COOL SH*T I LOVELOVELOVE - Monthly Favorites, January 2023

We did it! We made it through the 300 days of January! 🤪 It’s the month that keeps on going forever and ever amen. But here we are, the month of lovelovelove upon us. Bless. January was a little weird, a little wild – we crossed off quite a few house projects (finally) while just getting our brains in order for the quasi-countdown to baby this summer. Still can’t get over we’ll have a BABY this summer. (!!!). I can cross “empty the nursery closet” off of my list thanks to the big master closer makeover I had in January (that full reveal hitting CUR tomorrow – stay tuned!), and after much ado about so many things, our kitchen counterop renovation project is just about complete. We’ll be DIY-ing a backsplash this weekend, so send lots of luck and prayers that it doesn’t send us to couple’s counseling. HA. 😉

1.) NEW COUNTERS

What a life giving project for our kitchen! We knew it would be worth the investment given how much time we spend in the space; it’s truly the hub of our home. The first owners built the house and had a mustard-y sortof granite installed, which just clashed – especially after we repainted the dark cabinetry white. I wanted to brighten everything up with a classic white quartz, and we’re so dang happy with how it turned out! That is, after it finally was finished; if you caught the SAGA on Instagram Stories, you might’ve heard about how after measuring everything not once, not twice but thrice, they still managed to cut the main counter incorrectly (swapping the stovetop and sink placements). So we thankfully had the new island, but, everything else was delayed twice due to supply shortages – and then the contracting company was giving us a hard time and a half about having a plumber come out to help with all of the detaching and re-installations. Given J isn’t a plumber and it had taken him a few hours the first go around, we figured it was the least they could offer for their own mess ups – and while they inintially agreed, they had then gone ahead and changed their story behind-the-scenes. ALL THAT TO SAY, Jessica from the counter company needs a lesson on owning mistakes, customer service and staying true to her word. Matt the manager from our local Home Depot is the real MVP. And at the end of the day, no complaints – the new counters rock. 🙂

2.) Letter patch sweat set

For whoever needs to hear this…it’s time to let go of your college sweatpants. Yes, they served you well. They enjoyed many a Netflix binge night and probably caught so many corn chips and coffee stains, but it’s time to thank them for their service and bid them adieu. 😉 This fun mongrammed set is such a cute upgrade; I lovelovelove the personalized patching, and it’s SO DANG COMFY. Wore it three days in a row last week (whoops). AND you can get 10% off with code ERICA10 at checkout!

3.) Vintage Boho Odyssey bag

This was a Christmas gift from J; I just fell in lovelovelove with it as a different twist on a Louis Vuitton. This business upcycles authentic Louis Vuitton bags and re-creates new, boho-inspired pieces from them. This one in particular caught my eye for its size; I wanted something to hold just the minor essentials (phone, card case, lippy, etc) when on the go, and I really liked the foldover snap closure and braided leather strapping. If this feels a bit too small for you, the same bag does come in a slightly larger size! It’s also a fraction of the price of Louis Vuittons regularly.

4.) Liv’s bouncehouse

The Christmas gift that keeps on giving! We’ve already gotten so much playtime from this bad boy – and it does wonders at working out extra energy. 😉 Probably our most-used Amazon Prime day buy to date, and something they can grow into and with. Great for play dates and siblings, too! Nearly 10,000 5-star reviews, so you know it’s tried and true.

AND BONUS – it’s still on sale!!!

5.) Tonie box

Another Christmas gift win. Once Olivia got into it, she was so into it. The Tonie lets you interchange characters for continued playtime, with each character triggering different stories and songs. We have a few from the Disney Princess bundle, and it keeps Liv occupied forever just listening while independently playing or coloring. So great for their reading comprehension, too, because she’ll pause it to ask questions throughout! Another gift that keeps on giving since you can grab additional characters for other gifting occasions or holidays.

The week after Christmas, just setting up shop in Little Sleepies pajamas (see below) to intently listen to her Tonie box tales – ha!

6.) Food Ninja knife set

One of J’s requests for Christmas was a new knife set, so Mimi and Papa delivered. This set seemed especially cool given it’s built-in sharpening mechanism; let me tell you, these bad boys are SHARP. We were both FLOORED the first time we cooked with the set – scarily effortless and endlessly easier for the chef in the family.

7.) Ice roller

Hi my name is Erica and I’m addicted to ice rolling. Seriously, it has become my favorite part of my morning routine and something that truly uplifts my everyday! I look forward to it, I crave it – and I think it really, really makes a difference.

I shared all about how to use an ice roller and its benefits here on the blog!

8.) Aldi

Do you have Aldi near you? Holy moly. What a grocery store. It’s essentially a grocery outlet, but what’s so impressive are the selection of “healthier” brands and the freshness of produce. I’ve found some of my Whole Foods favorites at Aldi for literally half the price! The Simply Nature line is one of my go-to’s. And whenever we go, we stock UP on fruits + veggies without breaking the bank, and everything is beautifully fresh, organic, the whole nine yards. My mom and I have an ongoing battle for who gets the best Aldi deals each week and we get so excited to share the goods – if you have one near you, GO!

9.) Little Sleepies + Kyte Baby bamboo jammies

Now, I know there are *strong* opinions in the mommy communities about jammies. Particularly, Little Sleepies and Kyte Baby. I mean, there are apparently secret Facebook groups dedicated to VIP launches of secret print lines that sell out in seconds – it’s like the Hunger Games of pajamas. I now have both for Liv – I’m personally pretty set on both brands and don’t favor one over the other (yet). I WILL say that they are FABULOUS and absolutely worth spending a few more bucks over whatever is in Target that week. The difference in feel, fit and quality is THAT obvious; they’re also so beautifuly stretchy that they really fit and grow with your kid. One of my best girlfriends is one of those aforementioned mamas (love you, Molls 😉 ) and has ALL THE LITTLE SLEEPIES – seriously, her collection is unparalleled and she could open an undercover operation. But, she swears by them because of how long they last each baby; they somehow don’t shrink AND hold up quality, so you get so much bang for buck in cost per wear.

Olivia specifically reached for her Little Sleepies AND Kyte jammies over other random brands because they’re breathable and comfortable and who doesn’t lovelovelove that?! Definitely two brands we’ll be stocking up on for new Gwynn baby, too!

Literally got this text THIS MORNING from Molly with my freaking adorable goddaughter – she’s obsessed!

10.) NEW CLOSET SPACE

I mean, did you SEE the before and after?! Color me impressed. I hired The Organized Home Co. locally and the girls did SUCH an incredible job at making things both beautiful AND functional. More to come – stay tuned. 😉