Jeans & Polka Dots

I always feel a little silly wearing heels with jeans. I don't know why, but something about this outfit feels different. Maybe it's that these jeans fit me so well, or that tucking a button-up shirt into jeans with a belt just feels so classic. What do you think? Are jeans and heels a no brainer?

Details:
Shirt - Liz Claiborne
Jeans - Old Navy
Shoes - Target (old)

How Our Family Does Screen Time

When our parenting adventure began we had lots of goals, including not letting technology play a huge role in Alexis's childhood. I think most any parent in this day and age would agree that's easier said than done. Technology is unavoidable; it's everywhere. So instead of a no-tech policy, we've opted for a smarter approach.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than an hour of screen time per day for children ages 2-5. In a perfect world, that would be easy. In a technology-driven world, not so much. Limiting screen time to one hour a day is a daunting, if not impossible task, so I've chosen to focus instead on limiting non-productive screen time and incorporating more screen-free activities into our days.

When both parents work, it's very easy to fall into a routine of grabbing something to eat on the way home and then eating in the living room instead of at the table. I'm speaking from experience.

Alexis's grandparents bought her a small table, at our request. It was originally intended to be put upstairs in our play room/office, but ended up staying in the living room for months. It was convenient for snack time, coloring, and other activities. What ended up happening, though, was at every meal time, Alexis wanted to sit at her table and watch t.v. So, about a month ago we moved the table upstairs.

Now, most nights we eat dinner at the kitchen table with the t.v. turned off. Some nights, when it's just her and me, we'll get out the t.v. trays and eat while watching Tinker Bell, but I try to keep that to a minimum so it doesn't become the norm.

I'm also trying to only have the television on when someone is actually watching it, instead of it just being background noise. When the t.v. is on, Alexis is less likely to play independently. She's only 3, but like some teenagers she can turn into a zombie, not responding when I talk to her and just being generally oblivious to anything happening outside of the screen.

Generally, I'm trying to only have the television on when we're getting ready in the morning (let's face it -- things go much faster if Alexis is watching Little Einsteins than if she's "helping" with my makeup) and after dinner. I encourage independent play either in her room or the play room. We play with chalk on the front porch, swing in the backyard, color and read. She even helps do simple chores around the house.

I'm also trying to be a better tech role model. I generally have my phone with me wherever I go, but I am making a conscious effort to look at it less often. I'll leave it in the other room when we're eating at home or in my bag when we're out. I've also been trying to mix up my reading with more printed versions of books and magazines. Alexis can't tell the difference between reading on my Kindle and playing a game. To her, it's all the same.

I'm curious to know how all you other mama's and daddy's out there handle screen time. Let me know in the comment section!

Monday Motivation

It doesn't matter who this applies to in your life. No one has the right to treat another person badly, but if you allow it to continue to happen, it will. Stand up for yourself.

Happy Monday

Newsroom Fashion: Olive & Pink

Have you ever bought something thinking you could create a ton of different outfits only to find yourself styling it the same way over and over? That's been me with this skirt. Every time I want to wear it I struggle with what top to choose and ultimately end up choosing black and white stripes or plain white. But I'm really happy with the way this turned out! And the olive shoes were the perfect balancing piece.

This shirt is very light-weight, so although it's long-sleeved I didn't feel like I was getting hot. I bought the sandals this past weekend, so this was my first day wearing them. I'm usually a size 7 and these were true to size. The block heel made them comfortable to walk and stand in. I stood for about an hour and half straight with no issues.

Details:
Top: Liz Claiborne  exact
Skirt: The Limited similar, similar
Shoes: Target exact

PHOTO POST: Alexis's 3 Year Update

And just like that, my baby is 3. I have no idea where the time has gone! This girl loves makeup and frilly dresses just as much as she loves playing in the dirt. She's learning how to play with others and share. We've got part of potty training down but still working on number two. She loves to help with everything from cooking to gardening and everything in between.

She still loves her Little People but is playing more and more with Barbies. She loves to take pictures so now she has her own camera (VTech) that also has educational games (we'll talk about that in an upcoming post about screen time). She's learning to ride a bicycle (12") and would spend all day in the backyard on her new swingset. Her favorite foods are chicken nuggets, tacos, and spaghetti. She also likes to each chili which blows my mind.

Probably the biggest development of the last year was Alexis being diagnosed with asthma. Most children outgrow it, but her daddy's side of the family has a history of asthma so we'll just have to wait and see. In the meantime it has changed our day-to-day life, not drastically in the scheme of things but enough to make a difference.

So here's to another year of being mama to this smart, independent, sassy toddler.

Monday Motivation

This truly speaks for itself. I think we can get hung up on telling ourselves that things will get better and don't do anything about our current situation. Sometimes our purpose in life changes, and that's okay. You're allowed to change paths in your life. Don't let yourself get stuck in something that doesn't excite your very being.

Happy Monday!

How to Throw a Fairy-rific Tinker Bell Party

Alexis turned 3 this past weekend. We celebrated with family and a few friends. "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast" is Alexis' favorite movie of the moment, so of course she wanted a Tinker Bell party, and I did my best to give her one (even though the weather did not cooperate). In this post I'll share all the things I did, links to recipes I followed, and how much I spent.

Left to right: Berries and Twigs / Garden Veggies / Butterfly Sandwiches / Pixie Punch / Tinker Bell Dress Cookies / Not Pictured: Dirt Cake

In case you've forgotten or just don't know your fairy lore, Tinker Bell and her pixie pals are in charge of the seasons and pretty much everything outdoors. Fairies fall into different categories - tinkers, animal, water, garden, light, etc. So when planning a perfect pixie party, anything that can incorporate the outdoors is on the table.

Twigs and Berries
This one is easy. Just pick your favorite berries and pretzels. I added in some birds eggs because I had an extra bowl for this platter.

Butterfly Sandwiches
All you need to make these is a couple loaves of sandwich bread, peanut butter and jelly, meat and cheese, and a butterfly cookie cutter. I tried making these a couple of ways and found that cutting the bread into shapes first worked easier than making the sandwich and then cutting it. Two loaves of bread will make twenty sandwiches, not using the end pieces.

Tinker Bell Dress Cookies
I got the idea for these when I was going through my mother-in-law's cookie cutters (she has at least 100!) and found a princess dress one. I thought it looked like the dress Tinker Bell wears so I snagged it in addition to the butterfly cutter. As you can tell from the picture, these didn't turn out awesome but it was the one thing I let Alexis help with, so there you go. I used Pillsbury sugar cookie rolls and Betty Crocker green cookie icing. Simple.

Dirt Cake
This was so simple to make and oh so easy! Here's the recipe I followed: CLICK

Fairy Wings Cake
It's no secret. A baker I am not, especially when it comes to creative baking. Thankfully, making fairy wings is pretty easy. You just make two round cakes (I used 9 inch pans), cut them in half and arrange them to look like wings. I used Duncan Hines super moist french vanilla cake mix and strawberry icing, then used a tube of white decorating icing, edible sugar pearls, and sparkly sprinkles to decorate.

Pixie Punch (not pictured individually)
This was so easy to make and could easily be made green or orange by using regular lemonade and either lime or orange sherbert. My advice, double the recipe so you don't run out! Click HERE for the directions.

We also did a couple dishes for the adults - chili and meatballs. My chili recipe is my own but here's how I made the meatballs.

Not counting gifts, we spent about $175. That included all food, tablecloths, plates, cups, napkins, and silverware.

To see some of the other ideas I considered, as well as ideas for a Trolls party, check out my Alexis Turns 3 Pinterest board.

Newsroom Fashion: Cherry Print

Spring has been a little wishy-washy in my neck of the woods. We warm up close to 80 and then another cold front comes in! But we've definitely been embracing the season at our house, planting new flowers and brightening everything up. If your wardrobe needs some Spring cleaning, you should definitely check out the latest Lauren Conrad collection at Kohl's. I'm in love with all of her pleat-neck tops and dresses. For reference, I'm 5'2", usually a medium, and wearing this adorable cherry-print dress in a medium. It's machine washable and can be dried without fear of shrinking, but you'll definitely want to get it out as soon as it's done to prevent wrinkling!

Details:
Dress: Kohl's exact
Shoes:  ShoeDazzle similar, similar

Monday Motivation

I know I've shared this particular motivation on my Instagram, but it's too perfectly fits my current state of mind not to use it again. I've got a lot of big dreams and plans, and honestly it scares me just as much as it excites me, but that's how I know I have to try. So this week, here's to chasing our dreams even if it means being scared.

 

Happy Monday!