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Family

Baby Registry must haves for Levi

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

I partnered with Walmart to share some baby registry favorites! Fifth time around, I’m anything but ready and prepared. That may seem odd but it is true. While I have forgotten a lot of the essentials, I have found some great baby registry essentials at Walmart!

So, what are some of my essentials? Silk lovie, Burp Clothes, organic crib sheet, organic clothes, cell phone toy (because he always reaches for mine!), toy keys (you can freeze), and terry cloth bath robe are just some of my favorites I’ve found at Walmart.

Thousands of items online are “Next Day eligible,” and that is awesome because I’m a busy mom who needs things FAST.

In the end, Levi has the important things covered: loving parents and adoring siblings, for everything else, we have Walmart 2-day and Next Day shipping on most items to keep us prepared and well stocked. Because it doesn’t look like I’ll have my act together anytime soon. In the meantime, get all your baby registry essentials at Walmart, from diapers to rockers, to cribs!

Start your baby registry today HERE on Walmart.com.

Whether you’re creating a baby registry, or not sure what to get a friend who just had a baby, below are some of my top picks! How cute is this modern rocker?

  1. kid’s rocker 2. onesie 3. baby joggers 4. baby teether keys 5. elephant robe 6. BPA free bottles 7. crib 8. rocking swan

Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post!

FamilyOutfit

Sunday Best on a Tuesday

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

lace dress and similar // similar belt // leather jacket // sandals ($35!) // earrings // similar turquoise ring

After being gone a whole week, we were more than happy to see the 4 kiddos this weekend. We enjoyed a morning at church with papa, and an afternoon at the nursery buying plants and driving up to Lake Arrowhead. We planted (my favorite) raspberry bushes that take me back to playing Candy Land on my grandma’s porch snaking on raspberries while the air smelled like roses. Ah to be 5 again! We got a lot accomplished. Well my dad and Reid did while I nursed Levi. We also brought up 3 paint colors to try on the Lake Arrowhead cabin. Caviar by Sherwin Williams won, now, we wait for the city’s approval. Exciting things coming up. Here’s a link below to more dresses and leather jackets I’m loving:

As always, my shop page is open 24/7 and you can follow me on the Liketoknow.it app for immediate outfit details. Thanks for stopping by! xx Shalice

FamilyMarriage

Things I’ve learned in 12 Years of Marriage

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Reid and I celebrated 12 years of marriage on Sunday.  Every anniversary I like to reflect back on God’s faithfulness to us.  We’ve lived in 3 cities, had 5 kids, countless disagreements, joyous date nights, lame day nights and more challenges than I can count, pale in comparison to the many blessings, and days and nights with my best friend.  A good marriage is like tending to a garden, it needs a lot of care, weeding, hedging, and planning. I can relate keenly to this because our back yard after kids is pretty sad and neglected but I don’t have time to tend to it. And you can tell. A good marriage like a beautiful garden doesn’t just grow, it is “tended to,” lovingly protected from predators like bugs and weeds. Read honest marriage tips we’ve learned by experience in 12 years:

Tip #1:

Spouses can’t read minds. Coffee in bed was always my marriage dream and I used to have an expectation that he’d bring me coffee in bed as the morning birds were chirping outside my bedroom window.  Well…He didn’t bring me my coffee without me asking for it first and wow did I get upset.  Kind of a pathetic thing to get upset about, so skip the fight and just ask nicely.

Tip #2:

While I want coffee, Reid wants to workout in the AM. Team work is about compromise. Let you spouse do what they enjoy and he’ll let you do what you want to do.  Find out what makes him tick, what makes his day?

Tip #3

Put his needs before yours. This takes God’s help, I don’t naturally do this.

Tip #4

Put the cap back on the toothpaste and don’t yell at him if he doesn’t.  But never leave toothpaste in the drain.  That I can’t get over.  Just don’t do it.  No excuses.

Tip #5

Take one day at a time, don’t feel like you have to tackle all the marriage goals in one day.

Tip #6

Marriage always takes priorities over kids. Reid and I put each other over the kids.

How we met: Not many of you know, but Reid and I met in a Bible study downtown Chicago. It was a great place to meet and observe each other without going out right away. I encourage our kids when of the age to seek this kind of wholesome group in which to meet a possible spouse.

I went to coffee with another guy before Reid and he had so many red flags, I told him, let’s stay friends, I’m not interested in moving forward. That wasn’t an easy conversation to have, however, I wasn’t going to allow my heart to lead before my head. I would rather wait for the right one than settle and be unhappy the rest of my life. Girls, it’s ok to have a list of things you would like in a spouse, only have a friend keep you accountable on your list for yourself. We can’t be waiting on near perfection if we aren’t working on ourselves in the meantime. Also, it’s ok to note red flags. THEY SERVE TO PROTECT YOU.

That leads me to the question, how did you know he was “the one?” I get asked that a lot on Instagram when I show Reid or mention our relationship. I’ll start by saying I don’t believe in a magical formula, but I do believe in counsel and prayer. Ask your parents about this person, or a mentor, or someone older than you what they think. Ask them if they think you’re compatible. If that sounds old fashioned, call me old fashioned. It’s only your WHOLE life that you are promising to be with this person in marriage. That’s quite a commitment. I prayed a lot for closed doors if Reid and I were not meant to get married, after all, I wanted this to be a blessed union, despite how sexy he was or his job title.

In the beginning, we fought a ton about stupid things. It’s normal. Some of them included, If we should sign up for Sprint or Verizon, should we keep or toss a dozen spools of ribbon from our wedding, cheap date nights vs splurge date nights, and I can’t remember more but believe me, there was more! Now, we laugh about it!

Now 12 years in and I love him more than ever. 

FamilySkiTravel

Our Vail Vacation 2019

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Top Photography by Tomas Cohen

I’m going to shake the boat a little bit in today’s article. Reid and I will take a ski trip to the mountains over a trip to Disneyland any day. Yes, it’s true! For those diehard Disney goers, feel free to blast me in my comments below…kindly though. But here are my thoughts. Skiing is a great way to be active, learn something new, improve at a sport, challenge ourselves physically, face our fears, encourage each other…I can go on and on. Skiing is good for families.

When we plan our ski vacation we always pick Vail. For us personally, it’s centrally located for Reid’s parents who meet us there. We fly from the west coast and they drive from the midwest. They love the opportunity to see the kids ski and help us by babysitting Levi so I can ski. If you have grandparents who don’t ski, you need to know Vail offers free scenic gondola rides after 3:30, so the grandparents can join the kids on top of the mountain, watch them ski and then grab hot chocolates at Bistro Fourteen.

We flew Southwest Airlines from Burbank to Denver. Southwest is one of the few airlines that has bags fly free and with snow gear, and we knew we’d have a lot of bags. We got into Denver late afternoon and by the time our shuttle picked us up, the sun was down and we missed the scenery. When you book your trip, make sure to get to Denver no later than 1:00 pm. It’s a two-hour drive from Denver to Vail and the sun goes down around 5:00 pm.  

Vail has world-class skiing and attracts people from all over the world. Vail has amazing restaurants like Flame (our favorite) and Standard. Also, the streets are heated, so you don’t really have to slosh around in your boots to explore the town. Where were heated streets when I was a kid? They also have free transportation that will take you from one side of Vail to the other.

We recommend ski lessons for the kids to get reacquainted with their skis and learn mountain etiquette. Secretly, Reid and I wanted to run off together and ski alone while they were in school. We met up with them for lunch and then did some runs with the ski instructor and the kids in the afternoon before I had to run off and feed Levi. You can book ski lessons online or even the day of. They offer private, semi-private or group lessons. With the four kids, we chose a private group lesson. Be aware though, you can’t mix snowboard lessons with ski lessons.

Besides skiing, we also took the kids to Adventure Ridge at the top of the Lionshead Gondola.  Adventure Ridge offers snow biking, an alpine coaster and snow tubing. The kids chose snow tubing so while I stayed home with Levi and ordered room service, Reid took the kids tubing. Very much a highlight for the kids.

The final day we were blessed with lots and lots of snow! We almost got up early enough to make first tracks. It was beautiful skiing with the snow falling and we skied the morning together as a family. With the fresh powder, the kids were able to take on the blue runs with no problems. Even our five year old was taking them on. Can I remind you how cute kids are skiing? Making fresh tracks in the powder was a great way to end our day…even though we didn’t really want it to end.

If you are curious, we stayed at Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail. Our place had two bedrooms, a spacious living room with a pullout couch, a well stocked kitchen, 2 bathrooms, a powder room and convenient washer/dryer. The hotel staff was friendly and helpful and provides shuttle service anywhere you need to go. I went downstairs to order a quick bite to eat while the older kids were tubing and the staff brought it up shortly to my room. Reid and I loved the gym area. We got to try the new Pelaton bikes. If we were brave enough, I would love to try the hot tub and heated pool. Funny enough, our kids jumped in and quickly begged for warm towels and blankets. Oh to be a kid!

Where we stayed: Collaboration with RITZ CARLTON CLUB VAIL RESIDENCES

Eat Little Diner (breakfast) Mountain Standard (dinner)

Flame (steak dinner)

Outfit details: GG Belt // Camel Coat // Red Print Sweater // Faux Leather Pants //

My Ski Coat // Ski Pants // Levi SnowsuitBoys Moncler

Girls Puffer // Girls puffer// Boys Puffer

DietFamily

Shalice’s Fab 4 Smoothie

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

First of all, what is a Fab4 Smoothie? It was founded by Kelly LaVeque, author of Body Love. She describes how this combination of smoothie doesn’t allow the sugar spike thanks to a balance of fat, protein, greens and a small amount of sugar. I’ve been enjoying it since I was pregnant and noticed more energy and sustained energy. On a good day, if I have this for breakfast, I’m not hungry till 12 or 1pm.

I’ve explained it in an earlier post, but here is the gist:

#FAB4Smoothie: Protein (20g minimum) + Fiber (10g minimum) + 1 Tbsp. Fat + Handful Greens + 1/4 Cup Fruit + Superfoods + Liquid

1 TB almond butter// 1 frozen banana // 1 cup frozen pineapple // 2 cups frozen organic spinach // 1 TB chia seeds // unsweetened almond milk // 2 meyer lemons (add at the end) //

Directions: blend till smooth in a vitamix or blender. I add the lemons at the end and drink immediately.

I explain more in this post about how I am changing the way our family eats.

How are you making healthy changes in 2019?

Familyworkout

Our Family’s Garmin Smartwatches

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

my watch // the boys watches (THIS is an option for the girls too!)

You know that one thing you really needed but you didn’t know you needed till you have it? Well, that’s how I feel about the new Garmin watches my kids and I recently received. Here’s an example of the new normal in our house. I was in the dining room when I heard stomping and laughter in the foyer. I inquired what they were doing and my boys were doing stairs to gain more points on their new vívofit® jr. 2 watches. Hilarious but true. Each of those points they so arduously culminate translate to daily goals. When they meet their goals they receive coins and with coins I can track progress and deliver rewards as I see fit. Our house is abuzz with talk of earning point and rewards as you can imagine! The watch connects to the vívofit® jr. app on my phone.  Through the app, I’m even able to assign chores and alarms when the jobs need to be completed for coins.  The kids are remarkably motivated to get their tasks done.  The app also includes access to a game the kids can play when their goals have been met for the day.  The boys are also learning about time and having the digital watch has made them aware of what time of day it is…something new for us.

The new habits in our house aren’t just about the boys though. I’m building new habits this year as well. I’m wearing the new Garmin fēnix® 5 Plus.  It’s helped me realize my activity level throughout the day, my heart rate and through the Garmin app, I can even track my workout schedule.  Which is my new 2019 goal, to regularly and purposefully workout.  Carrying Levi all day no longer counts as my arm workout girlfriends!  The new watch fits into my lifestyle choices seamlessly.  I’m motivated to be better at what I do and I really dig the style of the watch.  My style choice of watches are always on the more masculine side.  I guess I like the weightiness and it makes me feel stronger as I’m pushing through a workout.  But I also like wearing it wherever we are headed.  Sunday night we went to the beach for a sunset stroll a little beach side workout or to the grocery store.  Plus, when Reid asked me what I did today I have evidence and can honestly say… I did 7,000 steps.  Gives new meaning to the Johnny Cash song, “I’ve been everywhere, Man”!  It’s my new normal.  What’s your new normal this year?

    Some facts to get excited about:

    Leave your cards at home, use Garmin Pay and make payments via your watch.
    Play your favorite music from your phone using streaming services such as Spotify.
    $30 off Vivomove HR and $20 off Vivofit Jr from February 3 to February 16.

      Thank you Garmin for sponsoring this post!

      FamilyFAQOutfit

      Friday Notes

      by Shalice Noel
      written by Shalice Noel

      Levi’s jacket / Her Jacket // Jeans Kut from Kloth and similar // Vintage Bing Tee // Her Bing Tee // My Sneakers

      We went to the farmers market and bought tons of veggies and made Bok Choy Soup. It’s super easy! To make it, boil 8 cups of filtered water with 2 “not chicken’ chicken broth cubes, after about 10 min of boiling, add 2 bunches of baby bok choy. Enjoy!

      Who said fashion is unattainable? These leopard mules are $28

      I found out this week that Chloé sunglasses are 50% off, no, that’s not a typo!

      Many of my followers ask for a similar turquoise ring to mine, so here’s a similar one! Also, how cute are these earrings?

      I wanna try these gummy hair vitamins. Have you tried them? If you have Golden Goose Sneakers like mine, try these NO SHOW socks, so good.

      Have you tried these tan mist for the face? It has great reviews, I’m intrigued.

      Just bought my daughter these GGB dupes so she can match with me. They’re a $30 Amazon no brainer.

      How cute are these leopard pillows?

      I haven’t bought a YETI yet to keep beverages warm. Have you?

      I get asked a lot what pilates ring I use, and this is the one!

      We’re having people over on Sunday, I’m going to try this recipe for salmon and brussel sprouts my favorite!

      Did you catch my newsletter on 8 easy ways to save $ in 2019? Don’t forget to subscribe! Just keep scrolling down below.

      Palm SpringsTravel

      New Years at Miramonte Indian Wells Resort

      by Shalice Noel
      written by Shalice Noel

      What island likes to have a lot of sweets? A deserted island J OK…OK…so we decided to head to the desert right after Christmas, but due to our unexpected trip to the Midwest, we ended up adjusting our dates so we could spend New Year’s Eve at The Miramonte Indian Wells Resort. Indian Wells is in the Coachella Valley (book now for festival season) between Palm Desert and La Quinta.

       

      It’s funny how we left 12-degree temperatures in Omaha on December 29, and we were expecting hot desert temperatures to come home to. Well, we happened to come home to a cold snap and the temps in the desert were 60 degrees and below! We are so wimpy now. Needless to say, always check the weather before you pack. We took a day trip to Joshua Tree National Park and needed our winter clothes! I still grinned and bared it to get some fashion content but wow was I cold! All for the gram!

       

      The Miramonte Indian Wells Resort is super family friendly with Spanish style architecture and beautifully landscaped grounds. Our room was garden level with a citrus garden outside our door. The grounds crew even picked some lemons and oranges for us and brought them to our door. The property also has a rose garden and an area with a life-size Connect Four game and bean bag toss, which the kids really enjoyed. We were disappointed because it was too cold for the pool. Although the kids totally would have gone for it if we had let them. We’ll have to return in the spring. The resort also has a spa and adult only hideaway pool.

       

      Considering the cold temperatures, our favorite amenity was the fire pits scattered throughout the resort. You can even book a smores package and snuggle up together at sunset with melted marshmallow stickiness goodness.

       

      For our hotel room New Year’s Eve bash, we picked up some root beer, sparkling juice, gummy bears, lollipops and popcorn. Whole Foods is a five-minute drive from the hotel. The room was spacious enough for a little dance party as we counted down the New Year. Here’s the nice thing about being on Pacific Standard Time – we celebrate the New Year at New York City time, then we all go to bed early. Does anybody else do this?

      Despite the temperature hickup, it was a great trip and we’re definitely looking forward to our next visit!

      Here are some other ideas for a trip to the Coachella Valley:

      Tramway

      Zoo

      Joshua Tree

      Salvation Mountain

      Modernism Week

      Outfits: kimono – Poska Resortwear // black camisole only $24! // leather pants and similar // white mules // “S” necklace

      pink coat // white jeans // white mules // white blouse // leopard clutch //

      chunky knit sweater // OTK Boots I’m a 9, and ordered a 40 // leopard Scarf

      Click here to book your next trip at Miramonte Indian Wells Resort & Spa

      OutfitsStyle

      Little Red Dress for Valentines Day

      by Shalice Noel
      written by Shalice Noel

      dress (I’m 5’9″ wearing a size 4)// mules  // bag

       No, it’s not too soon to think about Valentine’s Day. Afterall, it is only 31 days away. I’m the last minute kind of girl, but this year not so much. I found this LRD Little Red Dress at Rebecca Minkoff recently, and fell in love. It’s flowy, sports a flattering waistband, a nice length and I love the sleeve detail. I think it would be flattering on petite or tall, a true sign of a good dress.

      I’m so grateful for 11 years of marriage, and what better time to celebrate your partner than Valentine’s Day? I’m so grateful for Reid’s sacrifice for our family. His quiet leadership, patience, and simple kindness bless our family daily. Today, I’m sharing 5 tips for a successful marriage:

      1. Make a list of all his positive traits
      Marriage is hard. Make it the best it can be

      2. Make her HAPPY (hubby’s tip for a happy marriage) And hey, this makes me happy 🙂

      3. If you’re angry, take a breather. Get alone, get a coffee and chat about it later.

      Read this post about 10 Ways to Improve your relationship

      I’d love to hear from you, what are some of your tips for a healthy and happy marriage? 

      See more LITTLE RED DRESSES below:

        FamilyTravel

        Chicago Omaha 2018

        by Shalice Noel
        written by Shalice Noel

        skirt // cardigan

        brass stool table // sandals // similar denim jeans // black jeans // buffalo check top // faux fur 

         

        4 Takeaway Tips

        Check @airbnb for cool rentals. Our place was 3 bed 3 bath and a pullout couch condo almost 40 floors up. It was the same price as a high end hotel, but had a nice kitchen and plenty of room to spread out. Plus the views were VERY instagram worthy. And that’s reason enough. We’ve become home bodies more and more, so staying in a great place is huge. We didn’t always feel like going out, especially when you love where you’re at. I got SO man questions asking where we stayed in Chicago. Here’s a link to our Airbnb.

        Download Park Whiz app. We found parking for 3 nights for $60, a short walk away. I ended up finding a coupon code on Retail me Not (Not sponsored) for an extra $5 off. Hey, score!

        Take the kids to the LEGO store. We scored big taking them to the Lego store in Watertower. I  ALMOST made up for the time I tried on 5 faux fur coats at Nordstrom with a couple Ninjago sets. Plus the cashier asked if this was a gift, and threw in 2 gift sets. Merry Christmas!

        It Lived up to the Hype: Dinner/Lunch/Breakfast at 3 Arts Cafe in Restoration Hardware

        We ordered an Uber and headed to the Gold Coast for some fresh interior inspo and yummy bites at the 3 Arts Cafe. No reservations needed, we walked in , sat down, enjoyed veggies and dips as an appetizer and a turkey club. Yummy! And listening to the fountain was so relaxing, even Levi enjoyed it.

        While in Omaha, we visited the Omaha Zoo and Lauritzen Gardens. Two of our favorites!

        We look forward to winding down this weekend at home. What are your plans?

        Just as an FYI, I’m hosting a giveaway on Instagram today. Stay Tuned!

        MatchesFashion is having an extra 10% off sale today – see my picks below:

        Also, Nordstrom still has some great finds on sale now up to 40% off. See my picks below:

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