Erin, Author at The Sunny Side Up Blog

Organization

03.23.20

Organized pantry, recipes and what I’ve been wearing

*affiliate links used

*Peaches (Ad’s long begged for Bearded Dragon) loves our walks.. ha! Kenny’s shoulder is her favorite place to hang out and she especially loves lounging there in the sun. This picture from yesterday made me laugh. :)

Hello hello! How is the quarantine going? Are you holding up? Going crazy yet? I have to say that I didn’t miss all of our usual activities and running around over the weekend. My kids are missing it! But so far I’m not. I’m grateful that they have so many fun opportunities to explore their talents and make friends, but from the mom (aka chauffeur) point of view it was heavenly having two full days with nothing on our agenda! We all slept in, had breakfast, did some chores and I organized a few drawers. Then we just hung out – watched movies, went on a walk, made dinner. The kids spent some time doing their own thing and Kenny and I went on a drive. So nice. I feel like the best way most of us can help and do our part during this crazy time is by just laying low and not being around other people. So that’s what we’re doing. While I’m so sad about the situation our world is facing the sliver lining is definitely being able to slow down and have more time with our families.

I’m trying to stick to a loose schedule/routine at home as much as possible. My kids are all doing school on-line (shout out to all of the amazing teachers working over time to keep things going right now!) and Kenny and I both work so we are all getting up and getting ready and having breakfast like we usually do. Then we all split up into different rooms! It’s kind of funny. The girls are both working at their own desks in their bedrooms, Kenny is in his home office, Kole has totally taken over our office/craft room where I usually work (his whole 4th grade class is on zoom talking so nobody else can really work there) and I take my laptop and rotate from my dining room table to the couch to the kids’ work stations when they need my help. We’re practicing social distancing every morning in our own home.. ha. After school/work we have some down time and then the kids do their chores (if you missed my Zone cleaning system you can check it out and get the printable here) and I get some house work and organizing done. Then we all go on a family walk before dinner. If your kids aren’t doing some sort of on-line school I would still try to have them engaged in learning actives in the am. There are so many great websites on-line and workbooks that can help. My long time blog friend Megan has a great list here that might be helpful to you if you need some good resources! Sticking close to a somewhat “normal” schedule is good for kids and I need the structure too. Flexible structure is always my favorite. :)

{seagrass lidded baskets}

Of course I’ve been organizing up a storm and it feels amazing! I snapped a few quick pics with my phone of my pantry. My pantry and fridge were the first to get a good clean out with everyone home. I keep this space pretty organized so I didn’t have to do much other than vacuum out the baskets and drawers and toss some expired items. I also washed some of my OXO containers that were getting dirty and re-filled them.

You can see my full pantry with more details and sources in this post.

Another thing I also did that felt so good was going through all of our canned goods! This pic is from my older pantry post but I wanted to mention my favorite organizer for cans because some of you asked about it in IG stories. It’s this Expand a Shelf and my favorite is the MEGA size. It’s so nice! I use it for all sorts of things and it will expand to fit whatever size you need.

In other exciting news.. lately I’ve been on a green bean kick! I don’t know why but they are tasting so good to me cooked with just some olive oil and salt and pepper. My kids have been teasing me for making them so much and I’m the only one who wants to eat them.

I usually follow them up with something from this pantry drawer so don’t go thinking I’ve gone completely healthy or anything. If we’re going to be quarantined at home I’m going to need my favorite treats. :) If you want to get on my good side any of the above will do. Of course you can never go wrong with popcorn either. Or purple skittles. Oh my word.. that’s what’s missing from my stash! Purple skittles! I knew something was missing and it just came to me writing this. Ha.

If you are looking for some simple dinners I wrote a post with most of my staples that are easy to make HERE. My kids (for the most part) like all of these and it’s what we’re mostly eating around here right now!

K – isn’t this picture hilarious!? Oh my word.. so bad. It’s from a post I wrote in 2009! I had to share it though because I made this the other night and remembered how good it was. So easy to make and it’s a good way to get kids to eat broccoli. I forgot to include it in the recipe post above but it’s called Tri Color Pasta and you can find the recipe for it here. Ignore the awful picture and trust me when I say this meal is so good! The pork sausage gives it such a great flavor. It’s an OLD post but while the picture is awful the commentary is top notch. If you read to the end you’ll see that I’m not only a skilled chef but I also know legal jargon better than my husband. Get ready to be impressed. ;)

Want to know what I’m making AROUND the clock these days? Kole’s “4 plate.” I can’t believe the amount of food a 9 year old boy can consume in a day! It’s a bit maddening and might be what drives me right over the edge during our stay at home time. Anyone else feel like they are making nonstop snacks? Or snack plates? Anyone else put toothpicks in banana slices for your kids? If not you should. They are just more fun to eat that way. :)

{sportswear crop hoodie/zella tank/lulu leggings – align high rise crop/similar sneakers}

I got some cute new things to wear earlier in the month and my Nike crop hoodies like this one have become fast favorites! I’m wearing a lot of leggings because we are walking every day (sometimes twice a day!) and it’s still cool outside so these crop hoodies are perfect for layering.

{sportswear crop fleece sweatshirt/zella tank/lulu leggings – align high rise crop/similar sneakers}

This cute crop fleece sweatshirt is another favorite! They are so warm and comfortable but not hot. Perfect for Spring weather. You can of course show off your abs if that’s your thing, but his mom of three prefers a tank under them. ;)

{puff long sleeve tee/marshall jogger pants/simiar shoes}

These Marshall Jogger Pants are another favorite find. So cute and comfortable! You all know how I feel about joggers. Couldn’t love them more. This pair you can dress down with a simple top like I’ve been wearing around the house lately.

{bubble short sleeve blouse/marshall jogger pants/despina strappy sandals/arrowstack necklace}

OR you can pair them with a cute spring top and sandals to dress them up. So cute either way! I got some fun CeCe blouses for my birthday and love the fit and the pretty sleeves on this one. Also these sandals and my Arrowstack necklace are long time favorites. LOVE Madewell jewelry.

{Not Today graphic tee – other fun options HERE}

Of course a favorite graphic tee is always a good thing when you’re homebound. Due to recent circumstances I’ve been rotating between this one and my Good Vibes tee. Not today Coronavirus! Just not today.

Quick visit from these two while I was taking this pic. Feeling so grateful for our health and safety right now and I’m thinking about all of you. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Stay home and stay sane!

*And yes.. Kole has blue hair. That’s starting to look green. I can’t even. You can thank his dad for that one. Some battles just aren’t worth fighting. I’m not feeling sad about him being stuck at home while that lovely color grows right out. Then I’ll chop it off myself if I have too.

Desperate times call for desperate measures…

;)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Organization

03.18.20

Zone Chore Chart (my kids’ cleaning routine!)

{distressed Arabesque wool rug}

You guys! How are you all doing!? What a crazy turn of events. I celebrated my birthday a week ago last Wednesday (had a great day with family and friends) and then on Thursday it felt like the world flipped upside down. I hope you’re all safe and healthy and are surviving our recent events. You have all been in my thoughts and prayers this week. This is such a unique time with a lot of uncertainty and at our house we are just taking it one day at a time! I took a couple of days off of my computer and social media to just be with my family and get some things set up at home over the weekend. I felt like I needed to be fully present with my kids. Kids watch their parents to see how to respond to stressful situations like this so I’m trying to stay calm and carry on! What we are all going through is hard and my heart breaks for those who are really struggling right now. We will all face challenges in the upcoming weeks, but I’m trying to focus on the upside to this situation. I often struggle with how busy we are in general so I’m using this time to recenter, regroup and enjoy a slower pace! Less rush and more time for family. I’m also looking forward to more time for home projects! When everything started shutting down a few days ago I sent my family a text to lighten the mood and said “so let me get this straight.. I’m supposed to stock up on favorite foods, stop driving my kids to 10 million activities and just stay home in my pjs where I can decorate and organize all day? I’m going to be living my best life!” Ha. Always a sliver lining. ;)

A big challenge a lot of us are facing is having our kids out of school (for who knows how long!). Because of that I thought it would be a good time to share my Zone chore system with you all! I often get asked how I keep my house so clean and while it certainly isn’t always clean, we have definitely learned how to stay on top of the basics. I credit that to our routines! I have a cleaning routine and so do my kids and our routines are how we keep the house looking mostly clean most of the time. :)

I’ll share more on my cleaning routine soon. My zone cleaning routine is how I make sure my kids are helping. They have always had to pitch in with chores, but I started this particular system with my kids right after the holidays in January and it has been working so well for us! (Pic from January of Kole working in the mudroom.) I was going to share this earlier in the year, but I wanted a printable for you all that you could type on and customize to meet your own needs and I wasn’t sure how to do that. I enjoy the tech side of blogging about as much as I love cooking a casserole. ;) A good friend helped me out so now I have a printable for you that I hope you LOVE!

This printable is pretty easy and straightforward. I type in the things my kids are responsible for daily and they check items off each day when they’re done. I usually don’t have “exercise” on this list, but added that this week because now that my kids aren’t in school and doing extra curricular activities I want to make sure they are getting outside for some fresh air and exercise. We’ve had a lot of rain lately so the treadmill has been a backup!

My kids’ daily items are all the same other than one item for each child. Kole is in change of trash, Ellie is in charge of folding and putting away all towels and Addison is in charge of helping me with Kole. She has become a little tutor for him with his saxophone practice, play practice and homework. So helpful!

One item on their daily list is to clean their ZONE. You can set this up however you want! I picked the main hotspots in our home that are often messy (kitchen, mudroom, family room, and office). I wanted 3 zones so that my 3 kids could rotate them each week, but you could put 2 kids on one zone a week OR they could all do all the zones.. however it works for your family! I put our family room and office together as one zone because those two areas don’t usually take as long to clean.

My kids know what they need to do in each zone but this printable helps as a good reminder! They each have one zone (area) that they are responsible for all week. When they were in school they would just clean their zone once in the afternoon when they had time. Now that we are home more I’ll have them help me keep that space clean throughout the day. Some things only need to be done once a week (like vacuuming the family room rug) so I let my kids pick what day during their week they want to do that. Part of cleaning our office is organizing their wall file once a week and part of cleaning the mudroom is organizing their own locker. They also vacuum out all of the shoe drawers once a week. (That’s what Kole was doing in the picture above!) It has been so nice to have those things done weekly and now their own mudroom lockers get cleaned out every 3 weeks so I don’t have to do a huge clean out as often!

I also give my kids an allowance each week for helping with all of this. Obviously it’s totally up to you how you handle that with your kids! For years I didn’t pay my kids for helping out around the house. They have always had to pitch in and help just to help but I felt like I needed to start doing an allowance system last year because my teen girls were constantly asking for money to “see a show with friends, go to the mall, get nails done, etc.” I wanted them to learn the value of money and to have to prioritize what was most important. It has been a really good thing! They are much quicker to spend my money vs. spending their own. ;)

I hope that all made sense! If you have any other questions ask me in the comments! You can get your own Zone Chore Chart HERE. When you download it it will come as a blank PDF like the sheet above that you can type on and totally customize! It will also come with a set of instructions that will help if you have any problems getting it to work. You might have to download the fonts I used, but I promise it’s not too tricky. If I can do it anyone can do it. ;) You can also just have your kids fill it out with a pen if that’s easier!

If the zone cleaning chart is a little too much for your kids you might want to consider using my Daily Expectation chart! I have one version with a behavior/reward section for little kids and one for older kids that is just a list of tasks. It comes in this fun color copy or in black and white. We use these every summer and love them! Well.. I love them. Whenever I pull my charts out I get a few eye rolls and Ellie usually mutters “tragic” under her breath, but then they get over it and get their chores done. So like I said.. I love them! ;)

I have other printables in my library that also might help during this time. If you are craving some structure and want to make a loose daily schedule with your kids I have lots of options!

I also have fun calendar pages for each month this year. You can use them so many different ways. Maybe write a fun activity to do together each day. Let the kids come up with fun ideas and write them all down and that in itself should kill a little time! ;)

I have monthly to-do pages too and I’m going to have Kole use one of these to list fun activities he can do when he’s bored. No doubt we’ll be referring to that list often!

Now that the kids are back on track what about a way to help us adults get through this!? I know for me I’ll be using the extra time at home to chip away at projects around the house. My Current Projects printable is a great resource to help break large projects down into smaller steps!

I shared this Home Projects printable at the beginning of the year and love the way it helps me focus on a few things I want to do to each space.

I’ve slowly been chipping away at this list and need to cross a few things off and add some new things I want to tackle!

Looks like now I’m going to have some extra time on my hands to do just that. ;)

I hope these printables are helpful to you! If you use one and love it share it on IG and tag me.. I’d love to see how you are using them!

{CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD ANY OF THESE PAGES ALONG WITH OTHER FUN THINGS IN MY PRINTABLE LIBRARY!}

(If you are already a Sunny Side Up subscriber just enter your info. again to get the printables.. it won’t add you twice! Also, if you sign up and don’t get an e-mail soon after check your junk mail! Once in a while it lands there first.)

I’ll be back soon with some organization progress! Organizing has always been a stress reliever for me and it’s a passion I’m especially grateful for right now. No doubt it is what will single handily keep me sane during this crisis. Hang in there and may the force be with us all!

*Sorry.. Star Wars has been on repeat around here. Gearing up for a long month. ;)

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

03.09.20

Bathroom Rugs for Spring!

*affiliate links used

Since we just chatted all things jewelry organization in my last post I thought I’d show you the current state of my master bathroom. I gave it a quick re-fresh for Spring but went through a little trial and error first! ;)

You might remember last Spring when I got this fun round jute rug (similar options I also love here and here). It works perfectly with these Setta bath mats I’ve had for a while and I love this neutral look, but I was craving a little something fun to brighten up this space for Spring. Especially after I gave my vanity a little pop of gold and pink!

I debated moving my round jute rug to another space and tried putting the long Setta bath mat in front of my tub. Not what I was looking for. Too plain with all of the white in this room and too many straight lines.

Next I tried this Riviera bath mat that I love with a little more shape and design, but it still fell flat in this space. This bathroom is so WHITE.. I needed some color! I was missing the look and texture of my round jute rug in this room so I decided to bring it back and started thinking about how to add a pop of Spring somewhere else. Then I remembered how much I love this flower bath mat in my powder bathroom…

{Mia bath mat/chevron vase/similar faux white flowers, faux pink peonies/similar tray here and here}

It seriously makes me happy every time I walk in!

{pink tassel fringe towels/similar ladder here and here}

(*You can see how this little powder bathroom is organized here.)

{Rhea floral bath mat}

I almost bought the same flower mat for this bathroom but then got looking around and found this adorable floral bath mat and ordered it to try. The second I laid it down I knew! I had found what I was looking for! It brightened up this bathroom so much and pulled out all of the pinks from of my vanity area making them pop even more. I see it right when I walk in my bathroom door and can’t help smiling. SO cute! Bonus that it’s incredibly comfy to step on after a shower.

I put my round jute rug back and am keeping things like this for a while. The pink flower mat was just the pop of Spring I was looking for!

On our bathroom counter I just have a simple tray that holds this vase and some faux greenery. Sponges and cotton balls are in pretty apothecary jars and I use a little decorative cup to hold my most used make-up brushes.

Spring tip: Set aside some time this month to freshen up your bathroom! Organize your bathroom drawers and scrub everything clean. Don’t forget to clean the hair out of your brushes and wash your make-up brushes. If it’s in your budget splurge on a new bathroom mat and a couple of pretty towels. (If it helps to order a few options to try and then make returns later so be it!) If that’s not in your budget, just focus on the cleaning and organizing. Then display some flowers or greenery somewhere in the room – real or faux. (I’m linking favorites below.) Honesty it’s the BEST pick me up this time of year!

We all start each day getting ready in the bathroom. Don’t underestimate the affect this room has on your mood! Create a happy, clean space that will help you start your day feeling uplifted and refreshed and ready to take on the world.

I truly believe a clean, decorated and organized bathroom can do just that. :)

{FAVORITES TO FRESHEN UP YOUR BATHROOM}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

03.08.20

Organized Jewelry

*I can’t thank you all enough for the love and support from my last post. Your kind comments, DM’s and emails mean so much to me (and to my family). Knowing I have so many friends keeping my sister in their thoughts and prayers means the world to me. I teared up reading several messages and wish I could give each one of you a huge hug!

(affiliate links used)

{similar x bench here and here/bathroom rug}

Cancer, politics and the Corona virus.. yuck.. all not so fun topics. I think it’s time we brighten things up and talk about something fun for a change! Like jewelry organization. ;) My bathroom is making me extremely happy at the moment! I cleaned out all of my bathroom drawers and cupboards and gave it a mini re-fresh. I’ll be sharing all of the details starting today with my organized jewelry! If you’ve been with me for a while you know that I keep my jewelry displayed on this built-in vanity I designed when we built the house. I originally designed it as a place for me to sit and get ready, but I have to be honest.. I never sit to get ready! At the moment I’m just using this space for storage but it did come in pretty handy when I had major knee surgery two years ago so I’m grateful it’s there if I ever need to sit. Ha. (So happy that little life event is behind me and I am totally putting off getting surgery on my other knee as long as possible!)

I absolutely love having my jewelry out where I can easily see and access it all. I never had the space to do this in my previous home/apartments so I’m especially grateful I can do this now.

If you are short on space the best advice I can give you for jewelry organization is to go vertical! Use any free wall space you have. There are so many cute wall jewelry organizers you can buy (I’ve linked some fun options below) OR you can do what I did and make something yourself. :) I just bought some cork board from the craft store and ordered fabric to staple around it. Then I had my carpenter make a simple frame and painted it white. Done! So easy. I bought some cute wooden pushpins and hung all of my necklaces including my grandma’s pearls. I love seeing them displayed every day. My most worn necklaces are all my Madewell necklaces and my favorite letter necklaces (I love this one and this one). Also this simple Tanner bar necklace I’ve shared many times before is my every day go to. Looks good with everything!

*If you want something similar to my jewelry board but don’t want to make your own these beautiful shadow boxes would be perfect!

It was fun to mix things up and add a bit of gold to this space!

{two favorite bracelets – Tory Burch double wrap logo bracelet and embrace ambition bracelet}

I bought this gold double bar jewelry stand for my girls for Christmas this year and we’ve all loved it so much I decided I needed one too! It can hold necklaces or bracelets but I’m just using it for bracelets. I don’t have a lot because if I’m not using something I pass it on and only keep the jewelry I love and wear.

{mirror tray/similar decorative bowls here and here}

I’ve always loved using small decorative bowls to hold my earrings. I switched out the white tray I was using for this beloved brass mirror tray. Then I took a minute to sort through my earrings and only kept favorites. It’s such a nice feeling to not have to sift through lots of earrings only to pull out the same few sets I always wear. Less is always more isn’t it!?

Remember this cute heart 2-tier server from my favorites for Valentine’s Day? I wasn’t ready to put it away just yet so it’s holding my favorite perfume and nail polishes. (It sold out but this beautiful marble and brass cake stand would also be perfect! So would this one if I want to go back to silver.)

I added my beloved faux peonies to an older vase and a candle and done! *Happy sidenote: my peonies are on sale this weekend!)

Organized jewelry! That doubles as pretty bathroom decor. Now was I right or was I right? A much better topic. THIS is what we would be discussing on the nightly news if I were president.

;)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

03.04.20

Jan/Feb Favorites (highs and lows)

View out of my window this morning.. hello sunshine and March! :)

Happy Wednesday friends! I’ve missed you all! One of my blog goals for 2020 was to make my posts shorter and less picture heavy and to post more often. I’m clearly off to a great start since we haven’t chatted on the blog in a week and this post might hold a record there are so many pictures! Ha. Honestly things have just been so project heavy around here! Which means fun things are coming. But I always miss you all when I go a week without posting. Isn’t that weird? It’s not like we’re even actually talking since this blog is mostly a one sided conversation ;) but I feel you all there and miss my blog friends when I go too long between posts. :)

I have so much to share with you all but wanted to do a quick wrap up of Jan/Feb first. January was the longest month ever and February flew by in a blink! Did any of you feel like that too? I have so many random recent favorites and things we’ve been up to that I want documented. These past two months have been hard for me too and I’m opening up about why at the end of this post. So bear with me.. this is a long one. Maybe my longest post EVER. As I always say.. time to grab a snack! Preferably popcorn but I’ve found that chocolate chips work well too. ;)

{Knit Ribbed Tassel Blanket/Similar chair/Addie Tassel Pillow}

I found this pink tassel throw on-line and could not stop thinking about it. I ordered it and about died! I knew the tassels would be big but WOW! These tassels are seriously huge! The size of my hand! Such a cool throw and I think it would look amazing draped over the bottom of a bed too.

{Hydro Boost gel/Hydro Boost extra dry skin gel}

When we went to Utah for Thanksgiving to visit family my mom was so excited to tell me and my sister about this great moisturizer she was using and loving. She ordered some for me and Car to try and honestly I’ve been obsessed with it ever since! I have extra dry skin so lately I’ve been using the extra dry skin gel (just putting some on my face every night) and it makes my face so smooth and almost dewy! I love it. And I didn’t actually try to coordinate and wear my blue jumpsuit to match the product for this pic but that worked out kinda cool didn’t it? Ha.

You guys! I have been organizing like crazy around here and I’m especially excited to show you my bathroom! I took a little trip to the happiest place on Earth and picked up some fun drawer organizers. You should have seen me in the isle with my 3 pages of sketches and notes mapping out organizers on the floor. I was honesty giddy. But ahh! My bathroom drawers are next level! Pics are coming! :)

{Ruffle Tie Neck top/Similar Tory Burch Purse (love this one too!)/AG Jeans/Peeptoe Booties}

A cute new top to welcome Spring! I still needed a jacket but I’m so ready for warm weather clothes! Honestly CeCe blouses and CeCe dresses have become such go-to favorites for me! I’m dying at the cute things they have in for Spring. I’ve worn this top so much lately. With jeans for a more causal night out look.

Then with a black skirt and boots for church.

{Top/Horton Ripped Paige Jeans}

I love it so much I bought it in the blue too! Which I told myself I wasn’t going to do anymore (buy the same shirt in multiple colors) since I’m cleaning out my closet and trying to be careful about what I buy. But ahh! I couldn’t resist. I love this top. It comes in other colors too. (Heading out in the evening so bad lighting for this pic!)

{market basket/similar vases here, here and here/Homebody book/Platters and Boards book/The Home Edit book/white candle/Pacifico pot (back in stock!)/faux plant/similar wood board}

I always get lots of questions about my cute little plant pot on this shelf! It had sold out but just came back in stock for Spring and I linked to it in my Spring family room refresh post. I’ve moved it around so much and it always adds charm and personality wherever it lands. It’s a favorite so I’m sharing it again!

{fleece hoodie/leggings/similar Adidas}

As ready as I am for Spring we are still having cool temps and I know most of you are the same! This beloved fleece hoodie has been on repeat the past two months and is so comfy and warm!

Do you remember these cute raffia tassel hoop earrings from last Spring/Summer? They sold out so fast and are back in stock! These earrings make me want a vacation ASAP.

Also two favorite leggings that I’ve shared before but honestly live in and can’t live without are in stock! These performance joggers I’m wearing (I have them in 3 colors I love them so much – the softest!) and these Zella live in jogger pants. I’m wearing the Zellas right now as I type this! I highly recommend either/both of these joggers for the upcoming warmer months.

{Hundi Lantern}

OK.. I started a fun project yesterday that I shared on IG. See the molding we have in our entry? It’s in a lot of places in our home and I’m going to continue it down both sides of our hallway. I was going to do that when we were building our house but I chickened out because I couldn’t quite figure out where it should stop/start and at the time I thought I’d maybe want to do something fun and different with that large wall across from our dining room. Soon after we moved in I regretted that decision! I have enough walls to play with, this hallway can feel a little dark at times (needs white paint to brighten it up!) and the flat paint in this main walkway is covered in fingerprints. Time to do what I should have done when we built! I’m hanging out with my carpenter and BFF Chuck this week and sharing progress in IG stories if you want to see more of the process! :) (*For anyone new here and asking about my paint colors you can download a printable with all of them by subscribing to my blog here.)

These pics were on my phone and too cute not to share! My friend Vanessa is so creative when it comes to party planning! She helped me with Kole’s 9th birthday party last year. Our church had a fun 50’s themed activity and she did all of the decorations. It turned out adorable! I went up to chat with her after it was set up and fell in love with the cute balloon sundaes for the ice cream bar!

So cute right!? She found everything on Amazon or at the dollar store. I had dinner plans that night and was bummed I couldn’t stay for the party!

We certainly could have come up with something to wear. ;)

It reminded me of a 50’s themed church party years ago so I dug up this pic. I was so pregnant with Kole I remember my pink jacket was about to pop!

My sweet little girls in their poodle skirts!

I remember taking this picture of my girls sitting on this rock like it was last week. And in January Ellie turned 16! I honestly can’t believe I have a 16 year old. I was 15 years old when I met her dad! But we don’t like to focus on that little fact. ;)

For her birthday I decided to give her what most teenagers really want.. money! I found this cute idea on Pinterest and just used a pizza box and cash. :)

She loved it so much! It was was a fun surprise to wake up to the morning of her birthday. :) I just taped a piece of paper to the top half of the box to write on and then fanned out the money and added a bow. It felt like it needed something in the middle! I’ve seen this with coins on top for pepperoni too – so cute.

I used painters tape to hold the money together underneath. (Of course I did.) You could do this with any amount of money for all sorts of occasions! Now Kole and Addison want one for their birthdays too.. ha.

El’s friend who slept over snapped this the morning of her birthday. We’ve been teaching El how to drive the past few months and oh my word. I didn’t think anything would be worse than potty training but this beats it! TERRIFYING. Every time I get into the car with her at the wheel I can’t decide if I should laugh or cry! So I just hold on for dear life and try to get through it. She prefers to drive with her dad because he is “so much calmer.” They tease me about coming up with creative excuses why she can’t drive each day because it stresses me out so much. This was a text thread between El and her dad that I happened to see from December..

Ha ha.. they think they are so funny ripping on me. But seriously. Global warming! We should all do our part.

;)

Ad and I spent a day in LA last month getting her some new head shots. We decided to finally up our head shot game because she has been doing so many auditions/plays so we went to a great photographer and the picture package included getting her hair and make up done.

Didn’t they curl it so beautifully!? She was loving it! They were so good.. I wanted them to do my hair and make-up too!

The staff could not have been nicer and we had such a fun day together. These next pics are two of my favorites!

She got a lot of serious shots too but the smiling shots are always my go-tos. :) My beautiful girls. Driving and wearing make-up! They are growing up. Much faster than I want them too.

Then there’s this little guy who also isn’t so little anymore. He kicked off 2020 by getting braces! (This Nike zip hoodie was a great Amazon find btw.. so cute and he hasn’t wanted to take it off.)

He got the lead in his school play (apparently during auditions he went FULL out – this kid has personality plus) but then he realized that the person who played “director” had to memorize LOTS of lines and quickly decided acting maybe wasn’t for him after all. Ha. Much to his dismay I wouldn’t let him back out! He had to work so hard and sweet Ad jumped in and helped. They practiced every night together for a month! His 4th grade teacher gave him an award after the play for his acting and his dad and I were pretty proud because we knew how hard he had to work to get his lines down. Kole has no fear being on stage and is a natural entertainer. I would love to say “watch out Hollywood” but since he has a slight fear of hard work that might be the last time we see him on a stage. It had to be documented. ;)

{Me with my bother and sister and their wife and husband who just feel like another brother and sister to me.. love this crew so much.}

Now on to the sad stuff. At the beginning of 2020 my sister was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went in for a routine mammogram in December and they saw something and wanted to do a biopsy. She was so nervous and I assured her it would be nothing. But I was nervous too and it came back as cancer. There have been a lot of ups and downs for our family over the past two months. A lot of phone calls and tears and waiting for test results and prayers. It’s stage 2 and we are so grateful it isn’t worse. She had an initial lumpectomy to remove the cancer but then they soon found a second cancer and for 4 days in February we didn’t know how bad that would be. Those 4 days were awful. I was so stressed and distracted and emotional. I would talk to Car on the phone and reassure her that everything would be ok and then I’d get off the phone and call Kenny crying and he would have to reassure me that everything would be ok. Cancer is so unpredictable and terrifying and when someone you love has it a certain anxiety enters your life that you just can’t shake. Luckily (without going into too many details) that second cancer was the same as the initial cancer and they can treat them the same. This was such good news! They immediately scheduled a second surgery over President’s weekend. Back in the Fall when we visited them for Shawn’s 40th birthday we had all planned a ski trip over President’s weekend. That obviously wasn’t in the cards anymore! I asked her if she still wanted us to all come (a certain amount of chaos comes when the cousins all get together) or if she wanted just me to fly out to help. She wanted us all there to not only help her, but to also cheer everyone up because the past two months have been rough for her kids and husband. Lots of stress and sadness when mom isn’t herself.

So that’s exactly what we did! We brought the fun! We did some low key things at the house and helped Car get around and took kids to sleep at our hotel at night and then on the last day we were there Kenny and I took all of the kids tubing so Car and Shawn could rest and just enjoy a quiet house together.

We all linked together in groups going down the mountain and got laughing so hard! Tubing just makes you feel like a kid again doesn’t it!?

Cousins and best buds. :)

We are so grateful that my sister has an amazing team of doctors who are on top of everything for her and we are especially grateful that it isn’t a worse cancer or more serious than it already is. She is starting radiation soon and I know she will beat this. I can’t imagine life without my sister. One thing that has blown me away is how her friends and community have all reached out and jumped in to take care of her. Many of them text me daily to see how she is doing and when to plan meals. When we were at her house in SLC over the long weekend SO many people stopped by. They decorated her front door and brought food and gifts and checked on her. I teared up so many times at the generosity of others. I’ve struggled the most throughout this with not being closer to help her more and I’m so grateful for all of the people who are close by and there for her when I can’t be. There is so much love in this world. Just good people looking out for each other. It fills me with so much hope and gratitude and makes me want to give back more. I debated on whether I should share all of this on my blog but wanted to because it’s on my heart and mind right now and you all truly feel like my friends. When you’re going through something hard you want to tell your friends! I also wanted to mention it as a reminder to all of us who this applies to – GET YOUR ANUAL MAMMOGRAM! PLEASE! Schedule a mammogram. Don’t put it off. If Carly wasn’t doing regular mammograms they never would have found this until it was possibly too late to do anything about it. I’m so grateful she is on top of her health!

{Moroccan Blythe Runner Rug}

It took us a while to recover from our trip in the snow! But we are happy to be back in the sunshine and grateful for the time we got to spend with my sister and her family.

The two of us are already scheming about an amazing vacation we’ll take when all of this is behind her to celebrate. Somewhere warm! And tropical! Where we can sip umbrella drinks by the pool while the kids swim and she can make fun of me for reading my time management and organizing books. :) Car – if you’re reading this I love you more than anything and am so proud of you. You are my person. Looking forward to MANY vacations in our future with plenty of opportunines for you to give me a hard time and make me die of laughter.

NOBODY makes me laugh like my sister does. Oh the stories we could tell! ;)

I so appreciate your positive thoughts and prayers for her and her family right now. I love you all! I’m so grateful for this community. Thanks for letting me ramble on about the past two months. Signing off now because you’ve probably eaten enough chocolate chips and popcorn for one day. I know I have.

;)

xoxo, Erin

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Organization

02.25.20

15 Minute Organizing

*affiliate links used

It’s a new week! How are we all feeling? I woke up yesterday in a “not in the mood for Monday” state of mind and had to work hard to turn that around. One of my go-to’s to get me out of a Monday funk (or any type of funk really) is to.. you guessed it.. organize something. :) I’m currently working on my bathroom but wanted to pop in and share some progress from the last two weeks. Every single day I organize a little something! Whether it’s a quick drawer or cupboard or just continued progress on a larger project, I always spend at least 15 minutes organizing. I’ve been sharing my small organizing wins daily on IG stories but keep forgetting to share them here on the blog too! I’ll try to be better about that going forward. (Maybe a round-up post like this every week or every two weeks?) Above is my medicine cabinet that you’ve all seen before, but it needed a quick straightening so it was my first project for the new year! (Forgot to take a “before” pic.) Below are some of my other quick organizing projects. 15 minutes a day really does add up to make a huge difference!

{BEFORE}

By the end of the year with the craziness of the holidays I always have a few hot spots that I’ve just “let go” so those were the first places I tackled. Our bowl cupboard was one of them!

{AFTER}

Looking so much better! (Aside from the fact that my shelf is seriously sagging – getting that fixed next week!). I got rid of A LOT in this cupboard. We just don’t need all of the bowls that I had been collecting. I only kept my go-to favorites and am storing a few I love and use when I entertain tucked away to the right (this cupboard goes clear back under the counter.)

{AFTER}

I forgot to snap a “before” picture of this bottom kitchen drawer that holds our water bottles and I wish I would have because I swear we had what felt like a hundred of them! So nice to toss most of them in a Goodwill bag and just keep the favorites we use daily. (Hydroflasks and Swell are our go-tos!) The small containers hold sweat towels and a band my husband uses when he runs.

{BEFORE}

I couldn’t wait to re-do this junk drawer! Talk about semi organized clutter. I was over the dividers I got years ago for this drawer from Home Goods because the busy pattern just made a busy drawer look way too.. well.. busy.

{AFTER}

Ahhh! I can breathe. SO much better right!?

*Quick tip: use a fun bowl or separate container to hold loose change!

Aside from tossing so much garbage and pairing down to just the essentials we use daily I also picked up this 6 pack expandable drawer organizer set. I love it! You can see how I’ve pulled the compartments out to be long enough to fit my drawer and make the most of the space I have. I’m so thrilled that the “busy” look is gone and replaced with something more streamlined and simple. I cleaned this drawer out in early January and am happy to report that it still looks the exact same. #win

{BEFORE}

This makeover took less than 10 minutes! I keep paper products in this drawer right by our microwave drawer and it was getting messy. Seriously WHERE do all of the crumbs come from? They seem to multiply in every kitchen drawer in my house!

{AFTER}

{mesh organizers}

Yes yes and yes! So much better in no time at all!

*Sidenote.. I keep my favorite hand held Dyson close for kitchen crumbs! I also use it a lot to clean hair/debris out of bathroom drawers. We also have and love this handheld vacuum – a great less expensive alternative!

{BEFORE}

I keep our reusable grocery sacks in this drawer below our microdrawer and it was a hot mess.

{AFTER}

15 minutes and we were back in business! I divided the drawer with reusable grocery sacks on one side and garbage bags on the other. I wanted to use one of my favorite dividers to separate them but it was too small! This is a large deep drawer so I did a little research and am going to order this deep drawer divider.

For now it looks like this. :)

{BEFORE}

The cupboard I use to store our small appliances was probably the worst! I let it get so messy during the busy holiday months. I got a few new KitchenAid items and didn’t even toss the boxes because I wanted to look through the instruction manuals first so everything was just crammed inside.

{DURING}

Always feels nice to pull everything out and wipe out the cupboard!

{AFTER}

Ahh.. HUGE improvement and I am determined to keep it looking like this!

*For those of you who asked on IG stories here are a few of our favorite small appliances: the Magic Bullet Blender, an egg cooker (gave this one to my dad and he loves it), our Cuisinart Belgian Waffle Maker (this is the newest model), Panini Maker, Toastmaster Griddle (newest model).

*Quick tip.. I always use black twist ties to keep cords corralled (on items I don’t use every week) in cupboards like this. Keeps things a little more tidy!

{blender/crockpot/Russell Hobbs toaster/electric can opener/similar kitchen towels}

I often get asked where we store our appliances. Aside from the cupboard I just cleaned out I also designed appliance garages when we built our house. My cabinet guy wanted them to lift and open straight up but I really wanted them to roll back into the wall. It took some tweaking but we finally figured out how to make it work and I’ve been so happy with them! There are plug outlets in the wall so I can keep my most used appliances plugged in and just use them in this spot. I pull my crockpot and blender out away from the wall when use I them, but love being able to keep these appliances here all of the time. A great feature to think about if you are building or remodeling a kitchen anytime soon!

Then everything closes and is tucked away out of sight! Nice and organized.

Just how we like it. :)

Have you tried organizing just 15 minutes a day? You’d be amazed at the difference it can make! Let me know if you like posts like this and I’ll share more if you do! You can also follow me here on IG to see what I’m tackling next. Happy organizing friends!

{POST SOURCES}

{OTHER FAVORITES FOR ORGANIZING}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.18.20

Family Room Re-fresh!

*affiliate links used

I hope you all had a good long weekend! We found our snow! I’ll be sharing a few pics from our weekend in a personal post I’m working on that’s coming soon. But first.. a few updates on my family room! I had these pics ready to post over the weekend and just never had time while we were traveling so here is what this space is looking like at the moment.

{comfort roll arm couch/coffee table (similar for less here)/wool & jute rug}

I’ve been slowly trying to add some Spring touches to my home to welcome a new season! Last time we talked I had just shared the fun pillow arrangement I have going on in my family room. (You can find details and sources along with other favorite pillow options here.) I’m really loving a pink and navy combo at the moment! The navy adds so much warmth and depth while the pink brings in some light and bright for Spring.

{pillows sourced here/navy linen throw/navy lamp/pink small flower vase/mateo end table/faux fig tree/tree basket/similar coffee table/white tray/plant/small basket/wood tassel beads/blue glass beads/gold candle/wool & jute rug}

Aside from a few pillow/throw changes I also brought this favorite navy lamp in from my front entry and love it on our end table!

{long time favorite round rattan tray/similar navy vase/similar bread board/similar gold box here and here/Simplicity book/Demijohn bottles/similar beads/similar sphere}

I switched a few things around on my built-in shelves and kept things cohesive by using whites, golds, navy and wood tones.

{striped wingback chair/x-base stool/wool & jute rug/celine throw/navy pillow/Ginevra gold floor lamp/Moroccan woven basket/Bliss throw/Cable Knit pillow}

I also brought a favorite X base stool in from our guest room to try in front of this chair. I think it’s a little tall for this space so I’m looking for a pouf or something shorter but I definitely need something here because seriously the second I brought this into our family room EVERYONE wanted to sit on this chair! It kind of made me laugh. The forgotten striped chair was all of the sudden the family hot spot. :) Also sidenote.. this beautiful gold floor lamp I got around the holidays is back in stock! It comes as a set of two with the cutest task lamp (you can see the table lamp in this post). Such a great deal on the two lamps together!

{market basket/similar vases here, here and here/Homebody book/Platters and Boards book/The Home Edit book/white candle/Pacifico pot (back in stock!)/faux plant/similar wood board}

I’m really loving my shelves at the moment! I’m constantly moving things around on these shelves and sometimes struggle to get them looking just right, but I feel like I finally got them to a very happy place. :) The cute little market basket was a splurge (I debated it for two months before finally pulling the trigger!) but I could NOT love it more. It added so much personality to these shelves and will look good in so many spots around my house when I mix things up in this space again. It was one of those things I decided not to buy, but then couldn’t stop thinking about. That’s usually when I know it was meant to go in my shopping cart. ;)

And my dreaded larger than life fireplace mantel? Dun dun dun! Nothing. Ahh.. curse that big mantel!

Something will come to me. It just hasn’t yet. :)

For the moment my console table is simple and ready for Spring! I took down my beloved arrow that was there forever (it was time!) and then brought in some favorite art that used to be in my entry and a pink ginger jar. Then I filled my large white vase with the most beautiful faux pink cherry blossom branches! I’ve been slowly adding to my collection of these gorgeous faux flowers and couldn’t love them more.

Aren’t they stunning!? I might put them in a different vase (debating clumping them together a little tighter) but this is working for now. (You can see more of my favorite faux flowers and vases in this post.)

{Comfort Roll Arm Couch/Kitchen Sources: Indigo Forest Print/Be Mine Banner/Round Paddle Board/Rectangle Cheese Board/Pink Tray/Pink Peonies/White Terracotta Jars – Large and Small/Kitchen Rugs/Similar Silver Pendants/Hicks Pendant/Similar Black Clock}

My Valentine decor is still up and I’m thinking (aside from the banner over my stove that’s easy to take down) I’ll leave it all up through February. Then it’s March.. my favorite month of the year! Spring really starts popping in San Diego in March and the flowers and smells are my favorite!

{distressed arabesque blue rug/Abbott table/Quinn ceramic vase/similar faux white flowers/faux pink peonies}

Still loving this beautiful blue rug in my dining nook! Kenny’s beloved law school books have done their job and are put away until they are needed by a rug in the future. ;) My poor guest bedroom. I keep pulling things from it to add to other spaces. Ha! It’s looking a little sad and the moment and will need some attention at some point before we have company again!

{kitchen rugs/pink tray/white terracotta jars/faux pink peonies}

So there you go! A few fun Spring touches in the family room. Before Spring is really here. But it’s the season that just can’t come fast enough right?

So why not bring it inside a little early? :)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.14.20

Spring Pillows – my favorites!

*affiliate links used below

Happy Saturday! I hope you all had a great Valentine’s Day! We are spending some time in the snow and are so excited to finally bust out our new coats and boots! I’ll share more about our trip later but wanted to pop in and talk pillows. Because I LOVE them! And I’m assuming if you read and enjoy this blog there is a decent chance you feel the same. :)

{Roll Arm Couch/Similar Pom Throw here and here}

Last month I ordered these gorgeous Laurel Textured Pillow Covers on-line and I’m so happy with them! I didn’t realize how huge they would be! They are 24″ square and just perfect for couch corners. Great pattern and texture. I can’t believe the quality for such a good price (on sale this weekend!). I also picked up these Faye Textured Linen Pillow Covers and am loving the pink for Spring.

This is the same textured pillow in blush with two other favorites I’ve had for a while now.

{Navy Fringe Textured Pillow/Laura Textured Pillow/Topanga Linen Throw}

{Chunky Wool & Jute Rug}

Like a breathe of fresh air in this room! It’s so fun to play around with different pillow combos and colors isn’t it? This couch is ready for Spring!

And so am I. :)

I’ve rounded up some beautiful pillows I love below if you are looking for a fun and easy way to spruce up your home for Spring! I didn’t think I had a set “style” of pillow I gravitate to because I like so many different colors, patterns and looks, but after I saved all of these pillows to a favorites folder I realized they do have a common vibe! I’m kind of obsessed with every pillow I’m sharing and no doubt a few more of them will end up in my home. I’m doing such a good job de-cluttering this year and only keeping what I use and love, but when it comes to throw pillows I can’t help that I use and love them all!

Every. Single. One.

{FAVORITE PILLOWS I’M LOVING THIS SPRING} *Click on the picture for the source!

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.13.20

Valentine’s Day Table and Snack Ideas

*affiliate links used
Still feeling the hearts over here! I put together an easy Valentine tablescape and then kind of laughed at myself because I have no plans to have anyone over. I just wanted hearts in every room! Come on in the formal dining room kids! Pizza for everyone at the fancy table tonight!

Why not, right? :)

It’s actually not all that fancy but still festive and fun. :) I used my favorite red rimmed plates and was so excited to bust out the new gold flatware Kenny got me for Christmas! I just put the fork, spoon and knife all together on my striped napkins because.. kids.. pizza.. not too worried about proper etiquette around here.

I made LOTS of the little pink cards years ago when I was into scrapbooking and had time for things like card making. Ahh.. life at home with just my first baby. It was the best of times it was the worst of times. ;) I use them every year for Valentines to write little love notes to my kids. By the time they are all grown up I will have used my entire stash of cards. Maybe at that point I’ll have time to make homemade cards again and I can start all over. ;)

{favorite wool jute rug/navy sideboard table/wood dining chairs/similar end chair/brass taper candle holders/Sunken Treasure Framed Canvas/similar black pendants}

I haven’t done much to style the rest of this room. Keeping it simple at the moment with my favorite brass candle holders on the sides of the beautiful art I bought for this room last Spring. I still love it so much!

I think a rug with some color would be fun in this space but I just can’t quit my favorite wool/jute rug! Not only is it great for spills (it seriously hides everything) but I love having a neutral rug in my dining room. It makes it so easy to switch things up for different seasons.

This is a very similar tablescape I set up for a little Valentine brunch with my kids a few years ago.

Kole looks so young! Love that smile. He still had all of his baby teeth. Kids look so much older when they start losing their teeth don’t they!? That’s such a turning point and with each of my kids I teared up when their front teeth came out. End of an era!

This is our favorite Valentine snack! Popcorn, pretzel snaps and Valentine m&m’s. So simple and cute and delicious!

This is another simple idea for the kids.. heart shaped cheese. :)

Red fruit in heart bowls is another quick and easy way to make an after school snack on Valentine’s Day extra special.

I’ll be posting some fun things over the weekend, but if I don’t have a post up by Friday, I I hope you all have the best Valentine’s Day with your loved ones!

I know I will with mine. :)

{COLLAGE ITEMS ARE ALL LINKED HERE}

P.S.. If you still need a quick gift there are some fun things in my Valentine gift guide you can get here in a day! Amazon Prime.. talk about feeling the love! What did we used to do without it!? Plan and shop for things a week in advance? And then make cards by hand.

It was the best of times it was the worst of times.

;)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.11.20

Shelf Styling – Rule of Threes

*affiliate links used

My butler’s pantry shelf is one of my favorite spots to decorate! When I designed this kitchen I wanted some open shelving that could hold useful kitchen items, but that was also a spot I could decorate and use to add a touch of my personality to our home.

{Details on how we made the heart tissue banner HERE}

To be honest, when we first moved into this home my excitement over these “perfect shelves to decorate” wore off quickly. I really struggled styling this shelf! I struggled styling all of my shelves that first year in our home. Shelf styling is harder than it looks. Finding that perfect balance of colors and objects that blend well together, mixing textures and sizes, layering pieces, keeping it visually interesting without too much clutter. Ahh! It’s a lot to think about! Two things have been the most helpful to me when styling the shelves in my home. Number 1 is practice. Shelf styling is something that you have to play around and experiment with to get better at and the more you do it, the more you learn what type of look you love and what works best in your home.

Number 2 is the rule of threes. Maybe you’ve heard of this? If not I hope this is helpful! If you have I hope it’s a good reminder. :) The rule of threes is a popular concept in so many areas – business, productivity, survival and of course.. in design. I use the rule of threes ALL THE TIME throughout my home (especially when I style shelves) and most of the time I don’t even realize it until after I’ve done it! Objects grouped in threes really do flow and appeal to us visually.

You can see in my Valentine shelf decor above I’ve created five different groups of three. Three small striped bowls stacked on the top left. On the middle shelf I have a large group of three with the pink jar, wooden tray and XOXO plate. To the right is a large group of three with my stacked plates, a cake stand and some mugs with straws. The three mugs with straws are another group of three. Last I have a group of three items on the right side of my counter with a white cake stand, pink bowls and a red heart bowl holding candy. (Toss in some candy to really make your shelves stand out.) ;)

If you are struggling to decorate a spot in your home (shelves, coffee table, console table.. whatever!) try taking your items off and put some of them back in groups of three. Let me know if you’d like to see more examples of this in a future post! Like I mentioned, I do it all the time when I decorate. Even when I don’t realize I’m doing it. :)

A few more pics of my kitchen! I’ve really enjoyed all of the pink and red touches this year.

I’m on the hunt for new light fixtures to go over my islands that flow a little better with the pendant in my bay window. I won’t switch them out until I find “the ones” which according to my husband “will take years.” Ha. He’s right. I’m a slow decorator because I want to LOVE EVERY SINGLE THING in my home.

I can’t help it. If loving everything I bring into this home is wrong, I don’t want to be right. ;)

Really my husband should just be grateful I’ve kept HIM around in this home for so long if I’m as picky as he seems to think I am.

Happy early Valentine’s Day babe! My gift to you is one more year with me. Lucky guy! You are so very welcome.

;)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.09.20

Valentine Porch and other random nonsense

*affiliate links used

Porch is feeling February festive! I kept my little faux Cyprus trees up that I used for my Christmas porch through January and was about to take them down but wasn’t quite ready to bring on the Spring flowers.

Heart string bunting banners to the rescue!

I wrapped a few around my little trees, added this cute HOME mat from Target, and then hung this glitter heart banner over my door (I added all of the hearts from the 2 banners onto one string). 15 minute decorating and bam.. we are feeling the love. :)

{Spot Embroidered Sweater/AG jeans/similar black boots}

Sidenote worth noting: Wearing one of the cutest sweaters EVER in that porch pic. It’s slouchy and comfortable and hangs just right and has embroidered dots and the balloon sleeves are ahhh! So good. Cute with denim jeans, black jeans, pink jeans, any color jeans and I love it with a black or colored skirt too! It’s also fun with pink or red or heart earrings for this time of year. :) These are some fun V-day earring options I’ve had my eye on..

{Our coats – so cute and warm and a great price!/my boots/Ad’s boots/pom pom beanies}

Ad and I spent the morning going through winter clothes to get ready for an upcoming ski/snow trip! The girls and I got new coats, snow boots and beanies for Christmas and we’ve been so excited to finally wear them. The two of us bundled up to go to the grocery store just to try them out.. ha. Not too far of a stretch since the grocery store near our house might as well be Alaska. We freeze every time we go! Thinking we need to just keep this gear in the back of the car and pull it out when it’s time to make a bread and popcorn run.

El took these pics and was in a hurry so Ad and I did what we usually do when she’s trying to rush us.. we took our time with lots of important and worthwhile poses.

Ellie loves the two of us so much. We like to remind her often how lucky she is to have us in her life. ;)

Speaking of El.. a little blast from the past with her cute Mail box delivery truck that grandpa helped her make so her Kindergarten class could deliver their Valentines to each other in style.

Ad’s favorite Valentine’s Day memory is making her tissue cupcake box.

She also still loves making our Valentine pretzel hugs! (*Directions on how to make these are in my IG story highlights! Same as Christmas hugs but with a pink m&m instead of a green one.) :)

Such a quick and easy treat to give as Valentines to friends or to teachers.

I used to love going all out for Valentine’s Day with my kids’ boxes and treats for their classes. So fun to put together something special and personalized.

{Target Valentine box kits – genius!}

This year? Pre-made tiger box to the rescue! I was planning on helping Koke make a Valentine box last week but before I knew it it was Thursday morning. I told him at breakfast “let’s just see what’s on Amazon that we can order for your cards and we’ll make your box next week.” He said “mom! My Valentine party is TOMORROW!” Oh. My. Word. It was!! I had totally spaced that he is out of school this entire next week and his class Valentine party was on the 7th. I dropped him off at school, rearranged my schedule for the morning and headed straight to Target. I could not have been happier to find everything we needed including a pre-assembled box that took us all of 5 minutes to put together Thursday night! Phew. Cut it close on that one.

The best part was that Kole was as excited about his new Valentine box as I was. He loved the tiger and loved that it didn’t take long to make (come to find out he wasn’t all that excited to make a box from scratch anyway). My kids are growing up and even though I have moments when that makes me sad, most of the time.. I’m ok with it. Really ok with it actually. No more making Valentine boxes and cards from scratch anymore?

Let me think about that for a minute..

Yup. 100% A-ok.

;)

{POST SOURCES}

xoxo, Erin

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Home Decor

02.05.20

Valentine’s Day Decor and a fun tradition

*affiliate links used

Mudroom is feeling festive! We are all hearts at our house and it’s adding extra cheer around here which was much needed after January. Why is January such a LONG month!? I don’t even have weather issues to complain about like a lot of you do, but man.. that month drags doesn’t it!? I always try to organize my way out any and all January funks. Apparently Valentine heart decor helps too. :)

If you’ve been with me a while you might remember our February tradition I started when my kids were little of writing little family love notes to each other in February. We each write things we love about each other on hearts throughout the month. (You can read more about how we do this and see some examples of what we write to each other in this post.) I found these fun hanging heart banners and they were perfect to hang on our mudroom lockers! So cute and easy. I’m thinking we’ll write our little love notes to each other on these paper hearts this year. :) If you don’t have mudroom locker doors this would be fun to do on bedroom doors too!

I added a few Christmas pillows that also work for Valentine’s Day on my little bench…

and picked up this cute Love rug on-line.

I’ve had these tri-colored hanging baskets for a while and am happy to finally have them displayed in their new home! Aren’t they fun!? It makes my day when I find organizing solutions that double as decor. These are perfect for organizing loose papers and books for the kids but I already have wall baskets for that in my office so I’m still deciding how best to use these. Rest assured I will come up with something! ;)

Just what I needed on in that little wall space by the dutch door. Sidenote if you’re new here.. I always get asked what the small door to the right of the baskets is for and I call that my hobbit door! It’s a small closet under our stairs that I use for storage. Mostly luggage and some pool stuff. :)

Feeling the love around here. I had to snap a pic with my cute 4th grader because he just got braces! Blue bands this time around. His smile makes me smile. :)

Wearing this cute pink sweater I found on Amazon for the 2nd time this week. I LOVE the sleeves! I don’t usually wear a lot of pink but it’s making me happy this month (and is a fun reminder that Spring is coming!) so I’m sticking with it.

Also here is a closer look at the pink puff sleeve sweater I was wearing in my last post. February Favorites!

Do you decorate for Valentine’s Day? I’m so happy I decided to throw a few things together. It’s hard to not be happy in a house filled with pink and red hearts. :) I can’t wait to see what my kids write to each other on their hearts this month. I don’t know that we’ll ever top the love note Kole wrote to himself 4 years ago..

Ha! Don’t ever say my kids don’t have healthy self-esteems. Clearly traditions like this one are working. ;)

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xoxo, Erin

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