I get questioned weekly on Instagram when I post about Sam and myself going on date night. People are constantly shocked at this frequency and typically ‘jealous’. I have been thinking a lot about those messages and wanted to share my thoughts on why we prioritize date night, and give my 5 tips for making time for date night in your marriage.
Like I said above, sam and I try to go on a date once a week. I will talk more about the how in my tips below, but as far as the why, my view is this. you have to invest time and energy into anything you want to be successful. We all do it daily in our jobs, maybe at the gym, into friendships, but many times we forget, or make excuses for why we can’t with our spouses. Don’t get me wrong. Some of those excuses are valid, and warrentated, but the reality of it is, we have to find a workaround and a way to make time for our marriage. Sam and I didn’t do much for date nights the first 2 years we had kids. It was slightly easier because with one child they are a bit more ‘portable’ but by the time Avé came around something had to give, so below are my 5 tips for making time for date night in your marriage to hopefully help you make more time for you and your spouse.
5 Tips for Making Time for Date Night
Schedule it! – Spontaneity isn’t the name of the game with kids. Plan your date nights out in advance. For us we schedule our sitter a couple months at a time with a mass of dates, which brings me to my next point.
Have reliable sitters. I know this one is hard. It was SO hard for me, but for us, we don’t have a lot of family to watch our kids, and honestly we like that when we pay a sitter there is zero guilt involved in time together. When we hire a sitter we tell them that they will get regular work (typically weekly), but that we like to go out on Fridays, so that also needs to typically be a night they are free. This requires us to budget in date night as a bigger expense but it is worth it.
Take advantage of unique times or situations – Maybe your kids are in school and some weeks dates look like a lunch where it’s just the two of you.
Don’t let a lack of sitter cancel your night – Sam and I try really hard to make sure that we do ‘date night in’ once a week too. For us that is typically delivery sushi and a movie. We are still devoting an evening to being together at home and not going in two directions getting stuff done after the kids are in bed.
Kill two Birds with one Stone – For us date night is typically a mix of dinner and drinks and going and doing some errands. With three little kids at home we can’t always justify that the time we are away is all fun, so we try to make errands enjoyable by realizing we could have kids in tow haha. When we were training for a half marathon we spent much of our time running together, but again we tried to be happy that it could have been worse.
I hope this helps give you some ideas and inspiration for getting out and dating your husband or wife!
I would say if I had to classify my home decor I am somewhere between mid century modern and modern farmhouse. I always say that the older I get I just buy what I like and if my home isn’t one style WHO CARES, that said – what I like is typically on the more modern side. Farmhouse finds in my opinion are much easier to find on a budget right now. Box stores and Amazon have lots of them, but finding affordable modern decor can be tricky. While I was doing some searching for my own home I went to a site I don’t venture to often and found a gold mine of amazing budget modern home decor, and wanted to round up my favorite items on the site for you to shop quickly and easily!
One of my favorite things about the items above are how versatile most of them are, and the over all neutral pallet, that could easily have colors added in as seasons change. I love the cognac/mustardy type color that is really in right now, and will definitely be adding numbers 8 and 10 to my living room for some fun new decor! If you loved these finds you will likely love these Amazon home decor finds as well, so head to that post next and you might have a fully decorated room on your hands!
I can’t believe I am actually starting to get all the holiday fun started here on my blog. The holiday season gets so busy for everyone, so my hope is that I can make this blog and my Instagram a space to help you find those items you’re looking for or gain inspiration for all your holiday needs. Please feel free to DM via Instagram, email me, or leave a comment if there is a specific post you’re looking for, and in the mean time for all you girl mamas I have rounded up my favorite toddler Christmas dresses for the season. Check them out, and be sure to click the links to check for other color options!
I tried to round up options from a good variety of price points, and now am trying to figure out how many holiday events I can drag Avé to so I can buy them all. I hope these help you find that perfect holiday look this winter and you enjoy the season with your family!
If you’re looking for other fashion picks for your toddler girl be sure to check out this post with all my favorite fall fashion on the market and stay tuned for what I am loving for winter here soon!
What’s the saying? Better late than never? I have been using and PLANNING to give you a Freshly Picked diaper bag review for MONTHS, and just haven’t gotten around to it. Partially because until now every time I tried to take a picture of the bag with the kids I was so hot I thought I might actually melt…and the photos showed it ha!
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Freshly Picked Diaper Bag Review
I have done a few other diaper bag reviews, and I want to be really clear that I am always honest, and truly have loved all of them in the way I have written it. This particular review is not sponsored at all, I simply wanted to try the bag to give you all a true review.
Be sure to check back in the next week or two for a comparison to this bag and another popular bag that I also LOVE, if you’re on the fence.
First off I will say that I purchased this bag before a trip because I find that with three kids for big outings there were no other cute, functional, and roomy bags that fit everything I needed.
Since that day I have not looked back, however with the bigger two in school part of the day now I probably wouldn’t need all the space it offers on a daily basis.
** Editing this post to say – this review now reflects my use of the bag for a few years and with adding my 4th baby!
Why I Tried It
I had been using another popular brand of diaper bag with my third (actually had used it with my second and third) and although I loved it and it was beautiful it was truly NOT big enough for longer outings with 3.
At the time I had 3 little ones aged infant, 3 and 5. My 5 year old has a food allergy, so I end up with more snacks than some moms, plus 2 water bottles for the kids and bottles for the baby alone just take up so much room.
We were headed out on a trip for the weekend (like I said above), and I really wanted something that functioned a bit better for that need. So to shorten that a bit – I wanted something larger, that was still beautiful and was a backpack.
I have owned Freshly Picked shoes since I had my oldest, so I knew the quality was amazing, so I figured it was time to try the bag!
Features I Love
The fact that it’s a backpack. If you haven’t jumped on the backpack diaper bag trend yet then stop what you’re doing and order one. It is a game changer as a mom.
There is a sleeve for my laptop – I work from home and when we travel or when we go to the gym I often times bring my computer to get some work done. The Freshly Picked diaper bag has a perfect sleeve to fit my MacBook that makes it so much easier for me to bring often.
The height of the bag – The bag is a lot taller than many diaper bags – a similar shape to a traditional backpack, so it makes it both comfortable on your back but also allows it to hold a lot more than bags that have more of a square shape.
(the bag shown here is the mini)
Inner pockets – this is a huge one for me. I need a little organization in my bag. I still use some organizers of my own, but in general I think a diaper bag should offer some organization of its own. the Freshly Picked diaper bag has so many inner pockets and they all have elastic at the top so things stay in place!
Speaking of inner pockets – an outer pocket is also huge for me. The outside pocket is such a good size so it allows you to keep your phone and wallet in easy access. For me that is maybe my favorite part because there is nothing worse than digging to the bottom of the diaper bag for either haha.
Lastly it has a top handle – I hang my diaper bag in my laundry room so I love that this makes it easy to hang and store.
Features I would change
In a spirit of transparency, as with almost anything I have owned there are a few tiny things I would maybe change. Not deal breakers, and still make this bag a LOVE bag and my top recommendation for moms with multiple kids.
Outer pockets – I find that with this bag as well as my other favorite leather diaper bag the outer pockets can be kind of a tight fit. I find myself mostly just using the inside ones. The good news in the case of this bag is that I haven’t ever really minded because there is plenty of room. (when I say outer pockets I mean the two on the sides for bottles and such)
Snaps near the top – I think in theory I love these for making the bag larger or smaller, however they don’t tend to stay closed for me. This is fine because I keep the bag full a lot of the time, but I could see if you don’t need such a large bag you might want those to stay closed more.
Purchasing the Bag
Overall like I said this bag is AMAZING. I can’t recommend it enough and I truly think if you’re only going to invest in one diaper bag with multiple kids or want one that will last this is a great way to go.
Fringe Membership
If you are already a Freshly Picked fan you should definitely look into doing Freshly Picked’s The Fringe membership – This is basically a savings account not a subscription service
-NO cost to you. $10 a month gets you $10 in store credit each month. The credit rolls over and NEVER expires.
–Fringe members get 20% off of EVERY purchase on our site
If you have any questions alway feel free to leave me a comment below or DM me on Instagram. As I said in this post – the Freshly Picked diaper bag is truly so much better than any other bag I have tried, and I can not recommend it enough.
Whether it is for your first baby or your 7th you will appreciate having the Freshly Picked Diaper bag – and if you are like me you will probably be using it for travel and your own personal backpack for years to come!
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I CAN NOT believe my little girl is 4, and girlfriend wanted a puppy party. She is all things sweet and sassy and keeps us on our toes, but goodness we love her! She was insistent that she wanted a pink puppy birthday this year, but I set the precedent that we wouldn’t do a party every year this y0ung.
I wanted her to love her birthday none the less, so for only about 20 dollars I decorated a wall of party puppies and made a birthday party for just our little family.
I wanted to share the details here for you because I LOVED how it turned out.
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Pink Puppy Party
Just from sharing in stories I got so many questions about the backdrop for this sweet birthday party.
I made the party puppies on the wall based on Avé’s cute shirt from Taylor Joelle Designs. I free handed the first of each puppy then traced each piece multiple times.
It took me about 4 hours to make them all, but it was only paper so SUPER inexpensive!
Like I said above, this wasn’t a “real party” so there wasn’t much food. I did however have a sweet cake ready for our sweet girl!
For the cake I did layered cookies and icing and used a dog figurine we already owned as well as a gold 4. Simple as that. The kids also enjoyed Left over Ice cream cone cake pops from their school birthdays – Grab that recipe here!
I paired the shirt over a Plum tutu and made Avé a matching little birthday hat, and called it a day. We were going out for dinner so no other food was needed.
She still thought it was so special, and honestly it was such a reminder that kids don’t need much for their day to be made!
Think outside the box when you’re coming up with party inspiration. This puppy party was all based upon that sweet little shirt and I love how it made for a unique simple little set up she will remember forever! If you have any questions please feel free to leave me a comment!
Nothing says a holiday like some last minute scrambling, right? This post is full of Easy last minute Halloween costumes you can complete for your trick or treating, or party!
I can’t be the only mom on the planet that likes to do the fun unique costume…but also wait until about 1 week before Halloween to buy everything I need, so really this is just an ode to how I do holidays.
I have learned over the years that some of my favorite costumes are SO simple, so honestly can be done last minute – and thanks to Amazon prime we all can be just as last minute as we want to be.
All the costumes in this post are shown on my kids, but most if not all of them could be turned into an adult costume too! I will explain the details needed for the costume, but remember – it is all about improving and being creative.
For Avé’s look it was literally just a plum tutu and some felt that was NOT glued to the tutu in any way…and for a fun side kick Walker stole the show as Meeko!
To create this look on your own you need:
Yellow/Ivory/Tan dress – I went with the Plum Tutu
Teal, Tan, Red and Brown Felt
Robbers
This costume is pretty simple. Black and white stripes and masks and some little money bags will do the trick. We went with June and January for the stripes (and see how I used it for another costume idea here last year), and I made the masks – but that is normally something you can find at even the dollar store!
Walkers face was an added bonus – not needed for the look haha.
Tired New Parents
Talk about a costume that basically anyone can throw together, right? This one had me cracking up. For this costume we TRULY used what we had. I shoved the stroller full of blankets and diapers (and the kitchen sink). Jack is wearing Avé’s Fawn Design mini, and I asked them to look tired…which I think Avé nailed.
Chip and Joanna Gaines
Who doesn’t love Chip and JoJo? A good fixer upper costume is always a good idea. This costume was really simple – we used clothes we already had but added an apron as a tool belt for Jack.
For this costume we needed:
An open Flannel shirt on Avé with cute pants and shoes – go stylish yet comfy
For jack we went with jeans, a t shirt, and a vest. Add some work boots for shoes
Again a costume that is basically ready to go with NO extras – I had everything for this costume. I dressed her good and stylish, added some of the must have items for the current times, and added a letter board. Have fun with this – you cold take this in a funny, mocking, or silly way.
More Halloween Costume Ideas
This is just one of many last minute Halloween costume ideas posts I have floating around on my blog – so be sure to check out the others linked below!
Hopefully this helped you find a great last minute Halloween Costume – be sure to pin the picture below to find these later, and if you have any questions leave me a comment below or DM me on Instagram! (@arinsolange).
Whether you’re the homemade treats, or the bags of Oreos mama, sending snacks to school with your kiddos is such a fun part of their birthdays when they are young! I always am coming up with something fun and creative, and this year I did Ice cream cone Cake pops, but I wanted a fun little tag to hang on them. Since I was making them for both Avé and Jack I did a very similar option in blues and pinks, so I decided to put together a couple extra free birthday treat printable’s for you all to use on your next treat day!
Free Birthday Treat Printable’s
All you need to do is select which one you want to print, print on plain white paper or card stock and cut. I then punch a hole and attach them using a twisty tie or pretty string! Easy peasy! (each printable has 8 per sheet for calculating paper needs.)
I hope you enjoy these, and I would love to see them in action! Be sure to pin the image below so you don’t lose track of this post on your next birthday treat day.
I have been eying some cute signs for Halloween that I saw floating around Instgram, but I knew I would likely want something different if I went this bold next year. So instead of spending a bunch of money I came up with a super easy tutorial for these EASY DIY interchangeable framed signs that you can literally make in just a few minutes and even better change out from season to season!
Self Adhesive foam board – 1 or 2 pieces pending your frame size (craft store around $5)
Poster board in choice of color big enough for each frame
Wood letters
Paint
Directions:
Paint your wooden letters and let dry
Cut both the foam board and poster board to snuggly fit in your frame.
attach pasteboard to foam board and place in frame
if its not staying to the front of the frame add a bit off hot glue to the edge to help it stay snug in front
Hot glue the letters to the board
Okay to be fair I said this was EASY, but yo can then easily start from scratch each season or even reuse the foam board with a bit of new spray adhesive. I think these would be really cute hanging in a kids room too! I am sure they will migrate around my house. I would love to see your creations, so leave me a comment, and don’t forget to pin this to save it for later!
I am FINALLY finishing up the last few fall blog posts I have for you all this year! (didn’t you know that in blog land I’m already 1 month behind for not having all my Christmas content live? haha). Today I have a special treat for you all because I am going to be showing you some amazing front porch inspiration from several amazing bloggers! I love how each person used their own flare and really based their fall front porch decor on their speicic personality and porch. I will link to each ladies blog and Instagram, so be sure to check them out when you’re done!
I knew I wanted to incorporate pink into my porch, so I used pink mums and flowers, a simple pink wreath and threw 2 faux pink pumpkins into the mix of the real ones to give it a pop. For added height I used simple wood craft crates under the pumpkins, which was affordable and I loved the end result.
Southern Charm
Chrissy from The Chrissy Marie Blog has the most amazing simple, elegant style. Her house located in the south has these gorgeous double doors and I love how she let them shine in her fall front porch decor!
Natalie, has amazing home decor taste and her front porch is the perfect mix of spooky fun and whimsy while not being over done. It totally matches her gorgeous dark floors, and is giving me all the porch envy!
Lauren from Lauren Gardner blog did a classic fall front porch in perfect taste. Her little touches are some of my favorite aspects of her decor, and I am obsessed with the stacked pumpkins in a basket. Be sure to check out her post with 6 tips for creating your gorgeous front porch!
Megan from Life on Shady Lane has the most AMAZING farmhouse style. I have been following her for long enough to tell you she is as good as it gets. Check out her porch below, and be sure to follow her on her blog and Instagram.
As promised yesterday when I posted my free printable Fall Family Bucket list, I wanted to do a more specific one for my local St. Louis readers and followers. This time of year is my favorite for getting out and exploring new places and visiting old ones when they have their fall fun up! I compiled a St. Louis Fall Family Activities Bucket List for you all to enjoy this crisp fall season and will add some resources to learn more about dates and locations!
Most of these activities are great for your full family. I tried to include a couple that would be more specific to younger children and a couple for older kids, and of course there are so many other ideas of things to be doing this fall as a family, but I always think having a list we can print out and work through helps us to really stay focused on making those memories. The printables are linked below, and don’t forget to print out the Fall Family Bucket list if you’re looking for a more general list of things to do this fall!
I am sure I am not alone with being so excited its fall ( also probably not alone in KNOWING I’ll be mad I wished summer away in about 65 days lol). But now that temps are cooling I can’t wait to get out and do some fall activities with my little family! I have put together a family fall bucket list we will be doing this year and printing out. So if you’re looking for some fun Fall activities be sure to read to the bottom to print it in whatever size you want!
Family Fall Bucket List
I didn’t want to make this too consuming or specific, but IF you happen to live in the St. Louis area check back tomorrow for a more specific list for STL locals. This should be a fun little bucket list you can print out and check off with your kids this fall and my goal is for it to push you (and myself) to really enjoy all the fun this season offers. Below will be a 8×10 printable on your normal computer paper, but I am also going to offer a poster size you can easily print for only a couple of dollars as an engineering print, which would be so fun for kids to see!!
If you are looking for places to print – my favorite places are Fedex or Staples. I used Stapes to print THESE for only a few dollars and they turned out amazing!
What are your fall family activities? I would love to see where you hang these or how you’re doing on your bucket list so please feel free to tag me in your stories so I can see and share, and again if you’re local check back tomorrow for another version just for you!
I am all about some great fall decor. I only do ‘Halloween’ decor in the kitchen, so I tend to go more all out on fall decor through the whole home for all of fall. I love that if you do fall decor in a subtle manor it won’t overwhelm you when it remains for months. If you follow me here or on Instagram you probably know I love neutral decor, so I wanted to round up my favorite neutral fall decor for you all to decorate for fall!
I love this wood bowl. What a great item on open shelving to then use when entertaining.
A great garland. See how I used garlands on my table scape here.
Canisters. I am all about a mostly empty counter, but in the fall when lots of baking is happening its nice to keep canisters of those heavily used items on the counter.
This textured throw is so cute!! I will definitely be purchasing.
I hope you loved these home finds, and be sure to check out my Instagram stories tonight for a fall home tour from me to see how I incorporate some of these neutral fall decor items into my home!
Review
