a breakfast picnic | lone star eggs

the weather has finally cooled down, which means breakfast picnics, lunch picnics, snack picnics, oh, and of course, dinner picnics.  let's be honest, it's just way easier to clean up when you can hose down your patio.

we took our breakfast out on the patio, and eg consumed them in the messiest way possible, as only a toddler (i'm still in denial...) can.  i've mentioned before that eating a variety of foods isn't really EG's favorite thing.  she has her staples, but i've been trying to find ways to introduce new foods before we burn out on the three foods in her current rotation.  i've been trying to sneak extra veggies in with her scramblies, and so far, she doesn't really seem to notice. #sneakysneaky

i love making breakfast tacos. it's something that's easy to prep ahead of time, and you can mix in different things, which keeps it from being old.  plus, i love me a good fresh tortillas, so any excuse to heat those up is a winner in my book! 

all you need for texas breakfast tacos are scrambled lone star eggs, fresh tortillas and any combination of mix ins! :) a few of my favorites are breakfast sausage, salsa, spinach, bell peppers and avocados.

I've been having so much fun working with lonestar eggs. :) I can't think of a better fit for a texas breakfast than texas eggs from texas chickens! :)

onesie: the little goose shop
sunshine bow: punky punkin creations

emma grace: fifteen month

emma grace is fifteen months old.
she's walking, waves hello, touches her nose and pats her tummy.
we love bubble guppies, yogurt in any form, and our jelly shoes.

baby girl loves her veggie pouches, but only when she can hold them herself.
she especially loves eating off the floor, and doesn't really understand why every meal or snack can't be a picnic. worst mom ever. but sometimes (most of the time...) i give in.

she has the sweetest smile, the most expressive face, and the best giggle.
i just love her snuggles even if they only last 2 seconds.
she's walking, running-ish, falling, and rolling around like a mad woman.
i have a feeling she thinks if she stops moving, she might not ever be able to move again.

we have survived (knock on wood...) our first round of major sickies. two weeks of a tummy bug, fever and tears and snuggles and runny noses, but we made it, and we found our smiles again.

oh how i love this baby girl!

my why | rodan + fields

today, i'm so excited to share my newest little project, Rodan + Fields! I joined on as a consultant just over 3 months ago, and it's just been amazing. I'm just so inspired by the stories of success and change and i'm just so excited to share my "why" with you guys!  

emma grace has a bad patch of eczema under her chin. between her sweet chubby cheeks, scrunchy neck, and 100* summer days, it was almost impossible to keep the area from flaring up.  one morning, it had flared up so terribly, i just felt completely helpless.  i was trying to avoid the super expensive prescription steroid cream my dr had suggested, but all of the other lotions and creams i had found were just not cutting it.

i called my sweet friend Erica, who is one of my dearest mama-mentors, and asked if she had any recommendation for eczema or dry skin, and she offered to run over her SOOTHE regimen.  she said she used it on her babies, especially in the winter, and it healed their rough patches so quickly, and thought it would be a great match for emma grace!

we started using the SOOTHE regimen on emma grace and within just a few days, noticed a drastic difference in her skin, and within a week, her eczema was hardly noticeable! we use steps 1-3 on her every other day, and use step 4, the sunscreen and moisturizer, every day, sometimes twice a day!

the best part was that i knew the products were safe for her baby skin.   we tried SO many different lotions, creams & ointments, practically everything on the baby skin care shelf, and nothing made a long term difference. plus, SOOTHE smells so wonderful, and let's be real, most of that stuff just smells like a medicine cabinet.

i started using the UNBLEMISHED regimen and as if i needed any more convincing, i was hooked. i've never felt more confident in my own skin.  the UNBLEMISHED line has been recognized as the #1 selling acne line, and i'm just obsessed.

my goals for my rodan + fields business keep changing, but the more i learn about the company and the products, the more excited i become. to be completely candid, my first goal way to pay for my product and get a discount. i'm a target girl, and the thought of investing in big girl skincare was really overwhelming. but once i knew how SOOTHE could help baby girl, i just had to get it, and becoming a consultant was the right fit for me.  

if you're interested in learning more about the products, or the business opportunity, i'd be more than happy to share all of the information I have! i just feel so excited about being a part of something that's making such a difference in so many lives, and i'd just love to share that with you as well!!

https://sgchastain.myrandf.com
https://sgchastain.myrandf.biz

happy birthday emmers! // snacks & sweet treats

confession:

snacks are my most part of a party.

menu planning and tasting is my favorite.

i've also realized that bite sized snacks are best. 

no one wants to admit they ate 3 bundtinis, but the beauty of a bundtini is that you get to eat three. 

and as much as i love icing, i don't mind not fighting the "how am i going to get this whole bite in my mouth without getting icing up my nose" battle. #sweetworldproblem

the perfect bite sized indulgence.

fruit salad is also an easy go to for me. well, my version of fruit salad anyway.
i usually just pick up a few of my whatever is in-season favorites and toss them in a bowl!
i LOVE when i remember to sprinkle some vanilla pudding mix over it....making it extra sweet.
but i'll be honest. i usually forget. 

can we also just take a minute to talk about how ridiculous watermelon is to cut.
i'm pretty proud of myself for finishing the task with both my thumbs still attached.
it was pretty close though.

and of course.
paper straws for days.

all photos by sarah carpenter.
all calligraphy by katy richards.
paper straws // twigs & twirls

happy birthday emmers! / decorations and paper goods

i'm so excited to start sharing photos from emma grace's party!

from the beginning, my purpose for the party was to have a thank-you-so-much-we-couldn't-have-survived-without-you-celebration for our friends and family.  yes, we love EG and birthdays, but the only reason she made it to her first birthday was because we have such a fantastic support system.

so here is the first installment of our baby girl's celebration! :)

first off, my favorite part....the invitation!

i know most people are probably ok with a text or email invitations, but paper is my love language.  i love printed photos, and handwritten notes, and snail mail, and most of all, invitations!

designing emma grace's party invitation was definitely the most fun, but emotionally involved, project i've worked on to date.  i knew i wanted her party to be full of flowers and sunshine, and after finding some watering cans at ikea, i found my inspiration.

i filled the house with flowers and pictures, and more flowers and more pictures.

i'm officially obsessed with silk flowers.  i know they don't smell the same, or look the same, but when you're planning a party on a budget, for a baby, they are the most wonderful thing. i found the garland at michaels, and the stem flowers at the dollar tree. besides being incredibly budget friendly, it allowed me to set up days in advance, saving me last minute morning of stress.

the downside to having a million photos of baby girl is that i have a million favorites of baby girl. when it came time to picking a few of my favorites, i printed a hundred. i found a pack of brightly colored yardstick and matted them the best i could.  pretty sure they will be hanging on the walls of my dining room until her high school graduation. #babyshrine

oh, and balloons will always and forever be appearing at any event i plan for the rest of my life. or if it's a wednesday.

all photos by sarah carpenter.

emma grace // one year old

it's time for a little game we like to call, "what is she thinking??"

emma grace is the smiliest, most expressive human on the planet. 

i swear she smiles 1000 times a day. maybe more.

and every now and again, if you're lucky, she'll even flash her scrunchy-scowl face, which is equally fantastic. :)

we finished off the year 17 lbs strong, 25 inches tall.
she loves blackbeans and blueberries.
she's a crawling and climbing machine.
still hates snoozing, but snuggles like a champ.
she's working on her pageant wave and is an expert clapper.
little miss independent loves feeding herself and always has crackers in each hand.
she has 4 little toothies, the best snarley grin, and a giggle that makes my heart explode.

i'm not gonna lie,
i'm kinda loving that she's so small.
it makes it a little easier to pretend she's growing up.

a little bit about the photo shoot:
as i mentioned in the cake smash post, i really wanted to keep everything simple.
we laid out one of the quilts my mama made for emma grace, prayed for sunshine, and baby girl did the rest. oh, and my new favorite decoration, balloons! the rag bunting is made from scraps left over from the quilt, which is also her nursery fabric.

the deets:
one piece - baby gap (not listed online)
floral headband - little winter shop

all photos by sarah carpenter photography. 

emma grace // a ten month update

oh sweet baby girl,

you're first little teeth made their appearance in a big way this month. i never knew a gummy, toothy grin could be so cute!

you're such a wiggle worm.  gone are the days where you stay anywhere for longer than one second.

you're starting to scoot a bit, and i have a feeling, you're going to be a crawling machine any day now.   i love watching your determination as you scoot over to grab your toys, or the little eeleaf that blew in from the back yard.

you're such the social butterfly.  you love going to walks and riding in the grocery cart. you've got a lot to say and can't wait to tell everyone you see.

you're my favorite baby girl. always and forever!

tassels and elastic waist bands // nursing in style

introducing: the outfit i'm going to be wearing anytime i need to look put together this summer. 

honestly though, this entire outfit is so comfy, i'd wear it even when i'm staying in.
ehhhhh,,,maybe,,,but yoga pants are pretty unbeatable. 

i know i've said it before, but i can't get enough of these elastic waist band shorts. i love being able to look cute while still getting my fro-yo fix. these shorts are from j-crew factory and come in poppy (dark-red-pink-ish) and black as well.  i'm hoping to add those to my collection. :)

i'm also obsessed with this tassel necklace.  sweet brittany is the most stylish mama i know, and I'm just obsessed with her little shop! it's so light weight, i can wear it all day and forget it's there.  it's also a built in entertainment piece.  #winnerwinner who ever thought that would be on my list of jewelry criteria?

oh, and fabulous sandals are a must. these vintage beauties were inherited from my sweet nana.  i'm incredibly thankful to have had a nana with fabulous taste.  that inheritance may or may not have also included a large collection of colorful keds.  #tswifthasnothingonnana

why this works // these shorts provide a flattering tailored fit while still being comfortable.  they also allow for "wiggle-room", which is perfect for mamas who are feeling a little less-than-confident with their new post-baby-bodies.

(un)fortunately, i wore out and stretched out my sandals last summer when i was pregs, so this year, i'm on the hunt for a few new pairs. any suggestions for must haves?

p.s. let's be insta-friends! // @sarahgracechastain

p.s.s: do you have an outfit idea?  email me at sarahgracechastain[at]gmail.com

logs & lace // white and gray tassel necklace 
j-crew factory // chambray button down, sheer pink jacquard shorts 
target // white nursing tank
michael kors // vintage, leather sandals 

our little family easter basket

this is my first easter as a mama, so i made an executive decision that EG needed an easter basket.  i'm fully aware that the likelihood of EG remembering her first easter is incredibly slim, so i'm considering this a practice round. next year, i'll know (theoretically) where to go, when to buy, when to craft, all those critical easter basket insider secrets. 

after spending way too much time on the basket aisle, i landed on this one. simple and sweet.  target had a great selection of every style of easter basket imaginable, but i decided to pass on the bright pink bunny face this year. 

bub-hub is a pretty good sport when it comes to my holiday antics, but i knew he would die if i got him a whole basket on his own, so this year, i decided on a family basket! :) 

here is what i, i mean the easter bunny, was able to cram in the basket:

for the bub-hub
goldfish
gummy bunnies

for the baby girl
bunny ears
a floppy sunhat
stuffed ducky
fluffy bunny tail
pink bubbles
rubber bunny ducky
lady bug bib

for me
starburst jelly beans. which may or may not have been gone within the hour.
and let's just be honest. the bunny ears and fluffy tail are really for me.

what are you hoping to find in your easter basket??






target // bunny ears, sunhat, stuffed duck, basket, gummy bunnies, goldfish
dollar tree // bubbles, rubber bunny ducky
skip hop // lady bug bib

DIY Fluffy Bunny Tail // Our Little Family DIY

today, i'm excited to share another easter tutorial.  these fluffy bunny tails are perfect last minute additions to easter baskets, bunny costumes, or maybe even your easter brunch table setting! 

and did i mention they cost less than $1 to make. #winnerwinner

first, cut a rectangular piece of felt, about 1/2 inch x 1 inch for each pom.  place the piece of felt between the prongs of the alligator clip.  i used hot glue to attach the clip to the pom, mostly because it dries quickly and i'm impatient, but if you prefer a different type of adhesive, i'm sure that would work just fine!

the hardest part of this little project is getting the felt to stick on the fluffy pom.  once you get it on there, you might need to reinforce it near the top and bottom, but it just depends on how floppy your pom is. 

i plan on attaching this to the back of eg's baby jorts. there are also plans for bunny ears. if pinning fluffy bunny tails on my baby girl is wrong, i don't want to be right. 

don't forget to tag #ourlittlefamilydiy in the photos of your cute little bunnies! 

p.s. let's be instagram buddies! :) @sarahgracechastain

bucket and eggs // the dollar tree

craft supplies // hobby lobby

sunshine and storytime

spring has arrived, and we are taking advantage of every second of tolerable temperatures we can before they disappear into summer. last week, we took a trip to klyde warren park downtown for story time!

the librarian that runs the baby story time is perfect at her job.  when you see her, you know that you're in the right place.  she's so engaging and the babies love her, and by her, i mean all the rattles and fun goodies that make noise and fit perfectly in their mouths.  oh, and she brought bubbles.  best day ever!

after story time, we were able to snag pops away for lunch at savor! #anyexcuseforyummylunch

i think babies should make more appearances downtown.  EG was a hit.  i'm not sure if it was her bright pink romper, her bunny bow, or simply the fact that she's the cutest baby girl there ever was, but she was bringing a lot of smiles to the stressed and overworked professionals during their lunch meetings.  #you'rewelcome  #smilesarefree

bunny bow tutorial // our little family diy
bright pink romper // carters
pink stone necklace // bohemian market

nursing in style // caramel and denim

my mom calls me the cardigan queen. cool right? #youknowyouwanttobemyfriend

recently, i've been trying to break out of cardigan comfort zone and branch out...to longer sweaters. i know. look out world.

i found this caramel colored open faced sweater at target.  it's super cozy and neutral which means it can be worn with practically anything. i layered it with a tank here, but it would also look great with button down, or even a t-shirts or v-neck. 

as far as tanks go, i'm obsessed with the gilligan & o'malley nursing tanks. 5 days post-partem, my mother-in-law asked if i needed anything from target, and i said, "yes! a few more nursing tanks please!" because i had a baby with acid reflux and laundry wasn't exactly at the top of my priority list.  the gilligan & o'malley nursing tanks are my favorite because they look normal, they fit well, and they, let's be real...they wash well. :)   

also, let's be honest, i'm barely out of my maternity jeans.  after wearing stretchy yoga-maternity-jeans for 7 months, it's pretty ridiculous to expect anyone to squeeze into anything that buttons.

jewelry is always hit or miss.  luckily EG usually ignores my kendra's, so i'll always make the attempt.

why this works // nursing tanks are always a winning choice, but i think the sweater and fun shoes make it look like any other cami.  i think shoes are the best way to add something fun to your outfit, and the baby can't take that away from you! :)

sweater, shoes and tank // target
earrings // kendra scott
jeans // jcrew factory

so mamas, what do you think?

a bunny for my babe // felt headband diy

here it goes,,,,an attempt at a little easter bunny headband tutorial. :)

all for about a $1. can't beat that!

all you need for this little diddy is felt, glue, scissors and an alligator clip!

recently, i've been having a little too much fun with felt.  but is there such a thing? i haven't splurged on the good stuff yet...i stick with the 4/$1 sheets at hobby lobby.  i used white, navy and bright pink. and i'm not sure if hot glue is the best adhesive for this type of project, but it's what i have, and it gets the job done, so winner! :)

all you have to do is cut, glue and then glue some more.  easy right?

click here to download your template and the instructions!

oh, if you're not into DIYs but still want to snag your little one some easter headgear, check out one of these super adorable etsy shops!

gloria miller's creations
la la pop shop
homemade trends

don't forget to tag #ourlittlefamilydiy in the photos of your cute little bunnies!

spring break fakin'

spring is in the air y'all, and by spring, i mean summer. because let's be real. spring doesn't exist in dfw. well that's a little bit of a lie. it exists for 27 minutes. 

EG and i had a lot of fun parading around town during spring break.  i mean, our lives are pretty busy, so we needed to get away from the daily grind.  #gimmiethebbq

we took a trip to the farmers market, ate a ginormous sandwich at pecan lodge, threw a fun gender reveal party for our bestie, played in the backyard, and ordered chocolate chip pancakes at the local diner.   #allonatuesday 

we also hit some pretty major milestones this week. EG posed for her first passport photo #cheeseplease and fed herself puffs.  she's gotten pretty good at swatting them off the highchair, but now we've moved on to bigger and better things. aka: stuffing her whole fist in her mouth, sometimes resulting in puff-eating success.  raider is pretty bummed about it. he's not blinded by her sweet baby girl grin. #gimmiethepuffs
we also got to hang out with uncle grayson this week!

yay for spring break. it's pretty much awesome all around. even if you're fakin' it.

nursing in style // casual chambray and black

time for some honesty.

throughout my pregnancy, the "will you won't you breastfeed" question was kinda overwhelming to me.  and this is pretty selfish, but after 7ish month of maternity clothes and stretchy striped everything, thought of not being able to wear anything cute or feel like myself for another extended period of time wasn't exactly encouraging.  i remember sitting on the couch, browsing the fantastic selection of nursing tanks and wrap shirts and thinking about how adorable my sweet friends were were going to be in their cute summer outfits. ehhhh no thank you. but baby trumps fashion and selfishness.  

eight months in, i wouldn't necessarily consider myself an expert, but i do feel like i've gained a bit of confidence and am learning to branch out a little.   i've enjoyed getting to wear and shop for normal clothes again, even if i have to think things through a little bit differently.  and let's be real, feeling cute makes a big impact when trying to fend off the baby blues. gotta love those post-partem hormones. 

and thus, nursing in style was born. :)  this is my attempt to encourage nursing newbies through the tough times and help build a little of that confidence.  nursing is hard enough as it is...there's no need to feel frumpy on top of that! 

this outfit is fun because it's super simple, and easy to change up with different sandals or jewelry.  EG finds this neckless pretty entertaining, so that's good and bad...sometimes it ends up in my purse. 

and these shorts...so comfy.  i'm going to get all the colors. and even better, they seem like they'd be maternity friendly!

why this works // button downs are a staple for nursing mamas and stretchy shorts are forgiving when you're learning how to dress the new you. this pair is also flowy which looks great when you're standing, or sitting on the floor with your babe. :)

shorts // target

shirt // j-crew factory

shoes // carlos via dsw

necklace // target, similar 

so mamas...what do you think?