15 Things, 2/21

Nearly Identical Chandelier Here and Here / Anthropologie Gleaming Primrose Mirror / Black Cabinet (Wider here and taller here)

Here are the first 15 things that come to mind this morning:

• I’m flying Emma to see her great-grandmother today! Her winter break starts today, so it’s the perfect opportunity, and we’re just so excited to see Grammie. We’re also excited to bake miniature cakes, play with my old American Girl dolls and Playmobil, and do crafts with her! The last time I flew alone with Emma was when she was around one or two and it was a total disaster, haha. I’m assuming this flight is going to be a lot easier. ;)
• THESE MAGIC FLEECE-LINED LEGGINGS LOOK LIKE SHEER BLACK TIGHTS. Oh my god. They’re amazing. I wore them out last week, and they were insanely warm yet chic-looking. I’m so happy. Have all my skirts-and-dresses-in-winter problems been solved?! YES. I think they have. Buy them.
• I had dinner with my Chicago mom friends. We went to RPM Italian, and it was the nicest little escape from the everyday (wonderful ) chaos of parenthood.  It seems like between shutdowns and quarantines, the last few months have been confusing, stressful and emotional for everyone. Definitely nice to unwind and take a breather together.
• My brother closed on a new house in New Orleans! Oh, guys. I’m just so happy for them. They’re about to have their second little boy, and space was getting tight. This is going to be absolutely wonderful for their family, and I can’t wait to see them turn it into their home! It’s a stunningly beautiful house. Eeeee!
• Noodle got groomed at Petsmart last week and she smells like a walking department store. I LOVE IT. Man. I usually give Noodle baths at home, but we needed her nails trimmed and we accidentally signed up for the spa package. (Seriously, how does one accidentally sign up for the spa package?) Fancy Noodle!
• We’ve hit another stage of life when lots of friends are moving. We went through this years ago, when Emma was around two, and it was hard. I think the pandemic has simply made so many people rethink their lives. Of course, we’re happy for our friends as they embark on new chapters! But it’s definitely sad and we’ll miss them.
• I love this easy black dress and this easy white dress. Hard to imagine there will be a time when I’ll be able to wear dresses without tights, though. ;)
• We are getting to the final design stages with Studio 41 for Mitch’s bathroom and Kira David Design for Mitch’s office. It’s going to be wonderful! The two spaces are in some serious need of TLC, and the hope is that it can be used as a flex office/guest suite. (It would be particularly wonderful for guests since there is a small kitchenette down there, too!) Mitch and I visited Studio 41 and did some final selections, and I’m thrilled to see everything come together soon. I believe that construction will be taking place while we’re in Florida with my family, which is awesome!
• Emma has “Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character” Day at school when she returns from winter break, and she’s going as The Princess in Black. We’re using this princess dress, this magnolia flower, and this eye mask. Emma’s SO pumped. I should note that Only Little Once Designs carries our absolute favorite princess dresses and nightgowns. The fabric is SO soft, and they come out of the washing machine wrinkle-free. I can’t speak highly enough of them! (Dying because I just caught myself typing “steak” instead of “speak.” I’m hungry.)
• I know it’s only February, but have you been bit by the spring cleaning bug? I haven’t really moved on anything yet, haha, but I’m starting to feel the urge. I also really think I need to do some paint touch-up work around the house. In particular, on the staircase. It’s really taken a beating!
• One Home Project Every Day:
  • I implemented a toy rotation for the playroom again! Oh, how it needed it. I know it’s because of Christmas, but toys were starting to pile up on the floor and most stuff wasn’t getting played with. I got everything in tubs and then put about half into the storage closet. Will plan to swap everything out next month so the girls get excited about ’em again. It always works like a charm; I just need to keep with it!
  • I donated approximately one zillion coloring books. We had so many stored in the basement. I’m sorry, but how many coloring books could one family possibly need?! (Like five max, am I right? My kids don’t even like them that much!)
  • I donated stuffed animals. Emma is attached to only one “stuffy”: Her sloth. But Lucy carries stuffies around all day and truly loves them. So we only got rid of duplicates this time!
  • I donated some LEGOs. The Duplos were under control but the tiny LEGOs were everywhere. Got ’em down to one bin!
  • I got rid of leftover Valentine’s Day goodie bag treats. They for sure won’t work for next year as there are only a handful of each treats. So to new homes they went!
  • Mitch put together our new side table. YAY. I think it’s just what the space needed. Will share pics soon.
  • I put up our kitchen clock again. I’d forgotten to take it out after the holidays were over. So nice to know the time again. ;)
• Mitch launched a new product called ThawChain! Mitch runs an investment company with his best friend, and they fund investments with the profits made from the products they sell on Amazon, Target and Walmart. They’ve been doing it for over a decade at this point, and I’m so proud. It’s a ton of work!
• I ordered the girls’ flower girl dresses for Sammy’s wedding. Aren’t they stunning?! They’re a slightly different version that my friend Carly got for her flower girls for her beautiful wedding. I think we will probably do Kailee P. for the shoes!
• I know I talk about this a lot, but if you have little kids, these are the BEST princess costumes because they’re so insanely soft. I’ve slowly been replacing our dress-up collection with them because of the quality. They also don’t take up nearly as much room as the giant fluffy ones!
• How great are these hand soap pumps? We have the shampoo/conditioner/body wash pumps, and they make our showers look beautiful. Highly recommended.

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