Fall is upon us and I have never been so excited for all the fall trends! I feel like I’ve been missing out on so many cute trends for the past 2 trimesters and I can’t wait to get into a pair of jeans again soon! Shopbop’s big sale just hit and it’s the best time of the season to pick up all the fall pieces to spruce up your wardrobe up! You get 20% off orders under $500 or 25% off orders over $500, so it definitely adds up! Just use code: STOCKUP19 at checkout to get the discount. The sale ends September 27th but sizes always sell out so fast during this sale, so if you love it don’t hesitate!
There are a few major themes I noticed in my cart so I wanted to share some of the trends that I’m clearly on board with this season:
All things animal print! From the classic leopard prints to embossed croc look, animal print is back and even better this fall:
Throwing in a little more leopard, just for good measure, because this pullover is so good!
Also love the leather and zipper detailing on this one to add a little more edge to the cozy layer.
Plaid, please! I’ll take it in any form it comes in, but here are some of my current favorites:
This coat. Enough said. (It’s an investment, but that just means the 25% off is even bigger savings, right?)
Love the length of this blazer and it’s the perfect neutral to be able to bring into your blazer rotation, plus it’s under $100.
Go bold with a larger scale plaid. This navy one would go with everything!
Below are a few other of my favorite finds from the Shopbop sale. Do you guys have any fall pieces you’ve had your eye on that you are pulling the trigger on now that they are on sale? Let me know in the comments!
XX, Christine
xo, Christine
3 Heels That Will Heat Up Your Fall Outfits
This post is sponsored by Tamara Mellon and Shopstyle.
After living in sneakers and flats the last couple months (pregnancy life 🙂 I am getting so excited for the day when I can wear heels regularly again! There is just something that makes you feel more confident and beautiful in a pair of your favorite shoes! Here are the three Tamara Mellon heels to heat up your fall outfits this season:
Nude sandals are 100% a year round thing. As much as I wear my nude pumps, I think I wear my nude sandals even more! They are so versatile. I just got the nude version of these Tamara Mellon Frontline sandals. You have seen me wear them in Platino for years and wear them so much that I wanted another color. – I love the look of the 3 straps (They also come in this shorter heel option and flats as well.)
Leopard is arguably the ‘it’ print this season, so a classic leopard pump is the perfect way to add some timeless animal print to your shoe rotation. There are so many leopard prints out there, but with shoes I feel like it can be hit or miss. I LOVE this one and the calf hair material reads even more beautifully in person! They also have a little detail by the point of the toe too. They are so beautiful! You can wear them as a neutral print by mixing with stripes, plaid, or other classic patterns, or break up a neutral outfit with a pop of animal print and texture.
Last but not least, a dress boot! I realized when I caught sight of this pair, that I don’t have many (if any!) stiletto style boots so these are next on my Tamara Mellon wishlist. The Icon come in a few different colors and materials (love the moss suede!) and they also come in both a 75 mm or 105 mm heel height option. This bootie comes in a pretty black velvet and a calf hair leopard style.
Tamara Mellon was actually the co-founder of Jimmy Choo, so all her shoes are really high quality, luxury shoes. For me, the pumps ran true to size but the sandals fit a little small, so I sized up 1/2 size, but there’s an online Fit Quiz here where you can plug in your size in other brands you wear to find out your Tamara Mellon size. Everything is guaranteed for repairs for up to two years and in addition to free shipping and returns, there’s no limit to when you can return!
Below are some other great styles to update your fall shoe game:
XX, Christine
*In collaboration with Tamara Mellon.
xo, Christine
Babymoon at the Grand America
Cody and I kept thinking we would go on a babymoon before the baby arrived, but time slipped away from us and all of a sudden I was past the point that I could fly anymore! With all the chaos going on at home with them ripping out and reinstalling the floors, we thought it would be nice to get away for the weekend so we stayed at the Grand America for a little babymoon staycation. Here were some of the highlights and a few reasons to visit the grand America next time you are in Salt Lake!
1. The Room Service! First and foremost, the Grand America had the best room service I’ve ever had! You know how honestly a lot of times the room service food isn’t as good by the time it gets to your room. I always order room service since the convenience usually outweighs the fact that the food is usually just average, but the Grand America was the first hotel where the room service was actually just as good as eating in the restaurant! We had both breakfast and dinner and it was so yummy! (Side note: Also make sure to try their chicken noodle soup with their rolls at the cafe on Sunday – so good!)
2. The Grand Spa. Cody and I broke away for a trip to the spa and it was the perfect touch for our babymoon staycation. They have tons of facial and beauty services, but one of my favorite parts was the 17-head shower before the couple massage, So relaxing! If you do it turn the side sprayers on cold and the overhead ones on hot, it feels so good! They also had the yummiest creme brûlée when you come into the couple massage – I’m not sure if its the pregnancy in me, but I’m realizing all my highlights are revolving around food haha.
3. Location. Whatever brings you to SLC, downtown is definitely the place to be. The Grand America has super easy access to downtown so it’s really convenient. We used to live downtown, so it was nostalgic to be back! We walked to dinner, rented city scooters to get around, and loved soaking up more time downtown.
4. Tea Time! One of my favorite parts of the Grand America is their Afternoon Tea! It’s the perfect excuse to get dressed up with friends for a really unique event. It’s available almost every day (excluding holidays) and the finger sandwiches and tea pastries are all amazing. I also found out they can host private tea times for larger events – it would be so cute for a bridal shower/birthday party/etc.!
5. Something for the kids. They have a big candy shop and toy store inside the hotel and it’s the perfect attraction for kids! They gave Beckam a cute wood token when we checked in for a stuffed animal.
DETAILS: MATERNITY SWIM (I JUST PULLED DOWN BOTTOMS FROM OVER MY BELLY TO GET MY TAN ON 😉
6. The Grounds: The pool was a highlight 100%. We’ve actually stayed at the Grand America a couple times but I have only been to the indoor pool. This was my first time at the outdoor pool and it was so nice! It has a pretty view of the hotel from the pool, and they have a kiddy area, regular pool, and jacuzzi, so its the best of everything. Also have to mention how beautiful all their gardens are grounds are in general, major inspo! All of the grounds are just so beautiful!
I love all the marble in the interior – so pretty, feels like an escape to Paris 🙂
7. The Staff: Last but not least, everyone on the staff was soooo nice and accommodating! It’s one of the biggest factors that make and break whether I will be back to a hotel or property, and the staff was definitely one that made me excited to come back. Also don’t forget to get the free yummy chocolate chip cookies when you check in!!
Have you guys been to the Grand America? What are some of your favorite parts?
XX, Christine
* Special thanks to the Grand America for hosting our family! We can’t wait to go back!
xo, Christine
My Crunch Time Baby Essentials
*In collaboration with buybuy BABY.
Some of the cutest baby essentials!
It feels crazy to think that this baby could be arriving any day now! These last 9 months have flown by! When I was pregnant with Beckam, I was prepping and buying things throughout the entire pregnancy but this time around I’ve ended up procrastinating so now I’m trying to knock everything out at once! So I did a giant haul last week and knocked it out all at once!
MAMAROO: I used the Mamaroo with Beckam and he loved it! It rocks and sways plus has built-in toys and can pair via bluetooth to play music so if you are tied up cleaning or you work from home, it’s like having an extra set of hands around to help!
OWLET: Baby monitors are an obvious must, but I’ve had so many friends swear by the Owlet Smart Sock! It tracks the baby’s heart rate and oxygen levels and notifies you if it senses something isn’t right. These literally lifesaving products are so amazing and I’m so grateful for technology advances like this! So cool!
BATH: This is my all time favorite baby shampoo/conditioner it smells AMAZING!! Also one think you don’t think about is trimming babies’ nails, but they grow so fast! I always worry about accidentally hurting them, but this little nail set is perfect for their tiny little fingers and toes. It also comes with a compact travel case which is really convenient.
BABY BLANKET: My sister-in-law made a fleece blanket for Beckam when he was born and he wouldn’t let that blanket leave his side for years! I grabbed this one at buybuy BABY and it was so soft, I couldn’t say no!
CLOTHES: This is an obvious one, but my staple clothes items are neutral onesies (you can never have too many – who knows how many you will go through in one day even? haha) and soft mittens and socks so they can’t scratch themselves. I had no idea about mittens on my first, and Beckam scratched his face the first night and I was so sad, feeling soooo bad and then found out little mits. It was just something I never knew about until I had kids (maybe everyone else knows haha) but I love these organic ones in neutral colors. Also I found this 3-pack of chenille booties that look so cozy!
SWADDLES: It used to be all about the tricks for swaddling with blankets, but the buybuy BABY in-store specialist said this one gets amazing reviews and my best friend swears by it! It’s under $30 and so worth avoiding the headache/confusion of memorizing all the latest swaddling techniques.
ON-THE-GO ESSENTIALS: I had a baby stroller donated by a brand, but buybuy BABY had what seemed like 100 different strollers and you could test everything in store! If you don’t know which one you want, you can set them all side by side to compare, or test putting them up and taking them down. Out of everywhere I’ve been, they definitely had the most selection – same with car seats! This is the stroller we got and I’ve heard AMAZING things about it!! A lot of my friends swear by it.
BOTTLES: Another obvious one, but I wanted to share some of my favorites. I bought this bundle and love all the cleaning and drying accessories. Also the Dr. Brown bottles were Beckam’s favorites so I stocked up again for the new baby.
CARRIER: I had tons of friends recommend the Babybjorn carrier – it gets amazing reviews and it’s so pretty in person. Can’t wait to use it!
I also grabbed a few more baby toys, muslin blankets, etc. while I was in store. The whole process of prepping for baby is so much easier when you can go into a one-stop-shop and get it all at once, especially when you are down to crunch time! I loved that they had so much variety in brands and products so you can see it and compare everything in person. The in-store staff was super helpful since they could tell me the main differences between products and they also tell you which are their best sellers or the new cutting-edge products on the market. One thing they said was really popular is this nursing pump that fits right into your bra! My milk dried up pretty fast last time so I wasn’t able to breastfeed for long, so I’m not pulling the trigger on it right away but if I can nurse longer then this is a must. If there is a buybuy BABY in your area I definitely recommend it! Super helpful, wether you are creating a registry or just going on a haul for yourself 🙂
Below are a few more baby essentials I picked up from buybuy BABY:
xx, Christine
xo, Christine
Pink and Plaid plus a New Series
So in love with this double breasted plaid blazer and its under $50!! The colors are so gorgeous and different than your typical plaid!
I’m so excited to share the first episode of my new series: It Takes Two! Every Thursday for the next few months, I’ll be sharing episodes of what I’ve learned from some of my favorite females: women that are influencers, entrepreneurs, women who inspire me, etc.! Forbes recently published their list of top 100 CEOs and included only 1 female. That’s 1%! I couldn’t believe it! I think we can all speak up in our own way – we all know strong, inspiring women and whether they are CEOs or just someone you look up to, I think it’s so important that we lift each other up ad support each other.
I started this It Takes Two series as a way to team up with and introduce more of my favorite females and share more of their story and strengths with you guys! My first episode is with one of the sweetest influencers I know: @ColorMeCourtney. She is such a genuinely bright and cheery personality and her energy is so contagious! You can’t help but have fun and feel inspired when you are with her. Also her puppy Waffles is the cutest!! He does a Waffles Wednesday on her stories so make sure you follow along to get the BTS from Waffle’s perspective – it’s the best haha! Every month, Courtney chooses a color to feature on her feed, so I was so excited that the timing landed on hot pink! we created some looks with her color of the month and made a cute stop motion video.
Hope you will take a minute and Check out the first episode of It Takes Two here!
Whatever your day has in store, I think we could all use some daily reminders – either to get through some of the hard times or appreciate the good! Below are a few powerful reminders I wanted to share. I hope they have as much on impact on your day as they have on mine!
Today is a new day.
Don’t let any of yesterday’s issues or stressors run over into today. It’s a fresh day and you can make it into anything you want it to be! On that same note, you can’t rush tomorrow – it will get here when it gets here! So even though you might be looking forward to something tomorrow or next week, make sure you don’t forget to enjoy today.
Failure is ok.
One of my favorite quotes is “There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs!” It’s hard work, you’ll miss a few steps and stumble along the way, but it’s the journey and your failures that strengthen you and helps you succeed.
Others don’t define me.
In a time when it’s so easy to compare yourself to others, it’s even more important to remind yourself every day that you aren’t defined by your comparison to others. What makes you you is what makes you beautiful!
Nothing changes if nothing changes.
My friend shared this quote with me recently and it really resonated with me. Whatever your goals are in life, whatever you are working towards or dreaming of, nothing in your life will change if nothing in your life changes. Create new good habits, ditch old habits that are holding you back – start doing something new and it will put you on the path towards accomplishing your goals!
You are more powerful than you think you are!
I think belief is a powerful tool – whether you believe in a great power, believe in the law of attraction, or anything else, add yourself to that list! Believe in yourself and you will be amazed at the things you can accomplish.
Positivity is a choice.
Positive thoughts can create positive things – I truly believe this and think your mentality 100% creates your perspective, that that in turn creates the world you are living in! Fill it with positivity.
Let me know if you guys have any other mantras or daily reminders that you live by or start your day off right!
XX, Christine
xo, Christine
New Hair!
THE BEFORE:
Had to show some befores so you could see what a difference from my old to my new hair!
Hey hey! Happy Friday, fam! So I wanted to share before and after pics of my hair from a couple weeks ago when I went down to AZ and had the master, Hair by Chrissy, do my hair. It was my first time going to her – she is such a sweetheart and does an amazing job! I loved having short hair but I get bored so easily and was ready for a little change. With my pregnancy, my hair pulled super warm so we did a lot of toning to get it back to that cooler blonde. Because I had a blunt, short cut they had to put multiple rows of extensions in to help it blend. Usually I only have 1 row off extensions in so I think that’s been the biggest adjustment having so many rows in. I’m so excited about how it turned out! I love how getting your hair done can feel like a full makeover!
I talked with her about some of the products she recommended to keep my hair healthy and help it grow quicker and wanted to share!
Wet brush – This brush is great whether you have extensions or not, but you especially need it if you have extensions! This helps prevent pulling on your hair with a regular brush that would cause stress and split ends. Gets tangles out easy!
Olaplex: I’ve been using this stuff for years and it’s so so good! Chrissy said it’s great as a hair mask if you put it on the lower half of your ends before you go to bed the night before you wash your hair.
Coil hair ties: I also love these hair ties to help prevent breaking and split ends. They come in multiple colors so you can find something that matches your hair color, or I also love the clear option.
Another pro-tip she gave me was to use less heat by letting your hair air day as long as possible, and then blowdrying your hair on low to medium heat, High heat causes the most damage to your hair, so try to avoid it!
Here’s the before and after – what do you guys think?! Below are some more of my favorite hair products I can’t live without!
XX, Christine
xo, Christine
10 Habits of Happy Moms
Popcorn in bed! Some of my favorite mom moments are the simplest moments like these!
Adding another one to the family, there’s always a fear of not being good enough or falling short in some way, wondering how Beckam will adjust not being the baby anymore, and about a million other thoughts! But I think one thing I’ve learned is that most of the time I create these things in my head and worry about things that often never happen haha. Anyone else? Being a mom, a good mom, was something I’ve looked forward to since I was a little girl. And I know there are days I nail it and I can tell my kids feel so loved, and other days I know I’m falling short, but the biggest thing I’ve realized is how much my attitude as a mom can affect the whole family! So I wanted to share 10 habits I’ve found help me to be a better, happier mom:
Expressing gratitude.
It’s so important to be mindful of everything you have to be grateful for! Whether it’s expressing gratitude to your kids, your spouse, or even just consciously acknowledging or writing out everything you have to be thankful for, it will help you focus more on the positive versus the negative.
Being open-minded.
There is no perfect way to be pregnant or to be a perfect mom. What works for your neighbor may not work for you, and that’s ok! Be open-minded to other people’s perspectives and way of doing things. and be okay if things aren’t always perfectly put together. Putting unrealistic expectations on yourself for what needs to be done, or how your kids should act or what they should be achieving just sets you up for stress.
Not comparing yourself.
In that same vein, they say comparison is the death of joy and it couldn’t be truer about motherhood! There will always be moms who might be more organized than you, a better cook, etc. Instead of comparing yourself to see how you stack up, focus on yourself and your goals. You are your own benchmark! Praise yourself for the things you’re good at, whether it’s just mentally or actually saying it out loud.
Exercising.
The more pregnant I get, the harder it’s been to stick to a regular exercise routine, but staying active is just as important for the body as it is for the mind! Find some type of exercise you enjoy and make it part of your daily routine. Right now, swimming laps is my favorite form of exercise – not only is it a great way to beat the heat, it’s also a lifesaver in alleviating the restless leg syndrome I’ve had this pregnancy.
Focusing on the positive.
During another sleepless night last week, I listened to a motivational speaker and loved what they said about focusing on positive, empowering thoughts. It’s all about confirmation bias – your mind will automatically search for information or experiences that reinforce your beliefs. So if you tell yourself your are failing as a bad mom, your mind will always pick out those experiences to reinforce that belief and disregard anything that disproves it. This applies to everyone, in every stage of life. It’s so important to focus on the positive and things that can empower you as a person! Reflect on your thoughts… are you choosing ones that empower you?
Knowing when to ask for help.
There are always going to be days that are stressful and overwhelming – don’t be afraid to ask for help! You’ll start to identify triggers or signs that you are running out of steam, so before you feel completely drained, enlist help. Have your kids go to the neighbor’s house to play for an hour or get someone to help you come tackle a cleaning day. And get creative! It doesn’t always have to involve spending money. You can trade off with neighborhood moms or find creative ways to get an hour to ‘refill your cup’ without hiring a babysitter.
Being open with other moms.
I was talking to my friend the other day who I look to as a great mom. She’s a stay at home mom and always does a great job planning stuff for her kids. She was saying that sometimes she feels she doesn’t have the creativity to sit and play pretend dolls for long periods of time, and after 5-10 minutes she catches her mind thinking about other things. I have that same problem, and hearing someone I look to as a great mom say the same made me feel better. I thought it was just me! Being open with other moms about your struggles or on the flip side, fun things you do with your kids, will create a space for advice and learning – and you can only improve from learning from others!
Making time for yourself.
Obviously you love your kids, but make sure you are getting time away to nurture yourself too. I love going out to get a mani/pedi, going to dinner with a friend after the kids go to bed, or just going shopping. Target is always my happy place – I could wander the aisles forever! Or for some ‘you’ time at home, get the kids riled up for a wrestling match with dad to get some of their energy out. It’s literally Wes and B’s favorite thing to do! Whatever it is, just make sure you are regularly carving out some time for yourself to do something you love so that you don’t lose yourself in your role of ‘mom’.
Encouraging others.
One of my best friends is so good at sending me notes reminding me I’m a great mom, and honestly they MAKE MY DAY. Take a moment to lift other moms up around you and let them know something you appreciate or admire about them. Have you ever noticed that the more you focus on helping or encouraging other, the more joy it brings to your life in general? Not that that’s the reason you should do it 😉 but you know what I’m say. 🙂
Knowing that you are an amazing mom.
There will be days you have mom guilt or feel burnt out, but it’s important to remember how much you do and focus on the ways you are succeeding. Especially when they are young, kids look up to you like their hero and all they want to do is hang out with you. So cut yourself some slack and realize you are doing a GREAT job!
Social media is growing at a faster pace than ever, so one of the most common questions I get about growing your IG. whether you want to improve your personal IG feed or you are trying to make the cut as an influencer, we could all benefit from a few IG hacks so today I wanted to share 5 ways to improve your Instagram feed!
Tell a story. When you think about it, some of your followers are essentially on Season 3 episode 8 of your life. Obviously not exactly, but they’ve been following along, liking, and engaging with your account long enough to feel invested in your story, so make sure you are telling a story! Whether that’s telling a story with a picture or a caption that makes your followers feel like they were there for that moment.
Find your niche. You have 24 hours of potential content in a day, so figure out what type of content you want to share on your account. While some variation is necessary to keep your feed from feeling stale, you should also figure out what your niche is – whether it’s fashion and beauty, the outdoors, home renovation projects, product reviews, memes, etc.
Be YOU. There are two ways people view your Instagram – either in their feed (whenever you post a new picture) or when they visit your IG account. Typically new or potential followers visit your Instagram page first before deciding whether to follow, so you want to make sure your feed is you and fits your aesthetic. You can’t be everything to everyone, so just do you! Make sure your voice comes through in all your pictures, captions, and content so they know what to expect when they get that follow button.
Create a cohesive feed. Along those same lines, make sure your feed flows! Once I created my own presets I was finally able to really create a cohesive feed – before that, every picture felt different. I actually just launched my new home presets here for everything I shoot indoors – more details on this soon but if you want a sneak peek you can see it here! I also have presets inspired by my travels to different cities that are perfect for all your trips, everything from the beach to your favorite Paris pics. You can shop all my presets here.
Get the shot. And last but not least – getting the perfect scroll-stopping shot! You never get a second shot to make a first impression, so make sure you capture those pictures that will make an impact. If you haven’t checked out my e-book yet, I have a whole section dedicated to all of my tips for both creating and capturing the perfect shot.
I shared some of my favorite lunch/snack organizers in this post that make back-to-school life so much easier (like this one and how cute is this one?!) so I wanted to share a few recent lunch and snacks I put together in B’s bento box lunch box. I always end up with a few pre-packaged snacks since they are so convenient, but prepping a bagel sandwich or some fresh fruits and veggies or cheese help round out the meal. Pinterest has so many cute and creative lunch ideas so there are endless inspiration ideas available and it makes such a difference when the kids open up their lunch box or snacks! Beckam’s face when he saw I added some of his favorite cereal as a treat was priceless haha.
Below are some other products to make packing lunches and snacks a piece of cake.
PIN NOW READ LATER: 5 FUN AND EASY LUNCH/SNACK IDEAS FOR BACK-TO-SCHOOL SEASON
DETAILS: 
