Home

March 14, 2018

Our Home: Family Room

rug | gray chairs | coffee table | pillows | ivory + gray stripe blanket | top | jeans + similar here | slippers || harper : top | jeggings | headband || houston : top

Today we are continuing our home tour, and taking you inside the other half of my favorite area in the house, the Family Room! Our little family spends so much time together in this space. I wanted to share all the details that went into designing it and how we made it feel like home!

As I mentioned in our kitchen reveal, I really consider this main room as the heart of our home. Most importantly I wanted it to feel comfortable and welcoming. I wanted it to be a place where my people wanted to come together and just talk about their days. Since it is a statement area of our home, I also wanted it to reflect our modern + unique design aesthetic. So I took this wish list and went straight to the master mind, Ashley, and together we came up with a space I love!!

blue couch | coffee table | pillows | cream blanket | end table (sold out)

As you can see in the kitchen + dining reveal, it is a very bright but neutral space. Since I had that as the foundation, we knew we wanted to add some fun pops with the furniture in the family room. Article is full of the exact modern look I was going for. Their pieces are unique and high quality, without reflecting it in the price tag. I saw the Sven Sofa before we even moved in and knew I had to have it! I love the combo of kind of mid century meets modern clean lines. Ashley convinced me to try pairing it with the velvet Kits Sofa. I’ll admit, velvet made me nervous, but you guys it is amazing! The texture and pop it brings to the space is exactly what it needed.

When it cam to accent chairs I changed my mind about 1000 times. You may have seen the fun pink ones we originally went with. Article was so great to work with all my crazy changes! The Noah chairs were the perfect thing to finish off the seating. Gray is so trendy right now + a color I love, so they are for sure a favorite. The seating is all so comfortable while still giving a clean modern look. I love that we have the space to accommodate not just our people, but also to be able to host our extended family + friends.

Another favorite about this space is the light + brightness the windows bring. I had been warned about Utah’s dreary winters. Being used to so much sun in California, I knew I wanted to pull in a lot of light. The windows completely brighten everything up! You know i love my greens so the Fiddle Fig brings life to the space as well. A fun + easy way I like to add more texture + dimension is by using baskets instead of your typical planter pots. Something about them just feels more homey and cozy!

The coffee table, end tables, + rug (that I’m OBSESSED with) all came from AllModern. They really pull everything together. I love that the rug brings warmth to the space without being too harsh. These fun pillows from Tonic Living were the perfect final touch and created the cohesive + cozy space we were looking for.

Also I forgot I have been getting a ton of questions about our fan! It’s one of my favorite pieces of the room! I got it from Lighting Design and I worked with Mendee. She was seriously amazing!!! And helped me pick out so many other fixtures for the house as well. Honestly a great company to work with if your looking for anything lights!

It took a lot of trial and error + changing my mind a few times, but I could not be happier with how it turned out. I can’t wait to make memories + watch my little people grow up here in this home!!

couch | gold pillow | pink velvet pillow | pink fuzzy pillow

end table (sold out) | vase | gold sculpture (old) similar

photos : aubrey taiese + design : ashley cooper design

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Family

March 12, 2018

10 Things You May Not Know About Joe + I

top | jeans | wedges (old) – similar | clutch – similar | sunnies || joe : shirt | jeans | shoes

Today we are celebrating our 14 year Anniversary!! I seriously can’t even believe its already been 14 years! I swear we were just young and in love! haha! In honor of our anniversary, I thought it would be fun to tell you more about us, so today I’m sharing 10 fun things you may not know about Joe + I!

1. We’ve known each other for 22 YEARS!! … Yes you read that right!! 22 YEARS! We met when we were 12 years old!! Haha such babies but we’ve pretty much been best friends ever since! I shared more of the details as well as a few funny stories over in this post on Valentine’s Day.

2. Joe grew up in a family of 5 boys. I grew up in a family of 3 girls! Ha can you get more opposite?! Sine we had known each other for so long I figured there would be no surprises for either of us when we got married. I remember about 2 weeks in, Joe came to me saying there was a weird film on the counter top in the bathroom and he could not figure out what it was. That was his introduction to hairspray!! The other biggest surprise was the toilet seat! I grew up with just girls, and as a result, my dad just always put the seat down. It was never something we dealt with in our house. However, in a house of boys, it was the opposite! I remember being so weirded out + confused of why he never put it down!

3. Joe always knew we’d have 5 kids, even though I always said 4. He never told me he felt that way until I got pregnant with Harper, but he said he knew it from before we had any of our people that 5 would be our number.

4. Joe + I are both OBSESSED with ice cream! When we were first married, we lived right down the street from an ice cream place called Scoops. We would walk over EVERY..SINGLE…NIGHT to get ice cream. And when I say “get ice cream”, I don’t mean one scoop…or even two. We each got a full PINT! As a result, I probably gained around 15 pounds in the first month of our marriage. Joe called me Lady Lumps because thanks to the pounds I actually had boobs for once! It is still such a big joke in both of our families. Living in Kentucky was a problem too! They have the very best Blue Bell ice cream. We would buy GALLONS at a time and make milkshakes every night. So one thing about us…You will never find our freezer without ice cream!

5. When Joe + I were dating, I told him I always wanted to name one of my kids Hunter. It didn’t matter if it was a boy or girl. He liked the name too until we found out our first was a girl. He was terrified that as a result, she would grow up and hate her name around 16. We don’t worry about it now, but still so funny to me.

6. Joe played college baseball on scholarship at SUU! (thank goodness for scholarships) Hudson has completely taken on his love of baseball! I love watching him play + relive my days watching Joe.

7. If we had to pick one thing to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (that wasn’t ice cream) it would hands down be Chips + Salsa, because we both love Mexican Food!

8. Joe actually originally wanted to be a pharmacist! However, right before we got married, he changed his mind to being a doctor. After lots of schooling he is now a Cardiac Anesthesiologist and absolutely loves it!

9. I lived in St George my whole life and would have been more than happy to keep it that way forever! The warm weather and gorgeous scenery, as well as the community was something I was used to. I did hair as well as coached cheer and was very content! Joe and his school was probably the only thing that could’ve torn me away from it. We lived in Kentucky for 4 years in addition to California for 5! I am so glad we are making our home here in Utah! We love being close to family + being able to visit our hometown regularly! St. George will always have a piece of my heart!

10. Another big one is we completely balance each other out. Joe never stresses about ANYTHING. If he could he would live in a box…in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. But I am the complete opposite and love all things fashion + home design…and am a complete stress case 90% of the time!

Well I hope that gives you a little more background on the both of us so you can feel a bit more connected!! I wasn’t planning on sharing some things (lady lumps/scoops), haha but it just happens!! Hope your all having a great day!! Now we’re off to enjoy our anniversary!!

dress (sold out) similar || joe : shirt | jeans

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Family

March 10, 2018

Weekly Update

jumpsuit + here + here | flats (40% OFF) | jacket – similar | sunnies | disc + bar necklace || suitcase

Today’s weekly update is coming at you from SUNNY Arizona, so you can imagine its a happy one!! Joe and I escaped to celebrate our 14 Year Anniversary so we are in heaven! We can’t wait to have a few days of sleeping in, with no schedule, as well as not having to share our food with anyone! Haha! So far the only thing on our agenda is a couples massage + dinner over at Omni Scottsdale Resort + Spa at Montelucia. The pictures look gorgeous, especially the spa! This girl needs some pampering so we can’t wait! Haha! Really, our schedules are so crazy, so any time I can get with Joe is my favorite!

So as far as a weekly update goes for the house, we have progress on the office! All of the cabinets were finished so it is ready for me to tackle organizing and putting everything away! Can’t say I’m looking forward to that pile of fun, but it will be nice to have it be a usable space. In addition to being organized, having the first thing you look at not be half dumping ground half construction zone will be amazing! Another update you might have seen over on my Instagram Stories that Park City Blind + Design came to start installing our blinds! Our huge windows are one of my favorite parts of the house, but privacy when we need it is going to be great too!

So about does it for our weekly update! Don’t forget to check out the sales below, because there are some good ones! There are some awesome deals on both home + fashion for the family going on this weekend so don’t miss it!

WEEKEND SALES

Gap : It is the FRIENDS + FAMILY sale!! It is one of the best sales Gap has all year and its site wide so don’t miss it! ! Get 40% off + FREE SHIPPING with code FRIEND
J. Crew : 30% off spring styles with code WORKIT
West Elm : 25% off 1 item + free shipping with code YESWAY
Old Navy : tees + tanks starting at $5 + 50% off swim
Abercrombie : up to 50% off select styles
Target : up to 25% off home + up to 30% off patio ONLINE ONLY

swimsuit | sandals | shorts | sunnies

jumpsuit (sold out ) similar + here | top || harper dress | cardigan | headband | moccs || baskets + here

top | joggers | slippers | phone case + pop socket

sweater (sold out) similar | jeans | flats (40% off)

top | cardigan | jeans | slippers || harper dress | cardigan | leggings | headband | moccs || houston top | jeans

dress | boots || harper leggings | headband

overalls (sold out) similar + here | disc necklace | phone case + pop socket || harper moccs | headband

harper pajamas | headband | bib || fiddle leaf

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Holiday

March 9, 2018

Easter Basket Ideas

Time is flying by, and if it means winter is almost over I might just be okay with it! Haha! Spring is one of my very favorite times of year. We can finally start to play outside more, the little people are full swing into all of our favorite sports, and it just feels like such a happy time! For me Easter is always the sign of that new fresh season coming in and it gets me so excited! The aisles of Target are already full of yummy treats + cute finds, so I wanted to share a few of my favorite Easter Basket ideas for all my little people! I’ve broken it down into each of their age groups to make it easy to find some fun options!

..BABY…

Harper is still little enough that she doesn’t really know its a holiday or “expect” anything, but of course we like to make it fun for her! It’s no secret that we are obsessed with these headbands + moccs. I think I’ll include a fun new springy color in both! I also love to get a small snuggly toy + book too! Super simple and always trying to incorporate items I’d be buying anyway! Also a lot of you asked about the sippy cups the babies were drinking out of the other day and these also make the perfect gift!

…TODDLER BOY…

I don’t know about you, but for us this is the age that is constantly on the GO! Houston is always ready to do the next thing and sometimes I feel like I can barely catch up! He is pretty easy to please, and his Easter basket is probably the easiest one! Like with Harper, I try to throw in a few practical items. My favorite is a new swimming suit + some fun flip flops! I do this for all of my people and it always gets them so excited that warm weather is coming! Since it’s not always warm yet, I like to think of little toys for inside + outside. Really just simple things he loves like bubbles or sidewalk chalk for outside, and markers + sticker books for inside! Also, with his puppy obsession, I’m not sure I’ll be able to say no to this!

…LITTLE GIRL…

Little girls are so fun! If yours are anything like Hayden, she is all things girly. If it is pink or sparkly she is in, so I love finding things for her! I love this adorable nail sticker set + I think she’ll die over this . She loves playing outside with Houston so I think she is the perfect age for this fun jump rope! I’ll be including a swim suit + flip flops for her too! Can you tell I’m excited for warmer weather?! haha! She also LOVES anything that makes her feel more grown up, especially shopping, so I think she’ll love a Target Gift Card for a future kids date!

…KID BOY…

Hudson is growing up so fast it is crazy! I swear he was just at the age where he still thought bubbles were cool! haha! Like the rest of the world, he (and Hunter) are fully obsessed with all things SLIME! ugh! I really cannot stand it. But in the spirit of letting them be little + have fun, I’ll probably throw some slime making ingredients in his basket. He also LOVES all things sports! I thought this glowing soccer ball you can use at night looks so fun + a gift card to Top Golf! We love doing gift cards for all of our people so we can use them to go on our kid dates I talked about here earlier this week! I think those ideas + a swim suit + flip flops will be perfect!

…TWEEN GIRL…

How Hunter is already a tween is beyond me! As much as I hate that she is growing up, it has been so so fun to have a mini me. I love a good shopping date out with her because we are starting to be into the same stuff, AND she shares my love of ice cream! Gift cards for a fun girls night out are on the top of my list for her! She also loves her iPod and has been asking for a new case or pop socket . Her love of makeup and wanting to wear it is still going strong, but luckily for now we’ve compromised with tinted chap stick! And for more practical, like the rest of my people I’ll do a cute swimsuit + flip flops!

I really like to try and keep things a simple mix of practical as well as things that will encourage more family fun time. It doesn’t need to be a crazy huge deal, just something to make your people feel special! I’d love to hear some of your favorites to include!

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Home

March 7, 2018

Our Home: Kitchen + Dining Room

When it came to designing our home, Joe + I both knew we wanted the kitchen area to be the focal point of the home. We knew we wanted to create what we loved, so it was worth investing in. For us, we truly consider it the heart of the home. The kitchen is where we spend the most time together as a family. It was important for us that it was a warm, inviting, happy space where we all wanted to gather. It is the place where we come together for dinner as a family. Some of our most cherished conversations happen here. I am so in love with how it turned out, so today I wanted to invite you in to the heart of our home, our kitchen + dining room.

harper top | leggings | barstools | hardware

When we first started designing, my complete indecisiveness kicked in. After searching Pinterest + Instagram, I found a designer I knew could help put all my thoughts together and create what I was looking for throughout the house! Her name is Ashley, and if you are in need of design input she is your gal! From simple accessory details to full room layouts, she has helped us so much!

My main goals for the kitchen + dining room were clean,white, light, and bright. I loved the look of the ever so trendy all white kitchens, but I love to be different and a little outside the box too. The wood we used on the cabinets was the perfect solution. It brings in the warmth the space needs so it doesn’t feel completely sterile. We had them line up the wood grain exactly so it keeps the clean, modern lines. I love that it gives it such a unique look, while still staying timeless.

Another HUGE part in designing the kitchen and dining room was picking out appliances. The thought of it gave me so much anxiety because I really had no idea where to start. During the time we were designing our plans, we went to the St. George Parade of Homes to get some inspiration. As we walked through, I started to notice that every appliance and even overall kitchen space I liked, was done by Boulevard Home Furnishings. They were everywhere and I knew they were the answer to all my concerns! Plus my parents had gone to Boulevard for years for all their appliances so I knew they were the ones!!

I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing they were to work with. They listened to all my random ideas + requests, and turned them into one cohesive plan. They were able to help reel it in when they could tell something wasn’t going to fit my overall goal. When things got delayed and crazy back ordered on our fridge, instead of just saying that’s how things go, they upgraded our order to a nicer fridge, so we could have a functioning fridge for our family. You can really tell they have you as their number one priority. The very best part was that they are a one stop shop, so you know everything will flow how you imagined, instead of hoping 5 different companies all promise the right things!

Having family gather in our home often was important to us. That meant a lot of cooking! I knew I wanted to go more high end on the oven so we ended up with Thermador and I couldn’t be happier! Boulevard answered all my questions and concerns + showed me the best option! It has your typical regular oven size. In addition to that it has a second small oven, that can be used as a warmer. It was so helpful to have at Christmas when you are trying to cook a million things at once.

I’m a crazy person and want to show everyone my fridge too! I showed the snack drawer I’m obsessed with over in this post and I wouldn’t have even known it was an option without them. And the ICE MACHINE!! My little people love it as much as I do, and it is our most used appliance! If you’re anything like me and just feel like you don’t know where to start with appliances, I promise you will feel better talking to them or going to check out their show room.

Another favorite part of the kitchen + dining room is the seating options. I knew I wanted a big island to prep food on, but also to have a bar area. I love that it is big enough that we can stick the babies chairs on the island so they are right in the action with us! The little people love being on these stools right up at the bar to help with food prep or even for homework! Greta, who designs + makes them is incredible. She is a welder (honestly I don’t think I know another women that welds) + first time mom herself! Every single thing she makes is by hand, and the quality is out of this world!

The feeling of just being together and comfortable in the space was so important. I love that we were able to accomplish it. You can usually find us all piled around the island (sometimes even on top of it) eating or having our latest dance party, and I could not be happier about it!

Oh and for all those asking about the floors..I found it for you here!

xx kails

table + chairs + bench | pillows | black planter | dining pendants

cement pot | cutting board + round here

play kitchen | wreath | play utensils

photos: aubrey taiese

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Family

March 3, 2018

Weekly Update

The weekend is here!! We get Joe all to ourselves this weekend with zero plans so I could not be more excited!! With it being Saturday I wanted to pop in and share a little weekly update in addition to a few awesome sales that are going on right now you won’t want to miss!!

I started off the weekend a little rough when I woke up so so sick on Sunday. It was so bad! It honestly felt like I was swallowing knives due to such a sore throat! Joe + Hunter took care of everything from meals to babies + me as their patient while I stayed in bed all day! Joe wrote me a prescription for an antibiotic and I’m feeling 100 times better. Hallelujah!!

As far as a weekly update goes for the house, it feels like we are finally getting close to being done! Yes we’ve been in it for almost 3 months now, but we are FINALLY getting there. Our cabinet guy stopped in yesterday so he could take final measurements. He should be done next week! Then we can finish the office, which is the last big space we have left! I just wanna jump up and down I am so thrilled! Your life feels so much more put together when your house is too! Haha!

We are headed to Arizona next week for our anniversary which is especially exciting! We are so excited to have a little WARM getaway just the two of us. It will be so nice to just relax and see the sun again! I can’t thank you enough for allll your recommendations! We will be sure to share the highlights here on the blog + over on Instagram!

Also if you missed it, one of my very favorite sales of the year is happening now! I shared all of my favorite buys (most of which I already have and LOVE) in this post. But act fast! It ends today! There are a few other great sales going on now that I linked below! Hope you all have the best weekend with your people!

WEEKEND SALES

Shopbop : 15-25% off with code GOBIG18 (check out my favorites from the sale here!)
Gap : up to 50% off almost everything + extra 20% off with code GOFORIT
J. Crew Factory : 40-60% off everything + extra 40% off clearance with code MORE
J. Crew : 30% off + extra 10% off full price items with code DIYUMSN
West Elm : up to 25% off bedroom furniture
Old Navy : all kids + baby up to 50% off AND up to 50% off all jeans
Abercrombie : up to 50% off select styles

my top + joggers || kids similar pajamas here + here + here || harper : headband || white duvet

top | jacket (sold out) similar | jeans | boots || hudson : pants | jacket | tee

top | jeans || harper : top | leggings | headband || white duvet

top | joggers | slippers | phone case + pop socket || harper : pajamas | headband

leggings | tennies | top | water bottle || harper : top | jeggings | shoes | headband

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Family

March 2, 2018

Favorite Finds: Snack Prep

jeans | slippers | black tee | cardigan || bamboo dividers | snack bags | labels | white bins | wire baskets

For this week’s Favorite Finds, I decided to do something a little different, that I have been getting a lot of questions about! A couple of weeks ago, I showed a little clip of our post Costco snack prep over on Instagram Stories. It is honestly such a life + time saver for us, I had to share how we do it + why it is one of my favorite mom hacks!

Before we start any snack prep, we always take a trip to Costco. This is in NO WAY sponsored! It totally doesn’t have to be Costco, but them selling in bulk helps. And you guys, I just found out they DELIVER!!! Yes you read that right. Deliver to your door! Mom dreams coming true everywhere! haha!

Insta-cart is actually the ones providing the service. You just go online and pick the items you need, and one of their shoppers goes and does it all for you. In my opinion it is completely worth it + your first time is FREE I’m not buying all the random things I see while I’m there that we don’t really need. Saving money + time, in addition my sanity?! Yes please! Plus, BONUS! If you use code KWRIGHT301A4, you can get $10 off + Free Delivery! Like I said, NOT SPONSORED, it is just been such a life saver I had to share! Back to snack prep!!

Once we get everything home it is a team effort. Everything comes out of the box. Items like Granola Bars or Apple Sauce go directly in the “snack drawer”. If something is not individually wrapped, we portion it into little snack bags. Our main items are usually items like gold fish crackers, popcorn, pretzels, wheat thins and muffins (which we cut in 1/2). The bagged snacks go in the snack section of the pantry. We specifically made this area of the pantry right at their level. Everything is easy for them to access whether its for snacking or school lunch prep. (For a closer look inside our pantry we, you can go here.)

In addition to the snack prep in the pantry, we’ve also started doing it in the fridge too. I saw my sweet friend Shannon from Clean Eats Clean Treats post a mouth watering picture of the genus idea, and I loved it! It is actually one of the main reasons we picked and love this fridge from Boulevard Home Furnishings (also where we got all our appliances + they are amazing to work with!) It has the perfect easy to access snack space! For fridge snacks we try to have string cheese, individually portioned fruits, yogurt, cuties, apple sauce, etc.

It is really so simple, but has been such a game changer. I feel like my little people are so much more independent. If they need a snack, they know they can go grab one baggie. We especially love the system for being on the go. You can usually find us going from one sporting even to another after school, so my people know to just grab a couple baggies as they hop in the van. I even find myself using it on a regular basis too, so I don’t over snack. It is so nice to be able to grab a baggie of popcorn while I’m working…instead of the whole bag and eating way more than I meant to!

That about sums up how snack prep at our house works! I’d love to hear any snack prep hacks you have too!

photos: aubrey taiese

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Lifestyle

February 27, 2018

Behind the Scenes of Blogging

A few months ago I mentioned my team + I were meeting to plan upcoming content for both here on the blog + over on Instagram. I could not believe the insane amount of direct messages, asking who “the team” was…or saying they thought my blog was just me on my own! Since I had so many requests for details, I thought I’d give you a little behind the scenes of blogging!

I first started blogging about 10 years ago. While we were in Kentucky for Medial School, I wanted a place to share what was going on in our lives with friends + family. So I started a little blog (raise your hand if you were a fellow “blogspot” user?!) haha…and everything was super simple. When we moved to California, I was closer to family. Instagram was the new thing, so I kind of let my blog go. Fast forward a few years later. I noticed I would get asked a lot where I bought clothes for my little people…or our Disneyland tips…and wanted to have one place to keep it all, so the blog was reborn.

It honestly started as just a place to connect with people I knew. I was doing it all myself, and it was just a hobby for me. As the years went by, companies started to reach out to collaborate on products they saw I was already using. My “big break” came with my first offer from Nordstrom. I think that is when I knew I wanted this to be something bigger, and something to help provide for my family. All through the years I continued as a one woman show, but as both the blog + Instagram has grown, my family has too. It may not be the case for everyone, but I knew if I wanted to continue to spend time and be a part of my little peoples every day life, I needed help.

Cue my angel being sent from above. Haha! A little over a year ago I hired a full time assistant. She saves my sanity on a daily basis, and since hiring her, I honestly don’t know how we ever survived before! Joe and I love her because she has made it possible for family to be my number one focus again. She helps with anything and everything from emails + contracts, to scheduling our calendar + bringing me ice cream when she knows its been a rough day. We honestly consider her a part of the family!

I think as women it is really hard to ever ask for help. Knowing what I do now, it is always better to have a team that wants whats best for you by your side. A lot of people ask what I do for a job, and blogging is the answer. It is 100% a full time (+ overtime) job. It does provide a 2nd income for my family, and if it didn’t, I wouldn’t be willing to take the time away to put into it what I do.

In addition to details about “the blogging team”, I’ve also been getting a lot of questions about photography. How do I have time to get ready for pictures every day? How to I get my little people to cooperate? Let me just let you in on a little secret. If it seems too good to be true it probably is. Haha. I have a photographer. About 2-3 times a month my assistant and I put together a list of all the things that we need to shoot and I go get them all done with my photographer. That means that although it may appear that I have my crap together every single day, and always get ready (because I am in my posts), that is not always the case. I shoot multiple outfits at once and spread that content out throughout the month.

Instagram Stories is real life for me. Wearing my robe…not getting ready every day…kids in Christmas jammies..that is my real every day life. I’m not saying I’m a fraud, but lets be honest…no mom I know is that put together! Not every picture you see is professional. My iPhone does a great job too, and my bigger kids are pretty good at shooting some for me too!

As far as them being in the pictures, that is something I never force. I ask, and if they aren’t feeling it, they don’t have to be. They know we are a team. I support them in their sports + other activities, and they support me in this. Joe probably hates it the most, but is willing too cooperate for our sunday selfie!

I honestly love this community we have here. I love being able to come to you for advice + your tips just as much as I love sharing. The relationships we have here are so important to me. I always try to take the time to answer your comments, questions, and direct messages. I never want this to seem like a one sided friendship. It means so much to me that each of you are here and let me be part of your every day! I hope this helps answer some of your questions! If you have more I missed please let me know! I’d be happy to answer!

xx kails

photos: aubrey taiese

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Family

February 26, 2018

The Wardrobe Compromise I Made With My Kids

my jacket | top | pants | new balance || hunter : sweater | skirt | high tops || hudson : pants | tennies (sold out) similar || houston : top | pants | nikes || harper : top | leggings | headband | nikes

When it comes to my little people’s wardrobe, I kind of like to be in charge. It is one of those things that is really hard for me to let them take the reigns on. As they’ve gotten older, they have started to want more freedom when it comes to what they wear. To save us all a headache in the morning, we decided to make a wardrobe compromise!

Sometimes they still struggle to find things that match…or in Hudson’s case fit the right season. haha! (I’m sure you’ve seen the shorts he’s wore when it’s snowing) So shoes is an easy compromise! They get to pick out their own shoes, if I get to have input on the rest of the outfit. I can’t even tell you how many morning tantrums this has saved us!!

When it’s time for new shoes, I let them start the shopping. We love shopping all our shoes at Rack Room, so we set it up on their size and they get to pick out their top 3. Without fail, they always pick athletic shoes! (anyone else’s people do this?) Luckily Rack Room has so many on trend athleisure items, we can always agree on something! They really have great options for all of us from Harper up to Joe.

It’s been a great compromise for us because the athleisure trend is so easy to dress up or down! I love pairing the girls shoes with a cute skirt or a leggings. The boys can still look put together with a button up and nice jeans! The best part is there is no complaining from anyone!! So win win!!

Also if your in the market you can shop all of Rack Room’s athleisure options for amazing prices now through March 20th! So I wanna know…what is something you have let go? Or let our little people take the reins?

hayden : jacket (sold out ) similar | top | similar skirt | shoes similar (sold out)

in partnership with Rack Room Shoes

photos: aubrey taiese

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Lifestyle

February 24, 2018

Weekly Update

dress + here + pink color here | swimsuit | sandals | sunnies

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you just can’t wait for the weekend?! Kind of feeling like that was our week and it wasn’t even that crazy! Like every weekend, today I’m sharing our weekly update, in addition to some really great sales!!

First up on the weekly update, Last Friday I headed down to Southern California SOLO to spend the weekend with some of my favorite girls at Pelican Hill. If you ever get the chance to stay, do it, because it is incredible!!! They completely spoil you while making sure every single need is met. We especially loved spending the afternoon by the pool soaking up the sun + eating alllll the food! haha! We stayed up till 2 AM talking and loved every second.

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Lifestyle

February 23, 2018

Favorite Finds: Packing Tips

This past weekend I got to step away from the mom life for a little getaway with some of my favorite girls at Pelican Hill! It’s always so hard for me to leave my people! I’m glad I convinced myself, because a break to relax was exactly what I needed! I’ll be sharing more about the trip on our Weekly Update tomorrow! Since I’ve been doing more traveling than usual lately, and have a few trips coming up, I thought I’d share 5 of my biggest packing tips for this weeks Favorite Finds!

suitcase | shorts $44 | polka dot swimsuit bottom + top

DO ALL YOUR LAUNDRY FIRST…

This one might seem a little strange, and like the last thing you want to be thinking about when you are trying to prep for a trip. There are two reasons this makes my top tips. First of all, if the laundry is done it gives you access to your full wardrobe. You can pack the items you actually want + see what you have to work with. The second reason I always try to do this, is so when I get home I only have trip laundry to do, and not everything I failed to do before we left!

STICK TO A LIST…

I swear these days I can’t function without multiple to do lists. Packing, especially for 5 little people, means a definite list. I usually go through and write down all the activities for the particular trip, so I know exactly what we need. This not only makes sure my mom brain doesn’t miss anything, but also makes sure I’m not packing things we don’t need.

PICK VERSATILE PIECES…

This is probably my number one tip. If you are packing a full outfit for each day of your trip, with no multi-use pieces, you will quickly find yourself over packed. I always pack a good pair of jeans, that fit well and don’t stretch too much. That way they look just as good the second time around. A good basic tee is always on the list too. These two items are kind of my “power couple” because I know they can easily transition to nice evening looks by just adding accessories and heels! The same goes for my little people. I go into detail on my must haves for them in this post, but everything has to work for multiple looks.

PACK SMART…

Saving space in a suit case is kind of like a puzzle. I sometimes find myself taking things out and rearranging them to make it work. After a lot of trial and error there are a few things that always help. Number one is ROLL DON’T FOLD! You will always always fit more if you roll your clothes. Second, is to wear your bulk. I try to wear the things that will take up the most space. Usually that means wearing my jacket and tennies to help save space!

CARRY-ON IF YOU CAN…

When we are flying, if at all possible, we try to stick to only carry on luggage. There are actually a few reasons why we do this! First of all, with 5 little people, we want to spend the least amount of time at the airport as possible. If we aren’t checking luggage, we can arrive a little later. Another reason is to avoid all the insane baggage fees. We really love our Away luggage. Each of the kids love having their own suitcase to be in charge of. They especially loved picking out their own fun color! Joe and I love them because they have built in chargers so we never have to stress about a phone or ipad dying. We also take advantage of the “second” small bag rule. Each of my people bring a little backpack full of snacks and entertainment for the trip.

With spring break just around the corner, I hope these tips help you conquer the challenge of packing for you + your people! You can find a few more tips + tricks I swear by here as well as my go to travel beauty faves! I’d love to hear any tips you have!

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Family

February 22, 2018

The Subscription Box You + Your Kids Will Love

When it comes to my little people’s clothes, its safe to say I’m pretty picky. I like to keep their style current, but pretty basic + neutral at the same time. I’m sure you can guess I’m not a huge fan of subscription boxes. I haven’t had the best experiences in the past, so I was hesitant to try again. But let me tell you, after trying Kidbox, I have found the subscription box you + your kids will love! We’re talking name brand kinda stuff!!

If you’ve done a subscription box before, you know that they typically start with choosing a category that best describes the person receiving it. This is so hard for me because I want to be more specific but it isn’t an option. The survey for Kidbox was so different. It asked questions about their sizing, style + personalities, which I loved!

The kids were SO thrilled to get their boxes in the mail. (but at the same time Hunter said, mom really another box? Last time I got glitter pants!) haha. I’m telling you these are different! Each box was addressed to them individually + were so fun! They came with crayons + stickers for them to decorate the boxes, making just a box of clothes more exciting for them too! It was like Christmas with their excitement and each of them getting stuff they would really love to wear.

The items they sent are such good quality. I’m talking like 7 for All Mankind jeans (which are NOT cheap) for each of them, paired with great tops that fit our style perfectly. They were basic pieces, not covered in logos or prints, but original. You can tell they paid attention to the details I picked for each of my people. If there is something you don’t like, you can return it at no charge. My favorite part is for every full box purchased, they donate an item of clothing to a child in need through the charity of YOUR choice. Isn’t that so awesome?!

I can’t tell you how happy we were with our results! The boxes come seasonally and my little people are already talking about what they hope they get next! The spring box is going out soon, so if you’re going to sign up, it’s the perfect time! I’d love to hear your thoughts if you try it out!

BE SURE TO USE CODE KAILEE FOR 20% OFF YOUR FIRST BOX!!