Several months ago I decided I wanted to do a pizza theme for Wilder’s first birthday party, keeping with the theme of his monthly pictures. Monica and Andy sent the cutest matching pizza outfits for the kids, I collaborated with Minted on invitations, started looking at decorations and started the planning process. Obviously with everything going on in the world right now we were not able to have a party, but we still celebrated Wilder big!

I ordered a few decorations to make it festive but kept it pretty simple and we set up a virtual party with our families over zoom to do Wilder’s cake smash. Very 2020. It was such a special day that we’ll always remember… and such a unique first Birthday for Wilder.

I’ve had several questions on where things are from so I’ll go ahead and link what I can as far as outfit details and party decorations.

Outfit details:

on Wilder: shirt, shorts, shoes

on Crosby: dress, bow

on me: top, jeans

on Jeff: tshirt, pants

decor details:

one balloon banner, pizza banner, happy birthday banner

red checkered table cloth (cut to DIY tassel for high chair), chefs hats

chandelier, gold chairs, wish bone chairs, high chair

We might not have been able to throw the big pizza party we planned, but we are safe at home right now and that’s a huge luxury. Unfortunately that’s not the case for everyone and that breaks my heart. In honor of Wilder’s birthday, we decided to donate what we would spend on a party to Baby 2 Baby. They’re a non-profit organization who have been working so hard to get diapers, formula, supplies and other basic needs into the hands of children in poverty that have been impacted by Covid-19.  We are all in the same boat, but not the same storm.

Today Wilder is one! A whole pizza! He’s most excited to never have to get in a pizza box again. After we started his monthly pizza photos I thought it would only be fitting to have a big pizza party for his first birthday. We’re obviously not doing that now, but are still celebrating with our little family of four and our families will join over zoom.

In honor of Wilder’s first birthday I wanted to share his birth story…

My due date was April 15th, but when I went to my 38 week appointment my doctor told me she would induce me any time in my 39th week. She was comfortable doing so because it was my second birth and she thought it would go smoothly. That appointment was on April fools day and Jeff couldn’t make it so when I told him the news he thought it was a big joke. Finally I convinced him and we thought it over and decided Wednesday April 10th would be a good day for the induction.

It was kind of weird knowing my pregnancy had an expiration date because Crosby’s birth completely took me by surprise. We tried to cram as much fun for Crosby as possible into the last week and weekend leading up to the big day.

Since we were supposed to be at the hospital around 6 am Jeff’s mom decided to come over the night before and spend the night so she’d be there in the morning when Crosby got up. We picked up tacos for dinner from our favorite local spot, put Crosby to bed and I poured myself a glass of wine. I wanted to sleep that night and thought one glass after not having any for so many months would relax me.

I took about two sips and then my water started to break. Jeff couldn’t believe it and still thought we’d be able to get a full night’s sleep. I had to call the hospital to get him to realize we needed to leave ASAP.

Once we got to the hospital and they checked me out they weren’t convinced my water actually broke and said it may have only started to and sent me out to walk the halls for an hour. I think this was all around 10:30/11 pm and I was so tired and uncomfortable but still managed to walk the halls in my tent of a hospital gown for over an hour.

When the time was up we went back and they saw how much I progressed and asked me if I wanted my epidural then or wanted to wait. Music to my ears! I obviously got it as fast as I could and was hoping I’d be able to rest or possibly nap for a little bit. Not even an hour later they came in and checked me again and said I was fully dilated and they’d call my doctor. It was about 2 am, my doctor arrived about 20 minutes later, I pushed for maybe 20 minutes and Wilder was born at 2:54 am.

Such a whirlwind experience and even faster first year. I said yesterday that it was the fastest year of my life combined with the slowest month in history. Wilder is such a bright light right now and everything our family needs. He may not be getting a big first birthday party but it will be one we always remember.

At this point in quarantine the highlight of our days has been time spent outside. The kids and I (and sometimes Jeff) have been taking two long walks around the neighborhood every day and spending as much time playing in the back yard as possible. I feel especially fortunate to have a backyard right now. It really makes the days go by faster and has been so much fun. This week we’re having back to back rain storms and are pretty cooped up inside. We decided it was time to finally get Crosby some toddler rain gear.

Crosby’s raincoat, dress, leggings, rain boots

my sweater, similar trench, jeans, rain boots (in other colors, shorter style), similar umbrella

We went with yellow because it’s so classic and Wilder will be able to wear them when Crosby outgrows them. Toddler rain boots and raincoats are cute but nothing is as cute as them actually dressed in them. She looks like the Gordon’s fisherman! Crosby is still undecided on if she actually likes getting wet, but she does seem to love “jumping” in puddles after the rain stops.

It’s kind of really challenging bringing both kids out in the rain alone, since Wilder is so young and not walking yet, but we’re trying not to let that slow us down. This morning I put him in a jacket and put him in this carrier. So far it’s been the best solution. Fingers crossed we get a break in storms and can go out for a long walk later… if not we’ll be puddle splashing and dodging rain drops as best as we can.

Crosby’s raincoat, dress, leggings, rain boots

my sweater, similar trench, jeans, rain boots (in other colors, shorter style), similar umbrella

Thank you so much for reading and following. Hope you’re staying home and staying healthy!

A few months ago I started making a couple little updates to freshen up our home decor for spring. Who knew we’d be spending all of our time at home in the months to come! Little tweaks can go a long way, and there are several inexpensive ways to brighten your home up right now.

My favorite ways to update on a budget:

light fixture (under $100), similar table runner, wishbone chairs, gold chairs (40% off) , bench (40% off)

• Greenery – adding some fresh greens from outside always brightens my mood. It doesn’t necessarily have to be flowers, plant clippings can look just as good in a vase.
• Printing and framing photos – I don’t think we’ve printed a photo out since Wilder was born so this is something I really need to get caught up on right now.

coffee table, tray, hanging chair, rattan chair, poufs, rug, ceiling fan

• A new throw pillow, vase, tray, table runner, place mats… any accent decor. Target has an amazing new home decor line I’m loving right now.

table, chairs, high chair, similar place mats, similar light fixture (under $60), similar rug, wine fridge

• • Light fixture switch – we recently swapped the rose gold light fixture over our kitchen table for a woven one that really transforms the space. We purchased ours for under $50 at ikea, but I found a similar option in the same price range.

Thank you so much for reading and following. Hope you’re staying healthy and safe!

I know I’m not alone saying I’m glad March is over. What a weird month. For me personally it started so happy, I was planning Crosby’s 3rd Birthday party and starting to plan Wilder’s 1st as well. All of that changed just a couple of days before Crosby’s birthday, and the rest of the month was one big blur of days blending together. It seemed pretty endless and now April does as well. All that aside I wanted to share my top 5 sellers in March. I plan to keep things as normal as possible around here right now and hope that’s okay with you!

Aside from my #1 seller last month, everything was in the fashion category. It’s always interesting to see what does well.

Outdoor dining table – mentioned in my post the other day and still currently 40% off. This is a great outdoor table!

Open weave sweater – the perfect sweater for spring. You can layer a cami under so it’s not see through. Or you can layer it over dresses and tops. It’s also 40% off right now.

Taupe espadrilles – these come in 8 colors and are the perfect height for every day wear. They’re under $100 and super comfortable.

Levi’s 501 skinny jeans – one of my all time favorite pairs for jeans. I’ve had these for over two years now and continue to wear them multiple times a week. They’re under $100 and great quality but are not stretchy denim. Some people reccomend sizing up but I take them in my regular size and they fit perfectly.

Woven slides – I pursed these during the Shopbop sale early last month. They’re a great neutral sandal that I can’t wait to wear more. I think they run a little narrow but I was still able to wear my normal size.

As always, thank you so much for reading and following. Your support means so much to me!

The past few weeks have made me incredibly thankful for an outdoor space. We have been soaking up as much sun as possible and trying to spend as much time outside tiring the kids out. Luckily the weather has been cooperating. Some of my outdoor furniture is on sale for 40% off right now along with the entire World Market outdoor department.

Our outdoor dining table, bench, chairs and umbrella were some of my favorite purchases last summer. This table is a great size, we can comfortably fit 8-10 people around it – I love the bench for more seating.

We also have two navy and white striped umbrellas that we move around the patio when we entertain. The bases, stands and canopies are all included in the sale. The macrame might be my favorite, I think it looks great in any outdoor space.

Jeff built our outdoor living room furniture several years ago, but there are a lot of similar options here. I especially love the color and style of these.

Our lounge chairs are from Wayfair, we’ve had them about two years now and really love them. They’re such a great price for a set of two. I also love this one that comes in a bunch of colors. World Market has a similar one as well.

Another one of my favorites is this double kid lounge chair/cabana. We bought it when Crosby was a newborn and have loved using it out every summer. It also comes in a neutral tan color and a single lounge with umbrella. Mackie loves it too!

I’m currently wanting an outdoor rug and am eying a few…

• I love the colors in this one, I think it would look pretty with all the navy we have going on.
• This one is similar but a little more neutral.
• I think this one would look great with most furniture, maybe even under the outdoor table.

Thank you so much for reading today – hope you’re staying healthy and staying home! xo