Good Stuff

Autumn Harvest candle from Target has been mentioned on this blog before, but every year I'm reminded how good it smells. I usually buy Sweater Weather and Autumn from Bath & Body Works, but I actually prefer this scent even more. Give it a sniff next time you're strolling through Target!

Kung Fu Girl Riesling has also been featured on the blog, but I'm still drinking it and still loving it! This is my go-to wine. It's sweet, but not too sweet. It tastes good at room temp or chilled. I'm always thrilled when I find it on menus (especially when we're out of state).

Champion canvas tote is a new purchase from Nordstrom and it's so worth the $40! I'm a tote kinda gal since becoming a mom. I used to always wear small, crossbody bags. Now, I need space for snacks, wipes, and a spare outfit (hello, potty training!). I'm at the in-between stage where I don't need a full diaper bag, but I need to carry more than just my stuff. This is the perfect size. I used it every single day on our trip to Paris & London. 

I've been updating my playlists. I have two that continuously work on - one called 'hype' and one called 'calm.' My current favorite is the calm playlist and these are the songs I go to first...

Random Home Favorites

Barefoot Dreams throws are currently on sale at Nordstrom Rack. I love these throws! There are so soft and warm. We have three - one for our room, one in the living room, and one in Evie's room. I don't have anywhere else to put them, but I want more! The best $50 you'll spend all year. 

Minted watercolor prints are such a great way to add affordable art to a space. We have a couple prints hanging over our nightstands and Evie has a trio over her bed. I always order the 8x10 size then purchase these Pottery Barn frames with mat.

The Container Store Montauk storage bins are a major closet staple. We've had these in Evie's closet since she was born and they've worked great. I finally bought them for our closet and I love the organization and the look. I need more!

H&M storage baskets are a parent's dream for all. the. toys. Evie has so many duplo blocks, babies, stuffed animals. These are a great way to keep them hidden and they're lightweight so she can drag them around the house when she wants to play with her babies in the living room instead of her room.

Tempurpedic pillows are worth the investment! Brady was having a lot of issues with his shoulder (for years!) until I bought the Tempur-Cloud Pro pillows that are specifically for side sleepers. We've had them two months and Brady has no shoulder pain! These definitely saved us money in the long run.

Houseplants and herbs lift my mood so much. I've slowly accumulated plants over the years and I thoroughly enjoy them. The pop of green in every room makes me so happy. I was really worried leaving them for 10 days in Brady's hands, but he did pretty well. Only my herbs died so I guess that's a win.

Weekend Update

Sorry for being so quiet on here lately. I had a PRP injection in my hip Friday.

I was warned it would be painful and it was. I actually cried😥 I'm glad it's over and I hope it works! There's no time frame for onset of action, but maybe I'll notice benefit in 4-6 weeks. I have to stay off ibuprofen for two more weeks, which is really the hardest part!

I had to take it easy this weekend so we didn't do much, but I went to happy hour with some friends on Saturday and it was great to get out of the house!

 My doctor

 En Rama was so good!

Entire fam at the ISU games without us... major FOMO😞

Weekend Update

Brady's been traveling a lot for work lately so it was nice to have a weekend at home, just the three of us. 

It was chilly and fairly wet, but we made the most of it. On Saturday, we walked and played at the park then ate dinner at Whole Foods, which is Evie's favorite😂 She's easy to please. She asked to do the same thing on Sunday so we walked to Wright Park and ate at Stadium Thriftway. She was a happy girl!

 Sunny and windy

 She would slide down and pretend to kick me off the slide lol it thrilled her

 Chamber's Bay is beautiful

 Grocery store dinner

 Grocery store dinner #2 (she ate the entire chicken tender!)

Evie is into taking pictures at the moment

London

The final lag of our trip was London! We got really lucky with the weather. It was chilly, but we were supposed to get a lot of rain. Somehow it managed to stay dry the entire time. We started calling Ann's umbrella the lucky umbrella because every time she brought it out there was no rain🙌

I started the first day with a tour of the Chruchill War Rooms. I'm obsessed with WWII and this museum was incredible. I spent way longer than expected just reading quotes and watching WWII video clips, but we also toured the underground bunker. 

After the tour, I met Ann at Buckingham Palace. Then we walked along the River Thames to see Westminster Abbey, London Eye, Big Ben (which was under construction). We had drink then took the tube to Regent's Park where we walked around and stopped at another pub😊 before heading to Shoreditch for the evening. 

We spent an entire afternoon wandering through Notting Hill. We walked through Portobello Road Market where I bought Evie an antique print of Winnie the Pooh for £10 (bargain!). We had lunch at Granger & Co then shopped in the area before heading back to the hotel to get ready for dinner. 

Our last day was casual. We strolled several parks. I finally saw Kensington Palace. We ate a healthy lunch at The Good Life Eatery then had the most decadent desserts at EL&N #balance

 Churchill!

 London has the best parks

 Queenie wasn't home

 Tourist central

I loved this day!

  Everyone taking photos of the gurads

 Another beautiful view of St James Park

Westminster

 Crossing River Thames

 Ann asked where Big Ben was so I looked at my map then we figured out we were right next to it lol it's completely covered

 We walked just as much in London as we did in Paris

 Regent's Park sculptures

 Very well maintained park

 Notting Hill

 A little late night shopping

 Kensington

 This was a gorgeous day

 Princess Diana memorial

 Lounging in the park in the sun... heaven!

 Last day

I love these little outdoor eateries

 Piccadilly Circus

Evie told everyone at daycare I visited Peppa and Madeline😂 all the souvenirs for my Evie girl!

Paris

I love Paris.

I thoroughly enjoyed our time exploring this city. We did all the touristy things... Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Louvre, Luxembourg Garden, Versailles.

We stayed in an apartment near the Eiffel Tower. It was a great location. We had several cafés and restaurants nearby and we were a 5 minute walk to the metro.

We wandered around Avenue Montaigne one day and Montmartre another day. These were some of my favorite days... just shopping, eating, drinking, snapping photos. We had the most amazing brunch at The Hardware Société in Montmartre. We ended this day with pizza and Chianti at Babalou. I felt like I was back in Italy.

I also really liked sitting in the Luxembourg Gardens. We happened to be in the area after eating brunch at Le LouLou then visiting Shakespeare & Company (at Ann's request). I started googling what else to see in the area and I'm so glad I stumbled upon a site with this recommendation. The gardens were stunning. The statues were mostly female (which Ann loved😂) and we sat for awhile just enjoying the views and sunshine. 

After the Luxembourg Gardens, we took the train to Versailles. The palace was opulent, but we all preferred the gardens. They were all unique and immaculate. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn and we got caught in storm. We found shelter and posted up at a bar for a couple hours until it passed.

Caitlin left for the UK the day before us so Ann and I had a day to walk along the Seine, visit the Louvre, shop on Avenue Montaigne. We walked over 10 miles this day. We were shocked by all the people taking selfies with Mona Lisa. We waited in Louis Vuitton for over an hour just to purchase a cardholder, but wait list for help was too long so we drank our free glass of champagne and kept walking. 

The architecture, food and vibes in Paris are so good. I can't wait to go back with Brady!

 View from the apartment

 Walking slowly to enjoy all the stunning buildings

 Brunch at The Hardware Société

 Sacré-Coeur

 Great view of the city

 Carousels all over Paris

 Shopping break😊

 I'm fond of these little cafés with all outdoor seating

 I Love You Wall

 Babalou pizza rivals Italy

 Bookworm!

 View of Notre Dame from a nearby park

 Luxembourg Gardens

 The sun came out!

 Photo overload from these gardens

 I really like the lines of trees. They're trimmed to perfection. 

 Admiring every statue

 This is last one from Luxembourg... I made it my phone background

 The cane made it in shot at Versaille

 I took more photos outside of Versailles than in

 Hall of mirrors is still used for events today

 The Queens bedroom

 Our favorite part! The gardens...

 Look at that precision

 Ominous clouds rolling in

 Quick run to a bar

 Trying escargot for the first time! It was good

 Morning walk along the river

 Beautiful autumn colors

 She traveled the metro by herself!

Arc de Triomphe  

 Macarons were a must

 Herded like cattle to see Mona Lisa

 My favorite picture I took at the Louvre😂 outside the window

Lovely sunset 

 Best MIL

Walking/scooting along the river