Friday Favorites

Well friends, I wasn’t the awesome blogger like I had intended on being this week. :-( I got carried away with wallpapering Camryn’s room, and putting together my hallway “nook” that I talked about earlier this week.

wallpaper

Finally got around to hanging Camryn’s wallpaper, which turned out to be MUCH easier than I was expecting. Anyone with patience can hang this stuff, and it only took my about 4 hours to cover an entire wall (2 rolls of paper) all by myself.

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Here’s a little progress picture…Pillows, nightstands, lamps, ceiling fixture, window cushion, drapes, and art are all still on my to-do list. I’m so over this room.

hallwaynook

Another little progress pic. Here’s how my console and benches look together. What do you think of my leftover wallpaper art? I’m on the hunt for a brass knob for the drawer, and I’m doing a little curtain DIY today. I’ll share that next week. :-)

moviedate And here’s why I didn’t blog yesterday. I took these cuties to a 7:40pm movie. Camryn was due for a special treat (for doing her chores, successful pottying, etc) so we made it a date night and went to see Frozen…which by the way we already own and have seen a million and one times. She sang “Do you wanna build a snowman…” at the top of her lungs for everyone in the theatre and my husband and I nearly peed from laughing so hard.

So there you have it, all my excuses for being a slacker. In more eventful news, here’s what I’ve been loving all week!

Lust List Image 1.|| Annie’s sent me a free coupon to try their new frozen meals, which can be found in the freezer section of Target. I buy Annie’s products all the time for Camryn, and love that they’re organic and use high quality ingredients. I chose the lasagna, but there are a few great options – like butternut squash macaroni, or chicken & shells with white cheese. Dinner at my house is always a bit chaotic, and having a quick and easy meal was a lifesaver for me last week. Camryn loved it! My husband and I really liked it too, and the price and convenience makes it a total no-brainer. Here’s a link to a $2 off coupon if you want to give it a try too.

hannahmaggs

2.|| I shared a few of my favorite YouTubers a few months ago, but have recently started watching Hannah Maggs channel and I’m obsessed. She recently had a baby, and he’s the cutest thing ever. I love her honesty about being a mom, and just watching her learn all the things I remember learning when Camryn was born. She’s also beautiful, and does makeup tutorials.

3.|| Jana Bek, one of my favorite designers, has started selling her hand painted lamps. How amazing is this lamp?! You can get your hands on one by e-mailing her.

4.|| I’m loving this maxi dress from Nordstrom. BONUS, it’s on sale!

5.|| Ryan Gosling anyone?! Just press the link…do it…you know you want to. Who am I kidding, nobodies even reading this anymore. You skipped out when you saw the words RYAN GOSLING! No apology necessary, I totally understand. ;-)

6.|| A magician tricks dogs, and it’s hilarious!

7.|| My new white console arrived this week and I was a little worried that it wouldn’t be good quality because of the crazy low price, but to my surprise it’s great! $107 console for the win! I love that it doesn’t have a drawer pull because I can customize it and make it look so much more expensive than it actually is. I’m loving these pulls in brass…the hard part is picking just one!

8.|| 53 thoughts everygirl, including myself, has while shopping at Target….aka The Holy Land.

9.|| Kirsten from 6th Street Design School recently took a quick trip to Paris with her husband and blogged all about it. Her pictures literally make my heart sad, I miss Paris that much. If you’ve never been be sure to check out her post on seeing Paris in 1 day.

10.|| There’s nothing better than women empowering and supporting other women, and this is a great read all about that.

I hope you all have a great weekend, and stay tuned for a big giveaway coming your way very soon!

XO – Samantha

No Bake Protein Bites

proteinbites

Hello, and happy Tuesday! I have a quick and easy, no bake, chocolate peanut butter protein bite recipe for you today. Let me just start by warning you…If you lack self control, don’t make these. They taste AH-MAZING, and you’re going to be tempted to eat them all. My husband and daughter are obsessed. You’ve been warned.

These delectable little balls (in the famous words of Michael Scott “That’s what she said!” ;-) ) pack a mean punch. They are loaded with chunky peanut butter, protein powder, honey, chocolate chips, and either raw oats or rice krispies. They taste like cookie dough, but provide a healthy dose of good-for-you-fats and protein. If you use local honey it’s also good for fighting allergies – Bonus! I have a major sweet tooth, and these babies do the trick every time. Since they’re packed full of protein they fill me up and keep me from rummaging through the fridge an hour later.

protein bites ingredients Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter (or nut butter of your choice)

1/3 Cup Honey

1 Cup Raw Oats or 1 Cup Rice Krispies (I made both, and the rice krispies are bomb-dot-com!)

1/3 Cup Mini Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup Vanilla Protein Powder

Optional: Coconut (tastes best with the raw oats)

mix ingredients

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients until well mixed. Use your hands to form 1″ balls. Place in tupperware and cool in the fridge for 30+ minutes, and then enjoy!

If any of you make these tweet me or Instagram me a picture!

XO – Samantha

Hallway Nook / Foyer

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Good Morning! How was everyone’s weekend?

Last week felt very hectic, and I’m so sorry to have left you all hanging. I feel much less chaotic after a nice relaxing weekend, and I’ve got some good stuff for you this week.

Today I’m bringing you yet another design board. My husband and I have always used our back door (coming in from the garage) as our main entrance. It’s a long hallway that passes the laundry room, bathroom, office, and then finally spits you out into our main living space (kitchen, dining, living room). We don’t have any designated space for setting down keys, mail, etc. so they all end up on the kitchen counters, dining room table and it creates a mess. I despise clutter. I also hate that we have such a bare “entry way” that doesn’t reflect the rest of our home.

In an attempt to create a more organized space, I designed this “nook”. A console table, two x-benches, a place to set our keys and mail, and an area that rises to meet us when we come home. That’s what your home is supposed to do, right? Be functional, and also beautiful.

Our walls are a light cream color, so I wanted whites and vibrant colors to brighten the space. There’s a large window, so curtains are a must. Layered art and books are throughout our home so I had to add some here as well. (In all honesty, I just have an addiction to art, pillows, and coffee table books….) :-)

I purchased the benches from target, which were also featured in this post. The console is from Overstock, but hasn’t arrived yet. I’ll let you know if it’s of good quality and provide links after it arrives.

I’m DIY’ing some art using scraps of Camryn’s new wallpaper, and using art that I already own. You can check my Instagram for pictures! I’m also using trays, bowls, and accessories that I already own. Do all of you “shop your home” for decor? I’m constantly stealing bits and bobs from different rooms of my house and rotating accessories. It keeps things constantly changing, and evolving. (I might also have closets full of decor, because like I said before, I have an addiction)

What do you think of my work-in-progress space? Leave me any ideas or suggestions you have in the comments! I love hearing your opinions and advice!

I’ll continue updating with progress pictures, and links to all the products (if they’re good).

XO – Samantha

Goodbye Winter Feet…

Hello Lovelies!

This might be a little awkward. I don’t usually talk about my feet with my friends, and frankly, they’d probably stop being my friends if I did…But, spring and summer are upon us, and I know I’m not the only one who needs a little tootsie TLC. I live in my sandals, almost year round, and i’ve discovered a few tricks that really help keep my feet looking their best.

Here are a few of the things my feet can’t live without during flip-flop season:

flexitol Flexitol Foot Balm

This foot cream doesn’t smell like perfume and doesn’t come in a fancy bottle that you’ll want to display on your vanity, but this stuff works! I’ve tried more expensive foot creams than I care to admit, and this is my hands down favorite. (I also love using aquaphor.) I slather this on my feet every night before bed and it keeps my feet soft and callus free.

leopard socks

I’m also obsessed with wearing gel heel socks overnight (I apply moisturizer first, then heel socks). Any brand will do, I’m sure, but this leopard pair is obviously sexier…or not?!

I keep a foot rasp in the shower and exfoliate any dead skin away once a week. I like to slather my feet in soap first, and then use the rasp, versus using it on wet (non-soapy) feet.

Speaking of flip-flop season, I bought these gladiator sandals on sale at Target a few weeks ago and I’m in love with them!

I’m also stalking these, and praying they go on a 90% off clearance sale. A girl can dream. ;-) I might snag these instead.

Oh, and currently on my toes – Essie’s Style Hunter. I just picked up Spin the Bottle and can’t wait to try it. I’ll Instagram a pic sometime this week.

Hope you’re all having a great week.

XO – Samantha

How to give your space a spring sprucing!

You all know I’m a home decor-aholic. My husband cringes with every new season, knowing I’ll be walking through the door with new pillows, lamps, rugs, etc to reflect the changes outdoors. In the winter you can bet I’ll be snuggling under a fur throw, burning a musky candle, and and enjoying warm toned pillows and accessories. But spring is my favorite season of all, and I look forward to sprucing up my space for spring weather all year!

Here are a few of my favorite items to “spring up your space”.

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A jute rug is the perfect spring/summer addition to any decor. It’s natural, durable, and the muted coloring pairs well with almost anything. The beachy, summer-home feel that a jute rug gives off is perfect for this time of year (and year round). I just purchased a jute rug for my living room and I’m absolutely loving it! The above rug is from Ballard Designs and is 20% today.

Floral pillows, as well as bright corals and summer colored pillows, are an easy and cheap way to freshen up a space. Layer different textures, colors, patterns, and sizes to create a well-styled sofa. I read somewhere that every room should have something black & white, as an anchor, so pop a small accent pillow in the mix. You can purchase the floral pillow, coral geometric pillow, yellow bloom pillow, and black and white pillow at Target.

Target has also brought back their upholstered x-benches in grass and coral, and I am beyond thrilled! These babies are perfect for tucking under a console table, in front of a fireplace, flanking a living room table, and more. The colors pair perfectly with florals, and scream spring. Run, don’t walk, to get your hands on these!

Last but not least, fresh flowers. No need to spend a lot on expensive roses, just grab a $4 bunch of carnations or whatever your local grocery store sells, and pop them in a fun vase. Get creative! I used my Alice + Olivia mug as a vase recently and it looked so chic. You can also light a fruity or floral candle (I’m currently burning this one from Bath & Body, and it smells amazing) and your home will scream spring within minutes.

XO – Samantha

Tres Bien {Collaboration}

stylish moms collab copy

My sweet friend Bethann, of BethAnimalPrint, reached out to me a few weeks ago and asked if I’d be interested in a “Stylish Moms” fashion collaboration. My obvious answer was “Duh!”

The shirt we chose to style was the “BIEN” screenprint scoopneck tee, which is sadly no longer available. You can find something similar (and under $8 – say what?!) here. The goal was to style an outfit that can take you from play dates with the littles to brunching with your girlfriends. No mini skirts that will flash the goods when you bend over to tie a tiny shoe, or heels that could break an ankle if you tried chasing after your rugrat.

I decided to stick with my usual “mom uniform” and paired my shirt with skinny jeans from H&M, brown leather bow belt, ballet flats, and my Michael Kors white boyfriend blazer (no longer available – similar & similar). You can recreate this entire look for under $90.

BienShirt

Bienshirtnojacket

details
noboobs

If you’re a mom, you understand the annoyance with shirts that droop open and flash your boobs to everyone when you bend down to pick up your little. Here’s the trick: use your sunglasses! I hook my sunnies to my shirt and push the end of the frame under the center of my bra. It keeps your shirt from hanging open if you lean forward. ;-) Is that a tip, or just a weird fact about me?! nojacket

walking

We spent a family day down at our dock, and then went for lunch and ice cream. Family dates are the best, aren’t they?
talking

walkingtodock

holdinghandsbw

This last picture has nothing to do with my outfit, I just love it because Camryn was holding my hand and being so stinkin’ sweet.

Click the links below to check out all the other stylish mamas, and see how they wore their Bien shirt!

BethAnimalPrint

Blushing Basics

Lou What Wear

XO – Samantha

Zoo

Good morning, and to any of you still reading my blog, thanks for sticking around! I’ve been a little MIA lately, and not blogging as regularly as usual. I wish I had a better excuse, but the change in time, being a mom, and being overrun and just exhausted by evening has been getting the best of me.

Here’s what I did yesterday instead of blogging. Camryn and I watched this hilarious video in the morning, and then she begged me to take her to see the goats, so we did. I played hooky, and took my tiny lady to the zoo. :-)

zoo

zoo2

zoo3

This happened…and yes, those are underwear of my child’s head. I’m blaming this on a sugar rush from snow cones at the zoo.

zoo4

zoo5

zoo6 We had too much fun!

In other news, have any of you been following the Malaysia flight? I literally can’t stop refreshing my phone for updates. The twists in the story, and new information coming from Malaysian military is beyond crazy. If you’re interested in helping in the search for the missing flight, you should check out Tomnod, a crowdsourcing site which allows you to view satellite maps of the areas being searched and tag anything unusual.

Hope you’re all having a great week, and I promise a very fun collaboration is coming your way tomorrow, so stay tuned!

XO – Samantha

My Weekend in Instagram Pictures

Good morning sleepy heads! I bet you’re wishing you had that extra hour to snooze…I know I do!! ;-)

If you follow me on Instagram, this will look familiar, but for those of you who don’t here’s a glimpse into what my weekend looked like.

weekend1

How darling is that romper? Gap sales never fail me. weekend2

Camryn and I finally started feeling better, and had enough energy to begin painting her room. If you have a toddler, you’ll understand why she has her own mini-roller and paint tray…She has to help me do EVERYTHING. I had to paint while she watched a movie and was entertained, keep the room closed off for hours with windows open and fans on so it could dry and air out, and then finally let her “paint”. She was thrilled! I also ordered the Anthropologie wallpaper for her room, and should have it this week. Woohoo! weekend4

weekend3

My husband takes Camryn out for dates on the weekends, or weeknights if it’s not too late, and has quality daddy-daughter time with her. They grocery shop for me, go out to dinner and ice cream, play at the park, and do fun things just the two of them. It’s my favorite time to relax, put on a face mask, read a magazine while soaking in a bubble bath, and they both come home happy (and tired). Win-win! If you ask Camryn who her favorite is, mom or dad, she always says “Mommy!”, but he’s slowly wearing her down…one frozen yogurt at a time. weekend5

Those pigtails kill me. Some days I just can’t believe I made that cute baby…and that my “baby” is not such a baby anymore.

What did you get up to this weekend?

XO – Samantha

P.S…So many of you have asked what happened to “Camryn Daily”, and here’s the truth…I failed. It was a lot more work than I had anticipated, and life happened. I have decided to change the project from Camryn Daily to Camryn Weekly, and I’ll be updating with her weekly photos within a few days.

Friday Lust List

Lust List Image

Photo Via Ramblings of a Suburban Mom

1.|| Popsugar Must Have March Spoilers are out! (Special thank you to Ramblings of a Suburban Mom for this image) What do you think of the contents? Total estimated box value is ~$185. I’m pretty stoked. If you want to sign up for a Popsugar Must Have Box, use code BOX10 to save $10.

2.|| H&M released their Spring Line, and it’s pretty great! I’m especially loving a few of the girls items: fringed sandals, shoulder bag, spring scarf, cheetah print sunnies, ballet flats, & striped sweater.

3.|| I’m heading to Napa Valley in a few weeks to vacation with my husband, mother-in-law, and Camryn. My mom has never been, so I’m planning (in my head) all the places I want to take her. Bouchon Bakery, Hess Vineyards and Museum, shopping in Old Downtown Napa…the list is long. My sister and I visited last summer and had too much fun!

4.|| I’m dying to get my hands on these new blushes. Have any of you tried them?

5.|| Greys Anatomy, Scandal, Suits, and all my favorite shows are back, so if I go MIA you can find me at home, on the couch, binging on TV. Yep, I’m living that crazy mom life! ;-)

6.|| I came across this pin on Pinterest, and am on the hunt for this gold pen. Clear polish to seal in your nail art and you’re done!

That’s all I have for you today. Did you check out my pancake recipe already? If not, keep scrolling down.

Hope you all have a great weekend! I’m continuing to paint Camryn’s room.

XO – Samantha

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Pancakes

I posted a picture on Instagram a few days ago of Camryn holding a giant plate full of pancakes, and I had a few requests to share my recipe. It’s so easy, and takes hardly an extra minute to make in comparison to plain old pancakes…I actually feel guilty calling it “my recipe”, because it’s that easy.

pancake

What you’ll need:

Pancake Mix – I use Bisquick Heart Healthy Pancake mix

1 egg

1 1/4 Cup Milk (follow your pancake mix directions…mine calls for milk and an egg)

1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

1-2 bananas (depending on size. Sometimes I get bananas on steroids) The more ripe, the better.

Cinnamon

Vanilla Extract

Preparation:

Make pancake mix as directed on box. Add 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1 tsp. cinnamon, chocolate chips, and sliced bananas to mix. Cook on griddle as usual. I top mine with butter, and sometime melted chunky peanut butter. Enjoy!

cookingpancakes

pancakes I’ll update with my Lust List later this afternoon, so check back for that. I’ll post the link on Facebook for any of you that follow.

XO – Samantha

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