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.

EASTER OUTFITS

This post is sponsored by Carter's; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Getting dressed up for Easter is a tradition I love, and the hunt for the perfect Easter outfit is almost as good as hunting for Easter eggs because I can find everything I need at Carter's. They always have adorable selection of Easter outfits for boys and girls from infants to big kids. I had the pleasure of teaming of up Carter's to show you how I'm dressing Elle and Levi for the most meaningful holiday to our family and be sure to grab the coupon below for amazing savings for your family.

Easter is the most meaningful holiday to us because of our Christian faith. It's the foundation on which our belief stands, so we love to dress up for Sunday church and then, like many families, have a big brunch afterwards with ham, scalloped corn and all of the fixins. Of course, there is a big easter egg hunt for the kids too.

It's pretty hot in Arizona by the time Easter rolls around, so shorts and sleeveless dresses are what I look for. A simple pastel pink button up shirt and seersucker shorts with chambray chukkas is what I selected for Levi. It's festive and dressy, but he can run and be a kid in this outfit. This year will be especially fun because Levi will get to join in on the Easter egg hunt now that he's walking and talking.

Now that Elle is four and a half she loves being a part of the Easter dress shopping process. When we visited our local Carter's store she loved every dress, but this white floral one caught her eye because of the twirl factor. It has a full skirt and a bow in the back, and those details won my girly, girl's heart. For shoes, I selected polkadot mary-janes with a rubber sole that are perfect for Easter as well as any other day at school. They allow her to run and be a kid without blisters or slipping. 

Our Easter wardrobe is complete thanks to Carter's. If you shop online or in their stores before April 9, 2017 you can earn 25% off your purchase of $40 or more with the coupon below and take care of your Easter shopping in one swoop. 

Have a wonderful Easter from our family to yours! Hoppy shopping! (wink)

Carter's partners with bloggers like me to help promote their spring baby fashion. As part of their program, I received products or gift cards. Carter's believes consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words. Carter's provided me with information on promotions and messaging concepts, but did not tell me what to purchase, what to write in my blog or what to say about the products I used.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

CAN'T STOP THE FEELING

A week ago, Ryan went out of town for five days, I had learned that Levi was a carrier of strep, and I hosted a family of six people. And though I was so happy to host because they are such dear friends of ours, I felt my anxiety rise the day Ryan left and they arrived. I thought, "What in the world am I doing? I'm a mad woman." And then, in the quiet, as I was listening to the thoughts in my head, my heart spoke and it said, "Are you trusting Me?" I knew it was God reminding me to let go and trust Him with Levi's health, with my fears of fatigue and with my to-do list for work. "You're right, Lord. I'm not trusting you," I said. And then I prayed for Levi to get better and for God to give me patience and rest throughout the week. 

Later that day I got a call from his pediatrician that his rapid strep culture had given a false positive because the one they sent out for testing was negative. (Insert jaw drop). I couldn't have been more thankful for those results. For now, we will wait and see if he gets it again, but he doesn't need surgery right now and that is a weight lifted.

My friends soon arrived and it was so much fun. They are dream house guests, but it was such a delight for my kids to have someone to play with for the week. I knew when I extended the invitation for them to come stay that this would be the case, but we all have those moments of fear that steal those pleasant thoughts. 

Before I knew it Friday had come and Ryan was home. I can't say that I showered a lot, fixed my hair and makeup or had meals on the table like most weeks, but I made it with a lot of smiles along the way. I definitely was tired, but a happy tired like after you finish working out.

My heart feels strong after finishing the week not because I did a bunch of stuff, but because I kept my faith strong and I delighted and gave thanks along the way for little things. I wrote a gratitude list of the things that brought me happiness this past week (see it below). It's a practice I do once in awhile after I read the book 1,000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It's a great thing to turn to when you're feeling down. One thing you will notice is that I purposefully wrote down things that did not involve other people. It's important for me to be able to find happiness without others because relying on them is too big of a responsibility or expectation for them to carry. Of course, I delight in those moments when my kids or husband make me smile, but I know I can smile and be happy on my own too.

Try it today or sometime this week, and tell me how it changes your heart. 

1. Fresh sunflowers - These were brought to me by my dear friends
2. My wooden bowl full of fresh fruit - I have a wooden bowl my aunt gave me that always sits on my counter, and I fill it twice a week with fruit. 
3. A fragrant candle burning in my windowsill - I'm obsessed with Standard Wax candles because they smell amazing, burn clear and are made locally. I burn them every day, and last week I got a fresh box of scents just in time. 
4. A hot bowl of miso soup - I make soup for lunch almost every day. There's something about warm beverages and warm soup that is comforting to me. 
5. Keeping the doors open and letting the breeze come in - Arizona's best month of the year is March. We constantly leave our doors open for the kids to run in and out. I love feeling the breeze inside and being able to watch them play as I take care of things like laundry and cleaning.
6. Putting on my night cream and smelling the aromatherapy - I never liked my bedtime routine until now. I look forward to sleeping every day, and putting on Aveda aromatherapy night cream is such a treat to fall asleep to.
7. Feeling the fuzzy carpet on my bare feet - I rarely wear shoes inside, and if I could, I would always be barefoot. 
8. Wearing overalls - They just make me feel like a kid again (see this past post for more inspo). 
9. Whenever I see the brand Levi's when I'm shopping - I recently found a Levi's t-shirt and I love wearing it, and then when I was going to photograph this outfit in my Levi's overalls I found this old sign that says Levi's Strauss Overalls! Whaaaa?! So happy!
10. Putting on lipstick - I do this every day, multiple times a day, and I love it. It just brightens me up. 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; This post contains affiliate links. Handbag and watch were gifted by Fossil. 

STYLE EVOLUTION

Overalls at 32 feel awesome. If you have ever been on the fence about buying some try these Levi's (on sale right now). They are cropped, so you don't need to worry about getting the right length.

I play hard in them with my kids, but you can also dress them up with a black turtleneck and heels. Today, I'm wearing them with a high collared white blouse. 

I have also been loving this fringe jacket (similar) and fringed handbag from Fossil. It's just the bag I need when I'm not toting my diaper bag. Blue goes with everything just as much as black does. Give it a try this summer.

I really feel like I've embrace my comfortable easy style these days. I'm looking forward to sharing my style evolution at the Phoenix Art Museum Story Tellers event. Please check it out and come! 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer; This post contains affiliate links.

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UNDERWEAR OVERHAUL

This post is sponsored by Kohl's. The panties included in this post were received as compensation.

When was the last time you completely overhauled your underwear drawer? I mean, seriously, got rid of any torn, worn, old or stained panties, bras and socks. I'll be honest with you guys, it has been years since I have really done that. During my first pregnancy I bought a bunch of new underwear to get me through all of my body changes, and out of sheer laziness I kept underwear that was too big or past its prime because I knew I was going to be pregnant again soon. Now that we have had our second baby and I'm back to my normal body shape, I did a MUCH needed overhaul on my "unmentionables" thanks to Kohl's.

I spent three years of my life as a personal stylist brutally going through my clients' drawers and closets getting rid of anything that didn't fit. I don't know why it took me so long to do the same for myself. Now that I've done it I feel so much more organized. My body is also happier because I'm finally wearing underwear that looks pretty and fits right.

One thing that most people don't know when they purchase underwear is that they should most often buy a size larger than their dress size. Say, what?!

Many people purchase underwear using their dress size, but most underwear falls at the widest parts of our bodies - our hips. That usually qualifies going up one more size. I'm a size 6, but my hips, tummy and butt are more like an 8/10. So, even though I wear medium tops, skirts and dresses, I buy size large in underwear. Doing this will also help avoid indentations and muffin top.

Another thing people don't know is that they need to branch out into different styles and brands to provide various shapes and styles to compliment the dresses, skirts and pants they will be wearing. If you wear jeans daily you can pretty much wear whatever panties you want, but that's not the reality of most women's wardrobes. So, I purchased bikinis, boy shorts, and thongs to meet all of my needs. In addition to different styles you also want to have different colors. Black, white, skin-tone are the main ones to have, and then you can go from there. Subtle patterns are fun to have, but make sure you have plenty of solid pairs of panties because those will show the least underneath your clothing.

I've written out all of the items I purchased, which can be used as a shopping list for your underwear overhaul. If you allocate $200 you can get three new bras, 9 pairs of underwear, socks and tanks during the Kohl's intimates sale taking place from March 3rd to March 16th at your local Kohl's and online. For every $40 you spend you get $10 off. Plus, there will be bonus deals available. Include INTIMATES10 promo code when you purchase online. 

Skin-colored bra
Black bra
White bra
White tank
Black tank
Skin-colored tank
Black bikinis
White bikinis
Skin-colored bikinis
Black thong
Skin-colored thong
White thong
White ankle socks
Black ankle socks

This post is sponsored by Kohl's. I received the included panties as compensation. My blog may contain links to other websites. I am not responsible for the privacy policies of those other websites. When you click on a link, your information may be collected by those websites so I encourage you to read their privacy policies. Any affiliate links are not associated with Kohl's.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer.