Friday Finds

Happy Friday!! This was an especially exciting week because my brother and his fam flew in for a visit! They currently live in Asia (moving from South Korea to Japan) so we don't get to see them that often - I was so excited for Mia to finally meet the rest of her family! We're spending this weekend doing lots of family stuff and prepping for our big summer trip next week. I say "big" because it's ten days, but really we're headed to Minneapolis for my brother-in-law's wedding (so excited to see Tim and Kerry tie the knot - love you guys!) and then out into the woods near Hayward, Wisconsin for a week with my family. I started making a list this week and it looks like we'll be packing, oh, just about everything we own. Because Mia definitely can't go a week without her rattle chick or her jingle bunny or her bouncer or her sound machine... you get the picture, right? Plus, we somehow ended up with FOUR swimsuits for her (and weirdly one pair of baby boy board shorts) so we have to put them to good use, right?

Here are the finds for this week:

one / two / three / four / five

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June Budget

Every month I post about my clothing budget. My budget per month is $350, which may seem like a lot to some and a little to others, but feels just right for me. You can read my thoughts on my 2018 budget here.

This is always the weird part of summer for me, because in one way it's just beginning. The first "official" day of summer was just last week, and that's when Chicago finally got its s*** in order and brought out the warm weather. Buuuut... fall clothes are going to start coming out soon! I mean, I saw an email about the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale yesterday. I feel like fall always gets pushed down our throats way sooner than I'm ready for it, and over here I'll be celebrating the summer down until the last drop. Or really, until the last day I have to go back to work (after Labor Day).

So what I'm trying to say is, June was a weird shopping month for me because most of the month was still in the 60's the majority of the time here in Chicago, so I was still shopping for cool weather pieces! Hence more jeans and sweatshirts. I think that pink stripe sweatshirt (which I also own in blue!) will still get a lot of wear though paired with shorts for cooler evenings and trips.

My favorite item by far though, is that black raffia bag. I featured it in my Friday Finds last week and ended up buying it while I put together the post, and it's ALREADY sold out. I hate when that happens and I don't get a chance to really share something with all of you. But I did find a couple of similar bags (here, here, and here) in case you love the look.

So here is the damage for June:

LOFT Striped Dress - $79.50, on sale $39.75 used rewards $34.75. This is one of those dresses where I wasn't really sure about it, and then I put it on and it was THAT flattering that I had to keep it. It would be so cute for work, but I'm planning on some summer dinners out in it.
Mali + Lili Black Raffia Bag - $84.00. Already wore it here but it somehow managed to sell out in the last week! Similar here, here, and here.
Old Navy Jeans - originally $44.99, on sale $33.74, used rewards $0. I love light rinse jeans for summer, and since I seem to be needing to wash my jeans more usual since becoming a mommy I thought another pair was in order! I got a long in these and they are just a tinge too long on me so I'm thinking of cutting them shorter for a raw hem look.
Marc Fischer Stud Sandals - originally $129.95, on sale $90.96, used notes $30.96. No I did not need another pair of flat sandals, but I loved the stud details on them (plus they were on sale!) so I went for it. My feet are super picky and I have decided these are good for everyday wear but maybe not the best for walking miles around the city in. Worn here.
Gap Distressed Boyfriend Shorts - $54.95, on sale + used rewards $14.69. It turned out I needed some new shorts post-baby (what, my body changed?!) and these definitely fit the bill. I love that the longer inseam means no chub rub and makes them super comfy for everyday wear. They are perfectly slouchy without being sloppy. Worn here.
J.Crew Colorblock Pullover - originally $65.00, on sale $45.50. I got the blue version last month, and you had better believe when I saw the pink pop up in stock in my size I snatched it! I went a size up in these to make them extra cozy. Just a note, they really are more of a thick tee-shirt material, not a soft cozy sweatshirt. Wore the blue here.
BP Block Heel Sandals - $59.95. I somehow didn't have a pair of nude sandals in my closet to wear to a wedding I'm going to next week. I ordered a bunch of pairs and ended up keeping these. I tested them out for a date night last weekend and ended up having to do a lot more walking than anticipated. We decided to take the train and then said train got stopped so we ended up hopping off early and walking a few extra blocks. Let me say, I did not think they'd hold up and figured I'd be hobbling by the end of the night, but my feet actually still felt fine several hours later - winners in my book!

Total Spent: $269.85
Total Saved: $248.49

Not bad, huh?! For July I'm definitely still looking for more summer clothes, but you'd better bet I'll be shopping the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale too ;) Oh, and I already ordered and am (im)patiently awaiting this top, this dress, this dress, and this dress. I had to buy a few things to match my new bag. Which really is what prompted most of those purchases. Pray for me.

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday!! This weekend should be a good one, because Jeff and I are celebrating our FOURTH wedding anniversary! Not sure how this was already four years ago, but really, it somehow keeps getting better. Last year we celebrated in Wine Country and I found out I was pregnant on the first day of the trip, so it was a slightly different celebration than we expected haha. Crazy and emotional and with Sprite instead of bubbly :) This year, we've got my parents on the hook to babysit (and the first time a babysitter will have to put Mia to bed without us - eek!) and we are planning to go all out with fancy cocktails and a tasting menu at one of our favorite places. 

Here are the finds for this week - I couldn't resist that bag so it's on it's way to me right now!

one / two / three / four / five

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What's Your Coffee Order?

Jacket - Old Navy / Top (similar here and here) - LOFT / Jeans - Gap / Flats (exact on eBay, similar here) - BP / Bag - Clare V

Something that people are always shocked to learn about me is that I don't like coffee. It's really funny to tell people, because the conversation alway goes exactly the same: 

"You don't like coffee? Do you drink tea?"

"Nope, I don't like tea either." 

"So what do you drink in the morning?"

"Water." 

"But how do you wake up?"

"I... just do?" 

I've never been a caffeine person, I thought that might change when I had Mia and couldn't get eight hours of sleep a night, but nope, we're still going strong over here uncaffeinated. I can't get past the taste of coffee (bleh) and too much caffeine (read: a normal amount for most adult humans) gives me the jitters and an immediate headache. 

I usually don't even think about my non-coffee preferences, unless someone asks me on a coffee date.  In college a guy asked me on a coffee date, and we both got to the register and realized neither of us liked coffee and we were like "WHAT ARE WE DOING HERE?!" and went and got a beer instead.

I literally taught myself to like chai lattes because I knew they were really mild and I needed something to drink in coffee shops so I wouldn't embarrass myself when I was networking. No one wants to hire the girl drinking a "kids temperature hot chocolate" (which, yes, I have ordered before ;)

So what's my go-to order? In the summer, I'll go for a non-fat iced chai latte or a lightly sweetened passion tango tea at Starbucks, which is basically adult Kool Aid. The rest of the year, I'll get that chai hot or a peppermint hot chocolate around the holidays. 

Maybe someday I'll start drinking coffee, but I doubt it. Me and my water are doing just fine over here.

Jacket - Old Navy / Top (similar here and here) - LOFT / Jeans - Gap / Flats (exact on eBay, similar here) - BP / Bag - Clare V

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Motherhood Monday: Baby Clothes

Romper / Bow (size mini)

Let's be honest, one of the things I was really excited for when I found out I was having a baby girl was the clothes! I clearly have a *thing* for shopping, and baby girl clothes are so cute! We got a ton of gifts and hand-me-downs in newborn and 0-3 months (like, I literally don't think I purchased a single newborn size) but now that Mia is moving up a size I'm getting to do more clothing shopping for her and it's so fun.

Right now, since Mia will only be in clothes for a couple of months I'm trying to keep things really budget friendly, so most of her things are from Old Navy, Gap, Target (the Cloud Island brand shoes are the only ones narrow enough to fit Mia's feet), or Carters. I also have been shopping the sale racks at Hanna Andersson (the best pajamas!), Nordstrom, and Janie & Jack. I also couldn't resist a few things from Monica + Andy, their clothing is really high quality and adorable. When Mia was really little their hats were the only ones that would actually stay on her head, so I ended up on their mailing list. When I saw these cute overalls I couldn't resist, I'm dying for warmer weather so she can wear them! Oh, and all those bows are mostly from Lou Lou & Company.

Most of these are things that are already in Mia's closet ;)

Bubble / Bib

Jumper / Bodysuit / Bow (size mini)

What's that saying about families that take mirror selfies together?? 😂

My shirt and shorts / Mia's top (actually a dress - she's long!) and jeans / Jeff's shirt

Similar Jumpsuit / Cardigan / Shoes / Bow (size mini)

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday!! Alllllmost forgot this post, but was writing something else last night and realized I hadn't scheduled it in advance like I thought! I typically schedule most of my posts at the beginning of each week or over the weekend when I have time so that I don't forget or get distracted by baby and run out of time. So when you hear me talk about "yesterday" just think in your head that it hadn't actually happened yet when I wrote out the post - trippy!

This weekend is Jeff's first Father's Day, and as per the usual we have overscheduled ourselves - hoping he actually enjoys himself! I'm a little nervous because one of the events includes taking Mia to a fancy restaurant that Yelp has labeled "classy" and "not good for children" so we'll see how that goes ;)

Here are my finds for this week:

one / two / three / four / five

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Striped Sweatshirt

Sweatshirt and Jeans (similar) - J.Crew / Sandals - Target / Sunglasses - Amazon / Bag - Clare V

I don't know if it's the cooler than average temperatures in Chicago or being home with a baby all day (hint: it's that), but lately I have been LIVING for a good sweatshirt. The sweatshirt part of my closet is exploding. Seriously, someone send help. It's almost as bad as the shoes.

Let's be real though, nothing will ever be as bad as the shoes ;)

I had my eye on this sweatshirt for weeks hoping it would go on sale (and crying silent, internal tears when it went out of stock in pink) and when it finally did go on sale you know I immediately snapped it up. I wore it here with jeans (see: Chicago's current weather forecast) but I've been mainly wearing it with dark or white denim shorts. Long sleeves and shorts always feels unexpected and fresh, and keeps you warm(ish) and cool(ish) when the weather is unpredictable. As far as sizing goes, you want to go up at least one size. I went up one size and could have still gone up another for a good, oversized fit.

If you've been following me on Instagram lately (omg I just typed "fallowing" I think I need to go back to work!) then you know that I've been spending a lot of my maternity leave days going for long walks through Chicago. On this particular day Jeff had to run some errands in Lincoln Park, so Mia and I decided to tag along and take a Lincoln Park walk instead of a Lincoln Square walk. Somehow (somehow!) we ended up at Sweet Mandy B's when Jeff finally caught up with us so we got a cookie and a cupcake out of the deal ;) We then wandered into Floriole to grab a bite for lunch. I'm still never sure whether Mia will behave herself at a restaurant or will scream, so we ordered some sandwiches to go. Mia decided it was the perfect time for a stroller nap though, so we ended up enjoying sandwiches and some rose hibiscus lemonades (which sound pretentious but were so good) out on their patio. The perfect little afternoon!

Sweatshirt and Jeans (similar) - J.Crew / Sandals - Target / Sunglasses - Amazon / Bag - Clare V

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Friday Finds

Happy Friday!!! Jeff is heading out for a bachelor party this morning, so Mommy and Mia are flying solo! Except I really couldn't quite handle the thought of a weekend all by ourselves, so we're heading up to my parents' house for at least part of it. We've got a family party planned plus I'm getting together with my high school girlfriends (+ all of the babies!) so it should be a good one :)

Here are my finds for this week:

one / two / three / four / five

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Red, White & Blue

Top - J.Crew / Shorts - Old Navy / Sandals - Target / Bag - Madewell / Earrings - J.Crew Factory / Sunglasses - Amazon

I was going to order this top in white. Or maybe the petal pink. But something in me (probably the pregnancy hormones since I was about 38 weeks when I ordered this) made me go for the red instead. And you know what? I'm not mad about it. The red is so fun, and it's different than everything else I have in my closet. I actually had Cinco de Mayo in my head when I ordered it, but how fun would it be for the Fourth of July too? Which, by the by, is already less than a month away. Yes. What is happening. In case you're looking for more red, white, and blue inspo, check out this post. 

Okay, so the details on this top. It's fitting way oversized on me, but that's because pregnant brain apparently thought I would still be huge months later when Chicago finally started to warm up and ordered a 2XL. So you know, order your usual size and it will fit normally. And it is still available in six colors, so if red isn't your thing know there's another way. I'm still considering the pink I initially passed up, or maybe navy! Me and navy are having a major moment right now ;) 

And then these sandals. I know I've mentioned them a few times before, but they were only $20 from Target and they are the best things ever. Target shoes are a funny thing, I usually hate every pair and think they are so uncomfortable, but every now and then you find a real winner. I had a pair of booties from Target that were amazingly comfortable and I wore into the ground. These sandals are going to be the same thing. The faux leather top is really soft and sculpts to fit your foot really well, and the footbed is nice and cushy. I've been going on lots of long walks with Mia lately and these didn't bother me on a three miler we did last week. 

Okay, and this bag. It's the zippered transport tote from Madewell and I tried to ignore the fact that I wanted it for years because I deemed it too expensive. I ended up snagging it this winter with a gift card from Christmas, and it is so good. It somehow goes with everything, the leather is gorgeous, and it's the perfect size for adding in a crazy amount of baby stuff if you're rolling that way, or a laptop and all of your work essentials. I got the one with the zippered top because one time like eight years I got pickpocketed on a city bus and I am still scared of bags that don't close. 

Is that enough rambling for today? Probably - go enjoy your Wednesday! 

Top - J.Crew / Shorts - Old Navy / Sandals - Target / Bag - Madewell / Earrings - J.Crew Factory / Sunglasses - Amazon

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