She's eight!

Johanna's daughter sitting on the stairs.

Previous years didn’t affect me as much as this birthday. Not sure why. Eight might as well be ten as far as I’m concerned. She just doesn’t feel like a little girl anymore and while it’s wonderful to see her grow and I couldn’t be more proud…gosh, I am not ready to let go of that little baby. This is a sentimental birthday for me. Missing teeth and all.

Olivia was born after three grueling days of labor on Mother’s Day. She’s my special baby. Now that little preemie is reading book #3 of Harry Potter and likes to play legos in her room with the door closed. I can already see the teenage years. Even with all the above, Olivia will still let mom hug and squeeze her and she still wants to be cuddled every chance she gets despite the fact that she is seriously getting a leg up <pun intended> on our height difference. Ahhhh, for the first time I feel old.

Okay, mush aside, what do you get an eight year old? It’s actually getting harder for me. Dolls have been cast aside and my girl has become more vested in what she’s wearing as much as she’s interested in books, art projects, legos and music. All the little pieces and parts have been collected in a basket and our interests are evolving. I am okay with that.

So…in honor of her birthday today, I am sharing what we got this little peanut and every single item was a hit. Truly. <pats self on back> Let me know if you have any questions. xx

Featured
Spring edit.
Spring edit.

It's always fun to look back and conjure up creative ways to reinvent your wardrobe. It's also a best practice. As my husband so aptly put it the other day, "Are we in the 'wear once' mindset or what?" He asked this after I rented a dress from Rent the Runway. And he's probably right...I have many dresses in my closet but that's a different story for a different day!

Lola and The Boys.
Lola and The Boys.

Twinning is the new black. I'm sure you knew this! Well, looks like I'm on-trend again because this past Easter my girls and I dressed from head to toe in Lola and the Boys. And it was awesome! We wore their leaf dresses which were more than comfortable to entertain in and play in.

Pipp Pipp Hooray!
Pipp Pipp Hooray!

When it comes to little lady dresses...I am rendered useless. Just absolute mush. I melt for my girls in dresses and it just so happens that Easter is around the corner, my friends! Meet Pippa & Julie: you're go-to source for the most darling dresses ever!

The Best of Instagram - February
The Best of Instagram - February

February is always such a whirlwind. In some aspects, I like that it's a short month because it signifies the end of what usually is a long winter. On the other hand, everything feels rushed. So, today, I am taking a moment to stop and smell the roses sharing my favorite moments from the month. A ton of QT with our little family and some welcome mail surprises. All in all, not a bad month…filled with color, of course. I think that's the Chicagoan in me - always seeking color on the grayest of days!

Twinning.
Twinning.

Olivia is such a ray of sunshine. I think you can see it in these photos. This year has been such a big year for her growth. She's one of the funniest and brightest kindergartners I know. Naturally. Being her mom is one of the most rewarding jobs of all time. I wish I could take credit for her personality but I think Livie just has all sorts of goodness in her. She is caring and protective of her sister. She adores her father. She is thoughtful and makes little gifts for her grandparents. She works hard on her school work and she is a gifted little artist. I love seeing her creativity blossom.

My little babes.
My little babes.

We have fun. It's the main ingredient in our home life. And with my little babes...breathable play clothes are an absolute necessity. Enter Little Babe Designs!

To you + yours...
To you + yours...

Wishing you and your families the coziest, happiest of holidays! 

Thank you for all the love + support in 2016! xo

Underneath the Big Top.
Underneath the Big Top.

Quality time with my kids is somewhat a challenge before the holidays. There's a lot of craziness and running around...and events. We usually average about two weekends of "absolutely nothing" before we turn into spinning tops. Sound familiar?

Well, recently we got to hit the "pause" button and take our kids to the circus for the first time. Honestly, we had forgotten how good it was! Or maybe as adults, we've come to appreciate what a production it is. And our kids...they loved it!

A very "October" October.
A very "October" October.

If you know me at all...you know that I am a huge October advocate. Everything about the month is perfect from food to weather to activities to the clothing! This is the last hurrah before Chicago turns into the frozen tundra. I'm not kidding and I hear we are in for a doozy this year.

"I don't know how you do it all."
"I don't know how you do it all."

What you see here is not reality. It's a moment in time captured by a very talented photographer. But that's what family pictures are, right?

I've been getting the same question pretty frequently lately. I must be giving off this vibe like I've got it all handled..and I don't. So when people comment:

"I don't know how you do it all."

Gifting + Holiday, FamilyJohanna Grange8th birthday, little girl birthday, growing daughters, eight year old girl gift ideas, gifting pre-teen girlsComment