OOTD: Baseball and Peplums

Sunnies // Top (I ordered a tall) // Shorts // Purse // Shoes

This last weekend we headed to the Angel's baseball game with some friends and it's been so hot here, I knew exactly what I wanted to wear. I've been dying to wear these white shorts and they did not disappoint. They fit perfectly and I'm so happy I snagged them! I love a good pair of white shorts, they just scream summer. 

I'm so in love with this saddle bag too! I had my eye on it for a few weeks and went back and forth about it because I have a large tote I use that's the same color, but decided that it's just too cute to pass up! It's a great size and fit my giant wallet plus some extras and the tassel detail is adorable. 

This week has felt so long to me, I swore all day on Tuesday that it was Wednesday and then kept thinking that Wednesday was Thursday. It's just been one of those weeks for me. Emma has been extra clingy and only wants me, she typically wakes twice a night and has been waking up three times instead. I don't know what it up! I've checked The Wonder Weeks app and she's at the end of a leap so I'm hoping this blows over soon. At least there's only two more days left!

Our Weekend

Suit

This weekend started out like every other with morning swim lessons! Ellie is such a little fish and is doing really well in class. Sometimes she gets silly and wants to play, but we've been working with her on listening. She is really close to moving up to the next class level and we've been working with her on gliding and pushing off the step to the ledge and keeping her eyes in the water while kicking. I think she'll be there really soon!

Shelves // Buckets // Playmat

After swim we ran some errands as a family and came home for some QT as a family. The girls have been playing so well together and I snapped this cute pic of them in the playroom. Emma just adores Ellie and wants to be near her all the time and watch/copy what she's doing. Ellie is an awesome big sister too, she's really rocked the role. On a sidenote, this playroom is out of control. I need to go through everything and rotate the toys and do a major purge for donations.

Saturday night we headed out with some friends for the Angels game. We had amazing tickets in the Diamond Club behind home plate. Since Saturday marked exactly 6 months til Christmas, Angel stadium was completely decked out in holiday gear. All the workers had ugly sweater Angel hats, there was Christmas carolers, elves, baby reindeer, giant wreaths, and Christmas music! Santa even pitched the first ball! It was awesome! We had so much fun too and it was nice to get a some time with our friends.

Ellie's Bow from El and El Shop get 20% off with KRISTEN20 (c/o) 

Top // Shorts // Shoes

Sunday we had a birthday party at a park for our dear friend's first birthday! It was at a new park near our home and I can't wait to take Ellie back to play. They had these steps that went across the playground that wiggled and Ellie was so nervous to do them, but I worked with her a few times and then she was nearly running across them before we left! I love watching her overcome her fears and build her self-confidence. She was so proud of herself and started doing it in all different ways and clapping for herself, it was awesome. She is just the cutest and so much fun. She kept saying "Mom! Watch! Me big!!". I just love her.

Ellie's Suit // Emma's Float

After the party we met up with our date night friends for a BBQ and some swimming. We had a nice spread for lunch and it was so delicious! Chicken, artichoke (she made the BEST dip for it too!), pasta salad, fruit, and cheesy potatoes. It was so good, my mouth is watering thinking about it. Their community has an awesome 1ft kid pool and the girls LOVED it! Emma could stand in it with her float and move wherever she wanted to go, Ellie worked on kicking and is loving her goggles (cutest thing ever), and dragged Emma around all over. It was so fun! I know we'll be getting together a lot this summer with the kiddos.

Now, we're relaxing and catching up on Big Brother- who else watches???, and eating Oreo Mint milkshakes. It's been a perfect weekend and I love being able to spend so much time with my family. Hope you had a great weekend too!

OOTD: Crisp Celery + Recent Purchases

Top // Shorts // Sandals // Sunglasses (gift from a customer, similar here)

Emma: Bow (c/o) //  Romper // Moccs

Hello heatwave!! It's been crazy hot this past weekend and into the week and it's finally started to cool down a bit. We've had the AC cranking and had a whole house fan on Saturday and it's been so nice in the mornings at night and has been able to get our rooms extra chilly. I really hope it's not a sign of what to expect this summer.

First things first though- I needed to get some more shorts! My body has changed so much after this last pregnancy and unless they have an elastic waist, the majority of my shorts don't fit at all. I'm still nursing (we just started weaning) so I'm not sure how my or if my body will continue to change so I've bought two elastic waist shorts this year (these - I'm obsessed with this fun lime, and these) and two regular shorts, one of which is already too big now. I've been loving the elastic shorts though, so super comfortable and should fit even if my body continues to change. #momlife

Peplum Tank

Thanks to a previous order (this bag and wedges), I had some Old Navy cash to spend and picked up this adorable tank (Medium Tall). It's not quite as bright in real life as the pic, but I love the peplum detail. I wish it was a thicker strapped tank or had sleeves, but I couldn't pass it up. It will look great in the fall with boots and a cardigan too as a transition piece. I'm so glad I ordered the tall though, it's the perfect length and will hide any burrito baby.

Shorts

Every summer, I always love a good pair of white shorts. These are so cute and fit great! I'm thinking they'll be perfect for a white on white outfit and want to try it with the lace top above. I'm loving that lace top too! I've been looking for an all lace one for a while now and couldn't pass this one up. It runs pretty small and I ordered a large and it fits like a snug medium. The body is completely lined and is pretty thick. If you're in the market for a lace top, I'd recommend this one.

Hope you're all having a great week! The weekend is just around the corner!

Product Review: Sapphire 8-in-1 Curling Wand

My signature look has to be curls, I wear them every single day and would die if I didn't have a curling iron. Yep, die. I rarely wear my hair in any other fashion and can curl my hair in just a few minutes. When Irresistible Me reached out to me for a collaboration, I had to try the Sapphire 8-in-1 Curling Wand. So many people swear by wands, but I've never really tried one and to be honest I didn't know if it would really make a difference in my curls. I felt like my hair would curl the same as using a curling iron and jumped at the chance to give it a whirl.

The curling iron comes with 8 different ceramic, tourmaline infused, interchangeable barrels: 13mm, 19mm, 25mm, 32mm, 18/9mm, 25/13mm, 13/25mm and pearl. Each curler features cool tips, heats up quickly (within 20 seconds), and they're all packed in a nice travel bag. I've had a lot of fun playing around with the different wands and have found the 25mm to be my favorites.



A few things I was skeptical of in trading my curling iron for a wand was thinking that without using a clip, my curls wouldn't last as long. Wrong. My curls lasted just as long and the waves looked even beachier the next day. On day three, I curled just a few pieces around my crown and was on my way. I also didn't think there would be much difference between a wand and a regular curling iron, but a wand is longer and without the clip, it gives you more space for maneuvering.

A few tricks I've learned to help make beachy waves and curls, thanks to many of you on my Instagram post, is to:

- Curl hair away from your face (it's flattering on all face shapes)
- For beach waves, leave the last 1-3 inches out from wrapping around the wand, focusing only on the middle section of your hair
- When you're first using the wand, use the glove! It took me a few tries to get the hang of it and didn't want burn myself and now I prefer to not use it.
- Vary the amount of hair you curl at a time (1-3 inch sections)
- Point the tip of the wand down while wrapping sections of hair
- Take the time to curl your hair well the first day and enjoy loose waves the next day

Overall, I LOVE using the curling wand! I haven't traded in my curling iron for it exclusively, but I've been using the wand about 60% of the time now. With a little practice it takes me only a few minutes longer than using a curling iron now. I've really enjoyed the beachy and relaxed waves and my favorite is day 2 of curls. It's just perfect!

What type of curling iron do you use? What tips do you have for perfect curls or waves?

Our Weekend

This weekend seemed so short to me, but it was filled with lots of quality time. Since adding Emma to our family, Matt and I have tried to focus on having more quality time as a family. Anything can be made into quality time, even just folding clothes together! It's just trying to put more thought and intention in your actions and conversations. We didn't do anything crazy or big this weekend, but it was really relaxing and nice. Just like everyone else, I feel like we're always on the go and I love when time seems to slow down and we can enjoy each other's company more.

Friday night after work, dinner, and putting Emma down, Ellie, Matt and I played for so long with some of Ellie's birthday toys. She has a few toys that have small pieces that we can't have out with Emma around so she doesn't get to play with them all the time. We had so much fun playing Don't Break the Ice, playing pretend with her doll house, and playing with her Lite Brite. It's crazy how I played these same games as a child and get to do them again with my own children. If you're looking for some fun toys for 3 year olds, Ellie loves these toys and it makes for some fun family nights. We also love Hungry, Hungry, Hippos too!



Saturday I had to work, but met up with Matt's family afterwards for some BBQ and swimming. We have some family in town for the week and we had a blast hanging out together! I love days we spend in the water, it's what summer is all about! Plus, my girls love being in the pool (poor Emma had to just be a spectator since she still has her cast for another week) and always guarantees a good night of sleep for everyone.

These palazzo pants are my favorite (from Jane back in April, but I've seen them since on there!). I seriously love them and the print is so gorgeous! I've only ever worn them with a white tee and I thought I'd switch it up with a striped one (similar here and here both for under $10!). It was kind of busy and I wasn't sure how I liked it at first, but I ended up loving them together! It's not for everyone and I'm not sure how often I'll wear them together, but it was fun.

Sunday, we just relaxed all day. I went to bed with every intention of going to church in the morning but we just didn't make it. Ellie slept in late (which NEVER happens) and we just had the laziest day. I even took an hour nap!! It was a Sunday miracle I tell ya. After everyone's nap we just did stuff around the house, put some Taco Soup on the crock pot and met up with some friends for a park date in their neighborhood. It was a perfect Sunday with my favorites. Don't forget you can get 15% off your Cheerily Co order using LOVELIPSTICKANDPEARLS15 at check out thru Wednesday June 15!! We love our snuggle tees, they're extra soft and fit perfectly!

Have a great Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

Ellie's Bubble Bash!

My little girl turned 3 at the end of May and we celebrated her birthday over Memorial Weekend with a huge party, lots of food, and even more fun! I had been planning her birthday for a few months, bought decorations, planned out the food and activities only to ditch it completely a month before. Craziness I tell you!

We decided to ring in the big 3 with a bubble bash! It all started with the adorable invitations from ElementDStudio. I fell in love with her invitation and the theme had more range for fun and creativity. I would think of one thing and then another, and then another. I like parties that are fun, relaxing, and have just enough to keep everyone entertained with activities people can do at their own pace. We had about 60 people (including kids) at the party so it was a pretty big party, but a ton of fun! It was definitely less stressful than her first birthday party, I've learned to start early and keep the DIYs simple.

I had ElementDStudio create matching coloring pages from the invite to use for bubble painting. It was so much fun! A drop or two of food dye in bubbles and voila! It's such a fun activity and something different for the kids to enjoy. I picked up these cute craft aprons for the kids to wear to protect their clothing and the colors matched great with our bright theme.

These fun popcorn boxes were at the Target $1 spot and I knew I had to get them! The tables were covered in different colors and matched with different boxes. I picked up some flowers in the morning from Costco, used some tin cans from IKEA for snack mix, and filled small cups with bubble gum.

We also had a big bubble station for the kids with a ton of different wands (I bought two sets of these and picked up some more at our dollar store). For favors, the kids each got a bubble set with a net to catch their bubbles (it was awesome with our bubble machine) and ElementDStudio created matching tags "Thanks for POPPING over and making my party BUBBLICIOUS!" They were my favorite touch!

A few days before, I thought it would be a great idea to make a photo backdrop and it turned out really great for being a last minute craft. Matt had built the PVC pipe stand from a previous party and I used $1 table cloths and garlands I already had. It turned out so cute and I love it in all of our pics! I'll definitely be doing it again for Emma's birthday at the end of summer.

For food, I made tissue poms (so easy!) and balloons for decorations and we served pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, watermelon, and baked beans. Matt had been making the meat since the day before and it was so tender and juicy! ElementDStudio made matching food labels as well.

Danielle of Pretty Posh Shoppe made Ellie the cutest hat and cake banner! She's made a hat for Ellie every year and I've kept all of them as a keepsakes. They're adorable and perfect for the birthday girl!

I just wanted to give a HUGE shoutout to Marin from ElementDStudio! Marin was so easy to work with and made all my party dreams come true with the invites, coloring pages, food labels, and favor tags. I love all the colors and they helped bring together our theme so well. They added such a nice touch to the details and I couldn't be happier with her work! If you're planning a party, definitely check her out! It was nice to have one shop to get all matching items to pull the party together.

We had so much fun celebrating her big day! Last year, we just had a small family party and plan to only do big parties every other year instead. It was fun to go all out for her, she was so excited and talked about her "happy" for weeks!! Thank you so much to all our friends and family who came and celebrated with us!