Budget Friendly Finds: Spring Shoes

Nothing better for cheering yourself up on ANOTHER  blizzarding day then shopping for some pretty spring shoes- especially when they are all easy on the wallet! I'm loving the rainbow trend this spring, and am glad leopard print is here to stay.    

Rainbow sneaks // Chambray espadrilles

Rainbow slides // Leopard flats 

Polka dot flats // Bow slides

Greece sandal // Yellow ruffle mules

Striped sneakers // Leopard espadrilles 

Current Nursing Favorites

Almost one year in, and we're still going strong.  

1.  My absolute favorite nursing tanks came out in some new springy colors! 

2.  These Madewell wrap front tees are amazing.  

3.  I'm obsessed with this henley.  It looks different on the website then it is in real life- it looks cropped?  It' not! It is so soft and comfy and easy to pop the boob out! 

4.  This sports bra!  It's not technically a nursing bra, but the straps adjust IN THE FRONT and it works so well for nursing.  I basically wear this everyday.  

5.  A new favorite regular nursing bra- works for us small framed people with HUGE BOOBS.  

6.  This pretty nursing nightgown looks so comfy and nice for spring/summer.  Might be time to sleep in something other then my (above mentioned) well worn nursing tanks.  

Spring Fever

I know I'm not the only one with a badddd case of spring fever.  NO MORE SWEATERS! Alas, here in Minnesota it is currently blizzarding.  Hey, a girl can dream!

1.  Eyelet tee- I can see myself wearing this pretty much every day.  Comes in a bunch of colors!

2.  Espadrilles- only $30!

3.  Peplum tee- only $14, and also comes in a whole bunch of colors.  

4.  My favorite sunglasses- they're $9.  

5.  Embroidered peasant dress- LOVE. 

6.  Striped midi dress- so pretty.

7.  Mom jeans- the perfect wash for spring.  

8.  Straw bag- I love the long handle on this one.  

9.  My favorite self tanning towelettes.  

10.  Pretty earrings!

11.  Rainbow sneakers.  So good!

Our Toy MVPs

I was recently re-reading one of my favorite parenting books, Simplicity Parenting, and was thinking about the amount of toys that we have versus the amount of toys that actually get used.  

In the book, Dr. Payne instructs parents to put all their kid’s toys–bath toys, blocks, doll accessories, balls, everything–into one big pile. That pile should be halved, and halved again, and maybe even again. 

“An avalanche of toys invites emotional disconnect and a sense of overwhelm,” Dr. Payne explains.  It makes so much sense- after Christmas present openings my kids always seem so stressed out, and I end up storing or donating most of the things well meaning relatives gift.  

I try to be diligent about this process- I'm constantly noting what is actually getting used, and what feels like clutter.  I wanted to share our "MVPS" - the toys that have wide age ranges, and are open ended.  Things both kids gravitate towards, and would never get put in storage or thrown in the back of a closet.

1.  Melissa and Doug Bus

I don't know what it is about this thing, but both my kids LOVE it.  Ophelia has named all the riders, and can play with them for hours. This guy was actually the inspiration for the title of this post, as they were playing contently for a long time with it one Saturday morning and my husband noted "Melissa and Doug Bus, YOU THE REAL MVP!"

2.  Corolle Baby Doll

Ophelia is particularly attached to her doll Orb, but Ralphie really likes playing with the baby too.  

3.  Magna Doodle

Such a classic, and great for travel!

4.  Anywhere Chair

I think they really enjoy having furniture their own size- Ophelia's chair has seen a LOT of use (and abuse).  We just ordered Ralph his own for his first birthday!

5.  Wood Doll House

I think any doll house is great, but I like that ours is very simple and gender neutral.  

6.  Egg Shakers

My kids just LOVE these when they are babies, but even now when Ophelia comes upon one it brings her joy.  

7.  Stabilo Pencils

These are a new MVP- I was introduced to them at Ophelia's school.  She loves doing art, and I was trying to find a way to make it more accessible to Ralphie, which usually just involved him eating the markers.  These are great for little hands, are easy to clean, and really vibrant colors! 

8.  Play Kitchen

Probably our most loved item.  

9. Animal Figurines 

Our collection of animals gets used all the time.  For learning, make believe, and they're also Ralph's favorite chew toy.   

Presidents' Day Weekend Sales

So many good sales this weekend.  Grab your coffee, and let's do it.

American Eagle- 25%-60% off everything
My favorite place for nursing friendly henleys!

J.Crew- 40% off sitewide with code YESPLEASE
My picks- This for me // this for Ophelia // these for Ralphie

Gap- 50% off sitewide with code GREAT and BOOST
My picks- This for me// This, this, this, and this for Ophelia // this and these for Ralphie

Old Navy- 50% off sitewide
Ophelia: This
Ralphie: This

LOFT- 40% off with code XOXO
I loveee this!

J.Crew Factory- 60% off with code SAVEMORE
A great time to get my favorite swimsuit- I just ordered another color!

How I (Actually) Get My Kid to Eat Vegetables

When I was pregnant with Ophelia, I was the best parent ever.  I had everything figured out.  One of the many things I was sure of?  My child would be an enthusiastic and adventurous eater.

My husband and I both consider ourselves foodies,  and I imagined my child follow suit,  like one of those wonderful French children I'd read about.  She'd happily scarf down salmon and kale, and we'd never order off something as plebeian as a kid's menu. 

Then I had my daughter.  Her first year she mainly ate the boob, and she was healthy and growing.  But once she weaned when I was pregnant, at two, her weight dropped below the fifth percentile and our doctor put her on a strict weight gain plan.

Food became a giant fight. Ophelia just truly does not care about eating  The things she agrees to are fruit and forms of bread with cheese- she rotates between bagels, quesadillas, mac and cheese.  Our doc says its more important that everything she puts in her mouth has calories, and that its my job to offer all different kinds of foods, but up to her on how much she wants to eat. So if she is willing to eat a bagel with cream cheese and raspberries for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, that's what we do.

I had grand dreams of her loving vegetables, but that's just not where we are right now.  And I refuse to make food any more of battle then it already is.  So I thought I'd share some of my real mom tricks to get some forms of veggies in her.  No, none of these are perfect or ideal, but they're working for right now.

Veggie Muffins

These do have sugar in them, but the first ingredients are vegetables, and Ophelia actually asks for these! I just wish they were organic.

Veggie Pouches

Yup, we do a lot of pouches.  Specifally the Love Your Veggie ones- they have a full serving of vegetables, and way less sugar then a lot of the others.  

Brainfood Cookies

She actually loves these!  Another awesome thing about these is that they are letters, so she can learn and play with them too!

Pea Crisps
These are often her "side" option at dinner and she will eat them!  

Smoothies

We do a lot of smoothies in our house and I always hide lots of green goodness in them.  As long as there are enough strawberries to turn it pink, she's good.  

Amazon Home Finds

Amazon, why do you have everything?  I found some Anthropologie-esq home upgrades I wanted to share!

Colored tumblers- cheaper set here too // Wood bowls

Dipped utensils // Alphabet wall hanging

Basket // Mug

Dressing A Baby Boy: Finds for Spring

I get a lot of questions over on Instagram about where I shop for Ralphie- trying to dress a stylish baby boy is fun, but a lot more work then girls. 

I'm also finding as I start to head to the toddler section, the pickings get even worse! A note to all children's clothing designers- burnt orange is not a required color for boy stuff, and things don't HAVE to be covered in dinosaurs or trucks. 

Here are some cute boy finds for spring- these sneakers are the best for new walkers, and I just can never resist Ralphers in a grandpa sweater. 

Overalls // Pom Sweater // Rain coat

Explorer tee // Pants // Henley bodysuits

One piece // Henley // Navy Sweater

Moccasins // Button one piece // Blue pants

Sneakers 

For Your Baby Ballerina

I'm sure many of you are lucky enough, like me, to have a budding ballerina in your house.  Ophelia wears one of her tutus everyday (see evidence here, here, and here!), and is constantly striking a pose with this little confident facial expression I hope I never forget.  Since we are big on reading over here, I try to get books that reflect her interests and thus have become quite the expert on ballet books.  Here are some of our favorites:

1. Tallulah's Tutu- the first of a series.
2. Ella Bella Ballerina - this is a series too, and is so beautifully illustrated.
3.  Love is a Tutu- a board book for the tiniest ballerina.
4.  Miss Lina's Ballerinas - I love the rhythm of this one, and it's also super pretty!
5.  Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Ballet
6.  Fancy Nancy, Budding Ballerina- had to include Nancy!
7.  I Wear My Tutu Everywhere - might inspire copycats!
8.  I Had A Favorite Dress- so beautiful.

Also- here are a couple of recent tutu dress acquisitions that Ophelia recommends.  I'm serious, she picked these off my computer screen and was despondent that they weren't in the mailbox IMMEDIATELY.

Sparkle dress // Tutu // Tutu dress (she had a VERY hard time picking a color in this one)