My First Stitch Fix!

I finally jumped on the Stitch Fix bandwagon!  I've been following many bloggers that have tried it and have heard so many positive things.  I actually filled out a style profile on the website a while ago (while I was pregnant) but knew I wanted to wait a few months after my baby was born before I joined.  I luckily have lost a bit of weight since Emi was born, and so I finally pulled the trigger and decided I wanted to try it out. 

Here are the items I got in my first Stitch Fix!  I would love to hear what you think and if you agree/disagree with my picks!  On a side note...sorry for the poor quality and lighting on these pictures!  I snapped them in a rush at my mom's house during my lunch break from work! :)

#1:  Sweet Rain - Isaac Floral Print Tab-Sleeve Blouse ($48) -- Returned 

This is a shirt that I would probably NEVER pick for myself.  I was not immediately drawn to it when I opened my box, but when I tried it on it was very light and flowy and I love the idea of pairing it with jeans or black pants.  Even though I typically love sheer blouses like this, I decided to pass because I couldn't see myself wearing this more than a couple times.

#2:  Kurt From the Kloth - Maribel Straight Leg Jean ($88) -- Kept

I was super excited to see a pair of jeans in my box!  I have the hardest time finding jeans that fit me right...and I think these do!  They do not slide down (like most of my other jeans) and I love the straight fit.  They are also SUPER comfortable.  Although they were really expensive, I decided to keep these, because I'm sure I will wear them all the time.

#3:  41Hawthorn - Queensland Dolman Jersey Top ($48) -- Returned

I actually really liked this shirt alot.  I'm obsessed with dark purple and the fit on this shirt was right up my alley.  The material is also super soft and I loved the high neckline of this (great for pairing with statement necklaces!)  Even though it was a tough decision, I sent this back because I just couldn't convince myself it was worth the cost.

#4:  Loveappella - Michelle Cross Back Knit Top ($48) -- Returned

I liked the simplicity of this shirt and was attracted to the cross back, but when I tried it on, I just didn't like it.  The cross back looked strange to me, and otherwise it was just really plain.  Definitely not worth the cost in my mind.

  

#5:  Romolo - Starla Ornate Collar Necklace ($44) -- Kept

So...I'm a sucker for jewelry.  I feel like a nice necklace can spice up even the most boring outfit.  This necklace immediately caught my attention.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  It was a no-brainer to keep this one!

Overall, I really liked my Stitch Fix box!!  It was so much fun to receive it and try on all the items!  As a mom to 2 kids, I just don't have time to shop for clothes for myself (nor am I good at picking out clothes) so it is AWESOME to find a service like Stich Fix that will match you up with a stylist and pick items for you!  My wardrobe is in desperate need of a refresh so I am super excited to get new items sent every month.  

I strongly encourage you to sign up to try it for yourself!  If you go for it like I did, please click here to use my referral link!  Thank you!!!

Valentine's Day with My Hearts

Valentine's Day is always one of my favorite holidays!  The hubby and I don't really exchange gifts, but it's always so fun to embrace heart-shaped everything on this day!  While I was hoping I would have time to make heart-shaped pancakes for Evie this year, time wasn't on my side.  I did, however make sure to dress the girls in cute little heart dresses!  And, of course, I made sure to take plenty of pictures!  :)

This was Evie's first Valentine's day at daycare too.  I wanted to make sure we made some fun valentines for her friends.  So, we cut out some butterfly shapes, Evie colored them with crayons, and then I hot glued some eyes on lollipops to make these fun treats!  Thank you Pinterest for this idea! 

Even though Valentine's Day has come and gone, I still can't help but dress the girls in red and pink.  We just love Valentine's Day! :)

Next holiday on the list...St. Patty's day!  I'll be sure to get our green outfits ready! :) 

Emi's Baptism

Two weeks ago, we celebrated the baptism of our beautiful little baby girl, Emi.  In my family, a baptism is a big deal...we go all out!  Almost like a mini wedding!  Accordingly, we had a guest list of about 120 people and reserved a room at a local reception hall to celebrate the momentous day.  

I wanted to share some pictures of the event with all of you!  It was truly a special day that will always remembered by our family! :)

New Years Eve!

Happy New Year’s Eve everyone!! I love New Years because it usually involves planning and dreaming of new things to come. I’m not much of a resolution maker, but, as always, I want to focus on being a better person - that includes being a better wife, mom to my 2 girls, daughter, sister, cousin, friend, etc. Life is nothing without the people around you to share it with. I’m very blessed to be surrounded by some amazing people that have made 2014 the best year of my life! :) 

In honor of the new year approaching, I thought it would be fun to do a quick recap of 2014, highlighting some of the best moments of the year! 

JANUARY: Celebrating Evie’s 18 months, Snow Days, and Finding out we are expecting Baby #2! 

FEBRUARY: Enjoying Valentine’s Day and Evie paints for the first time! 

MARCH: Evie’s first pedicure, courtesy of mommy :)

APRIL: Easter, celebrating cousin Declan’s 1st birthday, and we announce to family and friends that Evie will be a big sister! 

MAY: Evie takes her first plane ride to Florida for a family vacation and we learn that baby #2 is a GIRL! :) 

JUNE: Enjoying summer outings, including trips to the park, zoo, and Evie’s first time swimming in a big pool! 

JULY: We traveled to Wisconsin for the 4th of July and celebrate Evie’s 2nd birthday! 

AUGUST: I turn 30 and Evie starts preschool/daycare! 

SEPTEMBER: Evie is transitioned into a big girl bed while we finalize the nursery for baby #2! 

OCTOBER: Emilia “Emi” is Born! We have 2 beautiful girls in our lives! :)

NOVEMBER: We adjust to life with two kids, celebrate Emi’s 1 month birthday, and have our first Thanksgiving with both girls! 

DECEMBER: Evie has her first dentist appointment, we visit Santa, and celebrate Emi’s first Christmas and ours as a family of 4. :) 

And that is a wrap on 2014! What an amazing year we have had. I can’t wait to see what 2015 holds for us! I’d like to wish all of you reading my blog a very happy 2015 filled with wonderful surprises, blessings, and happiness! See you next year! ;)

 

Christmas in Review

Wait, what? Christmas is over?!? Did this holiday seem to fly by faster than ever or what? Maybe being a momma to 2 kiddos just makes time fly by so much faster, but I really feel like Christmas this year passed in the blink of an eye. Regardless, we really did have a wonderful time, surrounded by our dear family. 

On Christmas Eve I unfortunately had to work for a few hours in the morning.  Cue the sad trombone.  But after a few short hours I was released from prison work and headed over to spend the afternoon with my folks.  We watched Evie open some gifts and shared oplatek (read about this tradition here.)  

 Later that evening we headed to my in-laws for Christmas Eve dinner. Evie and Emi loved being with all their cousins and opened up some pretty amazing gifts! Evie’s favorite was probably the Elsa doll she got. She can never have enough dolls it seems. :)  

On Christmas Day, Evie woke up to find that Santa left her a mountain of presents and a new bike!!!   She can't wait to take this baby for a spin outside when the weather gets nicer!

After presents it was Christmas Day mass and then over to my sister-in-law’s house for some yummy food and more family time. 

I hope everyone had a magical and beautiful holiday surrounded by all their loved ones. I can’t believe we are drawing to a close on 2014. It really has been an amazing year for us!

 

Christmas Week!

Happy Christmas week! It’s hard to believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve! Today in Chicago we have been flirting with Spring-like weather, yet tomorrow’s forecast has snow in it! We have been preparing for Christmas for a few weeks now…since Thanksgiving ended in fact! As of today, I am officially done with all my Christmas shopping as well! What a relief! We had 15 kids to buy presents for this year…yep! 15. Tom and I picked one night last week to wrap all the gifts. In addition to severe hand cramps, I learned that I’m officially the world’s worst present wrapper! Sorry in advance to anyone getting a gift from us!! ;) 

I have loved watching the magic of Christmas unfold in Evie’s eyes this holiday season. Now that she is almost 2 ½ it’s so much more fun to partake in all the festive activities this season brings. We went to see an amazing light display in a neighboring town and she was over the moon excited. It was really quite heartwarming to see!!

I hope everyone is enjoying this time with family and friends nearby!  Have a blessed Christmas!!