Looking ahead...2011

Wow, we are in 2011! Happy New Year everyone! We rang in the New Year with a "carpet picnic"...one of my favorite date nights with Mr. J. Basically we put the babies to bed, order take out and have a little picnic on the floor. This one took place in front of our Christmas tree. A great way to enjoy its last night in our house! And as we close the book on 2010, it's time to make those resolutions again. I tend not to make too many....too much pressure and I'd rather really focus on just a few. So here they are...my personal resolutions for 2011...I have a whole other set for Pretty Smitten, too many to list I think so I'll just stick to these...

1. Enjoy motherhood. Sounds strange I guess, because I definitely already do enjoy it...but I think enjoying your babies and taking the time to have fun with them is a conscious decision. Lets face it, toddlers can be tough! They are turning into little people, testing out the limits, and in my case, trying to climb and jump on everything. There are days when that can make anyone sane woman pull her hair out. But I try to stop and remember, they are only little for a very short time. Take the time to play with them and enjoy them. Owen loves to cook in his play kitchen and build a 'train' on the couch with pillows. And he's talking so much now that we have full conversations. He's adorable and fun and I don't want to miss anything. And little Miss Amelia, already 8 weeks! She's cooing and smiling and such a social little baby. 2011 will bring even more milestones and I plan on enjoying each and every one.

2. This might be on my list every year since owning a house, but here it is again: don't worry about having the house be 'perfect'. Ask my husband or any of my friends and they'll tell you, I'm constantly making project lists for the house. I think now that I'm a stay at home mom and I'm home so much more during the day, I tend to obsess about how things look in the house. I have some lofty goals...add crown moulding and wainscoting, knock out part of my kitchen counter to add a larger island, re-do the master bedroom and add a closet like this one. And while some of these projects might be completed in 2011, I need to realize that my house is great without any of those things. I'm incredibly blessed to have the house we have.

Wow, those first two were a bit deep. But here's one that's probably on most resolution lists...

3. Exercise more! Specifically, I'd like to go to The Dailey Method 3 times a week. It's an hour to myself, good for me and I love it. So it shouldn't be too hard to stick to this one. A bit tougher though is adding cardio to my workouts. I can't stand cardio. I despise running. I seriously run to the end of the block and I'm tired. Okay, so maybe I won't run. How about a fast walk? I can do that pushing our double stroller. So there it is, The Dailey Method and walks with the kiddos. Resolution #3.

What about you? What is on your resolution list for this year? I've decided (positive thinking you know) that 2011 is going to be the best year yet. I think I say that every year. And I think it might always be true.

Happy New Year!

A very Merry Christmas

Hello all! So sorry I have been such a bad blogger lately. I have been in caught up in the whirlwind known as Christmas. We had a fantastic holiday with lots of family and friends. Owen really got into the present opening this year and it was so fun to watch him rip open the packages. And little Amelia gave me quite a Christmas gift...she has moved to one feeding a night! Now that's a present any new mommy can appreciate.

And because I think they are just so cute, here's a pic of my little ones Christmas morning. I'm betting I won't get too many more Christmas mornings where I can get Owen to pose before opening presents, so I figured I better show you now :)

Hope you are enjoying your Holiday week!

Pretty Smitten with Lululemon

Little Miss Amelia is 6 weeks old now so it's time to start exercising again. Luckily I have found a workout that I just love and don't mind doing! I'm not much of a gym person and I can't stand running...so to have found an exercise that I actually enjoy is quite an accomplishment! It's called The Dailey Method. Remember how I was so excited to have it come to my town? I did it throughout my pregnancy and now I'm back at it again. I thought it was only fair I get to buy some new workout clothes now that I don't have to accommodate an enormous belly.

My absolute favorite workout clothes are from Lululemon, have you heard of them? They are the BEST! They fit fantastically and are so flattering. Plus they have some serious staying power. I have a pair of pants that I bought before my wedding and we're coming up on our 5 year anniversary next year, so those are some great pants! While we were in San Francisco this past weekend I just had to stop by the Lululemon store. Here's what I came away with...

The Groove Pant...in my opinion these are the most flattering of all of their pant options. I can't live without the basic black, but they also have ones with bands of color at the top, and ones in other neutral colors.

The Power Y Tank - another great basic.

The Scoop Neck Tank - Love this tank too!

Define Jacket - Perfect to wear to/from class. Yes, I bought this in black too.

And I'd love to add these to my collection too...

The Scoop Tank in white and grey

The Cool Racerback tank in persimmon

And the Yogi Dance Tank, it comes in a lot of colors but I love this black with white stripes. So cute!

Happy Tuesday everyone! It's raining here today so we're planning for a cozy day indoors. What about you?

Free Christmas Print

How cute is this Christmas print? I came across it on the great blog Look Linger Love. It's available for a free download here.

Hope you are having a wonderful Saturday! We are in San Francisco, enjoying some Christmas cheer. Thought I'd post this quickly while our little man naps before dinner. Enjoy!

Pretty Smitten on Pizzazzerie!

Have you checked out the fantastic party website and blog Pizzazzerie yet? It's filled with some amazing entertaining tips...from inspirational parties, to recipes to DIY projects...it's a one stop shop! And I'm so thrilled that Courtney, Pizzazzerie's Editor and Founder, recently included Pretty Smitten in her blog post titled "Thankfully Inspired: 50 Inspirational Websites/Blogs". Wow, thank you Courtney! I feel so honored to be included with such amazing sites as Amy Atlas, Bake it Pretty, Eat Drink Pretty and TomKat Studio. Check out the full list here, you could be reading blogs all day!

And be sure to check out the Pizzazzerie website in all of it's glory. Here are a few of my favorite things that I found while browsing...

I've always wanted to try making homemade marshmallows, and yep, now want to try it even more. Aren't the adorable in all of their white fluffiness? Package them up in a DIY smores kit and you've got a great little gift.

And how's this for a Christmas party? Make your own gingerbread houses! My family has been making a gingerbread house each year since before I was born. We traditionally make them the weekend after Thanksgiving, keep them up until Christmas, and then get to devour the candy starting Christmas Day. I'll be sharing more pictures of the making of our gingerbread house later this week, but let me just tell you now...it's nothing like this gingerbread wonderland party featured here. Maybe something to aspire to for next year??

And how cute is this party? I love sock monkeys, and so does my little man. I simple adore that hat. Find all of the details here.

Check out Pizzazzerie for lots more fun stuff, and thanks again to Courtney for including Pretty Smitten!

Pretty Smitten with Janet Hill Studios

I've been smitten with Janet Hill Studios for quite a while now. Janet Hill's paintings of women, dresses, shoes and desserts are a little bit sweet, a touch glamorous and absolutely chic.

Here's the first print that caught my eye in her Etsy shop so long ago. Love the yellow with pops of red.

I recently bought this print titled "Francine and Her Frenchie" and it's now hanging in my office. I adore it, simply adore it. Isn't it darling?

I also bought this one titled "Sunday Picnic" and it hangs in Miss Amelia's room.

So what do I want next? Well...she also sells original oil paintings and I'm dying for this one titled "Dancers." Oh my, it's love at first site. Can I add it to my wishlist? Might have to settle for the print instead, but I'll happily take either.

A few other prints that I'd love to own....

Aren't they all just fabulous? And find many many more in her Etsy shop here. Enjoy!

Holiday Wishlist

Hello all! How was your weekend? Ours was filled with lots of holiday festivities. Yesterday we drove up to Hillside Tree Farm at Apple Hill to cut down our Christmas tree. Our little guy had tons of fun running in and out of the trees and we came home with an extra large tree for our living room, and a tiny tree for the playroom! I hope to be posting pictures of that adventure later this week. For today though I thought I'd put together my holiday (dream) wishlist. My mom and I did some serious Christmas shopping on Saturday (I think we logged about 7 hours) and not only did I buy ALL of the gifts for my family but I of course spotted some things I wouldn't mind to have myself...

I can never seem to pass the Nordstrom shoe department without finding a pair of boots that I want. These have been on my list for months, the Frye Melissa boots. Oh my how I would love to have them. They are the perfect go-with-everything comfortable boot to trek around in with my two babies. Stylish and practical. Love love love.

These are also great. Not only are they adorable with the tie at the top, but they're waterproof too. Perfect for our trips up to Tahoe.

I'm all about a feminine perfume. I like the fresh, clean, flower-y type and Twirl from Kate Spade definitely fits the bill! Yes please!

This faux fur throw from Pottery Barn would be perfect for our bedroom. Cozy cozy for the winter ahead.

Restoration Hardware has a great one too.

I did say this was my dream wishlist, so while I'm dreaming I'm going to put this Nikon digital SLR camera on my list too. I have a Canon EOS from years ago and while I have loved it and used it A LOT, I'm ready for an upgrade. I've heard nothing but great things about the Nikon and would love to own one myself. Anyone have one? Like it?

So what is on your holiday wishlist? Would love to hear!