Recent Purchases: Mama and Ellie

Being home on maternity leave means I have way too much time on my hands for shopping. We go to the mall weekly, the grocery store and Target way too many times each week, and my nightly nursing shopping habits have returned. Oh my goodness, don't even get me started on how much I want to demo my house thanks to HGTV. Here are a few things I picked up the last couple of weeks I wanted to share for the Eleanor and I:

 
Chambray Shift
I picked up this dress for Ellie for when the weather drops a bit. It's has a nice thickness to it making it more fall appropriate and I can't wait for her to wear it with some cute tights or fun printed leggings this year.  I also loved this dress, but they didn't have her size so I'll have to pick it up online.

 

  These tees were too cute to pass up and I would love that Home one in my size. She has a pair of black and white striped leggings I think will pair really cute with the Happiness top.

Frozen Hat // Polka Dot Jeans
Ellie has been wanting a hat lately and when she saw this she fell in love. She was so excited about it that I had to get it for her. She also needs some new jeans for the season and I love how cute these polka dot ones are.


Heart Leopard Dress
How cute is this dress?? It even has pockets! It will be so adorable on it's own, over tights, or with leggings.


Kitty Shirt
 LOVE this kitty shirt for Ellie. In the back it has a little open area with a bow detail that's absolutely adorable.


Bunny Shirt
We all know my obsession with Alice in Wonderland and this shirt just sings to it. I love the colors, the tea cups, and the bunny. My little bunny just had to have it. 

Plaid Tunic

I'm mad for plaid every fall season and this tunic is so cute and I love the cut. It's a bit more "dressy" and will be perfect paired with leggings and boots. I saw this one at Target that I want to go back for, it's super cute.

Striped Tee // Necklace

I love a good striped tee and would like to find another one that's more fitted and have stripes closer together to also add to my closet. This tee is super soft and is so easy to just toss on to run some errands and was the perfect top for the weekend. One thing I definitely need after my major closet clean out, is some just basic tees for the weekends and this fits the bill.

Essie Ballet Slippers // NYX Lip Primer // NYX Narcissistic Illuminator // Maybelline Primer

For my sister's wedding, I picked up all these goodies. For my nails/toes I wanted a lighter pink than my usual go-to Essie Fiji and was all out of Ballet Slippers so I picked up a new bottle. Of course, I left it at the salon so I had to go back. I didn't want to have to buy another bottle when I just bought one! Sheesh.

For my lips, I also needed a primer so my lipstick and gloss would stay on. I would be talking all night with everyone and didn't want to have to keep reapplying my lips and this primer was the bomb!! I really like it a lot and gave my lipstick some major staying power!

 I was on the hunt for a new highlighter (did you catch my highlighters post last week?) and really wanted to check out Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Illuminator and Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector, but they were sold out of both at the mall! Ugh. I didn't have time to order it online so I snagged NYX Narcissistic and it's amazing. It has a light peach sheen to it that looks fantastic in the sun! I still want both those highlighters, I've heard so much about them from everyone.

Finally, after Meg's post, I picked up this face primer as well. My sister's wedding was outside and it was going to be a hot and humid day and I could just picture my makeup melting right off my face. Since I've only used this once, I can't do a full review, but so far color me impressed. Meg never steers me wrong though! My makeup looked amazing at the end of the night still and I had cried like a freaking baby. I really like the texture and how it feels on my face and once I've used it more I'll definitely be doing a full review! 

What goodies have you seen lately? What are you on the look out for? Any suggestions for my makeup bag or closet? Hope you're all have a fantastic week!

Family Photo OOTD Info

When I posted our Family Photos, I forgot to include where everything is from (I've since updated the post) and wanted to do a post about the items specifically. Blame lack of sleep. I absolutely love our pictures and I only shared a handful of them. Now I just need to decide which ones to print out and buy a million frames and put them all over our house now.

Finding outfits for family pictures that are all cohesive and go with where you're shooting at can be so difficult. Luckily, we already owned everything we wore- score! I did buy my top with the intention of our pics though. We also almost always incorporate blue and gray into every.single.session. I swear it's not on purpose, but it's so easy to shop for, looks good on everyone, and photographs easily. In 10 years we'll look back on our pictures and realize that we always wore variations of the same things. Why fix it if it's not broken?

Me: Top from Coco and Main through Jane // Jeans

Eleanor: Top (from Target, no longer available, similar here) // Shorts // Bow

Matt: Top (TJ Maxx) // Jeans

Emma: Swaddle // Bow

Emma:  Headband (c/o Willow Crowns) // Swaddle from So Chic Boutique thru Jane

Emma: Headband and Bloomers are both from Jane, two years ago

Emma: Swaddle // Bow

Book

Sheets // Blanket

Recent Purchases: Mama, Ellie, and Beauty Goodies

I haven't been shopping too much lately (although I want to buy everything in the summertime for home, baby, hubs, beauty, and closet, etc), but here are the things I've picked up recently. I bought a few things for the baby too, but I'm waiting until her nursery is complete before posting anything. You know, because it's super secret and I'm waiting for a grand reveal. LOL. Anyways, here's what's made it into my cart and home with me recently.

Top // Bottom

I have a ton of suits, but the supporting plastic bar on the side has ripped through a couple and has been scratching me, I should probably just sew them back in, but who has time for that? So last weekend I ran to Target for a new suit. I love their mix and match pieces, they’re so easy to wear and mix with suits I already own. Shopping while at the end of pregnancy is no fun. Thankfully, with a two piece it will fit post partum, but there are so many cute new styles out right now like high waisted bottoms and a bustier type top, that don’t work for a bump at all and if I get it for post bump I won’t get as much use of them. Next year I’m hoping will be more fun for suit shopping (bahahahaha who am I kidding here?).

Tribal Shorts

How fun are these shorts? I love the print and the lightweight fabric, perfect for this hot summer we’re having. The elastic waist makes it easy to wear with the bump and will still be great post bump. They're super comfortable and I've been wearing them almost non-stop.

Pom Pom Shorts

I love the pom pom and tulip/dolphin short trend going on right now. I bought these shorts with a giftcard from my Grandmother and I can’t wait to wear them. With the tulip hem, they’re not bump friendly, but only a few weeks left before I can rock these babies! They’ll be perfect for pool days and just lounging around the house.

Sunglasses // Mermaid

How cute are these summer tanks with a ruffle hem? Perfect for summer days and playing outside. Ellie comes home so dirty from wherever we are, I hate buying expensive clothes for the everyday. These $5 tops from Target are awesome.

Bows

Our good friends gifted Ellie with the Ema Jane headband bow set for her first Christmas and we absolutely just loved them. They were the perfect size bow and had a color that matched every outfit. Now that she won’t keep a headband on for even a second and has enough hair to put up, I snagged the bow set in 4.5 inches in a flat second. I love the quality of these bows and now our little girl and Ellie can match when she arrives!

Foundation // NYC Liner // L'Oreal Liner

I’ve been using this foundation for years and really like it. It’s lightweight and available in tons of shades. It lasts forever and I thought I was going to run out of my old bottle soon, but now that it’s summer I haven’t been using it much lately. This bottle is ready whenever the last drop is gone though.

I’ve never used NYC makeup before, but Brittany Kerr (Jason Aldean’s wife) swears by it and uses it on a lot of her clients so I figured why not try it? It’s a soft brush and goes on really dark black. It’s really wet and you have to let it set or it can smudge onto your lid, but it doesn’t bleed. It lasts well and doesn’t fade, it’s such a great price (under $4) that I’ll definitely buy it again.

I love L'Oreal's Lineur Intense, but it bled into my eye and hurt like the flames of hell so many times I wanted to try a different liner from them. This one is also Lineur Intense but has a felt tip, which I like, but I find it harder to get a thicker line when I want one. It’s also not as dark of black as Lineur Intense and shadow transfers onto it, so I won’t be buying it again.

Essie Gel Setter // ELF Powder // CoverGirl Concealer

I finally found this gel top coat at Target! I used it Thursday night and I really like it, it dries pretty shiny and super quick. Like 2 minutes quick. I was in the pool all day for the holiday and although it doesn't look as great, it still stood up pretty well! I plan on re-painting them this week to really test out the top coat. So far, it's much better than the Sally Hanson one (see my review here).

Do you read Megan's blog? If not, head over now and check out all her reviews! She's the best and I've read her for years! She's posted about using e.l.f.'s HD Powder a few times and I always look at it on a Target run, but never bit the bullet. Now I finally bought it and have used it a few times. Still getting used to it and where it's best to wear it.

This is a random buy, I don't why I bought it, I wasn't looking for or needing a concealer, but it still went into my basket and home with me. It has a good consisteny and coverage, it creases if you use it under your eyes, but around the nose has been great. It's a great price point too for what you get.

Strawberry Parfait // Eclair

I don’t even know why I bother to buy any lip products with the amount I already own, but I love NYX’s butter glosses. They have great color and last for a long time. They look great layered over other colors and lipsticks too. They’re the perfect texture of soft and creamy. Strawberry Parfait is a nice bright color for a gloss and Eclair is more subdued, very similar to Creme Brulee (which I love) with a touch more lavender to it. If you haven't tried their glosses already, hop on it! I love the quality and texture of them.

I'm now at the point where I've slowed down on buying anything (these purchases have been over the last few weeks), I'm just waiting at this point for post bump. I have a ton of stuff I need to get for the baby and her nursery and I've bought a few items for Ellie's Big Sister gift so my extra mad money has been going there.

Hope you're having a great week! What have been some of your recent purchases lately?

Day Care Must Haves?

Next week Ellie will start going to an in-home daycare while Matt and I are at work. I absolutely love where she is going and feel like she is going to get all the attention and care she needs while I'm away. I'm busy packing a box to send with her to keep there. I've been going over everything I think we will need, but wanted to know what works for your children while they are gone. I want her to have anything that will keep her content, comfortable, and make life a bit easier on the caregiver. Below is my list of what I've packed so far, am I missing anything else?

Diapers- Kirkland Signature Supreme Diapers

Wipes- Huggies Natural Care Plus Baby Wipes

Rash Cream- Aquaphor

Bottles- Philips AVENT 4 Ounce Bottles

Bottle Brush- Dr. Brown's Natural Flow Bottle Brush

Blanket- Circo Finnea Soft Valboa Sweetie Pals Blanket

Change of clothes- Circo 5 Pack Short-sleeve Bodysuit Set

Pajamas- Carters Cotton Snap-Up Sleep & Play

Gas Drops

What did your little one need while they're at daycare? I know some of these items might never be used, but at least they would be there and smell of home. I'll also add in extra toys that Ellie enjoys like her Oball, but I'm sure that will change all the time.

PS I start work tomorrow! Ugh. I'm spending every single minute today loving and kissing on Ellie! Any tips from Mom's on going back to work?

Baby Must-Haves: 2 Months

There hasn't been too many new things that we needed this month that we haven't used in the past or items we needed before and aren't using now. I'll definitely be keeping you updated as things change. This last month we went on vacation to the river so we had to get some swim stuff that's on here that we'll be using the rest of the summer. Since we're going into month 3 right now, there's lots of new items for the next post!

I love posts like these on other blogs, it's great seeing what works for other mommies and their babies. I swear there's new products out on a daily basis. I'm also a part of a mother's group on Facebook that's really nice to ask questions and get advice. Motherhood is not for the weak hearted I tell you!

OxiClean Max Force Gel Stick: I absolutely love this stain remover. At the very beginning I was using only Dreft stain remover and it didn't do a thing for us. All the pieces that got soiled stained and Ellie didn't get to wear them again. After ruining one outfit, I started using the OxiClean and not a single piece has been ruined! Even a white pj that experienced our worst blow out yet. It's a Holy Grail product for us and it doesn't bother Ellie's skin whatsoever.

Fisher-Price My Little Snugabunny Cradle Swing: If you remember, our first week home Ellie would sometimes sleep in her swing which finally gave my arms a break. Well, after those first two weeks, she didn't really care for it much. Now, she absolutely loves it! Sometimes when I need her to nap and she's being fussy, I can put her in the swing and she'll be out cold within 10 minutes. Other times, she just loves the motion and laughs looking at the mirror part of the mobile. It's sometimes the only time I can get anything done around the house, I love this swing!

sootheTimesack: Babies love being swaddled and swaddling Ellie was sometimes our only saving grace when she's been fussy (it's even included in my Baby Must Haves for the first week). After the first couple of weeks though she hated having her arms swaddled so we started leaving them out. Most pediatricians recommend to swaddle your child from the armpit down and leave their arms out at two months, but we were doing that weeks ago. When we swaddled her she loved it and then would fuss and fuss because her arms were inside and once we re-swaddled them so they'd be free, she'd be just fine. After a while we didn't swaddle at all and didn't have the need to. Then, one night she was so tired, but was really fighting going to sleep so we swaddled her again and she was out. However, Ellie is really long and her feet were already at the swaddles edge and it was below her arms! The next day I went on the hunt for a good sleep sack that was sleeveless and easy for her to wear. The inside of these sacks have a swaddle for her chest, it zips from top to bottom so it's easy to change her because you can unzip just the bottom and not have to take it completely off, and the sides are mesh for easy breathing for her little legs. I love that she can wear this around her shoulders and it's not just wrapped around her where she could wriggle free (not that she has, but I imagine she could). I definitely want to get some more of these!

Charlie Banana Reusable Swim Diaper: In the last two weekends, we've taken Ellie into the water with us and these swim diapers are amazing! My SIL turned me onto them and they are so easy. I will never use a disposable swim diaper. Ever. Buy these ladies! I picked up two of them, and when your child soils one of them, just take it off to put the 2nd one on, and simply rinse off the soiled one. You could totally just use one, but having two of them made it so much easier and your little one doesn't have to wait naked for you to rinse out their number 2s.

Circo® Infant Girls' Rashguard: Since we were outside, I wanted to make sure to protect her from the sun as much as possible. Our ped had said not to use sunscreen yet, so I bought this long sleeve rashguard to protect her. It worked perfect!

Koala Baby Girls' Swim Hat: I love these swim hats because they dry so quickly and are the perfect protection for Ellie's face and head from the sun. Plus she looks adorable in it!

*Just as a disclaimer, we talked to our ped about putting Ellie in a pool beforehand to talk with her about what's best to protect her. We also didn't have her in the pool or sun for very long.*

Carter's Muslin Butterfly Receiving Blanket: Swaddling blankets were included in my first must-haves and they still are! We use these all the time, they're so light weight, they are perfect for summer time and the cranked AC. These Carter ones are really big and offers lots of ways to wrap up your little ones.

Pandora's Rockabye Baby Station: My sorority big sis told me about this station and it's awesome! We listen to it all the time. I love the variety of music it gives, Journey, Adele, Kanye, Metallica, it's all my favorite songs in lullabies for Ellie to love.There's no words, just the music and some added birds, frogs, and other nature sounds. Ellie really enjoys it and so do I!