Green color: Benjamin Moore Kennebunkport Green / Target Houndstooth Towels / Target Floral Arrangement (Love this newer one, though!) / Amazon Plastic Amber Shampoo/Conditioner/Soap Bottles
Let’s just jump right in here with the first 10 things that come to mind today:
A reader recently reached out and asked for a post on our favorite baby/kids’ products for city life, so here we are!
Before I share my list, I should note that Mitch and I subscribe to the belief that when it comes to gear, less is more in the city. This admittedly took us a while to figure this out because the baby industry wants us to think the opposite. “Life will be better and easier and happier if you have all the gear,” they’ll tell you. But this simply isn’t true. In reality, life will likely be better and easier and happier in the city (and elsewhere!) when the minimalist route is taken. Very few people want to be drowning in kids’ stuff, after all, and let’s face it: it’s expensive!
Over the years, we’ve learned to delineate between what’s a must-have and what’s clutter… and we try to be really good about re-homing things when it becomes unused. That said, we have our fair share of baby/kids’ gear here in Chicago!
Here are our favorites for city life:
Watermelon Dresses / Sandals / Liberty of London Dresses / Lucy’s Bathing Suit / Emma’s Bathing Suit / Girls’ Clips
Mitch here!
There are three kinds of Summer People in Chicago: City People, Michigan People and Wisconsin People. And after our recent trip to the Wisconsin Dells, I’m thinking it’s time to declare myself a Wisconsin Person!
Striped Shirt / My Brother’s Old Sweatshirt / White Jeans (Favorite pair of white jeans, btw!) / Headband / Daddy’s Favorite Sweatshirt / Mitch’s Henley (Solid here) + Shorts / Lucy’s Dress (Similar) / Emma’s Ric Rac Dress (Newer) / Lucy’s Jean Jacket / Girls’ Clips / Aldi Snacks c/o (Fun video coming soon!)
Today is our anniversary! Married seven (😆) eight years. ♥️
Stone Noodle or Stoop Noodle? (“Snoodle” or “Stoodle?”)
I’m catching up on a few “10 Things” posts today since I fell behind this week. Here’s the other one I published!
One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six / Seven / Eight / Nine / Ten / Eleven / Twelve / Thirteen / Fourteen / Fifteen / Sixteen / Seventeen / Eighteen / Nineteen / Twenty / Twenty-One / Twenty-Two / Twenty-Three / Twenty-Four / Twenty-Five
Mitch here!
It’s Nordstrom Anniversary Sale sale season, and today I’m sharing my favorites… because men’s is a category often forgotten. ;)
Newer Vineyard Vines Dresses / Sandals / Crossbody Bag (42 percent off!) / Sunglasses / Girls’ Elephant Dresses, Sandals and Clips / Mitch’s Wrinkle-Resistant Shirt, Shorts and Sandals
Family shopping trip!
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is on, and today I’m sharing my favorites!
What sets the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale apart from other sales is that the included products are either new for fall 2021 or they’re classics that brands carry and bring back year after year.
At the moment, the sale is in its Early Access phase. That means that shoppers must be cardholders, and they’re “let in” on various dates depending on how much they spend at Nordstrom throughout the year. If you’re not a cardholder, though, have no fear! The sale will be open to the public on July 28th. The sale ends on August 9th at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT, and that’s when you’ll see prices go back up.
A final thought: This a great time to save on casual and comfortable everyday staples, but it’s just a sale. No need to panic or get swept up in the frenzy. This will not be the last great deal, and don’t shop just because it seems like everyone else is shopping. When you’re checking out, ask yourself, “What would I really like for the upcoming year?” And then stick to that. And if now’s not the right time to shop, remember that the sale happens every summer! There will always be another opportunity.
Anyway, here are my favorites from the sale. Will circle back with men’s and kids’ picks soon!
Wearing Daddy’s favorite Amazon sweatshirt
Aaaand I’m back! I dropped the ball on last week’s “10 Things,” so I’m catching up today and publishing a couple of them. ;)
Old iPhone Charger on Left / New, Super-Fast Charger on the Right
Mitch here!
Quick post today to share the single-greatest piece of technology I’ve purchased in the last year: a Fast iPhone Charger. It’s between $16 and $19 depending on the day, and it can charge a dead iPhone to half battery in just 30 minutes. Incredible!
One / Two / Three / Four / Five / Six / Seven / Eight / Nine / Ten / Eleven / Twelve / Thirteen / Fourteen / Fifteen / Sixteen / Seventeen / Eighteen / Nineteen / Twenty / Twenty-One / Twenty-Two / Twenty-Three / Twenty-Four / Twenty-Five / Twenty-Six / Twenty-Seven / Twenty-Eight
Mitch here!
Looking back through our recent Amazon purchases is a strange window into the soul. It’s like a journal that shares the true story of our lives without the lies and exaggerations I usually tell myself. We buy some truly bizarre stuff on Amazon, and I’d like to share that with you today.
(Though I refuse to look back at my 2020 purchase history. Amazon and I went to some strange and dark places during the pandemic.)
Liberty of London “LOVE” Sweatshirt
I’m an Etsy addict. It’s just incredible. Nearly anything I could possibly be looking for, BOOM. It’s on Etsy.
For example, Emma told me she wanted her birthday party theme to be T-Rexes wearing dresses. WHAT! Double what?!
JBL Portable Waterproof Speaker / Outfit From This Older Post
You might remember me raving about this little portable waterproof speaker over the winter, but I’m hopping on the blog today for a full review!
How cute are the above shorts?! Hoping they’re not sold out by the time this post goes live. 😭
A little late here, but congratulations to Emma Larkin for graduating from Pre-K! This is her dress (for “Stripes Day”) and this is her backpack, according to my wife.
Mitch here!
I’m back with another 10 things post.
Backyard Discovery Playhouse, Faux Topiaries (Larger Here), Newer Faux Hydrangeas, Terra Cotta Pots, Outdoor Toy Box
Thought I’d share a little playhouse progress post today! In case you’re just tuning in now, we’ve had the Backyard Discovery Playhouse up on our deck for a few years now and love it. It’s a very popular product because while it looks great untouched, it’s also easily personalized. And giving ours a little makeover is my current crafting project!
Diamond Jute Rug / Lemon Wallpaper / Curtains / Harbour Cane Collection / End Table / Striped Sofa / Lamp (But Kelly also loves this one, this one, this one, this one and this one. Apparently we’re huge fans of Target lamps!) / Pillow / Amazon’s Eero Pro 6 and less expensive Eero 6 mesh router systems
Mitch here!
Until recently, I was afflicted with crappy WiFi. Symptoms included disrupted TikTok dances, occasional “green bubble” texts, spinning wheels of death, and disgruntled wives. If you or a friend are experiencing crappy WiFi, send them this blog post today. Side effects may include joy, well-being and improved connectedness.
Sorry.
Just in time for some prime outdoor hangout sessions, I’m back with another playlist. 😉
If you’re looking for more, I have 9 others right here! (Kind of crazy that I’m on #10!)
And these are my thoughts on a few songs I want to highlight:
