sonnet james x the little sprig

i have such exciting news! the little sprig has teamed up alongside sonnet james and we're over the moon about it! now, if you're sitting there in your chair thinking, who on earth is sonnet james? well friends, you are in for a real treat today. you know that "aha" moment when you fall in love with a product and you wonder how on earth you ever got by without it? uh huh. yep. that's about to happen, right here, right now. 

when the fabulous jen over at sonnet james told me sonnet james would love to work with me, i squirmed in my seat. and to think that was only the beginning! sonnet james has launched their spring 2015 line for pre-orders & all dresses will ship out next week, and i'm telling you this dress doesn't fall in the "want"  category, this is a need, must-have, can't live without, staple kind of piece. the splurge is minimal when you consider cost-per-use. so if you must know what all the hype is about, i'll share with you my experience. when i first slipped on my pricilla pink marni dress (which gives back to mothers in Uganda who suffer from birth injuries, just see here--warning: completely heart-wrenching), i took in the smell of its fresh fabric, and as the material clung to me in all the right places--i, in that moment, knew what a game-changer this would be. 

my motto since motherhood (or since my pants felt far too snug to button during pregnancy) has always been: i want to look mod & sophisticated, but i want to feel like i'm wearing pajamas, so much so that i've coined this desire into term (read on). is that so much to ask for?! apparently so, because until now, nothing, other than a solid pair of leggings, had me feeling like i could keep up with luca & actually exhale (all the way). the struggle was beginning to get real, people! until this sweet package was delivered to my doorstep, i was honestly debating with myself whether or not leggings were a plausible form of clothing to wear daily if i dressed them up enough. i was weeble-wobbling somewhere in between yes & absolutely, but there, in this dress, i had found my "sophistajamas!" sophisticated clothing fitted like your favorite pair of pjs. 

i understand, full-heartedly, the struggles of a mama trying to hold onto her identity, yet desperately wanting to be in something comfortable & durable. i've been that woman, and i'd find myself wondering, why is it so difficult for comfort and style to intersect?! that question must have been exactly what whitney, mama & founder of sonnet james, had in mind when she thought up this delightful little company. she found a void in the market & decided, not only to patch up the hole, but to do so with elegance & love. i was already planning on purchasing a few sonnet james dresses, and after working with the brand, i feel privileged to be representing and supporting such a smart mother & her company. i love the feeling of being feminine, free, and unrestricted to get right on the floor with my lulu, no stitches or threads holding me back. i'm wearing one of sonnet's more simplistic pieces, but with a bright pop of color, it's subtle yet eclectic. a playful mama doesn't have to be a boring mama, am i right?

 i'm just smitten over their spring line. it's beautiful, colorful, and well, spring-y! with the warm sun out keeping us company all week long, it makes me long for the near days of tulips & sticky popsicle hands. lord knows those sticky hands will find their way onto my dress like i'm a dishcloth. this might sound silly, but i'll be lu's napkin anytime, if only i could keep those tiny dimpled hands little forever...

i want to give a huge thank you & congratulations to whitney, jen, and the whole crew over at sonnet james. thank you for allowing my family and i to be a small part of your beautiful story. here's to a successful spring line & more success than you could ever wish for in the future!

happy monday & happy shopping! 

comforably playful,

this post is brought to you c/o sonnet james. all words, thoughts, and opinions, are my own.

TODDLER TALK // LU LATELY

i haven't done a recent luca stat post in some time & i just have to share with you some of the funny things that have been coming out of this little man's mouth lately. it's so astonishing to me what a world of difference six short months make for. i dropped lu off at the gym's childcare the other day & as i was signing him in i spotted the cutest little boy wobbling around trying to steady his sea legs. he must have been about one year old. he was so squishy and itty bitty. i couldn't help but reminisce to the days when L was that small. little L looks nothing like a baby anymore, and with a heavy heart i confess we have officially entered the toddler phase. please hold for a moment as i grab myself a tissue to wipe my tears. motherhood is so so bittersweet.

i've collected myself, ok deep breath, back to the point...

lu and all his new unique little mannerisms rule the roost over here. if it's ok with you, i thought i would compile a list of some of our best moments lately. i'll try to keep it short and sweet, but this is a mom talking about her child, so i'm not making any promises.

the latest stats of luca lennox wood:
age: 19 months
height: in the 97th percentile, at 37 inches (aka 3'1")
weight: in the 97th percentile, at 29 lbs
favorite toy: bouncy balls and cars/trains
favorite book: "little blue truck leads the way" by Alice Schertle
favorite shows: mickey mouse clubhouse, tickety tock, jake & the neverland pirates, and zou
favorite movies: the grinch (original cartoon), any of the "wee sing" collection, but his favorites are the marvelous musical mansion, the big rock candy mountains, and wee sing together. these are older films from when i was a kid, but i assure you they stand the test of time. if your little loves music & loves to dance, i highly recommend them. and bonus, they are embedded with tons of good lessons for your baby with themes like sharing, friendship, and kindness!
favorite activity: dancing
favorite food: cheese (this is a wood family thing)
favorite songs: the itsy bitsy spider, "hot dog" from mickey mouse clubhouse and "snuggle puppy" by eric stoltz
favorite word: more! or "mo!!!!!" with mouth in the shape of an "o"
favorite ipad app (yep, went there): Peekaboo Barn (i'll do a post on our favorite apps soon)

the many quirks and peculiarities of mr. luca lennox:

we have a mini decision maker in the house, although miles and i often question the democracy over here.
the inevitable "no" has made its way into lu's vocabulary...
me: "lu, do you want to eat dinner?"
luca: "NO!"
me: "do you need a diaper change?"
luca: "NO!"
me: "want to read this book?"
luca: "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"
sometimes theres an "uhhhh...(long pause)....no!" which makes me feel slightly better knowing that at least he gave it some thought, right?

we also know "yes," although this word is used more sparingly.
me: want to watch mickey mouse clubhouse?
luca: "yaaaaaa!"
me: "want some snacks?"
luca: "yaaaaaa!"
me: "want to go to granny's house?"
luca: "ya ya ya yaaaaa!"
are you seeing the trend of what he answers yes to?

i always swore i wouldn't be a mother to bargain with her children. well, this mama recants. it's a continuous barter system over here at casa de wood. when lu becomes upset because of a diaper change or whatever, i'll say, "bath time?!" to which L  screams "baaaaa!" (bath!)  in approval as he starts shedding clothes and running to the tub. & when he's livid about bath time coming to an end, i'll come in with "how about we read "little blue truck!" & just like that, the pout concludes.

lu can now count up to four, although his favorite number is "theee!"

while watching one of his favorite shows, 'jake and the neverland pirates,' lu sings along with the theme song (the best to his ability). you'll hear him humming along and nodding his head with approval, and then he'll chime in right at the end. the end of the song sings, "jake and the neverland pirates and me!" he'll bounce around with anticipation, and then finally he'll hop in & scream at the top of his lungs, "and meeeeeeeeeee!" and of course he knows the pirate password, do you? well i'll let you in on a little secret it's, "yo ho ho!"

lu's favorite thing in the world is skateboarding. he loves watching skateboarding, any apparel with skateboards on it, going to the skatepark with "daaa," i could go on and on. but the cutest thing is how he says skateboard.  "duboard."

while holding lu in my arms he'll point to me "mama" and then point to himself "bee bee." and then he'll come in with puckered lips for a big smooch. my heart melts away and everything is right in the world.

lu is really into mickey "mouuuu," not mouse. and he loves his mickey stuffed doll. he tucks him into bed, he tosses him in the air like we do to him.  he hugs him and loves on him, and since lu was never into stuffed animals before, this is the cutest thing i've ever seen. when i think about having another baby in the future, this just confirms to my heart how great of a big brother lu will be.

manners are a must & thankfully luca is polite as can be, always asking for things with a "peas" and upon his receiving, he'll sign thank you (which looks like he's blowing you a kiss) and he'll hum the sound of thank you in a "hmm hm."

miles taught lu to say "peace!" with the coordinating peace sign. it's so freakin' adorable, i cannot stand it. luca will throw up two fingers into peace and with squinted eyes and a smile overtaking his face, he'll utter "peeeeaaaaaas!" not to be confused with "please" aka "peas."

lu knows every animal sound in the book, and loves to yell "wuff wuff" at any dog we see, but miles and i agree that our favorite is his imitation of a kitty cat which is a squeal in some form of meow. i'll upload a video soon, so we can share in this hilariousness.

this is where i'll end (for now) because, like any other mother, i could go on & on. i'll share more soon, but hope you enjoyed a small snapshot of lu lately.

FRIDAY FAVORITES

hooray, hooray! it's finally friday! 

"you're off to great places. today is your day! your mountain is waiting...so get on your way!" 

- dr. seuss

i thought it was more than appropriate to end the birthday week of dr. seuss with a quote from one of his beloved books. he was such a wonderful writer who wrote so many wonderful things, and "oh, the places you'll go," like many, is one of my absolute favorite books of his. luca and i have been reading "hand, hand, fingers, thumb" nightly, and i love discovering some of the less popular books of seuss (if there exist such a thing). i never read "hand, hand..." as a kid, and in essence it's a short, sweet book with fun rhymes, lots of onomatopoeias, and adorable, crazy monkeys! lu recently learned what the monkey says, so he loves watching the monkeys drumming along singing "dum ditty, dum ditty, dum dum dum!" do you have any book recommendations for little ones? we've mainly been sticking to board books because, well, you know what toddlers are capable of doing to to paper pages...although, luca loves the paperback, "tap the magic tree," and we don't have any rips or tears as of yet, just a couple of cheese snack finger stains. 

with easter just around the corner, i've been searching for some fun crafts L and i can do together and i've fallen in love with this easter bunny & chick fingerpaint craft from the chickabug blog. i also cannot wait to try this coconut cupcake recipe with rave reviews from ina garten. ina always has good eats, so i doubt these will disappoint. 

photo from food network.com

my heart goes out to those in colder weather. i seem to always be reading about how gloomy and blue-ridden all my east coast friends and family are feeling. groundhog day usually doesn't mean much to us here in southern california, but i know when the groundhog predicted a longer winter, he wasn't greeted with excitement to put it nicely. we, here in california, were probably the only ones who jumped for joy. it's been beautiful over here, not too hot, not too cold, just right, but we've been desperate for rain. we did get some long overdue rainfall recently, and everyone was giddy with excitement. i'm hoping april will bring us her notorious showers because the drought is becoming a huge issue, and we need water! we, in the wood home, are trying to be as mindful as we can with our water usage, although many california residents aren't taking it seriously, which is posing a huge problem. in this instance, ignorance is not bliss, and i found the funniest article about the new law enforcement tactic of "water school." it's the equivalent of traffic school, but it teaches those in violation how to conserve water. so hysterically smart! i give law enforcement a high-five on this one. 

here are some of the things we've been doing as a family to conserve water in our home, maybe this will help you or a neighbor too: we're watering our grass only at night & in the early morning, taking shorter showers, turning off the water while we wash our hair, bathing lu every other day--and sponge bathing him in between if needed, planting more drought resistant plants (such as succulents), not allowing the water to run while brushing teeth or washing dishes, and were contemplating installing an instant water heater. what types of things are you doing to conserve our water? 

and speaking of water, i'm loving this new trend of infusing your water with fruit! miles calls it "spa water" haha. it does feel like you are at a spa especially if you put it in a fancy glass, and garnish the rim. get fancy at home, because why not?! you deserve it! the honest company has a great article about infusing water & they provide a handful of fun recipes to try! check it out, you may just find something you'll love and therefore end up drinking more water, double win! 

photo via honest blog

wishing you all a fun-filled, water mindful weekend!

peace, love & big hugs,

WAY TO GO CHELS, WAY TO GO.

i ask that you give me a nice slow clap once i finish sketching out, for you, the following story. why, you may be wondering? well, let me tell ya. if you were suffering from the typical monday blues, i assure you this will make you feel a little bit better. ok, it's 6:00 am and i finally decide i'll get out of bed. this is fifteen minutes past the usual time i rise, so take into account i'm feeling extra tired. i brush my teeth, i brush my hair, i put a light coat of foundation on. i've decided it's a mascara only type of day, so i totally surpass all eyeshadow. i reach for my eyelash curler and curl my right eyelashes. I go to curl my left side and as i'm holding my clamp, my hand totally slips and suddenly my curler isn't attached to my eyelashes any longer. and my eyelashes are no longer attached to my face. yep, you read it right, i tiredly ripped off half of my beautiful, long, lush eyelashes. that's right, slow clap it out. the funny thing is i didn't react like i thought i would. normally, i would have cried my poor bald eye out. i didn't shed a tear. i just kind of stared in the mirror for a good chunk of time thinking to myself "oh my lord." i then proceeded to see if i still had the pair of fake lashes i used on my wedding day two years ago (can you tell i was tired?). i then googled "do eyelashes grow back?" from what i read, i think i'll be ok. after that mini heart attack passed, i took my brown liner and quickly filled in the hairless gap. i for certain styled my bangs today, and also thanked my lucky stars i currently have bangs. i hope this little ridiculous story of mine adds some light and laughter to your monday! it's definitely safe to say i will be purchasing a pair of fake lashes. so, if you are wondering in my future photos why i've taken on a new habit of wearing falsies, please pardon me and my poor lashes. also spare me if you are some false lash expert, my experience is totally lacking. here's to a fast-paced work week and an even faster, fuller, longer, and thicker paced eyelash growing session.

think of me next time you're applying mascara, maybe even double-coat because you can,

until next time,