Obsessions: Post Baby Edition

Today I thought it would be fun to share a few of my favorite essentials post baby! Frances was 3 weeks old yesterday so these are tried and true favorites around here. I highly recommend for any new moms! 

:: MAMAROO BOUNCER SEAT ::

This swing is amazing.  I can't sing its praises enough.  I didn't have this with Sterling and it has been so awesome to have for Frances.  We keep it sitting in our den and use it all the time.  It is compact and doesn't take up much space which I love and it has five different motion settings.

:: BELLY BANDIT ::

I am a firm believer in sucking things in post baby.  I swear it helps your stomach remember what it used to be like and shrink faster.  Even Jessica Alba swears by using a corset after her daughters were born and look how quick she bounced back.  I bought this belly bandit after I had Sterling and I have used after both pregnancies.  It is not the most comfortable thing but it really does tighten your tummy.  I started wearing mine the day I got home from the hospital.  For those curious I have a size medium in the belly bandit.

:: PLUM PRETTY SUGAR ROBE ::

A nice robe is a must in the hospital and at home.  Plus they are easy to nurse in.  Plum Pretty Sugar was sweet enough to send me this gorgeous cotton robe and I just adore it.  I seriously live in it!  It is so soft and washes really well.  This would be an awesome gift for any new mom or mom to be!

:: ADEN AND ANAIS BAMBOO SWADDLE BLANKETS ::

I used Aden and Anais blankets all the time with Sterling but never had the Bamboo ones til Frances.  Trust me they are so much softer and better than the regular ones.  They are all we use, plus I am obsessed with the peacock one that came in the set of three package!

:: SPANX LEGGINGS ::

I swear Spanx is not paying me or sending me free leggings although I sure wish they would.  But I have to include these on my list because they are essential post baby.  They suck everything in and make you feel good about yourself when you have them on. 

:: HONEST COMPANY DIAPERS ::

I have been loving the Honest Company Diapers.  The patterns are adorable and they work really well. I love that they are environmentally friendly and contain no chemicals.  Can you tell I love a peacock print?

 :: BOON DRYING RACK ::
This drying rack is awesome.  I use it for all my breast pump parts, bottles, Sterling's sippy cups, and even wine glasses, multi use right there.  I love the sleek modern look.

:: GAP ZIPPERED PJS ::
Trust me zippered pjs make your life so much easier when changing 10+ diapers a day.  I love the ones from gap, they wash really well and are soft.  They are plain and sometimes it is hard to pjs without writing and words- nothing I hate more than stupid sayings on baby clothes.  Plus you can get 40% with code GAPXMAS.
Pink | Gray |

Rag and Bone Harrow Booties on Major Sale!!

 || RAG AND BONE HARROW BOOTIES ||

Ladies, if you are like me and have been coveting a pair of the elusive Rag and Bone Harrow Booties now is your chance to get them for basically 50%. They are already on sale on shopbop and then you can get additional 20% all sale items with code EXTRAOFF20. This is the cheapest you will ever find Rag and Bone booties!   They are the perfect everyday booties that will go with everything!

Shop the rest of the SHOPBOP sale HERE

 

Holiday Bling : The Statement Necklace + Arm Candy

I think I inherited my love of jewlery from my mom and grandmother.  They both have quite the impressive jewelry collections.  I was lucky enough to be given some of my grandmothers vintage pieces after she died and my mom is always awesome about letting me borrow any of her jewelry.  I usually switch out pieces everytime I am home.

One of my favorite parts about the Holiday season is getting dressed up for parties. We have a few parties in Charlotte every year that are so much fun and I look forward to planning my outfit and the jewelry is no exception.  I always love to wear a statement necklace during the holidays.  It is festive and can jazz up any outfit.  I usually pair mine with jeans and a plain blouse so the necklace can do the talking.  Two favorite necklaces of mine that I purchased this year are:

Loren Hope Gwyneth Necklace ||  Oynx PhoenixNecklace

Both are so versatile and go with everything!
I am a huge Loren Hope Fan, her jewelry is amazing.
and Baublebar is awesome for affordable jewelry that looks expensive!

I rounded up a few of my favorites that would be perfect for the Holiday season or anytime!  All are great additions to any jewelry collection!

and we can't forget about arm candy.  Sometimes you just need a statement bracelet too.  I love my Loren Hope Lindsay Bracelet it goes with everything!  I seriously wear it several times a week and it is a great price as far as Loren Hope Jewelry goes!

a few arm candy favorites that could help spice up any outfit!

 

Obsessed : Marble Serving Pieces

I am a huge fan of pretty presentations when it comes to entertaining. Whether it be my playgroup friends or dinner party guests I adore a gorgeous serving platter.  I am completely obsessed with these two marble serving platters from West Elm- how amazing are they? I picture the round one with a kick ass cheese platter and the skinny one with bite size apps like wontons or a dessert like fudge.

I could not decide between the two so of course I had to order both and good news for you guys both are on sale!  These would make great Christmas gifts for anyone you know who loves to entertain!

Marbelized Serveware

I am also really digging these Marble + Wood slabs .  The two sizes work together so well, I could see myself using them all the time!

Lately.

Happy Friday Friends. Any fun plans this weekend? This is our last weekend in town before we head to Charlotte for Christmas. I feel like this holiday season has slipped by and I have hardly gotten to enjoy it. So that is just what I plan to do this weekend. I promised Sterling we would build a gingerbread house, go see the Christmas Lights at the James Island County Park, make hot chocolate, watch Christmas movies, and wrap gifts. I really want to slow down and and enjoy this time of the year because it is so fun for Sterling and he is so excited.   Plus I love Christmas!

This week I started taking photos at night of what was going in our house.  I want to create a whole Blurb book of them.  It will be fun to look back on them years later!  Here is what has been going on in the Mason House.

Loving our MamaRoo Swing.  So nice for Frances to sit in while we enjoy happy hour and our tree!

Sterling has been so creative lately.  I have really tried to limit his TV,  for awhile we were watching too much.  Now we play instead.  This night he lined up every single car and "friend" he had.

Matt worked late Wednesday night so both kids got in bed with me and we snuggled- pure bliss.

Miss Frances has been keeping her Daddy up at night in our room where she currently sleeps, so Matt decided to blow up the air mattress in her room to get a good nights sleep for work.  Of course Sterling wanted to sleep in this awesome bed too and have a slumber party.

Frances had her first bath this week, her belly button had been infected and it finally healed so I could bath her.  I bathed her all by myself and was very proud !  Btw any great bath suggestions?  We still have yet to get one, I just bathed her in our sink which was tricky with just me.

 My friend Sam gave Frances this adorable Monkey hat- I mean does it get any cuter??

I will leave you with this list of Bible readings for Advent- love how it is broken down daily. 

Have a great weekend!

Currently Living in Sweaters + Leggings

Dressing post baby is hard. You are not pregnant anymore so you don't have to deal with a huge belly but things just ain't the same. I can barely fit in my "fat" jeans- major muffin top over the top- so not pretty.   So I have been living in leggings.   My typical daily outfit is leggings and a cute sweater with ballet flats or my Rag and Bone Booties if I want to dress up a bit.   We had a baby shower for my friend Sarah yesterday and this is what I wore. 

I have already the praised the Spanx leggings enough so I am sure you get it- I love them.  Instead of nursing bras I have been loving the Bravado nursing tanks, I wear them under everything.  I feel like the tanks suck you in as well so you don't see flab.  Plus they make nursing easy.   My mom recently went to Chicago and found me the dark brown Rag and Bone Newbury Booties at the Nordstrom Outlet.  They are My absolute favorite, they go with everything!  I stopped in Forever 21 this week and picked up a few cheap sweaters for this after baby in between stage including the one I am wearing.  This outfit has been on repeat around here.
Links below.

Also love this pic of Charlize Theron for inspiration.  Leggings and sweaters can be a chic look!

A few awesome sweater deals from the Shopbop sale.

I also snagged this super cute zippered sweater from F21.  It looks way more expensive in person!

These Club Monaco leggings are also part of the Shopbop sale, I have heard great things about them.
They would be great with any of the sweaters!

Any other great sweaters or leggings I need?  I will probably be living in this ensemble for the next 3 months!
xoxo

The Best Veggie Sandwich Ever

After not really watching what I ate for the past nine months, I am ready to get back on track and lose the last of this baby weight.  I am not on a full blown diet that will come after the Holidays (I must indulge for all the holiday parties)  but I have been trying to buy healthier groceries and making smarter food choices.  I try to eat really healthy for breakfast and lunch so I can indulge at dinner and eat what I want plus have a glass of wine.  This week I decided to make veggie sandwiches for lunch.  This combo is amazing.  The Greek yogurt spread paired with the crunch of the carrots and cucumbers and then the creamy avocado is amazing.  Make sure you splurge and buy some really good bread.  I found this awesome multi grain bread by Band of Bakers in the fresh bread section at Harris Teeter and it makes the sandwich!   I think this sandwich would be killer with some cheese like pepper jack added too.

Enjoy!

:: T H E  B E S T  V E G G I E  S A N D W I C H ::

- Multigrain or Oat Bread

- Plain Greek Yogurt

- Fresh Dill

- Sliced Carrots

- Sliced English Cucumber

- Arugula sprouts

- Sliced Avocado

- Sea Salt

Combine Greek Yogurt with chopped fresh dill and salt and pepper.  You can mix up as much as you want to save for future sandwiches.  I mix about one cup of Greek yogurt with a tablespoon chopped fresh dill.  Layer on the veggies and slice and serve.  Be sure to sprinkle the avocado with sea salt it makes the flavors so much better!  I toast my bread slightly to soften it up.

**Arugula Sprouts can be found near the regular sprouts in the produce section.  I found mine at Harris Teeter and they were called Arugula MicroGreens.**

 

My Top 10 Buys of 2013

I know most of you are deep in the middle of Christmas shopping so I thought it would be the perfect time to share my favorite purchases this year. All items I swear by and love. They would be make great gifts for anyone including yourself!   This year I tried to be more selective about what I bought.  I am trying to edit my closet and only have things I really love.  More about investment pieces and less trendy items.  Here are my top 10 favorite purchases this year (although a few were gifts given to me).

:: RAG AND BONE NEWBURY BOOTIES::

I lusted after these boots forever before finally taking the plunge and buying them during a Shopbop sale.  I have to say they are honestly the best booties around.  They are comfortable, not too high of a heel and go with everything!! I have them in gray and my mom just recently brought this dark brown pair back for me from Chicago.  They run true to size.  They are on sale in a burgundy/brown color here.

 :: SPANX WOW STRUCTURED LEGGINGS::

I stand by the fact that these are the best leggings I have ever purchased.  They offer so much support and really suck you in, super flattering.  I have been wearing them everyday post baby to try and suck my stomach back in and I swear its working.  Even if it is not my tummy looks flat while I am wearing them.  They are totally on the expensive side for leggings but I swear they are worth every penny.

:: RAG AND BONE THE SKINNY JEANS ::

I know I rave about these often but they really are some of the best jeans around.  Super flattering and comfortable.

:: CHINESE LAUNDRY D'ORSAY FLATS ::

I love the look of the D'Orsay flat this year and while I loved the Vince version I just could not bring myself to pay $300 for them.  This Chinese Laundry pair is amazing, so comfortable.  I wear mine practically daily.  They are on sale right now at Nordstroms too for only $44!!

:: FOLEY AND CORINA MID CITY TOTE ::

I recently purchased this purse and I am smitten with it.  It is the perfect large size to toss all my stuff and the kids stuff in.  I love that you can carry it as a tote or fold it over and have a smaller cross body bag- the best of both worlds.  A fabulous everyday purse.

:: UGG SCUFFETTE SLIPPERS::

I ask for these slippers every year for Christmas and for some reason never get them.  Last year after Christmas I used some of my Christmas money to finally buy them and it was the best purchase ever.

I wear them all the time, they feel so soft on my feet and I think as far as slippers go they are cute.  Best slippers around I tell you.

:: JENNIFER ZUENER HORIZONTAL CROSS NECKLACE::

I have to admit I am not a huge jewelry person, while I love jewelry I tend to gravitate more towards everyday pieces I can wear all the time.  This was a birthday gift and one of my favorite necklaces.  I love that you can layer it with longer necklaces or wear it alone.  Such a simple piece that also stands out.

:: CLUB MONACO HALEY KNIT DRESS ::

Ever since I saw this dress floating around on pinterset I knew I needed it.  I have worn it so much, pregnant and not pregnant.  Such a great everyday dress.  They don't make it with the tan pockets anymore but the black version is available and onsale for 30% off!

:: JOIE MARLO BLOUSE::
This the most versatile blouse.  It is longer so you can pair with leggings or skinny jeans.   I have the blue color and wear it all the time but now I want the dusty pink or silver color.

:: TKEES FLIP FLOPS ::
By far the best flip flops ever.  I own the nude color and wear them all the time.  I plan to buy another pair for this spring.  So comfortable and they go with everything!

Lastly SHOPBOP is having up to 70% all their winter and fall merchandise!  You can check out the sale HERE!