Company Is Coming

Before I launch into today's post, PLEASE tell me that you've seen my favorite YouTube video to date, Company Is Coming:



But for reals.
That's kinda how Ian is.
Don't tell him I told you.

AND WE ARE HOSTING MY FOLKS FOR THANKSGIVING...

Which means we're throwing out all the couches (I kid, I kid).

One of the questions I'm asked most frequently is which subscription services I actually love and keep a membership to. I've talked here about Grove Collaborative and I can still say wholeheartedly that I LOVE them.

This is a monthly subscription company featuring natural home and family products. Think: cleaning products, shampoos, face products (the Acure line I love comes from Grove), diapers, laundry items, paper disposables.

If you intend to clean anything this holiday season, like your hands, now is the time to take a look at their November new customer offer, ending Nov. 21. It's seriously sweet. You get so many freebies!

New Customer Offer (spend $20 to get all of this for FREE):
+ Free Mrs. Meyer's holiday hand soap
+ Free Mrs. Meyer's holiday dish soap
+ Free Mrs. Meyers holiday multi-surface spray
+ Free Grove Collaborative bubble up
+ Free shipping & VIP trial
..... Value of over $35!

 Existing Customer Offer:
 + All existing customers will receive the Grove bubble up (pictured at bottom of post) for 50% off

The Mrs. Meyers holiday scents you can choose from are Peppermint and Orange Clove. I ordered the hand soap in Peppermint and Orange Clove and I ordered dish soap in Orange Clove as well. These are going to make my home smell so yummy for the holidays.

So, what do I keep in my Grove cart?

I order the following from them regularly: moisturizer, wrinkle fighters, laundry detergent (Mrs. Meyers basil is divine), paper towels (Seventh Generation), glass cleaner, tub/tile cleaner, multi-surface cleaner (Mrs. Meyers honeysuckle is our go-to), hand soap.

You get a days-ahead reminder before each shipment so that you can add products (HON! is this the last roll of toilet paper?!), remove products, or postpone your order totally if you're good on products. Managing the shipments is so easy and quick. 

Oh, and the $5 lavender hand sanitizer spray by Dr. Bronner's smells amazingly good. You can't go wrong picking up a few of those for stocking stuffers! I always keep this in the front pocket of my diaper bag. You can achieve clean hands without smelling like an open bottle of Smirnoff (you know what I mean). 

So, know that I would only be touting this if I seriously loved it and if I thought it would save you money and time (both are limited in my world!). Sure, you could price-shop with Target and Amazon, but I have done that and found that prices are right in line, and I also believe in supporting the smaller businesses who are doing it RIGHT. 

And I mean, look at their team. They're downright adorable.

So, if you want to give this November new customer special a try, I truly don't think you'll be disappointed. Just spend $20 on their site and get $35 worth of other QUALITY products, including free shipping.

Let me know if you take advantage of this special -- or if you're already a Grove fan!

Veterans Day Weekend Fun

We had a great Veterans Day weekend. Camille looked super adorable in this flag print dress that my mom made her! She wore it over the summer, but paired with a long-sleeved shirt and leggings, it was great for chillier weather too.

Having someone who sews for your child is such a wonderful thing. I love looking at fabrics. Hobby Lobby always has really cute prints, and you can use your 40% off coupon (always available on the free app on your phone) for fabric. And, fun fact, if you get it home and it doesn't work, you can return cut fabric -- as long as it is in the original state you bought it in -- for a refund. Most places consider cut fabric as final sale, so I found that interesting. 

Char-chi was just happy as a clam in the stroller at the park watching all the kids. 

I also spent lots of time making bows in preparation for a great trunk show coming up this Thu-Sat in Greenville, SC! Any Greenville readers who want to come shop several fun items under one roof, email me for the address!

Friday night we went to a wonderful fundraiser thrown by our girlfriends for the NC Heroes Fund. I poured some wine while getting ready, stacked on as many coordinating bracelets as my wrist could handle, and we had the BEST time out. 

I wore a maternity dress (YUP not pregnant but I just love it so much, and hey, that tent dress look is still in, right?!), brown tights and brown Tory Burch boots that I bought secondhand for like $40. Best find ever -- they are almost brand new.

And my favorite Kendra Scott earrings -- the Danielles in mother of pearl with gold!

I feel very fortunate to have great, giving, warm-hearted, FUN girlfriends. 

It was a lovely weekend and I hope yours was, too.

Reader Request: Neutral Wardrobe Pieces, Splurging and Saving

Recently I had a Snapchat friend to request a blog post on neutral wardrobe pieces ... including where to splurge and where to save. She is a mom of three, all 4 and under, so she is looking for easy pieces she can throw together that look chic but are still conducive to playing on the floor with kids and nursing.

camel ruana: walmart

black v-neck: Express (REALLY old)

necklace: kendra scott

jeans: c. wonder

rhinestone flats: off broadway

And truth be told, I am not strictly a "neutrals girl." If you've been reading here long enough, you've seen me wear my fair share of colorful Lilly prints, animal prints, and bold stripes. But there is something simple and classic about neutrals, and truth be told, they are SO easy to pair together that you could *almost* get dressed in the dark, ha!

military vest: target (kids department - I'm in a L for reference)

swing dress: old navy

necklace: laura cox designs

leopard flats: ja-vie

So, where to splurge and where to save. You know I'm all about saving. In fact, I'm only really thinking of one item to splurge on -- jeans! Mainly because I think the cost of a great pair of jeans is justified if you consider the price per wear. 

I have three pair of jeans that I love the most: a pair of C. Wonder jeans I bought in Atlanta (man, I miss that store) on sale for around $60, an elastic waistband pair (more like jeggings) I got for a song at Old Navy, and a pair of Joe's skinnies that I actually picked up at Plato's Closet. That's a great place to find nice designer jeans on the cheap.

ivory textured shell: old navy

khaki shorts: old navy

necklace: laura cox designs

I love to wear black, so I have black tops that are sleeveless, short sleeved, and long sleeved. I also love wearing ivory/winter white and camel. 

Recently I posted about some very inexpensive Faded Glory tshirts that I found at Walmart. I bought several colors but the ones that I wear the most are heathered charcoal gray and a cool military green color (which I totally consider a neutral). 

jeggings: old navy - OLD

booties: target

I don't spend a ton on trendy items (like those $34.99 booties above ... so much easier on the wallet than their Rag & Bone counterpart). I'd rather pick those items up at stores like Old Navy, Target, even Walmart.

I guess the only other pieces I splurge on are jewelry! I think that with a few great long necklaces, a dainty short necklace or two, some nice non-costume rings and maybe some gold bangles, you are set. Oh! And earrings. Diamond or rhinestone studs, one pair of small pearl earrings and one pair of large faux pearls, and a pair of medium-sized gold or gold-toned hoops and you're ... well, golden. 

A pair of funky gold earrings I wear a lot are these Sadie Spear Earrings by Kendra Scott:

Not the cheapest, but great for a Christmas list! They go with everything and make such a statement. 

And of course a shameless plug for my sister's amazing necklaces. Laura has SUCH an eye for color and texture. I'm often wearing a necklace she made. She has great neutral necklaces like the one below, and some awesome colorful wooden bead necklaces that look so pretty over a neutral v-neck and pair of jeans.

triple horsehair tassel necklace

You can REALLY spend a boatload on a statement necklace that is "on trend" ... but that's not really my style. I think Laura's are priced so fairly.

So, in a nutshell....

Cotton t-shirts. (v-neck are my favorite ... feminine, slimming, great for nursing)

A white button-down.

A denim/chambray button-down (I have two, both from Banana Republic).

Skinny ankle-length jeans in a dark wash.

A pair of black workout or yoga pants that suck you in in all the right places (I have both Lululemon and TJ Maxx yoga pants and love them equally)

Black, brown, or dark gray leggings. Thick enough to conceal lumps, bumps, and undies.

Trendy accessories like a plaid blanket scarf, military vest, and booties.

Comfy flats in black, brown, and animal print (Ja-vies are my go-to here).

A few pieces of REAL jewelry to supplement the faux stuff (splurge on nice rings, a pair of real pearl earrings, gold hoops -- Christmas list!)

Pretty, classic makeup -- can't go wrong with long black eyelashes and a wine-stained lip!

What's your recipe for the perfect neutral outfit?

Saturday Sip And Shop

Sip:

Skinny Coconut Margarita
Recipe HERE
From With Salt and Wit Blog

Shop:




Cross Front Oversized Tee
Available HERE
Currently $22 (40% off)
I love the longer back of this tee. Perfect for leggings, and the short sleeves are great for this transitional weather!

Five On Friday ::: Happy Veterans Day

It's time for another edition of Five on Friday and I do hope you'll join along!

Remember, all you have to do is post about five things on your mind, add our logo (found at the bottom of this post), and join the party using the linky tools below. Easy, and a great way to find new blogs and be found. :)

O N E
First and foremost, Happy Veterans Day.
We owe so much to those who have protected our freedom.
I am proud to have several family members and friends who are/were veterans.
The best of the best.

T W O
In honor of Veterans Day, our shop The Tipsy Bunny has partnered with the Susan M. Tillis Foundation, empowering and assisting military families. The average FAMILY income of those helped by this foundation is $21,000/year. A portion of our TTB sales this weekend will go to this foundation. Please follow @thetipsybunny on Instagram to see the items we have for sale -- and we will be listing more!

Two other great charities to consider:

The Independence Fund (providing track chairs to wounded veterans)

The Elizabeth Dole Foundation (takes care of those who take care of veterans)

T H R E E
I'm so excited to attend a fundraiser event tonight! It's an oyster roast and pig pickin' with live music, s'mores, a silent auction ... ahhhhhh!

I was planning on wearing this gold romper that I purchased a few weeks ago, but I think it will be too cold to have bare legs tonight. BOO. So, back to the drawing board (aka, messy closet) I go. I'll probably end up wearing a sweater dress with boots. So thrilled for a fun night out!

F O U R
Monday night I had dinner with a bestie at Basil. SUCH great Thai food! I ordered the Pad See-Eu with beef. I love those thick, flat noodles. And I had a pineapple mojito AND a glass of Ponga sauv blanc. We chatted non-stop for two hours and it was just what I needed!

F I V E

I went to the Southern Christmas Show yesterday to check out the CLT Find shop that has our hairbows in it. Oh my goodness. Christmas everywhere. I was literally wearing gold sandals and had bare legs and was transported with one $12 ticket into a land of Christmas trees, Santa hats, and holiday jingles being blasted through the speakers. Parking is $5, so make sure to bring cash. You can find our hairbows at shop 35 (near Santa) and there are plenty of other awesome items to pick up! I got a candle, some hand-calligraphy cards, a Christmas garden flag, and two Christmas gifts for guys in my fam.

I am SO proud to have our hairbows as part of this awesome show!

It runs Nov 10-20 and is at The Park Expo, 800 Briar Creek Road.

TGIF y'all, and hope you will join in on Five on Friday this week! Cheers to the weekend!

Charlotte Is Six Months

October 14th was Charlotte's half birthday! Six months together have flown by. Halfway to one year ... unbelievable.

I always call her my "angel baby." Charlotte is just the sweetest little thing. She is my tree frog, my cuddler, my snugglebunny. If I'm holding her and someone walks up, she'll give this coy little smile and then bury her head bashfully in my shoulder.

She's sleeping 7-7 at night and takes two 1-2 hour naps, around 10am and 2/3pm. Charlotte wakes up peacefully from nighttime sleeping and naps. Lays in her crib, rolls around, puts her feet on or through the rails of the crib. She is just a happy baby.

She's in size 6 month clothes with me still trying to squeeze her in some 3-6 month items that I will be SO sad to sell or give away. These little clothes, worn by her and Camille -- you grow so attached to the sweetness of them! She's in size 2 diapers.

She earned a new nickname from Ian this month ... SHORTSTACK. Little bit is in the 4th percentile for height (24.5")! Petite little thing. But she has some delicious thighs and is in 29th percentile for weight (15.5lbs).

She has mastered rolling front/back and back/front and loves snuggling with anything soft or silky.

Camille is such a helper with her and Charlotte LOVES her big sister. She's in constant awe of whatever Millie is up to.

Just for a fun comparison, here's Camille at 6 months:

Here are some items we are loving. Excited to see what the next month holds!

1: Aquaphor Baby - a cure-all and helpful when you got drool rash

2: Angelcare Tub - so prefer this to the one we had w/ Camille

3: Chewbeads teething necklace

4: Pampers Swaddlers - our fave with both girls

5: Crane Humidifier (you had your first stuffy nose, Charry!)

6: Boon Drying Rack

milestone stickers

Monday Morning Roll Call

Where do you hope to vacation next -- big trip and small trip?

Me = Charleston SC as a small trip. Mexico as a big trip! (Neither are planned ... just a little Monday morning daydreaming over here)

Is This Post For You?

This may go down as the most random blog post yet.
But I'm one of those people who really believes in signs, intuitions, and the sort.

I woke up in the middle of the night with this strong feeling like someone would be reading this blog post today who was going through a tough time. Like, really tough. And that somehow this tough time has been heightened by social media (I am not really sure what that part alludes to).

So I just wanted to say that everything is going to get better, I fully believe that. I'm not sure who you are or what you're going through, but it was just put on my heart to let you know that I care and things ARE going to get better. XO