Calling all Parents

My sweet friend SM introduced me to Lila Guide
and I'm hooked. It's an online (they have book versions too) resource for parents and parents to be with over 100,000 reviews from real moms on the best baby shops, activities and products! Talk about a great way to get the scoop on things to do at home or when traveling.

Photo Overload

After the twins were born, any time I would be out and about without them (not all that often mind you) people would ask to see pictures of them. As a first time, sleep-deprived mom I didn't yet have my act together with a cute brag book and would pull out a single picture of them to share with the world. Because of this, I believe that every new mom should get a brag book upon checking out of the hospital but since that doesn't often happen, this one at Hable Construction would make a great gift for any new parent, grandparent or parent who is still pulling out that single picture from the bottom of her purse.

How can a site called Cocoa Crayon be anything but great?

I discovered these darling sticky note page markers from Bobs Your Uncle at Cocoa Crayon and think they are such a great way to stay organized and have a little fun all at the same time.

Whimsical Wrapping

I strongly believe I should have been born a Spelling as I love to wrap and would be in heaven in the Spelling families famed gift wrapping room. Until I am able to afford one of my own I have a ball doing my thing at the kitchen table. Now with the help of the darling papers from Whimsy Press I can have just that much more fun. And as with nearly every site I love, they too have darling stationery options.

Real Simple Travel Magazine

It's no secret that I love magazines and I find Real Simple particularly great for all of it's wonderful tips and ideas. It looks like they have a new Travel magazine out on newstands and with this coupon you can get $1 off your purchase. Might have to check it out...would love your thoughts if you've already seen it!

Buckets Galore

I love to entertain and found a darling corregated tin bucket that I put drinks on ice in so that everyone can help themselves and feel at home. I usually just tie a ribbon around it to help it coordinate with the color scheme but now that I've seen these from The Macbeth Collection I may have to rethink this all together. They have everything from buckets and vases to trays and even cute clipboards and file folders for organizing in style...definately worth a look!

Polka Dot Challenge

Perfectly Pink did a fabulous post today on 10 fun polka dot finds under $50! She found some wonderful items and challenged anyone else who wanted to add to the list. So who am I to pass up a shopping challenge that involves polka dots no less?!! So here's my list and be sure to check out hers too! Anyone else feel free to join in on the fun!

1. Classic Bikini Top from Boden $34 (yes, I do realize that you'll probably need the bottoms too but that puts me over the $50 limit so humor me!)

2. Chocolate Brown Dotted Notepad from Lemon Tree Paperie. 2 pads for $32

3. Signature Dot Reversible Bucket Hat from Toss Designs for $19.95


4. Dotty Striped Chester Gift Labels from Expressionery. 80 Labels for $16


5. Preppy Polka Dot Calling Cards from A Touch of Whimsy. $12 for 30 cards.


6. Polka Dotted Apron from Sally Russell $44

7. Pink and Green Dots File Folders from See Jane Work. 6 for $11.95



8. Printed Jelly Flip Flops from JCrew $19.50



9. Dot to Dot Towels from Garnet Hill. From $8



10. Hot Spots Tinware Canisters from Kate's Paperie $4-$24

Toile

What can I say? I love Toile. The twins nursery is pink and green and I just love spending time in there. When I came across Town Toiles it made me wish I lived in Chicago again just so I could have this great pattern! They have darling designs for San Francisco, Boston, New York and the list goes on!

Nifty Notecards

I sure do love stationery so when my sweet friend BG introduced me to Erin Condren's adorable stuff I was sold. Not only are her designs bright and cheerful but she is the mother of twins! She also has darling gift labels which I think are a fun gift in and of themselves now that we are on the "birthday party circut".

Green Green and more Green!

I love clutches and think they are such a fun way to add some pizazz to an outfit especially in the summertime. I'm also loving green this season so just might have to indulge on this fun one from Amici Accessories. I'm also head over heels in love with my new green Button-Tab Twill Pants from Old Navy. I've seen JCrew selling very similar ones for quite a bit more so am thrilled with my find and hope you'll agree that they are fun for spring/summer. Sadly they don't seem to have them online but I highly recommend checking them out next time you are there!

Beach Totes

I love bags and these totes from Room Service Home have my name written all over them....they are so bright and cheery. I've been thinking a lot lately about using a re-usable bag for my groceries in order to help with the enviornment, etc...and these might just fit the bill and help me look stylish at the same time. Might even have to add them to my birthday list for darling hubby! For my fellow catalog lovers, RSH also has a catalog....more fun things to look forward to in the mailbox!

My new favorite catalog

So it's no big surprise that I love getting mail. In order to ensure that I get something fun ALMOST everyday I subscribe to a ton of magazines and order catalogs galore. My new favorite is from an adorable papergoods company called Swoozies that of course has great stationery but also has darling totes and party items from fun ice buckets to cute paper plates and napkins. It looks like they even have retail stores in Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, South Carolina and Arizona. Let's hope a Cali location isn't too far off!

Flip Flops, Wellies and More!

While I do know that April Showers bring May Flowers I don't often have a chance to wear wellies in Southern Cal. However, if I did, I would certainly want these from Toss Designs. Luckily they have tons of other cute things from totes to bucket hats and darling makeup bags as well as these darling flip flops which for $14 a pair you simply can't pass up. They have some sweet pet things too!

Free Fun

Free Fun Guides show you how to enjoy California coastal cities like Orange County, LA and San Francisco without breaking the bank. They include a great list of museums, concerts, films and festivals that are all free so you can save your money for fun restaurants and shopping! There is also a New York guide for my East Coast friends!

Precious Plates & Placemats

I LOVE plates and platters and think that these personalized plates and placemats from Fontaine Maury are just adorable. Of course they have darling stationery too!

Lavender Gardens

I love fresh herbs. There is something about Rosemary that makes me happy, I honestly think I could eat it in anything. I also find Cilantro to be about one of the best things ever - just so fresh and crisp tasting! And Lavender....it's amazing how a single scent can relax me so much. Needless to say when I saw this Mini Lavender Garden at Chasing Fireflies I thought it was the cutest thing ever. I should tell you that I have killed ivy and a cactus, both of which are supposed to be fool-proof so I am no green thumb but I do love the idea and thought this could be a great hostess gift. This adorable website also has tons of cute things for the babies and kids in our lives.

Cookies too cute to eat

Some people are just harder than others to buy for. With Fathers Day in the not too distant future I'm starting to think about things I could do for the men in my life that they would actually enjoy. Rollingpin Productions might have just saved the day with their adorable custom cookies. Cute for showers, graduations, weddings, etc...too!

Photo Find

It came to my attention at a recent girls night that not everyone knows about Costco's great photo store so here goes....as a Costco member you can upload your photos to their website from the comfy of home in your pj's and they will process the order and then send the finished photos to you free of charge. While I know the uploading from home aspect isn't anything new the free shipping is pretty nice. It certainly makes getting the mail more fun when I know I'll have a big shiny stack of pictures to look forward to and we can always use that money we would have spent on shipping for something fun like a new nailpolish (my favorite is Essie Ballet Slippers) or a fun drink at Starbucks.

Just Beachy

Appologies for my recent lack of posts. The twins and I have been busy with our sweet friends BN and MN from Chicago in town and have been enjoying some fun girl time! Anyhow, this one is worth the wait. As you all know, I love Coastal Living magazine. I feel like I've gone on vacation whenever I get the latest issue (I know, I'm a cheap date!) and I save all of my old issues to look back on whenever I'm feeling like a little bit of beach. Anyhow, the website www.beachdwelling.com has Coastal Living written all over it! I fell in love with these starfish...what a fun accent on top of a stack of books or on a coffee table (one in a house without one year old twins of course!) or even tied to the top of a gift. They also have great furniture, bedding, bath products and the list goes on. More fun stuff to come tomorrow!

More cute stationery and on sale too!

My sweet friend HM knows how much I love stationery so shared with me this darling set on clearance at Mountain Cow....what a great gift!

Fun Reading

As a good Junior League member I had to check out the latest fiction book, The Devil in the Junior League, about the Junior League of Dallas. Having been a member of the Plano, Texas league I found the book particularly entertaining and thought it would be the perfect thing to toss in your beach bags for upcoming spring break vacations!

Itsy Bitsy Bedding

Not that I'm having another baby anytime soon but I have to say I'm ready to decorate another nursery just so that I can choose one of Serena & Lily's gorgeous bedding sets. For those of you with a little bun in the oven and those who just want to see some cute things make sure to check out their website. They do have some fun things for the Twin-Queen bed size as well...wonder if I could get darling husband to downsize so we could have their sheets????

Just Call Me Kiki

Should you have some extra time on your hands you might enjoy finding out what your Preppy name is. Here's mine....

Your Preppy Name Is...

Wellesley Eaton Swanee the Sixth But most people know you as Kiki

What's Your Preppy Name?

Address Labels

I love getting mail and it's even more fun when the note is on cute stationery and the envelope has a fun address label on it. Noteworthy Notes has a great offer in case like me, you need to re-stock! Now through the end of the month with any Dinky Designs address label or gift sticker order you'll get double the quantity at no extra cost! Happy shopping!

Piperlime

So my search for the perfect flat is officially on. I need something comfy and cute that can withstand the wear and tear of trips to the park, racing around after the twins and will still look stylish. While I'm not sure these totally fit the bill I do think they are adorable and Piperlime, the new online shoe store from Gap is offering 15% off through March 18th with the code SKP2W03ZB8Q4 at checkout. Sounds tempting!

Book Buying

As you can probably tell I love to read - fiction, self help, magazines, the WSJ - I am a reader. I am also an organizer and love Spring cleaning so decided recently that I probably didn't need to keep ALL of my fun girly beach reads. I discovered the site www.webuyyourbooks.com and was thrilled when I learned they bought used books. What a great way to purge books we won't read again AND help fund future book (or shoe) purchases. I now have plenty of open spaces on the bookshelf so let me know if you have any recommendations!

Paper at any price

As you all know, I adore stationery. While I don't often splurge on letterpress stationery for myself it's definately on my wish list and this darling polka dotted variety from Sugar Paper is one of the first ones I think I'll get when that time comes! In the meantime, my favorite more reasonable stationery site is American Stationery. I just noticed yesterday with my sweet friend JS that this darling set from Jack and Lulu is on sale too!

Toile and Stripes together - Perfection!

Since my mom wardrobe these days seems to consist of jeans and a t-shirt, I'm always looking for ways to dress my style up a bit. Thankfully with the great belt selection at www.preppypotato.com I'm halfway there! Next up, the perfect pair of flats! The search is on!

Raves

I know Nordstrom is known for their customer service but I have to rave about an experience I had there today. I bought these darling Stride Rite shoes for the twins about a month ago and one pair wasn't holding up so I went in hoping to get a recommendation on where I could get them repaired. Instead they offered to replace both pairs and in the larger size since the girls are close to outgrowing their current pair. How great is that? And in an effort to support friends my dear friend KW used to work for Nordys in store design so in some small way we are supporting her too right?

My new favorite (sweet) treat

With summer coming and me dreaming of beach vacations, I've been trying to watch what I eat so I can get one JCrew's darling new bikinis (I've got my eye on the seersucker collection). With this said, I have to tell you about my new favorite sweet treat after introducing you all to a less than healthy addiction with Flat Earth chips a few weeks back. Hostess has now introduced 100 calorie packs and what fun little treats they are! I've only tried the chocolate variety but so far I'm a fan! If you log onto their website www.hostess100.com you can even get a coupon for a dollar off. Sweet!

I love white t-shirts!

I have a small obsession with white t-shirts. They are so crisp and clean looking. They look great with jeans and a fun belt/necklace/pair of shoes and best of all they make me look tan even when I am not! Lately, these two basics from Old Navy are topping my list. What t's are your faves?

Flip Flops for grown ups

As a good Southern California girl I have tried my fair share of flip flops. Time and time again I continue to come back to Havianas. They are cheap, super comfy and just do the job. There are times though when I just want something a little dressier and now Lori Jack has come to the answer. Her darling flip flops have just the right amount of bling to make them the perfect thing when my plain Havianas aren't quite enough. They are a little on the pricey side but the company was started by my dear friend CM's friend and you know how I love supporting friends. Check them out at http://www.lorijack.com/

All She Wrote

I love monogramed items and as many of you know thought long and hard about the twins names and initials to make sure they would have nice looking monograms. With this said, I hope you'll enjoy this fun site. Not only do they have fantastic monogrammed items but they also have darling paper goods and stationery...is this girl heaven or what? And to top it all off they have three storefronts in Chicago - the worlds coolest city - it doesn't get much better than that! www.allshewrote.com

My all time favorite ribbon site

As you probably know from the 100 Things About Me, I LOVE ribbon, especially striped and polka dotted grosgrain and felt it would only be fair to tell you about the coolest ribbon website I've found. The site itself isn't anything spectacular but the selection is amazing. Check out this adorable pink and green number. To see all of their darling temptations visit: www.jcarolinecreative.com

My new favorite Mag

I got my first copy of Martha Stewarts new magazine, Blueprint this week and am in heaven! You can check it out online at: www.blueprintmag.com

Comments

So as a relatively new "blogger", I have to tell you all that I am having so much fun with this! Thank you for reading and for your great comments via e-mail! I would love to ask you to "comment" on items/posts that you like - things you've tried, etc...so that I know what you all are enjoying! Thank you, thank you, thank you for your encouragement with this crazy adventure!

Gifts for everyone on your list

I love having a little rolodex of websites to visit when I need to find a gift quickly. www.laylagrayce.com is definately one of those places as they offer some of the cutest gift items I've come across. I'm in love with the pink and brown polka dotted apron which I'm certain would make me want to cook more! Their pj's and monogramed items for babies are darling too. It's a great place to look for hostess gifts or things for that friend who has everything.

Dog Heaven

As many of you know the twins take after Dear Husband and are on the slender side. We've recently had a few inccidents with losing our pants in music class or around the house as we race off chasing the dog so we were thrilled when our thoughtful friend SL gave us some adorable ribbon belts from pet designer www.lolaandfoxy.com. Now we can keep our jeans on and look oh-so-stylish at the same time. While there isn't a belt section on the site quite yet, I had to share it for the cute collars and leashes. Now there is no reason our four legged friends can't be as stylish as the peanuts! The folks at Lola and Foxy were nice enough to offer 10% on orders by Treehouse readers!

Love Languages

I just finished an awesome book that embarassingly enough my mother in law gave Darling Husband and I for our 4th wedding anniversary (we are going on 7 years now). Anyhow, it's a fabulously easy read and has some really valuable information about how to love the people in your lives - most notable husbands, boyfriends and kids but I think it's really applicable to friends, etc.. too. It's called the Five Love Languages and it helps you determine how you like to be loved and how your significant others prefer to be loved. It probably comes as no suprise that I prefer "Words of Affirmation" and "Quality Time" so should you be in the mood to "love" me I hope that's helpful! You can see more at their website: www.fivelovelanguages.com