Spring Closet Makeover

I have a confession to make: I've been pretty out of the loop from the fashion scene over the last few years. And my closet shamefully reflects that. The majority of my wardrobe is from high school. And that was a long time ago. So I'm ready to reconcile the lost time and start looking like the fashion diva I once dreamed to be with big plans of becoming a fashion designer (again, it was a very long time ago, as I was far from that image).

My second confession (which will not seem so shocking after the first): I had never shopped at Asos before. But I just happened to stumble upon this post on A Cup of Jo and I was initially drawn to all the pretty pastels. But being the bargain shopper I am, I ended up taking a look at the amazing sale going on right now.

You will be seeing me wearing each of the dresses below in the coming spring months:

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

Don't forget to apply Joanna's promo code during checkout for an extra 20% off full-priced items through Sunday: ACUPOFJO.

A couple pastels, but also a couple brights that remind me of the tulip fields of Saint Stephens Green park in Dublin, Ireland where I spent a semester during college.

On a side note, it's always nice to have an efficient shopping experience online and I found the Asos website to provide that and more. Since web apps (and my new-found domesticity, obviously) have been consuming my focus all this time that I have not been becoming a fashion designer, I have come to appreciate good product design. Not only does Asos localize sizes and prices and automatically apply free shipping both ways anywhere in the world at checkout, but you can also create a list of your Saved Items that you can compare by a number of deciding factors (price, % discount, etc.). And check out the fashion finder for hours of inspiration!

Toddlers in the Kitchen

I haven't been working as many solids into Ava's menu as I think she's capable of, and have been looking for some more alternatives to the purees and cereals that primarily make up her diet. So I was very excited a local parents group hosted a baby/toddler cooking playdate. Yogurt parfaits and Puffs trail mix were on the menu.

I wasn't sure how Ava would handle it since she mainly causes mini catastrophes with food (she is a toddler, after all). But it was such a great way to venture out and let your little one try new foods without ending up with a pantry full of every flavor of Puffs and Melts under the sun.

This was such a fun experience for us, I thought I'd share some of the other ingredients available to us in the event you would like to get your mom friends and their toddlers together for a similar event.

Yogurt Parfait
Just layer any or all of the following into a plastic cup.

• Vanilla and/or strawberry yogurt
• Granola (Hawaiian granola is more fine than the Quaker variety and easier for smaller mouths with fewer teeth to chew)
• Cheerios (multi-grain)
• Raisins
• Banana slices
• Blueberries
• Grapes (pre-sliced in half)

Trail Mix
Pour a bit of any or each ingredient into a large mixing bowl and let your little one have loads of fun stirring it up with a wooden spoon. (Ava opted to just eat the snack directly from the mixing bowl, however, so another option is to just pour the ingredients directly into a plastic bag and shake.)

• Puffs in a variety of flavors (Happy Baby offers greens, apple, banana, sweet potato, and strawberry)
• Melts in  a variety of flavors (Happy Baby offers banana mango, mixed berry, and strawberry)
• Granola
• Cheerios
• Raisins

This snack, in particular, travels nicely when you're on the go.

The Wisdom of Babes

Sometimes I feel like Ava is wise beyond her years.

At her last well-check visit, the pediatrician asked whether she was talking yet and I told her, "Oh yeah. She's been talking for months. Oh, I'm probably just one of those biased mothers who thinks her child is a genius, aren't I? But I really do think Ava is advanced in her language development." I'm sure she was trying to stifle her laughter, but after I told her all the words Ava was saying and how she was making connections and communicating, she conceded that she actually is a little ahead of most other babies her age. (Yes! I knew it!)

And then there's Ava's emotional, or social, intelligence. Tonight as we were leaving the restaurant where we had dinner, she looked so compassionately at a woman eating her meal alone. I looked at Ava, then she looked at me, and in that moment we connected and seemed to know exactly what the other was thinking. Or was Ava just tired and zoning out and am I projecting my compassion onto her? Either way, I'm so proud of the little love muffin I'm raising and I have a feeling we're going to do great things together.

Post-Party Depression

Do you ever dread taking down your party decorations? I'm not talking about dreading it as an actual labor-intensive task, but you spend a lot of time and sometimes even money on these projects and it feels like such a waste to display them for only one day. 

Ava's birthday party was almost three weeks ago, but I still can't bring myself to throw away all the fun and festive tissue paper pom-poms we slaved over for the party. So I started thinking about what else I could do with them...

I hate the outdated ceiling fan in Ava's bedroom. It was in the house when we bought it, and while we remodeled almost everything else, the ceiling fans stayed.

Enter tissue paper pom-poms. I tied a few to the pull-chains and gave the room an immediate boost of party-time fun.

Ava adores them!

I also strung the fabric pennant banner across the valance over the sliding glass door. Many baby rooms are designed to include both of these elements, so why not re-purpose the party decor?

Love this nursery.

Another idea: Fill all those apothecary jars used for candy with hair bands and bows (I was looking for a storage solution for those things!), decoupaged clothespins my mom made for my baby shower (they really should be out on display), unspooled ribbon scraps, and various other knick-knacks I didn't have a place for. These items can be easily transferred to large plastic zip-lock bags when you need the jars for your next fête.

Packing Tip No. 1

I'm sure I'll be posting a number of helpful packing and travel tips as I'm starting to get things organized for our Europe trip coming up in just a few weeks! So here's the first installment:

I like to gather up all the sample size products I've accumulated (like the ones you get from Sephora when you accumulate so many points) so that I don't have to purchase travel sized products (or to supplement those I've purchased) or pour my full-size products into travel bottles. This also gives me a great excuse to try the new products if I haven't gotten around to it yet.

Just be sure to pack them in a clear container if you'll be taking them on the plane with you.

Clear Zippered Cubes from The Container Store

Of course, there are those daily products we just can't spend a day without, so The Container Store has you covered for those with travel bottles in all shapes and sizes.

I love these aluminum misters that would be great filled with a refreshing water and lemon combination to help you freshen up in the throes of transport.

Aluminum Mister Bottles from The Container Store

Some hotels also provide mouthwash, mending kits, even a shoe mitten that I've stashed away to keep in my travel bag for future trips. You never know when you may need such items while away from home and they hardly take up any space.

Stay tuned for a later post on some of the items I never travel without.

Happy Friday!

Hers and Mine: Shoes

Nordstrom is having a shoe sale, and since my will-power to resist a good Nordy's sale is low, we're getting ready to stock up on a couple pairs for Ava (since she's starting to walk more and more, she'll surely need walking shoes for Europe!), and maybe a couple pairs for Mom while we're at it.

Let's start with this super gray duo, shall we?

Get your own (or hers, rather) right here.

And find some of these for yourself here.

It's been pretty cold and rainy here the last couple days so these seem to fit well with the weather, but if you're looking for some with a little more spring in their step, try these on for size...

Get hers here.

Get yours here.

You can probably tell I'm in love with the mini Toms for baby girls. They seem to be the perfect, easy shoe for a toddler. I can't say I've ever joined the Toms club in my own size, but if you really wanted to be matchy-matchy with your baby girl, there's no shortage in your own size here.

Happy Leap Day

I'm not sure anyone considers Leap Day a real holiday, or even really any reason to celebrate, but it only happens once every four years, and we're always looking for reasons to celebrate around here, so I thought I should at least acknowledge it.

Having an "extra day" inspires me to take the time to reflect on how I am spending my time and the people who I am sharing it with. Am I spending enough time showing my affection to loved ones? Or am I focusing too much on all of my to-dos and not taking time out to enjoy life and really appreciate the people who matter most?

I noticed this incredible sunset peering into our back yard through our big oak tree as I finished up work for the day so I quickly bundled Ava up and grabbed the camera to take in the last few minutes of its amazing glory from the upstairs deck.