Happy Friday — hope you enjoy today’s five!
O N E
I’ve had some IKEA frames purchased for months with the intention of creating a gallery wall in our upstairs hallway. It will be all family photos, so it feels like a great fit to have it in the hall where all of our bedrooms are. The idea of hanging a gallery wall can be super intimidating with all of the spacing, leveling etc. I saw an ad on Facebook for these picture hangers and found them on amazon with Prime shipping. They’re basically a tool that helps you hang any frame more easily because it “marks” the wall with a dot where your nails should go. I cannot wait to try these out – game changer! I’ll report back, but if you need to hang art or photos in your home, check out Blink picture hangers.
T W O
Our new atoll mirror arrived from Ballard Designs (the majority of our furniture is from there, when I really think about it) and I absolutely adore it! I’m looking for an acrylic side table or some other material to place under it. I’d love to style the table so it really feels like its own little space. The area where that mirror hangs is kind of awkward because it’s kind of just an open area that then leads to a hallway that goes to our powder bath and office. We didn’t want to fill that space with more furniture because I think leaving it open makes the house look less cluttered and more airy. A little blank space in a room is never a bad idea – in fact, I think more people are coming around to the idea that every square inch doesn’t have to be filled for a room to look finished or inviting. Visual clutter is distracting and stressful for me – so adding a mirror and slim table feels like a great solution for this space because It’s confined mainly to the wall versus jutting into that free space. Here are some options I’m eyeing to go under our mirror: table 1, table 2, table 3, bar cart, console table . 
T H R E E
A fellow blogger friend, Katey, shared this o-key ring a few weeks ago and I immediately clicked “add to cart.” Y’all. This is among the best $25 I’ve ever spent. It’s so simple, yet so needed.
Let’s start with the fact that it’s so pretty. I have the pink/rose gold glitter style, but there are tons to choose from. Aesthetics aside, this key ring/bracelet is so convenient. It’s always easy to find in your purse and you can wear it around your wrist, which is super handy when you’re trying to help one child out of their car seat while holding on for dear life the other who is trying to run into the parking lot, all while holding 2 coats and backpacks (true story). I’ve had “cute” keychains in the past – but none were functional like this key ring. It’s such a simple concept, I kind of wish I had invented it! Mine is made of silicone, which I love because it’s easy to clean! I also found the cutest keychains here…can’t resist the rainbow one!
F O U R
So many of y’all have asked me to share what I buy for the kids, clothing wise, so I wanted to share a few picks from my recent Gap and Target orders. I ordered: this lemon swimsuit + this blue dress for Harper. I also got her this striped top, this eyelet bell sleeve top and this precious mint top. I ordred these cute striped tees and this mixed pattern tee for Lincoln.
F I V E
I saw these mules last weekend when I was shopping with Candice and I need them. I resisted, because I do have pointy toe dusty mauve mules…but these are different enough to justify, right? (please say yes!) ADD TO CART. See more cute pink flats here.
L I N K S I L O V E
Speaking of Katey, she also shared this amazing recipe for a hot lemon drink that helps with toxins, bloating, etc. I have a few friends that drink similar drinks each morning and I’m determined to add this to my routine. I usually don’t eat or drink until I get to work, but drinking this drink first thing (yes, even before coffee) sounds like a great way to start the day.
I loved this recent Harper’s Bazaar article about how women are shamed for spending money – read it here. I especially related to this quote “monitoring what a woman spends her money on represents a new, sophisticated way of infantilizing women and reminding them that they’re too silly to know what is good for them. And that you, personally, could lead their lives better…” I encourage you to read the article – and I’ll leave you with this quote also…“These comments are not coming from a smart, progressive place. They’re coming from a really old-fashioned place. They’re coming from the same place where female pleasure has always been seen as an enemy, whether it’s women enjoying sex, or food, or beautiful objects.”
If you missed it earlier this week, I have gotten so many questions about BBG/the Sweat app, that I put an entire blog post of FAQs together. See it here.
Do any of y’all follow Julia of Gal Meets Glam? I keep following their home renovations on Instagram stories and I’m totally obsessed with what they’re doing. Talk about a dream home! I’m literally at the edge of my seat waiting for the room reveals, but check out a video they made of the pre-renovation home.
My friend Megan of Honey We’re Home has an awesome post about meal planningthat I think you’ll love.
Don’t have your kid’s Valentines purchased? Here is a link to 25 free Valentine printables!
Did you miss my banana bread post from Monday? Make some this weekend!
S H O P T H E P O S T
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I love the idea of that key ring! It’s so annoying when you’re carrying groceries or something and then you’re also trying to hold on to your keys. Thanks for sharing!
It has seriously saved me in many daycare drop off and pick up situations! Why is it that kids think running away from you is funny?!
While I don’t disagree with the sentiment of “stop shaming women”, I have to disagree with this article. I applaud women who can buy themselves something nice – whether it’s some Starbucks to brighten your morning, or a Louis Vuitton bag you’ve idolized since you were a kid looking at Vogue.
However, this article has some of the weakest arguments I’ve ever read. Louise Linton isn’t shamed because she wears Hermes. She is shamed because her and her husband tried using a government jet for their honeymoon. She belittles people who call her out for tagging designers and by suggesting their personal worth is less because of their income.
The writer then goes on to say Donald Trump didn’t get flack for having a bathroom of solid gold? I’m pretty sure Donald Trump is always criticized for being out of touch with everyone (another sentiment I don’t disagree with). Elon Musk sent his own car, created by his company, and launched by his space ship into space. Also let’s remember, with major cuts to NASA, it’s a major step forward with space exploration (go science!). She also cut out half of Musk’s quote. He didn’t just call this “silly and fun” it’s also “important” – it’s the first time a private company has launched into space. Again… Huge step for space exploration. The fact that she is comparing that to buying something to make you happy blows my mind.
I feel like I could keep going, and again, I agree with the sentiment of “let’s not shame women,” — but the ignorance of this article is infuriating.
If you’re looking for great articles on feminism, shame, etc. I recommend reading Rebecca Solnit, or reading some peer reviewed articles on JSTOR. You’ll find more articulate work that has been published academically as well as thoroughly researched and defended.
Thank you so much for the article recommendations Shelly — I will check them out — and thank you for your comments on the article I shared also! I think the topic of women being shamed for practically everything (especially when they are mothers) is an important one and I hope discussions on the topic continue.
Love those pastels!