Matching Monday

I have been a bit reluctant to dress my girls in matching outfits. It's due to a couple of reasons. One, I am so not organized enough to do that, especially when it's multiple items of clothing that need to coordinate, like top, skirt, and leggings. Two, the girls look cuter in different styles. Addison looks good in more traditional, simple clothing, while Ellie can rock more funky, flowy styles. And then when I think that have found a style that they both could wear, I have had a hard time finding it in both of their sizes. I love the Target baby/toddler section, but I am less than thrilled with most items in the big girls section. Most of it seems too preteen for Ellie. That is until this season. While searching the Target website for a sweater for myself, I ventured into the girls section to check out some new spring stuff  for Addison. While there, I noticed that a lot of the dresses I loved for Addison were also available in Ellie's size. I was so pumped that I had to order a few to see if they would really live up the the hype. They came in and I'm thrilled with the sweet style on both girls. Now that I've dressed them alike a couple of times, I am kind of hooked on coordinating them. I think it should be particularly easy in the summer months when the weather is warm and they can live in sun dresses!!

I have rounded up a couple of my favorite styles for spring and summer. Get them while they are running this hot deal- buy one clothing item, get one 50% off! Some of the dresses are even on sale already.  That's a great way to stock up for all of the littles in your fam!

Circo Long Sleeve -  This long sleeve cotton dress is so sweet with the little white heart print.  I love that it is long sleeve for those chilly spring days.  It comes up to size 6x so its generous enough for Ellie to fit into!  Cotton, simple print. Done!

Happy by Pink Chicken Watermelon dress toddler  and the Happy by Pink Chicken Watermelon big girls dress-  This dress is so adorable.  The print is bright and cheerful.  I think that this will be a favorite of ours in the summer months in PA!

Sleeveless Lace Sun Dress comes in big girl and toddler sizes-  This one has a darling gold zipper down the back.  I want it for myself!  I think that this is going to be a big hitter and will sell out fast.  Don't hesitate on this one!

Clipspot green dress -  This one comes in sizes up to 6x and is plenty big on Ellie due to the cut of the dress.  It is so sweet and lays so nicely on both girls.  The little flutter sleeves are my favorite.

G-Cutee Aline dress pink with white polka dots in toddler  and big girl sizes-  This one doesn't look like much.  I was hesitant to buy it, but it is so simple and sweet.  I love the neckline.  I may even spring for a little monogram for each of them.

Cherokee Watercolor Challis Dress -  Also comes into 6x and as you can see from my photo it fits both of them extremely well.  Definitely a favorite.

Burts Bees Long sleeve cowl neck dress and Burts Bees Ruffle Tier dress-  I love that Target carries the Burts Bees clothing line.  Their cotton is the softest!  These are both going in the shopping bag today for the girls!  Love them both!

If you do not already have it, sign up for the target debit or credit card.  You get an additional 5% off every purchase and free shipping on all orders.  I have the debit card and I love it!  It comes right out of my bank account so it is just easier for me.  Sign up here!

Thanks for following along!

Xo k

Pregnancy Must-Haves

Baby Bris is not wasting any time growing and keeping time moving right along. I am currently 23 weeks and that means half way done with the pregnancy. I find myself feeling very sentimental about it. I know that this will be our last baby so I'm savoring all of those little kicks and I'm trying my best to embrace my growing self. This changing body means so much more than stretch marks, bigger hips, and boobs. Im growing an actual person! I will never get over the amazement in the way my body is able to achieve this miracle.

To accommodate for the changing size, I have had to purchase a few new items to spruce up the old maternity wardrobe. I am happy that I went for it because it gets mundane wearing the exact same thing over and over again. Here are some of my favorite maternity staples.

These Liz Lange tanks are the best layering pieces.  I had them when I was pregnant with Addie Guth and I used them all of the time post pregnancy too.  They don't have the scrunching on the sides so they do not even look maternity.  I size up in these tops.

These Jcrew maternity jeans are amazing.  They really look like regular jeans and they do not have the full panel.  I am not a fan of the full panel because I find myself always having to pull them up.  I bought these in the rinse wash and the black.  I did have to buy the tall length because they run a little on the shorter size and I wanted a full length. 25% off today with code GETSHOPPING!

I also love to grab cardigans in all different lengths and shapes in non maternity because I will be able to wear them after.  There are so many cute and cozy ones available right now.  I bought this Gap one a few weeks ago and it has become my very favorite.  It does run big so I had to size down

I get very paranoid about using any facial products or taking any meds during pregnancy.  I'm so happy that I stumbled upon Acure years ago.  Their products are amazing and everything they use is completely safe to use during pregnancy.  Their Acure Organics Facial Scrub is my favorite!  I use it about 3 times a week on my face, neck and chest, and I really see my skin glowing brighter.  I also love this Kiss my Face Bar Soap for everyday facial use.  It is made out of olive oil, water, and sodium chloride.  Thats it!

I'm on the hunt for a new maternity suit.  I have been taking Addie for swim lessons and the one piece I've been squeezing myself into has seen better days.  All of my bikini tops come no where close to covering "the girls" so I officially need a maternity swimsuit.  Do you have any recommendations on brands that you love?  I found this Motherhood Maternity suit and this Pez D' Or Maternity Suit.  Has anyone tried either one?

Tommy is home this weekend. Perhaps a little shopping trip is in order!

I'll keep you posted on my findings. Thanks for following along!!

Xo

K

Valentine ideas

It is that time of year to spread love to your Valentine!  I love that most of the schools are encouraging are urging children to bring in something other than candy to pass out to their fellow classmates.  I am always searching for cute little toys to attach to valentines so that the kids can still give their buddies a little something special.  I found these unicorns on Amazon and started searching for a printable unicorn valentine to accompany them.  They are sold in a package of 12 for $6.84 and they are Prime shipping eligible!  It is a great deal for a unique valentine.  I found this adorable, free (bonus!) printable on Seven Thirty Three Blog.  Kim is super creative so search around her website for other great party ideas, printables, and tutorials.

Mason loves baseball so I started a search for a cool valentine that would be good for the big THIRD grader.  I found these baseball "tickets" on CoralBalloon's Etsy page.  As soon as Mason saw them, he had to have them.  If baseball isn't your son or daughters thing, there is also basketball, football, and soccer to choose from.  Just email the shop owner, Emily, upon checkout with your child's name.  She will then custom make them for you and email you the PDF with printing instructions.  For only $5 you get a total unique valentine for your child and you can print off as many copies as you wish!  To go along with Mason's valentine, I scored another great toy from Amazon.  These little bat and ball keychains are adorable and surprisingly well made.  The bat is wooden and the ball has real stitches through it!  They are on sale for $6.71 and sold in a pack of $12.  For about $ .50 its really a great deal!  Prime shipping eligible too so you can certainly get them in time for that Valentine exchange!

We sent them to the local print shop today because my printer is on the fritz and I am out of ink.  We picked them up and finished putting them together.  It was an easy, pretty last minute Valentine, and both kids are thrilled with how they turned out.  I have to admit that I think that they are pretty darn cute as well. 

I hope that you enjoyed and that it inspired you to do something fun with your littles!

xo,

K

  

Snow filled memories

We were finally hit with our first dose of snow and it was a big one! When Mason cried on Christmas because it was 70 and sunny, I told him that winter had just begun and I could pretty much guarentee that we would see our share of snow. Then comes Jonas! We probably got close to 20 inches in Ardmore. Since everything in Philly is in a fairly compact area the snow has no where to go but to pile high into people's yards. It pretty much causes everywhere to shut down for at least a day to get the roads in order. We took advantage of the being cooped up indoors. We watched plenty of movies and Addie's favorite, Sesame Street, which she lovingly calls "Elmo." We played games, built towers, and ate loads of food. The storm started on Friday night and continued through most of Saturday . We tried going out a couple of times but the winds were ripping through and the kids would only last 10-15 minutes before they froze. Poor Tommy was stuck outside shoveling the driveway for at least two hours. The guy was SORE on Sunday. He sucked it up for a good run of sleigh riding on Sunday though, when the wind broke and the temperature warmed up a bit. There wasn't much of a hill at the park by our house due to the amount of snow that we got but we managed to find a good spot that the kids slid up and down a few hundred times. Mason and Ellie LOVED it, Addie, not so much. She pretty much screamed for the entire hour that she was outside. It was as if she was trying to say "um what the hell is the cold wet stuff? Where is the warm sand and sun that I was born into?!!"

I am definitely not a cold weather girl. Give me the heat and the beach any day. But I did enjoy our first storm since being back east and I will always cherish the memories that we made. Here are a couple of shots from our weekend, including these deliciously warm chocolate chip cookies that I couldn't help but make. I mean we were trapped inside and we needed to eat, right?!

What is your favorite way to enjoy a blizzard? Would love to hear your favorite memories!

Xo

K

And baby makes 6!

The Bris Bunch is gaining a new member in July! We are rounding off the bunch to an even 6. Four children is something that tommy and I have always wanted, but, after Mason's prematurity and the Elizabeth's preterm scare and bed rest we weren't sure that we should try again. When we took that leap of faith and went for Addison we both thought "this is it" during the pregnancy. We were so thrilled that she was born healthy and full term (39 weeks!), but there was something in both of us that kept thinking maybe the fourth isn't out of our realm.  On hard parenting days I really thought that I should just stop at 3, but at the end of the night when I would tuck those little nuggets into bed something in me did not want to be done.

Given all of that, I started to panic when I got the double pink line.  Three kids is tough stuff, and now we are adding another?! I was just adjusting to life here and getting into a routine, but this threw me off my game. I felt terrible almost instantly.  I had terrible nausea which lasted all day.  I was beyond tired, but I had insomnia at night.  I would lay awake for hours on end stressing about how I was going to handle taking care of four little human beings.  Even after seeing the baby on the ultrasound I found myself scared.  I asked for a sign that this was the right decision.  That is when I realized that this plan is all greater than I am.  I get so wrapped up in my own decisions and the "what ifs".   It is hard to just have faith in what is supposed to be sometimes, especially when you have crazy pregnancy hormones doing acrobats on you every single day!  We are having a baby and giving our children another amazing person to grow up with.  What isn't wonderfully, magical about that?!

There are a few things that I have noticed about being pregnant for the FOURTH time!

1.)  The belly is no joke this time around.  By day 5 of pregnancy I had a belly the size of someone who was 3 months pregnant.

2.)  No wine or beer sucks.  Tommy is the permanent DD after this one- I had my turn for almost 4 years!

3.)  Hearing that heartbeat on the doppler is still the most magical sound in nature.  I will never tire of hearing the sweet noise of my baby growing inside of my body.

4.)  Newborn baby clothes!  Enough said :)


I look forward to sharing more about my pregnancy, baby Bris, and the Bris Bunch's winters in PA!
xo,
K

Benefits of Baltic Amber and why we love them in the Bris Bunch household

My girls have worn the amber teething necklaces since they were babies.  I found out about them when Elizabeth was a few months old.  I ordered one for her and decided to give it a whirl.  She was already an easy baby, and did not have much trouble with teething, but there were a few restless nights.  I truly saw a difference in her teething from that point on.  She would pop out a new tooth without so much of a fuss.  She got her teeth quickly, which can be more painful since you don't get a break from the pain.  She handled them like a rockstar!  Her necklace became a part of her.  Some believe that Amber is electromagnetically charged, which produces negative ions to produce a positive effect on the body.  This can help to boot moods and promote calmness in the body.  I can say that this was true for Elizabeth.  I remember for Masons 5th birthday party I took it off of her because it didn't coordinate right with her pirate costume.  That entire party something was weird with her.  She was very reserved and withdrawn.  That was not like her at all.  I noticed it but I didn't  think too much about it until I put her necklace back on her that evening.  By morning she was back to her old self.  It was a very rare occasion when I ever took it off again.

When I was pregnant with Addison I swore that I needed one of these for the baby asap.  I wanted to be prepared for the drooling and teething faze.  Our good friends, the Gomez family, gifted Addison her necklace from the cutest boutique in Carlsbad, called Ollie and Me.  I went down to pick it out after she was born.  I loved their selection!  They had the authentic baltic amber in mustard tones.  They were beautiful. Addie has been wearing hers since she was about 3 months old.  I have seen the same benefits with the necklace.  We do still have the occasional difficult night, but for the most part new teeth pop through without much fuss!

Before I started using amber I did some research to find the exact benefits.  I was all about putting these necklaces on my girls, but it would be an added bonus if they really did serve a greater purpose.  I found that baltic amber has been used for centuries in eastern Europe for various medicinal purposes.  Baltic Amber is fossilized tree resin.  It contains succinic acid, which is released from body heat when amber is worn against the skin.  The succinic acid has been known to reduce inflammation in the gums and joints.  It has even been used with the elderly for arthritis pain!  The benefits come from actually wearing the amber, not crewing on the amber itself.  In fact chewing on the amber it not recommended!  The necklace should be worn tight enough so that the necklace can't be pulled into the babies mouth.  My girls have never put their necklace in their mouth, even when it was long enough to reach.  The trick it to put it on them when they are young enough so that they are so used to it that they never notice it.  If you are looking to purchase one for your little one be sure to buy one that is genuine baltic amber.  If you need a suggestion, check out Ollie and Me.  These are made from authentic baltic amber and they have the screw closure which ensures that your little one cannot take it off on their own.  This is where I purchased Addison's necklace from and I love it so much.  It is absolutely beautiful and we receive compliments on it daily.  Give it a whirl, you may end up with a happier baby who stops waking from teething pain!

Has anyone used Amber for teething or other medicinal purposes?  Would love to hear your feedback!
xo
K

Fun with Dude and Betty

When we miss Cali we read one of our favorite books from the Bris Bunch library, Fun with Dude and Betty.  Fun with Dude and Betty is a hilarious spin on the classic Dick and Jane books from the 30s.  We have a blast reading the surfer slang in our best surfer accent.  There is a glossary at the back that helps defining those bodacious words.  8 year old Mason, who tends to only read chapter books, still appreciates this story and chooses it time and time again for a bedtime story.  In fact, when I was a guest reader for Mason's classroom I read it to a group of third graders and it was a huge hit! 5 year old Ellie loves how she can read some of the words, the colorful illustrations, and how Betty surfs the waves.  Be a bogus babe, pick up this rad read today!  Dude, Betty, and the dog Bud will not dissapoint!  Amazon has it at a great price.  Snag it now before the price goes up!

 

Xo

K