Celebrating Emma’s 5th birthday!
Grab your coffee…
- I’m so sick. Oh my goodness, guys. I get chronic sinus infections from bad allergies, and the longterm plan is to do allergy shots. (Did them when I lived in NYC and they were MAGIC, but there are different allergens in Chicago and therefore need to do them again.) But I’m the worst and put them off every year because it’s such a commitment. Anyway, a couple of bad days with allergies, and boom. Hit with the worst sinus infection of my life. I’m currently on day 4 of antibiotics and prednisone, and I’m just starting to see some improvement. I forgot what it feels like to be sick. I don’t like it! 😆
- How is it August?! This summer is going way too quickly, and I so wish we could just go back in time and have it be June again. I love fall in Chicago, but I’m just not ready for my favorite season to be over! Really want to make the most of August, though, and do lots of family activities before school starts back up. We’re thinking about doing the Brookfield Zoo this week!
- We had Emma’s 5th birthday party over the weekend! This was a huge struggle for me since I was so under the weather. (Thank god my sinus infection is bacterial, and not contagious in the slightest!) And I have to admit that when I woke up that morning, I wondered whether I could actually do it. But I rallied! And it was everything. Our little girl waited two years for her “volcanoes and pink dinosaurs” pool party—last year’s party sadly had to be cancelled—and she was giddy with happiness. We’re so grateful to all our Chicago friends who made the day so wonderfully special. Love you guys. Lucky to have you. Our hearts are full!
- We have big plans for tomorrow, which is Emma’s actual birthday. Since breakfast is her favorite meal, haha, we’re taking her to a birthday breakfast at her favorite restaurant… and then heading out for a fun dinosaur-related kids’ activity. I’ll report back on how it goes! I really can’t believe she’s turning five. It’s going to be an emotional day! Love our sweet girl so much. 😭
- Friendly reminder to PLEASE GET VACCINATED if you haven’t already. Let’s do our best to protect each other.
- We had the nicest beach night with our friends Bradley and Peter (and their kids) last week. We went to Foster Beach, which has both parking and bathrooms. We brought pizzas and snacks—and okay, wine 😉—and the kids played while we chatted and laughed. It was awesome. One of those magical summer nights that we’ll always remember, you know? We really want to make it a weekly thing. Fingers crossed we can do it again this week before Emma leaves for Gammy Camp!
- If you’re spending a lot of time picnicking this August, get the “Table in a Bag.” I finally ordered one! Our friends Mike and Kara had it in Ocean City, and it blew our minds how nice it was. The thing sets up in 30 seconds and packs up into this tiny carrying bag, and makes park and beach days/nights absolutely lovely. Bradley and Peter are going to get one too so we can have a super long setup! Very excited.
- Let’s clear the lists! If you’re an educator and have an Amazon wish list, please e-mail us at teachers@kellyinthecity.com. Include your name, a photo of yourself (no kids’ faces), your location (general is fine!), your position, and you’re story. What makes your situation unique? What makes your students special? How would they benefit from these supplies? Each teacher’s story will be featured either on the blog or my social media accounts. Thank you!
- My favorite color is no longer blue. I’m having an identity crisis, hahaha. Who am I?! Right now, I’m drawn to creams, wood tones, wood, brass and black—and some muted greens. (Sage?!) Carly (another former lover of blue) is in agreement. Maybe 2020/2021 shocked all the blue out of us. 😆
- Lucy is talking SO much. I love it. She comes out with full sentences every now and then, and it’s mind-boggling! So much fun. Because of this, she and Emma are really playing together. Like, they play in the playroom together without needing our assistance. Mitch and I sat down in the living room with cups of coffee the other day and just stared at each other in disbelief. And then we reintroduced ourselves to each other. ;)
- I thought I butchered Emma’s hair. In a fit of frustration, I chopped Emma’s hair the other night. I was just very tired of all the complaints over tangles, haha. Anyway, I didn’t mean to cut it as short as I did, and I felt so badly about it. But she LOVES it, and now I’m realizing that it’s really not as short as I thought it was in that moment. She looks adorable! And woo. It’s so much easier. No more tears after swimming or bath time, either!
- “One home project every day” update:
- I decluttered my office. It’s the tidiest it’s ever been and I’m very happy. Next up is curtains. I put up some temporary curtains when we moved in and never got around to finding permanent ones. Excited to go neutral!
- I deep-cleaned the playroom. I’ve been working on the playroom for a couple of weeks now and it’s come a long way. I used to walk down there and feel totally overwhelmed by it, and now it’s an awesome relaxing space in the house, and all the girls’ favorite toys are accessible. Cleaning up is so much easier, too, since everything has a home. Really happy with the progress!
- I switched out the knobs on our bedroom closet doors. I went with these in “Aged Brass” from Rejuvenation. (They were black before.) Looks a lot nicer!
- I cleared out the linen closet. Why did we own so many sheets?! I kept two sets for our room, and three sets between the girls’ rooms. And I got rid of the zillions of pillow cases I apparently hoard. Oh, and I kept four towels for us, and four towels for kids/guests. It’s so much more manageable now!
- I did all the laundry. This is a given, but I always have to include it. Because it is a lot of work!
- I cleaned the patio. It probably needs it every two weeks, but I stretch it every time. I swept, cleaned off the cushions, freshened up the artificial grass with this stuff, and wiped down all the surfaces. Of course that night, Mitch and I were like, “LET’S GO SIT ON THE PATIO.” Isn’t it crazy how quickly outdoor spaces get mucky?!
- I set up my editorial calendar for August. I have this wipe board calendar and love it, but it’d been a minute since I used it last. 🙈 (Summer’s been crazy!) It’s all ready to go, though, and I feel so much more on top of things because of it. Gave up on using a paper calendar or planner, btw. Just using the wipe board calendar and a plain notepad for to-do lists!
- My friend Julia is launching her own line of ginger jars with Lo Home! More details to come, but they’re absolutely beautiful and I’m so impressed that Julia was able to do this with a newborn at home! You go Girl.
- Kate Somerville is having a huge sale. I’m Kate Somerville-obsessed for skincare. The products are, though, admittedly very expensive. Which is why I wait for sales like these! I highly recommend investing in the Goat Milk Moisturizing Cleanser, the DeliKate Recovery Cream, and the ExfoliKate Exfoliating Treatment. (Also part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.) I swear by all three! For blemish-prone skin, check out the EradiKate line. It’s incredible.
- We had a kids’ night on the deck with friends. We made the deck into a little kids’ oasis last year during the pandemic, and now we use it all the time. We have a trampoline (without the slide), play house, mini picnic table, and tons of water activities—and they play for hours! It’s the best.
- Have you seen this Chicago-print little girls’ dress from Joy Street Kids? Adorable!
- I’m in love with Pink City Prints, which is also available via Tuckernuck.
- Emerson Fry continues to be my favorite designer right now. You may know my love for this dress (also available in a darker blue and in olive green) but I’m just generally obsessed with everything. I have these fantastic pants—size up!—and love them so much that I’m considering getting them in white.
- Mitch and I started watching “Love Life” with Anna Kendrick on HBO Max, and it’s GOOD. Only a few episodes in, but highly recommend! Same for “The White Lotus.”
