My friend Julia launched her line of ginger jars! Aren’t they stunning?! The one in the above photo is in Emma’s room, and I love it. Congratulations, Julia!
A little late on my weekly post for this series, but it’s a good one. :)
- WELCOME JACK! Oh my goodness. I wrote last week’s “10 Things” post before my friend Carly made the announcement to the world, so that’s why it’s in this week’s. But JACK IS PERFECT. (Seriously, is he not the most handsome little guy you’ve ever seen?!) I’m just so happy for the Riordan Family. Congratulations, guys! I know you’re already the best parents, and I’m really looking forward to family fun together next summer! (Read Jack’s birth story here. So beautiful.)
- My mom is here. ♥️ Recently we decided that my mom needs to fly out here way more often. She wants to see the girls more often, we want to see her more often—and hey. I’ll admit that we could use the help. 😉 And guess what?! She wants us to go out at night! (She’s the best.) Mitch and I have plans to see our new friends James and Gretchen, and our old friends Jess and Neal. And hopefully we’ll also get to hang with our neighbors Nicki, JR, Dave and Natalie. :) Yay for fun! Thanks, Mom. Love you.
- My favorite t-shirt is on sale. And I think the company may be discontinuing it?! UGH. It’s such a good one, and definitely my go-to as it resists wrinkles and can easily be dressed down or up. (I wear one whenever I fly, too! Comfy yet polished.) Runs small. Size up.
- My friend Anna helped to launch a new app called Take Me Out Of Office. It’s a female-founded recommendation app that allows you to see travel ideas and inspiration from people you know and trust. It’s amazing, and I’m so proud of Anna and her friends! Use code “KELLY” to download.
- The house across the street is literally getting knocked down as I type this. It’s so bummed. SUCH a beautiful classic house. I’m sure whatever goes in will be pretty, too… but sad to see it go. Also a tad terrified. You should see this tool they’re using to do it. Looks medieval, haha.
- I finally finished and shared Lucy’s room on the blog! I kind of can’t believe I did it. It was just one of those projects I kept putting off because whenever I had the time or energy, Lucy would be sleeping in there. But I got it done, and I have a newfound love for the room! I caught the girls reading books in there together the other day and my heart swelled.
- My friend Julia launched her line of ginger jars! Aren’t they stunning?! The one in the above photo is in Emma’s room, and I love it. Congratulations, Julia!
- The J.Crew new arrivals are so good. I particularly love these sweater pants, this striped cable-knit sweater, this quilted barn jacket, this cashmere rollneck sweater, and this quilted puffer lady jacket.
- Emma starts school on Monday. How is the summer ending?! As much as I love fall, I’m not ready. Though we could probably use a little consistency and normalcy… and I could use some computer time, haha. Okay, I guess I’m ready.
- If anyone is looking for a good Chicago guys’ gift, consider these ties from My Block My Hood My City*! They’re gorgeous, and you can see Mitch wearing one here. *My Block My Hood My City is a Chicago-based non-profit that provides people with opportunities to step outside their comfort zones and “explore new communities, cultures and cuisines in an effort to gain a greater understanding of the world.” They’re doing amazing things here in the city, and one of my favorite organizations to support!
- Marie Kondo has infiltrated my life again. I suppose it’s because the fall is coming and I’m nesting, in a sense? I don’t know, but I’ve been on an organizing tear. I think I talked about this before, but for a while I was getting rid of five things—mostly random clutter—per day in my office, for example, and it was so calming! Anyway, my obsession with Marie Kondo started a few years ago, and it’s only gotten stronger. I’m such a happier person living in a decluttered home. (Did you know that her new Netflix series “Spark Joy” airs on August 31st?!)
- Here are my favorite women’s clothing picks from Amazon Essentials. Like so many others, the pandemic really made me consider what I wear most in my closet… and that’s basics. I love a good statement piece every now and then, but I’m happiest in simple, classic clothing that’ll stand the test of time. It makes getting dressed in the morning much easier, too! Anyway, Amazon Essentials has some amazing basics for insane prices. Both Mitch and I are big fans, so I thought I’d round up the best finds for women!
- And here are my favorite Amazon beauty products! Who knew so many of my go-to beauty products are available via Amazon? (With the exception of make-up. That section is lacking.) Makes life a lot easier!
- Finally, here are my favorite lululemon buys. I’d rather own just a few lululemon pieces that tons of workout clothing from other brands. lululemon’s Nulu fabric is like a hug from a cloud, and I live in it Monday-Friday for half the day! Here are my favorites. Though not included are these lululemon Align wide-leg pants, which I recently ordered and am excited about trying!
- I’m trying to digitally organize the girls’ art and create albums. A long time ago, I decided to digitize a select few pieces of my kids’ art every year and throw away the hard copies. VERY CONTROVERSIAL, I KNOW. (You can read more about the decision here.) But I neglected to always put them in the correct iPhone photo albums. BAH. So now I’m going back and trying to make sense of it all. Pray for me. And if you’re looking for a great company to make albums with, try Mpix. They’re beautiful!
- I find myself falling out of love with color in my wardrobe?! This is probably because summer is ending and fall is nearly upon is… but I just want to live in black, white, camel and perhaps sometimes a little olive green. Easy, easy, easy. Anyone else?
- I’m trying yet another tinted moisturizer/foundation combo again. Every time I run out these days, I want to try something new. Always in search of miracle products! I’m sticking with bareMinerals’ Loose Powder Mineral Foundation because it’s widely known as foundation that actually improves your skin over time. (It’s so pure that the brand says you could sleep in it!) It’s also ridiculously easy to apply. For tinted moisturizer (which I wear underneath), I’m trying this product from Laura Mercier. I’ve read that it’s matte, which is rare for a tinted moisturizer, and that it doesn’t make you look shiny. Fingers crossed, because most days I only wear tinted moisturizer, and it would nice to have a more put-together look! (Sometimes I think the “dewey” look really just makes me appear sweaty. 😆)
- I love my spider-sprayer guy. We ended up hiring Rose Pest Solutions in Chicago to preventatively spray this year—per many friends’ recommendations—because I was having a hard time keeping up with those eight-legged freaks. Really works like a charm. Elliott comes once per month, and he’s such a riot. I really look forward to his visits, ha!
- I think these are the perfect year-round (off) white jeans. And such a great basic! ;) Off white jeans look amazing with camel sweaters, and my fingers are crossed that these feel just as good as they look!
- The girls are playing in the playroom together, by themselves. It’s been life-changing. I can clean the kitchen in peace. Like what?! Is this real life?
- Emma and I are really enjoying sending letters. We finished up the last of her birthday thank you cards and then she got a little sad that we wouldn’t be walking to the mailbox every day anymore. So we’re making a point to send friends and family little notes. It’s been fun!
- Did you see that Ulta is now available via Target?! That’s really nice, especially considering that Target’s prices can often be better than Amazon’s. I’m constantly comparing Target, Amazon and Walmart and then just going with whatever retailer is cheapest.
- Speaking of Target, fall decor is out and it’s better than ever. The pumpkins alone!
