Casual

August 16, 2017

7 THINGS I DO AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR

thank you to Zappos for sponsoring this post

<< the boys wanted to pose themselves. I was dying! 😉 >>

ON ME: JEANS || WHITE TEE || SIMILAR STRIPED SHIRT || GOLD SANDALS

ON BRADLEY: “WEEKEND WARRIOR” TEE || BLACK STRETCH JEANS || NEW BALANCE SNEAKERS

ON CASH: BUTTON UP SHIRT || JEANS || NEW BALANCE SNEAKERS

Getting ready to send the boys back to school is like a fresh start for us (almost like entering into the New Year, with new goals and plans to get started on). It’s a time to reset ourselves and get things organized again. And every year I work really hard to start setting the tone for school by doing the following seven things. These things help get everyone on the same page again, which can be hard after a full summer!

Back to school shopping: I always save a big portion of my back-to-school shopping for online. I can count on Zappos to have the styles and brands that I’m looking for, and everything is delivered right to my door, with easy returns if things don’t fit. Shopping with Zappos not only saves me time, it prevents any melt downs or crying in the store, and the boys can help me pick the items out so easily!
Clear out space for school papers: I make sure I clean out any old papers from last school year before the new year begins. This way, I can keep the important ones in a file and get rid of the others in order to have space for the inevitable pile that starts building up almost instantly once the kids are in school. If I don’t stay on top of school papers, they eventually fill my house!
Stock the fridge: I am making two school lunches this year, so I make sure I start the year with a big trip to Costco to stock my kitchen with everything we’ll need for meals (apples, carrots, tortillas, meat, string cheese, chips, cookies, etc.). A stocked kitchen makes for faster lunch prep and happy boys.
Start waking up early: I try to make myself get up and going a little earlier than normal so we don’t have such a huge rush in the morning. I have to get back into this routine a week or so before the school year starts to get used to having a set time we need to get out of the house. There is always so much to do in the mornings before school, so getting myself up earlier gives me some time to get things done before having to help the boys get ready.
Enforce the rules: This year I really want to implement a no TV before school rule. I became lax on TV during the summer, but I want to make sure the boys know that it needs to stop in the mornings once school is here. I also organize reading and chore charts, and any other repetitive practice I want them to be doing each day, before the school year starts. It’s so much easier if it’s written on a chart for the kids to see and remember what they need to be doing daily.
Clean out the closets: In order to make room for all their new school clothes, I try to get rid of all the clothes that don’t fit the boys anymore. It helps to do this before I get their new school clothes so I know exactly what I’m looking for. And it makes for an even easier online shopping experience at Zappos!
Organize my pictures early on: One thing I didn’t do last year was keep better track of the pictures I took of my kids at school events, first day back, Halloween, etc. I mean, I took the pictures, they just all got mixed up in my 24,000 pictures on my phone (not exaggerating). So this year I already created new folders in my phone titled “Bradley 2nd Grade” and “Cash Kindergarten.” That way, as I take pictures throughout the year, I can throw them into that folder and put them into a school book at the end of the year!

photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Casual

July 20, 2017

MAKING THE MOST OF SUMMER

thank you to Zappos for sponsoring this post

       ON ME: JEANS  || WHITE TEE  || KIMINO || GOLD SANDALS  || RING
ON ELI: BUTTON UP TOP  || JEAN SHORTS  ||  BLACK CONVERSE SNEAKERS
ON BRADLEY: NAVY TEE  || GREY SHORTS  || SANDALS
ON CASH: WHITE GRAPHIC TEE  || NAVY SHORTS  ||  SANDALS

I can’t believe how fast summer is flying by! It has been so great to have as much time as I want with the boys, but it can get crazy! I have loved not having to run on a strict schedule every day, needing to be somewhere 15 times a day with school, sports, etc. But now that we are in the middle of July, I have been trying to maximize the rest of the time I have while the boys are home in order to make the final days of summer really count.

I have to keep reminding myself that there is still plenty of time to fit in all the fun activities we have been talking about doing. Zappos has been a huge lifesaver with all the days we have been spending at the pool this summer. They carry some of our favorite brands for the boys, including Volcom and O’Neil, and they have the fastest delivery time to maximize our time spent in the sun! We have been taking advantage of the fact that the boys’ shorts have worked great in the water, so they have actually been using them in the pool too. It’s been so nice and easy to head to Zappos.com to pick out clothes I know they’ll be able to wear wherever we go this summer. That means no dragging them to the store, and more time spent doing the things they want to do!

Here are some of the ways we plan to make the most of the rest of the summer:

Trips to the pool three times a week (the boys’ shorts are great in the water, so they actually go swimming in them too!)
Visit the LACMA museum in L.A. (we have always wanted to go!)
Take a weekend trip to San Diego as a family
Fill in our summer reading chart
Go to the park with friends
Summer movies in the park
Family tennis night
Science experiments

photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Family

June 1, 2017

BATHTIME WITH ELI

As moms we always want the best for our kids in every aspect of their lives, including their skincare from the day they are born. We notice every little impurity right away because we want to make sure they are as protected as possible. Only a few hours after Eli was first born I noticed he had a little birthmark on his back, and it might sounds cheesy, but its one of my favorite things about him! Every time I see it when I bathe him and it always brings back the sweetest memory of the very first time I got to hold him.

Eli’s skin is a bit different than my other two boys. It’s a little more dry, which is something I didn’t have to worry about with the older boys. Since noticing his skin is dryer, I have been on the hunt for bath and body lotion products that will actually help his skin get better as he gets older. I love this Gentle Cleansing Gel because it has a nice lather and is buttery smooth. The pump makes it easy to access when my hands are wet and slippery, and the fact that it works on the hair and body is so convenient.

When I heard about Mustela I was initially hooked because of the amount of knowledge they have on skincare for babies of all ages and stages. After using it on Eli, my favorite part about their lotion is the scent. I love that it is a mostly natural product that still has a pleasant smell to it. I didn’t love using other products that were natural before Mustela because the scent never left him smelling fresh and clean. Many of them have no scent at all, and I missed the fresh smell of a clean baby! The quality of Mustela’s products doesn’t stop with a great scent. In every product, Mustela uses main ingredients that are naturally derived, and each product contains Avocado perseose, which actually acts as a protective barrier to the skin to preserve skin cells from the environment.

I knew Eli needed a targeted line of products that worked directly with his unique skin type. Mustela’s new bebe line caters to four baby skin types (normal, dry, sensitive, and eczema-prone), which was so helpful in deciding which products would work best for him. It was so easy to shop for products by skin-type, with all the information I needed right in front of me. After baths I always play a game with Eli where I lay him down and squirt drops of the Hydra Bebe Body Lotion on him from way up high. He loves it! I use the Hydra Bebe Cream on his face since it’s thicker, and that is the area that tends to get the most dry.

For late crazy nights when I don’t have time to throw them in the bath, the No Rinse Cleansing Water is my saving grace! I just squirt it on a washcloth and rub them down quickly. Its super easy, virtually no mess or cleanup, and he still gets to go to bed clean and fresh. I highly recommend it for those busy nights!

I no longer have to worry about finding products that meet Eli’s skin needs, and as his skin changes and matures I know I can continue to find products from Mustela that will work for him no matter what skin type he has.

in partnership with Mustela | photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Family

May 30, 2017

MAKING FATHER’S DAY MEMORABLE

Want to know what I’m the best at? Taking pictures. I have countless images beautifully edited on my blog, phone, and DSLR of my kids at every stage of their lives. Documenting each stage of life as a family is always a big priority for me.

Want to know what I’m the worst at? Printing those beautiful images. I have years of images just sitting on my hard drive and not hanging in my home. I can’t even think about it too much because it makes me sad. For some reason the act of actually developing the images is so hard to me! I have no idea why!

Showcasing some of my favorite family photos is at the forefront of my mind because Father’s Day is just around the corner, and Garrett has been begging me for years to help him get some images of us and the kids that he can display in his office at work. I kid you not, I gave him frames for his office last Father’s Day and never got around to adding pictures to them! I finally decided enough was enough when we visited him at the office one day and he had an old picture of Bradley and Cash on his desk and a post-it stuck to it of a little stick figure drawing of Eli. Then I saw a copy of my passport photo taped to his computer. My passport photo is without a doubt the most horrific picture of me ever. After that visit I was determined to finally get him some up-to-date family photos to display in his office.

I enlisted the help of Shutterfly to make his Father’s Day dream gift come true, and I was blown away at how easy it was to finally bring these beautiful family photos to life. Initially I was just planning on framing four 8×10 images in classic frames to create a gallery wall, but when I started looking around at all of the items Shutterfly lets you customize, I decided to kick up my gift a few notch

Garrett loves to drink herbal tea in the mornings, except he currently drinks out of a gross old mug from 1985. So I ordered him this mug with one of my favorite pictures from our trip to Hawaii last year. I love that the horizontal photo wraps all the way around the mug so you get a different view of the image from each angle.

If you ask Garrett what his favorite things are, a paper weight would be on his top 10 list. I have no idea why, but when I saw that you could order a custom printed paper weight, that was a no brainer. I think this might be my absolute favorite item out of everything I got for his office. The image is printed on a really pretty metallic looking paper, so the picture looks like it’s glowing when you see the paper weight from each angle (I posted an insta story video of it when I first opened the package because I was so obsessed). Plus, he has approximately one million piles of papers and files and folders all over his office, so I know it will get a lot of good use.

Garrett’s poor car (my old college car to be exact) is on the verge of extinction, and the phone charging outlet doesn’t work anymore, so I customized this portable charger for him with a picture I know he loves of me and the boys. The image is so crisp and clear! This happens to be quite the charger too. It comes with 2 USB ports, 1 micro USB port, 3 different device plugin options (so convenient), and it can charge up to two devices simultaneously. It has enough power to charge two iPhones completely. I also couldn’t resist adding an iPhone case for him with a picture from our recent anniversary trip to Paris to remind him of what an incredible time we had there!

All I had to do was pick the images I knew he would like best, and Shutterfly did all the work for me. As much as I love creating things myself, I just don’t have the time these days. I don’t know why it took me so long to order prints and keepsakes, but I am so happy with how beautiful everything turned out! Father’s Day is a few weeks away, so now is the perfect time to place your order and have it delivered to your doorstep for the big day. A custom print, paperweight, mug, or phone charger and case will all make great Father’s Day gifts, and being able to customize each one with Shutterfly makes it even more special! There are so many beautiful personalized gifts (like phone chargers, mugs, phone cases, frames, and paper weights) that are easy to create on Shutterfly that make for a truly memorable gift.

in partnership with Shutterfly

This post is sponsored by Shutterfly. Celebrate the dads in your life with a thoughtful and customizable gift made with Shutterfly.

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Casual

April 25, 2017

THE MIX AND MATCH TRICK

My older boys are at an age where they can get up in the morning and dress themselves (best thing ever). Most nights I try to lay out their outfits for school so it’s easy for them to throw on their clothes first thing in the morning, but there are many nights where I am just too exhausted and don’t end up doing it for them. After buying boy clothes for the past seven years, I’ve come up with a few tricks I use to really stretch my dollar when it comes to buying the boys’ clothes. The older they get, the more active they are and the harder they are on their clothing. I’ve narrowed down the stores I get their clothes at to places I know I can quickly find well made clothing that is affordable and cute, and Kohls has definitely made that list.

While there are many days where I just have to let the bright colored character tee and mismatched shoes slide, another trick I’ve learned over the years is how to buy clothing that my boys can mix and match easily, that results in a cute outfit! Basics are my favorite go-to for the boys for this reason. I can always count on Kohl’s for great basic solid tees, striped tees, and tanks that pair easily with solid or lightly patterned shorts and pants.

I recently stopped by Kohl’s to check out their spring Jumping Beans clothing line, and I left with 9 tops and 4 shorts, all for only $75! That’s enough clothing to mix and match 10 different outfits, and I only had to go to one store to do all my shopping! It’s a one stop shop for all three boys, which makes it so easy for me to run out and grab clothes as the boys need them. And the best part about buying clothes that can mix and match is the boys get freedom to choose what they feel like wearing. Cash can get up in the morning and pick out his own Jumping Beans tee and shorts, and I know he will have on a cute outfit that goes together. Cash loves it because he feels like he’s a big kid who is in control of his outfit, and he likes wearing the clothes. They are soft cotton that is comfy, and he isn’t bugged with feeling constricted or itchy from the fabric. It’s a win-win for us when the boys are excited about the clothes we’re buying them, and we’re saving ourselves time and money getting quality pieces that work for multiple outfits, all in one place.

ON CASH:

Grey pocket polo, Grey/white striped tank, Red/grey striped tee, Grey shorts, Striped tan shorts

ON ELI:

Grey/white striped polo, Red/blue tank, Blue striped tee, Grey terry shorts, Grey cuffed shorts

in partnership with Kohl’s | photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Casual

April 21, 2017

MINI ME STYLE

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Dressy

April 14, 2017

TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY PICTURES

DRESS: MADE MY ME (tutorial coming soon) INSPIRATION DRESS || SIMILAR SHOES || COAT || GARRETT’S SUIT

I figured Easter weekend was the perfect time to share the images from our anniversary shoot we did in Paris. I will let the pictures do most of the talking! I am beyond thrilled with how these turned out. I made my dress for this shoot and worked with our photographer in Paris on the concept/style I envisioned, and they turned out just how I had hoped they would!

DRESS: MADE MY ME (tutorial coming soon, fabric c/o Mood Fabrics) INSPIRATION DRESS || SIMILAR SHOES || COAT || GARRETT’S SUIT

Many of you have messaged me mentioning an upcoming trip to Paris. If you are going, I highly recommend booking a shoot with our photographer, Meiry (you can find her on Instagram or her website). She was amazing to work with. She new all of the best locations to shoot and when the lighting would be right (and not swarming with tourists). We were up shooting by 7 am, right when the sun was starting to rise. It’s so amazing to see the lighting change and develop throughout these images! I planned the colors/fabric of my dress in hopes that the cherry trees would be in bloom, and I was thrilled when they were! Normally they bloom a bit later in April for about two weeks, but lucky for us, they bloomed a bit earlier this year (late March-early April). It was the perfect time to take pictures.

When we go on big trips like this, I always want to make sure I leave with some kind of souvenir to remember the trip by. I’m not interested in something flimsy or cheap that will get broken or thrown out eventually. On our trip to Hawaii last year, I decided that instead of spending money on a souvenir, I would hire a photographer to get professional pictures of our family on each big trip we take. I think it’s better than any pin, or charm, or trinket you can buy in a store.

A lot of you have asked how I found my photographers, and I just searched on Instagram through #parisphotographer and reached out to the photographers with work that I liked the most. It takes some research and planning, but it is so worth it! Another reason it is so great is I wasn’t stressed about trying to get the perfect shot of us together around Paris as we traveled, because I already knew I was guaranteed good ones by having a photo session scheduled. That way we could just enjoy each other’s company! I am going to make a photo album with these pictures and it will be something that we treasure for years to come!

I’m just getting back into the swing of things after getting home from our 10 year anniversary trip to London and Paris. This trip exceeded both of our expectations! It was beyond my wildest dreams and even more fun than I was hoping it would be. Now I have the travel bug, and we are already dreaming up where we want to head next (but I think we will take the kids next time around).

We haven’t been knocked down too bad by jet lag (but I have been taking random 3 hour naps from 8pm-11pm every night this week). Next week I will be sharing all of my looks from our trip, and I am working on a big post that covers where we stayed, ate, and all of our favorite recommendations for both London and Paris.

photography by Flanerie Photo

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Family

March 9, 2017

A FAMILY GETAWAY TO LEGOLAND

SWIMSUIT || SUNGLASSES

< The boys loved having their own room, they felt so cool! >

< Legoland was a dream come true for these two! >

< I caught this right after Garrett asked, “Who is the cutest boy in the world?!” We’ve taught all of our boys to raise their hands when we ask that. I love it! >

< I got spoiled with a facial and a relaxing day at the Sheraton Carlsbad Spa. It was such a dream! >

SIMLAR DRESS || NUDE HEELS (size a half size down on these!)

< On our way to church Sunday morning! Eli was a little less than thrilled. >

< The sunset as we walked back to our hotel from Legoland. >

< Love these three dudes! >

< For those who asked when I posted this on my Instagram- I used this self tanner. This is after only 1 application! >

FLORAL ROMPER || SIMILAR GOLD SANDALS || BAG

Back in January we took a little weekend family getaway down to San Diego for Cash’s 5th birthday. We gave him the option of having a birthday party or going to Legoland, and he picked Legoland. (thank goodness..much less stress for me!) While I was planning our trip, my biggest concern was convenience. Since it was a short weekend stay, I wanted somewhere close to the theme park where we could just hang out and relax and not have to do a ton of driving around to entertain the kids. We ended up deciding on the Sheraton Carlsbad, and we were so happy we did! When we checked in, the sweetest man at the front desk saw how excited the boys all were, and pulled out a little bag full of lego guys. It was his own personal collection and he hands them out to kids visiting the hotel. It turns out, he used to work at Legoland and knows the place like the back of his hand. So he told us all the best rides to start with and helped us plan our day. It was quite the welcome!

I didn’t know this when I booked the hotel, but the Sheraton has their own private entrance to Legoland! It is literally across the street from the park. So the next morning, we got the kids all ready, popped Eli in the stroller, and walked across the street and down the hill to a gate that opened to Legoland. And there was NO line! I couldn’t believe it. The boys are the perfect age for Legoland. We have never been before and I was so impressed with how well it catered to kids. Lots of rides were designed for the kids to wait in line all by themselves (it made them feel so big and important). There was one ride where they got their own little drivers license and got to drive a car around a mini little town. There was an area for parents and strollers to sit and watch. The boys went on this one over and over and it was so fun to see them have such a blast. When the park closed and we were all wiped out after a fun day, I can’t tell you how amazing it was to just cross the street and be right at our hotel.

That next morning I worked out at their gym, and we spent the day swimming and playing at the hotel. While the boys napped I got a little pamper session in at the hotel spa. I had the most amazing facial (I’ve only had one other facial before!) and I’m hooked! I got full use of their spa facilities, so I went in their steam room twice, took a shower, and got all ready for dinner there. It was such a dream. If your kids are around ages 3-10 I would highly recommend a Legoland vacation and stay at the Sheraton Carlsbad. One day at the park and one day swimming was the perfect amount of time for us.

These past few weeks I have been busy planning for our next getaway. This time it’s just me and Garrett. We celebrate our TEN year wedding anniversary this year, and we have been planning on taking a big trip for this anniversary for years. We talked about going a lot of different places for this trip, but we decided on London and Paris! The trip is coming up quickly and I can’t wait. We have a lot of fun little adventures planned while we are there, but I do have a random question/favor! Garrett is a huge Chelsea Football fan. He loves that team with all of his heart. He is a member of their official fan club/group and we both really want to go to a Chelsea game while we are out there. Like..we planned this trip so we would be there during a few games. The problem is, tickets are hard to get. You have to be a member of a their fan club to be able to even purchase a ticket, but you are only allowed to buy ONE ticket per member. So there is a chance he might be able to buy a ticket to one of their games..but he will only be able to get one. Does anyone out there have any inside info on a way to get 2 tickets to a game? This is probably the most random request of all time ever, but it’s worth a shot!

I can’t wait to share our upcoming trip…even though I’m a borderline stress case about leaving the kids!

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Family

December 27, 2016

OUR CHRISTMAS CARDS 2016

you can find my outfit details over in this post || cards via Minted

I hope you all had a great Christmas! We had so much fun opening gifts, going to church, and spending time playing games and watching movies as a family. I wanted to share our Christmas Cards from this year, along with a few outtakes. They are my very favorite!

Yesterday we took down all of our Christmas decorations…so unlike me, but it felt so nice to get everything cleaned up! I have so many fun things in store for Elle Apparel for the new year, and I’m excited to get going on all the ideas bouncing around inside my head. Thanks everyone for following along!

photography by Kendra Maarse

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Casual

December 20, 2016

THE EASIEST GIFT TO GIVE THIS YEAR

There are so many special people in my life that I love to shop for, but I never want to overlook my kids’ teachers when it comes to gift giving. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed when it comes to finding them the perfect gift. These are the people who pour into my kids’ lives day in and day out, the ones my boys love dearly, and I know their memories with them will last forever. Their teachers work so hard during the year to help my boys, and I am so incredibly thankful for them. But gift giving to teachers can be tricky. It’s hard to know what their teachers really want or need, so I decided that the MasterCard gift cards from Gift Card Mall are the perfect solution.

Sometimes we just need a little “giftervention” to help us say thank you to the people we cherish. These gift cards are perfect for everyone on your list. They are easy to purchase, easy to use, and still allow you to add a personal touch when wrapping them up. For Bradley’s teacher we decided to add a few goodies into a basket with the gift card to tie it all together.

It’s so easy to purchase MasterCard gift cards, and all it takes is a quick stop at your local grocery store. There are several familiar stores that carry them, including Vons, Safeway, Kroger, Food Lion, Alberton’s, and other local grocery stores. If you still have gifts you need to pick up before Christmas, the MasterCard gift cards from Gift Card Mall are a no-brainer. They take the difficulty out of gift giving, and make it easy for anyone to give a great gift.

in partnership with Gift Card Mall | photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Casual

December 14, 2016

MY FAVORITE CHRISTMAS TRADITION

BRADLEY’S JAMMIES || CASH’S JAMMIES || ELI’S JAMMIES || MY JAMMIES || INITIAL NECKLACE HEADBOARD || GOLD WALL LAMPS || NIGHTSTAND

Christmas traditions. There are so many good ones, and I really love them all. But since we have had kids, getting the boys matching Christmas jammies each year might be my very very favorite (you can see last year’s matching jammies here). When I first had Bradley I thought Christmas jammies were cute…but multiply the same pair of pajamas by THREE and I’m just over here breathing into a paper bag; I can’t handle the cuteness.

I scoured online for some cute (but not too crazy) Christmas jammies that would work with all the boys, and I fell in love with these from Nordstrom. That Santa with no face?? I love him! I ordered these online because they didn’t have any in the store and they are such good quality. They are thick with a tight high quality knit that my boys won’t destroy easily.

I really debated because my boys are obsessed with Star Wars right now, and this pair and this pair are just as cute! Eli loves Mickey and he would have flipped over this pair.

I also had to order myself a new pair of jammies too. I’ve bought this same pair of jammies just in different colors for three years in a row. They are by far my favorite. They are soft like silk, but made of modal knit (top of the line). They last through hundreds of washings and don’t fade. Hop over to Nordstrom and grab your kiddos and yourself some new Christmas jammies!

I linked to all of our pajamas along with a few other kids pajamas below…

in partnership with Nordstrom | photography by Jordan Zobrist

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Family

December 1, 2016

A FESTIVE WAY TO DISPLAY YOUR PAST HOLIDAY CARDS + A MINTED GIVEAWAY!

Happy December 1st! Christmas cards are one of my very favorite parts of this season. Even though it takes a ton of work and planning to get our card shot and mailed out, I love being able to look through all of our cards from past years and remember our family in those different stages of life. I always keep our old cards, and thought it would be so cute to display them in a big festive wreath for this year so we can still enjoy them!

This year I am teaming up with Minted for my Christmas cards. I have used Minted in years past and they are so beautiful and unique. The quality of these cards is exquisite, and I have been so pleased with how my past cards have turned out.

I’m still finalizing cards for this year, but wanted to share a few good options I am trying to decide between. I love the look of this simple gold foil card (I love cards where the image is the main focal point), but I also love the holly berry design on this one! Do you opt for a more traditional card, or do you go for fun colors and unique designs?

Minted collaborates with a lot of independent talented artists to design their cards and this makes their cards unique. It’s easy to see the time and thought that was put into the clean tasteful designs of every one of their cards. Head over to their site and you can see so many more gorgeous options. I even looked through them before we shot our Christmas Cards for inspiration for the theme of our cards!

I am excited to be giving away a $125 gift card for Minted.com to TWO lucky winners! Just head over here for an easy entry. (giveaway will run through 12/8)

psst! It’s also time to kick it into Christmas shopping gear! Check out all my Holiday Gift Guides for some good gifting ideas!

in partnership with Minted

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