The Life of Riley

The best blouse ever 2 ways

I am all about clothes that are multi functional. I love when I find pieces that I can wear to work and dress them down for a more casual look on the weekend. I found this blouse at JCrew that I absolutely love. It is super comfortable, great quality, and best of all it can be washed in the washing machine. I love a good blouse, but I hate that most of them are dry clean only. I love the black, but it also comes in 3 other colors.

Blouse | stud earrings | bistro pant | leopard pumps | gold bracelet

Use code GETWARM for an extra 30% this blouse that is already on sale through today only.

Scenes from the weekend

Saturday we pretty much spent all day at the house. I squeezed in some cleaning while Paul took the kids on a trip to the park. It was pretty chilly too, so it wasn't too fun to play outside. (Have I mentioned how much I hate the cold weather?) We did take the kids to Bonefish on Saturday night. It is nice to get out to dinner sometimes, but 2 kids 3 and under doesn't exactly make for a fun dining experience which is why we typically eat at home or order take out.

Sunday Brady decided to wake up at the crack of dawn yet we still didn't make it to the early service at chuch like planned. So, we went to the 11:15 service and then braved it again to go out to lunch. We chose Lizards Thicket which makes me not quite as stressed to take the kids to, because it just like a southern diner (for those who aren't local). It doesn't really matter if the kids are loud or messy. Katelyn took a 3 hour nap when we got home, and Paul and I attempted to relax. I think they must have given Brady sweet tea instead of water at lunch, because he was wired! We made a quick trip to see Waldo then we headed home.

Love these 2 soooo much!

This was her great granddaddy's rocking chair.

I have tomorrow off for Veteran's Day, and I plan to spend some time cleaning out the playroom. If Santa decides to make a stop at our house we have to find a place to put these new toys!

Dalmatian Parade

There is a tradition at Brady and Katelyn's school where every Halloween the two toddler classes all dress up as Dalmatians and have a parade around the school. We are responsible for making their "costumes" other than the hats which they make in class. Their teachers dress up like fire fighters and sing a song while the older kids watch them. It is the cutest thing. All the parents stand like paparazzi in the hallways and take a thousand pictures. Some kids start screaming crying, because they see their moms. But, thankfully Katelyn was just as happy as she could be.

Brady's class also participates in the parade by walking in front of them. They were both so excited. It was precious! They do it two days in a row so that everyone can participate since some children are just part time. The second day Brady said, "Oh look, Katelyn is a cow again!"

Halloween weekend

It seems like my weekend posts have been bumped back to Tuesday lately, because we have been so busy that Sunday night is spent laying on the couch watching TV. I just don't have the brain power to put together a blog post. I am actually feeling very well rested after daylight savings time. I hated it on Sunday, because it felt like the LONGEST DAY EVER. My kids always miss the memo on the extra hour of sleep, so Brady woke up at 4:30 and after a short temper tantrum we made him get in the bed with us and go back to sleep. (I normally would have made him go back to his room, but we were staying at the beach house, and I didn't want him to wake Katelyn up too, so I just let it happen.) He only then asked me 15 times if he could have his milk now. Then, Katelyn woke up at 6 screaming, because she was scared not knowing where she was. Since Brady had fallen back asleep I took her downstairs and drank coffee and watched the sunrise. It was so pretty! I wanted to walk outside, but it was freezing (literally) outside, so I didn't want to take Katelyn out there. Then, we left Charleston at about 10:45, so Katelyn slept the whole way home which meant no nap the rest of the day. I was seriously counting down until bedtime starting at like 4pm...Sunday night we got in bed at about 9, and I felt so well rest Monday morning though. So, that is a plus!

Beautiful sunrise

Don't let this picture fool you. Katelyn will only sit like this for 3.5 seconds before she is off!

But, we did have a great weekend in Charleston! We had Paul's cousin's wedding on Saturday, so we decided since we were heading down there anyway that the kids would probably have a better time trick or treating with their cousins on Daniel Island instead of around our neighborhood. To say they loved it is an understatement! They both had so much fun and racked up on lots of candy. Katelyn had this thing down and would just grab handfuls at a time. Brady being the rule follower that he is (usually atleast) would only take one piece. That means Katelyn's basket had about twice as much as his. So funny and so typical of their personalities.

We started the night off with a little pizza party at Paul's brothers house. Then, we hit the road for some trick-or-treating. I have never seen so many kids in my life. It made Paul and I start seriously considering moving to Charleston. I have always wanted to live in Charleston, and I really hope to make that happen one day. I am just not sure how soon that will be. If we could just hit the lottery and not have to worry about jobs...

Passed out on the ride there.

My little mouse counting her candy.

She went down the slide about 20 times.

The whole crew!

Brady and Henry

Apologies to the CaWoods for using their porch for a photo op.

Brady loved all the spookie decorations and wanted "touch" everything.

My mom came with us!

All worn out after some serious trick or treating.

Saturday the wedding was at 3pm, so we were trying to figure out what we could do until then. We attemped to go on a golf cart ride to the park, but it was FREEZING! We made it maybe 2 minutes and turned around. Brady got upset for a minute, but then said, "Maybe we should go play in Henry's playroom where it's warm." That sounded like a great idea to us! Then he also said, "I didn't want my sister to be cold." He is just the most caring big brother. So, we headed to Henry's house to play which worked out great. We didn't stay too long, because we needed to get lunch and head home for Katelyn to take a nap before the wedding. That plan was a bust, because she fell asleep for about 45 minutes in the car and then would not go back to sleep.

Way too cold for golf cart riding.

This was Brady and Katelyn's first wedding, and they did really well. We did take Katelyn out not because she was crying, but she just wouldnt sit still (imagine that), and she was talking up a storm. She kept babbling "Baba, Baba, Baba" I didn't understand what she was saying at first, but figured out she was saying, "Papa". He was sitting several rows in front of us, and she spotted him. She is really loving her Papa these days :).

There were a couple of hours between the wedding and the reception, so we stopped by my mom's new house on James Island. It is so pretty, and has some gorgeous views!

We didnt stay at the reception too long, because the kids were pretty worn out, but these 2 defintely love a party. They especially love a party with their cousins. When we left Brady said he had fun at Coco's birthday party- haha.

Brady had to take a little rest at the reception.

Waiting on their valet service to pick them up.

Whew- that was a long post. It was a jam packed weekend, but definitely one for the books! The Halloween decorations have been taken down (much to Brady's dismay), and now on to the next holiday...

Splurge vs. Save

I am a self proclaimed shopaholic. I just can't help it. Clothes are just one of those things that make me happy. I do, however, feel like I am a savvy shopper. I like to buy quality items and will spend a little extra to get the quality, but I almost always only buy sale items. These days I mostly just shop online as I don't really have time to physically go shopping. I know we all get overwhelmed by all the sale emails. I have an old email address that is specifically for "junk" mail. I check it to see what sales are going on etc, but all the promotions don't over flow my important emails.

My brother's super smart girlfriend has also come up with a pretty cool app that helps you keep track of all the sales going on. It is called Dote, and if you like to shop at places like JCrew, Anthropology, Lululemon (and several others) then you need to download it ASAP. It uses the same idea as Tinder (for those of you who know what that is....this was after my single days, but I have friends who use it.) Basically you can scan through all the items at these stores and swipe left if you don't like the item and swipe right if you do. All your "swiped right" items are placed in your favorites. It will then update you when they go on sale, and you can actually purchase the items from the app (it directs you to the retailer's page). I highly suggest you check it out. It is addictive.

So while I love a good deal, there are some items I think are worth the splurge and some that are not.

Splurge

1. JEANS If there is one item that I will always suggest going for a designer brand at a slightly higher price tag, it is for a good pair of jeans. I still have some jeans from high school that I still wear. If you get a good pair, they can last forever and they just look and fit so much better. I got these Hudson Jeans (currently on sale) during the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, and I love them. I will wear them for years to come.

2. Neutral Flats- I own two pairs of Tory Burch flats and wear them to work probably 3 days of the week. I know they are on the pricier side, but when you wear them that often it's worth it. They just look so classy and hold up well. You can get them on sale if you are patient. I just got the nude pair during Tory's friends and fans event. I have had the black pair for several years.

3. Handbags- I have made the mistake of trying to purchase a "knock off" version of designer handbags, and I am always disappointed. My go-to everyday handbag designer is Kate Spade. I am one that will carry a purse forever (mainly because I am too lazy to switch it out), so spending a little extra is worth it for the look and quality. I got my most recent one during a surprise sale which are always the best- up to 75% off! The one I bought is no longer available, but these are a few of my favorites:

On sale!

charles street brantley

Save

1. T-shirts- I know there are some who swear by $100 t-shirts, but I just can't do it. I will admit some of my favorite t-shirts are from Target. My max is going to be about $20 for a plain t-shirt.

2. Accessories- I am talking scarves, costume jewelry, etc. There are so many cute options for affordable prices that I just don't see spending a fortune on these things.

Old Navy

Just the Thing

3. Shoes- There are some shoes that I will splurge on, but for the most part I can find cute, good quality shoes at a reasonable price. I would much rather spend my money on a cute dress or top than shoes.