*In collaboration with Native Union – all thoughts and opinions are my own! Affiliate links used.
If you were to ask me what our nightstands look like in our master bedroom right now at this very moment I would show you this picture above.
But then I would remember we’re all tight friends around here and I can be real. :) So truth.. the picture above is what the nightstand on my husband’s side of the bed really looks like most days. And it drives me CRAZY.
Does this mess of cords look familiar to anyone else!? Please tell me I’m not alone! We charge our two cell phones and our family iPad on this nightstand each night and the mess of cords has been a frustration for me for a long time now. I’ve thought of so many solutions (including drilling holes in the back of our dresser and hiding this mess in the drawer!) but just I haven’t done anything about it yet.
So when Native Union reached out and asked if I’d be interested in trying out their new Eclipse Charger I seriously couldn’t say yes fast enough! Someone had heard my frustration and found a solution! I was giddy when this box and three cords came in the mail.
First of all.. these cables. I couldn’t have designed something more perfect if I had dreamed about them! Black and white stripes? With a cute leather tie that holds it all together in a clean and organized fashion? YES. These are the little things in life that just make my day. :)
This Eclipse really is so cool you guys. I had it set up in minutes! You just plug it in, tap the top twice and it opens up. You string three cords through it and then tap to close the lid again. You can pull as much of the cord out as you want to charge your devices. There is a cool video HERE that shows you how easy it is to set up and use. You can even mount this on your wall if you wanted to!
Kole loves tapping it and watching it open and close. We did this for a long time the other day and I kept having to pause taking these photos so he could play with it. Open/close.. open/close. :) It also has a light at the bottom that comes on with one tap which is so nice for late at night or early morning.
And when everyone takes their devices and leaves for the day? This is what my nightstand looks like. For real. The Eclipse looks like simple decor. And there isn’t a cord in sight! THIS I can live with. :)
I loved it so much I tried using it for a few days in my office and now I want another one! This is another spot in my house that is usually full of cords because the girls and I sometimes charge our phones here after they get home from school.
Cords are hidden and out of sight! Such a happy well functioning little spot now. :)
The cord on the Eclipse also has a nice leather tie so you can easily wrap up and hide the cord. You can take the leather ties off and use the small cords in the Eclipse, but I just used our regular charging cables and plan to use the small cords when I travel.
Time to say good-bye to messy cords once and for all! I’m in! I think this Eclipse Charger would make a great holiday gift. It comes in different colors and styles and is so functional! It’s something I would have totally bought to give to me from me. :)
Fun Gift Ideas From Native Union:
Bedroom Sources:
I hope your week is off to a great start! I’m trying to wrap up my decorating this week and keep asking myself how I’m still working on it when I got started so early!? I’m blaming it on the week of travel for Thanksgiving (travel always throws me off and takes a while to catch up after!) but really I think it’s just because I love the decorating so much I don’t want it to end. Ha. :)
Friends. We’ve created a monster. You might remember in October when my husband was a good sport to help me with my first post for Nordstrom sharing his favorite Fall clothes. Per his usual sarcastic self, he titled himself “the new face of Nordstrom” and made my life slightly difficult as I attempted to take pics of him.
So when Nordstrom sent me an e-mail a few weeks ago asking if we were up for another men’s post I just shook my head and thought.. oh boy.. here we go again.. :)
I e-mailed my husband and this was our back and forth:
Me:“Guess who is the new face of Nordstrom.. ha. Are you up for another one? Or should I say.. am I up for another one?”
Him:“Let them know I’m in, and that I’m so dedicated to my art that I’ll go ahead and model their boxer briefs in this post. We can have a picture of me in the kitchen in my underwear taking cookies out of the oven. I think I might need to hurry and get a tattoo to increase my edgy appeal. And I need to shave my legs. Crap! Being the face of Nordstrom is a heavy burden to bare. Is it too early to buy a loft in New York City? I’m sure they’re going to need me there about once a month for future shoots.”
Yup. This is the kind of stuff I deal with on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter what question I ask.. I get responses like this back ALL DAY LONG. Like a few days ago when I sent him a text and asked “did you remember you’re picking up Addison from band today?” And he answered “who’s Addison?”
Oh my word. It’s exhausting. And the reason I love him. He’s totally annoying and keeps life interesting all at the same time. :)
So without further sarcasm from our model, (who will most definitely NOT be in the kitchen in his underwear taking cookies out of the oven) here are a few more of our favorites from the men’s departent at Nordstrom.
My mom snapped this pic of us over Thanksgiving break. My husband loves these Rail Notch neck thermal t-shirts. They are lightweight and casual.. fitted but not tight. He lives in them and right now they are on sale for under $20! Great every day staples.
Here is a better pic of the maroon and blue. He has most of the colors.
Apparently “the new face of Nordstrom” doesn’t have to shave. Even when his wife begs him to.. (sigh)
My nephew smushed my brother’s hat down seconds before this pic and clearly got a real kick out of himself. :) Kenny’s fleece zip hoodie is another favorite this time of year. So comfortable and it comes in 4 colors.
Nordstrom has a great selection of men’s flannel shirts. We like the men’s flannel shirts that are slim fit and taper a bit at the bottom like this Trucker Check Sport shirt. Here are a few other recent favorites that may or may not be showing up under the tree..
Just home from picking up Addison wearing a favorite crewneck sweater .. looks like he remembered who she was after all. ;)
I really like Robert Barakett shirts for Kenny for work. Really nice quality shirts. They can be pricey, but I watch for sales and right now there are good deals on some of them! El snapped this pic of us on Friday. We were touring high schools for her next year. I can’t even type that without wanting to cry! My baby is going to be in high school next year. I really don’t know how that is possible. Especially since Kenny and I just graduated high school a few years ago ourselves. Ha. :)
Huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post and for great clothes we love and live life in. Also a huge thanks to my babe and other half for being a good sport in his “new face of Nordstrom” adventures.
I’ve always tried to be a supportive wife so New York City.. here we come.
Mudroom with built-in cabinets decked for Christmas!
Sharing some Christmas cheer in my mudroom today! I shared my little tree a few posts back. I have quite a few trees in my house this year and I have to say that for some reason this little tree with my new fuzzy tree skirt is my favorite.
Don’t you love how you can toss a different throw and pillow over a chair/bench/couch and have a totally new look in your room? I do. I love this stag pillow! I found this similar stag pillow that’s also on sale and so cute! I’d buy it, but after decorating my living room yesterday I’m officially putting myself on a Christmas pillow buying freeze. I have a problem and admitting it is the first step to recovery.
I bought a few of these cute little boxwood wreaths this year and just switched out the ribbon on them. I love small wreaths like this to put in little places throughout my home. They look especially cute on the back of chairs in the kitchen or dining room.
I’ve been making my kids keep this room extra clean. Nothing can be tossed and left on the floor this month! We walk in and out of this room so many times during the day and it just makes me happy to see everything clean and decorated with the tree lights on. A bit of calm and peace during hectic, busy days! Moms don’t ask for much right!? :)
I added ribbon to our mudroom baskets again but decided to use the same snowflake ribbon I put on the tree for a fun change. Because I’m wild and crazy like that. I just love snowflakes! They seem to pop up in one way or another in every room in my house this time of year.
That wraps up the mudroom Christmas tour! I’m trying to tie up loose ends in other rooms throughout my house and get them finished but I have to admit that I’m in a bit of a slump! I felt like I was so productive before Thanksgiving but that break made me just want to stay in pj’s and eat all day. Anyone else feeling like that? Not a good mindset going into one of the busiest months of the year. I need to snap out of it!
Hello friends! I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving break! It went by so quickly didn’t it!? We had such a fun trip to Utah to visit family.
My girls ran their first Turkey Trot with their dad! I’ve been dealing with knee issues and have to have surgery in January (boo) so I was bummed I couldn’t join them. But I went along for moral support/cheerleading anyway. Bright and early! If we look half asleep in this picture it’s because we were. :)
Their cute cousin and my brother-in-law joined them.
Proud of my girls! It was such a fun way to kick off the holiday.
(affiliate links used below)
Then back to moms to cook the turkey! My mom and brother do most of the cooking and I make a great assistant. In my flare sleeve sweater that’s a total fire hazard around the stove. Ha. My family knows I’m good to peel a few potatoes and then find other fun jobs.. set the table, play with the kids, tidy up the living room. Anything but cook. Some things never change. :)
K – I promise I won’t bore you all with baby pictures. After this post. ;) But I seriously couldn’t get enough of this sweet girl! She is absolutely perfect.
And btw.. my favorite cardigan is not only incredibly comfortable, but also doubles to make the coziest baby blanket. ;) Is she not the most precious thing!?
My mom snapped this last picture of us. We both fell asleep in the chair one evening. I couldn’t put her down! There is just something about a new baby and I miss this stage with my kids so much. Quincy and I totally bonded and when I said good-bye I got such a huge lump in my throat and couldn’t help tearing up. Sometimes not living close to my family is hard. My brother wanted to know why I never cry when I say good-bye to him. Ha. ;)
Back in the swing of things now that we’re home and I’m so excited it’s almost December! I can finally listen to Christmas music without getting any grief! (I’ve been playing it since mid October.) :) I have lots of fun decorating to share with you all. Isn’t getting the house ready for the holidays the best!? I’m almost finished with my Christmas shopping and am so excited about the great sales going on right now! I linked some of the fun things on sale for Cyber Monday below. Stuff that I love and already have or am buying today. These are my favorite stores that I’ve been stopping by tonight! On my couch and in my pj’s with the TV on and a bowl of popcorn next to me. Best way to shop. :)
AMAZON– I’ve got a list of things I’m looking for to finish up my gifts on Amazon. So many great deals! Headphones, a few toys for the kids, I need a new toaster because mine is dying.. random fun stuff. :)
GOOD sales. Happy on-line shopping friends! I’m excited to finish up with my gifts and get things wrapped and under the tree so that I can enjoy the next month with my crew. Best time of the year. :)
Friends! It’s time for my annual round-up of favorite things! One of my favorite posts to write every year! Before we kick things off I’m so excited to announce the winner of the Container Store gift card! I have to say.. reading about the things you are all excited for this holiday season was just.. special. I don’t know how else to describe it! So much love and warmth in all of your responses. So much to be grateful for and love for family and all we celebrate this time of year. I’m sorry I didn’t get the chance to respond to each of you, but I read and loved every single thing you said. There are a lot of good people in the world and my readers are at the top of the list. If you’re in the mood to just feel good.. go read the comments on this post. They definitely made me feel good! So. Winner of the gift card! Drum roll please..
Noreen who said “Everything about the Christmas season is wonderful and magical. From hanging the first decoration to the piles of wrapping paper on the floor when all the gifts are open! There is not one thing I can say that excites me, it all does from beginning to end! There is really something special about the whole holiday season.” 🎄
Congrats Noreen! I couldn’t agree more. :) I’ll be e-mailing you soon to get your address!
On to the favorites! I always write this beloved post from my mom’s house because we always spend Thanksgiving in Utah with family. I’m more relaxed here than I’ve been in months! One cheesy Hallmark Christmas movie down, 23 recorded and waiting. ;) Nothing like coming to moms! My mom snapped this pic of me when we pulled in and it’s full of favorite things so it’s perfect to kick off this post! I’ve absolutely loved this luggage set this year! So cute, nice and roomy and I love the way it’s organized. I’m wearing my favorite California Love hoodie in Utah.. that way I have a bit of both of my homes with me. ;) And these joggers are long time favorites – SO comfy.
Some of my favorites this year were on last year’s list because well.. they are things I still really LOVE. Like these memory foam bathroom rugs. Funny thing I’ve noticed about me with rugs. When I find one I love, I keep duplicating it in my house. Ha. These crazy soft memory foam rugs are in my powder bathroom..
and one in my upstairs laundry room. I get questions about washing these rugs. I have washed my kitchen rugs (laid them out to dry) and they did wash nicely except they shrunk a bit! They still look fine, but heads up about the shrinking if you are going to wash them.
I can’t have a favorites post and not include our beloved family room rug – PB’s Chunky Wool and Jute. I know.. snore for all of my regular readers I’ve talked about this rug so much, but it’s crazy you guys. I get e-mails about this rug every single day! This rug and my paint colors are my most asked about things. So for newer readers, I wrote a post with info. about this rug here.
A close-up when it was brand new.
I have it in my dining room too I love it so much. :)
And just for fun here is a pic I found from last December when the new rug came in and we moved the older same rug to our dining room. (Btw.. this is the natural and the largest size.)
We moved our furniture into the kitchen and when we went to move it back it was occupied. Ha. :) And yes.. my kitchen was a mess. It typically is this time of year because there is so much going on!
I first discovered these Bliss throws during the Nordstrom Ann. sale and just can’t say enough about them! Perfect to me because they are fuzzy and warm, but not too hot. They are just the right length and come in so many fun colors.
Plus they look so pretty draped over a chair or a couch corner! My #1 gift to give this year. :)
My second favorite throw (that also makes a perfect gift) is this one I’ve shared before. Love those poms! I have the pink and the Ivory. Of course you can’t go wrong with Pottery Barn throws (I have more of them than I want to admit) and they are all on major sale! Woot woot!
Goes without saying I love PB Christmas pillows too. I just bought these pom pillows in red and love them! I have to store my PB Christmas pillows in a few separate places because if my husband sees how many I have all together I’m in trouble. ;)
Some of my favorite PB Christmas decor:
Ok. Let’s talk purses! My all time favorite purses are Rebecca Minkoff handbags! I just couldn’t love her style more. So many RM handbags were just marked down and always sell so quickly (my purse above was marked down and sold out before I could even share the news!). Here are some of my favorites that are on sale and a few new handbags that just came in that I adore!
And it’s hard to see how cute this scalloped sweater is but it has been one of my favorites this Fall! Comes in lots of colors. Below are other favorite sweaters,cardigans and a favorite blouse!
Let’s talk PJ’s! LOVE LOVE LOVE a good pair of pajamas. Definitely high on my favorite things list.
I’ve mentioned this before on the blog – I have two favorite brands of pj’s that I just don’t think you can go wrong with. Make and Model AND PJ Salvage.
Both brands are the softest coziest pj’s! I’ve linked favorites below!
I’m more of a jeans and boots or sneakers type of girl, but if I do have to get dressed up, these shoes and this dress were hands down my favorites this year. Both on sale!
I also started wearing tall black over the knee boots for the first time this year (I always thought I was too short and had too big of thighs for them!). I was wrong.. they work for short people and bigger thighs and actually help both of those situations appear better. ;) Plus they help the whole “it’s winter and I’m white and not in the mood to shave my legs” situation. I’m a fan! This exact pair sold out but here are two other pairs that are similar and on sale..
Adidas sneakers! Favorites this year for sure. I got to my mom’s house and she was so excited to show me that she bought my pink pair and loved them so much that she then bought them in mint and a similar pair in grey! Love all of these shoes so much!
Let’s talk skin care. I have two must haves for healthy skin. A good sunscreen is one of them and this Elta MD sunscreen is my all time favorite. I gave it out for gifts a few years ago and wear it daily. I think of it like make-up! It’s tinted and helps even out your skin and goes on so smoothly. I love it!
Second favorite thing (that I forgot to photograph) is my Mia Clarisonic! I swear by this and use it every night. It scrubs your skin so clean. I’m getting one for my girls so that I can teach them good skin care early on!
Bobbi Brown make-up is my all time favorite make-up and I’ve linked to my every day favorite make-up below! (I love BB brushes too!)
Hydro Flasks. These are the first set we had.. now we all have new styles/colors. We use these every single day and love them. They keep your water so cold! I gave them as gifts a couple of years ago and still hear how much everyone I gave one to loves them!
And here are a few things I have and a few more that are in my cart that are marked down BIG time this weekend!
Alright friends! Those are my tried and true favorite things from 2017! I know a lot of them are repeats I’ve already shared, but they are just the things I really use and love!
I’m incredibly grateful for all of you this year. For all of your kindness and support. It truly means the world to me that you make stopping by my blog part of your routine or down time. (I know how precious down time can be!) You all top my favorites list each year and bring the sunny to Sunny Side Up. :) Wishing you all the best Thanksgiving! I hope you are able to spend it relaxing with loved ones and eating lots of good food. My make and model joggers will be on major repeat for the next few days. ;)
Hello friends! I’ve got quite a treat for you all today! Literally.. ha. :) Anyone starting to feel some holiday stress creeping in? With Thanksgiving this week and Christmas right around the corner it’s easy to start feeling overwhelmed with all there is to do. Today I’m joining five other bloggers to share one simple way that you can eliminate some stress this holiday season! Each of us have taken a store-bought food item and dressed it up to look beautiful and homemade. Yes.. this little blog hop is right up my alley. I’m the queen of store-bought meals and wear that crown proudly as you all know well. ;) The truth is.. we can’t do it all! If cooking isn’t your thing we’ve got you covered! You can still pull off a beautiful meal with no work or stress involved.
If you’re popping over from KariAnne’s fun blog Thislewood Farms hello and welcome! I’m so happy to have you here! (Isn’t KariAnne a doll!? Love her!) We have a good time here at Sunny Side Up too so I hope you’ll stick around. :)
Before we get started, I have a confession to make. I’m not into pies. (GASP!) I know.. my husband thinks it’s an absolute crime and that I should be tried and sentenced. But I just don’t love them. At all. Now cheesecake! That’s a different story. Because of my undying love for cheesecake today I’m sharing a fun way to dress up a store bought cheesecake and not only make it beyond delicious, but also make it look like you spent hours putting it together instead of minutes! All you need is the cheesecake – right out of the freezer section of the grocery store, mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups (lots of them!), nuts – already chopped or you can chop them quick yourself, and fudge.
Is your mouth watering already? Mine too. :)
Take the cheesecake out of the box and put it on a plate. Because you just slaved over it for hours, remember? Then chop a few handfuls of mini Reese’s Peanut Butter cups into halves and thirds. Chop up some peanuts if they aren’t already chopped. (I just used the bottom corner of a cup to chop them quick!)
Then heat up the fudge in the microwave. I like to heat mine in a measuring cup like this so it’s easy to pour on after.
Pour on the fudge letting it drip all down the sides – the messier the better! ;) Then add your Reece’s to the top middle of the cheesecake and sprinkle the chopped nuts around them. DONE. Takes about 10 minutes and this dessert is a total crowd pleaser! Plus it looks like you spent a lot of time in the kitchen. When everyone praises you and asks for the recipe simply smile and thank them and tell them it’s a well kept family secret.
I won’t tell a soul. ;)
Now for a quick and easy Thanksgiving tablescape to go along with your store bought dessert! Because for me THIS is the fun part. :)
With Christmas decor taking over most of my house the pumpkins needed a new home!
I put my faux Fall branches underneath, added pumpkins on top and then candles here and there. So pretty! So festive for Thanksgiving!
So done in 15 minutes. :)
I laughed when I went to decorate this table and pulled out my gold silverware only to remember that I was going to buy the rest of the set and never got around to it last year (story about my airhead moment decorating this table last year here). Ha ha.. they are on my Christmas list so that I won’t run into this little problem again! ;)
The candles add such a nice touch during the day but look even more beautiful at night!
So warm and inviting.
Enough to distract your guests from whatever you are serving that you haven’t have slaved over in the kitchen all day. ;)
I hope my easy dessert and tablescape gave you a few ideas of how to ease some stress this holiday season! Really.. we can’t do it all so keep things simple and stick to what you enjoy and do best.
I’m so thankful this year. For my family.. for my health.. for all of you sweet friends!
And for anything that takes the baking out of meal prep. :)
Next stop on the tour is a real treat! My amazingly talented friend Kelley at Kelly Nan is sharing her secret to simple mashed potatoes! Plus she is the queen of beautiful tablescapes (and will no doubt have ALL of her silverware.. ha.). ;) After you visit her blog make sure to stop by the rest of the amazing blogs on this tour! Lots of talent and fun ways to simplify your holiday meals. :) Happy Thanksgiving prep everyone!
Frosted Christmas Tree – 12 Bloggers with Balsam Hill
Friends! I’m so excited to show you my new Frosted Christmas tree today! I’m joining Balsam Hill’s 12 Bloggers of Christmas and sharing my new tree along with a peek of my master bedroom. I know. I’ve been promising master bedroom pics for a while now and I’m so sorry that post hasn’t happened yet! (My head is hung in deep shame in case you can’t see it..) I actually tried to get that post up last week before I shared this tree, but after four hours of working on it and realizing I’d only made a small dent I knew it would have to wait until after the holidays. So it’s coming in the New Year! Right now you’re saying to yourself whatever Erin.. sure it is. And at this point I don’t believe me either. Ha. But it is! I think. We’ll see. ;) In the meantime, here are some of the windows in my master bedroom! Windows just perfect for a frosted Christmas tree. :)
This is Balsam Hill’s Frosted Frasier Fir 9′ with clear lights and oh my word. To say I’m in love would be an understatement! I’ve had my eye on this tree for years. It’s so beautiful and I love the frosted look! It’s my attempt to bring a touch of winter to San Diego. Never mind the sunshine blaring through the windows. I can close the blinds, turn on the fireplace, turn on the Christmas music, turn on the tree lights (maybe turn on the air conditioning to balance out the fireplace) and BAM.. I just turned on winter. :)
Now you know I’m all about RED during the holidays, but my bedroom color scheme is softer so I thought it would be fun to mix it up in just this one room and try something different. I was thinking frosty glam! Or something cool like that. :)
I used lots of Balsam’s essential medium white glossy and essential medium small glossy ornaments. They are such nice quality and I love their simplicity. Plus check out the boxes they came in! Perfect to store them in all year long. The boxes were a happy little organizing surprise. I get excited about things like that! But you all knew that didn’t you. :)
I placed some of the medium sized white ornaments close together in pairs.
To complete the look I used Balsam’s Mongolian Faux Fur Hexagon Tree Skirt. It’s so fuzzy and soft and blended right in with my rug. I love that there is plenty of room for presents under the tree too! Hopefully Kenny and Kole won’t mind if some of their gifts have pink bows. Ha. I’m seriously wanting to bring the Christmas morning party to our bedroom I’m so in love with this tree! And the best part?
This frosted Christmas tree looks AMAZING at night! Oh I so wish I could have you all over to see it in person! My pictures don’t do it justice. All of those beautiful lights give off such a warm glow.
Christmas perfection.
I always get lots of questions about this tree in our family room and it’s also from Balsam Hill. This is their Silverado Slim Tree. Just like my Frosted Christmas tree it’s also 9 feet with clear lights. The Balsam trees are full of beautiful lights and are amazing quality. Plus you can’t beat their trees for easy set up! I’m a fan.
I have a feeling I’m going to be spending a lot more time in my bedroom this next month! In fact I’m thinking it might become my new office for December.
Because I could stare at this pretty tree all day long.
And because I’m wild and crazy like that.
:)
Lost of Christmas tree inspiration is coming your way with the other 11 bloggers joining Balsam Hill’s 12 Bloggers of Christmas! What a party. They will be sharing throughout November and I’ll add links as their posts go up each day so make sure to check back to see them all! Balsam Hill is also running a daily giveaway that you can enter if you’d like to HERE. Huge thank you to Balsam Hill for partnering with me on this fun post!
How is the holiday shopping going friends? Have you started? Are you done? Haven’t even started to kind of think about going there? Ha. :) I hope my Gift Giving Printables have been helpful! (You can snag them here if you haven’t already.) I’m not there yet, but I’m still hoping to have my Christmas shopping mostly done before December hits. So far I’ve bought most of my gifts on-line and that has made things so easy! What did we do before there was on-line shopping!? On my list of things I’m grateful for this Thanksgiving. ;)
Today I’m partnering with Nordstrom to share holiday gift ideas for everyone on your list! I have spent a lot of time rounding up my best, favorite items for the whole family! One thing everyone in my family gets each year for Christmas (and they always have!) is a new pair of shoes. Because #1 – I’m a shoe lover. :) And #2 – because my kids are usually due for a new pair this time of year. Their feet grow so quickly! I’ve rounded up my favorite shoes (a lot of them are on sale right now.. YEA!) along with other fun favorites I have and love. I’m also sharing a few things I’ve already bought this year to give to others.
So if you’re on my Christmas list, stop reading NOW.
I mean it.. I love you but stop reading and go away. :)
Ok friends.. let’s do this! I divided my favorites into gifts for the women in your life, the men, and some fun ideas for the kids. I hope my round-up of holiday gift ideas for everyone on your list gives you a few ideas this year!
*affiliate links used
Favorite shoes for women that would make great gifts..
So many of my favorite things..
Favorite shoes that would make great gifts for the men in your life..
Other favorite gift ideas for men..
Favorite shoes that would make great gifts for the girls..
Other favorite gift ideas for girls.. (younger and older!)
Office Christmas Decor with Container Store Gift Wrap (and a giveaway!)
**Giveaway at the end of the post is now closed.
Friends! Today’s post is making me slightly giddy. :) I’ve partnered with The Container Store to share some fun ways I’m using their gift wrap in my home this holidays season! Yes.. you heard that right. I’m partnering with The Container Store! Ahhhh! (Angels are singing in the background in case you didn’t catch that..) You all know how I feel about The Container Store (my home away from home!) so this is definitely a pinch me moment for me and my little blog. That isn’t so little anymore but still feels that way to me. :) You know their saying “Contain Yourself!” That’s how I always feel when I walk in their store! I try to contain my excitement and honestly can’t! That place is too much fun. I’ve been buying their gift wrap for years so I’m thrilled to share their new Christmas collections with you all today! They are darling!
(affiliate links used)
Do you remember my cute little mudroom tree that was new last year? I was so excited to decorate it again this year! This mudroom leads to our garage and car so we are in and out of this room 20 times a day. This little tree makes us all so happy when we are rushing around it. :) (And no.. we don’t use the dutch door much this time of year (two doors in this room!) so it works to have the tree in the corner.)
I LOVE red, black, tan and white colors for Christmas so I used paper and ribbon from their Signature Collection and their Alpine Collection. I love the way they tie in so well with my tree decorations! Now friends.. I am NOT a skilled gift wrapper. (Ask my sister who is so good at gift wrapping.. she teases me about my gifts every year!) I can’t tie big pretty bows and I don’t like to spend a lot of time decorating gifts that will ultimately be torn apart. That’s why I love these collections so much! Everything color coordinates and looks so cute together. Even if you’re not a fancy gift wrapper it looks like you are! They make it look like you spent a lot of time putting together the perfect gift when really it was done for you. I’ll take it. :)
One things I’ve always loved are The Container Store’s gift tie-ons. Such a fun and easy way to dress up a gift and then they can be used as Christmas tree ornaments so it’s like a little mini gift on top of your gift. :)
I always use their chalk labels too!
This year The Container Store gift wrap was so cute that I decided to use some to decorate my office for the holidays too! I’m so excited to show you.. come in come in! :)
Aren’t things looking all sorts of festive in here!? Ellie walked in a few days ago (she didn’t know I had decorated the office that morning) and suddenly yelled to me in the kitchen “Mom! I love this room! It’s making me so happy and excited!”
Mission accomplished. :)
I put some Christmas books in our baskets on the wall so that I can easily snag one to sit down and read with Kole after school. Even my girls still love hearing their favorite childhood Christmas stories!
Then I used some cute gift tags from the same gift wrap collections I mentioned earlier to make this fun display on our chalkboard! You could make something similar for a fun advent calendar to count down the days before Christmas.
I’m thinking we’ll use it to write down all of the fun activities we want to do during December (make our annual pretzel hugs, visit Christmas card lane, deliver an anonymous gift to a neighbor, etc.) and then we can pull off a tag once we’ve done that activity and try to fit everything in!
I love this fun red polka dot gift wrap so I used it to cover my mini chalkboard and add a fun pop of red.
My sweet baby snowman pops up all over my house every holiday season as most of you know. :) I so wish I could just have one or two days with Kole that small again! I would hold him and smell him all day long. Moms with babies.. I know you are in the thick of it and most likely so exhausted all the time like I always was when my three were little.. but try to see past it and know how quick of a stage it really is! Hold them and love them and smell them and enjoy them as much as you possibly can every single day! — K- where did that rant come from!? Sorry.. baby pictures of my kids do that to me. Ha! Back to my office decor after a minor detour. ;)
Wrapping paper is such an easy, inexpensive way to decorate! I love the color pops and whimsy the cute Santa and Dinosaur gift wrap bring into my office. They are especially fun for a kids’ space. Try switching out pictures in clip boards and frames on your wall with wrapping paper for a fun holiday look that’s easy to switch back when Christmas is over!
Moving on to the other side of the room! I should have warned you about the picture overload at the beginning of this post but I figure you all just know that will be the case with my posts by now. ;)
Merry Christmas wooden blocks over my computer and El added the Santa screen saver. :)
And more gifts! This room turns into our gift wrapping station during the holidays so you can always find lots of gifts and tape and scissors and wrapping paper in here! It’s usually not this tidy. ;)
I used more gift wrap from the Signature and Alpine collections to wrap these presents in my office. So cute!
Isn’t this paper fun!? And I know Kole will play with this cute little dinosaur tie-on more than he’ll play with what I have wrapped inside the box! I’m keeping the owl for our tree. :)
I used the space on this wall by the door to hang up past Christmas pictures my kids have drawn. Their artwork makes me so happy! Best decor around. :) I always get asked how I hang things to my walls like this and my secret is painter’s tape! I use blue painter’s tape to stick so many things to my walls! It peels right off and doesn’t leave a mark or hurt your paint.
So that’s it! A little Christmas in my office. I hope you enjoyed the tour. :) You can find office sources in this post.
Huge thank you to The Container Store for sponsoring this post! And for coming up with such darling gift wrap that makes wrapping holiday presents so much easier! And a lot more fun.
:)
NOW! I have some fun news for all of you! The Container Store has given me a gift card to give to one of my readers for $150! YEA!!! My mind is racing with all the fun you can have with $150 in The Container Store this holiday season! To enter make sure you are subscribed to my blog (subscribe at the bottom of this post if you haven’t already) and then leave your name and a comment on this post telling me one thing you are excited for this holiday season! Good luck sweet friends!
*This post was sponsored by Tapered Collection but you wouldn’t be reading it if I didn’t truly love their products. All opinions are my own! :)
Happy Friday friends! We’ve had a busy week! Lots going on with the kids outside of the house.. lots of decorating going on whenever I can steal a minute inside of the house. :) I LOVE decorating for Christmas but you know what I don’t love? Fanning out the tree branches. It’s the only part of the whole Christmas decorating process I don’t enjoy. And I can’t complain about it to my husband because then I get grief about “then why in the world are you putting up so many trees!?” Ha ha.. we do have quite a few this year. :) I can’t help it. I love them! So I will continue to climb on ladders and fan branches until my fingers are about to fall off. {sigh} Oh well. Small price to pay. ;)
But before we get into all things Christmas decor, today I’m sharing something else I’m loving with you! Friends. I’ve found the perfect tee! And you know how I feel about tees. I’m so excited about these! The founder of Tapered Collection reached out to me a while back to see if I wanted to partner on a post about her tees. I did some research and read all about them and to be honest, they sounded too good to be true! I told her to send me some to try out and I figured I’d wear one or two and just see if they met the hype. Um.. let’s just say that they exceeded my expectations so much that I’ve hardly taken them off this month!
Ok.. let me tell you about these tees and what makes them so special. First of all.. I love the material. They are thick and soft and comfortable and high quality and they DON’T shrink in the wash. At all! You can wash them, dry them, they wash beautifully. They are also longer than some tees which I love (it drives me crazy when tees are so short I feel like I can’t bend down!). But the best part is that these tees are made for real women and are so flattering. They have some give in the midsection! If you’ve had kids or don’t love your waist line you will definitely appreciate these tees. :) This tee is the Long Sleeve Henley and I absolutely love the fun neckline!
So cute with my camos! You can see how this tee is fitted at the top, drapes in a flattering way with some give around the mid section, and then is fitted at the bottom. I so wish I would have discovered these after having my three kids. This is the perfect tee to wear for months after having babies! And years after that if necessary. ;) (Btw.. they fit true to size and I’m wearing an xs)
I wore this Henley Tee last week to meet a super hot guy for lunch. Don’t tell my husband. ;) Seriously though, we have had the hardest time prioritizing a date night because our weekends have been so busy so we’ve been trying to meet one afternoon during each week for lunch. Just one quick hour of uninterrupted conversation that doesn’t include any scheduling, the not so hot math score, friend drama, the upcoming science project or who’s taking who to what birthday party. It’s an hour of conversation about us and our interests over pizza and I look forward to it every week!
The Short Sleeved Tapered Tees are perfect for layering! I’ve been wearing mine under all of my cardigans..
and jackets.
Another fun detail on all of the Tapered Tees is this wide, fitted band at the bottom. Just gives your outfit a little something extra. :)
I wore the white Long Sleeve Henley to Ad’s last play performance under my green military jacket. She was the cutest little lioness I’ve ever seen! So proud of her.
We all are. :) And now we are officially taking a break from theatre productions until after the holidays! This mom needs a break from at least one child’s activites!
Ok.. I saved my most favorite tee for last! It’s the Three Quarter Tee and I am seriously going to LIVE in these. Love that the white is opaque, not sheer! I never like white tops that are see through and I’ve found that most are.
Like the short sleeve tee it’s perfect for layering.
I even dressed the black Three Quarter Tee up a bit for church one Sunday. :)
Then I washed it and wore it again a few days later.
And then washed it and wore it again a few days after that. Ha. :)
But the best part about this tee? When I come home at the end of the day and trade in my skirt or jeans for sweats, it works with them too. Now that my friends.. is what we call a wardrobe staple. :) Nothing like a good tee!
These tees cost a bit more than your regular tee, but they aren’t like your regular tee! They are such nice quality and with the way they fit and wash and all the ways you can dress them up or down they are worth it! Especially if you live in tees like I do. This weekend Tapered Collection is having their Friends and Family Sale and you can get 20% off of your purchase! Click on MY LINK HERE to get the discount (or any of my links in this post and add FALLFRIEND at checkout). Yea! Awesome tees on sale for everyone! (Yes mom.. I’m buying you some too.) :)
And what do you know.. my favorite Three Quarter tee is perfect for fanning out tree branches! Even if I’m not. Addison took these pics and got me laughing so hard I almost fell off my ladder!
If any of you need me this weekend you know where I’ll be!
Happy Monday friends! On Saturday I shared some recent fashion favorites with all of you (I’m going to be posting fast and furious to fit everything in during the next two months!) but I forgot to include a picture of this gorgeous pink pom pom throw! So here it is. To pretty to not share and I’m loving it in my bedroom. It comes in 2 other colors and would be a beautiful gift for any home decor lover – like all of us. :)
Ok.. moving on to all things Christmas! Have you started decorating yet? Or do you like to wait until after Thanksgiving? I wish I could have Christmas decor up for half of the year. I really do. In fact last year I left one of my trees up through January.. ha! I wasn’t ready to take it down after Christmas. So I didn’t. :) My philosophy has always been to decorate for the holidays whenever and however you want! Do what makes you happy. Christmas decor makes me incredibly happy so I start early. :) Today I’m sharing some of my favorite Christmas decor I started pulling out this weekend! You’ll see how I’m using a lot of these items in my home soon, but I’m sharing them early because unfortunately the good stuff always sells out FAST.
These are a few things I’m decorating with this year that I’m so excited about! The pillows I’ve had for a year or two (merry/stag/plaid) but I needed a new tree skirt this year and just ordered this Alpaca faux fur tree skirt – it’s so soft and beautiful! It’s the first tree skirt I’ve owned that isn’t red! And I’ve loved adding a new cute little deer to my collection each year. They are adorable and look so cute on a table or tree or mantel.. anywhere you put them! (big deer/small deer)
I ordered these lit glitter birch trees on-line and loved them even more when I saw them in person! They are really nice quality trees and aren’t the little lights beautiful!? (They are battery operated and these two are the medium and small sizes.)
And this Santa Magnetic Advent Calendar! I actually bought this at PB right after Christmas last year. It was the only thing that wasn’t marked down and I bought it anyway.. after getting all sorts of grief from my husband for shopping an after Christmas sale and coming home with the one item that wasn’t on sale. Ha. And now it’s actually on sale! I should have just waited and got it this year. Oh well! I’m so in love and couldn’t wait to pull it out of my attic! The snowflake is magnetic – so fun to count down to the big day. My kids will love it.
Almost as much as I do. :)
The merry towels are a new addition for the bathroom. :)
After years of messing with real garland (and the crazy mess it left after the holidays!) I finally splurged on this lit magnolia garland last year.
It lights up at night and looked so beautiful on my stairs! And the best part.. no mess. :) I got so many questions about this garland last year and it sold out fast. Happy that they brought it back for any of you who wanted it! My girls can’t wait to get going on their snowflake wall again this year. :)
I always get lots of questions about this Santa hat tree topper and it also sells out quickly every year too so don’t wait if you want it! You could obviously use any Santa hat to top a tree, but this one has wire in it and sits just right without much effort. My type of decor. ;)
Kole 7 years ago. :) This pillow was his favorite when he was a baby because of the little red bells. I had to sew one back on because he pulled it off when he was two. Best part of Christmas isn’t it? The memories that come with all of the decorating and celebrating.
Our stockings come with all sorts of memories too. I’d love to mix it up this year and do something different on this mantel..
but these stockings are a long time tradition and I don’t think this little Christmas elf will let me. :)
7 years ago and it feels like this was yesterday. Can’t wait to celebrate another Christmas with these three!
In other fun Christmas home decor news.. Chip and Jo’s new line was released at Target this weekend! Looks so good! Did any of you get to check it out!? I’m so hoping I can squeeze in a quick Target run this week. I don’t really have time.. but I might have to make time anyway. :)
Links are below to the Christmas decor I shared above along with other favorites that will be popping up in my home this season! I hope that whenever you start your Christmas decorating.. you enjoy it immensely. :)
Happy weekend friends! I have so many cute fashion favorites to share with you! LOTS of fun things on sale and LOTS of pictures so I’ll keep the chit chat to a minimum. Or try to anyway. I always do my best but can’t make any promises. As you know. :) Huge thank you to Nordstrom for sponsoring this post! They are having their huge Fall sale right now and so many fun things are 40% off right now! Dangerous! In the best way possible.
(Affiliate links used)
First up – my favorite Vince Camuto over the knee boots are on sale! I love these. Obviously. I have them in three colors.. ha. :) They are so comfy for a heeled boot and I love the suede! They look good with everything and I live in them in the Fall/Winter.
A few things I’m loving lately and wearing with these cute boots..
This bell sleeve ribbed sweater is another recent soft and cozy favorite that looks cute with these suede boots. It comes in so many colors! I love this blue. The material of this sweater is so smooth! It’s gorgeous in person. My purse is this grey Leather Satchel. Similar to other Rebecca Minkoff bags I have? Yes. I can’t help that they call my name. :)
This color of boots I wear the most is called “foxy” and they have enough grey and tan in them to work with every color. That’s what I always look for when I buy a new couch! Ha. Home decor and fashion have a lot of similarities. :) I love this color of boots with black tops and sweaters! And yea for cool enough weather to finally wear this hooded cardigan. It’s so cozy I feel like I’m in pj’s when I wear it.. always a good thing. :)
A closer look.. I wore this outfit twice in one week! Made sure I wasn’t going to see the same people. And then I tell all of you so that sort of defeats the purpose of trying to be sneaky about it.. ha. :) {purse/earrings}
These Adidas sneakers come in several fun color patterns and are seriously so comfortable. And while we’re on the subject of comfortable.. did you all see that Nordstrom has their Ugg socks back in stock for the holidays!? Ahh! LOVE these! I bought a pair last year and gave a few for gifts. Everyone I gave them to loved them! I loved mine so much I grabbed a pink pair for this year. So cute and cozy! I love slipping them on every morning when I wake up. These Adidas sneakers and the Ugg socks are a happy present for your feet. :) Sharing some other fun Adidas shoes and Ugg slippers below. They make perfect gifts in my opinion! This pair is on my wish list! Maybe in black or green? Flashback time for sure. :)
Wearing my pink Ugg socks in this pic with these Velour PJ Salvage pj’s. {Top/Bottoms} I can’t even begin to tell you how cozy these are. I’m so excited for the time change this weekend because it means I get to put these on even earlier each night. :)
And speaking of pj’s I can’t wait to put on.. TEAM SANTA. I couldn’t resist! :) So excited to bust out my Christmas decor this weekend in this sweatshirt! I would turn on Christmas music if I could but my kids want to wait a couple of weeks on the music (sigh). What’s wrong with them!? I could do Christmas for six months! EASY. :)
He loves my taco shirt, but I’m a hit with the teens when I wear these Adidas sneakers. I like to remind all of these girls that I bought them first. ;)
The types of pics you get when you hang out with dancers. :)
These two besties in black are nicknamed Pizza and Taco (long story!) so when I saw these purses at Nordstrom a few months ago I couldn’t resist. :)
I wore these Adidas sneakers on Halloween too. So much walking! I wanted to be comfortable. :) I dressed up as the family photographer this year. ;) Also wearing this flare sleeve sweater that is one of my go-to’s! It fits so cute and I get compliments every time I wear it. I’m so bummed it’s sold out in my size in blue or I’d buy another one! The only thing you have to watch is cooking with these sleeves. I was wearing this sweater a few weeks ago and went to heat Kole up some soup and about started my sleeve on fire! Ha! Some would say that the flare sleeve sweater needs to go. My first thought was “exactly why I shouldn’t be using this stove.. time for take out!” ;)
Cutest side tie sweatshirt that’s also on sale! I bought this at full price a while ago and have been living in it. I love the pink, but that color tends to wash me out so I came home with the grey. {Favorite AG Jeans}
I wore it a couple of weeks ago with my Hudson Camo pants (similar Hudson’s camo pants on sale!). Isn’t it cute!? Just so casual and comfortable and you can dress it up a little with jeans and booties or wear it with sweats or leggings.
Snapped this heading out on a hot date with my favorite little man! We went to see his sister’s play together. :)
Whew! K friends. Long post I know! But seriously.. can you believe how many cute new things are on sale right now at Nordstrom!? Great time to get a few gifts bought and wrapped early. You can check them off your new list! :) And maybe pick up something cute for yourself in the meantime because whew.. all that Christmas shopping wears us out and we need a pick me up to keep our energy going. ;)
Enjoy your weekend friends! Signing off with some pics we took right before Trick or Treating on Halloween. We had such a fun evening with friends! As my 7 year old would say.. the evening was “EPIC.” Ha. Love that kid. :)
Three fuzzy animals. Two crazy ninjas. And one family photographer who just wanted to wear a favorite sweater and comfy shoes. :)
And my friend’s dog. Because his outfit tops them all. Wonder if he got it on sale at Nordstrom?
:)
{POST SOURCES}
xoxo, Erin
Share
Join the Sunny Side Up
Community!
The best way for us to stay in touch! Sign up for my newsletter so you’ll never miss a post! You’ll also gain access to all of my home and organization printables.
I had a lot of them. :)
Next stop on the tour is a real treat! My 
Do you remember my cute little mudroom tree that was new last year? I was so excited to decorate it again this year! This mudroom leads to our garage and car so we are in and out of this room 20 times a day. This little tree makes us all so happy when we are rushing around it. :) (And no.. we don’t use the dutch door much this time of year (two doors in this room!) so it works to have the tree in the corner.)
At the top of my chalkboard I added a cute wreath and
