Kelly in the City, Author at Kelly in the City

February 7, 2024 •

Around Our Home, Vol. 1

NOA Flow Sectional c/o / Target x Studio McGee Coffee Table (SUCH A DEAL compared to the Pottery Barn coffee table, West Elm coffee table, and CB coffee table!) / Diamond Jute Rug (Also love this very similar one as well as this beauty.) / Pillows / (Nearly identical) Throw Blanket / Curtains / India Hicks: A Slice of England

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t hate winter in Chicago anymore. And I think this is because I’ve shifted our busy home to a relaxing and cozy one. If you’ve been following for a while, you likely remember my maximalist (and pre-parenthood) days. I still really do like that style, but I adore the tranquility that simple and clutter-free design brings. I go to bed and wake up with a clearer mind.

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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January 31, 2024 •

Chicago, Illinois

Lately in iPhone Photos, 1/31

Black Suede Dress I Wear Multiple Times Per Week

An impromptu “parents night out” because we recently discovered the magic of having a joint babysitter! The little girls all love it; the older girls do too.

I used to love putting these slices-of-life posts together, so I’m back at it today. :) Here are a few photos I found on my camera roll today:

Chicago, Illinois

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January 26, 2024 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

10 Things, 1/26

Ms. Napkinhead

If you’ve been wondering how we pass the time in Chicago in January… 😆

But let’s jump right in:

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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January 11, 2024 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

Honest Yoto Player Review: Kids’ Screen-Free Audio Player

Honest Yoto Player review

In 2023, the girls and I fell in love with the Yoto, available via Amazon, Target and Maisonette. (Use code “NEW10” to get it on sale here.) If you haven’t heard of it, it’s a screen-free audio player that gives me all the listening-to-my-Discman-on-the-bus-in-the-90s vibes. (Okay, technically it has a tiny screen, but its only real purpose is to indicate things like volume or what chapter/song the child is on.) Now it’s time for a comprehensive, honest Yoto Player review!

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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January 6, 2024 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago

The First 10 Things of 2024

Our sweatshirt design

Happy New Year, Friends! :)

I kind of can’t believe I’m here. (On this site, I mean. 😜) As you may remember, I reprioritized things last year, and purposefully put the blog on the back burner. In my 20s and much of my 30s, I had no problem burning the midnight oil and making sure I had new blog posts up on the reg. But when I started pushin’ 40—SO excited about the upcoming decade, btw!—and my babies turned into kids, I found myself unable to keep up with that lifestyle. While I miiiight have considered quitting for a minute there 😉, I ended up sort of taking a gap year instead, haha. From better sleep and uninterrupted time with loved ones to embracing new and old hobbies and taking true vacations, this past year was an awesome reset.

Who’s to say what’s in store for 2024, so why don’t we just dive right into the first “10 Things” of the year?!

Lincoln Park, Chicago

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December 11, 2023 •

Chicago, Illinois

Holiday Kids’ Table Glow-Up

Use code “KELLY10” for 10% off your order!

Did you sit at the “kids’ table” during the holidays growing up? (Or maybe, like me at my parents’ home, you still sit there. 😆) But we recently gave the kids’ table at our house a long-awaited “glow-up,” and I can definitely see myself sneaking over there from the adult table, haha.

Chicago, Illinois

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November 22, 2023

Holiday Outfits $26 and Under

Fair Isle Sweater / Leather Leggings / Girls’ White Dresses / Girls’ Plaid Dresses / Girls’ Mary Janes / Girls’ Fleeces / Star Sneakers / Stripe Sweater

Oh, hello there!

This year we somehow got our acts together and decorated the house for the holidays before Thanksgiving—and before the temperatures dropped in Chicago.

We put it off nearly every year and it always turns out to be torturous, haha. But this was different. We wore fuzzy sweaters and dresses, leather leggings and cozy fleece—all products under $26 on Walmart!—and it was FUN!

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Kelly in the City

October 26, 2023

A Family-Friendly Guide to Saugatuck, MI

Visiting Saugatuck, Michigan has been on our travel list for years. And this past weekend, we finally made it there! A short 2.5-hour drive from Chicago, Saugatuck is nestled against a couple of other charming towns on the shores of Lake Michigan. Think “Nantucket meets Stars Hollow.” And while it’s obviously enjoyed by visitors in the summer months, fall is absolutely enchanting there.

Saugatuck and Douglas (its sister town) invited our family—along with the Loftus and Khan-Holland crews—up for a couple of nights, and we can’t thank them enough for having us. (And getting the gang together during the fall! It’s normally such a hectic time for everyone but miraculously, this particular weekend worked for everyone. 🤯👏🏻😆) It definitely goes down as one of the best trips we’ve ever taken!

We were blown away by Saugatuck. The town is as family-friendly as it gets, and I can’t recommend it enough! So here’s a little history about the area along with where to stay, where to eat and drink, and what to do while there:

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Guides and Reviews, Kelly in the City, Travel

October 25, 2023 •

Rosemary Beach, Florida

The Best Barbie Toys from the Movie

In case you didn’t see this video, Emma and I have been working on a little passion project: We’re reenacting the Barbie movie using her toys! 😂 We had the idea in Florida, when we brought the dolls to the beach one day. It started with the Ken “Beach” scene and then we just kept going. We’ve been having a great time with it—so many giggles!—and I’ll be sure to share it with you once it’s done.

For this past trip to Rosemary, I decided to bring about half their Barbies to my parents’ home and keep them there permanently. Mitch and I kept joking that this was our best trip yet because of the dolls… but it’s true. They provided endless hours of happiness and imaginative play, no matter where we were. Be brought them to the beach, on bike rides, to restaurants, on Noodle walks—pretty much everywhere we went, they went. And I swear it made the girls’ bond even stronger! So I’d like to really thank Mattel and Walmart (where all our toys from the movie have come from) for this incredible gift.

Rosemary Beach, Florida

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September 16, 2023 •

Lincoln Park, Chicago