Friday Favorites.

I've been wanting to share a few of my favorite things as of late, so I thought I would do that today. What better day than Friday for a little Friday Favorites post?

ONE.
The perfect door mat.

Anyone else a fan of online shopping? Just me? Well as of late I've had... a few packages showing up on our door step. In my defense, Amazon and Target like to ship things one at a time so I could have ordered three things and they ship in three packages, which really makes it look worse than it is. Or at least that's what I tell Seth. I'd love to get this door mat and maybe the FedEx and UPS man can help me out? I'm not sure where they'd hide the packages though, so maybe I should just be thankful that I usually get home before Seth does.

TWO.

Scholastic book orders.

I mentioned this on my Instagram stories a couple weeks ago, but did you all know that they still had Scholastic book orders?! I had NO idea! And maybe it's just because I didn't have a school age kid yet, but I remember having these when I was a kid and somehow I just assumed they didn't exist anymore! I was pleasantly surprised to see the order form in Mason's Friday Folder and happily looked through it (as did Mason!) to pick out some books to order for him.

THREE.

New black cardigan.

I recently bought this sweater from Old Navy and loved it so much, I bought one in gray too. And now that I went back to get the link, I kind of love it in maroon too and might need that one as well. It's so soft, the length is perfect, and the pockets make it wonderful. I highly recommend it!

FOUR.

Mason's school picture.

Mason got his very first (non-preschool) school picture taken a couple weeks ago and we recently got it back. Funny enough, this is not how I sent him to school that day. I dressed him in a super cute button down shirt (that he told me he hated) and I begged and BEGGED for him to keep it on JUST long enough for the picture and then... this. But you know what? At least he's smiling! I'm calling it a win.

FIVE.

Football season.

It's officially football season which means we've moved our cheering from the Angels to the Steelers! To be honest, I'm not even really sure how well they're doing since Mason has soccer on Sundays and it's almost always during game time, but from what I understand, I think they're doing pretty well. Regardless of the score though, I can't resist a good photo op when my boys are dressed alike :)

SIX.

Decorating for fall.

Speaking of football season, it's also fall which means I get to start decorating the house again! I just love decorating for the holidays and love it when everything is all festive, so when I found some goodies in the Target Dollar Spot, you better believe I snatched those babies up. The banner and the pumpkins on the TV stand all came from there and since this photo was taken, we've added some real ones as well. I'm also loving coming up with some "fall sayings" for my beloved letter boards!

SEVEN.

Decorating for Christmas.

One final thing... moving right along to Christmas here. I saw these at Target the other day and while I'm not really one to change bedding for the holidays, I just miiiiiiiight have to make an exception and get these for Mason. I mean... $19.99 and cars with trees on top? Sold. Take my money!

Happy Weekend!

[Mailman Mason Monday] #postofficeadventuresofmasonb #part14

When I last left you, we had gotten through May 30, 2017. We had an event for work on June 4th and again on August 13th, so today I wanted to share all of our post office adventures between the two events.

So, without further ado, here are the pictures that I've shared on Instagram as well as the captions (+ the emojis!) that I've shared from June 14, 2017 to August 11, 2017.

06.14.17 // When your dentist has a panel of mailboxes outside the office, you stop to inspect them.

✉️📮📬

06.17.17 // When the mail man parks his truck practically right outside your front door, you detour to take a peek on the way to go play soccer. ⚽️✉️📮📬

06.19.17 // I'm not really sure why he (or I) didn't think of this earlier but today Mason discovered that he could step on the little railing at the bottom of the PO boxes and he could see in to our box (AND in to the back room!). He handed me each piece of mail from the box, one by one, and then I literally had to pry him off of there. He was enjoying listening in on them back there -- "Mom! Come listen! I hear them! Put your ear right here!". ✉️📮📬

07.10.17 // Someone had a lot of work to do this morning so he called in reinforcements -- meet Monk Monk and mini Dog Dog. 🐵🐶✉️📮📬 And if you remember Panda Panda from the other day, yes, apparently everyone has a double name. It's like Eddie the Echo Man. 

(remember that commercial? 😂)

07.11.17 // When your kid sees a real mailbox (compared to the mail slot at the post office or our apartment) for probably the second time EVER and thinks, "what is this thing? what's in there?" 

🤔😂✉️📮📬

07.12.17 // Proud mama moment: as we were walking in to the post office, the man walking past us sneezed. Mason, completely unprompted, said "bless you". I'm not even really sure how he knew to say that other than overhearing Seth and I say it. The majority of the time I'm always saying "say thank you". Seriously impressed! ✉️📮📬 

07.13.17 // I opted to mail my moving announcements from my apartment's mail slot instead of taking them all to the post office, but you know I couldn't have done it without help from a certain little mail man. He was SO excited to be able to mail so many things at once! 🏠✉️📮📬

07.17.17 // Last PO run as a four year old! 😱😭🎂✉️📮📬

07.24.17 // Monday morning mail run to pick up my work mail and to pick up some boxes to send some fun mail to friends! 📦✉️📮📬

07.25.17 // My little mail man had a little helper today! 🐼✉️📮📬

07.27.17 // It was "Post Office Adventures without Mason B" today so I leave you with a picture from yesterday when Mason and Panda Panda were helping me do my first mailing of 200 envelopes! 

😳🐼✉️📮📬

08.02.17 // Apparently he thinks the post office is full service now! 😜 

"My box is here, please push the mail in!" 😂✉️📮📬

08.03.17 // He decided that Panda Panda had seen enough of the post office lately and it was time for Mack truck to have a turn. 😜✉️📮📬

08.07.17 // Mason was in heaven this morning to see the post office's tow truck towing a mail truck! I wish you could see the "live" version of this photo. He was totally waving and saying hi! 🚐✉️📮📬

08.11.17 // He insisted on bringing his school photo with us in to the post office to pick up the mail.

I'm still confused by it but went with it anyway. Kids, man. So confusing. 🤔✉️📮📬 

***

A little back story... When we stopped doing the Picture Perfect Project last year, I stopped sharing Mason's post office pictures on the blog. I had deemed it my "photo project of the year" through the PPP and when it ended, I didn't stop taking pictures of him at the post office, but I forgot to share them here too. I was thinking about it the other day and I want to continue to share them here even though I don't technically "have a reason" to each month. So instead of sharing per month, I'm going to share per event cycle (for my work - essentially why we go to the post office so often). We have seven events per year and as the events approach, we go to the post office more often and as they pass, we go less often.

You can find more of our post office adventures on Instagram here.

Little Letters || October.

I'm excited to link up again this month with Kristin from Taz and Belly for her Little Letters series and bring you a few little letters...

Dear People on the Radio who Overshare,
Surely you must know that the person you are talking about might be listening, right? I mean when you say "Hi Valentine. My name is Allison and I need some advice. I have a 16 year old son and my boyfriend has a 17 year old daughter that he lets drink wine sometimes at dinner and my son wants to know why he can't drink like she does" it's not very inconspicuous. Like if your boyfriend is listening, he is GOING to know you talked about him. Even if you didn't say your name, he'd know.

(Even when they don't say their names, their situations are pretty specific where if the other person (friend, significant other, etc) was listening, I'm SURE they'd know it's them. One thing's for sure, I'd never air ANY dirty laundry on the radio!)

Dear (Certain) (Blog) Giveaway Hosts,
It annoys me TO NO END when you announce a winner ONLY on your blog and expect the winner to email YOU. While I TOTALLY appreciate the generosity of the giveaway, we all have to enter our email to enter the giveaway so I know you have it. You can't just email us?

Dear Starbucks/caffeine,
I think I might be allergic to you. And it PAINS me to say that because I not only love you, Starbucks, but I just love the way coffee tastes in general. I hope, hope, hope I'm wrong, but I feel so much better when I don't drink you. 😭😭😭😭

Dear Mother Nature,
According to the calendar, Fall supposedly arrived late last month. Can you please cool down? Even just a little? Pretty please? While I am enjoying being able to wear a sweater in the mornings when I walk to drop Mason off at school, the fact that I don't need it a mere 30 minutes later is not cool (no pun intended) and the fact that it is scheduled to be almost 90 again this weekend is not ok. Where is my boots, scarves, and sweaters weather?

Dear Costco Gas,
You spoil me. Even though I have to wait sometimes up to 20 minutes to get to a pump, the fact that you have organized lines and we all filter in facing the same way is amazing. I went to a regular gas station the other day and almost forgot how to find a pump I could use all the while trying to dodge the people who were driving at me.

Dear Upstairs Neighbor,
I appreciate your love for your plants, really I do. But is it really necessary to water your plants SO MUCH that it literally rains on to my balcony? Like isn't that a taaaaaad bit too much water for said plants?

Dear Holiday Oreos,
Why are you so good? I'm convinced you taste better than regular Oreos and I'm not quite sure why. Either way, I love and hate you for how good you are and how many packages I buy during the holiday months.

Dear October 13th,
In my mind I know you are just another date on the calendar. And even though I don't consider myself an overly superstitious person, I don't love you. And especially during the month of October? You're just asking for all sorts of scary movies to come out on this day and I don't like that.

***

Can you relate to any of my letters this month?

[Throwback Thursday] The Broad Museum.

I'm terribly behind on sharing some of the fun that we had over the summer, so I thought it might be fun to do a sort of "throwback" post to share some of the places we went. On today's agenda: The Broad Museum in LA.

One day, I got a text from Desiree saying that she had gotten tickets to The Broad, had a couple extras, and wanted to know if I wanted to go too. It was during the week, when Seth had to work, and driving to LA is not at the top of my list of favorite things to do. I knew next to nothing about this museum (hadn't even heard of it before she mentioned it) and also worried about how well Mason would do in a museum that didn't seem overly kid friendly - not un-kid friendly, but nothing like the Museum of Ice Cream kid friendly either). But with the promise of trying an epic ice cream place afterward as a "reward" (for me... and Mason), I quickly agreed and thanked her for sharing her tickets with me.

What should have taken a little over an hour took almost two hours and by the time Mason and I got there, I was happy to be out of the car. I pumped Mason full of snacks so he was a happy camper getting there, but we both were pretty excited to see the museum and see our friends once we got off the freeway.

A short wait later and it was our time slot for our tickets. We ran inside to put our names on the list for the infinity mirror room (the whole reason for going) and then went to look around a bit.

The kids did exceptionally well considering Desiree and I had to remind them not to touch anything every five seconds and around every corner was a worker reminding them of the same. After about an hour or so, we could tell that the kids needed a break (and we still had a good amount of time left to wait for the infinity room), so we opted to go across the street for some lunch and to let the kids run around a bit. An hour or so later, we were done with lunch and back for our turn in the infinity room.

I didn't really know what to expect, but it exceeded my expectations. It was incredible. It was magical. Mason and I were captivated. We were allowed in by ourselves, but were only allotted a few seconds in the room (I can't remember now, maybe 30-45?) and it seemed like an eternity yet like a split second all at the same time. I was trying to take it all in while taking pictures so I could remember the beauty.

It was WELL worth the wait AND worth the drive just to see that room. Now I know what the hype is all about.

After we finished with the infinity room, we could tell that the kids were DONE so we headed out and headed to the ice cream place, Little Damage. I, again, had no idea what to expect, but was again blown away. This place had a line as well and the ice cream was amazing.

As we waited in line, I captured these gems with Julia and Mason. It's a terrible angle, but seriously the sweetest and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to capture the moment.

Thank you, Desiree, for pushing me out of my comfort zone and trying something new and inviting us to go to The Broad with you and then Little Damage. We had the BEST day! I seriously wish I could go back to this museum sans kids because it was that amazing. I would have loved more time to actually read about the exhibits and actually take it all in. Maybe one day!

[Stitch Fix] Fix #18 [Help me decide what to keep!] + a HUGE $1,250 Stitch Fix Giveaway!

This post contains affiliate links but, as always, all opinions are my own. If you use my affiliate link, I may receive a small commission.

Goodness, it feels like it's been FOREVER since my last fix! But really it hasn't. I just never blogged fix #17! Oops. It came during my little blog break and I just didn't have it in me to take pictures and post about it. So I skipped it. But of course I couldn't skip getting a birthday fix! So, albeit a little late, here is my birthday fix!

Disclaimer before I start showing pictures... I used to have Seth take my photos outside our old townhouse. There was a little walkway outside the front door where it had decent lighting and was pretty private. It worked perfectly. But when we moved back in June, now we live in an apartment, and well, to be honest, I don't know where to go to take pictures and I'm a bit embarrassed to be seen by all my neighbors taking pictures of me in my clothes so...  I just went with the selfie in the mirror again. This time I moved to Mason's room where there is better light, so hopefully it's a little better than last time and hopefully you can still get the gist of the gorgeousness of the clothes!

So, without further ado... let's get on with the reveal! For this fix, I thought it would be fun for you all to help me choose what to keep and what you think I should send back. The last time I asked for feedback, you all were SO helpful, so I thought it would be fun to do it again today. (In case you're not interested in the reveal... scroll down to the bottom for the giveaway!)

In case you haven't heard of Stitch Fix, it's basically a personal shopping service. You fill out your online profile by answering some questions about likes/dislikes, style, sizing, etc and then can write a note about what you're interested in as well as link a Pinterest style board to help your stylist know what you're looking for and what you're style is. Then your personal stylist gathers some items that she thinks you'd like and sends them to you. You try them on in the comfort of your own home and decide what you do and don't want to keep and then you have three days to send back whatever you don't want. Easy peasy! The styling fee is $20 and if you send back all the items, you lose the $20. If you keep one (or more) items, they deduct the $20 styling fee from your total and you pay the difference. And if you keep all five items, they deduct the $20 from the total and you get a 25% discount on all the items. Pretty great! If you're interested in signing up, if you want to use my referral code then I'll get small credit to my account and will be forever grateful.

A while back, I had requested a new stylist. While I did like my old stylist, I felt like she was thisclose to nailing my actual style. I always liked the things she sent me, but they just weren't quite me. So, I requested Desiree's stylist, Raquel. I always LOVE everything that Desiree gets in her fixes and figured that if we had a similar style, that Raquel would surely hit the nail on the head for me too. And sure enough.... SHE DID! Check out my FIRST 5/5 fix here!

So now... on to my fix!

Kut from the Kloth | Dayna Colored Skinny Jean

Color : Dark Pink | $78

Ok, I'll be honest. This was the very first fix EVER that I have peeked on. I checked the app after I got my shipping notification to see what I was getting. I never, ever do this and I usually love the surprise, but for some reason, I couldn't wait and wanted to know. And you know what? I shouldn't have peeked because I was disappointed. At first glance, I actually thought it wasn't Raquel that styled me because I hated everything. Yep. Hate.

On that note... You guys might remember my love affair with Kut from the Kloth when I previously shared my beloved Kut from the Kloth skinny jeans. (I know I mention these jeans every fix, but truthfully, I love them so much.) It's no secret I am a HUGE fan of their jeans and shorts and I ask for them in every Stitch Fix box that I can in hopes that they will have some new item that I haven't tried yet. Well, Raquel delivered... in an interesting way. DARK PINK. I had asked in my note to her for some blue jeans or black jeans or possibly even some that were olive colored or dark maroon/cranberry and I got... dark pink. A little brighter than I anticipated and at first peek, I thought I hated them. But once I tried them on, I didn't hate them anymore. They were a lot better than I imagined, especially paired with a black top, but they were still a bit brighter than I would choose for myself. What do you think? I think I could probably make them work, with things like this black top, maybe some boots? But I wonder how much I'd reach for them...? Also, they are a little long. I'd have to have them hemmed.

Thoughts : Undecided, but leaning towards returning.

Emily Rose | Armstrong Zipper Detail Cowl Neck Pullover

Color : Blue | $58

At first glance, I thought I'd love this top. I mean I love cowl neck sweaters and tops and this blue is right up my alley. But... the zipper detail. I think if it was a straight zipper I'd be more inclined to keep it, but the diagonal and the fact that one side is longer than the other... I'm not so sure. Also, the sweater was a bit big. I know oversized is in and I'm all for that, but it just seemed a little frumpy big instead of cute big.

Thoughts : Leaning towards returning.

Kut from the Kloth | Benter Mixed Material Top

Color : Black | $58

My first thoughts on this was HECK NO. I thought the floral was ugly and that I hated it. Even when I pulled it out of the box, I thought I hated it. And then I tried it on and... it grew on me. I've been trying to get away from all my solids and stripes (I am SO not adventurous) and I think this might be a winner. I thought it was flattering and cute on and the floral was a nice touch.

Thoughts : Leaning towards keeping.

41Hawthorn | Shirin Boatneck Stripe Knit Top

Color : Off-White | $54

In the picture, I thought this would be the one I'd keep, but after seeing it in person, I'm not so sure. I think from the front it looks pretty cute and I do like the detailing on the pocket on the front. I didn't like that it was somewhat sheer and I'd probably have to wear a tank top under it (or maybe just a nude bra?), but I also didn't love the elbow patches. Once upon a time, I was OBSESSED with the elbow patch look and maybe it's just the color of the patches (and I don't love orange or orangey tan), but it wasn't doing anything for me. Plus I thought it looked a bit big from the side.

Thoughts : Leaning towards returning.

Octavia | Brooks Crossbody Bag

Color : Olive | $58

I love love love a good cross body bag! I'm in love with mine from Fossil. I use it everyday. I actually had pinned one like this (or maybe this one) and Raquel saw and sent it to me, and while I do like it, I wonder how much I'd use it since I have one similar. At first I also thought it was a bit small, but then I noticed that it opened on the bottom to expand in size! While I couldn't fit the normal 8 million snack options for Mason in here, I could definitely fit my wallet and phone and such, so maybe it would make a cute purse for when I'm sans kiddo?

Thoughts : Undecided.

***

Recap:

Kut from the Kloth | Dayna Colored Skinny Jean: Undecided.

Emily Rose | Armstrong Zipper Detail Cowl Neck Pullover: Leaning towards returning.

Kut from the Kloth | Benter Mixed Material Top: Leaning towards keeping.

41Hawthorn | Shirin Boatneck Stripe Knit Top: Leaning towards returning.

Octavia | Brooks Crossbody Bag: Undecided

For sure a 1/5, possibly a 2/5 maybe? Not the best, but not the worst!

Do you agree with my choices? What should I keep? What should I send back?

***

And now for the part of this post that you are probably the most excited about... the HUGE GIVEAWAY!!! Giveaway runs for one week and ends on Saturday, October 7, 2017 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. Entries will be verified. Enter on the rafflecopter below.

Giveaway brought to you by the following ladies who are just as obsessed with Stitch Fix as I am:

SPONSORED BY Stitch Fix | Macke Monologues | Chasin' Mason | Life in Pearls and Sports Bras | Emily Enchanted | The Box Queen | Still Being Molly | Crazy Together | Kim's Cravings | What's Working Here | Every Little Thing She Does is Meh | Take Time for Style | Kiddo and Soul | Sweet Purple Tulips | Jessi Living Lovely | The Mom Creative | Mom Spark | Hispana Global | Passion for Savings | The Shirley Journey | Pink Rose Mama | Sweet Pea

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