Here are my finds for the week:
Friday, March 5, 2021
Friday Finds
Happy Friday!! This weekend we're celebrating Mia's birthday again, with Jeff's family this time. Nothing like three parties for one little girl! Of course, you don't have to twist my arm to get me to eat another piece of cake ;)
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Mia's 2nd Birthday Party
After our giant birthday party for Mia last year (it was the last time we had people to our house!) I tamed it down a little, you know, mainly because of the pandemic. We celebrated over the weekend with just my parents and my sister's family, and a whole lot of balloons. I didn't go for a theme this time, and instead had the theme just be "pink birthday."
For decor, I found this balloon kit on Amazon. I keep complaining about the effort we put into it, but really it probably took Jeff and I an hour and a half to put it together, and that includes manually blowing up all of the balloons because I didn't realize until too late that the package said you should definitely use a pump ;) And the impact is real! It looks so good in photos, and is still looking pretty good several days later because I told Jeff we had to leave it up until Mia's actual birthday. The kit included balloon tape (a long ribbon with holes) that you insert the balloons into, which made things really easy. It also had glue dots for filling in gaps, which worked amazingly well!
I also bought the matching streamer kit off of Etsy. The balloon kit and streamer kit are made in the UK and I don't know what the deal is, but there were a ton of vendors on Etsy from the UK just straight up selling these kits they didn't make. Not sure how that's allowed, but if you see one with pictures that look like this, chances are it's the exact same thing. I bought two of the streamer kits and I definitely recommend that to get a full look if you're covering a space more than six feet wide. The streamer kits were way more frustrating for me to put up than the balloons even though they look simple (partially because Mia was refusing to nap while I was working on them and just screaming into the monitor). The problem is that the string they provide in the kit is stretchy, so it slowly drooped as I added more and more streamers to it. I definitely recommend using regular fishing wire instead!
The only other decoration we had this year was the Happy Birthday sign - I made it on my Cricut! That thing has honestly saved me so much money just in banners that it's going to pay itself off soon ;) I used this paper for it.
The cake was by my friend Laura at Butter Cream Flour. Her cakes are actually the best I've ever tasted and they're so beautiful too! She ends up booked solid some months so definitely reach out a few weeks early if you're interested!
And then I decided to put together a couple of little gift bags for my sister's kids and then for Mia to bring to her preschool pod buddies at school today. I made the little birthday cupcake cutouts on my Cricut (using this free SVG), and also wrote the names on the tags using the Cricut pen (note - the pen tool outlines fonts when it draws them, so I just colored in the insides of the letters by hand).
And now get ready, because here are a few more photos from the day:
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Monday, March 1, 2021
February Budget
I share my clothing budget here every month. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some people or a little to others, but for me feels just right. I include all of my clothes, coats, shoes, and accessories in that budget, but not athletic gear, pajamas, or intimates.
I've now swung hard the other way from my pajama rut of January and February. Now that we've seen 50 degree weather in Chicago in the past week, I'm all about getting dressed again, and I want to get dressed in something pretty. Bring me some lacy, frilly, floral spring blouses. I'm all in.
Here's what I bought in February:
J.Crew White Skinny Jeans - originally $110.00, on sale $54.50. I went to put on my white skinny jeans from last year and they looked terrible - all stretched out and covered in stains! So it was definitely time for a new pair. I've tried J.Crew's white toothpick jeans in the past and didn't like the fit around the knee / ankle, but this year they somehow work for me. They're great because they're stretchy enough but aren't skintight and aren't see-through. Win win win.
J.Crew Blue Floral Ruffle Blouse - originally $89.50 on sale $39.50. Love love love this. It's one of those tops that can be dressed up or down really easily. There's really pretty lace detail at the neckline and at the hem, and I love the little ruffle details at the shoulder. I wore it here.
J.Crew Ruffle Button Down - originally $118.00 on sale $82.50 used rewards $72.50. This blouse is so beautiful in person!!! The ruffle details on the sleeves and collar are so fun and well done, and the whole shirt just feels really well put together. I wore it here.
Madewell Light Wash Skinny Jeans - originally $128.00, on sale $77.40. I saw light wash jeans with an 8 inch rise and I pounced! Most jeans on the market these days seem to have a 10 inch rise, and I can't wear them because as a short-torsoed individual, they basically go up to my bra-line. These are thick, don't stretch out, and the talls are the perfect length for me.
Total Spent: $253.90
I also ordered these flats but they did not work on me, the tiny bit of canvas around the top rubbed really bad. I also ordered this pretty blouse and am still waiting for it to show up! Besides the blouse, I'm also on the hunt for some pretty spring dresses!
Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!
Follow along with everything Kristina does via Bloglovin!
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Outfits Lately
Where are you in your pandemic clothing choices? I've mostly been defaulting to loungewear and pajamas since the new year, mainly because pandemic winter is the actual worst. Every now and then I will put in a little more effort, and every time I make it at least two thirds of the way through the day before I switch back to sweatpants. It's the little things, you know.
Similar Sweater / Similar Jeans / Fleece Socks (also the best but in a very different way - apparently I'm a sock influencer now ;)
Monday, February 22, 2021
Mia's Spring Wardrobe
(Except, I have to say, for cardigans and vests. What is up with baby cardigans and vests? I can't get her into tee shirts I bought in December, but she still fits into a 6-12 month vest and her cardigans from last fall. Someone, pls let me know what's up with baby vest sizing.)
On the downside, bye money! But on the upside, I am never upset to shop for a whole new toddler wardrobe. I get most of Mia's clothes from H&M kids (I shop in both the toddler and girls sections right now), with stuff from Monica & Andy, Nordstrom, Crew Cuts, Old Navy, and Baby Gap thrown in too. While I went for earthier colors in the fall, for spring I decided to go all in on pink. She just looks so darn cute in it!
Pink Ruffle Sleeve Dress / Leggings 2 Pack / Heart Dress / Ruffle Sweater Jumper / Green Ruffle Cardigan / Blue Ruffle Blouse / Polka Dot Sweater Skirt Set / Grey Sweater Dress / Pink Cowl Neck Fleece Dress / White Button Front Blouse / Cream Sweater Dress / Pink Pointelle Cardigan / Henley 2 Pack / Tulle Dress (Mia saw her cousin's tulle dress and followed her trying to touch it for 10 minutes straight so I decided she needed one too ;)
Friday, February 19, 2021
Friday Finds
Happy Friday! We once again have nothing going on this weekend (what else is new?!) but I'm in final prep mode for celebrating Mia's second birthday next weekend. Figuring out how to make a birthday special for an (almost) two year old (eeek!) who doesn't really understand birthdays yet and doesn't realize she should be having a party is... weird? She does realize, however, that she wants presents. She even tried to claim my Valentine's Day flowers for herself ("I want pesent!") before she realized that flowers are not a fun toy. So besides presents, I also ordered a cake from Butter Cream Flour (my friend Laura's business, her cakes are seriously the most delicious ever!) and am trying to figure out how to strike a balance between decorating and making our house fun but not going totally overboard (see: Mia's first birthday party).
Anyway, here are my finds for the week:
Wednesday, February 17, 2021
Current Beauty Favorites
I have been loving these bronzer drops this winter. You add a drop or two to whatever serum or moisturizer you're already putting on your face, and it gives the perfect glow. It makes me feel presentable even on no-makeup days, and evens and brightens my skin just enough!
I always mix the bronzer drops with this Vitamin C serum, which also helps my skin feel bright and fresh. After having Mia I felt like my skin was looking dull and tired (you know, probably from the drop in sleep and relaxation time ;) and this seriously helps. With any Vitamin C serum, don't try to save it - be sure to use it every day starting as soon as you buy it, because the serum will oxidize after a few months. I had it happen to me with one and it is so sad to see something you spent good money on go bad.
I have been using a lash serum since the fall, and while it hasn't given me dramatic results like I see on some people, it has made my lashes a tiny bit thicker and longer. I'm not linking it here because I wouldn't really recommend it, but because I'm focusing on my lashes I've been going a little crazy with the mascara trying to convince myself that the lash serum is worth what I spent on it. I'm using the combo of this lash primer and this mascara. I've used the primer for years now, but have been trying different mascaras and this one definitely makes a big difference in length and fullness. Be sure to curl your lashes too for extra oomph.
Because of the extra mascara it's a lot harder to wash my face, so I've been using this oil facewash. It helps melt away my mascara and actually gets my lashes fully clean (important if you're using an eyelash serum!) and helps keep my skin moisturized during this crazy winter.
What also helps keep my skin moisturized is this avocado retinol sleeping mask. It feels super thick and luxurious going on, and has kept me from having a flaky forehead like I had last winter! I also love the eye mask.
I'm also obsessed with this lip sleeping mask. I use it whenever I'm in the master bath, not just when I'm getting ready for bed, and it has kept me from getting chapped lips this winter. It feels like a really thick lip gloss, but isn't sticky.
For keeping my body moisturized, I've been loving this body oil. With just lotion my skin tends to get itchy by the end of the day as it dries out, but layering on this body oil afterwards keeps my skin moisturized all day and night.
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