Brunch

Before we had children, going out to brunch was an every-weekend-essential date with Brian. Even when we had Sophie, we continued the routine of taking a walk to get a fabulous brunch every weekend. I mean, the choices at brunch! ... if I wanted huevos rancheros, he could still have a salad.. if he wanted pancakes? I could eat a sandwich. It's the best of both worlds, mid-morning on the most relaxing day of the week.

Then we had Maggie. Brunch with one child is still relatively chill. Brunch with two? Not ideal. We'd be trying to feed them, attempting to salvage the last bit of orange juice before our children downed theirs and ours, and doing our best to keep the avocados on our plate from being snatched by toddler hands... We had to come to grips with the fact that our overpriced eggs and waffles would no longer be our weekend routine. 

Wait, there's good news!  

I still craved the big brunches or breakfasts that were a step above the every day. Just because you stop doing something the way you once did doesn't mean you have to totally stop doing it altogether. Enter: culinary efforts! Who knew I could do this?

Creating onion/tomato/avocado/cheese scrambles is SIMPLE. Waffles are SIMPLE. Huevos rancheros, the easiest! Mexican breakfast with "papas y chorizo" (I use soyrizo, actually) is just not as difficult to make as I once thought. Bread pudding- laughably easy. And it's all delicious!! I've discovered that making fancy brunches is the easiest meal of the day. 

The best part? I feel so thoroughly accomplished when I've fed a beautiful brunch to my grateful family. We are in our own home, relaxing, chatting, and orange juice refills are aplenty, and a full bowl of fresh strawberries doesn't cost us $8. 

Happy Friday, friends. I totally recommend a grand feast of a breakfast or brunch this weekend... I have a feeling this weekend is going to be a great one.  

(it HAS to be good... it's Brian's birthday weekend!) 

 ps. Links up next, later this weekend. xo

So Good: Skylar Luna Pajamas

We ordered Skylar Luna pajamas the other day.

Sophie picked the colors and I've never seen her so excited for something to come in the mail. I had no idea that it would be such a big deal that she got to choose her pj's on her own! Every day after we ordered them, she's been asking if today was the day they would come. She's SUPER excited about my in-laws coming in town tomorrow, so she really wanted the new pj's to come in time for them to see. 

They came! And they're every bit as lovely and soft and organic and eco-friendly as we hoped. The girls giggled when they put them on, and Maggie couldn't stop shouting "MATCH! MATCH! MATCH!" because- well- the girls kind of matched... also because she is in a phase where she repeats words until everyone hears and acknowledges. I love toddlers.

Maggie loved hers so much that when I asked her to get dressed this morning, she insisted that she needed to keep her pajamas on. "No clothes" today, she said. They're so cute that I was perfectly fine with that. You can only get away with this sort of thing for about two years of your life, so I figure I may as well allow it. ;) 

I'm also excited because I've found my new go-to gift for little friends' birthdays! Pajamas are one of those things that are thought about LESS than daytime clothing, but as a mother, I've realized that the bedtime clothing and cozies get so much more use than the daytime outfits. Beautiful 100% cotton organic pajamas it is! Thank you Skylar Luna! 

Here are some other options we like (for boys AND girls!): 

Samples were provided for review but we were not compensated for this post. ALL opinions are our own. We LOVE Skylar Luna. xo

Library Trip: 01

The library is almost a weekly visit for us. Maggie turned two and ripped her first library book ever and cost us $10, but apart from that, it's amazing to let my kiddos soak in book after book after book for free. Their bookshelves are packed with books they own, but they literally cannot get enough. Even Maggie knows if I'm trying to pass off one of their books as a "new" library book (I tried it today because I was nervous about the book rip rate, haha), and they want new pictures and new stories.  

I thought I may start sharing some of the books we love once in awhile. I love getting recommendations from friends, so I'll pass on some of the books that were extra popular with us:  

Clockwise from top left:

Charlie and Lola- So far, we've loved every Charlie and Lola book. We check out a new one every time we go, and they are SO CUTE, and have bright and cheery, fresh ways of displaying the words on each page. 

Princess Kim and Too Much Truth- Funny little story about telling the truth. 

Animal Spots and Stripes- Maggie LOVED this one. Vivid pictures of animals. 

Miss Lina's Ballerinas- Obviously a hit with my 4-year-old. Rhythmic phrasing, which I enjoy reading out loud, because it's way easier. Just being honest. ;)

ABC: A Child's First Alphabet- the hardcover, un-rippable type of book that teaches letters with perfectly detailed pictures. 

Purple Little Bird- Super-cute story of a bird who discovers how much he loves colors. 

There you have it. Read away! 

xo

Joy

I can't quite describe how much this smile meant to me today. 

Some days it's just hard to get out of a funk. I woke on the wrong side of the bed; we overdid the weekend (!) and I couldn't shake it... I snapped unnecessarily and was cranky and testy all day. I felt terrible. 

...but this little girl and her beautiful smile turned things around for me.

When her daddy asked her if she had a good day, she said emphatically "yes!" She went on to tell him all the things she did that were great. She didn't even tell him that I wasn't sweet or that I didn't finish helping her spell all her friends' names on the card she was making. She told him they read books, and that they played with their toys and had lunch on the deck. She told him she rode her scooter and wore her new favorite shoes. She told him all the good and none of the bad.

I love children. I love their ability to see the brightness. I love their ability to forget where their mama failed them. I love their ability to hug me and say "mama I love you" when they see I have tears. They'll lean down to kiss any owie. They'll unabashedly tell people that they love them and that they are making them happy in the moment that they are happy. They are fully present in their moments. They see the glass so full, and their joy is contagious. 

Today these girls of mine blew me away. They took a cranky mama and had me laughing until my sides hurt this evening. 

So.so.grateful. 

Loving and Linking

Photo via Playful Learning

Scissor practice! My friend told me her biggest challenge in kindergarten was using scissors, so I'm totally using this for Sophie.  

An incredibly refreshing point of view regarding schools.  

Ohh Etsy, too much good stuff here.

I had a day similar to this this week, {no pictures of mine}, and it's true. It IS the best. 

Not surprisingly, this new studio looks perfect. Design/interior dream team!  

Also in the "decor" category, this home tour has SO many elements I love. 

My best friend told me tried coconut oil  in her hair. Like, she let her kids put it in {which they obviously thought was super fun}... then washed it an hour later and it worked brilliantly for smoothness and shine... so guess what we're trying today? Kind of excited.

Honest created the BEST little cheat sheet for healthy school lunches.  

This skirt is so great... and on sale.  

I have a love/hate with European brands I find on Pinterest. Love them because they make such cuteness, and hate it because it's totally not accessible for us. Good inspiration though! ;)  

Delicious. 

Lastly, the easiest fundraiser ever. Click the link below and sign your kids' school up for the Tea Collection School Days program! Takes a couple minutes to get your school set up, send the link to anyone you know who shops Tea, and your kids' school will get 15% of all sales at that schools' storefront. No walk-a-thons or bake sales necessary! ;)

{note: deadline is September 13}  

Happy Weekend, friends!  

Loving: Peppercorn Kids

Photo via PeppercornKids 

I love telling you about brands that make us smile.

Peppercorn Kids is one of those brands. Your child loves fish? Hey, here's a purse they've created just for you! Bows? A giant bow necklace! Perfect. Hearts? Yes, this will work perfectly. Foxes? Pilots? Sparkles? Check, check, check. 

My girls are the types who want to play dress-up every day all day, inside and outside. I have strict limits about wardrobe practicality when we go on adventures, but I'm totally game with them using their creativity to accessorize anytime.

I love Peppercorn for their design ingenuity. I love that I've eyed their pieces on other sites without realizing until recently that all of these cute things are created by one brand. They're just delightful for little girls. They have even created some stylin' pieces for boys {if I had a boy, I'd totally love these ties!!}. ;)

Also, obviously near and dear to my heart: they recently donated 500 of their beautiful pieces to St. Jude's cancer research patients. I dearly appreciate companies who do what they can to bring smiles where they're desperately needed. 

The best scarf. 

Thank you Peppercorn Kids! We are some of your biggest fans!  

xoxo

Samples were provided for review. We are truly fans of Peppercorn Kids, and all opinions are our own.