lifestyle Archives - Page 13 of 29

what’s in adam’s bag?

April 14, 2015 6 Comments

this is a really simple post that i’ve been meaning to write for months! fashion bloggers always seem to be dumping out the contents of their bags to show off what sorts of goodies they have inside, so why not share what a baby carries in his bag?

back when adam was probably around six months, he became obsessed with my purse. he would sit there and pull everything out, then put it all back in again. and on and on for longer than he would concentrate on most things. since i wasn’t particularly keen on him playing with actual keys, or unwrapping bits of gum, i decided to give him his own purse to play with. i picked up this adorable kid’s survey backpack by hershel supply co. and filled it with the baby-friendly versions of th things you might find in my bag: toy keys, velcro wallet, lots of plastic cards, an altoids tin filled with cheerios, baby sunglasses, etc. it’s still a “toy,” but i’ve found that the things that least resemble actual toys are the things that are most interesting for babies. so there you have it, a glimpse at what’s inside adam’s bag!

kids

fifteen months

April 10, 2015 3 Comments

today is adam’s fifteen month birthday! so i thought i’d share a few photos we snapped last weekend on easter. apparently my grandpa got a little overexcited about the event and decided that he wanted to build a sandbox for adam. my grandma had to convince him to settle on something store bought, so they spent the entire week prior shipping around for the perfect sandbox. unfortunately, it’s more of a seasonal item, so they had to settle on the iconic plastic turtle. which, might i add, was perfect. i’m merely retelling the tale of their hunt!

so of course, it was a big event to watch him discover the contents of his bucket and eventually play in the sand. and adam was outfitted in this dandy little look for the day. the shirt, shorts, and sunhat were all a gift from egg by susan lazar, and the shoes are a classic pair of saltwater sandals.

lifestyle, kids

bitte

April 9, 2015 2 Comments

my internet pal maia mcdonald has just launched a fundable campaign for her new venture, bitte! and of course, it’s right down my alley. she’s teamed up with her mother (and former vice president of product development and creative services at faber-castell usa, no big deal) to start a new baby boutique, and they’re asking friends, family, and the great big internet for help meeting their funding goals. the focus of their latest venture is “to create a unique and trusted marketplace of carefully curated products for young children.” each product is meticulously assessed based upon sustainability, form & function, so you can enjoy shopping knowing that each item has been carefully selected, and has earned the bitte stamp of approval.

and of course, maia is not without her own credentials. she’s a pinterest wizard, freelance graphic designer, art director at rue magazine, and a new mother. i am so excited about her latest venture, and can’t wait to see more! and if that’s not enough convincing, check out the sneak peek of fun items you can score with your pledge to back to the project.

now go fund bitte!

lifestyle, home, kids

adam’s nursery

April 2, 2015 11 Comments

it’s been a long time coming, but i’m finally sharing photos of adam’s nursery! i have no good excuse for why it’s taken so long for me to share this because the room has remained pretty much the same since he was born. as he’s grown, i’ve rearranged things to make the space more appropriate for his level of development, and added a few things here and there, most notably after christmas and his birthday in january, yikes! we originally had a big mid-century style shelf against one wall, but once he was actively reaching for things above his head, i decided that it might be wise to build a shelf up high so he wouldn’t be able pull something down on top of himself. and as he’s grown, i’ve also started to imagine it as more of a play area with little carts full of toys and a tiny wooden kitchen all safely within his reach.

as far as a theme, there really isn’t one. i had originally wanted to go with jungle animals and an aqua blue/mustard yellow color scheme with pops of red here and there. but as i started collecting things, i quickly realized that it would be almost impossible for me to maintain any sort of theme or color story. as soon as i let go of whatever preconceived notion i had about how i wanted the room to look, it just sorta fell together as i picked up the things i liked. in the end, i’d say it has bright and colorful, eclectic, slightly european vibe to it. if we’re going to put a label on it, haha.

above: adam’s beloved hape play kitchen, a classic red radio flyer push bike, lots of fisher price classics, babylit books, and plenty of other bright and colorful delights.

the vintage emmaljunga pram. we don’t use it nearly as often as i thought we would, but i am still so pleased that i found one! that cloub b gentle giraffe, on the other hand, was a lifesaver when adam was an infant!

the print above us is by marrimeko from a few seasons ago.

prints from fine little day and petit collage elephant mobile.

aqua blue velvet glider, the tassel pillow is now out of stock, mini boheme lion pillow, and lucy owl courtesy of hazel village.

the crib is part of the babyletto skip set, and the crib mattress is from naturepedics. the blanket is by blabla from a few seasons back.

i love this p’kolino elephant wall easel! sadly, it has been discontinued.

the babyletto skip dresser. the changing station on top is removable.

my style, kids

outfit: wrap happy

March 30, 2015 9 Comments

the flowers are blooming, the weather is hot, and i’ve been stuck inside for the past several days taking care of a baby with a really nasty cold. we normally spend a lot of time out of the house, so it’s rough being cooped-up inside, especially when the weather is so nice. we’ve been alternating between episodes of yo gabba gabba, taking quick baths to help him clear his chest, napping, and going on walks around the neighborhood for fresh air. all of which has been made much easer with my the help of my new tula woven wrap. when babies are sick, they just want to be held nonstop, and without a carrier of some sort, i think my arms might fall off! i definitely prefer this to propping him up on my hip because his weight is more evenly distributed across my back, and my hands are free so i can get things done around the house. bonus points: these wraps must be woven with some kind of magic, because when you put a baby in one of these, they usually pass out in 5 minutes flat!

i’ve worn adam in a soft sided carrier since he was a tiny baby because it was super convenient and easy to use, but i was always intrigued and intimidated by woven wraps. they come in all sorts of pretty patterns, and they look nice and comfy, but the wrapping techniques look really complicated. but now that i’ve given it a try (with the help of this video), i wish i had gotten one sooner! it’s really not hard to do, and they are super comfortable even with a large baby like adam! i like the pretty mustard yellow pattern on this wrap, and i’ve been having fun figuring out how to coordinate it with my outfits. so far, i’ve discovered that simple jumpsuits like this are a really good option because they stay put when you’re pulling the wrap up and around you and baby.

in fact, i’m beginning to think i could write a whole book about what to wear while babywearing. or at least a comprehensive blog post! so stay tuned because i’ve got a few more suggestions on the way. and feel free to ask me any questions you might have about wraps or carriers or babywearing in general!

wearing:
lauren moffatt romper (past season)
brookes boswell wakefield hat in panana straw
tuto sandals
migaloo woven wrap courtesy of tula
clare v. messenger
shinola runwell watch
gillian steinhardt right hand charm bracelet courtesy of aro

lifestyle, home, kids

a nursery sneak peek with munchkin!

March 25, 2015 5 Comments

back when adam was just a tiny babe, i half-jokingly declared that i would consider it an accomplishment if i managed to photograph the nursery before he was a year old. and here we are. adam is 14 months old, and i’m finally getting around to it! besides the fact that i have never photographed or shared any of my interiors on the blog before, i think my biggest hurdle was that i kept expecting the room to be “finished” one day. but then, as i rearranged the room for the millionth time since he was born, i realized that there would never be an end point. a home is this living, breathing thing that grows and changes right along with us. adam’s needs are ever-changing, and so is his room. (and with any luck, we’ll be moving out of this place very soon, so i really need to document it before we leave. more on that later!)

so in the spirit of building things up, i partnered with munchkin to give you a little tease before the big reveal. most of the room has remained pretty much the same since adam was born, but i’ve been making important additions to the room here and there. one such essential came in the form of our new arm & hammer diaper pail that we received courtesy of munchkin. i had originally picked up a little stainless steel step can because i thought it looked nice, and i honestly never even considered using a diaper pail. and i got away without one for quite a few months before i started to notice a particularly offensive funk wafting from the nursery. unless you plan to make multiple trips to the dumpster throughout the day, a regular can just isn’t gonna cut it. needless to say, i was pretty relieved to finally make the upgrade, especially after having to explain the stink to guests a few too many times…

and with that final odor-free addition, i can finally say that i’m ready to share the nursery! hope you enjoy the photos, and stay tuned for the full reveal coming soon!

calivintage_com_0703

this post was created in partnership with munchkin. thank you for supporting my sponsors!

lifestyle, home, travel

houses of redlands

March 24, 2015 5 Comments

i know i’ve mentioned this a few times before, but i am absolutely charmed by the vintage architecture here in redlands. so much so, that i find myself snapping quick pictures of my favorite houses while i wander around on walks in the historic district where i live. there are a number of buildings listed in the national register of historic places, or designated as california historical landmarks. i’ve been posting enough pictures to instagram, that i decided to start filing them all under the rather predictable hashtag #housesofredlands.

it’s just a fun little hobby for me, but it’s really been gaining steam now that i’m in the market for a house of my own. i find myself more intrigued with little details like walkways and landscaping, paint colors and porch covers. here’s a little selection of some of the photos i’ve taken. and of course, you can see more on my instagram.

lifestyle, food, travel

redlands city guide: à la minute

March 18, 2015 9 Comments

after moving back to redlands last year, i’ve been wanting to start a city guide series to highlight some of my favorite spots in town. even though i grew up here, i was never fully able to appreciate just how charming this southern california town really is. at least not until moving back as an adult. unfortunately, this lofty project has been much harder to plan and execute than i thought, and the whole thing ended up on the backburner as a result. my series of photos from local ice cream shop à la minute were a casualty of this shuffling of priorities, and i feel really bad that i never posted them despite the fact that we shot them back in october! better late than never?

since à la minute opened shop on citrus ave. a three years ago, they have expanded their ice cream empire to include sister locations in historic downtown orange and the charming college town of claremont. they boast a delicious menu of ice cream flavors made with whole milk from straus organic creamery with many of their flavors being seasonally sourced from local businesses. each serving is made-to-order in a kitchen-aid mixer using liquid nitrogen to freeze all of the ingredients together right in front of your eyes. it’s quite novel to watch them flip on the machine and listen to the quick whir of the paddle as a billowing cloud of white smoke pours out, and your little cup of ice cream emerges. current flavors on the menu include orange honey made with locally sourced farquar farms citrus and soffel farms honey, and chocolate lavender made with chocolate from nearby shop parliament chocolate. this in addition to a rotating menu of seasonal delights.

so on one warm weekend morning, i met up with sisters and creative duo joy and promise newell to snap a few photos of this beloved local spot.

lifestyle, home

the one that got away

March 6, 2015 17 Comments

if you’ve been following me on instagram, then you may already know that my little family recently started the process of hunting for a house. for nearly 10 years now, brendan and i have always lived in relatively small apartments in urban areas, and never even dreamed of owning a home. but since having a baby, moving to redlands, and falling in love with the community here, we’ve gotten more serious about finding a place to call our own. we currently live in a cute little rental, but we don’t have much of a yard, and it was never our intention to stay here for very long. we live in the historic district, surrounded by darling craftsman-style bungalows, cookie cutter victorians, and charming spanish-style villas. it is just about impossible to keep myself from daydreaming about living in some cute little vintage house as i go on walks with adam around the neighborhood. (i even started posting to instagram with the hashtag #housesofredlands.)

so after casually looking at the real estate listings for several months, i finally laid my eyes on this charming 1920s beauty. the house is on a ridiculously idyllic tree-lined street only a short walk from the historic downtown. when i saw the listing, my heart began to pitter-patter and i did my best not to get my hopes up too high. but if you’ve ever been on the hunt for a house, then you know how quickly you begin to imagine yourself living there forever. it was the perfect house. tons of vintage charm with the original bathroom mostly intact. the kitchen was redone in the ’70s, but it was nothing that a few coats of paint and a new countertop couldn’t fix. and beneath all of that dirty old carpeting was the original hardwood flooring, just waiting to be revealed. just the type of fixer-upper that can easily be restored to it’s original charm by someone with the vision to do it!

but alas, it really was too good to be true. we were outbid without a chance to counteroffer and the house is now pending. i can’t help but find myself hoping that the sale will somehow fall through and we’ll get that call. but i know that it’s been long enough that i need to let go and continue searching for “the one.” but the whole process is much more emotionally draining that i ever thought possible. there are so many factors out of our control. we need to be patient since those barely untouched gems don’t pop up often, and even then, there may always be someone willing to put in a higher bid.

do any of you have tales to tell about your search for the perfect home?

lifestyle, food

recipe: the greeña colada

March 3, 2015 5 Comments

back when i was living in los feliz, i couldn’t resist stopping by the punchbowl a few times a week for their delicious greeña coladas. needless to say, i was pretty sad when we moved away because i no longer had quick access to my smoothie fix. their menu says it’s made with coconut meat, kale, pineapple, avocado, coconut water, and coconut nectar. so i went about my way sourcing the ingredients in an attempt to recreate it. i had a bit of a rough time finding the coconut meat, but finally found it in the freezer section of my local health food store. i don’t even know what coconut nectar is, and i still haven’t been able to find it, so i had to skip out on that one! then it was just a matter of tweaking the ratio of ingredients to taste. there’s really no right or wrong when it comes to this, but here’s the way i’ve been preparing it.

greeña colada

8 – 10 chunks of frozen pineapple
half an avocado
2 – 3 frozen kale leaves
1 large piece of coconut meat
coconut water varies, usually around 1.5 cups

simply toss all of the ingredients into a commercial blender or food processor and add coconut water to desired consistency. because i like my smoothies to be icy cold, i usually put the pineapple and kale into the freezer before blending, but you can also just throw them in fresh. i’ve also noticed that i prefer the drink to be heavy on pineapple so i can taste the tartness through the creamy avocado and bitter kale. then just grab a nice big straw and enjoy!

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