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    toys my 6 year old actually wants

    this post is in partnership with walmart

    arlo is now at the age where curating aesthetic toys is totally ancient history. all he wants now are all the cliche boy toys, no wood here. but i still get pretty excited when i find him a toy i know he’s gonna freak out about. and because i’ve probably gotta play with them too, they should at least be fun!

    walmart not only has so many good toys from all the major toy brands, but every single one of these toys was delivered SAME DAY to my house! i was actually not expecting it, so i had to find hiding places all over my house right away (iykyk). walmart is always super reliable for having the lowest prices, and i checked on some of these “hot toys” priced elsewhere and was super happy that i spent less.

    they also released a toy catalog from walmart this year!! arlo finds nothing more exciting than scouring through a toy catalog. but i found these all on my own (pretty much). here’s what i ended up getting for him for christmas and hanukkah this year (and i want you to know i used my own money on these!) :

    the jurassic park animatronic puppet— i mean i feel like this toy was designed for arlo specifically lol. plus he lovesss baby blue so i ended up getting that one.

    lego dreamzzz turtle van — we LOVE the lego dreamzzz sets, they are so weird and fun.

    teenage mutant ninja turtles mutant mayhem pizza fire delivery van — i mean, it’s a van that shoots pizza. of course he wants this thing.

    spider-man super web slinger role-play toy— this one is more of a gamble because he’s not as into spiderman as the other stuff, but he LOVES dressing up and role playing of all kinds, pretty sure he’s going to be obsessed with this.

    i have honestly NEVER felt this confident about his gifts, i guess this age is kind of cool because you really, really know your kids and what they’re gonna like at this point.


    i scoured walmart for more toy options for 5-7 year olds both boys and girls below (there are probably more boy toys because that’s my world right now, but i tried!)

  • our spooky porch

    we went harder in the front yard than we have ever this year– because every year older that arlo becomes the more he wants our house to look like spooky houses we go visit haha.

    ghosts

    these diy glowing ghosts are living outside and totally setting the spooky vibe with their lit eyes.

    skeleton

    it’s sold out AGAIN at the moment, but keep checking– i’ll be sure to update on instagram when it’s back like i always do.

    bats

    these might not stay up outside, but so far they have. i’m assuming the sticky backing they came with works best on glass.

    fog machine

    this also totally sets the vibe. it’s annoying that you have to do it manually, but anything under $50 will be that way. ours comes with a remote that changes the color too.

    flickering lightbulb

    this is super effective, i can’t believe i’ve never gotten one of these before! i swapped out our normal bulb and replaced with this one and it looks like a spooky candle is lighting our porch.

    pumpkins

    i got a bunch of the beigey fairytale pumpkins from vons, but they also have them at trader joes. i linked to some faux ones below as well, we haven’t carved pumpkins yet this year!

  • the best things on sale for prime day

    there’s another prime day happening today and tomorrow, so i thought you should know about some of my favorite deals happening. 

    i love stocking up on essentials during sale events like these– so i’ll probably be grabbing puffs for izzy, a bottle of bioderma, non-sexy things like that. 

    there are also plenty of sexy sale finds like the frame tv, my gold flatware, the viral eufy hand vac and lots loooots more… here are a few roundups of things on sale but there is lots more to shop over on my storefront.

    prime day favorite home finds

    prime day favorite kid finds

    some of my favorite things on sale

    i’ll be adding to my storefront as i see new sales, so make sure to keep checking there!

    shop my storefront here

  • my fave things this month : september


    ok a little late this month, but i was very busy putting izzy’s birthday party together. here are things i used and loved the most in september.

    wide brim crochet hat

    i’d been looking for a wider brim hat for a while that wasn’t hundreds of dollars, and i found this one that’s made to order and you can customize how wide you want it! i’m very happy with it.

    zit stickas

    i’ve been breaking out a little more than usual this month and stealing these from gid. THEY ARE AMAZING. they’re zit stickers that have microdarts in the patch. i don’t love that the packaging feels wasteful and they’re super expensive per sticker, but these things really work on the giant honkers.

    my tiny crossbody woven bag

    i’ve been loving this little purse, because i can also just throw it into my gym or diaper bag so i don’t have to transfer my stuff back and forth all the time.

    dae hair oil

    i got this to use after showers before air drying my hair, and my hair already feels way more hydrated and shinier!!

    ribbed button front vest

    i am obsessed with this vest — it’s super comfortable, flattering and i feel like i can dress it up and down easily. it looks good with all my soft pants too which i can’t say for every top i own! it’s just so cute i highly recommend it!

    my phone strap

    this thing is so good compared to using all the popsockets and loops and all the things that hurt my fingers. it’s way more comfortable, i can hold my phone securely with it, i can use tripods and phone mounts and wireless chargers all without having to remove it. big fan!

    plaid quilted jacket

    very into this jacket i got recently, it’s lightweight and the perfect boxy cropped length for me (i sized down and got an XS)

    izzy’s play tent

    i got this for izzy’s bday party and both kids love playing in here so much.

    miami muse body spray skull

    ok so i still haven’t found THE scent, but i got this at the mall recently and, as a millennial, i am loving dousing myself like i used to– totally 1999 love spell vibes. it smells really good and it’s inexpensive! for now, i’m enjoying it.

  • printable halloween bucket list

    i’ve done many seasonal bucket lists but for some reason never a specific halloween one! well that obviously had to change.

    we always have SO many plans and activities and things we want to make every october, so this list is going to be much fuller once arlo gets to it, but here are a few things we put on every year.

    i changed it up and decided to design the bucket to list to look like a spooky tarot card, so i hope you like it!!! would love to see them in action.

    click here to download the printable

    as always, printables are for personal use only

    FOR best results, download the file and print from your finder versus from your browser window

  • diy glowing ghosts

    tomato cage ghosts are all the rage right now — but we came up with a fun spin to make their eyes lit up! it makes it extra spooooky especially at night. sorry i didn’t take a photo of said night but i’m sure you can take my word for it.


    we had these lights already because gid just got them for sticking in random stuff for halloween haha — they are small battery powered lantern lights that are perfect for this, because you can screw them to turn them on and off but the batteries actually last for so long.

    i also just used our actual sheets without cutting them up because a. i want to use them again and didn’t want to ruin my sheets or go buy something and b. actual ghosts always use full bed sheets duh.

    i’m hoping we can use these year after year and honestly the fact that they won’t have fabric on them means they probably will end up a lot less gross in our garage by next year.

    materials

    tomato cageS
    craft ball (ours are 7.6″ diameter)
    LED mini lantern lights
    white sheet

    directions

    01. plop your foam ball right on top of the tomato cage (upside down!)

    02. carve small holes into the face where you want to stick the eyes. stick the lights into the holes and screw them to turn them on!

    03. cover with some bedsheets and go startle someone!

  • autumn playlist

    there’s just something about cooking in autumn with music and a glass of wine right??? so i made a new playlist for that exact occasion. but you can totally listen to it whenever you want too, i suppose.

    listen to the playlist here

  • almost makes monthly 9/23

    listening to : my autumn playlist

    watching : only murders in the building s3 and based on a true story (true crime podcast related shows this month only? lol)

    eating : i made molly baz’s caesar salad this month and i am def gonna start making more often

    wearing : the most comfortable pull on pants in the world (size down)

    izzy’s first birthday is coming up next week and i’m finally weaning this weekend, officially. so i’ve been feeling very emotional about how fast this year went and how much she’s grown and all of it. she’s gotten extra sweet and cuddly with me since i started weaning and it’s been the best. my friend worded it as i’m at the end of this journey and i got a little weepy about looking at it like that.

    i guess i’m realizing this month was mostly about self care for me. after a disruptive summer with both kids home, i was able to finally do a lot of much needed doctor appointments and take care of myself. i ended up going to the dermatologist and spontaneously had a mole removed on my face that’s bothered me for years. i’m really proud of myself actually for making a decision that would be scary and painful, but maybe bring me some contentedness ultimately. (kind of like what moving could be …?)

    i’ve also been training with a girl twice a week and it’s been time consuming and hard, but it’s been nice to prioritize myself and i’m trying to get my body back to where i was pre-pregnancy. i’m not quite there but maybe soon?? i’ve even gotten a massage! work fell by the wayside but at least i saw every doctor haha.


    we celebrated our 9th anniversary this week, we finally went to motherwolf and it was so good! we’re going to continue this weekend, today i’m going to a hotel for a solo night and tomorrow gid will join me for a night. very very exciting!

    looking forward to having izzy’s party next weekend, then shifting gears and getting to focus on the holidays and the coziest season.

    happy october 🙂

  • a smiley face birthday


    izzy’s 1st birthday is just a few weeks away! we decided on a smiley theme because she is just one big smiley face, and it would be a very simple process if i weren’t … ME!

    i’ve been kinda trying to avoid the typical 90s smiley face with the notches on the ends of the mouth, even though that’s the kind you see on almost everything, including a few items here! makes it waaay more complicated and i really need to just chill and start ordering stuff haha.

    anyway, i know this is a common theme for 1st birthdays and i got a lot of requests to share links for what i’ve found so far, so here are some pretty things i’ve found so far and sort of the creative direction this party is taking!

    (click on the item to shop it)

    ps– i shared LOTS of cute other theme ideas here!

  • what i ordered from amazon this month

    screen cleaner

    because i’ve got a passion for keeping my new car nice and tidy, i got this screen cleaner for the screen in the car but i need one for my laptop too!!

    dae hair oil

    i air dry my hair so i’ve been looking for something i can use while it’s wet out of the shower for frizz and hydrating, and everyone says dae products are so good — i’ll report back

    oil absorbing face roller

    i actually have pretty dry skin, but i got this for gid’s oily skin and he’s been using it a lot. so much less wasteful than the blotting sheets and i love that you can throw it in your purse.

    detangler brush

    i always brush my hair in the shower before i rinse out the conditioner and i’ve been looking for a pretty one that can get wet.

    crossbody woven small shoulder bag

    maybe because i’m sick of lugging a heavy diaper bag around the rest of the time, but when i’m alone i love using something tiny like this. it fits just my essentials — car key, wallet, phone, lip balm and sanitizer spray.

    magnetic calendar

    been looking for a paper calendar for our fridge for a while and finally found one i like– it’s much easier for me to see upcoming events/parties/appointments than on my phone (which i gotta do too). ps, someone asked if it has the jewish holidays and it does!

    mary janes

    i was wearing these in the grey color a lot, and then noticed the green color which i like even better! they’re true to size and they are pretty comfortable and i’m uncomfortable in almost all shoes!

    key fob cover

    operation all things cute for car– this key fob cover makes my key a lot prettier and helps distinguish between mine and gids. they have them for like every make of key there is!

    washing machine cleaning tablets

    just one of those very basic amazon purchases, but we needed cleaning tablets and these ones are eco friendly