spelling out my name since 1985
It has been awhile since I did a little write-up of my favorite finds at Costco, and truthfully, I have been sticking to a lot of the old standbys lately. But this week’s trip to Costco brought with it the discovery of a couple of newer items that I couldn’t pass up.
We met up with my friend Tessa and her kids to do a big Costco sweep and sample parade. As you can see, it was a bit of a blur.
Four kids, two moms, and infinite samples. The world was our oyster.
When it comes to footwear, I think I’ve always been a creature of habit and comfort. At 5’10, I haven’t felt the need to be even taller (I’ve been in the back row of group photos for years). And I don’t like anything about wearing high heels, so at some point I decided to avoid them — and any other uncomfortable shoes — entirely. My wedding shoes were ballet flat jelly shoes with crystals from Stuart Weitzman, and I danced in them for hours. My feet were as happy as my heart.
As a creature of habit, I’ve learned that there is something pretty great about finding a brand and/or style I like and running with it. In general, my shoe rotation includes a variety of TOMS classics that I usually replace after literally wearing them into the ground, and a couple of versions of the Birkenstock Gizeh sandal. These are my staples.
I planned to wear my rubber Birkenstock Gizeh sandals around Disney World last month because they’re lighter than the regular version, and also in case it was rainy on any of the days. But in my Disney trip planning frenzy, I started to look at blogs about the sandals that were most recommended for travels.
That’s when I happened upon blog after blog that sang the praises of Sanuk’s Yoga Sling sandal.
Continue reading “Sanuk Yoga Slings: The sandals that helped me survive Disney World”
One of the things that impresses me most about so many of my friends, family, and former colleagues is how darn creative they are. It inspires me to think of ways that I can help support and bring attention to their art.
The blog seems like a great place to do just that, and hopefully this is the start of many Etsy shop celebrations to come.
I will start with Green Thirteen Co., a shop that specializes in custom invitations, logos, prints, wood signs, and even tattoo designs! The art of hand lettering is becoming a popular medium and for good reason; as someone with not-so-great handwriting, I admire what can be done with a skilled hand.
I first met shop owner Rachelle Welling (then Rachelle Boudry) when I was working at FOX 47. Rachelle was the producer for the radio program Michigan’s Big Show, which was filmed and aired on our station in the mornings. Rachelle and I have kept in touch via social media, and it has been such fun to watch her on Instagram as her business grows. Continue reading “Etsy spotlight: Green Thirteen Co.”
Owosso, Michigan is a town less than 40 minutes away from the Lansing area, but I didn’t know much about it other than a car dealership. Seriously. So when my friends Linda and Ellen wanted to check out a store there, we planned to make a little Saturday trip out of it. Some Googling brought some promising ideas for coffee, shopping, and lunch.
Despite it turning into a typical late-March Michigan day with rain and wind, we were all charmed by the friendly town of Owosso and its offerings. Here are photos from our adventures. Continue reading “Exploring Michigan: Adventures in Owosso”
In a 2008 study, it was reported that 80% of women wear the wrong bra size, which seems crazy and yet not surprising at the same time. There have been plenty of times that I’ve gone into a Target dressing room with a handful of bras in different sizes and bought whichever one appears to work the best. Women’s bodies are constantly changing, but so often, we stick with that old faithful bra.
Yet when it comes to something I wear every single day, it seems that I should invest some time and money into making sure I’m wearing something that is the correct size and doing its job.
I came to my senses after having Margot last year. Around the same time that I realized I was annoyed with the ratty nursing bras I kept after having Stella, Curvaceous Lingerie in Old Town posted a photo of the prettiest nursing bras I had ever seen:
It’s hard enough to be a new mom and feeling worse for wear. You might as well be wearing something pretty to make the whole process of being a human milk truck slightly more tolerable. Just days after seeing that photo posted, I zipped over to Old Town to get fitted and buy nursing bras.
Continue reading “Three reasons to visit Curvaceous Lingerie in Old Town”
A couple of weeks ago, the girls and I met up with my friend Stephanie and her two girls for some fun in Mason, Michigan. Stephanie had some fun local spots up her sleeve: an early lunch at the adorable Depot Diner, and exploring Michigan Barn Wood & Salvage around the corner.
When we first walked into Michigan Barn Wood & Salvage, I fell in love! The store was already in full Christmas mode, with so many beautiful signs, decorations, and ornaments made out of reclaimed wood and metal. I’ve been trying to keep myself from getting too excited about Christmas, at least until we could get through Thanksgiving. But at the store, I couldn’t resist a “Ho Ho Ho” sign made out of wood and old license plates.
I also found some great gifts, which I’m not at liberty to write about until after Christmas, but I will say they have a ton of unique things that any Spartan or Wolverine would love!
I never knew this place existed, but it has made all of my vintage-loving dreams come true. It’s definitely worth a visit when you’re in the area.
Today, we spent the afternoon getting out a lot of our Christmas decorations at the house. I’ve been collecting Santa Claus figures the last couple of years from Target. They’re typically $10, but I’ve been able to scoop up a couple the day after Christmas at 50% off. Now that I have a little collection going, I thought it would be fun to line them up on our mantle.
I’m so happy with how our new “Ho Ho Ho” sign works with the Santas and our family’s stockings:
Now the question is, will I be able to resist another visit to Michigan Barn Wood & Salvage before the holiday? I’m thinking not. So I’ll see you there. I’ll be the one searching for this JOY sign:
Unicorns are having a moment. It seems that they are everywhere, and I am loving it.
Which is why I went absolutely bonkers when I saw a mom in a mommy Facebook group post a photo of her daughter’s new unicorn winter coat from Cat & Jack at Target. Immediately I checked online to see if I could still procure this mystical unicorn coat for Stella. Magically, the coat was available online and in the store in her size, not to mention on sale for $25.
Stella and I ran out to Target yesterday and scooped up the last 5T they had (sorry Okemos and surrounding area mamas). She is so proud of her coat that I don’t have to ask her twice to put it on OR wear the hood up, which is a battle I’m happy to say I’ve now won thanks to this glorious, teal garment.
This gal is crazy for color, and I’m here for it.
When I moved to Chicago for grad school almost 10 years ago (woof… where did that decade go?), one of the favorite places my mom and I liked to go when she drove in to visit me was The Container Store. It seems quaint, considering there are two locations in the Metro Detroit area now, but at the time it was always an exciting adventure.
The best discovery we made during a pre-holiday visit to The Container Store was their Gift Wrap Wonderland. That place carries the most beautiful array of Christmas wrapping paper and coordinating accessories I have ever seen. I love that they range from very minimalist to vintage to whimsical to elegant and everything in-between.
Somehow in the last few years, it has finally clicked with me that buying quality paper makes wrapping presents easier and more enjoyable. And buying coordinating paper creates the opportunity to mix and match the paper for presents without them looking like a mixed bag of gift wrap scraps. I have learned from my mom how much presentation of presents makes all the difference. Her gifts are like pieces of art.
Even though I could probably make the trip to visit one of the Michigan locations, I decided to take a look at their wrapping paper online this weekend and I. Am. In. Love. I ended up placing an order for several rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, as well as some rolls that can be used for birthday gifts.
I couldn’t resist the gorgeous green and white Boxwood gift wrap or the whimsical Wild Holiday Animals gift wrap pictured above. I also found the beautiful Green Marrakesh paper that could be used for Christmas gifts or any other occasion.
And this might be my favorite non-Christmas find of the day: DONUT PAPER.
So if you’re ever looking for wrapping paper that takes it up several notches and makes gift giving even more fun, get thee to The Container Store. Or stay on your couch on a gloomy day like I did and go wild on their website!
It’s obvious to any child of the 90s that the Halloween game was completely changed with the release of “Hocus Pocus.” For the last two-plus decades, this flawless movie from childhood has been so much fun to watch at least a few times in the month of October.
I’m a certified scaredy cat, so this movie is right up my alley for repeated Halloween viewing, along with “Beetlejuice” and “Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
Last week, my love for “Hocus Pocus” was brought to an extreme level upon discovering this most perfect “Hocus Pocus” sweatshirt on a Buzzfeed list about fall clothing. How basic am I?!
I immediately ordered one and it arrived this weekend.
Because it has been the most glorious fall weekend in Michigan’s existence, today seemed like a perfect day to wear it. And of course, watch the movie!
Look at these cute little pumpkins on this gorgeous day. Those leaves! The warm sun!
Days like today are definitely not a bunch of hocus pocus, but they sure are magical.
Hello my name is Stefanie and I, like many, am obsessed with Target. My heart goes pitter patter when I go through the automatic doors and see the rows of red carts. What treasures will be found on the shelves of the Dollar Spot? What seasonal items will be featured in the far back corner of the store? It’s all a rush. And, as a bargain shopper, it’s all about the thrill of the hunt to find already-affordable items wearing those pretty red sale stickers.
The transition from end of summer to fall is a bittersweet one. When it comes to Stella (and subsequently Margot… sorry kid, your life will be one of very cute hand-me-downs), I love using this time to stock up on marked-down summer clothes for the next year. And with Stella heading to her last year of preschool, it’s been fun to shop for back-to-school clothes.
I’ve already stocked her up on clothing from Carters and Old Navy, but it was tough to pass up some of the adorable finds at Target today.