutral footwear.

3. Add a pop of red!

4. Don’t forget some prizes! I bring meringue cookies, lollipops, whatever sweets I have on hand to keep the smiles up. A little bribery goes far!

Family

Christmas Pj’s for the Family

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Our 7.5′ tree // Similar rug // Artwork //

Sizing note: kids pj’s fit TTS. Evergreen pajamas // We also have these adorable red robes (on sale) // Men’s gingham pajama set // Women’s gingham pajama set (I got a small but could’ve gone with an XS)

Matching family pj season is here! I absolutely LOVE matching as a family! Our kids give us a hard time when we ask them to match, but in the end, I think they like it. This year, I chose evergreen pajamas for the kids and matching red gingham pj’s for Reid and I. I love the quality of these pj’s almost as much as I love our tradition of eating french onion soup the day we put up the tree and cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. I love traditions!

Maisonette’s Black Friday promotion begins November 26 with up to 30% off. Plus, get an additional 10% off beginning December 2 with code EXTRA10. Note our pajamas can be monogrammed and make great gifts!

Halloween

Our Aviator Family Halloween 2019

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Baby Outfit // Older Boys Outfit with Cap // Girls Stewardess Costume // Reid’s Ear Muffs // Reid’s Safety Vest // His dad’s old boots // Traffic Wand

My shirt // My pencil skirt // My pumps // Brook’s costume from Costco.

Every September we rack our brains over WHAT to be for Halloween. It’s a big deal around here and with a group of seven, the pressure is on to keep everyone happy. Getting it all together is much harder than it looks but the real complexity is keeping it simple.

This year, like most, we went back and forth—should we be a family of bees, a box of illegal plastic straws or just give up and go in our pajamas? As we brainstorm and talk ourselves out of any costumes that involve sewing we usually hit the enlightenment.

Then, Brooks—my 6-year-old—came back from a Costco run with daddy and announced he REALLY WANTED the pilot uniform at Costco. So much so that he would use his own money. Wow. So, the next day I brought the fam to Costco to see what the hype was. He was right on, it was a cool uniform with a semi-real looking leather aviator jacket. SOLD. I whipped out the Visa, threw some berries in the cart to snack on for the painfully long line and just like that, we started creating our Halloween family theme on the way home.

So thanks to Brooks’ find, we found ourselves an aviation theme. That my friends is how it’s done. No rhyme or reason or far-out planning… it was really just impulse. I went on to order stewardess uniforms for the girls, another fighter jet costume for the boys and Reid pulled together a baggage handler costume thanks to Amazon. Hilarious. My dad, a retired pilot, I think would be proud.

Which is your favorite look? 

Fall Fashion

A Week in Milan for MFW

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Sweater dress // Similar ring  // OTK Boots  // Faux leather skirt // Cape I’m wearing in small and Similar Cape // Fendi Bag // Tissue turtleneck //

We were all set to go to New York Fashion Week, but a work thing came up and we ended up canceling our trip.  As a creative, NYFW totally inspires me and I was disappointed missed it.  It’s funny how things turn on you though.  NYFW came and I had major FOMO, but then a couple friends suggested I go to Fashion Week in Milan.  I had thought about going last year but was 8 month pregnant with Levi, so that wasn’t going to happen.  Reid and I discussed the possibility and we decided to go for it.

I’ll post about the shows and presentations I attended during Milan Fashion Week, but for this post I’m sharing international travel tips.  Yes we took Levi.  Yes we booked with little planning.  Yes we had a great time!

We found direct flights from LAX to MXP on Air Italia.  We found the price to be the best and the direct flight made the journey a little less stressful.  Flying with an 11 month old is hard.  I wish I had advice to make it better, but honestly, it’s hard.  Grin and bear it.  Nurse like crazy.  He actually did great!  Resolving the sleep schedule was another issue.

We researched shortly where to stay and eventually landed at a really cool apartment in a great location.  The place we rented was called Brera Apartments. Here’s the exact link. We stayed in the San Fermo Apartment that slept 4 adults. We slept in the master, and Atalie slept in the pullout bed in the living room area. It was perfect! Here are Reid’s three tips on finding a great place to stay.

  1.  Look on a map for the sites you really want to see.  From that center point, search the surrounding area that is about a 15-20 minute walk.  The places near the center of the action were pricey and we found places further out yet still walkable to be half the price.  So while it may be more expensive than places even further out, what we saved in cab fare more than made up for the cost.
  2. When traveling with kids a kitchen is a huge benefit, therefore we always pick something more like a home, than a hotel.  We brought oatmeal packets for breakfast and ate small meals from the grocery store for lunch.  The best lunch was when we discovered the San Marco Farmer’s Market right around the corner.  We bought fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and olives.  Seriously the best meal for only 7 euro’s and fed all of us.  We saved our big meals for dinner as the Italian’s typically do.
  3. When booking a place make sure the neighborhood has the three basics.  Café, Gelato and Market.  We could not get enough of the Fioraio Bianchi Caffe ,on the corner of our street.  We felt part of the community as we drank our cappuccino’s every morning among our neighbors.  Truly a great local experience.

We decided to leave Milan for the day and take the train to Florence.  We caught the 10:25am train to Florence that arrived at 11:50am.  The train ride was fast and we were able to do some great shopping (Fendi!….check my post!!!) We also saw all the beautiful cathedrals and walked an amazing amount of steps before we caught the train back to Milan at 6:25pm.  It was well worth the effort.  Florence is beautiful, we suggest you find a day when it is not as crowded.

Traveling with a babe:

Traveling with a baby isn’t easy. It is important to stay flexible, lower your expectations, and bring snacks. I found some organic baby biscuits at a small Milan grocery store that literally SAVED us. He loved gnawing on them. A good travel stroller is worth is weight in gold! Levi loved the cozy Colugo stroller and we liked how lightweight and easy it was to pack.

Long story short, the 12 hour flight was long, the trip was AMAZING. I would do it again and yes we are already looking to bring the family back for a couple of months.

How about you, where in Italy is your favorite place? Do share! As always, my SHOP PAGE is open 24/7. Happy weekend!

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