Series: Can't Live Without

This week totally flew by. And it is the best time of year here, so I want it in slow motion, please. Just a few things on the agenda this weekend, but most important is snuggles on the couch, homemade brownies, and maybe a leaf pile session in the yard. 

And for your weekend reading pleasure, what some great ladies just can't live without…

Teacher, newlywed, incredible friend, who loves an adventure as much as lounging and gabbing all day...

1. Nars Pure Radiant tinted moisturizer spf 30

2. Palmers Skin Therapy Oil 

3. DiorShow Art Pen eyeliner 

4. Tweezerman tweezers 

5. Sriracha sauce 

Small business owner, Mom of three, who also has a creative eye that everyone envies...

1. Vertu Vigilance C Clear Sunscreen 

2. Ray Bans matte army green wayfarer

3. CrossFit

4. Lulu legging

5. Macbook Air & Iphone

Mom of three boys (under three!), whose making it look really good and dare I say easy? 

1. Starbucks grande skinny vanilla latte + a venti iced water (yes I have to have the water too)

2) dapple wipes

3) Oberweis chocolate milk

4) US Weekly 😍

5) Giraffe at Home throw blanket 

Gorgeous Mom of one adorable baby boy, whose gluten free, hilarious, and so much fun...

1. ChocoHigos 

2. Leopard Onesie

3. Pumpkin Pie Larabars

4. Joie Suede Bootie

5. The Blissful Kitchen Recipes

Happy Weekend! 

xo

Erin 

Advice from Educators

Nothing seems as hard to any parent as life with a baby. All those firsts and walking around exhausted feels like the hardest thing on the planet to do. And it gets a little easier and easier as the months slip away, or maybe you just get used to it. And you think, "wow, this just gets so much less stressful as they get older." 

And then, they start school. Whether it is preschool or third grade or high school. Your child now has the responsibility of education on their hands.

 From ABCs to ACTs, it can hard to know what is right or wrong for your child. If they are learning at the pace they should. If they are attending the correct school or even in the correct grade. And as a parent, it is your job to make sure they have the access, the support, and the dedication for it all. 

Yea, makes those sleepless nights seem like a dream, really. So I sought out some advice from educators. I wanted to know what they would say to any parent given the chance. Since we all know that their communication can be stifled by rules and regulations. Here is what they had to say to help us all with our little ones...

More after the jump...

33 Years And Counting

Yep, today's my birthday. 33 feels pretty good. 

Pretty great, actually. 

And while I have learned a lot over the years, this is what my previous year has taught me. 

1. Taking care of your skin is the only thing that is going to make you look better (besides the knife), so invest ladies. Sunscreen, serums, retinol, and no picking (guilty!).

2. Kids will change your life and make your heart burst out of your body every day. It is awesome. 

3. But not so awesome that you do not need alone time and breaks from being a Mom. Moms make 1,347 decisions every day for themselves and everyone in their house. It is a lot and sometimes we just need to go to Starbucks and read Vogue for an hour. Or go away for a weekend and make one decision a day. Red or white. 

4. The Internet is the best and worst of everything all at the same time. Seeing professionally airbrushed pictures of celebrities wearing clothes they did not even have to buy, posts of vacations abroad in incredible cities you are not in, perfectly staged gorgeous rooms and kitchens on Pinterest, DIY projects you admire but know will never happen at your house, pictures of pretty much the best moments of every one's life you have ever met and not the worst moments. It messes with your head! But we want to see it, the thing I have learned is to take it for what it is and remind yourself these are glimpses and not reality. 

5. Eating good food and drinking good wine are necessary for happiness. Spring for the slightly nicer bottle every time. And always treat yourself each day. And I am not talking about a square of dark chocolate, Jessica Alba, I am talking about real indulgence. Butter, extra cheese, ice cream, crumbled bacon. Not all the time, but once a day at least.

6. Sleep is everything. It cures everything, it makes you a better person, makes your skin look good, and you can never have too much. So enjoy it when you can get it. And if you are not getting it (looking at you new moms), I wish for you restful nights and early bedtimes very soon.  

7. Be grateful. Every day. Even when it is the worst day ever. 

Excited for the next year and what it will bring.

Cheers! 

xo

Erin 

PS: Thank you for all your votes on my outfit for tonight. I will post later when I am all dolled up! 

Peonies to Palm Trees

Positano 

The fantastic blog, Peonies to Palm Trees, featured my honeymoon this week. It feels like ever so long ago, but it was fun to rehash the details and remember what a beautiful trip it was. The site is such a great resource for anyone planning a vacation, honeymoon or not. It featuraes real couples on their honeymoons and lists how they picked their destination, what they favorite part was, what they would have done differently, etc. 

This pretty accurately sums up the trip. Wine, pasta, empty plates. 

Check out Ilana's blog and get swept away a bit for the weekend. Might give you some ideas for your next trip. 

Our balcony at sunset in Capri 

Here's to wishing for lots more getaways. 

xo
Erin 

Hollywood Holiday

The lovely ladies of the red carpet are the perfect inspiration for your holiday party dress shopping. I only have a couple of invitations this year that warrant a flirty cocktail look. I plan on wearing this again and think one of these should fill in for the second. 

Black and strappy on Anne Hathaway 

dress $64

Something with sparkle, like Emma Stone

top $106 / bottom $60

A statement blazer with skinnies and pumps on Gwen

top $473 / bottom $121

Totally chic black and white on Jennifer Aniston

left $76 / right $385

Unexpected yellow on Kristen Stewart

dress $253

Which is your favorite? 

xo

erin 

Surprise Favorite Things

There are so many things to register for, and many of them are so obvious. But it is that one item that you randomly received or ordered blurry eyed at 2am that became your favorite. I asked some other new moms to share that one item that surprised them the most and could not have lived without. 

Kelly, mom of Eloise (5), Millie (3) & Wells (10m): I am not really into a lot of baby gear, but the car mirror was something I loved. No more driving myself crazy wondering if he was snoozing in his car seat or not. 

Kristen, mom of Hutton (1): Someone sent me a Mom's one Line a Day that I absolutely love. It is a five year memory journal that only allows 2-3 sentences per day to record a milestone, thought, story, etc. Easy and quick to do so it does not feel overwhelming. Also, Meal Train, a website that friends and family can log into to schedule the drop off of a meal or groceries. It is a favorite since it is hard to feed yourself breakfast/lunch/dinner when you are busy with a newbie!

Betsy, mom of Harley, (2): By far and away it was a bottle holder. I feel like I kept seeing moms propping up their kiddos bottles with burp clothes and anything else they could find, so this "donut" was perfect. 

Rachel, mom of James (3m): The Woombie, it's the swaddle of all swaddles. All you do is zip it up and the babe cannot get out! We tried traditional swaddles and he escaped from them all except this. Plus, it has a double zipper, meaning you can unzip just the bottom to change a diaper and not let his arms free.

Leigh, mom of Reece (7), Chloe (4) & Wes (3): I loved the old school Platex bottles with the plastic liner inserts. They were so easy for the babies to use (and no air bubbles) once they could hold on to the bottle themselves. 

Kate, mom of Lily (5) & Myla (2): The squeezable baby food packets are genius. My two year old still loves them! 

Rebecca, mom of Georgia (1): I'm super embarrassed to admit this but the Nose Frida is amazing! I had panic attacks when she got sick and that little miracle saved me during her first few colds. 

Lauren, mom of Grayson (10m): The old school liquid Neutrogena (with the black pump). It gets out ANY stain, including blood if you rub the soap into the stain and let it sit overnight in a small tub filled with water. The next day I rub the stain area before throwing it into the wash. 

Alexis, mom of Jack (4m): I did not register for the Fischer Price Rock n Play Sleeper, nor did I know anything about it until after 10 tough weeks. When we finally came to grips with the fact that Jack has a pretty bad case of acid reflux, it became invaluable. 

Eva, mom of Jenna (16m): I loved my Itzbeen Baby Care Timer. It is a little gadget that helps track the last feeding, diaper change, sleep, etc. You can also keep track of which side you nursed on last. It really help me make sure I was sticking to our schedule. They do have apps for this as well, but when Dad and grandma take over for a few hours this kept us all straight and was easy to hand off to one another. 

Kristen, mom of Kinsley (1m): I'm obsessed with Aquaphor for baby. with 12 diaper changes a day this has been a must have. It helps prevent diaper rashes and it makes it easier to clean those frequent dirty diapers, no dried mess on baby skin. 

Marita, mom of Emme (10m): Mine has to be the ugly Piano Kick Gym we received (unsolicited). It was amazing and bought me tons of time when Emme was little, but I wanted her to be entertained. Not pretty, but I loved it.   

Lauren, mom of Sloane (1m): Since I am a "pumping exclusively" mama, I am obsessed with the steam bags. Seems silly, but pumping and feeding every two hours lends itself to a lot of bottle and pump part cleaning. The Medela Steam Clean Bags allow me to throw all of that into the bag, throw it in the microwave and everything is sterilized and cleaned. The bags are safe and it saves me so much time! 

Krissy, mom of Charlie (3) & Cate (11m): My best gift was girlfriends! That includes every woman in my life that helped me through the newborn months with advice, meals, support. Everything. My best discovery through these lovely ladies was nipple shields. Charlie was miserable at breastfeeding and during a visit from a friend, she was appalled at the sight of my (mutilated) nipples. She left and brought me nipple shields immediately. I never knew they existed. She literally saved me, or my nipples at least.  

Lindsey, mom of Jake (7), Kate (5) & Jude (4m): My Pronto changer has been great! I hate the big bulky diaper bag and this is really all I need for cruising around. I thrown it in the bottom of the stroller or just clip it onto the handle and it even as a spot for my phone, wallet and keys. 

Me, mom of Tommy (9m): The Organic Ultimate Crib Sheet is awesome. Crib sheets have to be changed so much and sometimes in the middle of the night. This sheet snaps on over another regular sheet, but under the bumper. That way when you need to change the sheet, you just snap it off and a fresh sheet is waiting underneath.

Thank you to all the moms who contributed! What are some things you could not live without?

xo
Erin 

Destination: Santa Barbara

Last Thursday I hopped on a plane with my man for a weekend in Santa Barbara. You know you leave early when you see the sunrise over the city, but it was worth it. 

Landing in LA at nine in the morning gives you lots of time to enjoy your day. We rented a car and drove up the PCH towards Santa Barbara. The only downside of getting in so early was that my plans to stop in Malibu for lunch were not possible since we were there before the place opened. The views from the car made up for it and and after a few stops and this glorious meal at In N Out...

We made it to Santa Barbara. 

I have been here before and even almost went to school here, but it always seems almost fantasy like when I come back. What lucky people get to live in this dream land year round? The weather is perfect, the beaches gorgeous, and there is plenty to eat and see in this coastal haven. 

We stayed at the Four Seasons Biltmore which is located where Santa Barbara meets Montecito. The resort feels more like one of the sprawling Spanish style compounds that surround it. And a larger version of one of my favorite hotels, the Arizona Inn. There was plenty we could have done, but after checking in and finding a spot on the beach, why leave? 

Especially when we were introduced to the Coral Casino Beach and Cabana Club. We sat here for drinks on arrival, ate a delicious dinner at sunset, and even was able to celebrate with the bride we had traveled to celebrate for lunch the next day. It is a members only club, but guests of the hotel can enjoy it. The room rate is worth every penny so you can spend time here. 

One morning we walked into the town of Montecito and had breakfast at Jeannine's (several locations in Santa Barbara) for breakfast. Let's just say I fell in love with their cinnamon roll that was made from croissant dough. Miss it so much. 

I highly recommend a trip into this adorable little town. A farmer's market was being set up as we ate with families of farmer's displaying some insane produce and flowers. We also walked around the neighborhoods and saw some houses that made me swoon. 

We headed into downtown Santa Barbara the rest of the weekend for the wedding of one gorgeous bride. There is plenty to see, do, and eat in town. Playa Azul Cafe has a charming patio and authentic Mexican. For a good old fashioned breakfast, Joe's was perfect with shredded hash browns and fluffy pancakes. The late night pizza from Uncle Rocco's was probably the best slice I have had in awhile. We all met for drinks at Blush's outdoor patio one night, generous wine pours and tons of outdoor seating made it a great gathering spot. 

Santa Barbara does feel like a fantasy of sorts. And one of my favorite girls in the world, who grew up there, made it feel even more so at her dream wedding. Saying she was stunning is an understatement. All her dreams came true and she got to come full circle and see it realized at her childhood home. 

Her vision was Great Gatsby meets Havana Nights, and if you know her that statement makes perfect sense. So under crystals and chandeliers we danced all night under a crazy full moon. 

Cheers B&B. xo

Traveling Baby

I am a week away from my first plane trip with the bebe. Solo at that. So I have turned to some of my fellow moms for their mile high experiences and what made it work for them. If I have learned anything in the last four months, it is that other moms are the best resource and that new moms are always looking for advice. 

via Getty Images

The one thing I can share in my preparation is that my parents, who I am visiting, are using the site Traveling Baby Company, to rent baby equipment. Cribs, Pack and Plays, Car Seats, Toys, you can rent any of it by the day. Simply rent, pick up, enjoy, and return. 


Kelly - (Mom of three)
With infants, feed on take off and landing as it helps with their ears. Travel light and only bring the essentials, diapers, wipes, change of clothes, blanket. The last thing you want to do is lug a huge bag and a baby. It is usually easier to get through security if you have the baby in a carrier and leaves your hands free. Babies under 6 months are the easiest to travel with, I think. For toddlers and older, an IPad is amazing. But do not forget a change of clothes for them as well. Accidents can happen to anyone and anytime. 


Jenna - (Mom of 6 month old)
When I first travelled with my two month old, I had my husband to help as well. We opted to gate check the car seat, which he carried. Make sure to get a travel bag for your car seat or stroller, I have heard horror stories of items coming back dirty and broken. I tried to entertain her as much as I could so I could give her the bottle at take off, but ended up giving it to her before. She ate and slept through, then I used a pacifier on the way down. At six months, I travelled with her alone. I used a carrier all the way through until we sat down, no stroller. I brought rattles, teethers, books and blankets to entertain her... and she ended up playing with an empty water bottle the entire time. Hey, whatever works! Make sure to bring extra pacifiers if your baby takes them. Once one of those drop on the floor, you are not going to want to use the five second rule on the nasty plane. Bring cozy blankets as well since the temperature can drop and it gives you a nice buffer with all the dirty surroundings. And lastly, don't torture yourself. On the way home on our solo trip we were stuck on the jetway after landing for over an hour. But I decide after a few minutes that I wasn't going to sweat (OR CRY) every time she started screaming. It happens. Sure, there are going to be some jerks, but people are more understanding than you think. 


Lindsey - (Mom of two, plus one on the way!)
For baby, you are good to go with a pacifier and bottle of milk (lots of milk back up) until about 8 months or when they start crawling.  Also, definitely an umbrella stroller or snap and go as the airline will likely abuse your fancy stroller.  I recommend just checking their car seat at the gate too and not attempting to bring it on the plane.  Most important would be to try to coordinate your flight times with their happiest time of day.  I found that my kids would NOT sleep on the plane so it was not helpful to fly during nap time or bedtime.  If you have a kid that sleeps well on the go then I would do just the opposite and fly during naptime.  I would bring their favorite blanket or stuffed friend they typically sleep with and if they are eating then lots of puffs or cheerios to keep them entertained.  A well rested and well fed baby is the happiest baby of all so just stick to those basic rules and it will ease the pain of travel. The worst age to fly with - 18 months to 3 years.  They are so active at this age that it is really hard to keep them happy in the confines of an airplane.  I tried two different ways at this age.  We traveled with Jake to Hawaii and did not buy him a seat and it was tough having him climb all over us the whole time.  The next time we went to Hawaii he was just under 2 years old and we thought we'd try buying him a seat and bringing his carseat on the plane so he would be strapped in.  Umm....bad idea!  The first 20 minutes of the flight he began kicking the seat in front of him as his feet were perfectly positioned there.  Needless to say the girl sitting there was annoyed and yelled at him after 5 minutes.  I spent the whole 5 hours trying to keep his feet off that seat.  Super fun!  So if you buy them a seat at least leave the carseat at home or check it at the gate.  Bring lots of bribery snacks!  Buy juice or milk after you get through security and your own sippy cup so they have something to drink during takeoff.  It helps their little ears not hurt.  They should drink on landing too but you can use the same sippy cup and get more juice from flight attendant.  Plan to walk the aisles a bunch to help them get out their nervous energy.  I will tell you that I even had a pediatrician tell me to give my kid Baby Benadryl before the flight to try to get them to sleep.  It did NOT work for either of my kids.  Even going out to dinner for 30 minutes is near impossible for this age group though so there isn't much you can do but to keep them happy while you fly so they aren't screaming with tantrums or kicking the seat in front of them. 


Julie - (Mom of one year old)
First off, I learned a few things after the first round. You don’t need a birth certificate. You also don’t have to take them out of a carrier anymore at security. They will test yours and the baby’s hands for explosive (which we tested positive for when we flew ALONE at 10 months, awesome). Check your luggage and bring minimal carry-ons. If you need your entire breast pump then check it in your baggage or you can get a small hand-held pump for back up to save space. For easy nursing on the plane, wear a nursing tank and a loose fitting, open cardigan. It is a lot easier to adjust this way. I did have back up travel formula just in case. I was surprised by the kindness of travelers these days. One lady gave me her entire empty row, and another person moved so the middle seat was open! I used a back pack instead of a diaper bag on one trip and it was so much easier. Any way to be hands free, is perfection. Even though I brought a stroller and gate checked it, I still used a carrier for when we got on and off the plane. Good thing, because we waited twenty minutes for the stroller on the tarmac. Bring extra clothes for the baby and for you. I learned about this the hard way, not fun. Better to dress the baby in comfy clothes than something cute. A sleeper may not be what you want her in, but you will be happy when she is sleeping in it on the plane. 


Thank you, ladies! Your advice is going to be so helpful to me and everyone else who is taking the plunge. 


xo
Erin 

Weekend Wish: Channeling Gwyneth

There is just something about Gwyneth....

The girl says what she wants, has incredible taste, actually eats, and is honest about what it takes every day to look this great at 39. 

Some days I hate her, but only because I want to be her. 

Looking down at my giant bump right now and kind of want to cry, but I think these pictures will be great motivation to get back in shape for summer (not that I think I could even get close to this, but I can pretend). 

Her latest interview in Harper's Bazaar is refreshing and makes you just love her even more. You want to be her friend, her co-worker, and her travel buddy all at the same time. She does not BS in interviews and is honest about what makes her life work, which is like a breath of fresh air. 

My weekend wish is to channel Gwyneth. I will try to remember it is that realness she has to herself that makes her so great (the amazing wardrobe and genetics don't hurt either). 

Here is to a weekend all about you and exactly who you want to be. 

xo

Erin 

photos via Harper's Bazaar

Lots of Candles = Lots of Wishes

Marilyn Monroe Celebrating Her 30th

There will be 30 candles on my birthday cake this weekend. 30 years of growing up, learning lessons and having a really lovely life. The third decade feels like a much more comfortable decade than any of the last. Think about it, your twenties is so chock full of life changes that it is hard to ever feel remotely settled. From college, to first jobs, to first house, to first loves, to first real heart breaks, to all the messiness that made you. Not that being thirty won't have its own surprises, but at least we have a bit more experience to make better decisions. When I went to research advice on "turning 30" it was all so cliched and negative. I find it very hard to believe, from the perspective I have now, that I will not enjoy the next ten years. There is no doubt that at thirty you have a better idea of who you are, who you want to be and possibly how to get there. I could do without the forehead wrinkles, but if I have learned anything, it is not to obsess about things you cannot control. And that they make great serums that.

 So my wish this weekend is that all those turning thirty with me this year will embrace it, have a few drinks to get over it and revile in the confidence you have now that you certainly never had at 20.

xo
Erin