V-Day Chill Mode + February Favorite Gift Picks!

Hi Guys! We’re well into the month of love and I’m pretty sure we’ll be celebrating this on the blog until March. A lot of people say February isn’t a great month for them but I love it because it is a month for a few special birthdays, including mine and Calvin’s! Also, it’s my first V-Day with two Baes and that’s a pretty cool thing. We don’t typically do anything too special and this year won’t be much different…especially since Calvin is tucked in by 7:30pm each night and we won’t have a babysitter.
ENTER: CHILL MODE
Chill Mode is my favorite mode since becoming a Mom and Feb 14th will be no different. I’m not going to lie, besides seeing Calvin’s sweet face after work, my 2nd favorite part of the day is when he’s finally asleep and I get a moment to just take a deep breath and TAKE. A. BREAK.
Chill Mode often translate to my style as well…I love this comfy, V-Day inspired look. I’m not typically a “pink” girl but this cable knit sweater is the comfiest (#1 priority) – and it’s so festive for Feb!
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Sweater
Charcoal Leggings
Chill Mode on V-day for us will probably be dinner at home (maybe we’ll even get crazy and get some Chipotle), a glass of wine (haven’t really been drinking much more than that lately), and probably a netflix movie (we watched finding Dory this week, without Calvin, because we’re really cool.) It’s the little things, you guys. Do you have any other ideas? What are parents supposed to do on Vday? How else do we chill?

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I feel like most people don’t do much more than a card, chocolate, and/or flowers for Vday so you should probably ask for one of these blush picks (or just get it for yourself, duh!) I own all of these items and they are my current February Favorites! img_2243
1 – Burts Lip Gloss
Love how all Burt’s products are 100% natural!
2 – Hearts Mug
Less than $10 and THE CUTEST!
3 – Blush Sneakers
On sale for $20! More colors available. Same pair I am wearing in the photos.
4 – Kindred Goods
This is Old Navy’s new beauty line – Orange Blossom scent is amazing! Pick up in the checkout line in your local store.
5 – Rose Gold/Blush Aviators (similar)
The ones I am wearing in the photo are actually from Forever 21, but I cannot find online. Check out these or find in store @forever.
 Splurge! – Rose Gold iwatch 
I got an iwatch for my birthday and it is helping me so much to stay on track with my workouts! I have gold but love this ROSE gold for the holiday!

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2016 Best Wrap Coat Round-Up!

Hey hey all!!! How are we hanging in before the holidays!? 12/22 is my last day of work until I am off until January – so excited! But this day has arrived so. slowly. Can’t wait for a few days off with my family. I explained why in this instagram post.
We got our holiday pics done earlier this month with my gal Henrietta of The Real HB Media and I wore my favorite holiday red wrap coat. I bought this coat last December when I was in desperate need of a winter coat and knew that since you can wrap it to any size, it would fit this year as well. Wrap coats are honestly the best – so flattering, and great for any size (pregnant, postpartum, no kids, etc.)
I first posted about this coat and linked my favorite wrap coats of 2015 here. So now I bring you…..my favorite wrap coats of 2016 below!

The ‘merlot’ colored coat I am wearing above is actually Vera Wang (but last season) so here is the look alike:
T Tahari (they have the best wrap coats) Marla Wool Blend
BCBG Wool Wrap CoatImage result for BCBG Maxazria Woman's Cameron Taupe WoolEllen Tracy Faux Shearling
Main Image - Ellen Tracy Faux Shearling Wrap Coat
T Tahari Wool Blend Belted WrapMain Image - T Tahari Wool Blend Belted Wrap Coat
 Marla Leopard Wrap CoatImage result for t tahari marla wrap coat
Calvin Klein Short Belted Wrap Coatcapture
Charles Gray London Plaid
Main Image - Charles Gray London Plaid Wrap Coat
Vera Wang Wool Leather Sleeve Image of Vera Wang Wool Blend Genuine Leather Sleeve Wrap Coat
Ralph Lauren Wool Blend Wrap
IVANKA TRUMP Wool-Blend Belted Coat

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As it gets colder and colder outside, these warm coats come in handy -and like I mentioned I really feel you can re-wear from year to year. Such a key piece to invest in! Which one is your favorite? Where is your favorite place to purchase pretty winter coats?
Happy Holidays in advance my loves!

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More Neutrals [with CupShe] + Options to Accessorize!

Hi Friends – I can’t believe this is the first time I’m posting this month. Let’s just say it’s been a crazy December and I’m just trying to make it through 2016 in one piece 🙂 Although this is one of the best times of year, it can also be the most stressful! Who else is with me?
I’m excited to finally share this shirt from CUPSHE – my newest fave online shop I just recently ordered from for the first time. Their items can only be found online and are super super affordable if you’re looking to mix it up! Also- I was actually blown away by the quality of the items I purchased!
This black, brown and white top is so ME – that sounds so cheesy but it’s true! Anyone who knows me would agree. I’ve mentioned before that I love any piece of clothing or accessory that I can mix with black and brown, so I had to have this shirt. It was only 23.99 and can be found here.
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Because this shirt is super casual, I wore with leggings (because they are technically pants) and brown booties.
^Michael Kors watch
^Purse is Adrienne Vittadini
Get this look from CUPSHE:Cupshe What A Patch Knitting SweaterCupshe Lady In the Streets Leopard TopCupshe Young Without Limit Patch TopCupshe Stay With Me Stripe Printing CardiganCupshe Print All Over Me Stripe Casual Cardigan
CupShe is currently offering some deals on already great prices now – 12/26. Banners below will allow you to redeem the deals:

Christmas Carnival! $10 Off Over $95   Code:CH10! $15 Off Over $145  Code:CH15! Free Shipping!

Merry Christmas! $42+One Free Gift Bag! Free Shipping!

Winter Clearance!Start from $8.99! Free Shipping!

Some accessories to go with:

MICHAEL Michael Kors Rhea Zip Small Backpack

Main Image - Echo 'Touch - Zip Bouclé' Tech GlovesCupshe Keep Me Company Knitting BeanieCupshe Leave You Hanging Tassel PU Bag

We have a packed weekend ahead of us – Calvin dr appt, blog pics today (much needed!), brunch on Sunday with some co-workers, oh and we NEED to pick up our apartment. It is a disaster during the week and we always use the weekends to tidy up! What are your plans?  Are you done Christmas shopping? I’m not even close!
Love you all & hug those loved ones tight this weekend ❤

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Family Pumpkin Patching (in Free People!)

 We finally made it to the pumpkin patch yesterday – which means it officially feels like fall! The past two weekends have been rainy and dreary here, so this was the first weekend we’ve had in a while where we could even make it outside. We took full advantage….I think all of central NJ was at this same orchard!
I said we were going to get Calvin’s first pumpkin, but I really wanted to go for the apple cider and donuts…duh! We waited in line 45 min for a bag of donuts, but there was no way I was leaving without them. Craig had never had warm, orchard made, cider donuts (aka he has never lived) and he said the wait was #worthit.
I wasn’t originally going to do a post on our pumpkin patch adventure but we ended up getting some great photos that I wanted to share in one spot. I can’t get over Calvin in his plaid and jeans. I also realized that both the top and jeans I wore are some of my favorite ‘Free People’ items that I own, so I linked below and left some tips on where and when to find this brand on sale.



I LOVE Free People clothing – the material is so soft, quality, and comfy! BUT I never buy full price…watch for this brand at Nordstrom Rack and in the sale sections of Macy’s, Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom. You can absolutely get items discounted year round! The shirt I am wearing is originally $98 and I got for 54% off at Nordstrom Rack. The jeans are originally $78 and I got for $25 at Nordstrom Rack. The cheapest I found online right now is at Macy’s for $32 (but they have 25% off sitewide!) I highly recommend sizing down (this is a Small and it’s big!) & Free People as a brand in general, but do not recommend paying full price 🙂
Free People Purple Hi-Lo Blouse – Purple
Free People Hi-Lo Blouse – Black (54% off!)
Free People Purple Top – Similar (40% off)
Free People Relaxed Skinny Jeans (on sale!)
Large ‘K’ Pendant Necklace 
Kayla Sunglasses
Craig’s Plaid Flannel
What are some other fall family activities we could do with an infant? Any ideas!? I loveee seeing all of your fall family pics, keep them coming friends!
PS – I am also still loving Snapchat (as opposed to instastories) and I need some new friends! Follow us @greenskm:
We are off to meet our friends’ new baby today, get some blog shots for upcoming posts (some exciting partnerships!) and I want to make some chili for football! Have a great Sunday…talk soon!

Personal Days and Ponchos (& why both are necessary!)

A personal day? What’s that?
If you are asking that question to yourself or thinking, “SERIOUSLY!” – hear me out! I’ve just recently discovered the single best #momhack #lifehack whatever you want to call it hack.
Early on after having Calvin and going back to work, a co-worker gave me the advice that I should schedule days off work to get personal things taken care of.. aka suggesting that I would have to plan ahead to be productive, a super foreign concept to me. I put this in the back of my mind up until now, as it seemed like a waste of a vacation day, or that it wouldn’t be worth setting aside work or emails for a full day.

It has been a busy and stressful summer & fall back at work, and I have slowly started to fall behind on “life.” So at the end of last week, I decided I needed a personal day – to keep both my physical and mental sanity!

My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner.

[Every vacation day for the past 18 months has been spent traveling (usually to and from holidays), which in itself can be extremely stressful and tiring. If we weren’t traveling, they were spent at home in Cincinnati staying at others’ homes and juggling how we can maximize time with every loved one we want to see and while in town.]
This was not the personal day where I sleep in until 10am, slowly enjoy my coffee cuddled on the couch with a nice book and then make my way to the salon for a day of pampering.  It was time – this mama needed a day to herself to just get. shit. done.

I never thought I would be the Mom that was off work and still taking her child to daycare, but I can now put myself in that category. It is almost impossible to get anything done when taking care of an 8 month old at home, so off to daycare Calvin went. Because my personal time is so valuable, I did not feel bad… he did get to go late and was picked up early. Either way, Calvin loves daycare (thinking of writing a post on daycare pros & cons) so it was just another chance for him to play with his “friends.” 🙂
I honestly can barely even believe I was so productive. I felt “free” and was able to check so many things off of my to-do that would’ve otherwise eaten into my entire weekend or taken a lot longer than 1 day to accomplish.
Some ideas for fully utilizing a personal day:
Drink your coffee out of a normal mug as opposed to a travel mug (it’s the little things)
Clean/pick-up your home
Laundry
Work on your side hustle
Go to a work-out class
Grocery shop/buy items for a new recipe
Go to brunch or lunch with a friend
Shower and actually get ready
Spend extra time with your child in the morning and afternoon
*I may or may not have been able to do all of these things and more*
If you are a busy mom, or hard working professional and feeling overwhelmed with work, life and responsibilities, I suggest putting some time aside for yourself. Even if ‘personal time’ means you are checking things off your list that involve others – if it’ll make you feel better to accomplish these things that you know need done asap, it’s time.
As a mom, you likely schedule everyone else’s lives around you – what about scheduling some time of your own?

So – my top 3 reasons you should take some time for a personal day – 1) get a bunch of shit done in one focused day 2) revive your mental sanity and 3) you deserve it!


OUTFIT INSPO:

Boots (similar)

Dress

Necklace

The poncho I’m wearing in these photos is almost like a blanket, super big and warm. It’s from marshals, or maybe TJ Maxx last year and LITERALLY doesn’t have a brand on the tag. (You can probably tell by now that I’m not a big brand snob – I buy what I like, don’t care where it’s from or what the brand is.) I also swore by ponchos when I was pregnant and they are actually what inspired my very first post.  They are probably my favorite cold weather accessory and I’m so glad it’s finally chilly enough to pull them out! Here are some of my other favorites for you to choose from:

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Image of Steve Madden Faux Leather Trimmed Zip Poncho

Image of Accessory Street Marled Knit Border Ruana

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Tasseled Poncho

Fringed Plaid Poncho

Primary Image of Reversible Cape

Here’s to my two favorite things at the moment: personal days & ponchos! How do you feel about either? What is your plan of attack for completing “life” tasks and not getting overwhelmed? Any hacks I should know about?
Talk soon!

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Our {Mommy & Me} Fall Fashion Favorites + a GAP discount code

Hi all, how are we? I’m back, back again – I have to write about the sweetest thing that has started happening with Calvin lately. I wrote about this on a previous instagram post, but he has definitely started WANTING me and showing preference to who holds him, and when. This is new in the last few weeks. When I get home from work he is basically reaching and lunging for me to hold him and just pick him up and squeeze him. If I go in the other room, he now notices, and if I put him down before he wants me to, he’ll grip onto me harder. If we’re sitting on the floor he tries to crawl up my legs. I know that this will probably get old but for now I am just enjoying him wanting to spend time with and love his mom! He shows he needs me and I know I need him, too.

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Anyways…it’s a new season, a new month, and guess what? I’m still obsessed with neutrals. I’ve enlisted the help of a particularly cute baby model to help me with this post 🙂 I’m thinking I will do a ‘Mommy & Me’ type fashion post every so often going forward.
Last fall I was preggo and wearing pretty much all maternity clothes, this fall, I get to match with my little dude – so fun!
So because of this year’s change in size, I was feeling like I needed some new things… and I found myself going for all of the brown, tan, cream basics per usual. Am I boring? I’m such a brown, goldeny wearing girl. I love wearing these type of shades, and this always translates into my make-up and accessories as well. I talked in my everyday makeup routine about this and I will be showing you all my newest neutral favorite fall/winter accessory from JORD watches next week!

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My fall necessities as always are sweaters, jeans and boots. #basic huh?  I love me a good pair of brown boots, a soft comfy sweater and perfect fit pair of jeans. Obviously I had to get Calvin the same items – brown baby booties, a comfy knit henley onesie and the cutest little baby jeans.

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What I’m wearing:
Boots
Sweater
Jeans (Similar)
What Calvin’s wearing:
Booties
Onesie (similar)
Jeans
Both of our jeans are from GAP – all of my best, comfiest, and longest lasting pants are from here. I’m so happy I can pass my love of GAP JEANS onto Calvin so we can match. He’s totally going to hate me for this later on in life so I’ll just do it now while I can get away with it!
Use my code below for 35% off a GAP purchase through 10/8:
35% off! Includes sales styles. Use code WANT at Gap. Restrictions apply. Ends 10/8.
Shop some of mine & Calvin’s other fall favorites:

Cable Knit Sweater Top

Heathered Mock Neck Sweater

Ribbed Knit Sweater

Contemporary V-Neck Sweater

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^I’ve had a pair of Aldo knee high brown boots for 3 years – more pricey, but the best!

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Distressed Low-Rise Jeans

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We are going to a beer festival tomorrow during the day with our friends who have a little baby boy as well – yes, we’re taking the little guys! Can’t wait to relax and have some fun on this October weekend.
Love you all! Thanks for reading – I hope you can find some comfy & casual fall picks for you and  your babes ❤

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My Summer Post Recap: All things Baby, Back to Work, Engagement, Re-branding & Travels!

It’s been a summer for the books! So much growing, traveling, fun & so many firsts in our life! As I was rounding these up, I went back to re-read some of my posts – I need to take some of my OWN advice and remember why I wrote the things that I did.
The post that hit me the hardest was “The 5th Trimester: Learning to Balance Time & Give yourself a Break.” This post is very near and dear to my heart – definitely the most honest words I’ve written to date. If you are a working mom, or will be…check it out!
The most exciting thing that happened personally this summer, is that Craig and I got engaged! We are so official now!
The most exciting thing that happened blog wise, is that I re-branded from “Kayla Marie” to “Running with Strollers.” I finally found my niche and can’t wait to keep writing & bring great content to all my readers!
Here is a recap of this summer’s posts. I have re-linked for easy reading if you may have missed one in the craziness that summer can bring 🙂
Calvin Turns 4 Months + The challenges & rewards during this time 
Back to Work! + My Working Mommy Essentials
The 5th Trimester: Learning to Give Yourself A Break
*My favorite & most honest post of the Summer <3*
My Favorite Way to Order Prescription Glasses + Pics of this Baby Bear!
4th of July Inspired Family Photos
We got engaged! + Our Favorite Vacation Photos 
Calvin turns 5 Months + How Having a Baby Changes Your Priorities
Our Day Trip to NYC + Getting Out of your Comfort Zone 
Mom goes to Nashville + Increasing Your Happiness + How to wear Shorts & Boots
*Blog Re-Brand!!*
Flying with an Infant + Travel Necessities! 
Calvin turns 6 Months + Remembering to Live in the Moment 
Calvin Tries the MamaRoo!
Shirt Dresses: Perfect for the Transition to Fall
Here’s to a new season, more firsts, and finishing out 2016 strong.
So much love for all of you! ❤

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 Soft & Comfy Shirt Dresses {Perfect for the Transition to Fall} + A Gap Discount Code!

Hi Friends!! I am finally writing since launching my new site, name, logos, Facebook page, and updated instagram handle. What do you guys think? I hope you feel as if “running with strollers” is a great metaphor for my life, and the topics I write about here on the blog. I spent a lot of time with the guys at WRK Personal Branding to get this first launch rolled out. I say first launch because this is *fingers crossed* just the start of what is to come. They were so professional, hilarious, and it was true collaboration throughout the entire process!
What’s new with you guys? My entire news feed is everyone’s kids going back to school…so freakin’ cute! Although it was like two seconds ago that summer was ending and WE were going back to school. I think this means fall is coming, so we better start the fall fashion convo NOW!
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I wasn’t initially going to do a full post on this dress but I got so many questions and compliments when I posted on IG here, I decided we must talk about shirt dresses – not to be confused with shirts that you wear as a dress! I bought this dress from OLD NAVY back in the spring after having Calvin because it’s loose, comfortable and able to be worn in spring, summer & fall. Also, I must add – this dress is currently on sale for $19.99! I have a medium but it runs very big so size down, if you’re questioning it.
Shirt dresses are perfect for transitioning into fall. This fabric is a bit heavier and the sleeves and length are perfect for when it’s not too hot but not too cold either. I am so so excited for fall fashion…summer fashion is just not my fave anymore. I feel like up until I was about 20, summer was my favorite season. Basically, summer is fun when you can spend it at the pool relaxing as opposed to sitting in an office staring at a computer screen. Now, it’s just too hot for me, too hot for Cal, and this girl doesn’t like to sweat when she’s not supposed to be sweating (aka outside of a workout!) #firstworldprobs
It’s funny, when I was pregnant I would wear tight, form fitting dresses all the time because it was really cool and acceptable to show off my belly then. A big belly = cute. Now, not so much. I actually have to admit that I’m not a huge dress fan or wearer in general because i just feel more comfortable with a waist band (helps suck it all in, haha.) Is that weird? I know most people are the opposite.
Sometimes when wearing loose or over sized dresses, it can tend to look like I’m either 1.) wearing a sack or 2.) am huge because I have a larger chest. One solution for this is tying something around your waist…can be a shirt, a belt, or even a fanny pack if you’re feeling adventurous. I chose a jean shirt here, which I could also actually wear as intended, if needed. A lot of shirt dresses come with a belt or cinched waist (see options below), so look for those if you feel you have the same issue!
You could also choose other statement pieces that draw away from the mid-section such as statement shoes (I chose wedges since it is still so warm out, but this dress will also look great with short booties for fall) a hat such as this floppy, or a a piece of jewelry. I wrote about floppy hats last year and can’t wait to bust them out – and probably write about them again this year! Such a fun and stylish accessory.
Although I got this dress from Old Navy, their sister company, GAP, has some great options right now for achieving this look – here is a style guide with some of my favorite easy shirt dresses that will easily transition you into fall:

All dresses + a 40% offer can be found here:

Get 40% off with code STYLE at Gap. Restrictions apply. Ends 8/18.

I brought Calvin along while taking these photos and he was seriously an angel watching in his stroller.
img_3077It’ll be September in just two short weeks – I hope you all are as excited about transitioning into fall as I am. What are your go-to’s? I will write about my favorite transition boots (let’s be honest – boots are the best fall wardrobe staple) before the end of the month.
Have a great rest of the week!

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Setting up for Success @ Work: Made Possible by a Great Bag, Stretch Pants & Kayello Coffee

Hello friends! Wow, so much has happened since I wrote last – we were out of town (as I’m sure you all saw via instagram) for family vacation so I took a bit of a break from posting on Kayla Marie. We also got ENGAGED on the 4th of July(!!!!) – I’ll be sharing our full engagement story and my favorite pics from our trip, later this week, so I won’t spoil too many details now 😁
I’ll admit, I’m semi-depressed that vacation is over as we were looking forward to it for so long, and it was such an amazing time with family. I wrote yesterday on a post that time always flies when you don’t want it to. So true, huh?! I’m going to have some serious ‘Sunday Scaries’ tonight. As we’ve arrived back home, the reality of everything I need to accomplish at work this month is setting back in!
Before the summer is over, I am going to LA, Cincinnati, Nashville, NYC, and Cincinnati again – it’s going to be a whirlwind! BUT I’M READY!
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Prepping to set myself up for a good week, is so key for me. I feel like I can always tell within the first hour of a work day how it’s going to go. If I can answer yes to these 3 questions before I’m out the door, I’m on the right track:
Do I have everything I need?
Am I comfortable in what I’m wearing?
Do I have my caffeine handy?
What items make this possible? A good catch-all bag, stretchy pants that you can dress up, and coffee to go!

When I returned to work, one of the most overwhelming aspects was how much stuff I need for the day as a working mom: computer, wallet, phone, keys, sunglasses, work badge, packed lunch, water bottle, coffee mug, breast pump, extra parts, bottles, lids, milk freezer bags. That is a lot of shit. I finally found a cool and functionable bag that can carry (almost) all of this…and it’s a backpack so yay to having free hands! This Skip Hop bag is actually a diaper bag, so outside of work I can always re-purpose to use for Calvin.
I’m obsessed with any and everything black & gold, so I love how it matches almost everything I wear to work. The front zip pocket holds my personal belongings (wallet, phone, keys, badge, etc) the side pocket can hold a water bottle on one side and coffee mug on the other, and the large main opening holds my computer, pump, and lunch.
I also have this diaper bag (which has been discontinued by the manufacturer, but is still available via this link on Amazon) and I’ve gotten so many compliments on both. I highly recommend for all my fashionable mama friends out there!

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To ensure comfort, I’ve pretty much stopped wearing any pants that don’t contain stretch. I can wear jeans to work everyday if I want, but like to wear black pants as a dressier option. Black stretch pants (actual pants, not leggings this time) can be dressed up, yet keep you comfy at the same time. Here are my faves. Find your go-to’s and wear everyday with a blouse, flats, wedges, or pumps.
Women's Mid-rise Skinny Jegging (Curvy Fit) Black - Mossimo™. Image 1 of 6.
Women’s Mid-Rise Skinny Jean
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Bi-Stretch Skinny Ankle Pants
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Low-Rise Rockstar Jeggings
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1969 Stretch Skinny Jeans

Last, but certainly MOST IMPORTANT – I make coffee at home every morning for my 30 minute commute. I realized quickly that the coffee I make at home needs to be good, or I will give in to stopping for, or buying coffee every day (such a bad habit!)  I am currently loving Kayello Coffee – a philanthropic artisan coffee roasting company located in Northeast Ohio. Not only is the coffee amazing, but they also give back to local or global communities using the profits from each sale, by picking a new charity each month to focus on.

Kayello Coffee

When I received my coffee, I reached out to the owner to tell her how amazing the coffee smelled before I even tried it. She said, “this is how great coffee should smell – it was roasted one day before shipment!” If high quality coffee and supporting small business is your thing – you have to try. My first bag was the Ethopia Yirga Adado blend, but I can’t wait to try their newest signature blend, Castle Black.

Check them out and use discount code KAYLA10 towards any purchase this week. I promise you will love it! Please let me know if you try.
You can check out more from Kayello on their channels linked below:
Facebook
Instagram
Website
(PS – The stainless steel mug shown in these pics is perfect for those on the go as it has a clip handle that can latch onto a bag, strap, stroller, etc.)

What are your daily go-to’s? Do you find yourself wearing and using the same items every day!? Definitely need to hear if there’s anything I NEED or am missing! Have a great week – kick ass, take names, and squeeze your babes tightly!

❤ Kayla

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All White: Inspired by Memorial Day & Why to Invest in Neutrals

Breaking news: I have made it out of my black pregnancy/maternity/postpartum Mom stretch suit that I’ve referenced so many times on this blog…it’s a miracle that took three months. This milestone is coming at a great time, considering I’m going back to work next Tuesday and need to look semi-presentable in a corporate setting. Also, SUMMER.

I’ll miss you, black stretch suit, but you’re still my #1.

Not only did I ditch the all-black, but I went the complete opposite to this all-white/neutral look, inspired by Memorial Day. Brave, I know. Especially with a baby. But it was time for a change.

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You know what’s weird? Before pregnancy, I never really wore these pants because I didn’t feel comfortable in them, or think that they looked good on me. You’d think it would be the opposite – that I would feel uncomfortable in white pants now – but I feel like having a baby kind of empowers you. I’m a little bit more forgiving on myself and suddenly okay with how I look (for now.) I think Moms should take as much time as they need to heal and get back in their groove after baby, but then we should start feeling good about ourselves, we should feel accomplished, and proud of everything we’ve done. 

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In all the fashion ‘rule’ books, Memorial Day marks the weekend where it is “okay” to start wearing white again. Do you think this rule exists because people are too pale up until this point to pull it off? jk.
After finishing putting together this look, I realized that everything I’m wearing here, I’ve owned for like, a year or more. I have worn all of these pieces, but never together. This was a moment for me, a moment where I realized the sentence, “I have nothing to wear” – can officially be discarded from my vocabulary.
To me, this look is perfect for any time of day (a coffee date, brunch, lunch, going out to dinner) & the jacket is perfect to bring along to those place that blast the air so high that you’re freezing the whole time, even in the Summer – you know what I’m talking about.


I got to thinking about how we can all start wearing the clothes we own, instead of always spending time & money on NEW. As a Mom, ain’t nobody got time for that. I spend more time searching the internet for diaper deals than designer deals, and the first place I locate on trips to the mall are the bathrooms/nursing suites and nearest coffee shop.

What’s the easiest way to do this?

These 2 tips sound like common sense but honestly, just owning the right go-to’s makes getting dressed so much easier, which solves a lot of life’s problems. Am I right?  
Invest in Neutrals
Statement pieces are amazing (& I’ll be talking about a statement dress next week) but investing in neutrals will get you so many more “looks” or outfits. I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve worn this white top probably 100 times, in different ways. Buy more solids than patterns and more low key colors than vibrant, loud colors. I think doing both of these things allows for unlimited mixing & matching. My go-to neutrals are white, cream, tan & black. Now is the perfect time of year to pull out those light articles of clothing and rock ’em. Plus you can re-wear these items so much more often without people noticing 😉

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Buy Universal Accessories
I especially like to invest in neutrals (solid gold or silver) for accessories. Almost all of my purses, shoes, jewelry are universal and can be worn over and over with different pieces of clothing. Keep a go-to necklace, watch, and earrings in your collection that can be worn with anything – instead of needing to find new statement jewelry for every outfit. That can get to be way too high maintenance. Summer = time to stay simple & light on the accessories.
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Like I said, I had owned these items prior to this post, but I have linked similar items to shop this look below:
Jacket – Gap (Similar)
Top & Metal Choker – Forever21 (similar)
Jeans – Michael Kors (cheaper & similar here)
Purse – Michael Kors
Watch – Michael Kors
Shoes – Target (similar)
Sunglasses – Old Navy (similar)

Calvin is also rocking the white – here he is ready for Summer in his sun hat & sandals 🙂 He basically lives in these plain white onesies – I’ve linked our favorites below.

 Gerber Unisex Short Sleeve Onesies
Carter’s Unisex Short Sleeve Bodysuits

We are off to the beach tomorrow for the day – we’re so excited to take Cal and show him both the beach & pool! What are your big MDW plans?
**Huge shout-out to all the military Men & Women who have served our country in the past, are currently serving, and who will serve in the future. Let’s not forget the real reason for this holiday weekend**
❤ Kayla