Finally Friday friends! I hope you all had a great week, and are ready for the (long) weekend ahead. We’re heading out to Palm Springs for a few days and I’m looking forward to some relaxation…. we’ve never been in the spring, so looking forward to enjoying their mild temperatures and actually being outside without sweating buckets…… Sharing my monthly(ish) Q+A today….
_________
1. I have a weekend trip to Vegas with my husband and two other couples coming up and would love your suggestions on dresses (or even a skirt and top combo) to wear for the evening. We’ll be going to a nice dinner then after-dinner drinks, and maybe dancing if I can stay awake (I’m 33 and a mom of two little kids so that could be a challenge).
SO fun! And totally know what you mean about staying awake… I don’t remember the last time I made it past midnight… That being said, you want to look fabulous! I love this one shoulder lace dress or embellished slip dress (with a leather or suede jacket). I also love rompers for Vegas like this gorgeous embellished romper, floral romper (I wore one similar to this out in Vegas last summer with heels and dainty gold jewelry and it was the best), and pleated blush romper. You could also do this skirt + black cami combo.
2. My daughter is almost 16 months old and my husband and I are planning on going to Wine Country (my first time) for our first trip away from her! We plan on going for only three nights. We live in Tampa, so its quite a flight, but I’ve been dying to go for sometime now. We’d like to add another little one to our family, so figure it’s a good time to go before we have another infant. The area seems a bit overwhelming, as it’s so large and so many wineries! We want to stay at a reasonably priced hotel (I know the area is quite expensive). What area do you recommend staying? Any reasonably priced hotels that you know of? Any advice, recommendations or resources would be extremely helpful!
You’re going to have so much fun, one of our fav places! As far as areas to stay, you’re right, there are so many different areas. We’ve really enjoyed staying in Sonoma and the Carneros regions, but staying in Napa is likely the most central option. That being said, prices for hotels fluctuate drastically based on the time of year you are going, with summer, and the weekends (if you can go mid-week you’ll get much better rates) being one of the most expensive times. A few trendy hotels, that right now have reasonable prices include the Hotel Senza, Andaz Napa, The Westin Verasa (we’ve stayed there and it was great). You can also check on VRBO, Homeaway, or Air BnB for super cute rentals (which we’ve done before and really enjoyed….). I hope that helps!
3. Is there a half marathon training program you are following?
Yes! I created this program, based on my experience with a few different training programs. I structured it around my fitness level and personal fitness interests. Also, one of my girlfriends created an entire website on training for runs. Check it out, as she has so much knowledge!
4. Would love your thoughts on bow to be productive, but also present, when home with a toddler. I struggle on days in with feeling like I need to do 100 things, but also don’t want to feel like I wasted a day with my little.
Great questions…. one I am always working on. I think I try to designate days where when we’re at home I need to get things done. I usually use two days a week for this, and the other three days are ones where we go to the park, or a more special outing. One the days when we stay home, I do try to have her help me with things that need to get done…. she loves being a helper, so having her help me take out the laundry, or put things away helps me to keep her engaged, while I’m still accomplishing things. If she’s watching some TV, I do a few things, and then make sure I check in with her every 10 minutes or so, just so she knows I am here. I talk with her about what is going on in the show (usually some Disney Junior one), and then let her know that I have to go do “xyz” and that I’ll be back in a minute.
5. What do you give Harper for snacks throughout the day? I would love to see a day of what she eats.
Here are some snacks that I give her throughout the day:
Perfect Bar (she’s obsessed), Love Grown O’s , Late July Crackers String Cheese, Apple slices, Grapes, Banana, Dried Cranberries, KIND fruit + veggie bar , Purely Elizabeth Granola ,Bell Pepper Slices,
Horizon Snack Packs
6. Where do you get your denim from?
I get my denim from all different places. My favorite pairs are this skinny jean, Levi’s (specifically this high waisted distressed pair , light wash pair, + these boyfriend jean), and these high waisted frayed hem jeans.
7. I majored in communications and psychology in college and have been considering going to grad school to become a social worker or therapist. What program did you do and do you have any tips before someone begins this long road? In your opinion is it worth the money?
I did a Master of Arts in Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage + Family Therapy. As far as tips before entering a program, I recommend either getting an internship in the field (if you’re still in college) or getting a paying job in the field to see if you are passionate about the work. That way, you’ll get a general sense of if you want to move forward with a graduate degree. I always think education is worth the time/money (it’s something no one can ever take away from you….) if you’re passionate about the field. I have never regretted the time or money it took to get my Master’s degree.
8. I’m looking for a church appropriate, but cute, dress for my son’s baptism. It will be in late April in NYC so could still be cold. I’m having a hard time! Any suggestions? Must be petite friendly, I’m the same height as you! My budget is between $200-250.
Such a special day! Including dresses within and below your range….. I love this dress…. it’s beautifully modest, but the sleeve detailing and dress material keep it from looking matronly. This pink sweater dress is gorgeous (might have to have the ruffle hem brought up if you’re short like me….). I’m obsessed with this gorgeous floral maxi dress (it has long sleeves) and reminds me of the one I wore for Harper’s baptism (likely will need to be hemmed). This black and white long sleeve wrap dress + this gorgeous pale blush embroidered wrap dress (short sleeved, but beautiful…). Annnnd, this is one of my all time favorite maxi dress (perfect for short gals too)…. it’s embroidered and long sleeved.
9. Can you share the music you listen to on a long run? I get so sick of the same songs!
California Love – Tupac
Toxic- Britney Spears
Work B*tch – B. Spears
8 Mile – Eminem
Filthy – JT
Finesse (Remix) – Bruno Mars
Woman – Kesha
Milkshake – Kelis (DJ Zinc Radio)
Too Much Jewelry -Migos
Right Above It – Lil Wayne + Drake
All I Do Is Win – DJ Khaled
Stronger – B Spears
Fighter – Christina Aguilera
Survivor – Destiny’s Child
Can’t Stop The Feeling – JT
Born This Way – GaGa
Poker Face – GaGa
10. Right now I am brainstorming travel destination ideas for our 5th year wedding anniversary. Do you have any travel recommendations in CA? We’ll have our daughter stay with my parents and we don’t want to go too far away on our trip.
So fun! We love Palm Springs… specially La Quinta Resort + Spa. The grounds are gorgeous, and it’s such a great spot to disconnect and reconnect. Santa Barbara (Los Olivos) are favorite areas as well…. you have the beach, wine country (or The Funk Zone), hiking, and great restaurants…. San Diego is another favorite area…. you can stay in La Jolla or Del Mar (L’Auberge is a favorite “special occasion” hotel) or Downtown (The Pendry is our fav… trendy, rooftop pool, close to a happening downtown area). Hope that helps and have so much fun!
11. What home equipment do you use to workout?
I wrote this blog post on at home equipment, but I recently added a heavier kettlebell (20lbs) to my rotation.
12. Can you share some vacation wear items from ASOS? Would love some recommendations for an upcoming trip.
ASOS always has such great suits and cover-ups! This tie front maxi dress is absolutely gorgeous (perfect for day-night) and I love this casual olive green maxi dress. A cute black and tiny polka dot romper is super cute too. This pom tote is adorable, and this lace kimono is a great beach cover up option. As far as suits go, I think this plunge front floral one is pretty, as well as this white high waisted two piece option. A few non ASOS favorites include this floral black and white kimono, stripe romper, and this striped tunic.
13. Can you share a few other lariat necklace options?
Yes! My favorite Gorjana one is currently sold out, but I personally own and love this delicate option, pavé slider necklace, long pendant necklace, and this fan necklace.
14. Would love to hear how you pack for you and your daughter while traveling. How do you keep style a priority with a toddler? What do you pack for her when you’re on a flight? My son is 2 and we’re taking his second flight this spring.
For Harper on a flight I pretty much pack our kitchen cupboards worth of snacks….. a few novelty toys (books, stickers, crayons, coloring books, etc….) and always an iPad. The other toys will keep her occupied for maybe an hour tops, but she will sit nicely, eating snacks, and watching a few shows for almost the entire duration of a long flight. I’ve always brought our baby carrier along with us to get through security lines (she does not like waiting in a line… what toddler does) but doesn’t mind sitting in the carrier. So it for sure helps managing the long lines that can come at an airport. We are always sure to bring her car seat + pack and play. Now that she is two, we will be bringing her carseat on the plane. Hoping this will help her actually sleep en route to a destination (she’s never been great at sleeping on planes).
As far as making style a priority, I keep my “vacation” style in line with my everyday style… pretty practical + neutral (with a few fun pieces thrown in there) so I can put an outfit together, quickly, that’s both easy to move around in, comfortable, and cute. If it’s a “city” destination, jeans, cute tops, moto jackets, joggers, sneakers, booties, and hoodies are what I toss in my suitcase… as I can easily mix and match them. For a more leisurely vacation, say a resort, I pack cut-offs, flow-y cover-ups, comfortable sandals, and a practical swimsuit (I really don’t need anything falling out at this point….). For travel I almost always wear leggings, joggers, a comfy cardigan (or oversized pullover), and a tee…. it’s all about comfort when traveling with a toddler.
15. I turn 40 in a couple of weeks and looking for a cute + stylish outfit for dinner in the city. We live in Boston, so it’s still winter here so it makes it a little harder. Any suggestions (Budget is up to $500 for a dress or jeans + top)?
Such a fun birthday to celebrate.! If you want to go the jeans and a top route, I am obsessed with this beautiful silk lace blouse with black jeans (my all time favorite pair)… basically, love the look of the model in the top. An alternative to jeans and a top could be a pair of wide legged pants (or velvet option) + a beautiful lace silk camisole. Or, a fabulous jumpsuit… like this plunging neckline option (creates a beautiful statement, given the rest of the outfit is modest….) or pleated metallic option…. and this dress is simply beautiful…. everything about is gorgeous…. and at the top of the budget.
16. Do you have any suggestions for bathing suits while pregnant? Either a one piece or two piece!
So, ASOS has some really cute maternity wear, at reasonable prices, and I love this asymmetrical frill suit (also comes in coral). For a two piece I love this ruffle bandeau top + bottom combo…. and this gingham top and bottom are super cute (and 30% off this weekend)….. and when I was pregnant I splurged on this top and bottom combo and wore it the entire summer. It fit perfectly, and I actually still wear it now…. if the set is too much, I recommend just buying the top and pairing it with another swim bottom (like the one I linked above).
17. Are you still a practicing therapist, and if not, when did you decide it was time to walk away?
I actually just put my license on inactive status, which means I can’t practice, but can move my license to active status at any time by taking 36 continuing education units. When I was pregnant with Harper, I was feeling a pull in a different direction, yet I wasn’t sure what that was. I had been blogging for 3 years already at that point, and after she was born, the blog was at a point where I could focus on it full time. It was at that point that I had to make a decision to go back to work part time or focus on the blog full time. I couldn’t do both being a new mom, and chose the blog. You can read about that decision here.
