Weekend Links + Steals

Hurray! It's Friday! And the weekend of the Fourth!

Here are some good links from around the internet for when the campfire is over:

10 things every child needs in their outdoor space- such good ideas.

This seriously killed me- things we did in 1999 that are now outdated.

Such a pretty, summery skirt.

Such a beautiful essay- I won't tell you you're a good mother.

Breaking down the reasons you're breaking out.

This would be such a perfect tank for this weekend!

What makes an activity a Montessori activity.

The perfect pink sneakers.

How wellness became an epidemic.

A bunch of pretty looks for the Fourth!

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Good Finds Under $50:

click the pictures to shop:

Fourth of July Healthy Berry Cheesecake

My top is here (and in pink here!) and my shorts are here. 

It's vegan, it's paleo, it's good for you... but it's also really yummy! And patriotic!

INGREDIENTS

For the crust:
2 cups of almonds
~25 dates, pitted

For the middle layer:
2 ripe bananas
3 cups cashews
2/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the top:
1 banana
1 and 1/3 cup blueberries
1 cup strawberries
4 dates, pitted
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1.  Prep- peel and cut the three bananas and freeze them.  Freeze the blueberries too.  Soak the cashews for at least three hours in water.
2.  Blend the almonds and the dates into a sticky mix.  Press them into a 9 inch cake pan and put them in the freezer.
3.  Make the middle layer by blending all the middle layer ingredients together.  Pour 3/4 of the mixture onto the frozen base.  Wait at least 20 minutes for this to set before adding the next step.
4.  Blend the remaining 1/4 of the middle layer mix with the new top layer ingredients.  Pour on top!  Place the cake back into the freezer to set for 2-3 hours before serving!

Farmhouse Dining Room Tables All Under $400

a couple of my inspiration pictures!  sources: one, two

our current dining room situation

One of the problems about redoing a room in your house is that then you want to re do everything.  And that is not pleasing to your husband.  One thing we can both agree on is that we'd like to upgrade our current dining room table.  It's been with us since our college days and I'm over the dark wood.   I'd love to lighten up the space with a lighter colored, smaller table.

Here are some of my finds- bonus, they're all under $400!

 One// Two ( I'm actually loving the idea of a circular table instead of a rectangle!)

Three// Four (love this one!)

Five // Six

Seven (I love the simplicity of this one) // Eight 

Favorite Etsy Baby Finds

We love Ophelia's bonnet from here.   

If you ever want to be the hit at a baby shower, Etsy is your spot.  It was my go to for a lot of Ophelia's nursery decor, and I love finding unique clothes and gifts there.  Here are some of my recent  pretty finds:

OBSESSED with this green floral dress// A personalized bunny rabbit// Mama tee

The cutest baby gym// Bonnet and bloomers set

Baby nest! Like the dockatot, but a jillion dollars cheaper// A cute little forest romper// Felt mobile

Pick flowers onesie// The cutest little collared romper

Ophelia's leotard is here.  

annnd a few more pretties that didn't make the collage: this adorable organic tunic, this handmade doll, and this onesie and hat set.  

Girl On A Budget: 16 Summer Dresses Under $50

my dress is this one, and my shoes are these.  

With all the showers, parties, and weddings summer bring, the need for a new dress (or... a few new dresses) can add up.  I scoured the internet for tons of pretty dresses (and almost all of them are bump friendly!) that are all under $50.  Go forth and shop!

Blue with embroidery// One shoulder// Floral// Orange embroidered

Yellow gingham// Floral maxi// Red ruffle// Green off the shoulder

Blue halter// Pink ruffle (I love this one!)// Orange maxi// Lace maxi 

Floral drop waist// Floral bell sleeve// Patterned midi// Cranberry maxi

Weekend Links + Steals

Happy Friday, friends!

Do you find yourself saying "good job!"to your kiddo all the time?  Here are a bunch of things to say instead.

How different foods affect your skin.

Seriously, the cutest pajama set ever.

This article made me strangely sad.

Your ideal friendship, based on the zodiac. Ophelia and I are destined to be best friends!

10 summer fruit desserts.  Yummmm.  I want to make this one!

IN LOVE with this gorgeous top.

Ugh.  Nearly 2/3 of mothers feel they've been shamed for their parenting.

LOVE this quote.  J.K Rowling for president.

This dress makes me want to be running in a field of wildflowers.  Anyone else?

Different types of exercise affect different areas of the brain- this is so cool.

Is dirt a new antidepressant?

These espadrilles are so pretty!

A round up of awesome feminist picture books.

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Good Finds Under $50: 

Summer Shoes

Mama's favorite summer shoes and Ophelia's favorite summer shoes.  

Splash pads and sandboxes and grassy fields are what summer is all about.  Summer shoes (when you can keep them on your little one- Ophelia is all about ditching her shoes lately) are key for keeping those little tooties safe.  Here are our favorites! 

NATIVES (pink ones are here, black ones are here): Natives are our very favorites. They're waterproof, and sand shakes out easily.  Ophelia wears these daily.  Until of course, she decides she's over shoes entirely.  

SEE KAI RUN SANDALS (stripe ones here, brown ones here): See Kai Run shoes are created by a podiatrist and they definitely seem super comfortable.  

STRIDE RITE WATER SHOES (pink ones here, back ones here): Perfect for the splash pad! 

KEEN SANDALS (pink ones here, black ones here): Awesome for the little outdoor enthusiast- you can match mom and dad when you're out hiking.  

JOULES WATER SHOES  (stars here, sharks here): These are just so cute. 

SALT WATER SANDALS (metallic ones here, black ones here): Summertime classics for a reason.  These seem to run a little big- I'm still waiting for Ophelia to grow into hers.  

and of course, here are some pretty picks for Mama as well.   Some slides that have caught my eye- and they're friendly on the wallet too!  All under $50! 

One/ / Two

Three// Four

Five // Six 

Summer Reading List

Since I recently wrote about how we help our little girl love reading, I thought I'd share some of my current reads! 

THE WOMAN IN THE CASTLE:  If you loved The Nightingale or  All The Light You Cannot See, you will ADORE this book too!  It's about three women whose husbands were in a plot to kill Hitler and the aftermath of WWII on their families after the plot fails.  

BEFORE THE FALL: This was the best book I've read in awhile.  I don't want to give away too much, but it is about the aftermath of a private plane crash and the only two survivors, a single painter and a four year old boy.  

INTO THE WATER:  By the same author as The Girl On The Train, this was a hotly anticipated book this spring.  I found some of the prose beautiful, however the story was a little bit confusing.  I'll admit, I didn't love this one.  

These three are in my Amazon cart to read next!

The Rules Do Not Apply: Apparently a tear jerker.

The Couple Next Door: This thriller gets amazing reviews.

Slightly South of Simple: Looks like the perfect beach read.

Fourth of July Toddler Style

Ophelia is wearing this dress and these sandals.  

Red, white and blue is kind of a summer must.  Littles in their patriotic best seriously kill me.  

G A L S 

Blue and white stripes // Gingham// Star romper

Red star jumpsuit// Ice cream cones// Plaid two piece

B O Y S 

Stripe shorts// Fireworks one piece// Star overalls// Stripe henley

Gingham one piece// Stripe romper

Nursing When It's Hot Out

This shirt is one of my breastfeeding favorites.  

I was at the playground with Ophelia the other day and she wanted to nurse.  It was the one time, of course, that I wasn't wearing a tank under my shirt OR a nursing friendly top.  The entire playground got to enjoy the view of my sweaty underboob.  You're welcome.  Don't let my mistake happen to you!  It's hot and sweaty out there, so nursing friendly tops are needed- it's not the time for the extra layer of a cami under your shit!  Here are some boob access tops and dresses for the heat of summertime!

C A S U A L
click the pictures to shop!

I love that button down tank (although I definitely wouldn't wear it that low!), and that button down henley.  That olive green peplum is super cute too!

D R E S S E D      U P

click the pictures to shop!

I just added that button down tank in the bottom middle to my cart- and that pretty blue peplum top (also available in more sizes here) is amazing!

Weekend Links + Steals

totally digging this color palette by artist Jen Garrido

It's that time again!  Summer weekends are seriously the best, aren't they?

Some weekend reading for you-

The top misspelled word in every state.

88 budget friendly sofas, all under $1000.

This baby blanket is seriously gorgeous.

Early childhood education "school readiness"-  and why that's a dumb notion.

15 cool facts about breastfeeding.  I'm always in such awe of my boobs.

I'm still on my comfortable sandal kick- these get amazing reviews and might be next.

The best essential oil for your astrological sign.  Mine was ginger- I'll take it!

Such a pretty dress- and perfect for a baby bump!

The starter guide to beauty supplements.

I am so excited about the new Trader Joe's cauliflower pizza crust- these three recipes look amazing!

This sweatshirt is so cute and seriously calling for a bonfire.

Always looking for easy weeknight, clean recipes for dinner.

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Good Stuff Under $50:

Loving LOFT + Sales

 Obsessssssssed with this lemon print one shoulder top!  A keeper for sure.  

True story, I used to think LOFT was for old ladies. I never went in there, or looked at their website. Well! I was way wrong. I've been loving pretty much everything they've put out this summer, and now the entire store is 40% (with code NEWNOW) so my little friend and I thought we'd take a trip and try some of my favorites on!

 Lemon top

 Also loved this blue eyelet top!

This embroidered tie strap tank also came home with me.  

It would also be so cute with a baby bump!

click the pictures to shop some other finds!

annnnnd there are a whole lot of other good sales and steals right now too!

40% off your order at GAP with the code HAPPY

and 50% off at Old Nave, no code needed! 

Summer Embroidery

My top is this one, my shorts are these, and my hat is found here.  

I know,  I know- I've gone on and on before about my love for anything embroidered.  But, I can't stop.  And won't stop.  It's just the prettiest!

E M B R O I D E R Y      F O R     M A M A 

click the pictures to shop!

E M B R O I D E R Y      F O R     B A B E 

Five Ways To Encourage Your Child To Love Reading

I often get questions on how I've "made" Ophelia love reading so much, so I thought I'd offer some of my thoughts on how to encourage reading from a young age.  One caveat- I think a lot has to do with personality type and age, so don't feel bad if you're toddler won't ever sit still for a book- it'll happen someday.

1.  DISPLAY BOOKS PROMINENTLY AROUND YOUR HOME- Ophelia has a treasure trove of books at her access level on both floors of our home.  I also bring a few outside on a blanket for when she is playing out there.  We also have a large bookcase of my books in our living room, and I have my current book I'm reading always out by my chair.  I think demonstrating yourself reading for pleasure is key!

2.  START YOUNG- Read anything and everything to your babe, even when they are newborns.  Just the sound of your voice is comforting and calming to a little one!  Once you start showing them books, black and white ones, or ones with patterns  (like this one, which Ophelia would staaaare at, and this one) are helpful for focusing a little one's eyes.

3.  GO TO THE LIBRARY- The library is one of our hot spots for hanging out, especially in the winter.  Making the library a fun spot (and I totally think ours are!) helps her get excited about books.  We also pick out books to rent and bring home, and letting her pick what books she wants (even when they're really weird choices...) is very exciting.  I think once she's a little older, having her get her own library card will be another super thrilling experience for her!

4.  READ TO YOUR KIDS- All the time.  There's a sign at our library that says "there's no app that can replace your lap!".  I know this one is obvious, but it can also slip through the cracks in a busy parenting day. Even if we don't sit down and read at some point during the day, we read at least two books (these are her current picks: one, two) at night every day before bed.

5.  NO SCREENS- I know this is controversial, and I also understand sometimes parents just need a little time out.  However, we've managed to make it this far with no TV for Ophelia and I will say it makes GIGANTIC difference with attention span, and her ability to bust her own boredom.

Some of our current favorites: