Are you shining just for me?
Persil at Target!
I'm just like nearly every other person in America who thoroughly enjoys a trip to my local Target. When the kind folks at Persil asked me to spread the word that their amazing detergent is now at Target stores, I practically ran out the door because I'll take any excuse to browse for hours! I like using fragrance-free and dye-free for the kids but I like the fresh scent for the rest of our laundry. Persil has both options and goodness knows we get a lot of stains on our clothes because...two kids. Persil uses the "10 dimensions of clean" to get stains out and it works so well. I tried a couple of Goldie's dresses that have little stains I couldn't get out with anything else and they came out completely clean! Win.
Anyway, in celebration of Persil being available at Target I thought I would snap some pics of my favorite things at Target these days. :)
Such beautiful fresh local flowers and the dollar spot is all Easter'd up and it is making my heart sing. We got a couple of Spring banners for our mantle. I love that the outdoor section is filling up too! Getting me excited for Spring! Of course, there could never be a Target trip without a drawn out visit to the toy section. I always negotiate doing toys last to keep Goldie on her best behavior (not that she is ever not on her best behavior in stores but it helps her to be extra patient). Also, Darcy can now sit in the cart and I have to marvel at the passing of time and how relentless it is with it's speed.
Go pick up some Persil Detergent at Target!
*This post was sponsored by Persil and all opinions are my own. Thanks so much for supporting my blog and it's sponsors.
XO, Coury
Anyway, in celebration of Persil being available at Target I thought I would snap some pics of my favorite things at Target these days. :)
Such beautiful fresh local flowers and the dollar spot is all Easter'd up and it is making my heart sing. We got a couple of Spring banners for our mantle. I love that the outdoor section is filling up too! Getting me excited for Spring! Of course, there could never be a Target trip without a drawn out visit to the toy section. I always negotiate doing toys last to keep Goldie on her best behavior (not that she is ever not on her best behavior in stores but it helps her to be extra patient). Also, Darcy can now sit in the cart and I have to marvel at the passing of time and how relentless it is with it's speed.
Go pick up some Persil Detergent at Target!
*This post was sponsored by Persil and all opinions are my own. Thanks so much for supporting my blog and it's sponsors.
XO, Coury
Evenflo x Fancy Treehouse.
Hey guys! Happy to team up with Evenflo today to try out their Sibby Travel System. We went out for a little family time on Saturday and had the loveliest stroll and scones and parfaits and coffee. Family time right now is as precious as gold.
I love the speckled grey color of the Sibby and unlike most strollers I've tried, it all came in one piece which was nice and easy. It also makes it easier to take places because it doesn't have to be disassembled every time you put it in the trunk (or tram at Disneyland haha).
My favorite thing about it was the attached ride along board for Goldie. I've never seen a stroller include that! I've always had to order them separately so that was much appreciated. She's super into the ride along boards these days. I'm cherishing that because I know it's a limited amount of time.
XO,
COURY
This post was sponsored by evenflo and all opinions are my own. Thanks!
I love the speckled grey color of the Sibby and unlike most strollers I've tried, it all came in one piece which was nice and easy. It also makes it easier to take places because it doesn't have to be disassembled every time you put it in the trunk (or tram at Disneyland haha).
My favorite thing about it was the attached ride along board for Goldie. I've never seen a stroller include that! I've always had to order them separately so that was much appreciated. She's super into the ride along boards these days. I'm cherishing that because I know it's a limited amount of time.
COURY
This post was sponsored by evenflo and all opinions are my own. Thanks!
Date.
This was a completely dreamy afternoon. I felt like ME and I knew that I'll be ME soon for good. I'm most me when I'm with my Gabe. We had way too much fun with my new iphone camera. Can you believe these pics are all from a phone? Definitely still gonna lug around the "real" camera most of the time but these are so fun for a phone!
My set is from PepaLoves. :)
♥
My set is from PepaLoves. :)
♥
GALENTINES.
Hey guys! Wrapping up my fun partnership with Papyrus for one of my favorite holidays: Valentine's Day. Oh, it's just the best and I will never be cynical about it because it's all about cute pink things for me. I think it's about lifting each other up and not dwelling on the romantic side of it, if you don't happen to have that in your life. That's why it's so fun that there are so many cute non-romantic card options these days and of course, Papyrus has the cutest options.
Also pretty pumped to have a daughter who thinks it's just as fun as I do. She's sending out these adorable princess cards to her friends. I remember how fun it was to give Valentine's to all the kids in my class growing up. Goldie isn't in school yet, much to her dismay. I still get her home for 7 more months. Phhewww. Anyway, we're just mailing some out to her little friends and next year she can give them out to her classmates.
I know this is shocking, but my 8 month old son just wants to EAT the valentines. Haha.
And pink hair in February is a rule around here. :)
*this post was sponsored by papyrus and all opinions are my own. :)
XO, Coury
Also pretty pumped to have a daughter who thinks it's just as fun as I do. She's sending out these adorable princess cards to her friends. I remember how fun it was to give Valentine's to all the kids in my class growing up. Goldie isn't in school yet, much to her dismay. I still get her home for 7 more months. Phhewww. Anyway, we're just mailing some out to her little friends and next year she can give them out to her classmates.
I know this is shocking, but my 8 month old son just wants to EAT the valentines. Haha.
And pink hair in February is a rule around here. :)
*this post was sponsored by papyrus and all opinions are my own. :)
XO, Coury
Cruffins for all!
We finally had a chance to check out the new Mr Holmes in Highland Park on Saturday. It's truly beautiful and the treats are stupendous. It was a sunny day after an entire week of rain and it couldn't have been a better morning.
♥
Pastries forever. ;)
XO, COURY
♥
Pastries forever. ;)
XO, COURY
Disney Day.
A beautiful day at the happiest place on earth.
♥
♥
New year, new....?
Hey guys! Happy to share with you the next installment in my partnership with Papyrus.
So, I don't really make resolutions and this year is a strange year anyway because I have an infant and when I have an infant it takes over my entire life so "having an infant" is kinda my goal for the year. Haha. Mostly joking, but when I read a tip somewhere to buy a bunch of cards at the beginning of the year so you'll have them on hand for whatever occasion arises I thought it was a great idea. I have been so bad about handwriting and snail mailing cards in the past, but partnering with Papyrus and having a 4 year old who is obsessed with the mail has helped me do way better at that in 2016. Looking forward to sending LOTS more cards in the mail in 2017.
As always, Papyrus has the cutest cards ever. The "Eat Cake For Breakfast" card is an obvious favorite of mine and I enjoyed the Jane Austen quote especially since she inspired my son's name. :)
There are a million reasons to show others that we're thinking about them and it's just so special to receive a hand written note these days. I'm proud to be giving Goldie these fun memories of our card writing "parties".
♥
*This post was sponsored by Papyrus and all opinions are mine. Thanks a million for supporting my sponsors who allow me to do what I love.
XO, COURY
So, I don't really make resolutions and this year is a strange year anyway because I have an infant and when I have an infant it takes over my entire life so "having an infant" is kinda my goal for the year. Haha. Mostly joking, but when I read a tip somewhere to buy a bunch of cards at the beginning of the year so you'll have them on hand for whatever occasion arises I thought it was a great idea. I have been so bad about handwriting and snail mailing cards in the past, but partnering with Papyrus and having a 4 year old who is obsessed with the mail has helped me do way better at that in 2016. Looking forward to sending LOTS more cards in the mail in 2017.
As always, Papyrus has the cutest cards ever. The "Eat Cake For Breakfast" card is an obvious favorite of mine and I enjoyed the Jane Austen quote especially since she inspired my son's name. :)
There are a million reasons to show others that we're thinking about them and it's just so special to receive a hand written note these days. I'm proud to be giving Goldie these fun memories of our card writing "parties".
♥
*This post was sponsored by Papyrus and all opinions are mine. Thanks a million for supporting my sponsors who allow me to do what I love.
XO, COURY
You outshine the morning sun.
What a fabulous sunny day in one of my favorite cities, Palm Springs. When we lived in Tennessee I only dreamed of being in Palm Springs in 70 degree weather in January. We were so totally broke during that time that there was no chance of making a trip. Present day is definitely one of the hardest times I've experienced in my life but I just honestly can't complain because I have so much to be thankful for and what I have far outweighs what I don't have. If this is the hardest time of my life, I've had a pretttty good life.
Darcy is the sweetest angel in all the land but this is an incredibly trying age for me with my babies. Goldie was exactly the same. They are HORRIFIC sleepers, and they want to walk on their own so bad but not even close to ready so it makes for a lot of frustration through the day. I feel stupid for even complaining about it because the only thing that really matters is that we are all healthy and we can pay our bills, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a physically exhausting time in my life. Gabe is gone all week until June and we only see him on Saturday and a bit of Sunday morning. We miss him a ton but somehow it's bringing us all closer in the end and I'm thankful for that. He is sacrificing a lot to make a better life for all of us and I am in awe of him. Someday the kids will know how lucky they are too. He is truly the best and sometimes I still can't believe, even after 13 years together, that I found my perfect soulmate. We were so young but we've grown together to want the same things out of life and we have the same ideals and beliefs on how to raise our kids. We are very lucky.
Darcy is almost 7 months old and he crawls in his own way. He can get across the room real fast if he spots anything dangerous he shouldn't be playing with. He's starting to cruise and he loves being independent but he also loves a good snuggle. He loves his family but especially his sister. The joy that fills me when she makes him laugh cannot be described. He doesn't really like any of the hundred toys my family has bought him and would prefer to only chew on my phone, rip up and eat paper, and shove markers down his throat. So, he's pretty typical. :) He goes to sleep around 5 or 6 and is up around 5 or 6. During the 12 hour stretch he is up anywhere from 10-20 times a night. Sadly, I'm not exaggerating. Plus, it's kinda my fault because I don't let him cry and go back to sleep on his own so he can learn....but I just can't do it. None of the no cry methods ever worked on Goldie and I just had to wait it out. I'm planning on doing the same thing with him and I know time flies so very fast...he'll be sleeping (and, in turn, will I) in no time. Other that that struggle, he really is so happy and sweet and I am 1000% in love with him. Ok, I wrote this last night before I felt his FIRST TOOTH had come through. I gave him motrin at bedtime and he slept way better. Poor thing was bothered by his tooth. #1 reason having babies is hard: they can't tell you what's wrong! Poor babe. Only 19 more teeth to go. Ha.
Goldie is just busy being her cute self and is amazing me everyday with her little smarty pants self. She draws letters and numbers I didn't even know she knew how to do out of the blue and comes up with the funniest things to say. It must be pretty fun inside her little brain. I know it's going a mile a minute because sometimes she gets so excited she can't spit her words out fast enough and gets frustrated with herself. She's definitely revealed herself as a perfectionist and is her own worst critic. I will keep building her up til the day I leave the earth and do my very best not to put myself down so she can have a healthy example of self love. She is very into clothes right now and loves changing outfits 10 times a day and is also enjoying making outfit flatlays which just kills me it's so cute. She adores her little brother and I so thankful for her sweet spirit and her desire to include him in everything and not make him feel left out. I know they are going to have such a sweet relationship.
Anyway, here are some photos of our day in Palm Springs. Time with the four of us feels like gold grains of sand right slipping through my hands now. I treasure it even though one day feels like 5 minutes.
♥
XO, Coury
Darcy is the sweetest angel in all the land but this is an incredibly trying age for me with my babies. Goldie was exactly the same. They are HORRIFIC sleepers, and they want to walk on their own so bad but not even close to ready so it makes for a lot of frustration through the day. I feel stupid for even complaining about it because the only thing that really matters is that we are all healthy and we can pay our bills, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a physically exhausting time in my life. Gabe is gone all week until June and we only see him on Saturday and a bit of Sunday morning. We miss him a ton but somehow it's bringing us all closer in the end and I'm thankful for that. He is sacrificing a lot to make a better life for all of us and I am in awe of him. Someday the kids will know how lucky they are too. He is truly the best and sometimes I still can't believe, even after 13 years together, that I found my perfect soulmate. We were so young but we've grown together to want the same things out of life and we have the same ideals and beliefs on how to raise our kids. We are very lucky.
Darcy is almost 7 months old and he crawls in his own way. He can get across the room real fast if he spots anything dangerous he shouldn't be playing with. He's starting to cruise and he loves being independent but he also loves a good snuggle. He loves his family but especially his sister. The joy that fills me when she makes him laugh cannot be described. He doesn't really like any of the hundred toys my family has bought him and would prefer to only chew on my phone, rip up and eat paper, and shove markers down his throat. So, he's pretty typical. :) He goes to sleep around 5 or 6 and is up around 5 or 6. During the 12 hour stretch he is up anywhere from 10-20 times a night. Sadly, I'm not exaggerating. Plus, it's kinda my fault because I don't let him cry and go back to sleep on his own so he can learn....but I just can't do it. None of the no cry methods ever worked on Goldie and I just had to wait it out. I'm planning on doing the same thing with him and I know time flies so very fast...he'll be sleeping (and, in turn, will I) in no time. Other that that struggle, he really is so happy and sweet and I am 1000% in love with him. Ok, I wrote this last night before I felt his FIRST TOOTH had come through. I gave him motrin at bedtime and he slept way better. Poor thing was bothered by his tooth. #1 reason having babies is hard: they can't tell you what's wrong! Poor babe. Only 19 more teeth to go. Ha.
Goldie is just busy being her cute self and is amazing me everyday with her little smarty pants self. She draws letters and numbers I didn't even know she knew how to do out of the blue and comes up with the funniest things to say. It must be pretty fun inside her little brain. I know it's going a mile a minute because sometimes she gets so excited she can't spit her words out fast enough and gets frustrated with herself. She's definitely revealed herself as a perfectionist and is her own worst critic. I will keep building her up til the day I leave the earth and do my very best not to put myself down so she can have a healthy example of self love. She is very into clothes right now and loves changing outfits 10 times a day and is also enjoying making outfit flatlays which just kills me it's so cute. She adores her little brother and I so thankful for her sweet spirit and her desire to include him in everything and not make him feel left out. I know they are going to have such a sweet relationship.
Anyway, here are some photos of our day in Palm Springs. Time with the four of us feels like gold grains of sand right slipping through my hands now. I treasure it even though one day feels like 5 minutes.
♥
XO, Coury
#LOVEYOURHAIR
Hi guys! So happy to be partnering with Dove today to encourage mothers to pass along hair confidence to their daughters! As I've said many times before, I take my responsibility for grooming Goldie to be a confident, strong girl very seriously.
Earlier this year, Dove Hair found that 8 in 10 women feel pressure to wear their hair a certain way. For many, these pressures begin at an early age. Growing up, I always wanted anyones hair but my own. My hair is pretty fine, totally straight, and without bleach it's a dull dark blonde color. All I ever wanted was some curl and texture. Now that I have evolved into ME, I have grown to love my hair and figured out ways to make it how I like it. I use dry shampoo for texture and body and I can say that I do love my hair now! Being almost 6 months postpartum, I have lost tons of hair. I've got clumps coming out every time I wash it...BUT I have some perspective and know that I can be confident mo matter what my hair looks like.
The most important thing to me is that we all celebrate each other for being unique. As a mother, you can make a difference and ensure she grows up feeling confident. In fact, a recent study found that 82% of girls learn to care about themselves from their mother. I try to teach her every day that everyone's differences make them special and beautiful. I like to believe that the world is becoming more accepting of people that are different than them, but the biggest difference this generation of moms and dads can make is in our own houses. If we can encourage our children to love and accept themselves first, they will love and accept others that much more.
Tell your daughter why you love her hair and inspire her to do the same by creating and sharing a custom #LoveYourHair animated message with @Dove at LoveYourHair.Dove.com
♥
Thanks to Dove for partnering with me on this post and thanks to Goldie for letting me curl her hair today. Haha. :)
Giveaway time!
Hey guys! I'm sharing an amazing giveaway today!
Included in the giveaway:
CYBEX PRIAM Stroller. So luxurious! Gorgeous tweedy fabric and so easy to push and put away. A fabulous stroller all around! I'm gonna get a ride along board for it so Goldie can get on too.
gb Pockit Stroller. How small this thing gets is unreal! I feel like it would fit in the bottom compartment of another standard stroller. So great if you live in an apartment or are short on space...or if you have a small car. Super easy to fold and unfold as well.
Munki Munki jammies. Goldie has been wearing these every night. They are SO comfy and adorable.
eBags packing cubes. I love these so much because we always just take one big suitcase when we go on little family trips and these cubes help us divide our stuff. Genius.
An item from Faux Real. I love the baby outfits they have! So funny.
Enter to win all these items below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post was sponsored by these great brands and all opinions are my own. :)
Coury
Included in the giveaway:
CYBEX PRIAM Stroller. So luxurious! Gorgeous tweedy fabric and so easy to push and put away. A fabulous stroller all around! I'm gonna get a ride along board for it so Goldie can get on too.
gb Pockit Stroller. How small this thing gets is unreal! I feel like it would fit in the bottom compartment of another standard stroller. So great if you live in an apartment or are short on space...or if you have a small car. Super easy to fold and unfold as well.
Munki Munki jammies. Goldie has been wearing these every night. They are SO comfy and adorable.
eBags packing cubes. I love these so much because we always just take one big suitcase when we go on little family trips and these cubes help us divide our stuff. Genius.
An item from Faux Real. I love the baby outfits they have! So funny.
Enter to win all these items below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
This post was sponsored by these great brands and all opinions are my own. :)
Coury
Clean and Happy!
Hi guys! Happy to be partnering with my new best parenting friend, Clean and Happy! It's a community of moms and dads supporting each other and discussing the hundreds of topics that come up every day when you're a parent. It seems like there's always some new safety info out and if you aren't connected somewhere, you can miss out on important info.
Darcy is almost 6 months old and is already fairly mobile. He's not crawling but he can definitely scoot himself around if he wants. It helps to have Goldie at such a good age to tattle on him (lol) but still...baby-proofing is already important. I like getting ideas from other parents on things I might have overlooked because I'm lacking in sleep!
Not only can we all share safety tips, there are so many topics everywhere from healthy snacks to rainy day activities. Having a newborn can certainly be isolating. I felt it so much when Goldie was an infant and although I've fought through it and it has been easier his time, I still tend to feel isolated because it's just harder to get out (and I love staying busy). It's nice to have a little community of parents and caregivers to interact with.
Come join me at cleanandhappy.com and get in the conversation!
This post is sponsored by cleanandhappy.com and all opinions are my own!
Xo, Coury
Darcy is almost 6 months old and is already fairly mobile. He's not crawling but he can definitely scoot himself around if he wants. It helps to have Goldie at such a good age to tattle on him (lol) but still...baby-proofing is already important. I like getting ideas from other parents on things I might have overlooked because I'm lacking in sleep!
Not only can we all share safety tips, there are so many topics everywhere from healthy snacks to rainy day activities. Having a newborn can certainly be isolating. I felt it so much when Goldie was an infant and although I've fought through it and it has been easier his time, I still tend to feel isolated because it's just harder to get out (and I love staying busy). It's nice to have a little community of parents and caregivers to interact with.
Come join me at cleanandhappy.com and get in the conversation!
This post is sponsored by cleanandhappy.com and all opinions are my own!
Xo, Coury
Trick or treat!
Oops, is it too late for a halloween blog post? Haha!
Ugh, what a special Halloween.
Goldie's first time trick or treating. It was so sweet to see her work up courage to go up to the spooky houses and say trick or treat before she was anywhere near the door. Darcy slept through most of it but we got his sleepy lion face in a pic or two. Can't wait for next year! Family costumes are happening!
Of course she had to be Ariel at some point although this costume was way too itchy to be worn out this year!
Ugh, what a special Halloween.
Goldie's first time trick or treating. It was so sweet to see her work up courage to go up to the spooky houses and say trick or treat before she was anywhere near the door. Darcy slept through most of it but we got his sleepy lion face in a pic or two. Can't wait for next year! Family costumes are happening!
Of course she had to be Ariel at some point although this costume was way too itchy to be worn out this year!
Ace your savings!
Saving money has always been in my blood. I guess I'm lucky that I got that from my dad. Even when Gabe and I were barely scraping by every month, I still tried to save even more than was possible. At the time, I was saving for a house or a baby...and that actually hasn't changed in 10 years. Last year I was saving for a baby (who became my love Mr Darcy) and this year I'm back to saving for a house. We've owned two houses, but not in California because $$$$. Yikes. It seems doable for us sometime in the not too distant future so it makes saving a lot more fun. I've also recently started thinking about saving for Goldie for college (mostly because of the opportunities to do so through uPromise).
Of course, there's always less major savings projects I do as well. Right now, it's all about saving for the holidays so we don't go into any debt. There's just always so much more to spend money on during the holidays with entertaining, gifts, decorations, lots more baking, and a little family vacation for us since Gabe will be going away for awhile to train for a job in December.
I'm excited to work with Upromise and the Upromise MasterCard this holiday season because I'm earning up to 10% cash back on a ton of things I already buy anyway. I earn up to 5% when I shop and dine with Upromise partners and another 5% back when I pay with the Upromise Mastercard. Cash back on online shopping is kinda the greatest because I pretty much only shop online these days. It's made Christmas shopping so much more pleasant. I've always seen cards like this but never used them because I don't usually like to use credit cards. I decided to give it a try when I was approached by Upromise and let it jumpstart my holiday savings. So far it's pretty cool seeing it add up little by little and the whole trick is just don't buy more than normal just because you're using a credit card and pay the entire balance off at the end of every month. My biggest tip for not going in the red during the season is writing everything down and budgeting. If you plan exactly what you'll spend there won't be any surprises when you get your bill and you'll be able to pay it all off and get the cash back benefits as well. Win/win! I'm pretty passionate about saving money and I feel like I've never talked about it here on the blog. Upromise is helping me ace my savings by raising my spending awareness and of course, the cash back!
Goldie and I are already getting some of our holiday prep shopping done and I feel like the more you plan what you're buying as gifts, the easier it is to stay within your budget. It's hard to stick to a budget when you're scrambling to buy gifts at the last minute.
We're enjoying the fall weather and excited to see Christmas decorations going up soon at the stores! EEEEK! Darcy's first Christmas!
This post has been sponsored by uPromise and of course all opinions are my own.
XO Coury
Goldie is 4.
Unbelievable. 4 years!!
We had a little family party on Goldie's actual birthday and we had a ton of fun doing it. My sis did all the treats and they were soooo fun plus delicious! We got the best pizza and just had a ball together.
Love my sweet girl. She lives up more and more to her name with every year that passes and continues to be a bright golden ray of sunlight. So thankful for her heart and so thankful that I was chosen to guide her through childhood.
♥
Goldies blouse: Alex and Alexa
Bloomers: Crew And Lu
Flower crown: rock n rose
Shoes: Joyfolie
My dress is Camilyn Beth
Darcy's overalls are from Poppys Closet
Cups, forks, straws, confetti balloons, and cake topper from Jamboree Party Box!
XO, Coury
We had a little family party on Goldie's actual birthday and we had a ton of fun doing it. My sis did all the treats and they were soooo fun plus delicious! We got the best pizza and just had a ball together.
Love my sweet girl. She lives up more and more to her name with every year that passes and continues to be a bright golden ray of sunlight. So thankful for her heart and so thankful that I was chosen to guide her through childhood.
♥
Goldies blouse: Alex and Alexa
Bloomers: Crew And Lu
Flower crown: rock n rose
Shoes: Joyfolie
My dress is Camilyn Beth
Darcy's overalls are from Poppys Closet
Cups, forks, straws, confetti balloons, and cake topper from Jamboree Party Box!
XO, Coury