Sick

As hard as I was crossing my fingers not to get sick, by Friday it was clear that I had caught something.   Instead of taking some time to rest I pushed through and attended three events over the weekend.  This was perhaps not the best idea and what was a slight cold on Friday took a turn for the worst and by Monday morning, it was apparent that I better take it seriously.  Commence massive cold and sinus drug intake.  

What does the above eye liner have to do with any this?  Absolutely nothing.  I just wanted to share because this Trish McEvoy Intense Gel Eye Liner is my new favorite eye liner.  It is SO easy to put on (this is coming from someone who ALWAYS has issues applying eye liner), stays on all day and is really, the perfect black. Black liner is a staple for me so finding this was a treat.

On a completely separate note, did you see this aticle from Today Mom's?  I, along with many other moms, apparently win the prize for having the"most stressful number of kids".  Yea us!  

This is a random post and I am going to blame all the Sudafed on that one but I hope everyone is having a great start to the week and I hope to be back to me regular scheduled programming tomorrow! 

What I Wore...

Today kicks off 48 hours of events for us.  From Los Angeles to Dana Point, we will be dressing up, drinking, dining and bidding (this usually involves my hubby watching me like a hawk as I peruse the silent auctions, followed by him taking my paddle during the live auction).  I am really looking forward to it all.

Here are a few looks from the past two weeks.  As the weather continues to shift I am pulling out more prints, white and dresses.  It is actually feeling a little bit like summer here and I LOVE it!

Clockwise from top left:

Look 1: Shirt: J.Crew / Pants: Gap / Shoes: MICHAEL Michael Kors / Clutch: Kirna Zabete for Target

Look 2: Dress: Banana Republic / Sandals: Tory Burch / Earrings: Stella & Dot

Look 3: Dress: Comptoir des Cotonniers / Jacket: Vila / Shoes: Bass / Satchel: Cambridge Satchel Company / Necklace: Stella & Dot

Look 4: Dress: Prabal Garung for Target / Shoes: Madewell / Accessories: Ceek

Have a great weekend!

Staples

Though I love dressing up, the last thing I am thinking about when my alarm is going off at 5:45am is getting fancy.  Cheers to the women who must have gotten up at 4am to look the way that they do.  I am impressed.  Me, on the other hand, loves to thrown on staples that I will be comfortable in all day long.  Plus, with summer fast approaching, there really is just no need to dress up on a day to day basis. Or, perhaps I am telling myself this just to feel better about myself.  Either way, I love this look and I can be seen wearing it A LOT.  

1. The Hooded Sweatshirt - Call me a High School boy but I still love the oversized hooded sweater.  They are WAY MORE comfortable than putting on a fitted athletic jacket (they are ladies, you know it) and it feels like you are half way to laying on the couch rather than carrying a screaming three year old through the grocery store.  I am currently obsessed with this Rodarte Hoodie but will easily wear my hubby's old hoodies too.

2. The GREAT T-Shirt - I am a complete t-shirt snob and have the hardest time finding shirts that are 1. long enough for my overly long torso 2. soft...I like soft and 3. don't shrink.  My current favorite are Zoe Karssen, which I normally pick up at The Outnet or ASOS.

3. The Tank - A day doesn't go by that I do not have a tank on.  Either by itself or under a t-shirt, sweatshirt,  or sweater, I am ALWAYS wearing one.  My favorite are by James Perse but I love Splendid also.

4. The Cut Off Jean Shorts - I love cut off's.  They are perfect for the park, beach, running errands.  You name it, they work.  I have two ways of going about getting my pairs.  The first one is simple.  Go into your closet, grab a pair of old jeans, and cut them.  These tend to be the best because the denim is already worn in, they are usually soft and stretched out, and when you had nothing to wear, you suddenly do.  Instant gratification.  Of course the other way is to buy a pair and I love Current/Elliott.  I do not know how they do it but their denim is always amazingly soft.

5. The Satchel - I love my Cambridge Satchel and it goes with me everywhere.  Amusement parks, sporting events, errands, vacations, date night.  The list goes on and on.  It is the perfect handbag to use when you need to be hands free.  I have even tucked in the strap and used it as a clutch.  And no matter how many times it gets stepped on, dropped, spilled on, etc, it still looks brand new.  It makes the list as one of the top items in my closet.

6. The Sneaker - Because I am VERY bad at keeping up pedicures, sneakers are a must.  I grew up loving my Jack Purcell's but have now given my loyalty to Superga.  Not only do they run large, which allows me to go down a size and think that I have smaller feet, but they have a million colors to choose from.  Oh yes, and they are comfortable too.

Diapers

So cool.

At the beginning of April I used Facebook to invite some friends to "A Diaper Drive"

And for one month, friends dropped off boxes of diapers at my home.

And boxes.

And boxes.

And now, we are at over 3,000 diapers.

SO COOL.

To the friends that participated, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

It is amazing what a group of moms can do isn't it?

For our family's fourth month of giving back, I wanted to do something from moms, for moms.  Perhaps it wasn't as focused on the children this time as it could have been but I had a good reason.  

When my friend and I took the canned food from our February event to our local pantry, I happened to throw in a box of old diapers we had left over as well.  The response when I pulled out the diapers was one of excitement as they rarely receive diapers and they are a HUGE need.  As a mother, it was heartbreaking to hear, as we all know how important diapers are and how expensive they can be.  It wasn't a question.  Moms can support other moms.  End of story.

And did they ever!  Thank you again to all the fabulous women who participated.  It is sometimes the little things that make the biggest impact.  I cannot even imagine, if they were excited about receiving one box of diapers, how they will react with receiving this delivery!    

Jalapeno Cheese Bread

After spending the day inside on Saturday, I was itching to get out of the house for a bit and pull together a good meal for dinner.  Whole Foods is one of my favorite places to go shopping and I casually roamed the aisles with a friend (yes, it was Girl's Day at Whole Foods), taking in my little bit of escape.  One item I was grabbing ingredients for was Jalapeno Cheese Bread.  When I came across the recipe it just looked too good to pass up and I was right.  It was SUPER EASY to make and had so much yummy flavor.  Served with filet skewers and sauteed kale, it was the perfect spicy addition to celebrate everyone being healthy again.  Still crossing my fingers no one gets sick...

What you need:
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
3/4 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 jar pickled jalapenos
1 loaf sourdough bread
salt, pepper and paprika

Steps:
1. Mix mayonnaise, cheese and 1 tablespoon brine from the jalapeno jar; season with salt and pepper
2. Broil 4 slices of bread on a baking sheet until golden
3. Flip slices over and spread cheese mixture across
4. Top with chopped pickled jalapenos and a dash of paprika
5. Broil until the cheese is melted and bubbly, then cut each slice in half

* recipe courtesy of Food Network

Unexpected

This weekend took an unexpected turn when Baby Girl got sick Friday night.  Our plans of baseball in the morning and a trip to the beach in the afternoon were put to a halt and I spent all of Saturday sitting in our bedroom with Baby Girl.  This was her first "real" sickness and I had forgotten how sad it was to watch a really little one cope with being sick and not understanding why they feel the way that they do.  There was not an option of me leaving the room.  She would not stand for it.    

Baby Girl watched Monsters Inc, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Toy Story while I caught up on all the magazines that have been piling up, fell for this really cozy looking padded sweatshirt, finally found the perfect Bubble Ceramic Sidetable for our family room and perused the DVF Loves Gapkids collection.  I also took care of some Mother's Day shopping at the Tory Burch Friends and Family event.  Let's just say that I am not one who should be left in a room all day with a computer at my disposal.  

From left: Zara sweatshirt,  West Elm Sidetable, DVF Loves Gapkids Collection

Baby Girl is now on the mend and the household is returning to normal.  As always, I am just hoping no one else gets sick too.  Fingers crossed, toes crossed, hair crossed.....everything crossed!

How was everyone else's weekend?

Friday...

This was the first week in a long time that the hubby and I didn't have any evening events mid-week, which usually require a babysitter and late nights.  It felt great being home with the kids each evening in our pajamas with no expectations to be somewhere.  Even though dinners, parties and such are fun, nothing beats time at home.  

If you missed it this week...

My Oldest had a special special moment...

I found my new go-to look for brunch and special occasions this Spring...

Kate Spade had some sound advice...

I made a delish summer treat...

If you are in Southern California and love museums, this deal is perfect for you (purchased one myself)...

I love these twists on a classic cocktail...

These espadrilles are perfect for summer...

Have a great weekend!