Mother's Day Roundup! {Mommy's Wish List 2016}

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Mother's Day is almost upon us!  I got such good feedback on last year's Mother's Day Roundup so I thought I would give it another shot this year.

Since becoming a mom, I am discovering daily just how much my mom did/does for our family.  So many thankless jobs, large and small, come along with the territory when you're a mom.  My mom sets the standard as high as it gets, and I am so proud to be her daughter!  Every day I try my hardest to achieve her level of grace, humility and love.

Happy Mother's Day to all the amazing mommas out there!!  XO

Anthropologie Capri Candle

Anthropologie Capri Blue Candle  You know that amazing Anthro smell right when you walk in the door?  Yep, that's this.  The perfect light scent for the whole house.

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Simply but pretty earrings  I'm loving these beauties!  These could easily be dressed up or down.  

Vanity Tray

Marble vanity tray  Does mom have a collection of random face creams, earrings and candles littering the bathroom counter? (Raises hand)  I've been hunting for the perfect vanity tray to corral my stuff and I think I've found The One.  This is the perfect size and it's gorgeous!

Glam sunnies!

Sunglasses  How stinkin' cute are these?!  I am in looooooooooove with the white!!  They also come in aqua or lavender!  Sign me up for all three :D 

Luxe hand cream

Lavender hand cream  This stuff is a staple in our house!  Locally, we find it at Pierre La Fond in Montecito, but it can be found online at the link above.  It is so luxurious and leaves hands feeling like velvet.  The lavender oil gives just the right hint of relaxing scent without being overpowering.

Magnetic Knife bar

Knife Bar/Good knives  This may not seem exciting to some, but to my fellow foodie mommas, this will make your heart go pitter patter.  One of the most important tools in the kitchen is a good knife, and equally important, proper knife storage.  Choosing a knife as a gift is probably best done with the recipient, as it's best for them to get to hold the knife and find the one that best fits/feels good.

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Pretty cell phone case  How beautiful is this case!?  Gotta get my hands on this, for sure.  Another fun idea: personalized cell phone case with photos of mom's loves!

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Luxe body oil  What mom could resist?  This is definitely high up on my wish list.  Can be found at Urban Outfitters and has been featured on people.com!

These are just a few ideas to get the inspo flowing.  More fun ideas: pack a picnic, umbrella and some outdoor games and drive mom to a surprise location and spend the day together; book a massage/facial/mani/pedi and have dinner ready when she gets back; make her favorite breakfast and surprise her with flowers and handmade cards; take a day trip to a local u-pick farm... have fun planning!

XO

Mother's Day {Feeling Loved}

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What a difference a year makes!  Look how much my sweet babe has grown since last Mother's Day:

I had such a lovely Mother's Day.  My sweet hubby surprised me with the yoga pants I've had my eye on - woohoo!  (time to step up my yoga game...Ha!)  We did a repeat of last year's Mother's Day adventures.  I adore Los Olivos, a tiny little town about 30 miles north of us in the Santa Ynez Valley.  It's home to Clairmont Farms, a beautiful family-owned lavender farm tucked away in wine country.  It's one of my favorite places.  When I married the love of my life we had sachets of dried lavender from their farm as favors for our guests and to this day I still have people tell me how much they love theirs.

Peek-a-boo, Belly! =D

After visiting the lavender farm we went into town and stopped at our favorite spot, Enjoy Cupcakes in the Sarloos & Sons tasting room.  We love this little spot and Ayden of course loved his cupcake treat and sitting at the special tiny table, just like he did for his birthday.

These two!  I can't even... <3

Just outside the tasting room is an open grassy area where energetic one-year-olds can run free.  A couple of other kids were playing there and Ayden so badly wanted to crash their game of tag ;)  He was determined to walk all over town and was quite unhappy with me when I wouldn't let him run out into the street.  I'm such a mean mom like that.

My must-see spot when we are in the area is Los Olivos General Store.  This darling little shop has a bit of everything, from kitchen goods to kids' books to eclectic jewelry.  I found a candle there that smells like gardenias, aka Heaven, so had to grab that up.  I had it lit the minute we got home and the whole house smelled divine!

My sweet boys are the light of my life!  I'm so incredibly blessed to be theirs.  My loves spoil me each and every day and Mother's Day was no exception.  What a lucky girl I am :)

Taking photos with a toddler is so easy... said no one ever.

Before I close, I realized I forgot to include a very special Mother's Day gift idea to my Wish List post!  For my birthday this year my sweet daddy surprised me with a gorgeous custom wood and glass wall hanging.  It is seriously so so beautiful!  The heart is layered fused glass with my sweet boy's face on it.  This would be such a lovely gift for Mother's Day, mom's birthday, baby's first birthday, Valentine's Day, Christmas, you name it!  After I pushed and prodded, he decided to open an Etsy shop - YAY!  These custom wall hangings can be found here.  AND, because I love ya, if you mention that you found his shop through my blog you will get 15% off of your order!  Woohoo!

Have a great week!  XO

:::Mom:::

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Mom.

There is something inherently comforting in that word.

Mom is home.  Mom is warmth.  Mom is nurture and love and safety.  Mom is the smell of supper on the stove as you step into a cozy warm house.  Mom is the kiss on the tear streaked cheeks of a little girl who fell off her bike.  Mom is the middle of the night hug when bad dreams strike.  Mom is the soft place to land when friends exclude and boyfriends don't call.  Mom is the cheerleader of all endeavors, from jog-a-thon laps to planning a wedding.  Mom is forgiveness when it's not deserved (or even asked for).  Mom is love in its truest form. Mom is the heartbeat of the family.

To say my mom is a blessing in my life is a colossal understatement.  From near and far she has always been my go-to, and I can't remember a time that I didn't want to call my mom to hash out the day's triumphs and struggles. Now that I'm a mom I understand just how much my mom sacrificed (and continues to) for our family.  She somehow managed to keep our house meticulous, keep the laundry caught up, keep track of our schedules, cook every meal from scratch and work full-time, and always - always - had hours and hours to bake, read, play, watch movies, sew and shop with me.

As an only child I depended on my mom a lot when it came to my entertainment.  I must have been such a pest!  I was constantly asking her to play games with me, take me here or there, bake this or that with me.... the list goes on and on.  Every Easter she would hide and re-hide (and re-re-re-hide) the eggs for me to find.  She put up with my endless requests to play "store", played countless hours of Yahtzee, Mall Madness, Mouse Trap and Life with me, and watched the same goofy kid movies with me repeatedly.  Every morning she would get up before dawn to pack my lunch, make my breakfast and get everything situated for my day and even took the time to curl my hair before school every day when I was in high school.  She also happens to be drop dead gorgeous.  During my waitressing days the boys I worked with would fight over whose section she was going to sit in when she came in for lunch.  "Is your hot mom gonna come in today??"  And did I mention she's a legit hero?  Yep, true story.  Check out this babe:

"Is green the only color these come in?"

There isn't a single day that goes by that I don't think of my mom a hundred times.  In everything I do with my son I strive to be as patient, present and thoughtful as she.  I hope I can be even half the mom she is.

Mom, I love you with all my heart!  I am forever grateful and honored to be your daughter.
XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Mother's Day Inspiration {Mommy's Wish List}

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I truly love being a mom.  For as long as I can remember I have dreamed of being a wife and mom.  When I was little (okay, and not so little) one of my favorite things to do was to play with my baby dolls.  I loved changing their clothes, pretend bathing them, swaddling them, etc.  One of my best friends lived next door and we would get the dollies together for play dates and hash out our daily trials of being moms.  HA! Talar, if you're reading this, hurry up and have babies so we can pick up where we left off.  ;)

A few months after returning to work after having Ayden, a coworker made a comment that has stuck with me.  She has worked with me for over ten years and said to me, "I have to tell you; you have blossomed since becoming a mom.  Your happiness has grown so much and it just radiates from your face.  You seem blissful."  She hit the nail on the head.  I am blissful.  I have perma-bags under my dark-circled eyes along with constantly messy hair and clothes, so the fact that she finds me radiant in any way is comical, but I am completely content in my role as wife and mom.  It's like I've finally landed my dream job.  Only it's not a job, it's a privilege.

I absolutely love all thing feminine and soft and have had my eye on so many pretties lately.  It occurred to me that lots of people out there may be at a loss when it comes to tokens of appreciation for the moms in their lives.  Hopefully these will provide some inspiration.  Now, go give your mom a hug!  =)

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Luxe De Mer "Beach Beauty"  I am head over heels in love with Luxe De Mer..  I found this skincare line through the lovely Amanda at Marshalls Abroad and I'm hooked.  Their rosewater toner is addicting (is it weird that I crave the smell of it??) and their oil cleanser makes my face feel like velvet.  I'm dying to try their Jasmine Body Polish.  I love that they are a local small company, too!

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PlumPrettySugar floral robe: These are sure not your grandma's floral robe!  PlumPrettySugar gets alllll the heart eyes.  Everything in their line is so lovely and feminine.  I'm also loving this adorable tote/eye mask/headband set.

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Honest Company soy candle: I'm on a total jasmine kick right now, and I'm willing to bet this gardenia jasmine candle smells divine.  As far as I'm concerned, Honest Company can do no wrong.  I adore all of their products!  I recommend their stuff to everyone who will listen and I'm not ashamed to sound like an infomercial.  ha!

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Birthstone necklace: I have a serious thing for jewelry... necklaces in particular.  A lovely tribute to mom would be a keepsake of some sort with babe's birthstone.

Custom name necklace:  Hubby surprised me with this gorgeous custom necklace for my birthday this year.  I looooooove it!  Each of Zella's custom pieces are hand stamped and painstakingly polished to perfection.  I love that I get to wear my son's name so close to my heart.

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Her favorite flowers - lots of them: There is nothing wrong with the timeless classic of gifting flowers.  Moms love flowers!  I don't know a mom anywhere who wouldn't love to get a few bunches of her favorite flowers to place around the house.  Hit your farmer's markets and you will find a variety of the best in-season blooms.  Some of my absolute favorites, peonies, are in season right now - yaaaay!  Think big, fluffy, feminine bouquets with hydrangeas, peonies, ranunculus, lilies...

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Letter Stud earrings: I know, more jewelry, but are these the cutest?!  Anthro does it again (everything there is perfection, let's face it).  Super cute idea, and would be so fun to get mom the letters of all the loves in her life.

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Framed photos:  Print photos of some of mom's favorite memories and frame them in lovely frames like these beauties from Anthropologie.  Moms love nothing more than showing off their sweet ones!

I hope you find this list helpful.  Remember, celebrating Mom doesn't mean spending like crazy.  Think of how much she would love getting a handmade card from the kids, breakfast in bed, an interruption-free bubble bath...  the possibilities are endless.

XO!