By Lisa Moving right along, aren't we? Yesterday was Halloween and my mind is on Thanksgiving. My older son is about 3 1/2. It's the right time, I think, to start discussing the meaning of important holidays and Thanksgiving is probably one of my favorites. All the fun and eating with family, no requirement to give gifts. Love it! So with that, I've looked around (ahem, Amazon) for some Thanksgiving books that are age appropriate. Here's what I've come up with: This looks nice right? It has good reviews and the emphasis is on being thankful, which I like. I... Continue reading

By Lisa We bought this kit from Red Envelope a couple years ago after we had our first baby boy (sniff ... he's 3 1/2 now). I love it. So cute and easy and a lovely way to remember a moment in time with your hand prints. I also think at this price point of $39.95, it could be a great gift for either friends with a newborn baby or friends who have a couple kids under their belt already. Continue reading

By Lisa People, do yourselves a favor and go buy this throw blanket. Either for yourself or as an inexpensive gift for the holidays. This is weird, but for months I was on the hunt for a basic, inexpensive throw blanket for our guest room. Not expensive because a) I'm frugal and b) I have two young boys and a small black dog. Not a recipe for expensive items lying around the house. So, after all that searching, I finally came across it: this soft and affordable throw blanket from West Elm. It's their "Favorite Throw" and it is now... Continue reading

By Lisa I do not consider myself a "poncho girl." I'm not even sure what that means, but I recently bought one. And I've worn it. And I like it. Talk about figure flattering. And easy. You can wear a tank under it, or a long-sleeved t-shirt when it gets cooler. Over leggings, or skinny jeans, I think it would work great. It's this Caslon sweater from Nordstrom. And it's on sale now, a great time to pick one up. It may become a wardrobe staple for the fall and winter. {photo credit: nordstrom.com} Continue reading

By Lisa Sometimes my husband is brilliant. He found me something for my iPhone that I will really use. I love functional. He loves electronics. It's a win-win. In this case, it's Garmin StreetPilot Onboard. As in Garmin, the people who make the portable GPS systems for your car? Yeah, but this is an app for your iPhone. Genius! You see, I drive an old school Jeep Grand Cherokee. No navigation system. So I'm always printing out directions for mom's club activities or vacation destinations or whatever. Now I can save some paper and some effort. The Garmin app is... Continue reading

By Lisa Looking for adorable, yet original Halloween outfits for your kids? Look no further. As usual, Etsy comes through. Behold: reasonably priced, hand stitched shirts and onesies featuring Halloween themed creature appliques. So cute! So unique. Love these. Hello Bride of Frankenstein. Mr. Frankenstein onesie, you are adorable. And even though you have nothing to do with Halloween, Mr. Stormtrooper, I think I must have you (for my 3-year-old son that is). If Halloween and stormtroopers aren't your thing, they have some super cute owls and robots that may tickle your fancy. Happy shopping! {photo credits: etsy.com Hoot 'n... Continue reading

By Lisa What are we thinking about white ceramic watches? Yes/no? Tacky, impractical, adorable, fun? Personally, I love their slightly sporty yet sophisticated look. Ever since I saw The Blind Side, I've been coveting a white ceramic watch. As you may know, the lead character, Leigh Anne Tuohy played by Sandra Bullock, wears one in several scenes. She wears it in sort of a casual, yet put together way. Before we go further, let me be clear. I do not live in Tennessee. We are not crazy wealthy. I don't look like Leigh Anne (or Sandra for that matter), I'm... Continue reading

By Lisa We've been invited to a wedding celebration this October in the "big city." (We live in the 'burbs). It's cocktail attire and being held at a restaurant. I'm so excited! I told my husband yesterday, "I need to get a new dress for Amanda's wedding" and he just smiled. He knows what this means. Out of nowhere, I have a vision of a navy cocktail dress with nude pumps. Yes? Maybe a little plain, but it sounds elegant and maybe, just maybe, I can wear the dress again and not get sucked into boring black. Here are some... Continue reading

By Lisa Our three-year-old son has finally started getting into playing with his train table set (the one my husband spent hours constructing on Christmas Eve). It is so fun to watch him push and pull the cars along and figure out how to assemble the tracks. I'm not sure how it could be cuter ... except if the cars spelled his name? Yes, that's it. Introducing: NameTrain Letter Cars from our friends in Vermont. So fun, right? I think these would be an outstanding gift for your own child or for a friend or family member. The price is... Continue reading

By Lisa A reader recently wrote asking for fabulous housewarming gift ideas for a dear friend. I love giving gifts. And who doesn't love receiving them? Here are some ideas in a variety of effort and price levels. 1. A batch of cookies. Make them yourself. Choose a variety you are really good at, or find a fabulous recipe on the Internet. Bake a couple dozen for your friend and wrap them up in a box, so they don't get crushed and ship it off. Who doesn't love homemade cookies? And when she's unpacking the 79th box at 11:30 at... Continue reading

By Lisa We live dangerously close to Old Navy. As in, a couple miles away and it's a good place to kill time with the kids when we just need to get out of the house. So, given that, a somewhat large percentage of my wardrobe comes from Old Navy. It's a mixed bag. Excellent prices? Yes. Good quality? No. Latest styles? Often. Nice cut and fit? Not really. Regardless ... it works for me at this stage of the game. Here's some cute stuff I recently found. I could definitely see wearing this through Fall and Winter. Cute, right?... Continue reading

By Lisa Looking for cute, not crazy expensive drapes? Yeah I was too. I found them. I ordered them. My husband hung them in our breakfast nook. And now I love them. Have you discovered Ballard Designs? Once again, I'm not sure how I got on their mailing list, but once I did, I became a fan. Some of their stuff is a bit too traditional for me, but there are some real gems in there too. The Concorde Medallion panels are my case in point. I needed a somewhat durable, stylish set of drapes that would be long enough... Continue reading

By Lisa Many of you are probably aware, Nordstrom recently had a big sale. I picked me up a pair of jeans. Not just any jeans, nice ones. At least to me. The last time I spent over $100 on jeans was oh, four years ago. Before I had two kids. So, it's kind of a big deal. Thank goodness I saved about 40% off, but still... Anywho, I have an old pair of Citizens (the last time I spent the big bucks on jeans) and I've worn them for years. They are hemmed short, so I wear them with... Continue reading

By Lisa I'm pretty darn excited. Somehow we got on the mailing list for Home Decorators Collection. Do you get their catalog or have you visited their website? I'm pretty sure it's just a fancy way of saying that Home Depot sells furniture. But anyway. I was perusing the catalog yesterday and stumbled upon a lovely chair for that desk I mentioned. Remember? Of course, I had that orange print chair from Target in mind except I don't really think it'll work for a desk. (And yes, I've already changed my mind in a week ... welcome to my world).... Continue reading

By Lisa I'll introduce you to my new favorite "pop of color" color. Style Lush readers, this is Orange. Orange, this is everyone. I am working on decorating our guest room (and avoiding our master bedroom because it's going to be a monumental task) and decided my accent color, to go with the blues, creams, and tans I have in there, will be orange. Orange reminds me of Summer, but is also perfect for Fall. And why not Winter and Spring too? So here's a shout out to orange, an often overlooked and underappreciated color. Pretty, right? And simple. It's... Continue reading

By Lisa Sweat. Cotton candy. Charcoal. Chlorine. Mmm, summer. Okay, those scents are kind of a mixed bag. But I have a couple favorites that are decidely yummy and I want you to read this and then go buy them. These are my go-to scents for this warm, sun-filled favorite season of mine. Years ago I took a va-cay with a girlfriend and her little sister and her little sister's friend. Destination: Oahu. Purpose: trouble. My friend and I were the 25-year-old "chaperones" to her little sister's graduation vacation. Actually it was really fun. Not much trouble was made. But... Continue reading

By Lisa Fourth of July is less than a week away. I always get a little patriotic this time of year. It's an excuse to wear red, white, and blue unashamedly. Okay, maybe not all at the same time. Actually I am kind of obsessed with navy blue and white lately (you'll see). So with that ... some fun essentials to kick off your weekend. I like to fly an American flag at our house. It makes me feel like a good neighbor, and it adds a splash of color to the exterior of our home. We don't fly ours... Continue reading

By Lisa Summer is upon us. Yesterday was the summer solstice. If you have little kids at home, you’re probably thinking the same thing I am: what the heck am I going to do with them all summer? I have a couple ideas. Nothing mind-blowing, but if you have a bit of outdoor space, and a bit of cash, these can help make your summer more fun and more enjoyable for everyone. We bought this bad boy about a year ago. This is called a “mommy is having another baby and needs something to entertain a 2 year old while... Continue reading

Editor's note: Another new writer we're eager to welcome! Lisa is a California mom of two, and she's occasionally going to post about some great local companies who are making top-notch products right in our backyard. (She'll post about lots of other things, too!) Welcome, Lisa! *** By Lisa Have you indulged in any Hanky Panky lately? No? Oh come on now. Get your mind out of the gutter silly. I'm talking about an American company called Hanky Panky that makes a fabulous line of cute AND comfortable thongs, panties and more. Strangely enough, my sister-in-law bought me my first... Continue reading