When you cant give them the world, opt for a pretty gift instead. Here’s a gift guide for all the cool moms out there.
Guarantee you’ll be able to find a little something for all the Mama’s in your life…including the ones who swear they don’t need a thing. Other than quality time and a long brunch (with wine included, obvi together, you know what the second best way to thank her……
Oranges + kumquat! Nothing brightens up a room better than fresh fruits. Totally stylish. Super affordable. And delicious too! I envisioned using fresh produce of some sort in lieu of flowers for a change. Honestly I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off. I bought fresh stems at TJ’s as a backup plan…Ha!
The oranges + kumquat both complement the spring + summer color palette perfectly. Such an easy pop of color. I’m typically not a HUGE color fan. I like to keep it pretty neutral. But, this is so pleasing to the eye, that I fell in love.
The centerpiece consists of oranges + greenery (that I pulled from a bouquet my homegirl Nikki brought me) + Eucalyptus filler that I picked up from Target yesterday. $7.99 for 3 bunches. Originally I bought them for a different spot in the house and threw them in here last-minute. Wouldn’t they look so cute in a bud vase? They are super versatile and almost look real!
BIG shout out to Jamie Carroll + Allison Rose for the orange + kumquat delivery. Thank you for making my table dreams come true ♥
We have to take a moment to chat about these glasses. I fell in love the moment I laid my eyes on these beauties. They are vintage so I can’t link them or tell you where you can find some. Sorry! They look real pretty filled with rosé….I had to test it out the day I brought them home. I’m thinking pretty desserts next. But for now, they are showing off on my dinning room table and they make me uber happy!
This $9 wine decanter was another Target find a few months back. Filled with sliced oranges + water. That’s what I’ll do. I tried chardonnay and it looked kinda like urine…lol. So, we’ll stick with water for now.
Keep scrolling for more images + details.
Whenever I want to change-up the dinning room table, the first thing I do is linen napkins. It’s impressive what a simple napkin can do for a table. I picked up this white stripe 4-pack for $7 at Target yesterday. They are a simple + classic, so they will be used over and over again.
I think lemons + lavender would also be such a great combo. Who knows, maybe I’ll try that next 🙂
Tied a piece of greenery around the back of the white chairs. It’s the little details that always get me. Super simple and so pretty!
Ok, here’s all the details:
Let the lonnnggg weekend begin. Today is my last day of work till April 9th. I can’t even begin to tell you how frickin excited I am. So excited that I couldn’t even sleep last night. My brain was going a mile a minute of all the things I need to get done + can’t wait to do in the next 10 days. Bay + I cleaned the house. Washed the car. Full tank of gas. Grocery shopped. Easter baskets are complete. Eggs are filled and ready for the Easter bunny. So, I plan to drink some LOTS of skinny, skinny margs tonight and begin celebrating.
Don’t even trip though, I kicked butt this week and pre-blogged so you will still get your daily xoxostacyb email 🙂 Just in case you were worried..HA!
Have a great weekend. Enjoy Easter with your family. And HAPPY SPRING BREAK!!!
Before I let you go, I’ve got 5 things on my mind…..
ONE – The perfect black swimsuits // I found it ladies! I found THE perfect black one-piece. And it doesn’t cost $300! I actually found two! Both from the one, the only…..
TARGET!
And did you see Target is doing a BOGO 50% off on suits for the fam?
What that means is, you can get both for under $60! Two perfect black swimsuits!
Perfect black suit #1 // $39.99 (BOGO 50% off)
I actually bought this exact suit twice now. A tragedy happened last year. While I was at the Cache Creek Spa, I accidentally wrapped up the perfect black suit with my spa robe and threw it in the dirty hamper. Called the next day and they tossed it! Went back to Target to buy a new one….SOLD OUT! Everywhere. I even tried SF. No go. Moral of the story, get this suit. It’s super faltering. Lots of coverage. Removable neck strap. There are over 300 reviews…read them for yourself.
Perfect black suit #2 // $39.99 (BOGO 50% off)
This is the show stopper. Obsessed with the low scoop back. I saw this on so many bloggers on LiketoKnowit. Clicked on the link. And fell out of my seat when I saw it was Target. It comes in white too. I kinda want to order it. I did size up to a large in this one. Which worked out perfectly. I have a long torso and I didn’t want it cutting into my shoulders. It has great coverage. Removable cups. I could go on and on. Get it before it’s sold out!
Ruffled One Piece Swimsuit (comes in white)
Bay’s perfect black suit // $39.50
Since we like matching, it only made sense that we both get the perfect black suits. J.Crew suits fit Bay perfectly. And we can twin on the beach all summer long 🙂
Girls’ scalloped cropped tankini set
All the kids want is the CHOCOLATE!! And let’s be real….all us Mama’s want our kids to fall asleep so we can steal all their Reese’s Eggs. Am I right? I like to call it “quality control.” I can’t buy them for myself, because #noselfcontrol obvi. So, I buy them for Bay. Then eat them. Ha. Makes total sense to me!
Ever since I was a kid, my parents always filled our baskets with a new swim suit + salt water sandals…and all the candy.
I totally copycat my Mom and do the same for Bay each year. I always try to throw in the realistic things that I will need to buy anyway. And with summer right around the corner, the summery basket was always the ticket.
Except this year. Bay already has new suits + flip-flops + beach towels + googles….we had to stock up earlier for her Hawaii trip.
This year the Easter Bunny is bringing her museum ticket.
Remember my Adventure + Experiences gift idea. We’re still rollin with it.
Still jazzing up the tickets with some fun goodies that I know she’ll love too. #reeseseggs
December 1st! The final chapter of 2017. 31 days left to make it a great one. Who else is planning to finish it off with a bang? It’s been one of those weeks, and I’m so, so ready for the weekend. Lots of fun things planned. One of those weekends where you’re looking forward to everything on your calendar. Don’t you love it when that happens? Have a good one peeps!
But first, I’ve got 5 things on my mind…..
ONE – Elf on the Damn Shelf // Today, December 1st, our Elf on the Damn Shelf, Holly arrived. It’s bittersweet. On one hand, I LOVE the tradition. The anticipation of where Holly may be hiding each morning. Or what kind of mischief she’s gotten into in the middle of the night, while we’re all fast asleep. On the other hand, it’s a royal pain in the ass to move the elf on the damn shelf every. single. night. for 25 days. Being that I am a seasoned elf on the shelfer, I’m going to share a week of Elf ideas each Saturday morning. For the next 3 weeks to get you though the agony. Including supplies needed. Promise, promise, promise…they will all be easy and with minimal items.
Come back tomorrow morning for {elf on the damn shelf // week 1}
TWO – Christmas Place Setting // This may not look like much more than a place setting to you. To my Mom and I, this is the place setting from hell. Ha. Not really. It was a pain in the ass to make happen. In case you haven’t heard me say it before, I’ll say it again, My Mom is THE SHIT. I called her Wednesday and chatted with her on the phone for about an hour. I told her everything I could think of. From ideas to current events to real life shit. She’s a fantastic listener. Then when we were ready to hang up, I remembered 5 more things I need to discuss with her. One of them being this table…lol.
I’ve been wracking my brain to come up with something I LOVE. Also something that’s different from what I’ve done before. Without spending a shit ton of money. After 3 trips to the Dollar Tree, made by the one and the only….My Mom, I finally have a place setting I love. She originally went for the gold chargers. Then sent me a pic of the gold-rimmed plates. My love for gold will never die. Then went back to get the matching salad plates. Then yesterday, went back AGAIN for 2 more place setting. I can’t even make this shit up.
THANK YOU MOM!!! I’m going to buy you something really great for Christmas ♥
Table Runner: World Market
Gold Charger: Dollar Tree
Gold Rimmed Dinner + Salad Plate: Dollar Tree
Plaid Linen Napkins: Target (Hearth & Hand)
Gold Flatware: World Market
Plaid Ribbon: Target (Hearth & Hand)
Garland Clipping: Trader Joe’s
I’ll share my full Christmas table soon! Just a couple more finishing touches.
Today I’ve rounded up some of my tried + true favorite things. Everything on this list would make for a great bff + hostess with the most + teacher gift. I’m always on the hunt for the perfect little something for the chicks in my life. You know, the ones that you want to put some extra thought into. The ones that a Starbucks card or bottle of wine just wont cut it. Don’t get me wrong, I like all those things! Ha.
There’s something for the lady who loves to entertain.
The friend that loves to cook.
Or the girl who just loves pretty things.
Oh yeah, and did I mention they are all under $25? Yep. Love my peeps, but I’m also on a budget.
T (urkey) minus 2 days! Ha! I had to.
Okay guys, I was thinking last week….
People get so stressed out about hosting. I honestly LOVE it. Weird? Maybe? I think I’ve done it so much that I’m really comfortable opening my home just about anytime of the year. But, Holidays. Holidays are my jam. #holidaywhore.
I wanted to share some tips for stress-free hosting that I think might just make you chill the fuck out a little bit.
Here we go…..
Prep!
Do as much prep as possible ahead of time. This is probably the biggest NO BRAINER! It’s also is the one thing that makes the biggest difference. Stay up late if you have to. Run all your errands on your lunch break. Make shit happen. Groceries + paper products. Grab an extra pack of TP. And definitely DON’T forget lotttsss of wine. That way the day of, you will be smooth sailing!
You don’t have to make everything from scratch!
Cut yourself some slack sister. I guarantee not a single person at your table is going to give a fuck that your rolls came from Nugget. Shit, they might even be better than the 5 hours you could have put into making them from scratch. Don’t chance killing the yeast! How about pies? You think guests aren’t going to smother that Costco pumpkin pie in cool whip and lick their plates clean? Trust me….you’re gonna to be just fine. And if they do mention somthing, then remove them from next years guest list. You don’t want a jerk at your table anyway 🙂
Set your table in advance!
The day before, or maybe even….the week before, take your time. Set a pretty table. Admire it. Pull out all that fancy silverware + china you never use. Have fun with it. Then the night before or the day of, all you have to do is add some greenery or fresh flowers and you’re set.
I went with my forever favorite, eucalyptus. It’s timeless. Goes with everything. You will always find a vase of eucalyptus in my home, year round.
Ask your guests to bring a favorite dish!
Everyone likes to contribute, well except for lazy assholes..Ha. It can get fun to see what your peeps sentimental dish may be. Doesn’t each family have that one weird/odd item they HAVE to have on turkey day? You get to try something new and hear a fun background story as to how this dish became so important. Ours would have to be pretzel jello salad. Every time a newbie comes to Thanksgiving they never know what to think. But you better believe they ask for seconds.
{Anna’s beautiful charcuterie platter}
Happy Friday. The 3rd Friday in November. You know what that means? We are inching closer + closer to Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s truly the best time of the year. Peeps get all festive AF and happy. It’s magical. I love it. Full disclosure, I’ve already started decorating for Christmas. I swore I’d wait, but I just cant help myself.
ONE – It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas // I narrowed down my color scheme and I’m ready to decorate. Our new home is pretty small compared to our old house. This years Christmas decor goals: minimalist Christmas. All the feels without it being overwhelming or too much. Subtle. White + splashes of plaid + silver + gold. What do you think?
ps…we’re also getting our tree this weekend. Fuck it. Christmas before Thanksgiving. I guess that’s breaking the rules. But you know what they say about rules? They’re meant to be broken!
Tree Collar // Table Runner // Plaid Napkins // Tree Candle // Wood Bowl // Reindeer Baskets
TWO – Target // Speaking of Target…..Spend $50 on food + beverage get a $10 giftcard. Plus K-cups are buy one get one 1/2 off. I did my grocery shopping for Friendsgiving + Thanksgiving yesterday sitting at my computer. Walked in Target last night and went straight to the Customer Service desk. Picked up my shit. And I was on my merry way. I didn’t buy a single thing that I didn’t need. Record-fucking-breaking! Try it! Saves money + time and I think we could all use a little more of that around this time of the year!
Click here to shop: Free $10 gift card when you spend $50 on food & beverages.*
THREE – Conference // This week was parent teacher conferences at Bay’s school. They do it a little different in the 6th grade though. They do student lead conferences. It’s really cool. The kids are given a list of items to show the parents. We went through the whole list, then it said…..
Have your parents do a math problem on the white board.
HOLY FUCK!
I got so hot. I was straight up panicking. Bay is GREAT at math. Her favorite subject to be exact. Me, not so much. I’m terrible. I use my calculator for ev-ery-thing!
I think Bay could see the fear in my eyes…lol. She offered to go up and help me out. I wanted to bust out my phone a couple of times. But, together we solved the math problem.
Moral of the story – I suck at math! Big time!
