10.29.2015

Thoughts for Thursday: Naptime Confessions

Happy Thursday Everyone!  Remember you can write about whatever is on your mind.  Just grab the button and link up below


Thoughts for Thursday

- First off, what do you think of my new blog look?!  While I loved my old pink and navy layout I was just ready for a change and wanted something completely different.  I love how simple and clean it feels now.  I just love all the white space on the page.   I'm still working on tweaking a few elements here and there but would love your feedback.  How is the font?  To small, to light?  Can you read everything clearly?  Any other advice?  Thanks in advance!

- I have been going to bed way too late lately. I'm talking midnight- 1am style.  I don't know why but it seems lately I'm most productive after 9pm.  This does not bode well for my child's need to wake up at 6am everyday.

- I'm soooooooo excited for Christmas this year.  I cannot wait to start decorating and listening to Christmas music.  Today at Target they were putting out Christmas stuff and it took all myself self control not to buy something.  I'm trying to hold off until after Thanksgiving but I'm not sure I'll make it that far.

- MY BABY TURNS ONE NEXT WEEK. CUE ALL THE TEARS AND ALL THE FEELINGS.  I just cannot even wrap my head around it to be honest with you.

- Speaking of my baby, Matthew started taking steps last week and now wants to try "walking" all the time.  I'm not ready for this and just want to push him over, haha I mean I haven't yet but I'm not sure I can handle two mobile kids.

- Adele Hello. On Repeat. It's Amazing.

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- I have been awful about my working out and eating right lately. Our fall schedule is so busy and I've been making excuses about not being able to fit in time at the gym and I've got to stop.  I've also been treating myself to way to many Halloween treats.
- So this summer Miller pretty much gave up his pacifier habit and then after our move to the new house he became obsessed with it again.  I'm struggling to take it away from him and I'm kicking myself for not doing it earlier.  Today is the first day that he had to leave it in his room and use it for sleeping only. Wish me luck!!! It might be a long day.

- I'm trying to use my crockpot this year.  I will be honest and say I've only used it once in the 6 years I've owned.  I know, Crazy.  Does anyone have a good site for crockpot recipes?  Any favorite recipes I must try?

- I can't believe Halloween is this weekend! We have some fun parties to go to and I can't wait to see what Miller thinks.  We've had a little bit of a costume change but I'm excited regardless. I promise to share pictures and overgram this weekend so follow along @eastcoastnat on instagram if you don't already.


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10.28.2015

Wednesday Wishlist Under $100

Happy Wednesday everyone! Hope you all are having a good week.   There are so many things I keep adding to my wishlist every week.


I'm obsessed with this poncho! It's exactly what I'm looking for to dress up leggings and a basic tee this winter.


Ever since I bought the turtleneck from J.Crew Factory this fall I've become a huge turtleneck fan. This Club Monaco one is so chic and would look great with black pants or a fun party skirt this winter.   Of course you know I love the stripes ;) 



Everyone has been raving about this flannel shirt and I think I'm going to pick one up.


Merona Plaid Open Cardigan
I have to thank Liz for this most recent find.  I didn't think it looked that great online but after I saw it on her I was convinced it's cute.  




I wish I had somewhere in my house for this side table because it's perfect and under $100.  Nate Berkus has done such a good job with his Target line that I want to buy everything. 



I love this dress for the holidays!  I have no less than 4 holiday parties this year so I'm already on the hunt for dresses and shoes.  I think this one is going to be a contender. 


How fun are these champagne flutes?  I love champagne all year long but love it even more during the holidays.  I've been looking for champagne flutes like this forever and the words on them add a fun element.

Forever 21 Patch Pocket T-shirt Dress
Loving the style of this dress and the fact that longer lengths are in these days.  For only $19 this one is hard to pass up.  

This cozy sweater has my name all over it!  It's on sale for only $25 right and I think I might need to snag it.  

Now for my splurge of the week... this dress!! 

If I had an endless budget I would love this dress for holiday parties this year.  I love that the front is classic and conservative and then you have this open back.  It would be perfect.  


So what's on your wishlist this week?  


Linking up with Jenn for What's Hap-pinning Wednesday 


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10.27.2015

Around the House: The Sun Room

One room I'm trying to utilize and check off our list is the sun room.  Our sun room is right off our family room and we have to go through it to go outside so the room gets a lot of use. Right now it's pretty boring and needs some life brought to it.   I want to use navy, white, and gray as the main colors with pops of red or maybe even pink here and there.

Here are some pictures, not edited or staged just how the room is in it's current state:






The room has so much space and a ton of potential.  At the moment we have our old deck furniture out there and it's working fine. I don't love it but it's not in the budget to splurge for furniture out here right now.  We also aren't sure we can use this room in the dead of the winter since it only has a small wall heater and it can get below freezing here so we want to see how our first winter goes and then decide from there. 

First up is the paint color.  I'm leaning toward a light blue color and I'm between Sherwin Williams North Star and Sherwin Williams Olympus White.

North Star:




Olympus White:



They are very similar light blue grays but Olympus white is a little lighter than North Star.  I actually have North Star in Matthew's nursery and Olympus White in our basement guest room it's just deciding which one will look better in the sun room.    

Since this room gets a lot of traffic I want an indoor/outdoor rug.  Here are a few I'm looking at: 







As you can see I'm really leaning toward a striped rug out there.  I've heard great things about the Dash and Albert indoor/outdoor rugs but haven't tried them myself.  All the white on these rugs does make me a little nervous though.  I'm hoping once we get it painted it will make the rug selection easier.  

I plan to re-paint this hutch in a gray Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and then fill it with decor but that will be down the road.



I still need to figure out wall decor, drapes, and pillows,  but again those are more down the road items.  I'm really hoping to start painting this weekend and then order a rug soon.  I'm just itching to get things done around here but I know the process is slow and steady these days so I'm working on my patience.

Any suggestions or paint colors or rugs?  Does anyone have a Dash and Albert rug?   Have you ever painted furniture with chalk paint?


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10.21.2015

Wednesday Wishlist

Happy Hump Day! First thank you all for your kind words on yesterday's post, you all are so sweet as always.  Now let's talk about some things on my wishlist this week.  I'm trying not to spend anything else this month since I went on a bit of a shopping spree in early October but that doesn't mean I can't dream...


I love everything about this dress!! I've been on the hunt for a new chambray dress and this one looks perfect. Cute and comfy!

I've had my eye on  this top for months thanks to Lindsay and I think I need  to get it soon.  Stripes, cute, loose, comfy, and flattering basically make the perfect top.

Love this ring!  I actually love switching out the rings I wear on my right hand and this would be a fun one to add to my collection.  I just recently became a Gorjana  jewelry fan and for the price point it's great!


How cute is this bow front blouse for only $14.40!! 

This sweater is a little out of my price range but damn it looks comfy!! I'm so wishing I had picked this up during the friends and family sale last week. I'm thinking maybe price per wear would justify me buying it.

J.Crew Stadium cloth cocoon coat
I'm still looking for a pink coat and thinking this might be the one!!  I love the style of this coat and feel like this color (as long as it's not too much in person) would be perfect.


I just discovered this handbag line and I'm obsessed! Reminds me  of  the Clare V with a little less expensive price tag.  I'm also loving the camel color of  this clutch and think it would be perfect for the holidays.

Love everything about these boots. I just imagine them with a dress and tights this winter.
 
Could  this sweater be any cuter?!  Love the pattern and the colors

After seeing these pants on Ashley I've decided I need a pair in my closet. I feel like I really only have jeans and yoga pants  in there  right now so this would be a great addition.



My mom bought these when we were outlet shopping and I'm so mad I didn't pick up a pair for myself! They are so cute with skinny jeans, dresses, or a skirt.


What's on your wish list this week?


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10.20.2015

The Blanket Scarf, A Book Challenge, and a Wonderful Woman

One of my most frequently asked questions this fall has been about my blanket scarf. I missed the infamous Zara one so I found this similar one last fall on Amazon.   It's made in China and took about 4 weeks to arrive.  I think I spent around $30 but now it's down to $19.99 and has a few color options!  My favorite part about is that while its big it's not too thick so it's easy to wrap around and you don't get too hot. I wore it all fall, winter, and spring last year and can't wait to do it again.



I've rounded up a few of my favorites here:
In an effort to stay off social before bed I've decided to start a book challenge for myself. I want to try to read a book a week until Dec 31! I'm not sure I can swing it but I really need to jump start my reading again and thought this would be a good way. My goal is to start on Sunday and end by the following Sunday.  My first book is The Knockoff which I started this past Sunday. I'm only about 60 pages in so I have some work to do :)
Wish me luck and feel free to join along if you're up for a challenge.




Over the weekend we lost an amazing woman in our family. While we knew she would leave us one day it happened much faster than we all expected.  I've lost a lot of people in my life but this was the first person close to me I've lost in about 10 years and it's been hard. I think the hardest part is that she is the first person in my adult life that I lost that knew me, Kyle, and my boys. I feel so sad they won't remember her but I know she loved  them like her own and will be watching over them from heaven.





I will forever cherish this picture as it's the last picture I took with her before she got sick. 









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10.15.2015

Bringing Home Baby: My Unsolicited Advice

 Welcome back to another Thoughts for Thursday!!  Thank you to everyone who joins this link up every week and keeps coming back. You all are the best.

**I've screwed up a few pages elements but I'm working on fixing them soon, once I figure out how to :)** 

Thoughts for Thursday

In just a few short weeks my sister is due to have her first baby. I've been feeling all nostalgic about my babies and thinking of some of the the advice I wish I would have taken or things I would have done differently. To be honest so many of these things still apply to life with kids almost 2.5 years later.

1. Don't beat yourself up if birth didn't go as you planned- When I was 2 days over due with Miller I was told I needed a c-section for various reasons and 2 days later he was born healthy and happy.  I trusted my doctors yet afterwards so many people had opinions and I beat myself up for months over it. I  didn't have a strong feeling on vaginal vs c-section but in so many ways I felt like a failure. But why did I feel like a failure? Why was I letting people make me feel a certain way? All I wanted was a healthy birth for me and Miller and in the end that's what I got so my birth did go as planned!!! Never let anyone make you feel bad about it your birth story. If it has a happy ending then you should be happy!

2. Take all the help you can get- Seriously. Take it all. If your mother in law wants to come over and dust everything, take it. If your mom wants to hold the baby all day, take it. If your friends want to drop off dinner, take it.  Even if its not the help you want or need TAKE IT!!!  Never ever ever feel guilty about having someone help you. It's taken me awhile to learn that it really does take a village to raise a child and the more help you have the better you will feel and be as a mom. When you have your second or third baby still take the help!! Especially if they want to help with the older kid.

3. Sleep when the baby sleeps- Your baby doesn't care if your house is clean but he does care if you're cranky, depressed, anxious, or just plain exhausted from lack of sleep. SLEEP as much as you can especially with your first baby because once you have two or more you don't have the luxury to sleep when the baby sleeps. So sleep!!

4. Don't be to hard on yourself- You're going to do it wrong. Your kid is going to hurt themselves one day. You're going to lose your patience. You're going to yell. You're going to hate some things about parenting. You're never going to feel good enough. You know what, we all feel that way! Everyone of us. Right when you think you figure it out they decide they like it another way or they learn a new trick. Parenting is different every single day and you're never going to have all the answers.  Ask friends  for help. Google things. Vent to people. Drink some wine. Don't beat yourself up we've all been there.  I remember someone said once Parenting doesn't get easier, you get better at it.

5. Let your husband help and have a special job- Kyle can swaddle and soothe a newborn like a baby whisperer. He's amazing. That was his job with both Miller and Matthew when they were infants. These days it's bathtime and bedtime. If he's home, he's their hero. They listen to everything he says and go right to bed.  I also think it's important for me to have a break and him to have time to bond with them.  

6. Everyone parents differently- No one is going to do everything the same way as you and that's ok. You might swaddle and put your baby in her crib the first night while your best friend never swaddles and co-sleeps with her baby. Neither of you are right or wrong.  You might make homemade baby food and your friend only uses store bought. Again nothing right or wrong with that either. You have to do what feels right for you and works for your family. 

7. Baby books don't know your baby- Baby books are great guides, don't get me wrong. I've read many of them and they've been so helpful but I haven't found one that works perfectly for either of my kids. Miller was a horrible sleeper (and still kind of is) but nothing from the sleep books solved our problems. It was a combination of books, talking with mom friends, and talking with a sleep specialist that finally made things better.  That was my experience. I have a friend who did the Baby Whisperer schedule and her kid followed the schedule to a tee and was a great sleeper by 12 weeks. You never know so don't beat yourself up if your child doesn't do exactly what the book says.  Only you know your baby so do what feels right. 

8. Breast feeding might suck and that's ok- I feel like we as women don't talk about this subject enough. You might hate breastfeeding and that doesn't make you a bad mom. You might have trouble breastfeeding and that doesn't make you a bad mom. How ever you choose to feed your baby is your decision! As long as you're feeding your baby no one should care how you do it.  Breastfeeding is a 24/7 job and many times it's  hard to be away from your baby for more than 2-3 hours.  It's very demanding and can really take a toll on moms when they feel like they are the only ones that can help their baby. I was lucky that breastfeeding came very easily to me with both boys and everything went great until around 4-5 months when my supply totally disappeared. So I introduced formula and it turned both of us into much happier people. This happened with both boys.  With Miller I spent months beating myself up with Matt I just introduced the formula earlier and everything was fine. Both boys were exclusively on formula by 7 months.  Can I dare say I was better mom after formula?? I LOVE my babies but for me I needed to feel like myself again and I needed my body back to be the best mom I could.  It doesn't make me selfish, or if it doesn't I'm not going to apologize for it.  I did what was best for me and my family.
 
 9. Find like minded mom friends- This one is so important!! You need other women in your life to support you and understand what you're going through. Surround yourself with women who support your parenting choices even if they're different than theirs.  Friends that let you be yourself and love you anyway. Ones where you can show up for a playddate unshowered and they won't bat an eye or judge that you haven't cleaned up the toys in your playroom in weeks. Most of the mom friends I've met aren't like many of the articles or blog posts I've read on some of the big mommy blogs. All my friends let their kids eat donuts and goldfish and sometimes watch more than the recommended 2 hours of tv. No one ever judges anyone and we're always their to offer advice or a glass of wine after a long day.

10. Be a Selfish Mom- Read this article and take the advice. Thanks to Annie for posting it on Facebook. It took me a long time to learn to be a selfish mom but you can't feel bad about it! You have to take care of yourself to take care of other people!


Now grab the button below 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 7 am EST. 


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Thoughts for Thursday



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