SPRING COMFORT

Comfort is what I seek in every expression of my personal style whether it's in fashion, home decor or beauty. To me, feeling comfortable allows me to be myself, and being authentically me is my aim. 

LILLA|P is a brand that is exudes comfort, simplicity and style, and, therefore, is a brand this is true to my style. Every piece of clothing on their site is well-made. Their collections are all about building on a foundation of quality basics, and then adding your own twist from there. 

These chambray pants had my name written all over them. I love that they are cropped because, well, everything is cropped on my legs. I don't have to worry about the length being just right. They have a drawstring for comfort, but the flat front has a zipper and structure so that you avoid the bagging waist appearance. 

Some days I wear these pants with a basic white t-shirt and other days I pair it was a breezy trapeze top like this similar one from Nordstrom Rack. I've worn cork wedges with these pants, but I typically opt for flat sandals like my trusty metallic ones with an ankle wrap (similar ones here).  If you're looking for quality basics that are comfortable and well-made look no further than LILLA P.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; This post contains affiliate links. Product was given as compensation for this post.

STRETCH MARK MIRACLE WORKER

Not everyone gets stretch marks with pregnancy. With Elle I hardly got any, but I did get quite a few of them with Levi. He was a bigger baby than Elle, and I got them all across my stomach. I don't really mind them, but, I won't lie, I would prefer they didn't exist in the first place. My skin is also looser as a result of my second pregnancy, which isn't uncommon either. 

Of course, I would happily do it all again in a heartbeat, and I got a beautiful baby boy which matters WAAAAY more than stretch marks. However, if you can do something about lessening the appearance of the marks why not, right? After sharing a post-partum update I received an email from Nina asking me if I wanted to try Nerium to firm up my tummy and reduce the appearance of the stretch marks. I was definitely skeptical because there is no real fix for stretch marks, but if she was going to send me something I may as well try it, right? 

And so I did. I applied this lotion to my stomach for six weeks. It claimed to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and firm up my skin. And it worked as you can see.

These photos were taken at the same time of day in the same location (you can email Rennai to confirm that). They are not edited in any way, shape or form. They are straight out of the camera. The only difference is that I have short hair and wearing workout clothes. 

I can't say that my stomach looks firmer necessarily. I'm starting to do pilates now to really correct that issue, but my stretch marks have faded significantly after six weeks. If you have stretch marks that bother you I would highly recommend giving Nerium a try. 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

WARM-WEATHER STYLES FOR KIDS

This post is sponsored by Bloomingdales.

Temperatures are rising here in Arizona. Our spring is almost over and summer is on the horizon with 90 degree temps already on record. That means it's time to shop for warm-weather clothes for the kids. I wish I had rapid growth spurts as an excuse to update my own wardrobe, but it's a blast to shop for them too, especially when Bloomingdale's has the cutest pieces for my littles.

I found this adorable outfit for Elle by Splendid online and it fits like it's made for her. I love that the top and bottom match, but that you can also wear the pieces as separates. It makes your dollars go farther for sure. Denim is my go-to for kid's clothes because it will always coordinate with any shoes, tops or bottoms. It's also machine washable, which is a necessity for mom life. 

Sandals are, of course, the summer shoe of choice. In particular, these Steve Madden colorful ones with jewels and fringe look and feel like summer. We snagged them right away, and they are her favorite shoes to date.

Levi, on the other hand, has some hand-me-down items from friends, so I filled in some of his spring/summer wardrobe gaps by finding him light colored denim and white sneakers. Both are classic, modern wardrobe staples for boys of all ages. The pants, in particular, are Bardot Junior, and will be something he can wear year round (or at least until he grows out of them). I love that they came with suspenders and an adjustable waistband.

Finding t-shirts with prints on them that are cute is hard, but this little t from Sovereign Code was exceptionally adorable for summer. It has little sailboats and whales on it (melt my heart).

Levi is running around everywhere these days. He is so fast I can barely keep up. This outfit sure can, and it has all of the style to boot.

I don't know about you, but our summer days consist of a lot of swimming and trips to ice cream shops. One of our favorite places to go when it heats up is Paleta's Betty where they serve popsicles of all different flavors. If you ever have a chance to go give the arroz con leche a try. OMG! You won't be sorry. 

See below to get the looks for your kids.

NIGHTTIME ROUTINE

Many parents have a nighttime routine that consists of a bath, a story and maybe even prayers. We do all of those things too, but there's something special that we do each night with Elle that I wanted to share with you.

When Elle began to talk I quickly realized how special nighttime is for us as parents because, often, during the quiet moments of hugs, kisses and prayers we hear Elle's fears, the things she is most excited about and the things she looks forward to most. It's a moment when we can better discover who she is at the core of her being.

I don't remember when exactly this tradition of ours started, but one night she was a bit scared of the dark. So, to get her mind off of scary thoughts, I asked her to tell me an idea she had. I asked her to think about an off-the-wall crazy invention or something wild that we could do as a family. To help her along, I shared my own whacky idea of filling our pool full of pudding and floating on cookies. Then Ryan took a turn. He said he was going to build a rollercoaster from our house to school. Elle joined in, and shared her cute idea of building an Elsa car with seats for every family member. 

Now we end the night this way every time along with kisses and hugs and sips of water because it not only ends the day on a fun note, but she goes to sleep with big dreams, happy thoughts and validation from her parents that we enjoy her. It also stretches her imagination and our imaginations to places it normally doesn't go. These are things I think we lose along the way as we grow older, but they really should never be lost. I highly recommend trying this with your kids one night, and I would love to hear how it went for you. I would love to hear what you learn about your kids through doing this too.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

Multifunctional Storage Ideas

We have an open floor plan in our home. I love it, but we don't have much storage as a result. One thing that we desperately want is storage for our kids' toys. They are in an old Ikea unit right now, but you can see the toys and the daily mess from every angle of our first floor. So, we've been planning to build some simple storage and functional seating with some good 'ole inspiration from Pinterest. 

1 // I love this example from Domino Magazine of storage being functional and beautiful at the same time. The lucite handles are particularly enticing to me, as well as the indigo pillows. 

2// This built-in storage bench showcases exactly what we hope to do with our toys. The cut-out handles are a modern solution to pulls and could possibly bring the cost down.

3// This traditional example of a storage bench intrigues me because they have painted theirs with a pop of color. Since all of our walls are white this might be something to consider.

4// Such a sweet nook for a kid's room, and the leather handles on these storage bins are on point. A casual DIY idea that would fit well in our home. (source unknown).

Stay tuned to see what we do next, and if you have anymore storage solution ideas I would love to hear them.