Real Life

I would love to be a great, reliable, interesting, timely blogger... I had great intentions with the "relaunch" of my blog to do just that, actually.

BUT, life just gets in the way. A sick baby and an unusually crazy week of work = one tired mama. One who is focused on cuddling up her little boy and doesn't have time to even THINK about beautiful things, inspirational ideas, and house projects!

So until my baby is feeling good again and I get caught up on work and sleep, I will let you in on a current glimpse of my "real life" :)

Fridays with Milesbear

As I shared on the blog before, I work on a "tailored work arrangement" and therefore do not work on Fridays anymore. I LOVE my Fridays with Miles! We play around the house, cuddle,  read books, go for walks, do laundry, take a long nap together, go shopping, lay outside under the big tree in our front yard, have play dates with friends, cuddle, practice walking, cuddle, and cuddle some more :)  I love my job and there are a lot of reasons that I decided to continue to work (which I will share in detail at some point), but I think taking Fridays off was one of the best decisions I ever made, and I cherish this extra mommy-Miles day!

 

    

 

This weekend he turns 8-months old! My oh my how time flies!

 

 

PS - These are al pics Ive posted on instagram. You can follow me at saramb11!



My MUST HAVE Accessory for Organization! (And I'm giving one away, too!)

I have total mom brain. Things just don't stick in my brain the way they used to and I constantly think to myself "Now, what was it I was supposed to do today again?"  I always feel like I am forgetting something (and I usually am!) As someone who is naturally type A and used to be super organized, this has caused me a lot of unnecessary stress! I've tried a few different types of solutions in terms of to-do lists to keep myself organized, but I have found a true winner in the form of this Archie Grand notebook. It is stylish, quircky, and just the right size to throw in my purse and to put by my nightstand at night. It goes with me everywhere I go, and I refer to it as "my brain on paper". Any time a to-do item or an idea pops into my head, into the notebook it goes! I have my daily to-do lists, shopping lists, birthday reminders, blog ideas, house project ideas, and more all listed on pages throughout this book.

 

In terms of my failed attempts at organization, these were mostly of the electronic variety. I tried to-do lists in Word, notes on my phone, Microsoft "One Note" on my work computer, and Evernote. However, too often my ideas would pop into my head when I was away from my computer, and by the next time I opened up my computer that idea was long, long gone. I also tried to have a list on my phone, but I just couldn't find an app that I felt really worked nicely for how I wanted to organize my thoughts. And let's be real, there is nothing like crossing off a to-do list item written on a piece of paper with a colored pen. BEST. FEELING. EVER.

I actually got this Archie Grand notebook from J.Crew ages ago. This one is filling up, so I started looking at replacements from the company and just have to laugh at the amazing titles and ogle at the beautiful, bright colors! I'm about to order myself a few more of these (definitely the "Blondes I Met and Liked" notebook) and thought I'd buy one for a lucky reader as well!

All you have to do to enter to win is leave a comment with which notebook you would like to have! (Either one of the ones pictures below - my favorites - or one from the website which has hundreds more listed HERE). The winner will be chosen and announced a week from today!

 

 

Note: This is not sponsored by Archie Grand, this is brought to you by yours truly!



"Going to Market Tote"

I don't remember exactly how I stumbled upon designer Blair Ritchey, (Instagram I believe?), but I instantly fell in love with her "Going to Market" tote.  Some people have a thing for shoes, I have a thing for purses and bags, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one!

 

I wish I could say I was using it for jaunts over to Cleveland's renowned West Side Market, but in reality I'm just bringing it with me to my local Whole Foods.. next best thing right? :)

 

 

PS - I just LOVE sunflowers this time of the year. I currently have bunches of them all over my house!

From Black Frames to White Frames

It's a small change, but I painted the frames in our family room white. I don't know why, but the black was starting to feel heavy. I think the white ties in more with the trim and looks better with the new couch. Overall, I think it makes the whole room feel a little lighter and brighter!

 

The fact I liked the room better with NO prints rather than the black framed prints was a clear sign to me I was on the right track.

It took two cans of this Rustoleum spray paint to get the frames fully coated.



I still need to raise the prints a few more inches, since the back of the new couch is much higher than the back of the old one. However, with our plaster walls, anchoring those darn hooks is a pain in the you-know-what, so I'm procrastinating :)

As you can see, we also have been pushing the coffee table over against the window so Miles can have the whole carpet to play! His current favorite thing to do is roll from one end to the other, usually in pursuit of the dog (his best friend).

If I had a girl....

One of my good friends just found out she is having a baby girl in early spring, and I'm so excited! It inspired me to pull together a collection of my favorite girl things at the moment (Isn't that play tent ADORABLE?)

 

Sources:

1) RH Baby & Child Petite Maison Play House

2) Hanna Andersson Night Night Baby Sleeper (Love these things)

3) 7am Enfant Blanket

4) Freshly Picked Gold Moccasins

5) J.Crew Baby Puffer Jacket

6) J.Crew Baby Ruffle Sweatshirt

7) RH Baby & Child Infant Sleep Bag

8) Studio Mucci Cherry Blossom Baby Tassel Garland

9) J.Crew Baby Colorblock Hoodie

10) Osh Kosh B'Gosh Tulle Jumperall

Friend's Homes - Meet Lindsey!

I am excited to show you another one of my friend's beautiful homes! Next up is Lindsey - I went to college with Lindsey and her husband Matt and you will just die when you see their beautiful DIY kitchen renovation! The before and after is remarkable. All together, the transformation took them a total of two months, on and off. They painted the cabinets (which took about a week), tiled the backsplash (took about 3-days), and painted the walls. You can't tell from this picture, but they also took down a half wall between the kitchen and the family room and had to add in flooring, so that took another week or so.

 

Two of my favorite things? The countertops and the light fixture!

 

The countertops (which they had professionally installed) are quartz, and I am in LOVE. (As you know, we've been debating doing a  white quartz in our kitchen too! This may have finally convinced me!)

 

The light fixture was from Ballard Designs outlet that Lindsey scored for $30!! $30!!!! I totally want one of these in my house.

 

I also totally love the new cup pulls and the bright green mixer! Lindsey is quite the cook, in fact, you can also visit Lindsey over at her website Eating Clean and Saving Green!

Here is a picture of Lindsey and Matt and their adorable family! (Love their little blondies!)

 

Lindsey and Matt thank you again for sharing your awesome kitchen transformation!