two, how do you do? i’ve known you three other times and you’ve been sweet but this time i find you rather bitter. yes, in the form of my squishy and smiley little guy you could not be sweeter but in knowing this is likely the last time two lives in our home, i feel a little sour.
sweet rocco you are sunshine through and through. pudgy hands and thumpy feet that leave smudges of happiness down the halls and in our hearts.
+you are so animated with the cutest little expressions that i somehow know that i used to make
+instead of yes, it’s a sure “mmmhmmm” and to that i can never say no
+you insist on going to bed with at least two binkies (memees). preferably three. one for your mouth. and one for each hand.
+whatever liam does or has, you must have or do too
+it’s been all about muno but as of last week spiderman (man) it is
+meal times are wild. no sitting still. food everywhere. walking on tables. begging for coocoo (cookie).
+you can break dance with the best of them
+ we call you roc, rocco the taco, and (i’m sorry) little roc
+you’re favorite book is wild animals by rop van mierlo
+you love to watch common + colbie caillat break it down with elmo
+you just started giving bear hugs and i hope you never stop
+you look up to uLA, Uke and EEum
+when i’m not looking you dance like maniac in your car seat. but i always catch a glimpse.
+you love to put on my shoes or anyones that might be laying around
by now it may be known that your name means rest. truth be told you are my most active. the messes you make are second to none. i’m always right behind picking up after you or you are right behind me undoing what i’ve done. your running. i’m chasing. but here we are together. maybe you don’t afford me physical rest but you’ve given my soul some. that is the kind i need anyways. the peace of mind kind. good day. bad day. random, nothing new kind of day. and there you are shining your sweet smile my way and covering me with little heaps of happiness. giggling goodness back into my serious self. creating chaos and casting calm into my heart. finding rest when you rest your head upon me. it’s all there wrapped up in your pudgy little body and bright shining eyes.
although it’s your birthday, i’m the one who gets the gift. and i pray that two with you is imprinted in my mind and stamped upon my heart for all the three and four and forty fours that follow.
how was your week? mine was up and down and everywhere in between. ikea was our big adventure for spring break week (i know, kind of sad). is it strange that my 3 year old thinks a trip to ikea is fun? the day after, he said, “can we go back to ikea today?” that would be my liam brave who looks like the little old man (above) and talks like one too. we had fun just hanging around the house and playing games like pigeon, pigeon, ostrich (my version of duck, duck, goose) and jelly monster, which is a new game we made up.
and yesterday… yesterday was one of those where a whole bunch of random and pretty amazing things happened all in one day. the kind of things that make you just stop and say, “really? did that just happen? how. did. that. happen.?” and really, all you can do is smile and have a thankful and grateful heart.
A FEW OF MY FAVES THIS WEEK +
01 / i wouldn’t mind one of these for mother’s day.
02 / do you lie to yourself? a great article + #10 made me snort.
03 / this collaboration is darling and i want them for my darlings.
04 / i really really want to make one or two or three of these.
05 / want to do a small thing to share #mightylove ?
also, you can read my 5 tips for successful collaborations here and see some of my friday favorites over here.
FOR MORE LOVELY + Inspiration : PINTEREST / Chatter : TWITTER / Conversation : FACEBOOK / Pictures : INSTAGRAM
it’s monday and guess what? there is a mess. an easter mess to be exact. i thought you might like to see what transpires when four little la la’s rip through their easter baskets. of course, since easter colors and candies are so colorful it’s a mess that is kind of fun to look at (at least on the computer screen). i finally managed to get the candy carnage cleaned up last night. and while that area is under control, the rest of the house seems to be disorderly. and lets not even mention the basement. that is more along the lines of disastrous. but alas, it is spring break and i think it’s a loosing battle so i’ll just raise the flag and admit defeat. do you know the feeling?
we went from mis-matched pajamas (luke just likes to mix every random pair possible? and yes, i just realized that liam brave has on christmas pajamas, that are too small) to their easter outfits.
to see our easter photos . . .
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hi lovelies. how have you been? it’s been a fun two weeks for me. i’ve been popping in from time to time to say hello while traveling. but today, i am back home in the winter wonderland that i call home. i love traveling and i love coming home. i always find myself overwhelmed with a sense of appreciation and find that i fall in love with my home all over again, pretty much, every. single. time. it’s just that feeling of domestic duty that always sneaks back in, within about 90 minutes time, that steals all those lovely endorphins.
but back to the trip. we had a lovely time. if you’ve been reading for awhile than you may have noticed that every year in february we trek out to the desert, tucson to be exact, with our friends. it’s been a tradition for 14 years. we started going before there were any littles and 7 kids later we are still making lots of memories.
i should like to tell you that we climb this mountain, and that one. that we go on adventures and so on, but really, all we do is eat, shop, relax, sit by the pool, take walks and then repeat. it’s pretty great.
+rocco, who slept in the shower all week (memory), was the sweetest.
+the mountains always give me a shot of strength that i can’t seem to find elsewhere, you know.
+we always go rock climbing. liam brave was brave little thing.
+a snowstorm was not what we planned for but it did make for memories + some haunting photos.
+the big kids . . . getting way to big. boo to growing up.
+stopped by one of my favorite stores, bon, again. diane keaton loves it too.
+my beautiful friend jen (who always inspires me to be a better mom) and pax, of #dailydoseofpax fame. he is such a darling, in every sense of the word + i could have just eaten him for dessert everyday.
a few of my favorite places to eat in tucson are:
+blanco
+wildflower
+sauce
+frost
+and, of course, this midwest girls likes to get her fill of rubio’s + in and out burger, when visiting the west, too.
*next week, i’ll be sharing some photos from a really cool shop in tucson, that i stumbled upon,that sells gorgeous handmade jewelry, that i fell in love with.
*you can see more from our trip over on instagram + post on LA trip to follow in a few!
hi lovelies…as you may have gathered from my instagram feed i have escaped the cold and am traveling. traveling with 4 kids, that is. it’s always a task, but well worth it. i’m sharing a few tips on flying / traveling with littles today. i’ve shared this before, but you may just be new around here! happy travels!
/ / / /
Traveling with kids differs for everyone. But however you put it or plan it out it is not an easy task. I’ve come to the conclusion, 10 years and 4 kids later, that it basically comes down to luck and money. Not what you wanted to hear right? Luck if you have a well tempered little one (s). Luck if you happen to get the right ticket agent who will hook you up. Luck if the flight is not full and you can stretch out over a couple of seats. Luck if you have no delays or hiccups. Money, you ask? Well, money, can buy you lots of things, like extra seats, traveling nannies or flying private, which of course would be the ultimate easiest way to travel with kids. Yes, I know very far fetched but I’m just speaking the truth. You drive your car right up to the plane. Load anything and everything you want on the plane. You can stretch and roam about and eat catered food. Your kids can even talk to the pilots and see what goes on in the cockpit. Then the nice pilots land the plane. Open the door and viola your car awaits you and you’re off. And this pretty much would explain how Brand and Angelina can travel the world with 6 kids often and easily (that and add in a couple of nannies + an entire staff). Ok, now back to reality.
I’m a planner, and thus I plan, very strategically, on how to make travel as easy as possible. Of course, it doesn’t always go according to plan. Sometimes it goes way worse than expected + surprisingly sometimes it goes better. None the less, here are a few tips I’ve learned along the way:
01/ Technology. Load those iPads / iPods up and let them roll. Be sure to bring earphones that work with small little ears (ones that you wear like a headband and cover the entire ear have worked best for us).
02 / Snacks . Bring lots of snacks + then some. Whatever it takes, yes, even candy (suckers last a long time).
03 / Change of Clothes. I forgot a change of clothes once (duh) and of course LB had an explosion. Thank God it was summer time + a short flight. He ended up wearing a slightly stained white onsie.
04 / Pain Reliever. I don’t know if people still give there kids a little “something” when flying, but I always bring a little Tylenol for sensitive ears (do you?). Gum is also a great idea for take off and landings.
05 / Coloring / Craft. Ok, you know you want to bring something like this. Go ahead and do it. I recommendCrayola Color Wonder coloring books + markers (no mess). However, prepared to pull the iPad back out after 3.4 minutes.
06/ Bottles. If you are still nursing or bottle feeding, bring enough milk (or plan to nurse) for take off and landing and extra for in between. The swallowing helps babies ears when you are climbing in altitude.
07 / Buy an Extra Seat. Here is where money and luck comes in. If money is not an issue, by all means, buy an extra seat for your baby. You might not have the best luck and may end up squished between two people with baby screaming on your lap.
Although traveling with children can be hard and, yes, very tiresome. In the end, it is worth it. Hours of pain for days of fun. And lets not forget, memories that last a lifetime. Yes, even those travel nightmares end up being some of the funniest memories and most told stories.
image / les zigouis
a view from the kitchen / ella requested chocolate cherry, (everyone requests this), cake for her birthday / a pop of neon in winter / liam braving the snow
we’ll we’ve seen a lot of snow and as much as i love it, i’m happy to say that i’ve escaped it for a couple of weeks. we all survived a 3 hour plane ride (more on that next week) and are now settling into shorts, flip flops and the warm sun beating down on our faces. the littles had an extra glimmer in their eyes and spring in their step today which made my heart skip a few beats. and i couldn’t have asked for more this valentines.
+ a few of my faves this week +
01 / i thought i couldn’t love her anymore – but i do.
02 / a lesson in chocolate and i’m now ready to test.
03 / lego lookalikes
04 / how to look like you’ve had your beauty sleep when you haven’t.
05 / it’s like the sartorialist for littles.
06 / do you “binge” watch tv? which shows?
*don’t forget to enter the valentines giveaway!
FOR MORE L O V E L Y +
Inspiration : PINTEREST / Chatter : TWITTER / Conversation : FACEBOOK / Pictures : INSTAGRAM
this week i’m sharing some out takes from my boys room featured in the Land of Nod catalog.
welcome to luke and liam’s room. did you know this used to be my room growing up (well at least until the 7th grade when i moved all my belongings to the basement in an effort to not share a room with my sister anymore)? if you are new here, i should mention that i live in the house i grew up in. it’s crazy. it’s awesome. it’s weird. but mostly it’s super cool. i’ve watched this room, in particular, go through many makeovers over the years according to who resided in it. at first it was my sister and i (ages 9 + 4, to start with). than just my sister for the longest of times. then when my family (as in my husband and i) moved back in it became my daughters room (this is her room now) and then we moved everyone around when # 4 came along. now my two middle boys share this room. and come to think of it, it is the first time boys have lived in this room which is, in fact, still claimed by my sister, as her name carved in the closet door states.
you can shop the look of this room right here! but here is a list of some of the resources :
paint / winter wheat by benjamin moore /chalkboard paint
bunk beds/ land of nod
light fixture/ up and atom light fixture
wire baskets / land of nod
desk / little sloan leaning desk
desk chair / class act desk chair
rug / chevron and on rug in grey
robot drawings / hand drawn by luke, age 7 (he was super proud and i was too)
window shades / the home depot
string lights / ikea
the mouse hole / this was a super fun addition we recently made connecting the boys room to the nursery. the kids think it’s so fun to crawl through and i think it just adds an extra touch of magic.
i’ll be wrapping up the room tours next week with my dining room/playroom. (and again…. if you have e-mailed me with a question or left a comment, i promise i will get back to you).
images courtesy of Land of Nod
so this week, i’m sharing more detailed photos of my living room, which you may have seen in the Land of Nod catalog. before we go any further….did you see the video? i’m a little in love with it. i’m still a rather overwhelmed by the response and all of the lovely notes i have been receiving (and if you have e-mailed me with a question, i promise i will get back to you). thank you all so much for your kind words.
you can shop the look of this room right here! but here is a list of resources :
paint / winter wheat by benjamin moore / inner child by sherwin williams (above fireplace) . . . great name for our playful room, right?
chairs / both vintage finds
disco ball / flea market find
chests / circulation chest
art / land of nod (with the exception of the mosaic – DIY coming tomorrow)
mirror / the mirror lady
rugs / land of nod
couch / crate and barrel
coffee table / crate and barrel
pouf / land of nod
floor lamp / land of nod
bench / vintage find
the swing / the swing was custom made by a carpenter. if you would like further information please e-mail me. however, a swing DIY is likely in the works for next month…so stay tuned.
masks / lucky fish who has the most rad stuff. sadly, as of now no masks are not available. but you will want everything else they have, i promise.
look for mosaic DIY tomorrow and next week, i’ll be sharing pictures from the boys room.
images / Land of Nod / last image Frank + Harvey
