Winner Announced and the Most Magical Place on Earth!

The GIVEAWAY closed on friday and a winner was chosen randomly via rafflecopter! I'd like to thank you all for entering and offer a congratulations to Cara McGuire! You are the winner of the mustela facial cleansing wipes! Email me at thestringandneedleco@gmail.com with your address and information so I can ship them to you ASAP! Don't feel discouraged if you didn't win, I have plenty more giveaways up my sleeve coming up soon! 

I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend, and as it comes to a close I must say I am not mad about Monday coming! My reasoning being two-fold--First off, all schools in my area will officially be back in session!!! This means parking galore, barren beaches, no more crowds to fight, and I can stand in line at chipotle without feeling like I'm trying to ride the Matterhorn, and speaking of the Matterhorn, the second reason I am so excited about Monday is the fact that we are headed to the happiest place on earth....Disneyland! I am so excited, I feel childlike & giddy! I'd better start taking melatonin now because lawwwd knows I won't be able to sleep tonight! I haven't been in years, and now that we are so local, Miles and I are getting passes which amounts to even more excitement & magic! I'm both nervous and sparked to see how Luca does with it all. I can already picture him passed out on my lap on the tram ride back to the car. As long as I can get a Dole Pineapple whip float from the stand in front of tiki room, I'll call it a successful trip. A hot churro also sounds like a plan, and I'm sure Miles will want clam chowder in a bread bowl at New Orleans square. I promise you we aren't spending mad cash on an annual pass just for the food although I'm thinking "Delectable Disney" sounds like a great blog post &/or date night, but we'll save all that talk for later.  I'm envisioning riding it's a small world a gazillion times, and hitting up dumbo at least twice. Buzz Lightyear and Peter Pan are my two favorite children's rides, and Miles has already called dibs on Mr. Toad's wild ride probably because we are almost positive my obgyn when I was pregnant with Luca was Mr. Toad. He looked and spoke identically like Mr. Toad would, and we used to crack up waiting for him joking he was gonna come circling in on his Model T Ford and explain to us how he was born on a lily pad. Today I am arranging the diaper bag, overpacking water, snack planning, and PB&J prepping so we have things to munch on throughout the day. I'm also setting out our outfits and most importantly, placing the sun block in plain sight so no one leaves looking like Sebastian from the Little Mermaid! 

Have a relaxing Sunday lovelies and I apologize in advance for all the instagram posts you'll have eating up your feed tomorrow, photo ops are inevitable! 

xo

C.

Tuesday Topics & Top Picks

I thought it would be fun to start a mid-week segment where we share with you a few things that are brightening up our week/things we are eye-balling aka our "top picks" & make it a day where we discuss specific "topics" we are currently enthralled by. Sound like a good time? Well, I sure hope so because this is my blog and I can write about anything and everything I want! TOTALLY KIDDING, well partially anyway. Although I can in fact do the above, this is no dictatorship and I really really love & appreciate your feedback, so if there is something you really like, please let me know! And if there is something you really dislike feel free to share too--I'm open to diversity people, and this blog only lives as long as there are people to read it! Happy readers fuel happy writers which in turn produces happy material to write about so we'll see how long this lasts or more practically speaking, how long I last at keeping up with it...

We'll start with topics, and sticking within the common theme here surrounding the letter "T," I'll talk about two things: Teething & Teaching. Luca has four teeth as of now and I'm damn near positive he's  about to break through a couple more, either that or the terrible twos have come way ahead of schedule, but I'm going to stick with the former. This past week Luca came down with the flu and was running a high temperature for about two and a half days. This was the first time he had been sick since we brought him home from the hospital, and it just about broke my heart. There was nothing I could do to soothe him and he was in total agony. So after a good run sans binky, we had a relapse. And the binky has become the hottest commodity around here since Orange is the New Black Season 2 came out. We had a good run, I say.

Terrible Teething
In any case, after the flu came and went, Luca was back to his perky ol' bubbly self with binky in tow, and I was a happy mama. A few days later, Luca began acting really irritable and I couldn't figure out why. This was so out of character, he had no fever, he'd cry hysterically & act like he wanted to be picked up, but the moment I'd hold him, he'd want to be put down and the cycle would go on and on...Anytime I'd try to brush his teeth he'd go completely bonkers and that was when I cracked the code. To sum things up, the past few days have been reallllly long, but we're just holding on to our metaphorical inner tube & riding along with the ebb and flow. This doesn't mean I don't walk into the other room at times and scream into my pillow, or sit on the floor and cry for a solid five, but then I feel better, gather my composure and put on some good music aka Beyonce. We all love Beyonce in this house, Miles for much different reasons than Lu and I, but regardless Beyonce is a swanky independent woman, and I like that. Teething will test your patience, it will bring you to your knees at times and has the audacity to revert a grown woman (or man) back into a baby. I keep reminding myself the teething will pass, all the women who have mothered before me are standing in my corner, and on the brighter side, Fall is just around the corner! This is just a season in our lives and just like all the others, this too shall pass, and when it does you bet your sweet sweet bottom I'll be baking pumpkin cookies and wearing a sweater. every day. Until spring, or until it's just too hot to continue on and beads of sweat grace my forehead like a crown. Im going out royally.
You guys! It's almost sweater season!!! I'm seasonally impatient & wildly excited! A little teething aint gonna cramp my style!

Teaching
This past, week school started & I started working again as a substitute teacher. I love it! I'm living out my childhood make-believe dreams of being in a classroom, only this time my little sister Carlie isn't my only student, and I get paid! Holla! I don't give out half the amount of detention slips either, I was a seriously strict ten year old. No really though, it was about time I ponied up and started looking into doing something I really love. When I'm there, I forget I'm even getting paid. I'd seriously do it for free as a hobby, just don't tell the principal I said that. The freshman are my favorite, all green in the ways of the world, and they are actually excited to learn. I couldn't get the seniors to participate in a discussion if I bribed with donuts. Who doesn't give in for donuts? Oh yeah, almost eighteen year olds who are cooler than the other side of the pillow. Donuts are so good, but the freshman are great. They are also brutally honest. One girl told me I had the biggest sock bun she'd ever seen and asked if it was a fake clip on, another student told me I looked too young to be teaching (I was totally flattered), and my favorite was the student who asked if I'd ever been in a lifetime movie because she swore she had seen me in a flick she'd seen on lifetime a day she stayed home sick from school last year. No, I've never been in a movie, and had I, it would not have premiered on the lifetime network. I'm more of a Hallmark kinda gal. I can only imagine the adventures that lie ahead in this field, but I'm excited. I feel whole. I finally found my niche, and I can recognize that this is something that makes me really happy.

Some of our top picks of the week include this Rifle Paper Co. phone case (On sale now!) I've had my eye on it since I cracked my screen last week. My phone went face first on to the gravel concrete as I slid Luca into a shopping cart, and shattered on impact. It was a sad sad day in the world of my phone and my middle toe which was stabbed & splintered by a shard of glass that fell from my fragmented screen. Blood was shed, tears should have been shed (but I was in public), but miraculously, life went on. Anyway, long story short, I opted for this Madewell one because it was on sale in store for $3 dollars after tax! Can't beat that! We are also trying to get more organized since both Miles and I are working now and the paper source was offering 15% off coupon so I chose this academic planner due to its compactness and large space for writing. 

I'm also loving this place called the Lab anti-mall out in orange county. Someone had sweater bombed the whole place and I loved envisioning someone sitting for hours knitting a sweater for a metal pole or a tree trunk! Plus they have a delicious vegan restaurant my friend Emily took us to that is so good. We had kombucha and rice bowls & Lu loved all the color mosaic tiles everywhere. He would touch each tile so delicately, humming as he went along. He was in his own little world!

And last, but certainly not least, target has these sippy cup mason jars that are too cute to pass up! Perfect for smoothies, and just the right size for little hands. The best part, it has one of those straw stopper rings too so Luca can't fling the straw and his drink everywhere!

Well there you have it! I hope you all are having a great week and for us the countdown until Miles returns begins--4 more days! And don't forget, in 2 days the Mustela giveaway ends so enter while you can!

My life may be chaotic and eventful in the terms of a toddler, but I like it. It feels fierce & vivacious. Meaningful & sincere. Fearless & Brave.

In the words of Beyonce, The best thing is looking back and realizing how good life is. If you don't take the time to think about it and analyze it, you'll never realize all the dots that are connected."

Yes. This is swanky living friends.

&I'm pretty sure it's exactly what Beyonce's life is like.

xo

Chelsie

Toddler Meals & Lazy Sundays

With Luca's front teeth fully emerged, pureed baby food is no longer of any interest to him, but have no fear--those of you with younger babes--I am still working on a post on how I made Luca's baby food when my baby boy had only gums *tear.* Toothless babies are so adorable which is why I was so sad when his teeth came in, but I must say Luca's baby teeth are quite possibly some of the cutest things I have ever seen! He looks like a mini Brit with his London gap between his two top teeth! ( Speaking of Brits, He & Prince George were born on different days but only hours apart) But Luca is our little prince and I could just stare at him chewing for hours. He is so meticulous about how he chews, carefully over-exaggerating each chomp to make sure he is ready for his next bite. He also prepares himself by double-fisting a blueberry in each hand so to make sure he's prepared for that moment when he swallows to devour that next bite!

A healthy diet is a colorful diet, so we try to make his meals an array of colors. Some great finger foods, as you can see below, are blueberries, strawberries, and macaroni with chopped & cooked broccoli topped with a small sprinkle of parmesan cheese. Yum! Sometimes I just double up when I am prepping & indulge in the same meal myself!

Other favorites we always have on hand are this organic quinoa & kale blend we found at Costco, Fage brand greek yogurt, seasonal fruits, and baby goldfish!

I hope you are enjoying your weekend! If you follow me on instagram (@chelsieinreallife) you know Miles is out of town for what has felt like an eternity. This is the longest we've ever been away from one another. I'm praying & hoping I can keep things at bay for just a tad longer!

Were having a lazy sunday, straightening up the house, Luca throwing about everything I just put away, and me lounging in my favorite yoga pants of all time--these pants make me feel like my sanity is intact and I have everything under control--between you and I, neither is true, but let's just keep that one between us ;) Although, I'm pretty sure the spilled cheerios gave it away...

Here's to a quick and easy week ahead!

Heaven is a place on earth :)

xx

Tuesday Snoozeday & A Little GIVEAWAY!

Happy Tuesday my wonderful friends! Tuesdays can be so brutal, but I'm hoping this post will lighten your mood a little & give you an opportunity to win a product we really love!

Mustela had already been our favorite smelling baby product of all time, if you can remember from this post, so when Mustela reached out to me offering me to try their "Mustela must-haves" for moms, I was all over it (not to mention, Mustela is a european brand, and we love all things euro in this house!). If you haven't yet tried Mustela, you are doing yourself & your baby a total injustice. Yes, the smell won me over instantaneously, but after doing a little research, it was the safety and effectiveness of the brand that truly swayed my commitment to their brand.

Mustela is hypoallergenic, free of toxins,  parabens, & alcohol, and they derive most of their ingredients from natural origins. The plant world can be so medicinal & and in saying that, I love that Mustela does their part in taking care of our environment. Mustela continuously works to minimize their carbon footprint, yet still provide products that are effectual (a total win!). That being said, we are a Mustela family over here!

Here are a few of our favorite Mustela products:

1. Bebe Shampoo: This is a plant based shampoo made with wheat, avocado perseose, chamomile, & our beloved favorite coconut oil! It's so gentle & best, won't strip away your baby's natural oils. I love how soft it leaves Luca's hair and of course leaves its signature scent on his head makes me want to snuggle up with his head on my chest just to snag a whiff, not that I don't already try and sneak as many snuggles humanly possible everyday! I know he won't want to cuddle with me forever :/

2. PhysiObebe No-Risnse Cleansing Fluid: We use this when there is only time for a sponge bath. It quickly cleans Luca's sensitive skin and dissolves any dirt and leftover diaper cream. This is a time-saving staple!

3. Facial Cleansing Cloths: These our are absolute favorite of favorites! They say 'facial' but we use them all over-- hands, face, neck, elbow & leg creases, absolutely everywhere! These are always in my diaper bag. They have aloe vera in them to heal, soften, & sooth Luca's dirty and irritated knees from crawling everywhere and as a mother, hand wipes are always a need! As the comedian Tom Papa would say, I am now the "wash your hands lady" haha. If you haven't listened to Tom Papa, spotify him right now! He is hilarious, and hits the nail on the head as far as parenthood goes! 

Now to perk up your week a little!

Last but not least, a GIVEAWAY! After using all of the fabulous Mustela products, it would only be fair if I shared with all of you! I think the Mustela face wipes are a versatile essential for all moms, new & seasoned, and so I snatched up a pack to give to one of YOU! 

A winner will be chosen next friday, and all you have to do is follow the instructions & enter below! 

You get entries for each of the tasks you complete if you have any questions message me on instagram or Facebook! My Facebook page is Facebook.com/chelsierichardson (it's me, just my maiden name!)

Good Luck & have a great rest of the week!

Mustela Giveaway

Celebrating Luca

Luca's birthday festivities have come to a close and I am sad and relieved all at the same time. It's bittersweet. His first birthday has come and gone, and I can't help but feel like it came and went all too quickly. I'm relieved because, I'm not even kidding when I say I may or may not have put in more time and effort to this celebration than I did my own wedding. I am sad because in the blink of an eye, after all the planning, after all the anticipation and all of the excitement, just like that it was over.

First birthdays are funny because chances are Luca will never remember that sunny Saturday. But we did it for us, for the photos we will one day show Luca and reminisce about how much fun we all had. We do it to to confirm to him what he already knows...that he is so loved--that he has been loved from the moment he came into this world. Luca is one lucky baby. He has so much family surrounding him, to support him and his decisions, to comfort him when he needs love, and to offer to him a listening ear when he has something to say, and all those wonderful people make you realize what life is all about. We are so lucky. So blessed. So filled with gratitude. Our family is beautiful.

So then it came to an end. It was stressful, it was demanding, but it was so much fun & worth every hitch. What I'm now left with is a one-year-old & my mind working overtime, having a hard time grasping the reality that my baby is growing up so fast & what gets me to me the most is I worry I'm missing it all as it flies on by. I try and savor the days and each and every stage is my new favorite; it gets better and better everyday. Luca only seems to get more fun and more imaginative. He had the best first birthday a child could ever wish for and I am thunderstruck & filled with more gratitude than I ever thought possible. I am beholden that this beautiful little boy is mine all mine.

On Luca's actual birthday, the 23rd, he woke up to a teepee from his grandpa full of little gifts from his mama and papa. Luca is on the verge of taking his first steps, but in the mean time he loves to push anything he can grasp those dimpled little hands on. This means my dining room chairs have been rearranged at least 1000+ times. I knew when I spotted the little blue push cart I linked in this post it would be a hit & I could not have been more right (patting myself on the back right now & speaking in 3rd person..."Good Job Chelsie, good job.") Luca can be found anytime, day or night, filling the bin with his toys and my flip-flops and racing around the house. Fortunately, the sound of the wheels skidding as he makes an overabundant amount of turns keeps me in the know of his whereabouts at all times, particularly when he has outrun me (yes, my one year old outruns me--maybe it's the meager 32 inches I have on him or the fact that I'm still carrying the smallest portion of my baby weight & it's slowing me down?) Who am I kidding, it's because I suck at running and Luca is fast as shit-ake mushrooms. Miles and I have been desperately trying to clean up our sailor mouths, because Luca is starting to identify & speak words aside from the usual "mama" and "dada." Lu spoke his very first word a few days ago, "duck," which rhymes with, *ahem* is way too close for comfort to another word we all know too well and we don't want to be "those parents," so I'm training myself to say things such as "mother trucker," "cheese & rice," "Shut the front door," "snapdragon," & "sap sippin' son of a biscuit eater" to name a few. Have I taken it too far? Probably, but my bases are covered & it's for a good cause. That being said, what the fudge-stick is with all the parenthesis in this post?? I don't know, but they're provocative and they get the people going! ("Blades of Glory" reference, because well, we love Will Ferrell in this house).

 I regress. Luca's blue push cart needed some pizzaz, especially for a little man who is crazy about all things vibrant and colorful, so I gave it a face lift & spruced it up with patterned duck tape and subtle blue washi tape & voila! He loves it, I love it, we all win!

Could you tell he was excited? Upon his requests, we sang "Happy Birthday" at least once per hour and he loved every second of it. His hands were flailing about orchestrating, a bucketload of colossal smiles with tightly squinted eyes set the mood as he took it all in, & then the grand finale included heaps upon heaps of his applause making known his gratitude of approval. It was one-derfully fabulous! Birthdays are a big deal around here & this confirmed the apple didn't fall far from the tree. There is no doubt, looks aside, this boy is definitely my son! 

Later in the evening, Luca opened his gifts. Like Santa's elf (I've dreamt of that title my entire life and I was giddy as ever to take it on) I got to work the night before, doing my best to make Lu's gifts charmingly enchanting, only to have them torn to shreds, but that's the beauty of DIY inexpensive wrapping.

Yarn wrapped gifts are a perfectly easy & adorable fix for when you're running low on ribbon & need an alternative solution. They make a gift look so whimsical & remind me of something that would be in Anthropologie's window display during Christmas time!

Depending on how much yarn you have on hand, you could go to town with an assortment of colors and styles! It goes without saying that poms, small bows, yarn balls, and weaves were undoubtably my drug of choice. That sounds like the beginnings of a new D.A.R.E campaign: Don't do drugs kids, do yarn!

Here's our attempt at a birthday family photo. Luca had other agendas such as wondering what this new greenery is in our backyard and whether or not the said grass was moccasin-proof.

 It's was all fun & games but...

 We take roasting marshmallows and hot dogs tofurky links very seriously around here.

Donuts were served, saving his smash cake for his big party, and my one-year-old slept well that night, deep in dreams of frosted, sprinkled donuts and the distant sound of the happy birthday song. His eyes fluttered, he grasped my finger and a small smile draped across his lips. I couldn't believe I survived the past year, and at the same time I wondered, "How did I ever survive without him?" Life, for once, made absolute sense.

A few days later, was Lu's big fiesta. The entire build up of all the work we'd been at was about to come to a head. Luca woke up, hiding between the barstools wondering worriedly, "Will they pull it off???" And to be honest, I was wondering the exact same thing.

There was so much to do, so little time, and the only thing I had on my side was the fact that I work well under pressure. Not to tute my own horn, but I put the "pro" in procrastination. 

Firstly, the centerpieces had to be assembled. 

These floral centerpieces were so simple to put together. I bought a bouquet of baby's breath flowers and an inexpensive bouquet of wild flowers from Ralph's. I trimmed and assembled them, attaching adorable hedgehog themed ribbon with hot glue. That project was a wrap.

In the entry way was "Lu's Garden of Good Wishes," where people could write notes to Luca that would eventually make their way into a time capsule I'm currently putting together for him.

I love all things monogrammed, and so I heat embossed the letter "L" on way too many pieces of card stock & assembled a planter box of wheat grass to display the notes upon wire holders I assembled with craft wire. 

It's been agreed upon, there is simply nothing cuter than a chubby stuffed hedgehog wearing a party hat.

Luca's smash cake before it was so delicately smashed grazed.

The sweets table was the most festive piece to the party puzzle. I couldn't walk by it without a handful of something or another. I had no self-control that day, I just stuffed my face with sugar treats, potato, macaroni, pasta and all-things-carbs salads. It was gluttonously shameful. I definitely needed to hit up confession or the gym once that gourmand, yet so delicious, episode finally came to an end. It took me nearly a year to get my pre-baby body back, and it may have all gone to shot with one swift run-in with the buffet.

The cupcakes were funfetti, of course, because we all know Pilsbury's funfetti cupcakes are the bee's knees. Furthermore, if you are lucky enough, Betty Crocker's rainbow chip "funfetti knock-off" mix won't be sold out and you will have hit the jackpot. Some might say rainbow chip cupcakes are the love child of the Pilsbury Dough Boy and Aunt Jemima. Some may even go so far as to say they are the pastry of our generation...but that's just speculation. I wasn't so lucky this go, and plain ol' funfetti had to suffice.

The true highlight of the cakes were the decorations and cake toppers. I found the too-cute-to-be-true teal glitter numeral and candy cups via Shop Sweet LuLu (one of my favorite party shops) and I made the gold glittered "1" seen displayed on the tray. 

My personal favorite decorations from Lu's party, were the woodland creature party sticks c/o Crafting Crew on Etsy.

These enchanting die-cuts were a hit among the kid attendees as I saw many of them carrying handfuls of them home. This warmed my heart. And It didn't stop at the kids...I too saw a few adults carrying one or two in tow as they gave their hugs goodbye & I must admit, I saved one of each character for my own collection. You can't do everything by yourself and I cannot begin to tell you how relieved I felt when I opened this package in the mail and saw how perfectly each and every animal was assembled. I will definitely shop Crafting Crew again as they were a joy to work with and they over-exceeded all my expectations!

Alongside the cupcakes were many other sweet treats including, but not limited to: German Berry Candies that I found at the Sweet Factory (so so yummy, so addictive), marshmallows, and chocolate dipped rice krispies. 

Paper-made hedgehogs and foxes were scattered about...

& I even got to work on a project I'd been anticipating on making for some time, a yarn display via Creative Bug Blog and I finally found the time (baby-free) & patience to do it (with a little help from an all day marathon of one of my favorite shows, "Girls"). And I must say, I love how it turned out! During the party it hung above the drink station, but now I cannot decide whether to keep it outdoors or to display it in Luca's room, any suggestions?! I am way too indecisive...

Oh hey look! It's my Watermelon Agua Fresca! This is always a great party go-to & a crowd pleaser. And alongside the ague fresca, I ventured off  to loose leaf Blackberry Mojito Iced Tea from Teavana--sooo good. All in all, I'd say the ice chest full of beer was the biggest crowd pleaser, and you may be thinking "Wasn't it a one-year-old's birthday party?" Why yes, yes it was, but I'll tell you, just be glad we decided to ditch the keg idea (it was up for discussion at one point) & kept to an ice chest. If you want to know a sure way to reel in the RSVPs just let people know booze is involved. First birthday party or not, people are guaranteed to show when the thermometer is reading 90 degrees and there are cold ones on deck on a help yourself basis.

Side Note: This post is not sponsored by gatorade, but it just so happens that my husband is, hence all the gatorade regalia. I personally am not a gatorade fan due to all the dyes and sugars in them, but I must say, I do love their ice chests and drink dispensers! Everyone kept hydrated I was happy the heat wasn't to the extreme it had recently been. No doubt, it was hot, but it was a mild heat, and shade was plentiful! The sun gods were on our side that day!

Our wonderful family friends Jeff & Christine, had their second baby boy two weeks after Luca was born. Luca and Oliver are just destined to be best friends, can't you feel the love tonight?

If you couldn't feel the love there, then maybe you'll feel it here? Don't we look happy?! It's because we are! This was after we nearly pulled each other's hair out & had many "I love you, but I really don't like you right now" moments in planning everything. But alas, here we are...we did it, we succeeded, we pulled through, and we couldn't be happier. This wasn't just Lu's party it was ours, we did get him through the first year didn't we?! (pause for an ecstatic high five) We did it babe! Give it up for teamwork, yeah! And compromise, yeah! And lots and lots of patience, amen to that one! I love this man, I really do.

Here he is, a product of our love and commitment to one another and our family:

He may look concerned because, never do we ever let him dig into anything so big and sugar-filled. His expression says it all:"This is some sort of trap isn't it?? I'm gonna go in for a bite, and then bam! I'll be busted & everything I say or don't say will be held against me!"

Here he is taking in the Happy Birthday choir: "Forget about the cake, this song is my jam!"

 "Fine I'm only going in because you insist, but I'm not gonna be happy if this heads south real quick."

"No flash photography while I'm eating please."

So good, so tired, and so happy even if his facial expression above reads otherwise. 

This boy is officially spoiled in all the best ways & this little boy is officially 1! I'm coming to terms with it all.

& for the grand finale...drumroll please.....

 This picture is a tradition anytime we are all together. Because, why not?!

Here we are, Luca, myself, my dad, my two grandmothers, and my great grandparents (Luca's great great grandparents) who just shared their 72nd wedding anniversary in July!
 FIVE generations! Is that something or what?!

All of this deserves a round of applause. It was better than my wildest dreams could have made it out to be & who better to lead it than the clapping master himself?!

Happy 1st Birthday Luca Lennox Wood! (Please don't have another one too soon)