Friday Favorites - Forever 21

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Forever 21 has really stepped up their game lately.  I've been visiting them more in the past several years since they added the Love21 line, which was aimed at a -- how shall I say it? -- post-highschool/post-college aged shopper.  The sizing of those items is more real, less tiny (so why can't everything be sized real? I digress....)  They recently renamed the Love21 shop to Contemporary, and in addition the chic-ness of their offerings seems to have gone up.  Honestly, I think I could completely replace my entire closet with their items right now.  While the quality isn't the same, I can imagine finding some of these styles in Anthropologie or BCGG, don't you think?

Here are few of my favorites for the summertime:

 
 

Any you'd like to add to your own closet?

And while you're thinking about that and what you have, won't you make a quick stop at yesterday's post to see how you can easily help your own community by taking a selfie?
 

Web Wonders

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Ok, they may not be complete wonders, but here are some fun finds from the web this past week:

 
 
  1. Sometimes I feel like I have never fully recovered from pregnancy brain.  I'm going to have to start implementing some of these daily habits to make me smarter. (Mydomaine.com)
  2. There is such beauty and diversity in the world, even in just one family. This mother shares images she captured of her daughters. (Yahoo.com)
  3. Pet peeve of mine: badly hung wall art. Here's how to do it right in your space. (yahoo.com)
  4. I'm always on the hunt for small space storage ideas. These built-ins are harder to implement in a rental, but still some good ideas.  (apartmenttherapy.com)
  5. "My strong body image was a direct result of feeling validated by society."  An honest look at body image I could relate to. (huffingtonpost.com)
  6. Since it costs an arm and a leg just to get in, its good to know you can get some free stuff at Disneyland. I'm definitely asking for the map next time we go. (buzzfeed.com)
  7. If you're going to spend on pricey skin care products, be sure you are investing properly. (birchbox.com)
  8. Another life-hack that I'm a fan of: DIY/green ways to organize your life. (buzzfeed.com)
  9. Anthro does it again, though out of my price range so I'll just drool from here: I don't think you could feel anything but pretty in this dress. (anthropologie.com)

 

Free Denim!

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Had to share that this great denim company, RE/DONE, is having a drawing to win their full collection.  Enter here.  Umm, or don't enter, because then there's a better chance that I'll win. ;)
 

About the brand: 

RE/DONE jeans are a celebration of the Levi’s jean’s past and a continuation of the jean’s individual story. They take the vintage denim apart at the seams, repurposing it as the fabric of the new jeans. The jeans are manufactured in Downtown Los Angeles using water conserving methods and no harsh chemicals. Quantities will always be limited since each pair is handpicked, hand cut, and distinctly one of a kind.

Great way to shop green and support local merchants/manufacturers.

Enjoy!!

6pm Shoes - My Wishlist

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A girl can never have too many shoes.  Ok, so that's not really true, but I have yet to encounter the time when I felt like I have too many.  One pair of shoes can go with so many things.  And a fun pair can totally transform an outfit.  Say you're wearing jeans and a T: basic, could be boring.  Throw on some sneakers and run your errands, nothing special.  But swap the sneaks for some strappy, sassy heels for a dinner or an evening out and you've got a stylish look.

A shoe habit can get very expensive though. While you don't want to skimp too much, because your feet will pay with blisters and aches, after a certain price point, the cost of many shoes is just inflated. I have not found any more comfort in a pair of $600 Manolos than I do in a $80 Nine West.  A 4-inch heel is a 4-inch heel.

So I'm always on the hunt for quality shoes at as affordable a price as possible (because then you can buy more!) One of my favorite sites for a wide selection of discount shoes is 6pm.com.   If you don't know them, check the site out.  They also have some clothing and accessories, but their shoe and handbag selections are the best.  Regularly you can find brand names at 30-50% off, but sometimes it even goes up to 70-80% off.  Men's, women's and children's.  They have free shipping on all orders, and their customer service is very good.

This is my current 6pm.com wishlist, and they're all (except one) under $50:

Those should get me through the summer, don't you think? ;)
 

Baby Registry: 5 Items You Never Knew You Needed

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I am by no means an expert, as I've only done the newborn through toddler thing once so far. But I was spending time a with a friend over the weekend who is 6 weeks in to being a mommy for the first time, and while she has the bulk of her current daily necessities at this point, I was thinking about a few other things she doesn't have and wouldn't think to have at this point, that I now highly recommend from my experiences.  So thought I'd share here too, for anyone else in the same boat.

None of these do you need in order to be prepared to bring your newborn home (in fact some of these aren't relevant until several months in) but once you've settled in to this new crazy life you're living, these will be helpful.

1.  A Diaper Clutch: You probably spent a lot of time look for the diaper bag that best suited your style and fit all the other requirements everyone told you would want.  And you probably packed each of the 3 dozen pockets with all of the items you could possibly ever need while out of the house with your newborn.  That's great.  But give yourself 3 -4 trips out of the house with that cumbersome bag and you're going to be over it really quick.  Yes, you will want to have all those diaper bag items in the car with you for your trips away from the house, but you don't want to lug the whole thing in with you when you're just running in to Target to get some toothpaste and deodorant.

When I was first gifted a diaper clutch I thought: what good is this? It only holds a diaper and pad?  Well, that's exactly what is great about it.  SO much easier to run in to the doctor's office, to the store, to dinner, without the giant diaper bag. With a baby still in a carrier, or a toddler running around, you have your hands full enough. You don't need the giant emergency bag everywhere you go.

2.  Padded Seat Strap Covers: Many carseat carriers come with their own versions of this item, but I've found them to be stiff and not cover enough. The nylon shoulder straps of car seats can irritate your baby's neck skin, so you want something over those straps, and I recommend plush ones with the extra plush décor, like these ones.  That's specific, I know, but the extra plush animal head is good for 2 purposes:  when you're baby still has a weak neck, the bulk of the plush helps keep your baby's head steady.  Then when they get a bit older add have more head control and are more alert and active, the plush head become a good, soothing, easy for them to access chew item.  One they can't loose.

3.  Plastic Bags:  These can be any kind, but I like these biodegradable ones (if I'm going to be adding to landfills, it makes me feel better.)  Why you need these: you will be out and your baby will have a blow-out.  Being the prepared parent you are, you have a change of clothes, but then what do you do with the removed poopy clothes until you get home?  Pull out a baggie, insert, tie closed. No mess, no stink.  Good to use as well if you change a poopy diaper somewhere public and either don't have access to a trash can, or to one that is sealed.  You'll just never be sorry you have plastic baggies on hand.

 
 

4.  A Zipadee-zip:  I know you're thinking what the heck?  I laughed the first time I saw one of these to.  But it is a brilliant invention that made all the difference in getting my son to sleep, both for naps and at bedtime.  If you have a baby that is very responsive to swaddling, and needs that security to fall asleep, this will help you transition as they start to grow out of it but still need it.  They're also great for when they fall asleep but you need to travel and latch them into their car seats: you can't properly strap a swaddled baby into a car seat, but the design of the Zipadee-zip allows the straps while still confining your baby's limbs (which is what is comforting about being swaddled.)

5.  Gum Massager:  These are not really needed until they start teething their molars, and are so great once that starts.  Molars are some of the later teeth to come through, and most of the other teeth are easily soothed by standard teething rings. But the rings/teethers don't really work as well with the molars, because they are usually too wide/big to get to the back corners of your baby's mouth.   These are designed specifically for that purpose, with a guard on the handle to keep your little one from sticking it too far back.  My son is going through this phase right now, and when his teeth are bothering him, he is excited to see me pull out the 'chew stick', as we call it.

 
 

So there you have it: these 5 items I was so happy to have but were not on my initial baby registry when I started out. Hope you find something that helps you out.

What baby items couldn't you live without with your little one?