Design & Style

Valentine’s Day

02.06.17

Valentine’s Day is my number one favorite manufactured holiday of all time. Who doesn’t love a good excuse to eat candy and let the people in your life know how much you mean to them? Edith and I have been making the simplest homemade Valentine’s since she was one year old and we continued the tradition this year.

All you need is an old toilet paper roll, some paint, and colored construction paper. You simply fold the toilet paper roll in half and it makes a little heart stamper.  And grandparents also love getting these in the mail if you want to do something else for their classmates.

Valentine's Day

And if you’re in the mood to pick up a few goodies for your littlest Valentine’s, I put together some of my favorite outfits and decorations to sweeten up your holiday. This heart garland would look so precious over their bed and I’m wishing this dress came in my size!

valentine's day

ONE: You + Me Banner  //  TWO: Jelly Shoes // THREE: Love Shirt // FOUR: Heart Dress // FIVE: Heart Garland // SIX: Headband // SEVEN: Heart Sweater // EIGHT: Tulle Dress // NINE: Raincoat // TEN: Tassel Garland // ELEVEN: Heart Headband // TWELVE: Overalls

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Design & Style

My No Fuss Morning Routine

02.01.17

morning routine

You know the drill. You’re trying to get the kids dressed, fed, out of the house on time, and you’re last in line to get ready. You probably just throw on some yoga pants and hurry out in the shirt you slept in and a top knot. I feel you! I’ve been there (and lets be honest, I still am!). It’s the “Mom Morning Routine”.

One of my resolutions this year was a broad goal to “take care of myself”. One way I do that is doing little things in the morning to make myself feel good. This morning routine takes me about 3 minutes and I leave the house feeling a little more put together, presentable, and with a smile on my face. Here’s my 9 simple steps:

  1. Brush – Tulip sent me a set to try out and for the past two months my mouth has been super happy! Their toothpastes taste great and their toothbrushes really hold up. Their subscription service simplifies my life and I’d recommend it to anyone (my husband even wanted a set for himself!).
  2. Sunscreen! – This is the step that no matter how late I’m running or whatever other steps I have to skip, I never leave the house without sunscreen. I have super fair skin and the best thing I can do to protect my skin and prevent premature aging and cancers is to use sunscreen. Supergoop!’s Everyday sunscreen isn’t greasy, blends in easily, and provides SPF 50+ coverage.
  3. Anti-Age – I just started using Sunday Riley’s “Good Genes” and I’m a total convert. I only use this every other day as I have sensitive skin but I notice an immediate difference in my skin tone and texture. Definitely worth the investment!
  4. Moisturize – New York winters can be harsh and really take a toll on my skin. This moisturizer keeps the redness away and replenishes my skins antioxidants.
  5. Conceal – This concealer is lightweight and moisturizing and perfectly covers up and imperfections or dark circles that I wake up with. RMS is also one of my favorite brands for eyeshadows.
  6. Curl – A necessary step to making sure I look wide-eyed and awake. I use this curler.
  7. Lengthen – I’ve tried a million mascaras, high-end and drugstore, and this is my go to every single time. I’d rather spend money on a nicer foundation because this mascara has never let me down and adds volume and length without clumping. Plus, the price tag makes it easy to replace every other month.
  8. Highlight – Glossier is my go to for a few products (like their Balm Dot Com and Priming Moisturizer) but this Haloscope hands down my favorite thing in my makeup bag. It gives the perfect shine and dewy glow that even my husband notices.
  9. Define – Like I said, I can’t get enough Glossier! I’ve used a few other brow gels but I think Boy Brow adds the most tint and structure without clumping and stays on for a good amount of time.
  10. Tint – This compact lip tint is the perfect shade of rosy pink and it’s small enough to toss in my bag wherever I go. I also dab a little on my cheeks if I’m feeling extra fancy.

There you have it! Nothing too fancy right? Let me know if you try it out and what you think! Is there something in your make-up bag that works wonders for you? I’m really trying to expand my morning routine for days when I have a little more time so I’d love to hear your recommendations below!

Life

GOODBYE 2016!

12.31.16

HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE and goodbye 2016!!! I think most of us are in agreement that 2016 wasn’t the best year we’ve had. Maybe for some of you it was, but from the beginning, for me, 2016 pretty much sucked. My dad passed away on January 15th, 2016 and that cast a pretty dark shadow on the rest of the year. It’s been a year of “firsts” without him – first Father’s Day without a father, first birthday he wasn’t here to celebrate, first Christmas without seeing his smile as we opened gifts… Every holiday and special event was marked with a grim reminder that he wasn’t here with us. We have also been in a legal battle over his estate that will hopefully be over next week but dealing with that has also been extremely difficult and put significant strain on some of my relationships with people that I deeply love.

With the court case hopefully behind me soon and the ringing in of the New Year, I have hope that 2017 is going to bring me peace, joy, and a lot of love. For starters, we have a lot of weddings coming up! Two of my very best girlfriends since the first grade are getting married and my little sister just got engaged a few weeks ago and will be getting married in 2017 also! Our family also has a lot of travel planned including South America, DisneyWorld (Shh! Its a surprise for the girls’ birthdays!), and Canada. I’m also really excited to see this space grow. I can’t believe there are over eleven thousand of you guys following me and my journey on Instagram! It’s been amazing to connect with so many of you there and I look forward to sharing and growing alongside all of you.

To say goodbye to 2016, I wanted to share a few of my favorite photos and moments from the past year as a way to remember some of the really incredible things that we had the opportunity to experience….

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New York

ICE SKATING AT BROOKFIELD PLACE

12.29.16

lucky penny blog ice skating 04

Hi! Gosh, it’s been awhile! Sorry about that. December kind of flew by for us. It was the first year we didn’t travel to see family and we hosted our own Christmas and Hannukah and I was busy playing elf – running around getting presents, throwing a last minute holiday party, and keeping the kids occupied this whole week they have off of school.

One of the things I had planned was a trip to the ice skating rink at Brookfield Place. It’s downtown, smaller, and less crowded than some of the other rinks in the city (plus I had to exchange a few “Santa” items at the mall so it was a win-win). Both of the girls were so excited to give get out on the ice and watched the other skaters from inside the mall for a good 30 minutes.

lucky penny blog ice skating 07

lucky penny ice skating 01

I think I was maybe even more nervous than the kids. After all, I have further to fall if I fell down and I think it had been a good 10 years since I was last on the ice. Luckily we started out with this huge plastic seal that helped me get my balance while Lilah sat and got used to the idea of the ice.

lucky penny blog ice skating 06

lucky penny ice skating 03

They mostly just wanted Aaron to push them. He would go super fast and whip around the corners. I think everyone, including myself, thought he was crazy but they sure do love doing crazy things with their Daddy. Hearing their laughter warmed my heart.

lucky penny ice skating 02

lucky penny blog ice skating 05

My proudest moment was watching Edith try and skate all by herself. She had never been before and did really well! She kept saying, “I’m brave like Moana!”. I think next year I’ll definitely invest in a season pass just to take her every weekend and have her build up her balance and confidence.

So if you’re looking for something fun to do this winter with your kids in NYC, I definitely recommend checking out The Rink at Brookfield Place. We had a really fun time and hope to make it back a few more times this season.

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Design & Style

#HolidayInFrame With Framebridge

12.08.16

holiday gifts with framebridge

When Framebridge asked me to share something important to me in a single frame for the #HolidayinFrame campaign, I knew right away what I wanted. Everything I need this holiday season is captured in this frame. This little family of mine is by no means “picture perfect”. There are fights, messy rooms, tempers lost and many mistakes made. But there is love. So much love and forgiveness and understanding. They are my greatest gifts.

I’ve made a point each year to frame our a picture from our holiday card photos as most of the other pictures stay buried in a hard drive somewhere. Just last week Aaron and I were going over the gallery and realized Lilah is wearing exactly what Edith wore two years ago when we first moved to Brooklyn. Seeing them grow, side by side, on frames in a wall in our bedroom gives me such joy. I hope to one day have an entire wall in the hallway of our forever house covered in our framed family photos.

Family photos or a special piece of art make an excellent gift for anyone on your list. Framebridge makes framing photos or artwork especially easy with just a few clicks. You can chose from countless matting and frame options (I used their new Rosemont rose gold frame here). Ordering for the first time? Use the code LUCKYPENNY15 for 15% off your order.

I’d love to know what is important to you this holiday season? Do you have a treasured ornament? A favorite holiday recipe? A song? Share in the comments below or use #holidayinframe on Instagram!