Old Navy Toddler Girl Picks + 25% Off

I haven't shopped at Old Navy in awhile but when I checked out the site while purchasing my Sloan pants the other night from Banana Republic, I couldn't help but notice they had a lot of very cute toddler girl clothes in the "new arrivals" section.

They're having a 25% off promotion right now when you spend $75 (use code SAVINGS- it's right on the front page!)  Here are my picks:

top row:  1  |  2  |  3

bottom row:  1  |  2  |  3

top row:  1  |  2  |  3

bottom row:  1  |  2  |  3

Happy shopping!

Baby Gap New Arrivals!

Just thought I'd do a quick post to share the Baby Gap items I purchased for Harper during their last 40% off promo! (they're currently running one for 30% off if you didn't get a chance to order last week) The items just arrived in the mail today. All items I purchased are 18-24 months (except for the shoes), so many are from the toddler section (tear!)

starry tie romper

eyelet flutter body double

strawberry boxy tank

dot racerback dress

texture stripe tie tank

mixed media tie dress

shirred cardigan

marled sweatshirt dress

striped tights  (radiant blue)  |  chambray espadrilles

I also got these sweet strawberry bubble shorts for Harper. Too cute! Her bow is by PrettyLittleElm.

Have a great week!

Our Weekend...

Harper's 11 month update is going to be a little late because poor baby girl has been sick.

Daycare called us Wednesday afternoon to let us know that she woke up from a nap with a 102 temperature. They took it again five minutes later, and it was down to 100.5. Kevin picked her up and I came home earlier that day.

We had noticed that she had a few (what we thought at the time were pimples) on her face and her temperature was between 99 and 100, but I thought she was just getting sick because she also had a congested and runny nose.

The next morning I posted a photo of Harper's "pimples" on instagram and quickly many of my awesome readers mentioned that it looked like hand foot and mouth disease. I didn't know much about it or the symptoms, but after a quick google, it was clear this was a possibility. We bathed her the night before and she only had the red dots on her face�but the next morning, an hour after I posted that photo on IG, she literally had blisters/red dots on her hands and feet, torso and her bottom. At that point I was 99% sure it was HFM. We made an appointment with our pediatrician who confirmed the diagnosis.

Although it's tough to see her body with bumps and rashes all over, I have to say I feel blessed that she did not get HFM sores inside of her actual mouth. I know a lot of babies who get these are unable to eat because the sores cause pain, whereas Harper just has rashes on her skin that didn't hurt or itch. We gave her tylenol about twice a day for the low grade fever and because she was fussier than usual.

She slept a lot for the past four days. Sometimes she would nap for 2.5 hours. I think her body just needed the extra sleep to recover. Plus, when she's with us, she loves to snuggle and sleep on one of us and typically she sleeps longer on us than in her crib (for naps). We love that she still loves to cuddle like that, especially because now that's she's on the go she wants to be "free" a lot.

She was in really good spirits on Sunday and back to playing as much as usual. Her rash on her body is pretty much gone and the blisters on her hands and feet seem to be crusting over. Her face is healing too, though the spots are still very red. 

(this was when the rashes were really bad)

On Saturday night I went to the Galleria with Candice. I hadn't been in a really long time so we decided to grab some food and get some shopping time in. Nordstrom was having a 25% off sale on designer shoes and I've been waiting for the Tory Burch sandals to go on sale for forever.

First I went to J.Crew where I tried on this gorgeous white dress. Unfortunately the waist was too big on my normal size but the size down didn't fit me in the chest (in the photo I am holding about 2 inches of the fabric in the back to make it appear how I would want it to fit). I may wait for it to go on clearance and then pay for alterations because it's beautiful. It is currently 30% off so check it out here if you like it too!

Then I went to Baby Gap and scored these pretties for Harper all for 40% off! I was surprised to see a promo in the store for all of the new arrivals because I feel like the online promos usually happen more often. 

scalloped bow sandals

bow jelly sandals

printed romper (sold out online---but here is a similar one)

pintuck dress (on sale for $19.99 and absolutely gorgeous!)

After Baby Gap we went to Nordstrom so I could try on the TB sandals and that's where Candice discovered these gorgeous Jessica Simpson heels. I was thisclose to buying them but then I talked myself out of them (now regretting that a bit) because our daycare has a policy of having to take your shoes off and I hate bending down to unbuckle them when I'm already carrying my 22 lb baby and a cooler bag full of bottles and food.

Some of my readers suggested I wear flip flops and change into heels and I may try that though it's just so easy to slip on a pair of pumps because they come off hands-free. I have several pairs of shoes right now with ankle straps and I never wear them because of the fuss to get them on and off at drop-off and pick-up. Maybe once she transitions to the toddler room the no shoes rule will no longer apply. If you want to buy these pretties, you can order them here. I may just order them too...

But the good news is that I got these fab Tory Burch Miller nude sandals for a sweet 25% off PLUS I had a Nordstrom note for $20!

Lastly, I picked up a hair product one of my co-workers recommended by Aveda. It's a heat protectant and helps with split ends (which hello, is basically my life). I will report back on it soon.

 I hope you all had a great weekend! Thanks for everyone who sent will wishes for Harper!

...she's feeling much better!

Weekend Happenings...

Harper is feeling a lot better today, thank you for everyone who sent well wishes!  Her nose is still running like a faucet but her fever is gone and she has a lot more energy today. On the road to recovery! 

Megan and I got together today for breakfast and some shopping.  It's so nice to have a few hours of girl time, it was definitely much-needed. I still struggle with feelings of guilt anytime I do something for myself that involves time away from Harper. This is probably a sentiment shared by a lot of moms who work outside of the home. I typically only plan any "me time" stuff when she's napping or sleeping at night.  Megan reminded me that part of being the best mom you can be is also making time to decompress and she was right. I came home refreshed and with lots of energy.

We stopped in at some of our favorite stores, including Zara, where we got matching shirts:

I also picked up a beautiful gray linen tee with white lace trim and an incredible white striped blazer. I wasn't looking for a blazer, but this one was too beautiful to pass up. It looks even better on---I can't wait to share some outfit photos! It's very well made and the fabric is fantastic.

We stopped in at Baby Gap for the 40% off Friends & Family sale that ends today. They had some short sleeve PJ's at the Galleria store and since it's going to be super hot here soon, I picked up a couple. I also got a bathing suit from the Paddington Bear collection for $10! I had been waiting for it to go on sale because I wanted to get her a rashguard suit for the summer to protect her skin when we swim outdoors. It was worth the wait!

flower-print one piece | striped sleep set | similar rashguard swimsuit

Lastly, I picked up some NARS Laguna bronzer and a NARS lipstick in the color "cruising." I wear my Almay color + care lipgloss in the color "rose" every single day so I wanted to get a lipstick that was a close match to it. This shade is pretty darn close. I like that the more brown/nudeish pinks give a really natural and supple look to the lips versus more bright pink shades, which I used to gravitate towards in the past, along with nude pinks. I love pink, but the rose shades always give me a "your own lips but better" look which is perfect for daytime wear.

jewelry tray- j.crew

This afternoon we set up our 4moms breeze playard. We absolutely love it and it looks great in our living room (and Harper seems to like it too!) Best of all, it's incredibly easy to use and set up. You just press down on the middle and it snaps into place (you can see that here). We're going to use the gate we bought as an actual gate to secure areas of the house so this is the perfect addition to Harper's play area.  95% of the time, we let Harper explore and be free, but when we need to get some things done around the house it's a place where we know she can play and be safe if we have to step away to our kitchen or vacuum/do laundry, etc.

One more thing before I go---I was the lucky winner of a PopSugar Must-Have Box giveaway on Katie's blog. It arrived on Friday and it was pretty cool.

 a little booklet gives a brief breakdown of each product in the box:

I like that the scarf is really large and I can't wait to try the snacks. The horseshoe necklace charm and elephant ring holder are also really cute.

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

PS- I got my hair done this weekend! My colorist added highlights to the top layers and also added a couple of more lighter pieces on my ends. I was ready to add a little dimension to the top of my hair since my roots had gone so long without being colored at all. It's subtle and blended and I'm very happy with it!

FTC: all products except for the 4moms breeze were purchased with my own money. All opinions are my own. The Pop Sugar must-have box was an item sent to me for free for winning a blog giveaway.

Gap Friends & Family Sale- 40% Off of Your Purchase & My Picks

Gap is having a Friends & Family sale right now, in stores and online using the code FAF40 for 40% off of your purchase. As I've mentioned time and time again, I don't ever buy anything full priced from Banana Republic, Gap or Old Navy. There's a different promotion every single week---but I recommend waiting until items are 35-40%.  I find that this happens about once every 3 weeks on average, sometimes more often. The stores and online have different sales and promotions as well, so keep that in mind. This promo is valid through 3/16.

Here are a few items I picked up for Harper during the F&F sale!

 striped circle skirt

eyelet sleeve graphic tee

 not available online

I got this in the last size they had left (18-24) and I can't wait until she can wear it. It was sold out in a lot of other stores and isn't yet available online (and may never be) so I'm glad I snagged one. I love chambray baby clothes!

not available online

This dress was love at first sight! Love the print and feminine details, perfect for spring/summer!

 not available online

I also can't find this dress online but it's so breezy. I got this in the 6-12 month size because it's a looser style and I hope she can wear it as a shirt one day too. I also think this would be cute as a bathing suit coverup in the summer.

 peplum top

Who doesn't love peplum? Harper grew out of one of my favorite t-shirts, the Peek xoxo print gray one so I wanted to get her a few more neutral items to mix and match with her bright and printed leggings

floral leggings | lace trim leggings

Gingham dress

Sadly I will return this one because the shoulder area fits tight already so I know washing and drying it will only make it worse. It's a beautiful dress!

Have a great weekend!

Recent Purchases...

I hope everyone had a great Saturday!  We started our morning with Starbucks lattes and breakfast (yum!) and then I headed to swim class with Harper. She did awesome today and didn't cry once (she is having some stranger danger issues and cried a few times during her last two lessons). Harper always takes an amazing nap right after class so I took that time to relax a bit before we set off to return some Christmas gifts that didn't fit (we were a little, uh, late on that, ha) and check out some convertible car seats (because we will eventually switch out the infant seat in my car).

I got an email reminder that I had GAP Cash to use (it's a promo where when you shopped about a month ago you got $25 back for every $50 you spent to use towards a future purchase).  Wanting to take advantage of getting clothes for 50% off, I picked up a few items for Harper and for me. I'm buying all 12-18 month clothing now. The tank top is actually a size 3T because the 12-18 one was teeny tiny. It looked like a 0-3 month size.

wide stripe leggings (navy)  | eyelet flutter sleeve top  |  heart print ribbed tank (navy)  |  dot leggings (baby pink)

custom name puzzle  |  stripe poplin shorts |  chaturanga crops |  

I also wanted to mention a lovely custom name puzzle I got for Harper from Fat Brain Toys. I heard about it on Megan's blog Willow Way- she has one for her daughter Olivia! It's such a pretty puzzle and it arrived just a few days after ordering- I was super impressed!

Okay- back to GAP--- I picked up a pair of sleep shorts with a pretty mint green trim on them. I like these because they are a little longer (i.e. my butt doesn't hang out of them like most sleep shorts) and the lace detail is pretty. 

Lastly, I made my first ever purchase from Athleta, a sports/workout apparel store owned by Banana Republic (who also owns Gap and Old Navy). I was immediately drawn to the bright spearmint color of these crops. A few seasons ago my beloved Lululemon had wunder under crops in a color similar to this one and they sold out before I could grab a pair. I had always hoped they would bring the color back, but I haven't seen it re-released.  So, when I saw these Chaturanga crops, I just had to try them on. I have to say, they are very flattering and fit/look just like my wunder under crops from Lululemon. The fabric appears to be high quality, feels nice on and they have a lifetime warranty on their products! They cost $54, less than Lululemon but still pricey for workout apparel. But, you know how I feel about that--- I prefer to invest in pieces that will last a very long time---and I have Lulu pieces that are damn near 8 years old that still look great. I will update once I've worn them to let you know how I like them. 

Athleta does their sizing on the S, M, L, XL, etc scale so I wasn't sure about fit. I took a S and M into the fitting room and the small fit perfect. The sales associate told me their sizes run larger, so I'm going to say that their size small fits like a size 6 wunder under from Lululemon since that's the size I take there and they fit the exact same.

Wishing you a wonderful rest of your weekend!  By the way, we are researching "baby cages" (haha, baby gates/playyards) to keep Harper contained now that she is crawling and pulling up on all of the things. Let me know if you have any you love�time to baby proof this house!

*this is not a sponsored post, all products purchased with my own funds.

Baby Gap Picks- Paddington Bear Collection

Baby Gap recently launched an adorable limited edition Paddington Bear Collection and I'm smitten!  Below are the items I ordered for Harper. 

I always like to order online and then return whatever doesn't fit or that I don't end up liking in person.  Use the code "MORE" at checkout for 40% off of regularly priced styles and 50% off of sale styles.

quilted jacket  |  polka dot tulip top  |  eyelet trim bodysuit  |  rainboot flutter top  |  marled pants  |  embroidered flutter dress  |  graphic duo fold jacket  |  striped leggings

Happy Tuesday!

Bows

Today I wore my favorite skirt and a navy blue blouse with anchors that I scored at Marshalls while I was on maternity leave. The tights look light in the bottom right photo, but in person they are actually a nice deep navy with black polka dots and don't read as blue as they do in the photo. I got a lot of compliments on them today...note to self...more printed tights!  They just add an element of fun to a basic work outfit.

skirt- banana republic (on sale + 40% off using code BRSHOP) | shoes- nordstrom | top- marshalls (similar at BR) | tights- j.crew factory (in chalkboard + on sale) | "H" initial necklace- jane.com

chambray top (no longer online), hat (sold out online but LOVE this one) and leggings- baby gap

I have been slacking a lot on dressing up lately so it was refreshing to put on a skirt and some heels. I just have to be in the right mood for it these days!

Happy Friday + Pretty Girl Ruffle Onesies from Happiness Lives Here!

I have been absolutely smitten with Etsy for a long time. I've purchased things for our wedding, for our home and personalized items. In fact, I almost always go to Etsy first when I'm looking for something for Harper. I just find that the designs offered on Etsy are more unique and modern than you'd find on conventional websites and in typical baby stores and boutiques.

I really love to support Etsy businesses because a lot of the women running them are moms who are helping to support their families. It's really inspiring how successful some of the businesses have become.

Sometimes my readers contact me about checking out their Etsy shops and if I like what I see I always want to help promote their businesses.

Jackie has a shop called Happiness Lives Here and she makes adorable anthropologie-esque little onesie dresses with layered ruffle aprons for baby girls. She also makes hair bows and other cute baby items.

(Harper checking out her outfit- 

her leggings are from Baby Gap and her headband is from Pretty Little Elm)

...and here is another one of her designs with an adorable pink polka dot giraffe!

Jackie is offering 10% off of your order on anything in her shop---just use the code HARPER at checkout! How cute is this Halloween design? Simply adorable! I'm also loving this scalloped cream bow, this pink headband and this adorable floral headband.

Before I go, thanks for all of the well-wishes many of you have sent. I have been home since Wednesday afternoon. I came down with a really brutal stomach virus and then this morning I saw my doctor because I also came down with a really painful sinus infection. I'm on antibiotics now and praying things start to feel better soon!