New Mom Gift Guide

Early this morning... as in 4:30am early... we got a text that one of our best friends had their baby girl! Very exciting. It made me think about a time about eight months ago when my Maggie arrived. She is my second, so I'd been to that rodeo before, yet there were definitely things (besides the obvious: FOOD) that I really appreciated as a new mom of two. Once you've done it once or twice, you realize the value of certain gifts for you or your baby during the time of transition. Today I'm sharing my go-to picks for both myself and for gifting to my friends:

One. Aden + Anais Swaddles. Those prints! That softness! That versatility!

Two. Stella and Dot Flower Earrings. Instantly look more put-together... with no effort!

Three. Burt's Bees Lip Shimmer. So you never look washed out- at the hospital, parks, stores...

Four. Swatch Watch. Keep contraction times, keep nursing times,

Five. BCBG Magie Flats. Comfiest ever. Good color varieties and great for walking with a stroller!

Six. Hope in a Jar. Soothes exhausted skin like no other lotions I've ever know.

Seven. Plush toy. There's something about each baby having a little stuffed animal to call their own.

Eight. Posie Tint. Dab on the cheeks. Blend. Instantly alive! Used this many-a-tired days!

P.S. Live Post on the Honest Blog!

We are super excited to announce our first post is LIVE on the

Honest blog

. We adore the Honest Company for their eco-conscious products, and we're so thrilled to be partnering with them on regular guest posts. Please hop over to their site and enjoy our choices for creating a simple fall shoe wardrobe!

Also, we'd like to extend a THANK YOU to all of you who support us and our blog! We celebrated our first month anniversary yesterday and we are so pleased to have you reading and following us!

XO,

Kate & Erin

Photo credit goes gratefully to the fantastic Pictilio.

Color me Bright

Aozora Baby Crayons

Today I'm going to talk about crayons. There are plenty of crayons out there, but most do not resemble ice cream cones when stacked. We talk a lot about style here, and these are the epitome of stylish crayons. They are so beautiful. How can kids not be inspired to draw brilliantly when they have bright and gorgeous crayons to use? If your children are anything like mine, coloring is a big part of the day. Sophie can sit for ages, meticulously drawing and coloring art for the fridge, for frames, for the wall. We have a bin full of crayons, but these are the favorites. They're Maggie's favorites too, but for other reasons... apparently they taste the best too.

Happy weekend to all!

Room Ready

These days there are so many amazing resources for kids room shopping, and there's a lot of crossing over between adult furnishing stores and kids stores. I find items I want for my living room from some children's retailers, and amazing, child-friendly accents from adult stores! Today I've pulled together a few of my favorite gender-neutral kids room finds:

One. Lamp Two. Chair Three. Leaf Print. Four. Dresser Five. Rug Six. Side Table

Getting Back to Basics

We kissed summer goodbye last weekend with swimming pools and grills, and now it's time to start thinking about fall! As the mornings get cooler, I like to start dressing Emma in layers. She loves to start the crisp mornings with a sweater layered over a little ruffle tank. When the weather warms in the afternoon, she has a stylish little ruffle surprise underneath. I buy a lot of soft, neutral grays to complement her fair skin, and she can feel free to add all the colorful and sparkly accessories she wants! 

All photos taken by the talented (and really fun!) duo at Pictilio.

DIY Hair Bow, Gap sweater, J Crew Ruffle Tank, Gap Skinny Jeans, J Crew Ballet Flats{similar}, J.Crew Glitter purse

Mini Getaway

We went to the L.A. area last weekend and it was positively perfect. We were there to visit friends, and we DROVE for the the first time with two children. I was a little apprehensive about the potential meltdowns during the 6.5 hour drive, but my girls were total gems. It worked great to leave right at Maggie's first nap time at 9:30am. While we drove, we looked outside for "animals" for Sophie, chatted a bit about favorites, turned on The Lorax, then stopped for lunch about 45-minutes after Maggie woke. Already to the halfway point with no issues! After some quality playtime, both girls took afternoon naps then enjoyed their time in the backseat and reading books and eating snacks until we arrived!

The weather was ideal. Sometimes all you need is a little breather from the every day mundane to get the family fresh and invigorated. We spent Saturday on Redondo Beach which is a great spot for families because it's not insanely crowded like some of the other beaches around there. Totally recommend it. It was super hot that day, so we spend the evening grilling outside (my husband's favorite thing!) and watching the kids run around the backyard.

Sunday's big excursion was a little drive to Venice. Ahhh how I love Venice. Eclectic locals, gorgeous architecture, picturesque sunset, and strolls through the canals... yes. OH, and one of our favorite spots to eat: C&O's. It's a must-try. We sat in the courtyard surrounded by murals to look like Italy, and stuffed ourselves with their complimentary garlic rolls... amazing. The wait staff was very accommodating to little ones: cups with straws, great children's menu, and patience with pint-sized yellers (that would be my Maggie). Psss- quick tip if you're going: call and put your name in ahead!

Monday we took an 8-mile bike ride along the south bay coast. We could not have asked for a better end to our weekend. We borrowed bikes, but we definitely could have rented for very reasonable prices. It was a total highlight of the trip and one that I 100% recommend. SO worthwhile!!

'Til next time SoCal. :)

XO,
Kate