Gift Guides for Parents & In Laws



1. Rose Gold Fossil Watch - This watch is actually on my mom's Christmas list this year. It's simple, cute and reasonably priced!

2. Kennebunk Bliss Plush Throw - This blanket has 5 stars and has 1.4k reviews! It comes in 13 different colors and it's UNDER $30! A great cozy and affordable gift.

3. Ugg Slippers - There are so many slippers on the market but Ugg slippers will always be a top rated. A little on the pricer side but they will last for years!

4. Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Robe - I don't really remember from last year, but this year Barefoot Dreams anything is all the hype. Izzy has a little Barefoot Dreams blanket and I wish I had an adult size of it. I've heard great things about the robes as well.

5. Philosophy Perfume Set - You can never go wrong with gifting your mom or MIL her favorite perfume! This little set would make a great stocking stuffer.

6. Bouquet Pajama Set - Honestly every women in America should have these on their Christmas List right now 😂 I don't personally own a pair, yet, but by the looks and reviews of them they are just all around the perfect pajama set. Loft in general has so many cute and cozy pajama options on their site right now.

7. Crystal Drop Earrings - These are so pretty! You can never go wrong with gifting Kendra Scott jewelry.

8.  Tory Burch Flats - Another option that's on the pricer side but these are a great option if your mom or MIL wears flats all the time, like mine! I've heard nothing but great things about them too.



1. Bombas Socks - Is it just the men in my family or does every guy really ask for socks for Christmas? 😂 And I never realized how many options you have to choose from! The personalized ones I shared in last weeks gift guide would make a great gift for grandparents. However, Bombas has tons of great options as well!

2. Versace Cologne - Cologne in general is always a great gift for dads and FIL's. 

3. AirPods - I haven't hopped on the AirPods bandwagon yet, but everyone else seems to be on it and this would make a great gift. Especially if they travel a lot or spend a lot of time at the gym!

4. Patagonia Fleece - Again, can't go wrong with gifting Patagonia! This fleece has so many great reviews and Patagonia in general is amazing quality!

5. Beard Oil - I purchased this for Tyler one year and he loved it! It's 100% natural and you can also purchase Beard Balm's and Washes as well. Not to mention you're supporting a small business. 

6. Soft-Washed Tee - Tyler has one of these and they are really the softest tees! They are also super on sale right now.

7. Personalized Whiskey Glass - A special gift for the whiskey lover! I got Tyler a Whiskey glass last year and it was such a good gift.

8. Ugg Slippers - These are a great gift for everyone and they are worth the money because they last forever!



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Our Family Photos

Thanks to PinkBlush for sponsoring todays post. As always, all opinions are my own.



I was so excited to shoot our first session of family photos as a family of four with our friend, Emily Bockelkamp Photography. She has been doing our pictures since 2014 and never seizes to amaze us! We've also decided to send out Christmas cards this year because well, we have a kid now so that's what adults with kids do right? 😂 These photos are going to be so perfect to include on our cards!





My dress is c/o of PinkBlush. It was one of the first options I stumbled upon and I absolutely fell in love with it. It comes in a ton of different color options and you can purchase it in maternity sizing as well - A gorgeous option for maternity pictures or your baby shower! PinkBlush has also started their Black Friday sale and you can receive up to 60% off site wide! This dress in particular is 40% off with code "BLACKFRIDAY" from now until December 1st. There will also be doorbuster starting at $10 for leggings, camis, and select overstock styles! I'll be sharing a few of my top sale picks below along with how you can enter to win a $75 shop credit to shop during the sale!






















Shop my favorite PinkBlush sale picks below & head over to todays Instagram post to enter to win a $75 shop credit to shop the sale!


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Gift Guide For Him


Raise your hand if you think shopping for the men in your life is HARD 🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️🙋🏻‍♀️ Shopping for Tyler is always hard because as the girlfriend you want to get him something good but you also want to get him practical things that he'll get use out of. This Gift Guide covers gifts for all the men in your life and are suitable for different lifestyles! Hopefully it can make your holiday shopping a little easier!

Carhartt Workwear Shirts - Tyler loves these shirts and wears them all the time. They're great for everyday wear and work!

Apple Watch - This is actually on Tyler's Christmas List this year. I've owned an Apple Watch for years and love it. They're especially great for tracking your workouts!

Tools - I asked Tyler what I should put on this gift guide and right away he said tools 😂 It's such a practical gift but so useful! When Tyler and I moved into our last apartment we needed tools all the time and had to run out and buy them. They're always handy to have for those just incase moments!

Hacking Whiskey & Gather Around Cocktails Book - These are great gifts for the hostess or whiskey lover! Also make good coffee table books.

Bow Ties - My brother put these on his Christmas List and there are so many nice and affordable options to choose from! 

Wool Blend Topcoat - If Tyler wore jackets like this, I'd 100% buy this for him 😂 It's currently on sale for 50% for Next Members!

Custom Face Socks - Gifting these to every guy I'm shopping for this year. You can also put pet faces on them too! Great gift for boyfriends/husbands, dads, etc.

Personalized Face Mug - Also gifting a couple of these this year! Great for parents and grandparents!!

Xo,
Alyssa

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Gift Guide For Her

I didn't want to do separate gift guides for mom and dad, but after I finished this gift guide I was like "well, I would only buy my mom half of these things", so Gift Guide for Mom is in the works 😂

This Gift Guide is great for your best friend, girlfriend, sister, favorite coworker, whoever! These items are also reasonably priced (minus the pearl ring) so they won't break the bank!

1. Apple Watch Band - I love love love this watch band! It's a great everyday option for dressing up your watch.

2. Card Purse with Clutch Bundle - Need, want, got to have it. I use my Louis Vuitton key holder Tyler got me last year every day and it has a slot for cards but I only put my license and bank card in there. When I'm running a quick errand I just grab that and forget everything else, so this card purse is perfect. I love the little clutch it comes with so I can keep my necessities in there and it can easily be thrown in your purse!

3. Personalized Phone Case - I might be the only one, but I love having different options for phone cases to swap out and this one is so fun!

4. Popcorn Knit Cardigan - You can never go wrong with gifting a cozy cardigan!

5. Personalized Starbucks Cup - Will forever recommend these personalized Starbucks cups! The hot cups are a great gift, but she also sells cold cups which sell out insanely fast! I have 2 of them and use each every day. The deadline to order to get for Christmas is November 25th and cold cups will be restocked before than.

6. Vegan Cropped Leather Jacket - If you couldn't tell by now, I love this leather jacket and can't recommend it enough.

7. Initial Huggie Earrings - These are SO CUTE! Might have to buy myself a pair 😂
    Pearl Open Circle Ring - If Tyler and I didn't already agree on our Christmas gifts I would have told him this was what I wanted. It's gorgeous and on sale for 25% off!

8. Embellished Hair Clips - The hair clip trend isn't for everyone, but if the gal in your life is into it she will love these! I'm in the process of growing out my bangs so I am here for this trend and these are on my wishlist!

Xo,
Alyssa

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Gift Guide for Newborns


I was so excited to create this gift guide because I can't wait for Izzy to experience her first Christmas! Even if she will only be four months and won't remember any of it 😂 Since she's so young right now we're being very practical with the things we'll be getting her this year, our #1 thing was NO toys because 1. she's too young to even do anything with them yet and 2. they just pile up. If you have a newborn to shop for this year, I hope this gift guide makes your shopping easier!

I have also teamed up with Itzy Ritzy to give one lucky follower a $50 shop credit to shop for the newborns/mamas this holiday season! Head over to my Instagram to see how you can enter. 

1. Itzy Ritzy Sweetie Pal - Isabella LOVES her Sweetie Pal and it's so cute! I picked the llama because it was gender neutral and we can pass it down when we have more babies, but you can also choose from a fox and unicorn. They're also only $10, so this is a great inexpensive gift!

2. Hello Bello Diapers - I feel like nobody gifts diapers for Christmas and I don't know why because it's like the most practical gift ever! Especially when you're shopping for a newborn. Babies go through tons of diapers and parents will never turn them down.

3. Activity Gym - Any activity gym would make a great gift. From personal experience, Izzy loves this one! We do playtime every morning after breakfast and she goes nuts with this thing. I've also had other moms message me and tell me their baby loves it too!

4. Footie Onesies - You can never go wrong with some cute onesies/PJ's! If anybody is shopping for Izzy and sees this, that tiger onesie would look adorable on her 😉

5. Itzy Ritzy Teething Mitt - Can you really go wrong with gifting teething accessories? Itzy Ritzy also has the cutest ones! We received the cactus Itzy Ritzy teether for our baby shower and I'll definitely be getting Izzy this one when she starts teething!

6. Mommy & Me Beanies - These are SO adorable and you can customize it, so they're suitable for both boys and girls. Definitely want to get ones for me and Izzy!

7. Cuddle + Kind Stuffed Animals - Buying one of these for Izzy for Christmas! They're so cute and you can never go wrong with a stuffed animal! 1 doll also provides 10 meals to children in North America and around the world.

8. Books - I actually want Izzy to receive a lot of books for Christmas and I think it's so cool how you can personalize them so the character is actually your child! It's also nice that they have specific editions for both mom and dad so you can share that special moment with your little one.

Xo,
Alyssa

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Gift Guide For Mama Friends


Hi, everyone! I am SO excited to be sharing the first of many gift guides today!! I wanted to start with a gift guide for mama friends because as a new mom, putting together a Christmas list for myself was hard. So I thought of items that were practical for a mom/things she could really use!

1. Itzy Ritzy Crossbody - This crossbody is seriously a game changer and I wish I had it from day 1! It's a diaper bag... in crossbody form.. like WHAT?! This is so perfect for when you need to run a quick errand and don't want to drag the entire diaper bag out. It has 2 compartments, 1 for baby and 1 for mom. The baby side has a wipes holder, diaper holder and comes with a changing mat. And the mom side fits literally all your essentials. Sharing more details about this crossbody over on stories today!

2. Opalhouse Candle - My best friend gifted me an Opalhouse candle and they smell heavenly! 

3. Erin Condren Life Planner - Whether you're a working mom or a SAH mom, everyone needs one of these! I write down my entire life in mine because if I didn't I would basically forget everything. You can also make it personal and personalize a planner with a cute collage of family photos for the cover!

4. Personalized Starbucks Cup - I have 2 personalized cold cups and a hot one on the way. I use them every single day and they're under $20!

5. Beauty Counter Eye Cream - This is actually on my Christmas list. I heard great things about this eye cream and I would not be offended if one of my friends gifted it to me for Christmas. It's a mom necessity. 

6. Pajama Set - When I'm not working I'm lounging in my PJ's, so why not lounge in the cutest ones?! Which might end up getting spit up on them, but at least you'll look cute covered in spit up.

7. Diaper Bag Charm - Would make a great stocking stuffer! I want one for my diaper bag!

8. Diaper Bag Organizer - This also comes in one that says "Baby Things" and I have them both. They're great for keeping the diaper bag organized. 

Xo, Alyssa






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3 Month Baby Update!


I can't believe Isabella is 3 months old today! Can I just rewind time and snuggle with my one week old baby again?! But seriously, this has been the greatest three months of my life and I have loved seeing all the ways Izzy has grown! These monthly updates seem to be one of my most viewed posts so I'm going to take that as you guys love these updates. Here's what's new with Isabella..

Little munchkin had her two month checkup last month and she weighed 9 lbs 3.2 oz! When we brought her home from the hospital she weighed 5 lbs 10 oz, so to us she's grown a lot. Her pediatrician said she's doing great and that she should be due for a growth spurt sometime soon. I've been so hesitant to buy her new clothes because I don't know how much she'll grow! But this past week we have been noticing that newborn onesies are starting to become a tight fit on her.. FINALLY! 


Her sleep schedule hasn't changed a whole lot since last month. Three days a week I work weird hours so I'm not home to control when she naps - We're still following Mom's on Call and I've been trying to be more strict with the sleep schedule. She does great overnight though! Lately she's only been waking up around 2/3 a.m and majority of the time it's because she needs changed or can't find her pacifier. She will have her nights where she wakes up more than once, but we can't complain.. we get good sleep! We've also stopped swaddling Izzy a little after 2 months old. My personal opinion about swaddling, we just felt like we were suckered into it because it's what everyone is doing and if you don't swaddle your baby then you're parenting wrong and your baby will have bad sleeping habits, right? WRONG. It's something Tyler and I discussed and agreed on doing and to each their own! If you swaddle, good for you - If you don't swaddle, good for you. It was just our own personal choice and we've found that Izzy sleeps better without one. 

I feel like Izzy also has such a big personality for just being 3 months. She smiles and makes those cute little baby noises ALL THE TIME, but like when she's not in the mood she's really not in the mood and she'll serve you her poker face. Also if she's hungry and you're taking too long to get to her, she WILL let you know. Basically what I'm trying to say is my daughter is a drama queen already at 3 months old 😂

I wasn't kidding, her poker face is serious 😂


A few other baby updates I wanted to document:

  • She's not a fan of sitting down, she always wants you to hold her so she can try to stand up. I'm still convinced she's going to be walking early [but like obviously not next month, I mean just in the early stages of when some babies start to walk].
  • My dad has started putting on Baby's First channel for her in the evenings and she loves it. She's lay in her rocker watching tv and smiles/makes noises the whole time.
  • Bath time is her JAM. She sits in her little tub just chilling while I bath her, it's the cutest thing.
  • She's starting to realize she has hands! She tries to eat them all the time and is constantly grabbing at thing [note to self: stop wearing necklaces before Izzy rips them off because babies are strong].
  • She moves.. A LOT! We'll wake up in the middle of the night and she will be completely sideways in her crib.
  • We have playtime every morning after breakfast and she loves her activity mat! 
  • She's already been to her first wedding and visited my alumni [of course I had to buy her some cute PSU gear].

Honestly I could go on forever about her, but that's all of the relevant updates for this month! Thanks for reading!

Xo, Alyssa & Izzy
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How To Style A Slip Dress For Colder Weather

If you follow me on Instagram than you already know that this slip dress is my absolute favorite. I originally bought it back in the summer for maternity pictures - Basically I just wanted something inexpensive because I probably wasn't going to wear it that much. I snagged this dress for under $50 and I wear it every chance I get, win win! 

I've shared plenty of ways you can wear this in the warmer months and I also wanted to share ways you can incorporate it into your fall/winter wardrobe!





I LOVE this look! I've seen slip dresses styled like this plenty of times, but I never thought I could be one to pull it off. It's such a simple look that has a lot of personality and it could be worn for any occasion (add a blazer overtop and it becomes more work place friendly!)  I decided to finish this look off with a pair of booties keeping it very minimal, and I would've loved to add a belt to this look but I didn't have one that would pair right. You could also have some fun and substitute the solid colored turtleneck to one with animal print! 





'Tis the season for thermal tops and YES, thermal tops can be paired with slip dresses. This is such a great look if you want that dressy, casual feel. My tip for pairing shirts/sweaters with dresses is to put a belt under the shirt then tuck it in. To me, that just makes it look more put together versus throwing on a shirt and just having it hang there. To keep the look more casual I finished it off with a pair of slip-ons and threw a leather jacket over top. You can also make this look more dressier by pairing it with booties instead!





This look is great for the workplace and you can go about this so many ways! For instance, with this specific blazer I loved pairing the leopard skinny belt with it. You can also opt for a more oversized blazer and rock a Gucci knockoff belt with it. This dress would also work with different colored blazers as well! Pair it with a blush blazer for a monochromatic look, do white, nude, olive green.. I mean, this look really is so versatile!





Last but not least, my favorite look! I think it's the color scheme that gets me, but this entire look is just YES and again it's versatile. You can pair this with so many other sweaters and me personally, I chose to use my belt trick to keep the look more polished. If you choose not to do the belt tuck, I suggest adding a leather jacket to the mix to layer it up. 

I like to share multiple ways to wear a specific piece as a starting point to inspire you guys to get creative and show you that there are so many ways you can wear the pieces hanging in your closet. Don't be afraid to put your spin on things and contour it to your personal style!

Which look is your favorite?

Shop todays post below



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