Friday Favorites

Happy Friday everyone! And welcome to what is probably my next-to-last Friday Favorites of 2017... next Friday is the kids last day of school and the next day, we leave for Kansas.

"Alleluia. Holy sh*t. Where's the Tylenol?"! (Name that movie!)

And on that hight note...

I've been a nightly chapstick user for years. Every night, right before I go to bed, I swiped on Burt's Bees.

And then I started wearing LipSense.

And what I learned was the reason most lipsticks don't stay on your lips is because of the wax in them. And how that is a reason why your lips tend to get so dry. Same goes for chapstick. If I continued to use a wax chapstick, lips are going to continue to feel dry and it won't help my LipSense-wearing one bit.

So... I started using the LipSense lip balm this summer. And boom. Sold.

It has a nice, silky feel to it and now with the cold weather here to stay, my lips haven't felt cracked like they always do at this time.

If you're a constant chapstick user, give this one a shot. You won't be disappointed! (I've got three available -- good stocking stuffer!)

This.

I need this.

I tried it on in a medium, but needed it a little smaller... but they had no smalls.

SO comfortable and soft and perfect with jeans and my New Balance sneakers or go-to Uggs.

Comes in a really pretty blush pink as well, but I'm digging the white. So Lauren, if you're reading this and Matt asks, like he always does, what I want for Christmas... after you tell him a new desk or kitchen (yes, I've asked for that), tell him this. :) 

Speaking of Uggs... they have upped their shoe game! No longer is it the short or tall basic lined boot, they have now given it some style! 

These are the Elvi Harness Boot and I got a SUPER similar pair for my birthday (thank you Amazon Wish List and my brother-in-law who only buys from the Wish List) and am obsessed! They are so warm and comfy and look really cute with leggings or skinny jeans. 

This is part of the Koolaburra brand of Ugg, which to me means they are Uggs at better prices. These are only $78! I'd go add them to your Amazon cart quickly before they are gone! 

Not sure how many of your hands, during the cold months, get so dry and crack at the cuticles... but mine do and it HURTS. SO. BADLY! 

A dermatologist recommended this to me (I believe I even bought it from the doctors office the first time I got it and paid $22 for it) and I have never been able to find anything better. But am completely open to suggestions! 

This one is thick enough that it feels nice and feels like it's doing a job. I put it on in the mornings and at night before bed. 

I've tired all kinds of lotions specifically for the splits and cracks I get by my nails and this is the only thing that has ever felt like it's worked. 

I've owned many water bottles in my time. Very few did I use. I probably had a Nalgene hanging from my backpack in college NOT because I was planning on drinking tons of water throughout the day, but because everyone else was doing it and it looked cool and healthy.

You know... SO me. 😂

Then came a time in my life when I was really drinking a lot of water and THIS water bottle was the main reason why it was so easy. 24 ounces of water could be swigged down super fast. All because of the straw. 

Then in a weird twist of events, Contigo becomes one of the companies that is under Matt's 'umbrella' at work and I lose all of my water bottles like this... and he tells me he can't find another one for me because ... and I quote "no one uses those anymore." 

What? Who is no one? I am someone and I only use these! 

I told him I would look for a different brand if I had to get a water bottle with a straw. He scoffed. And the next day, came home with this water bottle... in stainless steel. 

I"m back to my water-drinking ways and so happy! You guys... this is a GOOOOOD water bottle. If you're not a good water drinker, this one is for you. You inhale 24 ounces of water without even knowing it! 

Thanks to everyone that reached out to me about my 'Aha Moments' blog post from earlier in the week. Lots of texts and emails with great words of wisdom as well as stories of your own to share. I loved it -- that's exactly why I started this blog was for moments like those. So thank you! 

Have a wonderful weekend and we will see you next week! 

XXOO,

Allyson

Must Have Bottoms for Fall

This is one of those posts that I really would have preferred to have two-three hours completely by myself to go to a store, try things on, switch sizes, wander... 

That is my fantasy life though and my real life involves a very busy 19-month-old and a stroller and snacks and being as fast as possible before she loses her mind! 

So we ventured to Nordstrom on Michigan Avenue and originally, I had planned to take the van because to me, it was just easier than taking the train. But then I saw how much it would be to park, and the train became the more logical option! On the train we went.

And I'm giving you not only five must-have pants for Fall, but I"m giving you life lessons here, people. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT pay so close attention to your phone and get invested in your InstaStories or you WILL forget to pay attention to when it is time to get off the train and miss your stop and get off the train being absolutely clueless as to where you were! 

Luckily when I walked out of the station, I did know where I was, but we had missed our stop by one so we had to backtrack. And the backtrack took us way too long! So in the end, I would have paid the money to park! :) 

Memories, right?!

Anyway... the real point of this post.

I wanted to venture out to Nordstrom to find five pairs of bottoms that everyone needs to have for the Fall (and the winter, too)! The pants are not going to be from JUST Nordstrom, but I knew I'd find quality selection there, so that's where we started. 

Comfy/Dressy

These Trouve High Waist Pleat Front Crop Pants were a bit of a surprise to me. I picked them up not knowing if they'd make the cut or not and surpringly, they did! 

I walked around the dressing room (and around Tess) to get a feel for them. And really, really liked them! I have larger thighs so I loved how they weren't too tight in that area, but then were more fitted past the knee. There are also zippers at each ankle so to be a little less dressy, unzip and voila! 

These get high marks for me and ran true to size! 

Other options: Winnie Pant - Skinny Ankle Pants - Pixie Mid-Rise Ankle Pant

Leggings

Not a baby bump. Just a non-beer belly belly. 

I don't know how you all feel about leggings. But I feel like they are a staple in the fall and winter. And I'm here to tell you that it is OK.

It's OK to wear an extremely comfortable pant and not be ashamed of it. 

BUT I will also tell you that there is a rule to leggings to make all of the above true.

Your bum must be covered. 

That's all there is to it! 

If you aren't wearing a long tunic or sweater and your rear can be seen, then you need to put on a different pair of pants! That's all there is to it! 

Now... I put on these leggings from Madewell and let me tell you what was great about them.

     *Thick material

     *High-waisted 

     *Long, but not too long

All things that I 100 percent need in a legging! And at $34.50, I expect them to last me awhile! 

Options: High-Waisted Fleece Legging - Hue Leggings - Rachel High Waist Leggings

Denim

Though I will highly recommend going and trying things on, I realize that it hard to get to places. For many reasons. Like maybe you want to go alone .... and that's just not an option (see: all of my pics from this blog - thanks, Tess). 

With that in mind, I am 100 percent vouching of these 10" High Rise Skinny Jeans by Madwell. I blogged a few weeks ago about how hard it is to spend so much on clothing, but that when it comes to good jeans, you have to cut yourself some slack. Jeans are something that you ALWAYS have to have. The one item in your closet that doesn't go to the Goodwill pile in a year. So you're allowed to spend more for a quality pair of jeans. 

When I tried these on, I was so surprised how much I was in love with them. They were super comfortable, had the perfect amount of stretch in them (but not so much that they would be falling down your backside half-way through the day) and the high-waist is amazing! 

So if you can find time to go try on some nice jeans, find a Nordstrom and just go try on. Try on MANY pairs so you can spend your chunk of change wisely! But make sure you try these on. You will surprise yourself! 

Options: Vigoss Skinny Jeans - Boyfriend Jean

Jogger Pants

Thanks to yet another wonderful blogger that I follow, I was introduced the Make + Model brand at Nordstrom and ordered a pair of the 'All About it Pants' in black. And I have worn them so many times, I can't even count! The blogger mentioned that they could be pajama pants, but... I can't tell if they are, and I'm pretty sure no one else can tell if they are either. 

So we are going with it! :) 

Of course that exact pant that I love is on markdown right now, which is fantastic, but the only color available is a light grey. So I found a few other options, including the one above that would be great to try (Good Vibes Jogger Pants).

Joggers are so great because I feel like they are the updated, fashionable version of sweatpants. You can wear them with a sweatshirt, you can wear them with a tee. They can be worn on a date night, to a movie, to a football game, to the grocery store. I own quite a few pairs of joggers and honestly love them all! 

Options: Lounge Around Pants - French Terry Fleece Joggers - Piece Dyed Slouchy Sweatpants

Corduroy

I don't know why, but when I think of Fall attire, corduroy is what I think of! So ofcourse, it has to be in the five must-have's! 

I will have to say I haven't ventured far from what I found I loved. And that is Gap Mid Rise Skinny Corduroy Pants. They come in a skinny-style that hit at the ankle which works for me! I do wish they were a little more high-rise but that just shows my age... ;)

A few years ago, they really had a fun color selection, but this season are showing six or so color. This color above is one of my favorites. It goes with so much and is a nice color option for fall and winter! 

I will mention that Old Navy has a pair of cords in their Mid-Rise Rockstar and I have yet to try them but LOVE the Rockstar jeans from there. They are beyond comfortable and stretchy and a great inexpensive option! Color selection isn't great, but they have black which would be great for fall and winter! 

Options: Mid-Rise Rockstar Corduroy Jeans - Garment Dyed Cord

There you have it - what I have believe to be five must-have bottoms for the fall (and winter)! If you have any additions to the list, leave a comment that way everyone that reads can see it! 

XXOO,

Allyson

Clothes Lately

I seemed to be in and out of many stores this last week.

First I was hunting for Easter clothing for the children. I actually took all three of them into Gap Kids and Old Navy to look for clothes (I decided that Sloane has to be with me to tell me if she will or will not wear something -- it saves a lot of headaches for the most part later on).

Then I had to take myself somewhere to find something to wear for Easter (my traveling closet wasn't prepared for dressier occasions). I decided to make an attempt at T.J. Maxx, where I have AWFUL luck and somehow, I came out with a dress AND a pair of shoes! It was a Christmas (err...Easter) miracle! :)

We were in Wichita for 36 hours so I of course had to make a stop at JCrew Factory. And all three of these things went in the "shopping cart". Everything in the store was 50 percent off (why does this always get me?!). This white t-shirt will be worn repeatedly. This skirt will as well. And I have these sandals in black from Old Navy and love them, so I picked these sandals up in a brown leather. They have gold, silver, black and a stone color as well. Loved them all (and they were $20)!

Also, do you see the cute striped piece of clothing on that is laying across the bench in the first pic? Yep, it's WAY cute. And I tried to make it look cute on me! And I think if I had a cardigan or jean jacket on with it, it could totally work. But the darn chesty part of me just made it look not right.

So... super skinny girls with a smaller chest than moi, this skirt is for you!

This one, too!

I also ended up at Target twice in about 15 minutes to get bananas, medicine, apples as well as a First Communion dress for Sloane (who won't go through this process for another year). Another win for me as this $28 Victoria Beckham dress will be WAY cuter than anything else we would have found in a years time!

And then this week, Tess and I had to pit stop at Sephora - otherwise known as my playground - and decided to do a quick walk-through at Gap. I took a few things back to try on (which I don't like to do)... and LOVED this top.

It's really lightweight and the sleeves have elastic on the cuffs so I could pull them up -- it was similar to a bell sleeve but with the elastic! They only had a small in stock in the store, but I think an extra small would have fit me better (or I would have walked out with this on!).

I also tried on these boyfriend jeans. The color was what drew me in, but there wasn't much to them. I needed a hole in the knee or something and I would have definitely bought them! Ironically, they had a pair that was the exact color with TONS of holes -- but the holes started above the pockets ... where no 'holes in clothes' should start. Not happening!


So... just a little clothes shopping for you this week!

Happy Hump Day, all!

XXOO,
Allyson

Friday Favorites

We made it to Friday! Everyone pat yourselves on the back!!! :)

Ladies, I cannot begin to tell you how long this bag has been on my Amazon Wish List. What I can tell you is that it has been on there long enough for cool version of the Amazon Wish List (that you could add any item from any site on the World Wide Web) to not exist anymore!

I love this Sole Society 'Mason' Weekender Bag! I don't know if it's the cool factor, the "Hey, look at me! I'm trying to be Jennifer Aniston with my cool bag and my aviator sunglasses!"or if that the price point is legit (less than $80). But I love it. And I am telling you this bag will be mine!

Before Amazon Wish List totally disappears!

I literally just saw this Sigma Brush Cleaning Mat on Facebook earlier and watched the video, which was strange (not gonna lie) so I dismissed it and moved on.

Then I found it on Nordstrom and it immediately moved back up to the 'Worth Listing' category. Nordstrom has that strange effect on me.

This mat is only $25, has suction cups on the bottom to stay in place and has only great reviews for easy makeup brush cleaning! It has seven different textures for all of your different types of brushes.

Yes, please!

I have mentioned these flats by JCrew Factory before and I'm going to do it again!

These Anya Ballet Flats are my very, very, very favorite ballet flats! They are beyond comfy and the color selection is great! I own the tan and bright pink. In fact, I wore the bright pink to Chicago when Lauren and I went to market for Two Dots and was stopped by a very flamboyant gentleman who asked me if my shop sold my shoes. I wish, flamboyant gentleman. I wish.

But now they are selling them in metallic! OOOOOH yes... yes they are! And I can't pass up on metallic. It's a great pop if you are wearing a simple outfit.

So please do me a favor and try these flats out!

Gals, I just bought this sweater at Gap for my weekend trip to Chicago and wearing it as we speak. It's SO soft and comfortable and comes in five other colors! Great transition sweater for winter to spring! Check it out!

Speaking of bags (see my first favorite), I need to give a shout out to Thirty-One Bags. My mom started buying them for me probably six or seven years ago and since then, I have accumulated quite the collection. It also helps that my best friend Jenna sells it so I get bags from her as well.

They are so fantastic though! There are so many options from backpacks to coolers to large utility totes, which are my personal favorites. I love the large tote and the deluxe utility tote, which has pockets on the sides!

I take these with me when we travel - throw coats, hats, mittens in some, pillows and kids blankets and stuffed animals in another, diapers and wipes and anything baby-related in another, baby bottles and snacks in a cooler, etc.

The quality is fantastic - I've had ZERO issues with any of mine since I started receiving them!

Designs change from season to season and you can get bags monogrammed. They are great gifts to give and great gifts to receive! If you are interested in them, comment below and I can send you Jenna's e-mail and she can help you out!

This week's color of the week is Caramel Apple! I tried it for the first time last weekend and it's so pretty! It's not too bright, but just enough color to notice. Everyone that tried it on, loved it and wanted it! I finally was able to get my hands on some and will be shipping them out as soon they arrive on my doorstep!


Everyone have a wonderful weekend! Matt and I will be in Chicago house-hunting slash enjoying time away slash not giving baths to children. Best of luck to my parents who WILL be doing that. :)

XXOO,
Allyson

Friday Favorites

Ohhh... what a week. Seriously, when I can't find time to get Etsy Finds of the Week up, you know it's been a week.

To give you a glimpse... yesterday, I had about eight things I really needed to get done, which included a blog post, Two Dots website and pictures, chicken and noodles dinner completed, Reece to gymnastics, etc. What happened was one child wanted to make cookies, then use her new iTunes card, one didn't want to nap so I had to carry her around all afternoon, and the other wanted to sit and watch TV all afternoon.

Did I get anything done that I needed to get done? Yes, yes I did.

And that one thing was dinner.

And my husband didn't get home until after 8 pm. Sooooo... yeah. It was that kind of day.

But nothing like some Friday Favorites to brighten everyone's spirits -- as well as a trip sans children to hang with sorority sisters all weekend. Check and check!

And away we go...

Besides the dresses and the earrings, can you tell me what else we all have on that is the same?

Probably not. Because it doesn't look the same, which is why it is amazing.

Please see our lips. And don't think about the fact that we all were applying the lipstick from the same lipstick tube and how gross that probably is, but please see how pretty it is! And how different it looks on all of us!

This beauty is called Vitality Lip Flush 4-in-1 Reviver Lipstick Stain - it's a mouthful, but it was oh-so-pretty on everyone! I highly recommend it to everyone for a really pretty fall lip color! This particular color is called 'Pretty Woman' and can be found at Ulta!

I made a quick jaunt into Gap the other day in search of a corduroy skirt, since the Old Navy in town did not have the one I mentioned to you that I would be buying for this weekend.

Well, Gap didn't have anything either (note to everyone in northwest Arkansas: The Gap at Pinnacle Hills is not the greatest Gap ever)... But I did have a chance to touch every new sweater arrival and ohmygoodness.

I love a good sweater cardigan to throw on and Gap has quite a few options that are SO soft and comfortable!

Here are a few options:

This is the Maxi Shaker Cardigan -- now online it says it's $128, but Gap almost always has a 40% off sale (or Gap Cash or something going on). This is a forever sweater, meaning you won't be throwing it in the giveaway pile for many, many years so it's worth more than $20!

Speaking of soft, this Boucle Shawl Cardigan is SO SOFT! It comes in three different colors (though I'm partial the grey) and is $69 (but like I said... that won't be for long)!

Here's how Two Dots works.

I see a picture of something I like. I snap it on my phone. I send it to Lauren. She says she likes it. Then I go hunting for it to go on our site.

This was one of those pictures I recently sent to her!

But this is probably more for me... I LOVE this. And I LOVE these boots. But I can't rationalize buying a pair of boots that I want to see myself wearing alot, when in reality, would be worn maybe three times if Matt and I can go on that many date nights (I also don't know if my thighs would look so good with these boots, but that's another story)!

I did go on a hunt for this for anyone else that equally loves it. Gap has a navy blue version but only in extra large. I'll keep hunting... but if anyone else sees it for a good price, leave a comment! 

I don't know how I end up following half of the people/stores I follow on Instagram, but some are worthwhile.

Including this random one.

This store is called Smallwood Home and I'm embarrassed to say that I thought they only sold these awesome wood signs that I love.

If I had paid attention, I would have noticed that they also sell those chairs... and kids clothing... and many other things!

Today when I opened up their site, they had new adorable suede boots for little girls (for only $38) that I may or may not be buying for Sloane!

I LOVE their signs though - that's what drew me to them! They have so many and some are pricey, but they go on sale alot. And if you sign up to receive e-mails from them, you get a 10% off coupon. Great Christmas gift ideas here!

I'm not sure if anyone has picked up on this yet, but... I'm a very picky person.

When it comes to my food, when it comes to my clothes, when it comes to my home. A doctor mentioned to us that Reece might have a small case of OCD and asked if anyone in our family had it.

I said I had never been medically diagnosed, but I'm quite certain I am!

So when it comes to picking out a K-State shirt, all of the above applies. Which is why I don't own very many!

I love the vintage look and I love it to be soft. I own ONE that is like that - and I have worn it every K-State gameday since I bought it in Manhattan!

But I happened to check out the Charlie Hustle website (a local Kansas City store that sells vintage-like t-shirts) and checked out their K-State selection.

And I was pleased!

I currently own a heathered gray top with a heart that says KSU in the middle of it, I could add this purple to my sad collection! Who has my name for Christmas, Hills family?!


Everyone have a fantastic weekend! Pictures from my weekend adventure without my family, but with my college pals will be featured next week! :)

XXOO,
Allyson