Guest Post: Baby Fashion, Summer style!

Rounding out the week for me is Meredith! She's basically a super-mom in my eyes because she has boy/girl TWINS...they are stinkin' adorable and have THE best style! She's sharing some of her favorite shops and stores with y'all today! And yes, we should totally be friends in real life some day, Meredith! ;)

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Hello everyone!  It's Meredith from A Work In Progress.  :)  Katie is currently on a gorgeous beach drinking adult beverages with tiny umbrellas.  I'm stuck in Dallas with zero beach, zero fruity beverages, and 1,000 degree temperatures.  Regardless, I was really excited when she asked me to write a guest post.  Katie and I have never met but I've enjoyed getting to know her beautiful family through her blog and Instagram.  Maybe one day we'll meet in real life.  :)

She told me the topic was "Summertime with Littles" and it took me approximately three seconds to decide I'd write about baby fashion.  Let's be honest, next to politics and religion, baby fashion is all the rage.  As I mentioned above, we live in Dallas where you'll break into a sweat retrieving the morning paper at 6 am.  My twins (Jude & Sloane) are 7 months old and while both would rather be nudists, I know that somewhere deep, deep down they long to wear the latest trends.  Jude especially.

When I'm out shopping for these two I keep three things in mind: expense, comfort, and practicality.  Oh and cuteness.  Can't forget cuteness.  When we found out there was not one but two babies in my belly we decided I would stay home with them for the first few years.  Frivolous spending might as well be considered the "F word" around these parts and therefore I do a lot of website stalking, constantly looking for sales.  I very rarely pay full-price for anything the twins (or I) wear.  Patience is a virtue, blah, blah, blah.

Along with expense, I now realize how important comfort is for these two.  I've made the mistake of buying ridiculously cute items that looked uncomfortable on the hanger and even worse on the twins.  They HATED it.  I would dress them and they would look at me like I had 10 heads.  Oops.  Along with comfort, practicality is huge.  I once purchased a romper for Sloane that didn't have snaps on the bottom.  Meaning, each time the girl needed a new diaper I had to take the ENTIRE OUTFIT OFF.  No amount of preciousness is worth that struggle.

I don't think I need to explain "cuteness" but I will mention a few things.  I love when they coordinate. I love unique items that will not be seen on every child in their playgroup.  And most of all, I love clothes that aren't so in-your-face that you can't see the baby wearing them.  Babies are cute--why do people feel the need to make clothes with 50 bajillion items/animals/jewels in colors that are so bright you feel like you're staring at a miniature sun? 

So with that in mind, I wanted to share a few items I've found that (I believe) match the criteria listed above and are perfect for summer.

For HIM:

Jude wears t-shirts.  Lots and lots of t-shirts.  This is mostly due to the fact that he has no neck and can look a little ridiculous in collars.  My favorite t-shirts for him are from Peek (peekkids.com).  They are made of the softest fabric and typically have verbiage that is either funny or insightful.  I like to believe people see his shirts and think he is either hilarious or brilliant, depending on the content.  I find him to be both.  :)

I will be the first to admit that Peek is EXPENSIVE.  However, they have dang good sales (in store and online).  Their clothes are extremely well made and wash beautifully.

 

Another favorite baby store is Zara (zara.com).  Cute, affordable tops! 

Below are some of my favorite casual boy tops from Peek and Zara right now!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

For HER:

Sloane spends most of her summer days in dresses.  Some of my favorites are from Tea Collection (teacollection.com).  The patterns are so much fun and the cotton is durable but isn't heavy.  I've washed them multiple times and the color doesn't fade a bit.  Tea is a little pricey but has regular sales.

 

I also love the Liberty of London dresses and tops from Peek.  Talk about lightweight and great for summer!  These are perfect for the hottest days!

H&M has adorable clothes for babies that are trendy but cheap!  They also carry great basics.

Below are some of my favorite summer dresses and tops from Tea, Zara, and Peek!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

I find Old Navy and Children's Place to be the best places for baby accessories: shoes, hats, etc.

On Jude: Top - Polo; Fedora - Old Navy; Sunglasses - Children's Place

On Sloane: Dress - Tea Collection; Sunglasses - Children's Place

While I could spend all day writing about this, I have a sale to catch! ;)

(In case you're curious, the sale is Hanna Andersson!  While their pajamas aren't specific to summer, they are the most durable pjs your children will ever own!  Right now they are also selling Hanna Andersson jammies at Costco.  Do yourself and your baby a favor and get a pair!)

Guest Post: Beach Bag Essentials!

I'm thrilled to have Jen guest-posting here today! She & my hubby were actually college buddies before I ever made it over to HSU, and now we've reconnected through blogging! She's mommy to the most adorable little girl, and she has great taste in everything from little girl fashion to home decor...just visit her blog! You'll see :)

Hello there, Perfectly Us readers! I'm Jen and I blog over at Down with the Dearmores, where I blog about marriage, motherhood, and everything in between!

I was so excited when Katie asked me to guest post for her while she is away on a fun beach vacay with her hubby and friends! Ahh...doesn't that sound nice right about now?!?

Katie asked me to share some of my favorite beach necessities for littles! This couldn't come at a better time as I have a 21 month old baby girl and we are at the beach often {thanks to my sweet in-laws who have a beach house about 2 hours from our home}! Such a nice and fun getaway every now and then! Now, you know I couldn't resist sharing some of my favorite beach pics of my little miss! ;)

  I've created a board with some of our very favorite beach necessities! This will give you an idea of where to even begin when packing for your little beach babe! Yes, a simple beach trip can be hard work toting around even more stuff than the usual + a little one! Did you know moms tote around 20 pounds on average?! The nice thing for us is we are right next to the beach, so we load up the golf cart and go, but I realize for most, that is not the case {again, thanks to my sweet in-laws}! There are many different kinds of beach carts and wagons that you can load all of your stuff in to save the hassel of dragging around multiple bags, towels, sippy cups, and a very anxious toddler. Just trust me on this one! ;) 

There are obviously many different brands, versions, kinds, etc. of each of the items I posted, but this is where you come in to find what works best for you and your babe. You can click on the link below for details about each item.

{what's in my beach bag} toddler version by jenni824

1. Umbrella/Tent - You will definitely want a place to take a break from the sun!

2. Beach Tote - This is the tote bag we use the most. Very durable and holds a lot!

3. Beach toys - Bring lots and lots of them {at least that is what has worked for us}! Anything from buckets, shovels, squirt toys, and sand molds. 

4. Laundry basket/bag - This is where I like to store all of our toys. It allows most of the sand to fall out before you even have to rinse anything off!

5. Snacks - Toddlers expend lots of energy at the beach, so be sure to pack lots and lots of drinks and snacks.

6. Baby Powder - you know the trick, right?! Before you get in the car, or walk into the beach house, dust your feet with some baby powder and the sand falls right off. So nice!

7. Beach hat - I didn't think our little one would keep it on, but sure enough, she did! Our favorite one is from Baby Gap {as seen in our pictures above}.

8. Coppertone Water Babies sunscreen - It's cheap and works great! I've used both the spray on kind and the lotion, and both have worked for us. Remember to apply sunscreen about every 1-2 hours...gotta protect their precious little skin!

9. Sunglasses - this is still a tricky one for us, but I haven't given up! This is my favorite pair to date!

10. Beach cover-up - I simply can't get enough of little swimmies and beach cover-ups! We've had great luck finding them at Carter's, Baby Gap, Old Navy, and Children's Place.

The best advice I would give you is to simply have fun and remember capture all the many memories! Afterall, don't we all feel like kids when we're at the beach?! 

Thanks again, Katie, for having me today! And for those of you reading, I'd love for you to stop by and get to know me and my little fam a little better!

Guest Post: On Being a BOY-mom!

I'm so happy to have Mateya posting in my absence today! She was one of my first "blog-friends," and I truly feel like I know her. Our kiddos are close to the same age, so I love sharing stories and advice with her. Plus, we're both married to Roberts ;)
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Hey guys it's Mateya from The Best is Yet to Come! For those of you who don't know me, I'm wife to my farmer husband, Robbie, and mama to our sweet boy, Hayden who just turned 1!  

I'm so excited that Katie has asked me to guest post for her while she's busy soaking up the sun.  Katie's been a great friend to me for a couple years now and I'm so grateful that blogging brought us together. I hope she's enjoying an umbrella drink for me! 

All my life I envisioned that when I had babies they would be girls.  I'm a girly-girl and I just couldn't imagine what I would do with a BOY! I saw pink and giant bows, and shopping trips, and slumber parties.  

The moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew in my heart that the sweet little miracle I was growing was going to be a boy.  I think the Lord began preparing my heart for what it would be like to have a son from the very beginning.  As time went on I got so excited about the thought of being a boy mom.  People always talk about the love and special bond between a mother and their son(s) and I started to get really excited for it. Sports, trucks, dirt, animals...I was ready and I couldn't wait! 

Let me tell you, having a son has truly been the greatest joy! I love that little boy more than I could have ever imagined and now I can't imagine ever having a girl!  Funny how that works, isn't it?! :)

We live in South Dakota so the weather takes awhile to warm up, but once it does it is WARM.  We've been patiently waiting for it to warm up so we could be outside more.  Hayden LOVES to be outside and gets so upset when we have to go in.  Poor child :)

He isn't quite walking yet, so outside play can get kind of tricky, but his favorite thing to do is push his little John Deere tractor.

He would push that thing forever if we let him. He also got a great climber and wagon for his birthday which we have yet to test out!

And he loves our dog.  And our dog, Redick, is such a trooper.  She lets Hayden poke her in the eyes, stick his finger up her nose, pull her hair, you name it. 

We take lots of walks and roam around our farm.  He loves seeing the cows, tractors, and trucks.  Typical boy.   

We're also looking forward to taking Hayden to the zoo and the pool. Last summer he was a newborn and it was unbearably hot so we didn't really get out of the air conditioning much.  

I'm excited to keep learning and growing as a boy mom.  Lots of baseball, swimming lessons, scraped knees, and boo-boos are headed our way and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited.  

What summer/outdoor things do you have planned with your little ones?

Guest Post: Watermelon Rind Pickles

First up on my guest "series" is Leslie of Lamberts Lately! She's momma to Emma Ramey, who is just a few weeks older than Jaqs, and she's the designer of this blog! In addition to those things, she's always coming up with yummy recipes, so I'm excited to have her share a summery one with y'all today!
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Hi friends!  My name is Leslie.  Among the many things I like to talk about on my blog, I occasionally post recipes that fit my weird taste.  This seemed like the perfect recipe for summer...Watermelon Rind Pickles!   I had heard of Watermelon Rind pickles before...maybe it's a southern thing.  I hadn't tried them, but it was worth at least seeing what I thought!   What I made turned out to be a sort-of-spicy, sort-of-tangy, sort-of-sweet recipe...and in a weird way, I liked it!  

    Here's the recipe!   Watermelon Rind Pickles   Ingredients   1/4 of a Watermelon worth of rinds, chopped into 1" pieces (a little fruit can be left on the rind) 1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 1 1/2 cups Water 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds 1 tsp Pepper 1/4c White Sugar 2 tbsp Salt   Directions Bring everything but the rinds to a boil, stirring every couple of minutes. Once the mixture is boiling, add the rind and boil for about 5 minutes, just to soften it up a little.   Take off the eye and cool to room temperature.  Put in an air-tight container and refrigerate for 24 hours before eating.   Will keep for up to 2 weeks after making these.   Enjoy this awesome summer treat!

Guest Post: Advice for New Moms

Just wanted to pop in to let y'all know that I'm guest posting over at Down with the Dearmore's today! I'm not at all qualified for such things, but I'm sharing my two cents for new moms. Hope you'll check it out!

If you're visiting from Jen's blog, hello! 

I'm so glad you clicked over and hope you'll stick around! :)

A little about me:

Wife to my high school football coaching hubby, Rob

SAHM to my 13 month old daughter, Jaqs (short for Jacqueline)

Wanna-be DIY-er and crafter

Obsessive Instagrammer (@ktgalu)

Professional Target shopper

Lover of any and all time spent with my family