Shoes Are a Girl's Best Friend

Photo by Kara Raudenbush

What's your favorite fashion accessory?

Mine is shoes, despite the fact that I tend to wear the same pairs most of the time. You can change the look of an outfit by changing the style of your shoes. For instance, when I buy a new dress, I need to think about shoes. . .can I wear it with boots and tights AND a nice pair of wedges or slingbacks in warmer weather?

Take your simple LBD (Little Black Dress) . . .imagine it paired with tights and boots (add a denim jacket). Great date-night or GNO outfit right? Change out the boots for a sexy pair of sling-backs (maybe with a colorful wrap or jacket) and you're ready for a cocktail event. Same dress - two looks - different shoes.

On a day-to-day basis, I wear practical shoes. With the winter we've been having I have practically LIVED in my Hunter Boots. Running around with the kids calls for flats, low-heeled boots or a pair of Chuck Taylors. But the shoes I pin to my Shoe Fetish Pinterest Board - are anything but practical. A girl has dreams - right?

Here's a little video tour of some of my favorite shoes:


What's your favorite pair of shoes?

catch you soon -

An InLinkz Link-up

Morning Routine

I thrive on routine. I know, that makes me sound very exciting, but it's true. And I'm pretty sure my kids also do better with a regular routine. Of course, establishing a good routine can take some trial and error. But in the end, when everyone is out of the house on time, prepared and outfitted with everything they need, the day is a success.

Our routine has evolved over the last several years as we went from two adults working outside the home with one child in school and one in daycare. . .to only one parent working outside the home, but two kids in two different schools. Some days it's a real challenge keeping all the plates spinning, but with a routine and some organization, we're doing pretty well.

Some key factors that make our mornings more successful are: 

• A Calendar - I go over my calendar in the morning, and go over anything that anyone else needs to know (pick ups, changes, etc.).

• Lunches the Night Before - John makes lunches the night before, which saves a lot of morning aggravation and time.  We look at the lunch menus on Sunday for the upcoming week, so we're prepared.

• Set Spots - Kid backpacks get packed and put on their chairs at night. Hats, gloves and coats are all in the closet. Keeping things is set spots keeps us form a mad dash around the house hunting things down in the morning.

I also include time to get myself together - that part of my routine varies depending on whether I have meetings, events or am just planning to work in my home office for the day.

Here's a little glimpse into my morning routine:



What's your best morning routine tip?

catch you soon -

New Year - New Resolutions (or not)

There's a lot of talk about New Year's Resolutions. Lots of marketing and ad campaigns centered around saving money, losing weight and getting organized. Have you decided to conquer any of these three things for 2014?

Several years ago, I got tired of making resolutions only to feel as if I "fell short" by the end of the year. So I picked up the One Little Word campaign. I chose a word. . .simplify.

Rather than an elaborate plan to simplify my entire life, I adopted that one little word as a guiding principle. I let it take hold of places in my life that needed simplifying. And you know what happened? Magic. I simplified several areas, felt successful and continue to search for ways I can simplify my everyday.

And ever since then, when January 1st rolls around, I let one simple word lead my navigation through the upcoming year. In the end, I have more successes that enhance my life, and that of my family.

For #vlogmom this week, here's a brief video on my thoughts about making (and keeping) resolutions.



I'd love to hear your thoughts - do you make resolutions? Why or why not?

catch you soon -

Favorite Holiday Books

We are half-way through our Holiday Book countdown to Christmas. So far, we have opened some really great books. The nice part about holiday books, is that it can really set a mood for the holidays. and we try to read every night before bed anyway, so why not add a dash of holiday spirit to that - right?

Here's a little preview of the books we've opened so far, and a few that are my favorites.



What's your favorite holiday book?

catch you soon -

Holiday Memories

The holidays are full of memories. I had a wonderful holiday childhood full of traditional family gatherings. My favorite of all of those was Christmas Morning at my grandparents. My brother and I would wake up and have our own awesome Christmas morning at our house (we must have been really GOOD every year). Then we would head next door to my grandparents house, in our pajamas and have Christmas morning there too. And a huge breakfast, that everyone would cook together. After that, we would go home, play with our toys, get dressed and head back over to my grandparents for a big dinner. It was a huge day and one of my most favorite memories from my childhood.

I hope that I'm making great memories for my own kids during the holidays!

A Favorite Holiday Memory and How Our Family Spends Christmas Eve



What's your favorite holiday memory?

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Turning Butternut Squash into Halloween Ghosts

Looking for an easy, inexpensive and fun Halloween craft? Then let me tell you how to turn ordinary butternut squash into adorable spooky Halloween ghosts.

I did this several years ago, and got so many complements on them. That touch of white on my front step really added some fun to the usual fall colors. All you need is white and black paint, paint brushes or sponges, and butternut squash.

This is super easy, and kids as young as 2-3 can do this with some grown up help.



What have you crafted for Halloween this year?

catch you soon -
This post is linked up at A Life in Balance for Motivational Monday.

Book Review: Weelicious Lunches by Catherine McCord

I may not be an expert in the kitchen, but I enjoy putting healthy and delicious food out for my family. Thanks to the Yo-Getter program I belong to with Stonyfield, I had the opportunity to review Catherine McCord's new book, Weelicious Lunches, and share my thoughts with you.

Catherine McCord is the founder of the popular website weelicious.com, a 2013 Babble Top 100 Mom Food Blog. The premise of this book is to provide "out of the box" healthy ideas for your kids for lunch. I don't know about you, but packing kid lunches drives me to distraction.

My Top 10 Fall Favorites

Fall is my favorite season. I'm not shy about it either - there is just something about it . . .the minute those back-to-school supplies hit the shelves, I start to get ready.

The hard part, is waiting until the last week of September, when Fall officially arrives. But good things come to those who wait, and Fall is full of very good things.

Here are my Top 10 Favorite Fall Things:

Changing Leaves - The trees look so pretty as they turn to oranges, yellows and reds.

Halloween - There's something about dressing up and pretending that is just so fun.

Scarves - The perfect time is when you can wear a t-shirt, jacket and scarf, before it gets too cold.

Mums - I love my tulips in the spring and peonies and hydrangea in the summer, but when the Farmer's Market is stocked with pot after pot of colorful fall mums, it just looks like a Fall quilt.

Open Windows - It seems simple, but it's refreshing to turn the AC off and get a breath of fresh, crisp Fall air.

Back-to-School - Even though it's not officially Fall, when the kids go back to school, it signals the beginning of the season.

Apple Cider -  I can remember getting apple cider as a little girl from Sunny Slope in NJ with my grandparents. It's so crisp, delicious hot (and spiked)  or cold.

Boots - I love my flip-flops, but seriously the day I pull on that first pair of boots - heaven on a stick.

Pumpkins - There is something about this vegetable that I adore - green ones, orange ones, white ones . . .I just love them in all their shapes and sizes.

 and the number 1 Fall thing I love?



What are your favorite things about Fall?

catch you soon -

What To Do With School Papers

If your kids have already started school, then you probably have a stack of papers cluttering up your desk or counter already. If they haven't started yet, be prepared. It never ceases to amaze me, even after all this time, just how much paper comes home from school, especially in those first few days.

What's a parent to DO with all that paper? Some of it you KNOW you'll need again, and some of it you MAY need to look at again. How do you organize it all?

I face all that paper with a 2-prong attack:

1. Individual Kid School Binders
2. School of Memories File System

I've been using these two systems since Ryan was in kindergarten, and they are still working wonderfully. Check out this video to see how to set up your own system, and what I include in mine.



catch you soon -

5 Tips to the Perfect Pitch

Do you have an elevator pitch? Do you need one? Everyone needs a "pitch" - a way to introduce yourself at a party, or look for a new opportunity, or encourage someone to support your latest cause. But talking about ourselves is not always easy, so how do you make sure your pitch is the best it can be? Here are 5 tips to get you started:

• What do you want people to know about you? What are you hoping to get from them? A job? A connection - that can determine what content you put into your pitch.

• Write it down. This isn't an "off the cuff"situation. Write down everything you want someone to know and then edit it. Whittle it down to the 3-4 key points you can deliver in 30-60 seconds.

• Answer these three questions: Who are you? What do you do? What are you looking for?

• Be authentic. A pitch is typically about them, not you and the focus is on what you can do for them. 

• Consider preparing some variations, depending on the situation. For instance, if you are introducing yourself, you would have a slightly different approach than if you were looking for a job or opportunity.

• You should be comfortable enough to give your elevator pitch in an interview or at a cocktail party, whenever the occasion calls. So practice, practice, practice.

So there you have it. . .seems pretty simple, right? Maybe not. . .but you can do it!

Let me share mine with you:



Leave me a comment with a link to your own elevator pitch, or if you don't have one yet - what you want it to say about you.

catch you soon -

Are You a Spender or a Saver?

Money. Some say it's the root of all evil, some say it makes the world go 'round. Either way, money matters. It's something that we need to help us make our way in the world. Money allows us to have a roof over our heads, food on our table and clothes on our back.

This week's #vlogmom prompt from Amiyrah asks us: "Are you a spender or a saver? How about your spouse?"

Here's my thoughts on saving money and spending money:



Leave me a comment and let me know if you consider yourself a spender or a saver. And if you're a saver - leave a tip! =)

catch you soon -

Book Review: Monument to the Dead by Sheila Connolly

Book Review: Monument to the Dead, by Sheila Connolly. I'm currently reading this book, it's the fourth one in the museum mystery book series. The series  is based in Philadelphia, and centers around Nell Pratt, President of the Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society.

This is definitely not a thriller, but rather falls into the "cozy" genre of mystery books. If you have perused the mystery section lately, you may find as I did, that there is a series fit for almost every hobby or interest out there.

I love to read and I read a couple books a month. I enjoy fiction books, especially ones that are Philadelphia based. This latest one centers around the arts and philanthropy in Philadelphia, and fits my female sleuth requirement as well. For some reason, I just don't care for books with a male lead character.

For more details about the story, I hope you'll watch this video review (don't worry I won't give away the ending!) :



So tell me, what are you reading this summer? Fiction books? Non-Fiction books? Both? Do you read any series or books relevant to where you live?  Some of my favorite authors that write Philadelphia based books are: Lisa Scottoline, Sheila Connolly, Gillian Roberts and Nancy Martin.

catch you soon -
This post contains affiliate links.

#vlogmom | Favorite Theme Park

This week's #vlogmom prompt is from Jenn over at Mommy B Knows Best. Jenn asked us:

"What is your favorite theme park, and why?"

And here's what I had to say. . .



How about you? Are you a theme park fan? What's your favorite?

catch you soon -

#vlogmom | It's Just a Little Crush

This week's #vlogmom prompt comes from Alissa over at Clever Compass. Alissa asks the ladies of #vlogmom:

"Who was your first crush?"

I don't know about you, but this crowned "Class Flirt" has had her fair share of crushes, and has no intention of stopping anytime soon. According to the dictionary, a crush is a brief but intense infatuation of someone unattainable or inappropriate.

And perfect for a warm summer day. . .



Time to 'fess up . . .who are YOU crushing on?

catch you soon -

#vlogmom | Newlywed Advice

This week's #vlogmom prompt comes from Julie, over at the Juliverse. Julie asked us:

"What advice would you give a friend about to tie the knot? Share 3-5 tips for those getting married or thinking about getting married."

Now I have not been a newlywed in a very long time. . .but in looking back at nearly 18 years of marriage. . .I think I have some credibility in giving some pointers. . .



Are you a happily married person? What's your best tip for keeping the fire going for the long-haul?

catch you soon -

#vlogmom | Summer Reading List

This week's #vlogmom prompt comes from Barb over at Frugal Local Kitchen and A Life in Balance. Barb asked us:

"What's on your summer reading list?"

I love to read. . .in fact, my TBR (to be read) list is an on-going thing, so here's what's on tap this summer:



What's on your summer reading list? Do you have a goal or set amount you'd like to read?



catch you soon -

#vlogmom | Favorite Summer Beverage

This week's #vlogmom prompt comes from Kelli over at Momma Needs A Beer. Kelli asked us,

"Summer is officially here! What is your favorite beverage to enjoy outside? Bonus points to those of you who vlog with the beverage in your favorite outdoor spot."

After waiting for neighbors to finish mowing their lawn, and the sun to not be too shiny . . . it was a go! (did you ever realize how much behind the scenes work goes into a vlog??!)



Such a fun topic, and refreshing at that! So share with me, what is your favorite outside summertime beverage and where do you like to enjoy it?



catch you soon -

#vlogmom | A Summer Plan

This week's #vlogmom prompt comes from me! I asked the ladies of #vlogmom:

"Do you plan your summer or just let it happen?"

You know I'm a planner, so here's what I shared:



How about you? Are you a summer planner?

catch you soon -

#vlogmom | Paying it Forward

This week's #vlogmom prompt comes from Rajean over at Because I said So. Rajean asked us:

What is the last thing you did to Pay if Forward?"

We try to do our share around here to Pay if Forward on a regular basis. It's important to me that the kids learn that we should do our part to make the world just a little bit better.



How about you? When was the last time you took time to Pay if Forward?

catch you soon - about an hour ago

Why I Vlog | #vlogmom

This week's #vlogmom prompt comes from the #vlogmom group:

" Why do you Vlog? What are some of your tips for vlogging? "

This one was very easy for me - and at the end, I share two tips in case you want to get started in vlogging yourself.



So - do you vlog? Leave me a link in the comments and I'll subscribe to your channel!

I'd love it if you subscribed to my YouTube channel, then you won't miss a thing.

catch you soon -