This picture really did capture exactly how I was feeling that day. Plain old tired. It had been a long week and that morning we took Ava to the zoo which was very fun but very active and come 12:30/1 p.m., a.k.a nap time, I typically hit a wall but I love this outfit so much that I had to capture it before I put it off any longer.

The pants I found at Kohls, specifically Lauren Conrads line, and they are super comfortable and versatile so I could easily wear them to work, church or even out on the town. Since we have a no shoes in the house rule, I didn’t sport the fun strappy flats I wore with them the other night but the sky’s the limit with shoe pairings for these pants. There’s not much to say about the t-shirt other than I believe a gray t-shirt (ideally, more than one) should be a staple in every girls wardrobe. I found the jacket at Forever 21 and as someone who’s low on time in the morning when running off to work, loves this jacket because it never wrinkles and is lightweight. It’s perfect heading into the summer months, especially if you have a frigid office and need a little something to throw over that blouse or button-down.

Here’s the un-cropped, true glamour shot that includes Ava’s baby stroller, her neon green bib in the lower right hand corner and a handful of ingredients on the kitchen counter that I had put out to make zucchini muffins.

It’s no secret, I love my accessories but the ones I have found tricky to wear, both day and night, chasing after a toddler are bracelets. This combo I tried over the weekend seems to be the best fit for adding a little something to my plain old t-shirt or tank during the day and then transitioning to a nicer outfit for dinner out with the girls.

The turquoise ones I got from Kohl’s over the weekend and came as a set from Lauren Conrad’s line. They’re nice and stretchy and the little gold circles don’t snag on things, at least not so far. The second and fourth bracelet are both from Stella & Dot. The poppy orange one with the little buckle is called their Enlighten Bracelet. All net proceeds benefit Every Mother Counts, a non-profit organization dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. Whenever I find a cute piece of jewelry that goes towards a great cause, it’s a no brainer in my mind. Who doesn’t like giving back, while looking stylish.

I love a good shopping spree just as much as the next girl but for some reason, I end up thinking of a dozen other things I should be spending my money on so end up finding something in my closet that will do. But there is one person I never feel guilty shopping for and that is Miss Ava. If any of you have little girls, you know how much fun it is shopping for them and I figure I might as well soak it up while I can, until she wants to give her opinion.

These two pairs of shoes I could not pass up on. Every girl needs a good pair of Chuck Taylor’s and these little high tops were the next best thing. I tried to explain to Mike that not all shoes are functional and that sometimes fashion over function wins, which is exactly the reason behind these adorable little wedges I had to get Ava. Sometimes I wish Carter’s made mommy equivalent pairs of shoes because I could definitely see myself wearing both of these.

As Ava starts to get a little older, she is already showing signs of wanting to do things on her own, which I wholeheartedly encourage and support but can’t help but feel a little sad that my baby girl is already starting to grow up. For example, when she wants to feed herself with her fork and spoon or eat her sandwich whole and not in the baby bite sizes anymore. Or if she sees that Lola’s food bowl is empty, she is quick to go to the cabinet, get Lola’s food off the shelf and refill it herself. She is also just itching to be able to put her shoes on by herself. Melts my heart. So since I know this growing up thing is inevitable, here are a few things I hope she never outgrows.

Promise Mommy…

…you’ll never outgrow snuggling.

…you’ll always hug with both arms.

…you’ll always like cuddling up with a good book and if that happens to be with me then that will be icing on the cake.

The day got off to a funny/sweet start when Mike and I couldn’t wait to show Ava her Easter basket that the Easter bunny had brought her overnight. As we slowly walked down the stairs, anticipating the big reveal around the corner, she started “oooing and ahhing” and began pointing at something. Since it was still a little dark out at the 7 o’clock hour, I naturally assumed she was pointing at her basket of goodies but came to find out she was pointing at the vacuum that was in the nearby corner ready to be put to use for guests we were expecting later that morning for Easter brunch.

Even though we were missing our parents this past holiday weekend, we tried to make it special as they would have made it had they been here. Mike and I hosted Easter brunch at our house and then another family joined us in the backyard for a very entertaining Easter egg hunt. It literally rained around the entire weekend so it really did feel like God was shining down on us that day to help make it feel even more special. The angelic looks on Ava’s and David’s face as they scattered around picking up their eggs didn’t hurt either.

One new tradition I liked this year was that the “Easter Bunny” put quarters in some of Ava’s eggs so after she was done scooping up all her loot, we put her quarters in her Cinderella piggy bank. Papa would be so proud his granddaughter is learning to save at such an early age.

Here are a few fun photos from the day…

Now that we are finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel with this cold winter and starting to feel what warm weather used to feel like again, it’s hard not to get excited about incorporating color back into my wardrobe.

Orange and mint are two colors that you can never go wrong pairing together and compliment each other beautifully. In this instance, I wore an orange patterned top from Old Navy and paired it with a gorgeous mint statement necklace a friend of mine gave me as a Christmas present. I just so happened to have gotten my nails done the week prior in a mint color and helped the necklace stand out even more. The mint color has also inspired me to try my hand at making a mint ice cream shake (aka Shamrock shake) this weekend that I have actually been meaning to make ever since St. Patty’s Day. Where does the time go.

This winter has been another brutal one for the books so I could not be more excited that I am headed to sunny Mexico this month. I try to go someplace new every year and this year, Mexico fit the bill. We knew we wanted a tropical destination (check), not hard to get to (check) and affordable (check).

Here a few new things I had to sprinkle in with my old vacation staples (flip-flops, denim jacket, floppy hat) to make my wardrobe for this trip feel a little more current and fresh, especially for a mom who barely feels like one out of the two most days.

Sundress – I was super excited when I found this dress at Target a couple of weeks ago because it has the cute shoulder cutouts I have been looking for lately.

Swimsuit Coverup – I was desperate for a new swimsuit coverup and on a recent shopping trip to Old Navy, mainly intended for Ava, I stumbled upon this one just as I was about to checkout. It’s perfect with the loose, flowy fit, especially since I didn’t make it to the gym as much as I had hoped I would prior to say a beach vacation where I would be in a bathing suit majority of the time. Not to mention, all that extra free time I had to get a tan so I feel like you can’t go wrong with black to a.) be figure flattering and b.) distract you enough from noticing how pale you are.

Wedges – There is nothing like a new pair of wedges to really feel like spring is right around the corner and squash any remnants of those winter blues so you can imagine how overjoyed I was when these were on sale on Zulily about a month before our trip!

I’ll be the first to admit, I tend to get restless when it comes to my accessories. Sure, I have my staples I always like to go back to but on those days when I want to be a little edgy and trendy, these earrings are perfect. I typically wear a pair of diamond studs on a daily basis but if I am in the mood for something different, it takes that classic diamond stud look and gives it that extra flair. Not to mention, on those days I’m feeling bloated or that my baby weight is finding its way back to my mid-section, I love that accessories are one size fits all!

I got these earrings on BaubleBar and you don’t get much more affordable than $30 without getting too cheap to the point they fall apart upon arrival. As much as I would love to own Jennifer Meyer, David Yurman, Catbird or even some of the more expensive JCrew jewelry, that is just not in the cards for me right now. At this point in time, I am always on the hunt for cute, affordable accessories that I will not be devastated by if my toddler gets a hold of for whatever reason and these earrings fit the bill.

They really have become my new diamond stud go-to but with a twist.

If I were to ever attend the Oscars, besides when I always do in my wildest dreams, I feel like it is the one awards show that I would feel like such a little kid, no matter what my age, among all of the grown ups. Like on nights when I remember my parents coming home from a night out, all dressed up and still being able to smell the sweet perfume my mom had on when she would kiss me goodnight as I was half asleep in my bed, I always pictured them as having gone to some fancy, amazing place that I couldn’t wait to go to when I grew up. Obviously, they weren’t attending the Oscars and probably only went out for date night but in my mind, wherever it was, it was going to be fabulous as soon as I was old enough to go. Even though, at 31, I am clearly a grown up (well, most days) I picture the Oscars to be this lovely, sophisticated, elegant night that wouldn’t be like any other, where I would constantly be in awe of all the classy and polished adults I would be surrounded by, just like I was in awe of my parents when I was little. That said, last night did not disappoint in terms of getting that feeling of all the elegance and glamour oozing out of my television screen.

I am all for taking fashion risks but I feel like, this night, is more about classic fashion, which each of these actresses achieved, in my opinion. These were my favorites from last night. The intricacy of these gowns were mind-blowing and hats off to each of these designers. Absolutely stunning.

Jennifer Aniston in Versace

Gwyneth Paltrow in Ralph & Russo

Rosamund Pike in Givenchy Haute Couture

Lupita Nyong’o in Calvin Klein (took drenched in pearls to a whole new level… made of 6,000 pearls!)

Okay, so I know it’s a commercialized holiday when companies can market to their heart’s content, in order to tug at your heart-strings for whatever they might be selling but what’s so wrong with a day that gets national recognition for love? In the fast-paced world we live in, I’ve come to enjoy this day more and more, especially when I feel like you get a free pass to just slow down and enjoy the simple things in life.

Now, we never went too overboard with this holiday but my mom always made us feel extra special and I plan to do just that with baby A. Here are a couple of my favorite Valentine faces this year, some fun decorations we put up around the house and a little gift my husband thought of to give Ava that we put the finishing touches on last night. Unfortunately, the second we gave her the chalk, she took it to draw on the actual wall vs. the chalkboard. Oh well, we will get there. It’s the thought that counts.