How We Wear: Mini Boden {$250 Giveaway!}

Ahhh! Back to school! OR, in our case... to school for the first time ever! Kindergarten begins today, and I feel that perhaps I've cried all my tears in anticipation and I will be a brave grown-up who can handle the transition with grace. 

If I'm a weepy mess, at least the girls will look put-together! ;) Let me tell you why:

Mini Boden has been a favorite brand of mine since I first saw their clothes a few years back. Their patterns are bright and beautiful. They have stylish and age-appropriate comfortable clothes and they sent a box of goodies for my sweet girls to try for themselves. The Boden box came in the mail and ahhhh! We were THRILLED! Squealing children is the best music. Let me tell you about the fun details... 

Those coral boots? Not just coral boots. They're filled with the softest fluff a foot could imagine. Sophie and I couldn't believe how cozy they are! Maggie's gold "princess" shoes? She has only taken them off when we've forced her to. Floral leggings are perfect- and have a fun little different vibe that we love. Cable knit footless tight sets are cozy and go with everything. The sweaters are soft and thick {and lovely deep colors!}, and they have clearly paid attention to details on each piece. 

I could go on and on, but let me stop and tell you the fun part! There is a Mini Boden GIVEAWAY below!! It's for $250, so you can just go ahead and enter and win the cutest and most well-made wardrobe for the fall. See the details below! 

SO excited to be hosting this Boden giveaway with 9 other amazing blogs! PLEASE drop by their sites to see how they style their Mini Boden Back to School outfits... You'll be able to see over 25 different ways to style the adorable clothes Boden has this season-- Personally, I love getting fun ideas for outfits from other kids all across the country, so I will be perusing ALL the sites for more inspiration. If you'd like to make an order for some cute pieces for your kids, be sure to order with 15% off using the coupon CHRP! 

Back to School With Boden Blogs: The Chirping Moms, A Mommy In The City, Blue Eyed Bride, Style Smaller, House of Rose, Your Modern Family, The Vanilla Tulip, The Little Style File, Bon Bon Rose Girls and I Love You More Than Carrots.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Products and giveaway were gifts for back to school... All opinions are our own and we are loving the pieces and are SO grateful. 

In The City: Waterbar

There are places in San Francisco that we go for the view, places we go for the food, and then there are places we go and get both at once. Waterbar, I'm talking to you. 

When family comes in town, we like to put our best foot forward. This often means a fun and extra nice dinner. The last time my father-in-law was in town, we tried Waterbar. It's VERY nice when you take a chance on a place you've never tried and it all works out in your favor! 

We ate outside, which is a WIN. Sweeping bay bridge views under yellow umbrellas with the cityscape on the other side. The landscaping out there is fantastic... 

Then we have the food. 

I took these pictures a couple months ago, and whenever I scroll through my iphoto library, I stop at these pictures and I crave these meals. I am not even joking. SO good. Fresh fish, flavor fusions, and garnish that make them beautiful and extra tasty. Incredibly delicious.

And did I mention those bay views? 

If you have family in town: Waterbar. If you need a nice date night: Waterbar. If you're in SOMA: Waterbar. Mmmm.

Waterbar: 399 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 

*Not sponsored, nothing free. I just like talking about food and San Francisco. xx

MAUI + Live Health Online

Go to LiveHealth Online

Maybe you heard- we went to Maui last month! We came home tan and refreshed and willing and ready to tell everyone that Maui may just be our favorite place in the whole world. I said it the last time I was there when I was 17, and I'm still saying it after this trip. 

Maui is not too busy, not too quiet. It's juuuust right. 

Have a few pictures, eh?

Time is one of- if not my MAIN love language. I need quality time with those I love or I go nuts. This was a beautiful way to spend quality time all together. Our kids are at a really ideal age for travel... both can communicate and articulate what they need {in contrast to some past flights during which tears were flowing, both for them & me! HA}. Both have had swim lessons for most of this year, so Sophie can swim sans floaties under our watchful eyes, and Maggie wore the safety floaty belt and could enjoy blowing bubbles in the water happily.... last year she wouldn't step closer than five feet from any swimming pool, so this is true progress. 

This trip came at the perfect time in our lives. We actually haven't had many family vacations for only the four of us... we generally travel with family or friends! This trip was work-related for Brian, so the first few days we WERE with his associates, whose families are dear friends, enjoying a serene pool, fabulous meals, and beautiful views. The following days were juuuust us, the pool, the beach, and a world of no schedules.

I found I love paddle-boarding. It was the most serene time. I took Sophie out a couple times, but she noted my far-from-graceful disembarking onto the beach and was a bit nervous. It was amazing to be out on the water, away from the noise, in the most gorgeous setting, getting a little me-time. Brian is a gem for sending me out there twice. If I lived the island life, a paddle-board would be my first investment. 

When we travel, I'm always a little extra cautious. I slather my little girls with sunscreen, I do my best to keep them hydrated, nutritious {tricky when the cheap kids meals are burgers or chicken fingers & fries!! We often opt for the girls splitting a grown-up meal rather than ordering two children's meals. Adult meals have ironically more nutritious options.}, and I try to keep them from pinkeye, rashes, colds, etc.

That said, for any and every family, there are about a million variables. Perhaps unknown allergies. Perhaps a stray piece of coral on the beach. Perhaps a meal that didn't sit well. I'm a bit of a worrier by nature {though thankfully it's far more under control than it once was}, so I was incredibly pleased to have heard about LiveHealth Online before traveling. "There's an app for that," they say. In this case, there's an app for a little peace of mind. What is this app, you ask? Let me tell you:

LiveHealth Online is a 24-hour-per-day doctor... talk via two-way video chat from a tablet, phone, or computer. You can sign up online or download the app, log in, and for $49 {way cheaper than urgent care, yes?} Also- LiveHealth Online is a covered benefit for many Anthem Blue Cross PPO, EPO and HSA plans. The cost is the same or less than a PCP office visit}, you talk to a doctor about pain, or you SHOW them your rash, you look at them and they at you and you discuss your concerns with a U.S. Based Doctor. This is available in 44 states right now, with 38 of those states allowing physicians to prescribe medication for acute illnesses if they feel it's beneficial to their patients. Average wait time is 3 minutes! It's secure, it's private, it's efficient.

We can't bring our doctors on vacation with us, but sometimes we just have to consult with a professional. On our honeymoon, Brian got the worst sunburn of his life. He was hardly red, but somehow his body was prickling and the only semi-relief was a cold shower. I had no access to LiveHealth Online- this was nine years ago! I made several long distance calls to family for consultations, and racked up hundreds of dollars in long distance calls to do so {just typing that sentence makes me feel ancient! Someday in my future I'll hear, "mom what are these 'long distance call charges' I've never heard of that"}... 

How do you get this service at your fingertips? Download LiveHealth Online or visit their website www.livehealthonline.com/moms and sign up quickly and easily! Peace of mind- a visit with the doctor- in minutes!! We believe you'll love this app so much that we're offering to let you try LiveHealth Online for free using the code LHOStyleSmaller until December 31, 2014. 

xx. 

This post is sponsored by Live Health Online. All opinions are my own.

The Making of Macarons

Macarons.

There's a hype, yes. When it comes to macarons created perfectly by The Sugar Studio, the hype is 100% justified. I've been eating Hilary's macarons for ages {and even had her sweets grace the tables on Sophie & Maggie's most recent birthday parties!!}, and it was high time for a macaron making lesson. Brian made my dream come true a couple months ago when we took an evening macaron making class... it was worth every penny. 

We arrived at The Sugar Studio around dinnertime, and though I probably would have thought it acceptable to have eaten macarons AS my dinner, Hilary had thoughtfully provided a spread of delicious for us all. Watermelon, mint, onion feta salad {similar recipe here} was incredible and I want to make it for everything now. She also had cheeses and bread like any perfect hostess. We mingled and sat in her pretty lounging area, and then got to work.

Macarons are delicate and following the recipe requires precision. I have a little OCD, and so does Hilary, so we're a good match. She made sure I mixed perfectly, and I made sure my circles were exactly the right size for the cookie sheet. We picked our own colors for the shells and filled them one of three flavors she offered. While the shells baked, we went back for seconds on the cheeses and watermelon. YES.

Voila! 

We only took about 100 home with us. Don't even ask how long it took for us to finish eating them... it was embarrassingly fast.

DO take the class, though. As a date, with friends, private parties, etc. It's the BEST. 

xoxo.

The Sugar Studio: 308 Alida Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080. 

Weekend Thoughts

Parents from all over the bay area swear by La Petit Baleen for swim classes. They have locations all over the bay, and we've been enjoying the city one this year. One evening per week was spent driving as a family right below the Golden Gate Bridge at dusk and watching our kiddos become successful little swimmers. This week was the last class. My big kid was swimming laps and earned a big ribbon for passing another level. SO proud. 

As our fall agenda has been filling, we realize that we can't do everything. It takes a lot for our little family to realize we cannot do everything, ha! We tend to overbook and say yes more than we probably should. The freedom from not having preschool allowed a sort of day-to-day balance for these past five years, but with a regimented place to be daily, some of the extracurriculars need to be cut. It's so tricky to know what to keep and what goes, but we're excited for our girls to try new activities and enjoy learning new things.

The nerves and anticipation have subsided since I wrote my heart on the blog last week. I feel prepped and ready-ish, which is good since we're only a week out. Backpacks, socks and shoes and some big kid clothes have arrived. Eeee! The silver lining on back-to-school is school shopping. I mean, it is SO fun. We found the bests jean {under $20!} at Nordstrom Rack and Sophie was giggling as she tried outfits. It was so adorable. Nearly all the girls' clothes are gifted or ordered online, so she loves the idea of trying clothing in person in the store and getting to take it home that very day. Ahh, this new generation has a whole new perspective of shopping! 

Sophie loves every conversation about school, and I'm to the point where I'm wholeheartedly excited for her. That said, we're going to love our last week of freedom... I'm actually thoroughly excited for a MONDAY. What? I know. But seriously. We're going to make this a golden week. 

xoxo

{Soph's swim cover-up is Mini Boden and on sale right now}