There are three staples I love that I can count on in my closet every time the holidays roll around… lace, plaid and sparkles. These timeless looks are literally one of the reasons I get so excited for the holidays. This lace top is from JCrew, plaid flannel is from A&F, sparkly top is from XXI and cardigan is from Target. The lace top is perfect for Thanksgiving. I get double use out of the plaid flannel, since I can also wear it to a Buckeye game (score!) and the sparkle top I would wear to a Christmas party. What makes me even happier and makes me feel a little like Kate Middleton, since she knows how to repurpose her wardrobe with the best of them, is only one item out of these four was purchased this year. I’ll give you one guess (spoiler alert!)… it’s the sparkly top. 🙂

So, in order to be budget conscious this year, I decided to take my pent-up fashion energy out on my toddler and made sure to pick up one of each of these wardrobe staples at Carter’s for her the other day. Gotta start ’em young!

You can pair all three of these pieces with black skinny jeans or jeggings, a cute boot and be good to go. And last but not least, the best way, in my opinion, to pull all these looks together is with a classic red lip. The one piece I am still on the hunt for that also says holiday style to me is faux fur, in either a vest or wrap piece. TBD!

I decided to call this post survival tips vs. beauty secrets because at the time, right after I had had Ava, it felt a little like survival and I definitely felt like I was far from using the word beauty with the lovely bags under my eyes and the consistent smell of spit up on me. I also know this is by no means a secret and has probably been around forever but I am just now learning of it. (Sidenote: I have yet to find the actual beauty secret that can completely erase any signs of exhaustion and fatigue from my face, besides sleep, but will certainly let you know when that day comes, if ever.)

I have always been a big advocate of washing my face morning and night. My girlfriends used to tease me in college that no matter what time I would get home from the bars (or library, if Ava is reading this) I would still make sure to wash my face. I have used Lancome products for years, ever since I worked at the Lancome counter at Macy’s right after college. But once I got pregnant, my hormones were really out of whack and as soon as my face products were running low, I picked up Cetaphil. It was recommended to me as a nice and mild face product. That was a year ago and I am officially hooked. In addition to their cleaner and face lotion, I have since tried their SPF face lotion, face cream and cleansing travel wipes. Big fan.

The other product I was unaware of before having Ava was Aquaphor. It reminds me of the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding when the Dad says several times throughout the film, “put some windex on it.” Well Aquaphor is my windex equivalent. I use it on Ava daily to combat diaper rash, if she has a dry patch of skin I cover it with Aquaphor or if my hands are cracked and dry at the end of the day from all the hand washing I lather Aquaphor on before I go to bed and they are restored by morning. I’ve even seen some people use Aquaphor to create a new lip shade by combining it with their blush or using it to set their brows. It’s officially a staple in my medicine cabinet. Not to mention both of these products are affordable! Done deal.

My poor peanut woke up this past Tuesday real sick. She took her morning bottle as usual but about 15 minutes later, when I went to change her diaper, everything came back up. After two hours, two baths, two pajama changes for her and I, two loads of laundry, it finally stopped. It had my husband and I scared to death, since it was the first time she had gotten this sick since she was born. When it finally stopped, the nurse recommended starting pedialyte, giving her an ounce every half hour 2-3 times then work your way up to two ounces and so on to avoid dehydration.

Needless to say, it was a very low-key day. I laid with her for her first nap to make sure she didn’t get sick again and then by her second nap around 2, I realized I hadn’t even brushed my teeth or taken a comb to my hair. I ended up throwing my hair up as high as it could go just as I heard her waking up on the monitor. When I finally got around to looking in the mirror before bath time that night, I kind of liked what I saw. It’s funny (yes, I was able to find humor in something that day) because when I try to do something cute with my hair, it never looks cute but when I spend seconds on it, that is when I end up liking it and can almost never re-create it so I had to share.

On a day I have more time, I might try this same up-do but maybe with a braid on each side or wrap a long strand of hair a few times around the hair tie or add a sparkly headband or barrette to it.

I have to admit, I did love the snuggling part of the day with baby A.

I have always been a fan of traveling. I truly consider it a part of my DNA. In fact, when I haven’t gone somewhere for a few months, I get the travel bug to either go somewhere, plan a trip or even jot down places I would like to go next. So when my mom suggested their condo in Kiawah, SC I was more than excited. It is one of my happy places in this world and I couldn’t wait to show Ava the beach for the very first time.

While the thought of going to the beach is always a fun one, going with and packing for a toddler can be daunting. Since we have done lots of traveling with Ava in her first year, her packing list has evolved but this particular bag has definitely become one of my staples. My mom gave me this bag last Christmas from Eddie Bauer to have something a little more compact to carry around for quick trips and/or errands with Ava. She also got it for my sister in blue for her little boy, my nephew, David. He is eight weeks older than Ava and they are best buds. They came to Kiawah with us too! So needless to say, when you’re traveling with two toddlers, two new moms, Mimi and all of their stuff and our stuff, you have GOT to be prepared.

Here is the pocket breakdown…

Bag from Eddie Bauer

Side Pocket: Carmex, Honest sunscreen, Honest hand sanitizer, Honest lotion, a pen and a couple of dollars

Small front pocket: Polysporin, band aids, Babyganics face roll on sunscreen, baby nail scissors

Front medium pocket: bib, teether toys, bath toy and mini book

Big main pocket: Arm & Hammer surface wipes, Honest wipes, Babyganics hands and face wipes, Earth’s Best organic squeezable, Pampers Swaddlers diaper, Munchkin changing sheet, Aquaphor and Babyganics SPF 50 sunscreen (yes, I am adamant about sunscreen)

Buuuuut with faces like these and a view like this, it makes it all worth it. 🙂

Fashion can be a tricky thing when you are a stay at home mom and under a tight budget, especially when you have a couple social things on the horizon and want to look your best. Since that doesn’t mean running out to the store for that new top or fun accessory like it used to, I considered it a fun challenge when I had to look in my own closet for something cute and stylish. I had just put Ava down for bed, was in an old T-shirt, worn leggings and had about five minutes before I had to be out the door to go to dinner with friends so I was real happy when I threw this outfit together in about 5 minutes. I wanted to find something casual but wanted to dress it up a little, as I was headed to a popular restaurant downtown.

Here’s the outfit rundown… The jacket I got a couple of years ago from Limited, the top is Lauren Conrad’s from Kohl’s, the white tank top underneath is from Loft Outlet, the jeans are the same jeans from an earlier post I bought at Hollister, boots are from Aldo, purse is from H&M and necklace is from A&F (this and the jeans are the only items actually purchased in the year 2014).

Fall has to be my favorite season. The weather is usually perfect, mid-70s with the humidity factor removed, the leaves are changing to some of the most eye-catching colors, I was married in the fall and my daughter was born in the fall. Not only that but Fall always makes me feel adventurous and energized to do those classic seasonal past times, such as going to a pumpkin patch and apple picking, which is exactly what we did today. We had a two hour window in between Ava’s morning and afternoon nap to take advantage of the beautiful day so we made our way to Lynd’s Fruit Farm, along with the rest of Columbus based on how crowded it was. I am always impressed at the selection of home-grown, home-made goodies they have for sale. I inevitably end up leaving with the need to jar, bake or pickle something in bulk but luckily the half hour drive home gets rid of that need for me. In the meantime, I am happy to enjoy the fruits of other people’s labor.

I also use this season as an excuse to consume as many pumpkin flavored things as possible…namely the pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup with Pumpkin Seeds and I’ve decided to attempt to make pumpkin cookies. We shall see. HAPPY FALL!

p.s. Is it okay to already be jealous of your daughter’s clothes? I’m in love with her sweet little olive jacket in this photo.

I have always been a fan of getting new school supplies. Something about getting that new folder, trapper keeper (are those even around anymore?), or pens and pencils that made me more excited to learn or it would at least start out that way. Even though it has been a while since I have had to purchase school supplies, doesn’t mean I have to miss out on the fun!

I saw this cute pencil bag and change purse at Target the other day for like $4 and couldn’t resist. The pencil bag is now where I keep Ava’s snacks or an energy bar for moi and the change purse is now where I keep my chapsticks, since they were always getting lost at the bottom of my bags. Gotta love a little repurposing.

Here is what I mean when I decided to call my blog glam today, gone tomorrow. As a stay at home mom, I don’t have many needs for my corporate work clothes much these day but on occasion, I will have lunch or drinks with an old co-worker. A few weeks ago, I had lunch with a former associate and wore one of my favorite business casual staples…this black dress paired with my leopard pumps. I got the dress from New York and Company years ago and the heels I got from Target a year or so ago.

Later that day, I slipped back into my mom gear, which is actually something I would have worn even before my mommy days…the always classic T-shirt and flannel paired with skinny (with just the perfect amount of stretch) jeans. All of the above I got at Hollister. The shoes are Toms that I recently received as a birthday gift. Not only are they comfy and great for every day but in Columbus, Ohio they are the perfect shoes to wear on a Buckeye game day, especially in the Fall months when there is still a hint of summer air right before the crisp Fall weather sets in. Who says you can’t dress down and still feel cute?

Recently, Mike, Ava and I took a trip to the flea market. It’s always been something I’ve wanted to get into, especially since I like that vintage, French countryside, dreamy shabby look of things. It is places like this that sometimes make me think I was born in a different time and it’s a piece like this one that makes me think that time and place was ‘ol Paris. Maybe that’s why I studied it in college (even though I’m mainly Italian) and it became my second language but this loveseat practically spoke to me. And if we had brought our larger SUV instead of my small, Honda accord, I might have tried to persuade Mike to take it home with us. Oh well, better luck next time.

It was also an inexpensive little field trip too! I think parking cost $7 so as long as you’re just looking, not buying, it definitely won’t break the bank and it’s a great chance to get your little one (and you!) a change of scenery.

One of the not so glamorous parts of having a baby is how much your body changes, post-baby. One of those changes includes hair loss. Almost every time I shower and brush my hair these days, I notice I shed a lot more hair than normal. Apparently, it is very common because during pregnancy all those extra hormones prolong the growing stage and that hair that never fell out eventually does but sometimes, I even feel like it’s growing in reverse!

Meanwhile, I am debating chopping a few inches off (Brooklyn Decker or Jennifer Aniston style) at my next haircut to help make it not feel so thin. I also picked up a couple skin, hair and nail pills to try out, on top of my prenatal vitamin I am still taking since it is also supposed to help with the hair loss. The one on the left is from Whole Foods and the one on the right is from CVS. I am going to start with the one on the right for no other reason besides that it is in a gummy pill form and I am sucker for anything gummy. 🙂

I have heard our hair should be back to normal by our baby’s first birthday though. Fingers (and hair!) crossed!