2.27.2015

Five on Friday: The Dress and other random things

TGIF!  Are you all as happy to see Friday as I am?!  We have friends coming into town this weekend so I'm excited to play tourist and hopefully eat some delicious food :)

1. The Dress
BLUE AND BLACK. NO QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.  
What do you all see? Kyle sees blue and white. I see NO white or gold.  It's so interesting to hear what other people see. 

2. Spaghetti Squash 

A few weeks ago we decided to try out spaghetti squash in place of angel hair pasta.  I'm not a big pasta fan but Kyle LOVES it and could eat it every night.  Since we're both trying to eat better he decided to give spaghetti squash a try since we'd seen so many people say it was a good pasta substitute.  
Let me tell you- it's awesome!!  It's easy to cook, it gives you the feeling of eating pasta but it's not filling and you don't have that bloated I just stuffed myself with pasta feeling.  We were skeptical at first but now we're hooked.  We know eat it at least once a week.  We even got my parents hooked on it for a pasta substitute. 

3. Mamaroo- Did we love or hate it?

When Matthew was about 6 weeks old we had a phase where he hated being put down and hated the swing, bouncer, etc.  A good friend of mine let me her Mamaroo to see how that worked for us.  By the time she finally got it to us he was over his week of not being able to be put down but I figured we would give it a try anyway since people love it.   
My thoughts- it's fine. Matthew doesn't hate it but he doesn't love it.  He will tolerate it when he has to but he won't fall asleep in it and he doesn't like the scratchy wipeable type fabric on it so I have to put a blanket down on it before he lays down. I also have to buckle him in or he will arch and wiggle himself right out.   I will say though that it is really light and much less of an eyesore or space steal than the traditional swing but we still love our big bulky swing. 

4. Smocked Re-Sale Sites- A few of you asked me for the re-sale sites and I couldn't email you because you're a no reply blogger so I figured I would share here. I can't remember who told me about these but I decided to search Facebook to see if I could find any for boys.  All of the groups are closed and you have to request to join but I've had no problem getting into any of them.  Just put these names into your search bar on Facebook: 
- Smocked BOYS boutique resale (I've had the best luck with this one) 
- Snips and Snails
- Boys Smocked and Applique resale
- Smocked Obsession
- A Southern Smocking 
- Smocked Auction loves resale group
I have also heard that Smocking Hot Mamas is a good one for girls clothes and some boys. 

5. And These... 

 


Linking up with April and those lovely ladies
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2.26.2015

Thoughts for Thursday

You know the drill! Write about your thoughts for today, grab the button, and link up below.


Thoughts for Thursday

- It is snowing again today! I know I can't complain because we have had no where near the snow that Boston has had but it's hard being stuck inside all day with two babies.  I am so over it.

- I'm not a fan of snow. At all.  I hate being cold. The only upside is I'm actually getting my money's worth out of Miller's snowsuit and snow boots.

- I'm on the hunt for a new rug for our family room.   Thinking about this wool and jute one from Pottery Barn because the wool makes it softer than a regular jute rug but I do worry about shedding and still being uncomfortable for kids. 



- I have a girl's trip to Florida planned for April with my mom and sister.   I am really excited for a few days away of laying by the beach and shopping but I'm terrified to leave my boys!  The only time I left Miller for longer than one night was when I was in the hospital with Matthew and I still haven't left Matthew overnight.   I'm afraid I'm going to miss them so much and worry about them that I'm not going to have fun.   Any advice??

- I stumbled upon this wedding dress on Pinterest the other day and I'm in love with it.  It makes me want to get married again.  I love how the front is conservative with the sleeves and then the back is low cut and sexy. So unexpected. 

 The dress is from Etsy too, which is so cool

- Speaking of Etsy I've already started planning Miller's second birthay.  I think it's going to be a train theme.  I also can't believe he's going to be 2!!!! How did it happen so fast?!

- As you know I love smocked clothing for my boys (especially in the summer) and I just discovered Smocked boys re-sale sites on Facebook!! I'm completely addicted!  You can get new with tags and barely used smocked clothes for so cheap.  I've already bought 4 things and I just discovered them last week. The prices were too good to pass up. 

- Speaking of shopping and boys clothes I never realized just how much I shopped for the boys until I started going through my bins of clothes! I have so many clothes! I think I'm going to have to purge some and have a instagram/facebook sale.  I've got some good stuff that has barely been worn.  

- 23 days until Spring! 

 Now it's your turn!
Grab the button and link up to Annie and Natalie  on your Thoughts for Thursday post.
Use #thoughtsforthursdays on Instagram and tag us @homeofmalones and @eastcoastnat.
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2.25.2015

Wednesday Wishlist: Under $50

Happy Hump day! How is everyone surviving the cold?  I am so over winter.  This weather has me longing for spring and being stuck inside all day has not been good for my wallet.  I need to stop buying things I can't wear for 3 more months.  Like those J.Crew Factory shorts, but the sale is so good right now.  

Moving on... 

Here are some things I've had my eye on this week and they're all under $50:










Have you started buying spring clothes yet?

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2.23.2015

Matthew's Nursery Reveal

So now that Matthew is almost 4 months old I think it's time I finally show you his nursery!  We still have a few things we need to tweak here and there, like we really need to hang his blackout curtains, some more art, and get a pillow for his rocker but I digress. Since it's about 95% finished I figured I should show you now because who knows how long it will be before it's 100% finished. 

So here we go... I'm not a professional photographer and this is a real house not a pinterest perfect house so go easy on me ;)



This is what you see right when you walk in the door.  His room is in the front of the house and is one of the rooms that gets the most natural light.  

 



The steamboat prints are from an old book my dad found at an antique sale.   Miller has two train prints from the same book in his nursery.  The frames are also from an antique store.   The khaki color we painted them came out a lot darker than we planned so we're thinking of re-painting.  What do you all think?  I was thinking a light tan like on the rocker.  Would love to hear what you all think. 

 I had a really hard time deciding where to put the crib.  Matthew's room is bigger than Miller's but I found the furniture placement much harder with those windows.  My mom is the one who ultimately decided to put it against the windows and I love it. 

 
I had been struggling with what to put over the crib when my sister in law gifted me this star print below. I absolutely love it and it's perfect.
 
We love our Jenny Lind crib so far.  To be honest we rarely use it since Matthew still sleeps next to our bed but it was easy to put together.  Much easier than the one in Miller's room from Pottery Barn Kids and it was half the price!  So those are both wins in my book. 

Matthew's stuffed animal collection.  Miller has about 6 stuffed animals that he takes to bed every night so I will interested to see if Matthew is the same way.  Miller has already tried to steal all of them. 


This might be my favorite wall in the room!  I love how it turned out and how easily accessible the books are.  I wish I had done this in Miller's room. 


The books are all ones I've either purchased or been gifted from Miller and Matthew.  I moved a lot of the ones Miller was tired of in here :)


In Miller's room I used an Hemnes dresser for a changing table but this time I decided to go with a traditonal changing table.  I think there are pros and cons to each option.  The one thing I will say is that I do miss having the drawers because Miller's busy little hands love to dump out everything in those baskets!


 I orginally wanted prints from Animal Print Shop but I had seen them in so many nurseries lately I decided to look for something different.  I found these prints on Etsy and they are perfect!

Top left: lotion, wipes, and diaper rash cream.   Top right: Diapers- we are loving the Honest ones for Matthew and they're all left over from Miller
Bottom left: Exta wipes. I'm obsesed with Targe Up&Up wipes in unscented or sensitive skin
Bottom right: Diaper pad cover, burp clothes, etc. 

This is a toy basket of Miller's toys to keep him busy when we're upstairs in Matthew's room.  So far it's worked out really well and he knows those are his special toys :)

This laundry basket is my favorite!  I bought one of these huge bags for Miller and at first I thought it was way to big for baby laundry but I quickly realized it was not.  Babies have a lot of laundry.  I decided to get the same one for Matthew in another color and it's been perfect.  It's a large floor tote from Pottery Barn kids that I had laundry embroidered on.   I linked to it below.

Matthew's shoe collection is handing down from Miller and a lot of those were handed down to Miller from my nephew. 

So there you have it!  I am really happy with how the room turned out and it's currently my favorite room in the house (probably because it's the only one that stays clean and organized).  It actually turned out much bluer than I expected but I've ended up loving the blue color and think it fits Matthew's personality perfectly.  Since I know everyone always wants to know I included the sources below but if you have any other questions feel free to ask!


Sources:
Paint color: Benjamin Moore Mt Rainer Gray
Crib: Davinci Jenny Lind
Crib sheet: Restoration Hardware
Crib skirt: Restoration Hardware
Print over crib: Gift  
Dresser: Restoration Hardware Baby & Child
Rocker: Pottery Barn Kids  
Stool as side table: old from Homegoods 
Prints and framers over rocker: Old from Antique sale 
Changing table: Davinci Jenny Lind    
Changing pad cover: Restoration Hardware
Cloth Baskets in changing table: Pottery Barn Kids
Wood Basket in changing table: Pottery Barn Kids  
Prints over changing table: Etsy, Trafalgar's Square
Book shelves: Ikea Ribba 
Laundry Basket: Pottery Barn Kids 
Lamp, mirror, decor on dresser, and deer head: old from Homegoods 

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2.21.2015

Saturday Shopping: Bootcut and Flare Jeans

Yesterday I stumbled upon this article on Facebook from Pop Sugar fashion saying it's time to trade in our skinny jeans.  Apparently flare and bootcut jeans were all the rage at New York Fashion Week this year with a real 70s vibe. 

I love my skinny jeans but I love flare and bootcut jeans more and I'm pretty excited to hear this trend is coming back!  Flare and bootcut jeans are so flattering on most body types and are great at elongating legs.  

 I've rounded up some of my favorites below.  

Must Have Bootcut and Flare Jeans

So tell me, do you love skinny jeans or are you excited for flare and bootcut jeans to come back?




*this post contains affiliate links, for more information click here
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2.20.2015

Friday Five

TGIF!! How is everyone doing in this Siberian Express??  It's 1 degree with a wind chill that makes it feel like -10 today!  I don't think we will be venturing out of the house unless we have to.

So here are some things on my radar this week...


1.  Merona Reversible Faux Leather Tote- When I was in Target yesterday I stumbled upon these reversible tote bags and I'm kind of obsessed.  I love all the fun colors for spring and summer and for only $36 I think I might need to add one to my ever growing bag collection.

I'm thinking of getting a fun color like this red or the pink. 


 2. Merona Bernice Taper Toe Flat-  In the same Target shopping trip yesterday after I saw the above tote bags I stumbled upon these flats and fell even more in love.  Why does Target have so much good stuff?!?!   They didn't have any in store in my size but for only $19 I might need to get a pair of these too, in the navy stripe and black :)


 I think the black might be perfect for now and the navy stripe for spring! 

3.  No Bake Energy Bites- I was desperate for something sweet yesterday but I didn't have any butter or canola oil plus I wanted to try and be healthy, so I decided to make some no bake energy bites.  They were so easy to make and are so addicting.  I can't believe I haven't tried these before. These might be my new go-to when I'm craving a chocolate chip cookie in the late afternoon/evening. 
I used this recipe from Cooking Classy.  I omitted the coconut because I didn't have any and I'm not a big coconut fan anyway and they seem fine to me.  
Have you tried the no bake energy bites?  Do you like them? 

4. These Nightstands-  So in my indecisive nature I still have not made a decision on new bedroom furniture.  A while ago I pinned this image below from Elements of Style blog because I was obsessed with those nightstands. I figured they were a special order product that I would never be able to find but I found them!! They're not cheap but I'm in loooooove.    


I found them at High Fashion Home which I stumbled upon through another blog bedroom makeover I was looking at.  The color is listed as alabaster stone.  I need to call the store because I'm not sure if that is a cream, a gray, an off white, etc.  I'm hoping they have wood samples they could send but we'll see.   They have a matching dresser but we may be going another direction for dressers, but yeah I still have no idea.  

5.  Earth Balance Soy Free-  In an effort to clean up my diet and get back into healthy eating I'm back to paying attention to labels.  One thing I've noticed is that when you're trying to cut out dairy everything has soy in it!! I'm was shocked at just how many items have soy in them.  While soy isn't necessarily bad for you I'm just trying to be conscious of how much soy we are consuming since we do enjoy edamame at least once a week.  I was so happy I found this Earth Balance butter which is vegan and soy free.  Kyle is a little skeptical of it but I think it's delicious and tastes just like butter.

Have a great weekend everyone!   

Linking up with April and the 5 on Friday Girls

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2.19.2015

Thoughts for Thursday: Babies Don't Keep

Happy Thursday and welcome to another Thoughts for Thursday!  Remember you can write about whatever is on your mind.  Grab the button, and link up below.  Thanks again for joining us!

Thoughts for Thursday

Before Matthew was born I swore I was going to do things differently. I was going to get him on a schedule, have him sleeping in his own room by 8 weeks, and sleeping through the night by 12. I swore up and down that I would NOT let him sleep in our bed on my chest like I did with Miller.  I was going to be strict and have schedules and really be in charge. 


 But in the middle of dealing with two under two I started to throw away all my "rules" and just did what I knew worked.


 I may not be following all the "mom rules". I may not sleep again until I'm old and gray. I don't know if what I'm doing is right or wrong but I know that time is slipping away faster than I ever imagined.  Miller is going to be 2 years old in a few short months and in two weeks Matthew will be 4 months old.  These times of having them small and me being their main caregiver, best friend, constant entertainer, tear drier, boo-boo fixer, and cuddling buddy are limited. One day they won't need me or want me to do those things



So while I may never sleep 8 hours again or have a clean house or look perfectly put together, I know I will never look back and regret the co-sleeping or the late night snuggles or reading a book for the 10th times or playing peek a boo for the 100th time.  Seeing their smiles, hearing their giggles and knowing I make them feel safe. Those are the moments that matter.

 

"Babies Don’t Keep" 

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
Pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo
Look! Aren’t his eyes the most wonderful hue?
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

Author: Ruth Hulburt Hamilton


Now it's your turn!
Grab the button and link up to Annie and Natalie  on your Thoughts for Thursday post.
Use #thoughtsforthursdays on Instagram and tag us @homeofmalones and @eastcoastnat.
Link up starts at 7am EST.
Follow us on Bloglovin' too:
Home of Malones and East Coast Chic



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