i heart – footwear

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it’s no surprise i’ve got a thing for footwear. just ask my sister who gasps for air every time she enters my closet. with the current winter weather situation we’ve been faced with here in the northeast, i’ve been grabbing one of these two options more often than not. a waterproof wellie to get me through the slush without breaking my neck and a supple suede mocc to keep me warm + cozy all day long. while saltwaters and bare feet sound lovely, i can live with these must haves for a little while longer. that is as long as there’s pretty snow on the ground!

according to – kim

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it’s been some time since i’ve covered my girl’s essentials. fortunately these days, things are pretty simple and straight forward…she eats, sleeps and plays hard every minute in between. here’s what keeps us all sane.

eat: we originally used an overpriced schmancy highchair, that was actually super convenient as a sleeping pod in the kitchen/dining area during those first few sleepy months, but ended up turning logan into a spastic monster over time. quickly, every meal we tried to eat together turned painfully torturesome. we spent months agonizing over dinnertime and finally bit the bullet and bought something different, the stokke tripp trapp, which i can’t say enough good things about. no more flailing legs and sobbing shrills, as logan loves to pull right up to the table along side us. now choosing to eat vegetables over cake, that’s another battle for a different day.

sleep: we have a bedtime routine that includes a few key players. three to be exact. some i’m ok with and some that unfortunately need to hit the road in the not too distant future. it all starts with an aden + anais sleeping bag that keeps my wiggle monster warm and confined. then in comes the stuffies. you never know how many and who exactly will be included, but there’s never a question that this jellycat ‘rabbit’ isn’t lo’s arms. and lastly, we’ve got paci problems. one mam in her mouth, one mam clenched in her hand, and few thrown about the crib for good measure. none of us are looking forward to kicking this habbit, as we’ve all been sleeping beautifully for the past nineteen months.

play: it doesn’t take much to keep lo occupied during the day. i’m told she got it from me. the girl can read a l l d a y l o n g! for this reason we keep our shelves well stocked and recently added to our collection. however there’s a favorite handful that are in constant rotation. if she’s not reading, she’s usually coloring and these playon crayons are a must have favorite as they double as stacking toys. these ikea stacking rings are hands down the best six dollars spent on a toy. hours have been spent sorting and rearranging these colored blocks and the best part, the stick is rubber so you never have to worry about your mini taking an out eye. while lo could care less about what i dress her in, she sure has an opinion as to what goes on her feet. she’ll choose her hunter wellies rain or shine and when she’s not on the go they occupy her in the house: on, off, repeat. and last but not least, logan still loves her babies and insists on keeping them undressed, so these sonny angle babies are the perfect size to throw in my purse and take on the go.

currently – black

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currently snowing: again. right this very minute! while most get all frazzled about the weather wreaking havoc on their day-to-day, i welcome the beautiful white silence with open arms. if it’s going to be cold and grey, the ground might as well be covered giving me a real reason to bundle up and be lazy at home. which reminds me of where i’d rather be on this blistering cold day.

currently consigning: my little girls wears that have made their way through her little cuz and back again. of course i’m holding onto my most favorite and sentimental threads, and the sorting is bringing out my nostalgic ways, but who am i kidding, the next kid is gonna need a new wardrobe of his/her own.

currently obsessed: with the rainbow loom. embarrassing i know. but a particular friend is superb at gifting and has brought out the 10 year old in me. i’m keeping things sophisticated with a monochromatic palette and challenging weaves (thanks to a mature pair of little sisters) and i purchased myself a storage box this weekend cause a girl can’t help but be color coordinated and organized.

currently itching: to create. while i’m usually battling the winter blues right about now, this season seems to be different. i’m welcoming the chance to slow down and catch up and have actually found some free time with absolutely no commitments to fill. my pinterest diy board has been stagnantly sitting and i feel it’s time to keep calm and craft on!

currently watching: girls. it’s brutally honest and raunchy and i love it. i’m vicariously living the young single nyc girl life through the lives of these 4 lost soles and it makes me smirk all 30 minutes long.

monthly mini – logan

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52 project – a portrait of logan, once a week, every week, in 2013 – See more at: http://berlsandco.com/category/52-project#sthash.x5nfEMdp.dpuf

52 project – a portrait of logan, once a week, every week, in 2014

twenty-one months, and oh so on fire! we no longer live with a baby, as this girl is a full blown communicating human at this point. she blows our minds on a daily basis and definitely keeps us on our toes. it’s a good thing she sleeps long and hard, cause she’s crazy bonkers otherwise. i feel like it’s been forever since i’ve written about this girl, or maybe it’s just the amount i have to report on…
– logan recognizes emotions and isn’t shy to call someone out as being happy or sad.
– logan has become bossy and isn’t afraid to tell you to ‘sit down’.
– logan has taken to pretending she’s a puppy and we often find her crawling around the house panting.
– logan’s response to almost any question is ‘ok, sure’. it’s pretty much the most adorable thing ever!
– logan is suddenly obsessed with the cowboy hat her cousins bought for her over the summer at the medicine hat stampede. unfortunately it’s now a tad too small but that doesn’t stop her from wearing it e v e r y w h e r e.
– logan has a few favorite ‘shows’ that are on constant rotation in our home. ‘ticket boy’ (polar express), ‘mike’ (monsters university) and ‘cars’ (cars).
– logan is into smelling everything which she follows up with a fake sneeze and then blesses herself. silly-head!
– logan still loves books and has taken to hoarding them in her teepee for hours. try and join her and she’ll tell you ‘no fit’.
– logan often requests ‘hold you’ when she wants to be cuddle. sure kid! i’ll take it as long as i can.
– logan has broken the silence on withholding her name. primarily to inform you of what’s hers and not to be tampered with.
– logan often gets antsy in the car. i distract her by asking her to look for animals outside. interestingly enough, no matter where we are, she always sees two zebras.
– logan is still gaga over drawing + stickers. although she occasionally takes it off paper, i can’t help but smile when i find a random scribble here and there.
– logan has befriended an electronic kitty named ginger who she chats with daily.
– logan still has no hair and i have n o t  given her a trim!

link love

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one – who isn’t in search of a simple way to print all those instagram favorites?!
two – some of us around here can rock a red lip confidently. others, could use some pointers.
three – j blakeney’s endless means of inspiration from her friend, the flora.
four – feather like dainty duds to stack on your fingers.
five – a new year calls for new plans. go big or go home!
six – all three of us are in the throws of creating lil spaces and pinning to our hearts desire.
seven – add a little love to your home this season.

i heart – plaid

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particularly the buffalo kind. and pairing it with black + white and stripes non the less is right up my alley.  i’m thinking i should stock up while the winter sales are hot!

according to – kim

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^ a few favorites from our holiday ^

it’s a new year, which typically brings on a tap of the ‘restart’ button and fresh thoughts. set resolutions have never been my style. i’m more of the state-the-obvious, consciously work at it and eventually forget-all-about-it kind of girl. come september i’m often questioned (by my other half) ‘what was that resolution again’? but this year feels different. and i honestly owe it to those two final weeks of complete shut down. as always, life got pretty chaotic that last quarter and my level of anxiety became paralyzing. turns out, intentionally shutting off and essentially recharging is just what my sole craved. so no resolutions for 2014, rather a word to live by, day in and day out.
SIMPLIFY and let go. completely across the board. i need to say no more often than not. i need to surrender control and accept help from others. i need to pass tasks off to the professionals. i need to purge the unnecessary and live by quality over quantity. i need to disconnect regularly. i need to appreciate the mundane. and most importantly i need to breath, relax, play hard, get dirty and laugh lots! in other words, become completely self absorbed and do what feels right for me; rather us. it sounds selfish, but i gotta do what i gotta do. i feel good. i’m making 2014 count. let’s do this! (paulie, hold me to it).

currently – black

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currently slowing down: or rather, i did slow down. and it feels freaking fabulous! i was fortunate enough to have two full weeks of vacation over the holiday and in between family gatherings and impromptu visits with friends, i primarily spent my time at home in pajamas with my little lady. the fall turned into an overwhelming whirlwind of sorts for me and a certain someone told me i needed to turn off and veg out on several accounts. definitely something i’m not used to and usually uncomfortable with. but i took his advice and can’t thank him enough. i feel relaxed, laid back and kind of like my laxadasical pre-baby self. i’m thinking i need to do whatever it takes to keep this vibe strong in 2014.

currently anticipating: getting back into a routine. while endless lazy days are magical, there is something to be said about having a reason to shower and get dressed in the morning. i’m looking forward to applying mascara, getting creative behind my desk, eating raw and getting back to the gym. but keep in mind, this routine does not have to be fast past by any means (wink).

currently missing: christmas. which was officially erased from our home this past weekend. it’s always a sad day and the house feels bare and cold for a short while after. thank goodness my little is currently obsessed with the polar express, otherwise known as ‘boy, ticket’, enough so to keep the spirit alive for awhile longer. obviously i’m gonna ride this one out as long as possible. to be honest, up until vacation i never actually sat through the whole story…it’s adorably sweet and has stolen my heart as a new holiday favorite.

currently working: five days a week. i had cut back my hours since returning to work after logan was born, allowing me one day a week to mug on my baby all on my own. it was perfect and i couldn’t have asked for a better transition. however, in an effort to alleviate stress this year, i thought extending my week in the office would allow me to walk our the door each night with some breathing room. here’s to week number one. my girls claim i’ll survive and that my weekends will be that much sweeter. i’m holding them to it!

currently rearranging: our home. it’s time. especially with the influx of toys that has taken over since the holiday. things are coming off the walls, unnecessary crap is hitting the curb and the painters are moving in. while my heart aches to disassemble logan’s sweet nursery, i’m excited to change things up and give her a larger space of her own and myself a quaint comfortable perch to create and stay connected from.     

monthly mini – logan

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52 project – a portrait of logan, once a week, every week, in 2013

there must be something in the air. every mama i turn to on the internet and every mama friend i talk to in real life (thank you jess) seems to be currently bitten by the dreaded bug of overwhelming chaos and all its associated guilt. i’d like to think this crazy time of year has something to do with it and only hope the new year will bring some breathing room along with it. however, i’m currently up against making some decisions that will snatch me away from what little time i have all alone with my baby girl to begin with. my heart’s heavy and compiling the images for this twenty month post laid on the guilt quite thick late last night. this baby is transforming into a little person at lightening speed month-to-month and i don’t want to miss a beat. her vocabulary and personality have left me missing her more when we’re apart and anticipating our time together on a whole new level. she’s growing from my baby into my smallest friend. so while i take the holidays to hash out my thoughts, i’m also signing off from this here space and life’s responsibilities in general. this holiday is for tickling, coloring and eating all of the french fries. in the end, you gotta do what you gotta do, as it really all is for this munchkins best interest. or at least that’s what i keep telling myself to ease the pain (wink).

wishing you all the most happiest holiday!

guide to – gifts

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retail is definitely one of my therapies, so its a good thing this gift giving season coincides with the chaos in my life as of late. as always, i’ve been scouring for all the perfect gifts and have been quite inspired and happy with all my internet purchases. while i cross off my list and check it twice, here are a few of my favorite finds for my girls…circle 21 soy candle > gold glitter letter sticker set > wishbone bottle opener > small leather pouch > linen mercy tee > lidded mini basket > for my guy…body scrub soap-on-a-rope > quarry backpack > usb phone charger > thermos > slouchy beanie hat > plain-toe boots > for my baby…knit pillow > miss flora fox > the cat at night > ice cream set > sweatshirt dress > crayons > rain boots > doll stroller > pillow