Family

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!
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.
I’m


How to Prepare Your Youngest When He will no longer be the Youngest
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…

GIRLS


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!


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