Need a last minute gift idea for yourself or a loved one? Sharing 15 of my most beloved winter favorites! Casual, everyday and best of all, warm and cozy! From insulated jackets, to all weather boots and easy throw-on-and-go sweatshirts, these are all on heavy rotation this season. Click the links images to shop!
With the holidays in full swing, making time for myself has been very…tricky…to say the least! Blake and I juggle kiddos and work and house projects…the list goes on and on. When I’m feeling the weight of my responsibilities and the overwhelm of life starts hitting too hard, that’s when I know I need to get outside and hit the reset button. Just a simple walk around the block can work wonders, but this week I had Blake watch the boys so I could get a couple hours to myself and go hike around the Austin greenbelt with my sister. It was so beautiful out and I came back home feeling energized, happy and ready to tackle my day ahead (…the coffee run on our way home helped, too, ha!). I know firsthand it can feel intimidating when winter weather is right outside your door – but with the proper gear to keep you warm and comfortable, that mid-week hike may just become routine. 😉
PATAGONIA JACKET / SOREL BOOTIES / SMARTWOOL SOCKS / BEANIE / FJALLRAVEN KANKEN BACKPACK / RAEN SUNGLASSES
SHOP MORE WINTER FAVORITES
‘Tis the weekend for shopping and saving! This year the sales are amazing! …Hey, that’s one good thing to come from 2020, ha. 😉 Grab your second helping of turkey dinner, throw on your elastic waistband sweatpants (umm, yes!) and have fun shopping the best of the best sales! My favorite of the weekend is Madewell with up to 50% off best sellers – it is truly SO. GOOD. Sharing my top picks below and a list of other retailers with killer deals below! XO
SHOP MORE CYBER WEEKEND SALES
URBAN OUTFITTERS – Buy One Get One 50% Off Site-Wide
NORDSTROM – Up to 60% Off (Ray-Ban, UGG, Zella, Nike and more!)
BACKCOUNTRY – Up to 50% Cyber Sale (Patagonia, North Face, Sorel and more!)
LULU & GEORGIA – 25% off with code THANKFUL
ANTHROPOLOGIE – 30% off site-wide!
If you follow me on Instagram and watch my IG Stories, you likely know that my nursing journey with Ezra came to an end just eight weeks in. Behind the screen, it’s been an emotional and challenging time (throw in those postpartum hormones, too, ha)…as my expectation and dream to nurse for a year was very quickly cut short when I realized I wasn’t producing enough milk. While I’ll admit I was pretty devastated, it has honestly been so nice to finally have my body to myself after three years of being either pregnant or breastfeeding. I can finally drink an abundance of coffee, order a margarita when we grab dinner and only consider myself now when choosing what to eat – which has honestly been the biggest adjustment! I’ve been eating with a baby in mind (pregnancy and nursing) for SO long that it was a strange first week to eat without considering every bit of nutrition intake in order to keep a baby growing and thriving. As my fellow moms know, we tend to let our needs fall to the wayside given keeping tiny humans alive! So this whole “thinking of myself” mentality had to be relearned a bit, which also meant it was time to start taking good care of myself again – just for me.
SHOP MORE WELLNESS MUST-HAVES
Life with an infant and toddler means staying home a LOT. Like, pretty much 24/7. Jude is active from six in the morning until 8pm (not even joking, he is a wild man, ha!), so we spend loads of time in our backyard! Honestly, what sold us on our new house was the backyard…we knew we’d want to have space for the boys to run around, play and get all their energy out. It was the best decision we’ve ever made…we basically live back here from sunrise to sunset! And like most folks in the time of Covid, spending more time at home has simply been a must. As the weather changes and temperatures drop, I’m reaching for cozy layers and weather-proof shoes to keep me warm – and to keep up with my lil man as I chase him all over the yard!
SHOP THIS POST
PATAGONIA JACKET / THE NORTH FACE PULLOVER / SOREL EMELIE BOOTIES / BACKCOUNTRY BEANIE / JUDE’S UGG BOOTS
SHOP UNDER $100 GIFT IDEAS FOR HER
A big thank you to Happy Family Organics for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own.
I think every nursing journey has its ups and downs. I am thankful to be able to breastfeed, but it comes with its own set of challenges, both mental and physical. With Jude, I ended up getting Thrush nine months in and had to stop nursing cold turkey. With Ezra, we’re six weeks in and already down to one boob (he’s like Jude, he prefers a side and sticks to it, ha). With a toddler to care for and a newborn, I am trying my absolute best to make sure I eat three healthy meals a day that provide quality nutrition to me and Ezra – but it’s definitely hard to keep up being this busy! Since I’m on the move 90% of my day (did I mention we have a toddler?), reaching for quick snacks like the Happy Organics Happy Mama Lactation Cookies between meals is a nice way to add an extra nutrient boost to help support breastfeeding throughout the day!
Our little dude is on the MOVE! Not sure Jude has it in him to stop for a photo anymore, ha! We love watching him grow and feel out his coordination…it’s amazing how quickly he went from walking to climbing to running…and we are all for him getting those wiggles out. Now that Ezra has joined the fam, our morning wakeup call is around 6:30am. While at first it was a struggle (more coffee, please!), now we make a point to seize the day and take advantage of getting out while the rest of the city is still waking up. Zilker Park is usually packed with dogs, workout groups and people in general…so getting there before the rest of the city has its perks, like a good parking spot and the lawn all to ourselves!
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SHOP OUR LOOKS
JUDE’S PATAGONIA JACKET / JUDE’S CHECKERED VANS / MY PATAGONIA SWEATSHIRT / MY VANS SHOES / MY BEANIE (similar) / RAEN SUNGLASSES
SHOP MORE WOMEN’S FAVORITES
SHOP MORE TODDLER FAVORITES
Let the fall and Halloween festivities begin! With a newborn attached to my body (literally!) and a very busy toddler, I’ll be the first to tell you that my time is more limited than ever. Add the current pandemic into the mix and it’s safe to say I’m appreciating delivery services like never before! Which is why I am so thankful that Walmart has launched their new Walmart+ membership, to help save me time and money with their new offerings! …And let’s be honest, who doesn’t want that? I’m excited to share how my new Walmart+ membership is making my life (er…and parents lives everywhere, ha!) a lot easier…
Does your city have fall weather yet? We have been so lucky in Austin lately…75 degree days and cool, crisp mornings have started early this year – which is rare considering I usually don’t consider September to be “fall” at all here (generally, we’re still out swimming to cool off until Halloween!). This drop in temperature has us spending so much more time outside (goodbye, pesky mosquitoes!) which means stocking up on cozy sweatshirts, leggings and all weather boots (and maybe a cute pair of ankle booties for that weekly grocery store run, ha!). Sharing a handful of my latest favorites to kick your at-home fall wardrobe up a notch! XO
You can purchase Britax B-Lively & B-Safe Ultra Travel System via Amazon HERE.
It’s Car Seat Safety Awareness Week (perfect timing to have a baby, ha!) and we are loving our new Britax Travel System with the B-Lively Stroller and B-Safe Ultra Infant Car Seat. It’s an infant car seat and stroller combo, which is perfect for when Blake has Jude and I need to run errands with Ezra. Fear not, I’m still in my newborn mama cave, but for my sanity I need to get out every now and then – but with Ezra nursing, it’s a lot easier for him to tag along! Excited to share the details with y’all today…