Happy March friends! It felt like January lasted a year and February flew by in a few days. Did anyone else feel like that!? I had two posts scheduled to go up before this one but we had a hard week at our house. My husband’s grandma passed away last weekend. Kenny’s mom was very young when she had him so his grandma helped raise him and the two of them have always been incredibly close. She was 93 years old and her health had been failing for a while so we knew it was coming, but it has still been hard. We all loved her so much and knowing she’s gone has just felt sad. So lots of talks about life and death and God and heaven have been going on at our house with the kids. It has been an emotional week! But we know she is in a good place and we are so grateful for the time we had with her.
We are re-grouping at our house and I have a fun organization post going up next week that I’m excited to share. Aside from this past week February has been a good month at our house with lots of favorites!
We’ve have had so much rain in Southern Cal this month and while I know that’s nothing special for many of you, it is special to us! It has been years since I’ve felt like we’ve actually had a “winter” and we’ve loved every minute of cooler temps and rain fall.
Although I think I’ll be getting a new outdoor rug this summer. I can live with that. :) I’m also getting Kole some fun rain gear for Easter. These sets of boots and umbrellas for kids are darling!
The yard and my lemon tree are thriving!
Plus we have enjoyed lots of family walks in-between the rain. Everything is so green and beautiful!
The girls and I are obsessed with our Magic Bullet blender! We got it for Christmas and just started really using it this month. It’s so quick and easy! Honestly the best blender when you want to just make something fast and be done with it. It was a favorite at my friend’s Favorite Things party (which I never got around to posting about and maybe still will!). I had also heard so many good things about the book Body Love and there are lots of smoothie recipes in it so the girls and I ventured into the really healthy stuff (unknown territory.. ha!) and have been experimenting. Almond milk and raw fiber powder and hemp seeds? Um.. ok. (You should have seen me in the store trying to locate all of this.) Some of it we’ve loved, some of it we’ve hated and spit right back out.. but still. I’m proud of us for trying. :)
Pure joy when this child realized Costco sells Skinny Pop in bulk.
I’ve been getting lots of questions about my kitchen rugs so I thought I’d answer them quick in this post. They have been favorites since I bought them in the Fall and I can’t say enough good things about them! I bought the color Navy (although the Indigo looks very similar). Because they are indoor/outdoor rugs they really don’t show food and dirt. You can’t toss them in the washing machine and I was worried about that when I bought them, but they wipe clean so easy! I always just put a little dish soap on a wet cloth or paper towel and food wipes right off. Even stuff like spaghetti sauce comes off clean enough that you can’t see it anymore. Trust me.. we’ve had many spills! You can take them outside and spray them off too but I haven’t had to do that yet. Plus I love the pattern and texture. I’m always thrilled when I can find things that give me the look I want in my home but are still practical for life with kids!
Happy little Spring moment in the kitchen.
I’ve been pulling out Spring accessories and adding lots of plants and flowers to brighten up our home.
The sunshine feels good and I’m ready for more. I shared this pic on Instagram last week with a favorite conversation with Kole this month that made me smile. :)
I’ve also been pulling more navy into my family room lately and I love the contrast with coral. Two long time favorite colors throughout my home!
And isn’t this the cutest pot from Anthro? Love it so much!
Speaking of Anthro, have you seen their new Joanna Gaines collection!? Ahhh! I’m in love with everything but my absolute favorites are the Textured Eva Rug..
and this Tassled Olive Pillow. So cute.
You all know how much I love this Crepe Myrtle tree in our backyard.
It only blooms like this for one month in August and I look forward to it all year!
My close friend Vanessa took the picture of my tree from my blog and had this canvas print made for me for Christmas. Is that not the sweetest thing!? I have it in my office and now I can enjoy it all year long. :) I thought I’d share that because aside from being one of my recent favorite things it’s also such a fun personalized gift idea!
Knew I’d love this Varsity Stipe Knit top! AG jeans/Similar shoes here and here)
I also got this turtleneck and love it too. See how longer tops like this give me no shape?
Enter the front tuck. Huge difference right!? Like magic. ;) Try it if you haven’t already! Especially if you’re short like me and things tend to always look too long.
Tops like this are cute tucked in or with a vest. I’ve been wearing a lot of vests lately! This hooded puffer vest is similar to the one I’m wearing. It’s marked down and so cute! I love this vest too and have it sitting in my cart. :) Vests are definite favorites. They give you a waist, keep you warm, and make it appear as though you’ve put some real time and thought into your outfit when really you haven’t. #score
Another favorite is this layered flutter sleeve top! I’m a huge fan of this style of Vince Camuto shirt. You can easily dress them up or down, they are so comfortable and the flutter sleeve is such a pretty feminine touch. I buy a few of the newest style every Spring! They come in lots of colors and I love the square neck.
I saw this quote on the wall in a Jimmy John’s when we were traveling one weekend and loved it so much! It made me want to interrogate all of my kids’ friends to see what they say about me. ;)
Running errands. So much beauty around us.. even at local grocery stores if we take the time to stop and look for it. :)
One of our many Goodwill drop off trips this month. That yellow cart that’s being hauled away was full of our stuff. You can see my girls’ Barbie Dream house on the top I finally convinced them to part with! Feels so good to be de-cluttering and simplifying our home. I’ve been organizing at least 15 minutes a day and it makes such a difference!
Even Kenny’s bathroom drawers got a major clean out. That was his Valentine’s Day present this year.
Lucky guy. ;)
Speaking of my babe and Valentine’s Day I’ll end with a favorite past February post..
10 Ways to Keep Your Marriage Strong
I hope you enjoy this post if it’s new to you! We certainly don’t have it all figured out but after 20+ years together we have definitely learned some things that work for us.
Good-bye February! Grateful for your highs and lows filled with family time in-between.
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My sincere condolences for your family’s big loss in the passing of Kenny’s grandmother. She had a good long life and I’m sure imparted much love and wisdom over the years. I hope that wonderful memories will bring you comfort and peace. Hugs! Yes, indeed it seemed that January lasted forever and February sped by. It’s closer to spring now. Yay! Your favorites and your home are all so fun and beautiful. Thank you for sharing! I hope you have a lovely weekend!
Thank you so much Jeanne. She really did.. we went to her funeral over the weekend and it was beautiful. She was an amazing example of how to live your best life! Enjoy your week sweet friend! xo
The herringbone rug from Nordy’s says professionally clean. You said you washed it. Which is the proper care?
Hi Karen! I think you might have miss read what I wrote.. I said you “can’t toss them in the washing machine..” But what you can do is easily spot clean them with a little soap and water or spray them off outside. (It says that on the card when you buy them.) If you wanted to really wash them you would have to have it professionally done, but I don’t think I will ever need to because they are so easy to spot clean. I hope that makes sense!
Would love to see a post about your favorite things party with your friends! So many fun ideas :)
I’ll have to share those pics this Spring for sure! :)
Your home looks so fresh and bright with the coral and navy – just love it! Those Dash & Albert rugs ARE super nice. Do you think you’ll get the same one for the outdoor area? I’m weighing my options for outdoor rugs too….
Thank you so much Sarah! I’m not sure yet! Maybe not the exact same one (because our kitchen is so close to our outdoor area) but definitely something similar with navy. :) I’ll share favorite options when I start researching them to find one! xo
My condolences to Kenny for the loss of his grandma. It’s so hard to lose our grandparents. Theirs sounded like a special bond.
Your family room looks so pretty decorated for spring. I could use more sun and less rain now. I can’t remember the last time we’ve had this much rain. Definitely looking forward to spring and warmer weather. Hope you have a great weekend. XO
Thank you so much Cathy! Hard for sure. We had her funeral this weekend and it was so beautiful. She lived an amazing life and was a great example! I have loved the rain, but I’m starting to get really excited for warmer weather now! The seasons are such a nice change for me because it makes me SO excited and ready for sunshine. I feel like when it’s sunny all the time I don’t appreciate it as much! Ha. Enjoy your week Cathy! Kiss those cute grand kids lots. :) xo
Erin, please accept my deepest sympathy in the loss of Kenny’s dear Grandmother. It’s so hard to lose a family member so close like her; memories grow even more precious when we see that those we’ve loved live on within our hearts.
Your neighborhood walking trails are just beautiful!! And I LOVE that you have lemons growing right in your yard! I love your navy & coral decor that you are decorating with – one of my very favorite combinations!! I had not heard about Joanna Gaines items through Anthropology; I peeked through your link and fell in love with that checked wallpaper!! Oh my word!! Black & white checks are calling my name! I have a couple of her Magnolia rugs and they are just
wonderful.
Again, I’m so sorry about your Grandma. Sending prayers of comfort!! ❤️🙏❤️🙏❤️
Jane you are just so thoughtful and kind. Thank you! It really is hard to lose a close family member and helps us all remember what’s most important in life. Her funeral was this past weekend and it was so beautiful. She was such an amazing example to all of us and will be missed. But never forgotten.
And YES! That black and white checkered wallpaper! I almost featured that too and then didn’t because my post was just going on SO long.. ha! Isn’t it darling!? So many fun new things are out for Spring. I love this time of year! Thank you again for your sweet comment Jane. They always brighten my day and mean so much! Sending a hug your way! xo
I’m so very sorry about your loss 💗
Thank you so much Carolyn! xo
Hi Erin, always a pleasure reading your post! So I had purchased the Rubbermaid white drawer containers after one of your posts, years ago and am in need of replacing them with new ones unless there is a special way to get rid of marks. Do you know where I can find them today or if you have found a replacement option to them?
Hi Ursula! Can you tell me which post you saw them in? I just want to make sure I know the containers you’re talking about!
Hi Erin! I’m so sorry for your family’s loss. I have a little adult ADD and don’t read things completely and just scan sometimes. I read the comment following mine and feel so insensitive. May God comfort you and your family during this tough time and always fill you with the hope Jesus brings.
So the containers that I’m referreing to are in this same post in “Kenny’s bathroom drawers got a major clean out.” Are they the white, rubbermaid containers or are these different ones?
Thank you =)
Ursula
Oh you’re fine Ursula! So sweet of you. Thank you! The containers I have in Kenny’s bathroom drawers were from the Container Store (same ones I used in my bathroom drawers) but I can’t find them on-line anymore! I think they only have them in the store. Sorry I’m not more help! xo
Erin, I am so sorry for your family’s loss. I hope the memories and her legacy bring much comfort as you grieve. Wishing you all the best and God’s hand of peace upon you all during this difficult time of loss.
Thank you so much sweet Genelle! So kind of you. Her funeral was Saturday and it was beautiful. She will be missed but I know she is in a better place and we definitely feel her spirit and God’s love. It has been a good reminder of what is most important in life! Thank you again! xo
I’m sorry about your family losing Kenny’s grandma. It sounds like she lived a life of love towards her family and imparted such a legacy. What a comfort it is when a family has their Christian faith because of the forgiveness of sin in Jesus, the hope of heaven for eternity, and reuniting with loved ones again when our time comes.
Please post things from the favorite things party .
I will Eloise! Coming this March or April! :)