Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Bows

Portraits by JoopaShoots
Bow: Esty. Dress: Gap (festive version).

This post is geared toward the girl moms. I get asked two questions about bows all the time...

1. Where do you buy them?
I have ordered from hairbowsworld on Etsy and Cute bows 4 girls (formerly on Etsy) - the prices are great! There are several sizes - Lexi most often wears the 3-inch and 4-inch size (pictured above). I've done a couple large orders and have included them in shower gifts. I also love the brand Wee Ones and buy these at boutiques in Connecticut and on the Cape.

2. How do you get them to stay on?!
First off, if there isn't any hair to clip them onto (or it's a larger bow) you can secure to an elastic headband (sold alone or with the bows). Up until about 9 months she would wear a headband then she was over it.

We go in phases... but it can be struggle. I will wear one around the house and then she will want to have her bow back on! When she's frustrated or I tell her "no" to anything (which let's be honest is pretty often now) she rips them out!


Modeling the 5-inch from Cute bows 4 girls with a headband last Christmas.



She typically wears her hair in a ponytail to daycare and a bow on the weekends except for PICTURE DAY! I had to buy them all.

Any other bow lovers out there?! 
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Monday, November 27, 2017

Monogram Monday: Book Filled Tote


L.L. Bean Boat and Tote (Medium) // Monogram by Monogram Mary // Tissue Paper: Target

I know it's Cyber Monday (you can see my list of favorite deals here)... but let's switch gears and talk monograms. Last year for Lexi's first Christmas I gave her a monogram tote filled with books. The tote is from L.L. Bean (the medium size) and I had it embroidered locally by Monogram Mary. The books are either from Amazon or T.J. Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods. A few of them were already on her bookshelf... not so sure I could fool her this year!






Whenever I find the time to visit a T.J. Maxx/Marshalls/Home Goods I almost always leave with a couple of books for Lexi. A tip from experience, if it is a flap book make sure they are all intact! This was a haul I had gotten over the summer. Can You Say It, Too? Moo! Moo! was a gift from my sister-in-law and one of Lexi's favorites.



My favorite flap books (which I will be honest I didn't even know were a thing until Lexi) are the Cottage Press board books. We have a drawer full of flaps that I tell myself that I will eventually tape back... but fewest from these sturdy little books.


Finally, the scallop tissue paper is from the sugar paper line at Target. She had more fun with this than anything else.

Do you have a favorite children's book that you always gift?
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Friday, November 24, 2017

Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sales



Hat: Gap (50% off). Jacket: Patagonia (wish this one was one sale). Leggings: Gap (50% off). Shoes: Converse (25% off).

This weekend has always been incredibly stressful for me but now that I'm shopping for Lexi too I go crazy! Luckily Gap, where I buy most of her clothes, always has sales. But at this time of the year I'm afraid I will miss out on some crazy deal and am constantly making sure I don't deserve a price adjustment, ha. The sales I've been checking out...

UPDATED FOR CYBER MONDAY
Anthropologie - 20% off (candles, people!)
Athleta - 20% off with BLISS
Banana Republic - 50% off
barr+barr - 40% plus shipping with MERRY40
Birchbox - Up to 25% off  (Oribe... so hard to ever find on sale! I'm obsessed with the dry shampoo and there are so many sets that make great gifts like this one)
Old Navy - 50% off
Gap - 50% off
H&M - 30% off
J. Crew - 40% off + extra 10%
Juliska - 40% off or more
Macy's - Lots of Free People on sale... I ordered this sweater in black
Nordstrom - Extra 20% off select sale
Society Social - Up to $300 select items (only sale of the year - I finally got this bar cart I have been dreaming of!)
T3 - 25% off (love my dryer)
Tuckernuck- 20% off or up to 30% off with GONUTS
Waiting on Martha Home - 30% off

And Black Friday deals for my local friends...
Havana Jeans - 25-50% off storewide, additional 10% off between 8-10AM
Joyride - 20% off all class packs, 1st month of monthlies & merchandise with ORANGEFRIDAY17
Pink Lemon Blue Lime - 40% off 10-11AM, 30% off 11-1PM, 20% off 1-6PM, 25% off $150+ on Small Business Saturday

Scarf: J. Crew Sweater: Old Navy Shoes: Ivanka Trump

I stopped into Old Navy quickly on Wednesday since they started their sale early. I got my sweater and this adorable faux fur jacket for Lexi to wear over her Christmas dress.

I'll probably be chatting on Instagram stories (@lindsayblackinton) about the rest of my finds. I have been linking to the products under Shop My Instagram on the main menu since it's the easiest... one of the reasons I started this blog is because I like to share my shopping finds so it's always fun for me to check in during these sales and tell the world what I actually buy, keep and wear more than once.

Happy Shopping!
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Thanksgiving

Bag: barr+barr (c/o). 
Sweater: Old Navy. Scarf: Forever21. Jeans: AG. Sunglasses: Perverse. Boots (pictured below): Sam Edelman. Ted's Jacket: Patagonia. Lexi's Jacket: Gap. Leggings: Old Navy. Boots: Gap

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! We headed out Thanksgiving morning to get Starbucks, so thankful they are always open, and made a stop at the beach to play before having dinner at my parents house.

I recently received this leather blush backpack from a local brand, barr+barr, and couldn't wait to use it. The color is versatile and looks great with both neutrals and black. It was especially useful yesterday because I could leave my diaper bag in the car and just throw in some essentials (like tissues... with Lexi I will need an endless supply through March) and have both hands free for Lexi. All of their bags and cashmere scarves are on sale this weekend for 40% off plus free shipping with code MERRY40. The scarves would make a great gift for her! I have a similar black one and swear by it for travel and wear it constantly in the winter in my freezing office.

More to come on all the big sales... my sweater and most of Lexi's outfit linked above are all 50% off!







barr+barr: 40% off and free shipping with code MERRY40 through 11/27

Happy Thanksgiving! xx
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Monday, November 20, 2017

Thanksgiving Centerpiece Workshop with McArdle's



Over the weekend I had the amazing opportunity to take a workshop at McArdle's Florist and Garden Center in Greenwich with a friend. We created these beautiful Thanksgiving centerpieces. I learned so many great tips from the instructor, Michael, and hope I can recreate something on my own again soon. 

If you are local, McArdle's is a must visit! It is the oldest family run business in Greenwich, four generations and over 100 years old. I am anxious to get back to visit their gift shop and browse their holiday decor after Thanksgiving. 


Admiring the flowers before our class started. Love the color of these roses. We used sunflowers, moonflower, hypericum, cymbidium orchids, broomcorn, millet, eucalyptus, pin cushion protea and kale.


Whenever I am lucky enough to bring home an arrangement from a wedding or event, once it goes I try to dissect it and understand how the florist put it together. It is both a science and an art. Weirdly one of my favorite things during the class was cutting this wet foam block. Wrapping it with the leaves was more challenging than it seems.



There are so many tips and tricks and flowers to use that I would never pick out on my own. I was a little sad to remove the yellow petals on these sunflowers (by gently pushing back) but it added a different look to the arrangement.


I wish I was comfortable cutting flowers with a knife but I'm not there yet so relied on these clippers. I have a pair in my kitchen drawer dedicated for cutting fresh flowers. 



The final product!

McArdle's Florist & Garden Center
48 Arch Street
Greenwich, CT 06830
Holiday Hours: Monday-Saturday 8AM-6PM, Sunday 9AM-5PM

Award-winning designers, experts in floral design, plant design, plant knowledge, interiorscaping and landscaping. 

  • Exquisite floral arrangements, luxury blooming plants, centerpieces, cut flowers, custom indoor and outdoor planters, home decor, gifts, seasonal decor, Christmas trees, holiday greens and decor, orchids, succulents
  • Same-day local delivery
  • McArdle’s guarantee: Fresh flowers last a week, green foliage plants last a month, blooming plants last at least 2 weeks, shrubs and perennials last a year... if not, will replace


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Friday, November 17, 2017

Insta Lately

Scarf: Forever 21 (old, but I have seen some great options in store recently like this one). 
Sweater: Old Navy. Jeans: 7 For All Mankind. Boots: Sam Edelman. Sunglasses: Perverse.

Happy Friday, friends! Today's post is a recap of some of the outfits (and a candle, ha) I've featured on Instagram in more detail.

I would have never tried these floral print jeans on if I hadn't seen someone wearing something similar at an event. I was able to get mine discounted at Lord & Taylor using my black card (limited sale exclusions). The only problem is you can't wear them two days in a row around the same people. You can definitely dress them up or down. This is a casual look with a sweater from Old Navy that is my favorite right now. I also love this cozy grey ripped sweater

I needed a pair of boots for the weekends that didn't have a high heel for chasing Lexi around. I also just feel weird wearing a heel and pushing a stroller... so I welcomed another pair of brown booties to my closet. They have zippers on each side and like how jeans tuck into them but there is a still a little room.

Jacket: Burberry (similar). Blouse: Forever 21. Jeans: AG. Boots: Stuart Weitzman (similar).

Surprisingly I did not stretch this photo (I never do but probably should)... it's the boots! I am 5'2" and never thought I would be able to pull off thigh-high boots but they work. This exact style can be found here and Nordstrom now has a similar pair with a covered heel. I like that these had just enough of a heel to give me some lift and I feel comfortable wearing them to work.  I also have black with a higher heel and save those for the rare occasions I go out at night. 

I've had this Burberry jacket for years and years. I can truly say the jacket and boots are worth the investment. These are the types of pieces you should look out for during big sales in the off season.

Jacket: Gap. Leggings: Old Navy. Boots: Hunter.

I wanted these boots for Lexi pre-birth... but patiently waited until now to splurge. She is between a 5/6 right now so went with the larger size and will be ordering some thick wool socks per a friend's suggestion to wear with them. I wanted the yellow (in case one day down the road we have a boy) but am not so mad they were sold out and got pink instead. Her lamb and doll were featured in my last post about her favorite toys.

The jacket is an older style from Gap and I was lucky to find it on Poshmark (in two sizes so she's been wearing this style for a year).  I occasionally list items but this is the only thing I have ever bought.

Sweater: Red Wagon. Jacket: Patagonia. Jeans: Gap. Sneakers: Converse. Blanket: Pottery Barn.

Several people asked me via Stories where Lexi's golf sweater was from.... The Reg Wagon in Boston on Charles Street (my favorite little street for shopping!). They offer some styles online like the Lobster, which was a gift from her Godmother that got us hooked. You can always call the store and ask if they have it in stock to ship to you. She also got us that faux fur blanket from Pottery Barn.... now there are 3 of us fighting over it in the house.


I can't wait to get our Christmas tree! In the meantime... I've been burning this Fresh Balsam 3-wick candle from Bath & Body Works. They are regularly $24 but often on sale for $12. Once a year they go on sale for $8... which I learned is December 2nd (I hope I got that right?) so mark your calendar if you want to wait in line at the mall forever to buy some candles. To be honest, I hadn't been in the store in ages but my friend that is in the fragrance industry tipped me off to this one last holiday season. Unfortunately Vanilla Balsam isn't on the shelves this year... which would have been my first choice.

If you want to splurge, Birchwood Pine from Nest is the way to go (another tip from my friend)! It is my favorite holiday candle. I use the glass as a pen holder on my desk now.


Have a great weekend!
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Friday, November 10, 2017

Gift Guide: Favorite toys for 12-18 months


My roundup skews girl for obvious reasons... but hope you might find this helpful for your little one or gifts while shopping for the holiday season. I had started this a couple months back and am happy to finally share it with you. Lexi is now 19 months and these have been her favorites. Of course nothing beats a ball, bucket or rocks. She started playing with several of these before she turned a year old, but I would say she has gotten the most use out of them in the last 6 months. 

1. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Home $89.90
We have the previous version of this house and she loves it! A friend suggested it to me, and I can't thank her enough. She did advise me that the older version is better (it has a blue door) and has more functions... so if you can get your hands on it try to find it! I set up alerts on Facebook and Craigslist and lucked out finding one in perfect condition with all the parts and manual. I would have bought this one otherwise. She's been playing with it since she was about 9-10 months.

2. The Black Dog Barking Puppy $12.00
This stuffed animal is the perfect size for little hands and barks with the push of a button. Had to include something from the Vineyard :) It's also easy to throw in your diaper bag on the go.

3. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Sis' Smart Stages Purse $19.99
One of the toys that was easy to pack for trips and also played with in the car.

4. Little Tikes Totsports Easy Hit Golf Set $26.99
According to Ted I didn't buy this one soon enough. Lexi is on her way to the LPGA...

5. Melissa & Doug Geometric Stacker $15.79
If you are a TJ Maxx/Marshalls shopper be on the lookout for it along with this hammering toy. I love these wooden toys.

Note: Recommended age is older... I was afraid she would hurt herself with the base so unless I was sitting with her would just let her play with the pieces until I was confident she could handle it.

6. Disney Jr. Doc McStuffins Lambie 7" $11.95
Lexi's "Baby".... you can't pick their favorite toy and turns out this is THE ONE. (I will be honest I was pushing the Jellycat and Boo stuffed animals...) She fell in love with Baby at daycare on the first day in her new classroom this fall (claimed her, all the other classmates bring Baby to her upon arrival) so I got one for home. I have ended up ordering an extra just in case, which was a relief when Baby was left in my car while I was at the gym and Ted was on bedtime duty.  Just like the dog, Lambie is the perfect size.

7. Land of Nod Tower of Babble Stacking Blocks $25.00
We have a similar set from Pottery Barn Kids (with more simple designs) but don't see available online now. I was able to find them in store recently. They are not only fun to stack up, but place toys underneath and play different games.

8. Corolle Calin Charming Pastel Baby Doll $33.96
Since we already have a "Baby" this is "Dolly". She has a soft body and not too large for Lexi to carry. I also got this accessory set to go along with her. When Lexi is older we will get into the American Girl Bitty Baby world...

9. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Tablet $14.99
We leave this toy in the car.

10. Radio Flyer 4-in-1 Stroll 'N Trike $74.45
We just bought this recently, in the meantime borrowed from friends. It is convertible so can be used for years to come. It also comes in pink.

11. Little Cosmetics Pretend Makeup Signature Set $19.99
Lexi is constantly trying to grab my makeup and brushes when I get ready in the morning so now she has her own set and we get ready together :) This was suggested by Pure Joy Home on her Instagram stories... her daughter is a little older than Lexi. A couple other bloggers that have helpful toy ideas are Smidge of This and Home of Malones. Would love to know who else you turn to for toy tips!

Note: The recommended age for this toy is older due to some of the smaller parts. I removed the cap from the lipstick and did put one of the pieces aside until she was better about putting things in her mouth.

12. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Smart Stages Tea Set $16.83
The teapot has a British accent... what more do you need to know.

13. Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Crayons $6.99
"I'm a crayon watch me scribble scribble" .... one of the more annoying toys but has gotten a lot of use. I'm devastated that the yellow crayon has gone missing after bringing this on a trip. I don't know if I'm the only one but I get so sad when toys disappear! I've watched Toy Story too many times.

14. Fisher Price Brilliant Basics Baby's First Blocks $7.88
Classic shape sorter.

15. Melissa & Doug Large Shapes Jumbo Knob Wooden Puzzle $16.99
I have found several of these puzzles at TJ Maxx/Marshalls. This is my favorite because of the knobs. She also enjoyed playing with the shapes from this one. Most recently she is into the animal sound puzzles like this one... but please be warned that they randomly will make sounds when the pieces aren't in place and DO NOT travel in the car with them. I made the mistake of packing it up and heard animal sounds the entire ride.


Lexi tested and approved. The proof is in the pictures :)

Would love to know your favorite suggestions for 18-24 months!
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Thursday, November 9, 2017

Throwback Thursday

My Dress: J. Crew. Lexi's Dress: Gap. Sneakers: Target. Bow: Esty.

Sharing a few pictures from last month on the Vineyard...that were near impossible to get. As I mentioned on Instagram, the only thing that kept Lexi from running off the porch was holding Mommy's bag. I felt a little sorry for anyone that was trying to enjoy a peaceful sunset. 

She was not in the mood for a photoshoot, but had no choice. Her dress was too cute! You can find it on sale now - I will be layering a fur vest over it for winter. I wore this striped dress out several times... there are only a few sizes left online but if you can find it in stores on the sale rack snag it! It's classic and know I will break it out again in the early spring.

In other life news... besides keeping up with Lexi I have been incredibly busy with my job and projects on our new house. We are getting the floors refinished over Thanksgiving, which is exciting but also stressful since we have pack everything up. We held off on buying most of our new furniture until this is complete. I can't make up my mind on anything, so the process of getting this house set up will be a long one. 

More to come... miss my little blog corner! In the meantime, I hope you're following me on Instagram - @lindsayblackinton. xx

Bag: Gucci.



(Ted didn't believe me when I told him he got a bad forehead tan from fishing... here's the proof, haha!)
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Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Trick or Treat


First Halloween in our new house down! I loved seeing Miss Lexi hand (throw) out candy to the trick or treaters and dance to spooky Halloween tunes. Ted and I have worn our Oktoberfest attire from Germany every Halloween for the past 4 years so it was fitting for Lexi to join us. (I told Ted when he made the investment in his lederhosen to think about the cost per wear and it would be worth it.) We dressed up on Saturday night for a party in the city and admittedly I got dressed up again on Tuesday just to take this picture. Lexi had fallen asleep before we had the chance the first round.


Someone refused to sit next to me... haha. I can't wait to show her this when she's older. I found the cute toddler sized dirndl on Etsy. It can also double as Little Red Riding Hood costume.


Lexi's first outfit of the day was Sleeping Beauty. She refused to put it on in the morning before daycare (and by refuse, I mean threw an absolute tantrum). I was so relieved so see that she obliged when I went to her school's parade in the afternoon. Obviously I had to take a few pictures before her outfit change. We bought this sign at Target on our candy run just in case we ran out of candy...


My little pumpkin!

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Monday, October 2, 2017

Coverybox


One of the reasons why I still blog are the people I meet along the way. I recently partnered with Athleta Greenwich and Coverybox for a shopping night - the events manager at Athleta thought we would be a good match. As expected, I really enjoyed meeting founder Stephanie and am excited to share her newly launched company. She curates gift boxes aimed to support, encourage and inspire women affected by mental illness, addiction and other life struggles while they are in treatment or the recovery process.


I have never experienced these struggles firsthand but I know people that have and felt at a loss when it came to how I could help or what to give. This is a great way of sending encouragement when you might not know the "right" thing to say but want to show you care. Items such as printed socks, hair ties, lip balms, notebooks, and pens are included along with motivational messaged jewelry.


Here's a sampling of some of her other selections from the event. She's been traveling to events all around the Northeast. I know this box of goodies could make a world of difference to someone in recovery or battling chronic illness and hope that my little corner of the web spreads the word to make that happen.

Visit Coverybox

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Thursday, September 28, 2017

Fall Window Boxes


Last weekend we swapped out the geraniums in our window boxes with mums, kale and ivy for fall. I can barely keep anything alive.... so this is a whole new venture for me. I brought a Better Homes and Gardens image to The Gardeners Center and Florist in Darien and someone assisted me in what to arrange. Since they are on the second story they don't have quite the impact I was going for but I will know for next time (2 white liners per window).


Lexi insisted on helping... I thought we were over the eating dirt phase but apparently not. At least it was organic... ?


Daddy's little helper! She was throwing dirt into the boxes while I supervised.


Exactly 3 years ago I was in Paris and stopped to admire this little flower shop in Saint Germain. If only I could recreate this!
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Monday, September 25, 2017

Bathtime: Birth to 18 Months


Alright... I'm in mommy blogger mode and the topic is bathtime. In general with baby stuff I try not to go overboard with products and get what we need plus whatever will make life easier. Here are the products she's used over the past 18 (wow!) months.






To start, I had the Angelcare Bath Support on my kitchen counter for sponge baths. After a couple weeks I transitioned this into the big tub and used the Summer Infant Comfy Bath Sponge from Amazon on top, a $7 rec from Smidge of This, until she was about 3 months. I also used the sponge directly in the sink when we traveled.

At around 5-6 months we ditched the Angelcare support and went right into the tub. At this point I wish I had bought the Munchkin Inflatable Duck Tub. I really didn't want to get another thing... and to be honest I don't even remember what made me break down and order it. Anyway, it is great because you don't have to wait to fill up the entire bathtub and it's easy to travel with. Eventually she started climbing out of it but it was good while it lasted.

For toys, I've always loved the Elegant Baby Squirties. We have gone through a couple sets because they do start to grow mold inside (gross, I know) so I have replaced. We also have some foam stickers and other toys that I have picked up at Home Goods.

Now we're getting into the "do I really need this" territory. Cute towels are a registry must, and you're bound to get one as a gift anyway. The Pottery Barn towels are adorable and make for great pictures, ha! Now we just use a regular large plush towel, but I miss when she was tiny in her little bunny towel. Moving on...I was nervous that Lexi would hit her head on the metal spout so started with the Skip Hop Moby Spout Cover. This lead to getting the matching Toy Organizer ... because once we didn't use the support and duck tub there was no where to put everything. Finally, yes you can use a cup to rinse but I caved and got this and it does make it easier with the curved lip.

The first products I used for Lexi were from Beautycounter because I knew I could trust that there were no unwanted ingredients. Without a doubt, my favorite was the Baby Soothing Oil and I used this on Lexi for the first couple months after every bath. Since she had eczema, our doctor suggested Eucerin Baby Eczema Relief instead. I tried a few other brands but ended up coming back to this one because I actually see a difference with regular use as opposed to some of the natural ones. The Mustela Gentle Cleansing Gel  is a 2-1 and it seems like a bottle lasts forever. A little goes a long way and I continue to use the Baby Buddy's Natural Bath Sponge (replace as needed). Finally, the California Baby Calming Bubble Bath has been my favorite natural brand we've tried to date. I love the lavender scent.




I can thank my friends that are expecting for finally inspiring me to get this post up. There has been a lot of registry talk lately. I know it's overwhelming with all of the products out there but hopefully this helps narrow some of it down.

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