#NSALE

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale opened to the "public" this morning. That just means that if you don't have early access, it's not open to YOU! I'm pretty sure I'm gunna need early access next year! ;) Last year my sister & I were shopping this sale (baby-free) in Salt Lake City. It was so perfect & I left with some great staple pieces that I still wear! 

I'm going to share a few pieces with you that I loved. You guys know that I love a good deal about as much as I love a good staple piece! It's all about versatility, you guys! We don't budget a ton of money for clothes and fancy things, but my hubby is a sweetheart & let's me buy a few things from time to time (even now that my birthday money is spent)

My sister bought these leggings that year. She had just found out that she was pregnant & was on the search for something comfortable & fashionable. These are it. They are perfect for working out & going out. Plus, they are thick enough that they won't show your undies (or cellulite, in my case.) I didn't buy them & totally regretted it. You better believe they are in my shopping bag right now. 

These distressed jeans are perfect! I'm praying they restock them. They aren't in my size, but they're totally what I've been looking for. I love the raw released hem & the distressing. I struggle with distressed jeans because I don't want my garments to show through. I have found a little trick that helps with that though. Grab an iron on denim patch from any sewing/craft store & iron it onto the inside of the jeans to cover the distress. That way you get to rock the distressed look without feeling too exposed. *Update - I found these jeans on Nordstrom Rack, they're the same jean minus the distressing. More sizing choices. Same price! Boom. Bought! 

I love a good striped tee for the fall. This cute tee is on sale for $15, but it has a high neckline, which is great if you don't like to layer (like I do.) It comes in 2 colors. I give you permission to buy both! ;)

This cute to boot fall cardigan is a must have. It comes in Oatmeal or Gray. Both are great for brightening up your fall wardrobe. I love a good cardigan/white tee/jean/bootie combo. Perfect fall outfit. Not to mention it looks so put together, but it's easy to throw together. Perfect mom-on-the-go outfit! 

And last, but not least... booties. Can't get into fall without a solid pair of booties. I have a pain from Aldo that I bought during a 50% off sale. Matt almost died that I spent $65 on boots. Boys!  $65 for booties is practically free! ;) I digress, I tried to find you some under $50, but I couldn't. So under $80 is ok, right? These blocked heel booties are perfect. I love the wrap detail on the ankle, too! 

There you have it friends. The non-fashion blogger Nordstrom Sale round up!

What do you have your eye on?! Tell me!

Kess is 2

Two feels like such a milestone, not sure why, but it does. I'm loving 2 year old Kess. She is talking more and more, I swear she learns something amazing everyday & she truly is so sweet (even is she isn't the greatest sharer.) 

Kess loves to watch "shows", she loves her Kane dog "Tane." She thinks "jumpeeeen" on the tramp is the best thing ever & loves her daddy. She thinks scooping dog "poo" is awesome. She even says, "Poo, yuck yuck!" She points out everyone's car in my parents driveway & loves to cuddle before bed. We are loving all of her new words and mannerisms. I get so excited when I hear her say or do something new. We bought her a little kitchen for her birthday & she's loving it - even if she did put her stuffed puppy in the microwave. Oops. 

For Kess' birthday day I was still in desperate need of a swimming suit I felt comfortable in since we were planning on taking her to Roaring Spring Water Park later than afternoon. I didn't have much luck at a few stores the day before, so we hit up TJMaxx & I found 2 that I really loved. I settled on a black/black mesh one with some tummy control (mom win) & scored it for $30. I definitely didn't feel like a Victoria's Secret model in it, but I'm about 5 lbs down & am starting to feel pretty good. I decided to suck it up, not wear a cover-up or shorts & just have fun with my girl & you know what... we had the best time in the kiddie pool at the water park. 

After finding a suit, we ran home for lunch & nap time. She conked out & Matt came home a little early from work so we could spend a few hours at the water park. Kess was pretty nervous at first. She's like her mom like that - always a little apprehensive, but then she found a floaty tube to play in & she was set. We convinced her to go down the yellow kiddie slide once. Once & only once. She seemed to have fun when we went, but she was not having it any other time we tried. Kess lasted about 2 hours before we decided to head home for dinner. We gave her her present then! She was pretty dang excited about it, but was mostly excited about the little telephone that comes with it, "He-o?"

(A little nervous to post this ^, but this is real life folks, I'm a momma - not a VS model.)

It wasn't much longer before she was all sorts of cranky from having a super busy day. Believe it or not, Kess isn't always smiling & happy. Girlfriend has a cranky side, too! We got that cute girl all snuggled up in a new pair of jammies that I swore looked way too big for her, but they totally fit just right, & off to bed! I felt a little sad as I dressed her for bed. She's growing so quickly, it's hard for me to wrap my mind around it. Matt & I wrapped up the evening by hot-tubbing (We will miss that when we move out of my parent's house) & finishing off Kess' birthday cake like the stellar parents that we are. ;)

Thanks for celebrating & for all the birthday wishes for our sweet girl! XO

Kess' 2nd Birthday Party

Ok, first things first. How in the holy heck is my baby 2? 2?! I don't even know how it happened. Time seriously flies. I remember people telling me how quickly times passes when I first had Kess. I also remember thinking, "I wish time would go by fast! I miss sleeping. When does this thing sleep through the night?!" Well, she sleeps through the night now & I creep into her room just to smell her yummy, freshly washed hair & give her extra kisses... #momisweird 

I wanted her little birthday celebration to be low key, but ya know... walk into Zurchers Party Store &... I want to buy all the things. I kept it in check like a champ, but just couldn't leave without colored plates & matching M&M's because what kind of party would it be without those?! 

I made her cake in case you couldn't tell ;) I never said I was a cake decorator. I had never worked with fondant before, but I think it turned out pretty cute & it didn't cost me $40+ to have someone else make it. Kess even knew it was a "keeety", so there ya have it. Win win. We opted for a simple BBQ, salads and chips. I whipped up a few cupcakes last minute for those who love chocolate (me.) 

Kess wasn't so sure about everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to her, but she got over that in a hot second & loved it! She even blew out her own candle, which brought on the applause, which she didn't hate! ;) She didn't really care to open her presents, but has loved playing with them after everyone left! I think kid parties are so fun to throw. I really do try to keep them super simple, but put enough effort into them to make them special. (Hence that sweet homemade cake haha) 

Kess' little outfit was one of my favorite parts of the day. Granted, I knew that adorable white dress wouldn't stay clean for long, so we snagged pictures while it was semi-clean. I paired her cute little white dress (from Old Navy - in-store) with some sandals that I've been eyeing all summer & bought on sale (for $6) last week. And to top off her little outfit were these colorful baby tights from Lunaby Baby! They're made with thicker material, so that's super nice! Plus, the color is so vibrant & wild that I just couldn't help but add them to her birthday outfit! 

Thank you all for your sweet birthday wishes for our sweetest girl. Her actual birthday is Wednesday & we have some fun plans as a family of 3. We decided to just celebrate all week long! She's totally worth it! 

Have a wonderful week, my friends! XO

Fourth of July 2016

Matt took Thursday & Friday off for the 4th of July so we had an extra long weekend! It's so nice to have Matt around extra. He works so dang hard & tends to work some long hours, so we soaked him up all we could!! We spent the weekend furniture browsing, finalizing some plumbing fixtures for the house & finally getting to see the upstairs of our home! Framing is pretty much complete & it's so fun to see our plans come to life! We are loving all the progress at the house, but I think it's making me even more antsy so get moved it! We can't wait!! 

On Saturday we decided to go out riding with some of my family. We headed out to the Silver City area & hopped in the side by aides. We put Kess' car seat in the back & she was not having it! I finally convinced her to get in because I was sitting in the back with her. I thought she would totally love it, she only seemed slightly amused while riding. But, boy does that girl love the outdoors & the mountains! She was all about picking up sticks, rocks & cow poop (gag.) I don't know what it is, but everything tastes better in the mountains, too! Nothing beats a hot dog & some chips hahaha! After lunch we went out riding again & Kess finally fell asleep for a 25 minute cat nap. 

We pulled into town long enough to rinse off & head out for dinner. Kess was pretty restless so Matt & I took turns going on walks with her until our food came. We were all so dang hungry we inhaled our food & headed out. That's where Kess lost her cool ffr being a trooper all day long. We couldn't make it home for bed fast enough (you know, one of those types of tantrums.) 

Monday morning was spent out at the house. We were able to finalize a few things with some electrical outlets & plumbing rough-ins. It doesn't sound that exciting, but it really was for us! 

After Kess' nap we got into our patriotic gear & headed to my sisters for a BBQ! I am a sucker for holidays & family get-togethers! The food is always good & the company is awesome! 

Fun fact: my sister & I married brothers, so she's my sister & sister-in-law! ;) and the 4 of us showed up all sorts of matchy matchy! And my sister is just as cool as I am by wearing last years 4th of July shirt! ;) 

I hope you all had a wonderful & safe 4th! We are starting off this 4 day week with potty training! Wish us alllll the luck! ;)

Sunday Style with Amethyst & Opal

The #classicallymodest series is truly something that I look froward to working on and it's been a blast to have new shops join in and share their classically modest style with me & you! 

Amethyst & Opal is a shop that I have come across & have truly loved their style. It's, of course, trendy, cute & modest!

This olive embroidered insert dress is a dream. It's lightweight, airy & beautiful. The olive is currently sold out, but the black is available & I think it would be perfect in black, too! 

shoes (on sale)

I'm wearing a medium. It fits great & for helpful sizing... I'm 5'5" and 133 lbs. Hope that helps with your sizing questions!

A few of my other favorites from A&O are the Stonewash Jersey Skirt, Lavender Lace Cut Out Top, & the White Gauze Blouse (which is on SALE!)

Don't mind me telling Kess, "just a second, baby girl!" as she demands that I "Jump! Jump! Jump!" Haha

I hope you are able to find a little something that fits your style from Amethyst & Opal, the owner Kaley is a dream to work with & her customer service is great! Happy Shopping!

#BEtoddler Sensory Beads

This blog series has been swirling around in my mind for a while now, so I just decided to go for it. Over the last year & a half or so, as Kess' fine motor skills have developed, I have been thinking of little activities for her to do. Something she can do while I'm trying to cook dinner, or something quiet for her to do during church... all things to help her learn, grow or expand her find motor skills... or heck, just something to keep her entertained!

Today I'm going to share one of her favorite activities.
In fair warning, it's a messier activity. I grabbed these sensory beads from Amazon a while back & have loved them! They come in teeny tiny bead form.! You only use a teaspoon at a time so they last forever. You add water to the teaspoon of beads and let them soak for a few hours & voila... (tons of) slippery sensory beads. Kess loves to squish these, transfer them from one bowl to the other, run her little fingers through the beads. You name it. Now, they are bouncy little suckers & they most definitely get spilled, so once you're done, be sure to sweep up the beads because they make a bigger mess when you step on them! ;) 

I hope this inspires you to give your kiddos a little quiet play time & I hope you get to shower, cook dinner, clean or whatever the heck you need to get done while they play! Do you have a go to activity to keep your toddler busy? Share it with us! We would love to try it!

Neat Cheeks

I stumbled upon Neat Cheeks over 6 months ago & thought "That's genius!" I ordered a small bag & decided to give it a whirl. For the longest time Kess hated getting her little face cleaned after she ate. I used a damp paper towel & she was just not having it. I started telling her that we needed to make her face kissable. I would scrub her down super fast & ask, "Are you kissable?" She would show me her face, I would do a quick inspection & give her a smooch if she was all clean. 

This little game has continued to this day, but I'll tell you what... it's even easier & more fun now that we use Neat Cheeks. These wipes are stevia infused & they taste great!! I totally tried them myself! ;) The first few times Kess wasn't super happy about her face being wiped down so I wiped her little tongue quick so she could get a taste of the wipe. She looked up & said, "Mmmmm!!!" That also continues to this day! We have tried the "natural flavor" & the "just peach." I love the peach! It's so delicious! It doesn't taste artificial & the stevia is just something that can't be beat. For my local momma's - these are available at the Boise Nordstrom Rack or you can order them online! You can also find a location near you! 

These are a must have for us. We don't use them after ever meal, especially now that Kess is a little tidier eater, but you better believe that we have some in the car, in the diaper bag & some at home! I hope you all take the chance to try these! You won't regret it! Follow on Instagram for deals & promos!

Head on over to Instagram for a fun giveaway, too!