What I Wore Wednesday

It's been a while since I've been on my blog. Oops! With a baby around, sometimes things get crazy and my blog is the furthest thing from my mind! That being said, I'm back and I am even participating in The Pleated Poppy's link up today. :)

 

Sweater: Target (I love oversized comfy sweaters, so I found this extra-large on clearance in the plus sized area. Obviously too big, but I love cozy and this is totally it!)
Leggings: Lauren Conrad brand from Kohl's (love her line there!!!)

 

Dress: Target (for like $7 on clearance. Love!)
Shoes: Aerosoles and so amazing. :)

 

Sweater: Old Navy
Tank: Target
Jeans: Jolt skinnies from Nordstrom Rack

 

Sweater: Hollister
Tank: brand new from Gap clearance the other day...love!
Jeans: LEI skinnies from Wal-Mart

 

Again, I love to shop in a budget and love finding things in sale. I adore putting together simple outfits and am a bargain super all the way. Keep following my blog for more! :)

Xo!

insta-friday.

 This is the first time I am linking up to the InstaFriday party over at Life Rearranged!  So, so excited!  Hello to any new faces that I haven't met in blog-land quit yet.  I am happy to have you here!  Here's a sneak peek at my week... {and don't forget to oogle the cute photo of my four month old.  He is such a cutie in his monthly photo!}

 

 My oldest son got a great hit in his last basebll game- so proud of him and his team!!! They are in the playoffs and  not out of it yet!  He plays again tomorrow, so think good thoughts for the Angels. :)

 

 My littlest son had his four month check-up this week.  He is doing amazing and the doctor witnessed him laughing and smiling and talking.  Declan was is such a great mood... that is, until his shots.  Bummer.  It took a good two days to get him back to his happy, normal self.  But all is well now! :)  How cute is that face, right?!

 

 Southern California got rain this week!  It was so, so cozy.  I am such a sucker for wet, chilly weather, and it so rarely hits us here in Orange County.  But I fully enjoyed it, and even took Declan out to the front porch to listen to the raindrops coming down.  He was totally impressed.  Totally. :)

 

And one more photo of this happy face.  I mean, seriously... who wouldn't want to spend their day chatting with this little bug? :)

 

Happy Friday, xo! 

Four months.

Declan is already four months old. Four months!!!!? I am willing him to stay little for as long as possible. :)

 

Happy four months, my sweet baby!

This month, you weigh 14 pounds, 11 ounces. Your height and weight are still in the 25th percentile, so you are a tiny guy. :) But of course, your head is still very big!!! (75th percentile there!) It must mean you are just so super smart. ;) You smile, you laugh, you talk all day long. You are still the most easy going baby, always happy and calm. You sleep all through the night, from around 8pm all the way until around 6am. This makes your mommy extremely happy! ;)

 

You think your brother is hilarious, you absolutely love to have Dad "fly" you through the air, and every time I change your clothes, you crack up laughing. :) You have brought such a light into all of our lives and we can't imagine life without your darling little face. :)

 

Next up, Declan? We got the green light to eat some oatmeal! What fun this next month will bring as well:)

Happy four months, baby boy!!!
Love, Mom

 

Free Easter printables! :)

I am putting up all of my Easter decorations today!

{Better late than never, right???}

I thought I would add in some cute decorations that I found online, free to download and print.  I do this for every holiday lately and it is so much fun to do.  It adds a little whimsy to my decorations, and it is FREE.  Here are my Easter favorites today....

 

Adorable printable tags over here today! :)

Can these cupcake toppers BE any cuter???

Loving this burlap inspired print!  Find it here.

And of course, I need a banner.  Loving this one! :)

 

What are you doing for Easter decorations?? 

xo!

 

What I Wore Wednesday

Another week and another few outfits to note! :)

 

Aqua Tee:  Kohl's

Skinny Jeans:  Jolt from Nordstrom Rack

Boots:  Minntonka Boots

 

 

Closeup of my comfy boots.  Seriously, these are like three or four years old and still amazing. :)  Minnetonka for the win! 

Top: From my sister!  I think she got it at Forever 21

Jeans:  Jolt from Nordstrom Rack

Flip Flops: Old Navy 

Sweater:  Old Navy

Top: Walmart

Jeans: Skinnies from Forever21

 

Linking up to What I Wore Wednesday!

xo!

 

  

Blessed.

St. Patrick's Day.
Wearing green.
A few fun decorations.
A beach date with little boys.
Toes in the sand.
Chatting about leprechauns.
I feel blessed. :)

Words of Inspiration: no. 2

This weekend, my husband is away in Arizona with two of his brothers and his uncle. They are out there for the Angels spring training and are having a ball so far watching baseball until they come home on Monday.

 

Since we got married last year, this is the longest I am going without my hubby here with me. The nights alone in my bed??? Hmmmph. I am already missing him. At least I am spending some quality time with my two darling sons. ;)

 

BUT, like these wise words state, sometimes being alone is healthy. Sometimes we need that to recharge, to watch what we want to watch, to eat what we want to eat, to spend the evenings with your self. It's healthy. And it's making me realize just how much I appreciate my husband being home with me. That man is getting a big fat smooch when he gets back, believe me. :)

 

Now I am off to watch an early Angels baseball game of my own... only my son is on this team. Go little league Angels! Hopefully Andrew's team will remain undefeated today!!! :)

Happy Saturday, xo!

The BEST French Dip Ever! (& some shop updates!)

 

I love my crock pot.  Especially since giving birth to Declan, I have found myself short on kitchen time and the crock pot allows me to make a delicious dinner without a ton of effort.  And I have stumbled on the BEST recipe ever.  Seriously, my husband requests this as often as he can :)

 

Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches

{recipe found here}

 

Ingredients:
3-4 lb. Beef Round Steak (or any type of beef roast- I use a London Broil and it works PERFECT)
1 packet Onion Soup Mix
1 packet Au Jus Seasoning
1 (15 oz) can of Beef Broth or Stock
½ cup water
4 slices mozzarella cheese
Sub rolls

 

Directions:

Put beef roast in slow cooker. In a medium bowl, combine Beef broth, Onion soup mix, Au Jus seasoning and water and stir until combined. Pour mixture over beef, put cover on slow cooker and cook on low for about 8 hours. An hour before serving, shred meat with two forks or take it out and you can slice thinly. Place meat back in the slow cooker for another hour. {I like to shred it!}

When ready to serve, place several slices of beef on roll, add sliced mozzarella cheese and place under the broiler of your oven for a few minutes. Watch carefully, broil for just a couple of minutes until cheese is melted and roll is just slightly toasted.

Serve sandwich with a bit of Au Jus from the slow cooker, which is all ready made for you! :)

 SO DELISH!!!! :)

 

And on to some shop news...

this past week, I added a couple of fab new items to my shop that I am so excited about!

You are My Sunshine tags :)

Convo me if you need a custom listing for these!

 

Ombre Pink Gift Tags!

So darling!  Need them in another color?  Convo me through Etsy and I'd be happy to make them in a different shade!

 

Whew!  I think that's it for my week.  My hubby is out of town for the weekend, so it's just me and the boys.  We are going to plan a fun mommy-kiddo weekend! {And I'll try to forget I am missing my husband so much already!}

 

Happy Friday!

today I am linking up with High Five For Friday- love it!  Go pop over and check it out.

xo!

American Idol Recap - Top 10

Seriously, Candice and Amber owned everyone else in the competition last night. Need I say more??? They both looked and sounded amazing. Way, way, way above the rest.

That being said, I still like Kree a whole lot. She is beautiful and has a lovely voice. Also, I have a weird love for Paul Jolley. I love his theatrics...is it just me? Maybe because I love musicals, but I think he is cool. :) And another favorite is Angie. She had an amazing voice and looked gorgeous last night. But get back on the piano, girl.

Who are you loving so far? Who did you like last night?? Xo!

What I Wore Wednesday

Another week, and another couple of note-worthy outfits have been documented! :)  Hopefully this is getting me out of my i'm-a-new-mom-wearing-pajamas rut!

 

 

Seriously, I'm keeping it real with my hair looking like it does in this photo.  Wow, roots.

 

Leopard Print Sweater:  Forever 21

Sleeveless Top:  Walmart

Jeans:  Jolt skinnies from Nordstrom Rack

Shoes: Velvert Bow Flats from Charlotte Russe

 

 Hair got a pretty makeover!  I am debuting my darker hair with highlights, yay!  Kind of a welcome change from the platinum I'm usually sporting. ;)

 

Top: Old Navy

Jeans: Forever 21 skinnies {$10.80!}

Sandals: Marshalls

 

Date night with my fabulous sister was a success!  It was fun to get fancied up a tad. :)

{Thank you to my photo-bombing sister, as well! haha!}

 

 Blazer: Forever 21

Tank: Target

Jeans: Forever 21

Heels: Aerosoles from Burlington Coat Factory

Necklace: Forever 21

 

So much fun to link up to What I Wore Wednesday!  Enjoy your day, xo!

Words of Inspiration: no.1

I find words comforting, inspiring, wise and happy. I will be sharing with you some of my favorite quotes, words, phrases and thoughts, each Saturday. They tie into my week or my weekend, my life at the moment, our my current state of mind.

 

 

This weekend, my sister and I are going on a little mini girls trip and night out. Long overdue! We are putting on fancy dress and pretty shoes, and heading out downtown San Diego for a fun evening together.

 

 

We have shared so many nights like this in the past and it always is so much fun. Fun hotel and a couple swanky cocktails, a little shopping and some sister chit chat!  Can't wait to have this girly night away!

Happy weekend, xo!

 

 

The Little Things

As busy mothers, sometimes it is hard to pick out the little things that make us happy on a daily basis.  We are running kids to school, feeding the baby, cleaning the house, making dinner, go, go, go all day long.  But we should all stop to see these little things, that while they may seem insignificant in a passing moment, are truly what our happiness is made of. :)

Here's what I stopped to smile at this week...

 

A happy baby at his two month doctor's appointment.  All smiles! 

...That is, until those crummy shots to the leg.  {sniff!} Made me so sad for this little man.

 

A wonderful husband who brings me flowers for no reason at all...

except to let me know he loves me. :)

 

 As a self-proclaimed TV addict, catching up on The Vampire Diaries was very happy for me this week.

{That is, until one of my favorites got killed.  Not cool, not cool at all.}

 Coffee.  {Need I say more?}  It's what gets me through the morning. :)

 Baby smooches!!! :)

{and for momma keeping it real with my crummy hair, roots and all, no makeup, looking like total crap.  A day in the life, people. ;) }

 Family game night!

{Seriously, who knew Risk could be so much fun?  And so addicting?}

 It was Andrew and my first time playing!  John was quite the teacher of world domination.

 

 

 One smart little cookie that I have raised.

Andrew got an A+ on his report about Teddy Roosevelt.  Go Andrew!!!!

You sure know how to make a momma proud. :)

 

What made you smile this week? :)

xo!

 

*Linking up with Falling for Friday :) Love her blog!!!

*Also linked to a new blog I just discovered. High Five for Friday! :)

American Idol Picks - Top 10 Guys

This was my first time watching the guys sing, and let me sum up the night with a single word: underwhelming!!! Seriously, the girls are going to kick butt this year if this is what the guys have to offer. There wasn't one guy who truly stood out to be special and worth rooting for yet. 

That being said, Nick and Lazaro were the most enjoyable performances for me, followed by Curtis and Paul Jolley. And don't even get me started on how super scared I am of Charlie Askew. Um, who decided to put that creep through?!

What were your thoughts of last night's show?? Xo!

American Idol Picks- Top 10 Girls

I have always been a huge fan of American Idol. This season, however, I have not been keeping up with it like I usually do. Since I am not a big fan of the tryouts, I decided to start watching the show as of last night. So my picks are truly based on their singing ability and not their popularity on the show thus far, which is actually kind of fun!!

My three favorites from last night are Angie, Amber and Kree. They were fantastic singers and each gave me goosebumps!!! I think they all seemed special in a way, different from current singers and they all seemed to be able to fit into today's music marketplace! My two other picks for the top five would have to be the cute country blonde Janelle and the powerhouse singer Candice. No one else really did much for me.

Who were your picks last night??? I am now dying to watch the boys sing tonight and can't wait for Thursday's result show!!!! I am definitely happy to be watching the show again. :) xo!

What I Wore Wednesday

Lately, I have been in a little bit of a clothing rut. Since I had my baby only two months ago, I am still feeling fairly frumpy most of the time. So dressing super cute has not been my number one priority. Comfortable outfits have been my go-to lately. :) I think that publicly displaying my outfits will help with that a bit, so here we go! Do you participate in What I Wore Wednesday?

 

Here is my caveat... I do not buy expensive clothing. My favorite places to shop include Forever 21, Kohl's, Target, Old Navy and yes, even Wal-Mart!! I love finding a great deal and I love bargain shopping, so these places always seem to have the best deals for my money. Here are some of my recent outfits.

Sweatshirt: Hollister
Tank: Target
Jeans: Jolt skinnies from Nordstrom Rack
Sparkle flats: K-Mart

 

Polka dot top: From my sister! :)
Jeans: Jolt skinnies from Nordstrom Rack

 

Top: Target
Jeans: Jolt skinnies from Nordstrom Rack
Flats: a Christmas gift from my sister! :) LOVE the jeweled bow of the toe!  So cute!

 

White sleeveless top: Wal-Mart
Plaid shirt: Old Navy
Jeans: LEI skinnies from Wal-Mart

Flats: same Christmas gift flats from my sissy!

 

Alright, those are the post worthy outfits...the rest of the time, I was probably in leggings and a sweatshirt. :)  Or pajamas and a bathrobe. ;)  Hop over to the Pleated Poppy to see the rest of the WIWW posts for the week!  So glad to be doing this again!

xo!

  

 

*Also linking for the first time to Whatever Whenever Wednesday,  Wardrobe Wednesday, Random Wednesday...how fun!!! :)