Shopping With Sum

Mother’s Day is such a beautiful and special day. It is a day to be celebrated as a mother but for me it is also a day to celebrate getting to be a mom. Mom is a title that not everyone has or even wants but it is a sacred title. Making the decision to have a child is vowing to put someone else’s needs before your own. It’s staying up late to clean for the millionth time , it’s constant worry and exhaustion. But, it is also the most incredible and magical experience one can ever have. Becoming a mother was not an easy road for me to say the least so it is something that I cherish wholeheartedly.

My mom and I were recently talking about mother’s day and she had the brilliant idea to take some pictures with my grandmother and my daughter, four generations. Four generations of love and laughter. I am so incredibly thankful that my Ella gets to spend time with my grandmother (her great grandmother) as she is one of the most special people in my life. She is my constant cheerleader and best friend. We thought it would be fun to get together and make a recipe and let Ella help. We decided on poppyseed chicken as it is one of my family’s favorites, and it is so easy to make! This recipe is always a crowd pleaser and can be tweaked to your liking. I always make extra because it also makes for some delicious leftovers!

If you are a mother, I hope you feel celebrated this mother’s day. I hope you can take a few moments to yourself to reflect on the role that you play in your child’s life. You may feel unappreciated but I promise your sacrifice isn’t for nothing. You are raising the next generation of babies who grow up to be adults with families of their own. Never underestimate the moments that you may find monotonous. Your children will remember things like the way your perfume smelled or the comfort they felt when you leaned down to hug them. They will remember you being at the 8 am soccer games and how you always answered when they called, no matter what time. Motherhood is the greatest club I have ever been a part of and I hope you feel the same way too.

I went back and forth this year about doing a Mother’s Day gift guide. I was sitting at dinner recently and just looking at Ella laugh and play and thinking about how much I love her and how quickly she is growing up. I randomly thought to myself how I don’t wear matching outfits with her enough! I blurted it out and my husband looked at me confused as this totally came from left field.

I really started thinking about how fast she is growing and how one day she will not want to match with me anymore. I will surely look back and wonder why I didn’t match with her every single day of our lives while I could. This may not be very realistic, but you bet I can sure match with her on Mother’s Day!

I originally decided not to do a gift guide this year, but instead brainstorm some cute ways to match with your little one (boy or girl). I always thought this sounded so cheesy when people would say they didn’t really need a gift for Mother’s Day, but it’s really true. Yes, being a mother is incredibly challenging and moms deserve all the gifts, but truly for me being a mom is the best gift. That sounds lame and hallmarkey but it’s true. Mother’s Day is not about getting your mom some material gift to wow her, but about showing her she is special. For me, the most exciting thing I could do on this day is to wear a matching dress with my baby girl. That is all I want. However, if you roll your eyes at this and still want to buy your mom a nice gift, I decided to include some ideas. SHOP MATCHING OUTFITS HERE: http://liketk.it/3dCoe.

SHOP GIFT GUIDE HERE: http://liketk.it/3dCoy.

I hope this provides you with some inspiration for the special mom in your life! Also, if you have a little one, go ahead and match with them while you can. These moments are fleeting and one day you will wish you did, at least on Mother’s Day!

I have an 18 month old little girl who is the joy of my life. However, lately she has decided to stop sleeping. Well, let me rephrase that, she will only sleep if I sit in her room and hold her. Okay, so what does that have to do with 5 little luxuries that make a big impact? Hang tight and I will get to that point!

One week recently, I slept about 3 hours a night for a good week. Maybe you are someone that can function with no sleep, but I am not one of those people. Trying to maintain a home and a job and still take care of my daughter was proving to be very challenging when I felt like a walking zombie. I was staring into space doing the 56th load of laundry one day which happened to be my sheets. I opened the cabinet and got out my special detergent that I use on sheets and towels and started the washer. A few minutes later I got a whiff of said laundry and instantly smiled and felt so happy. It was just a small little pick me up but it made me feel good when quite frankly I was feeling pretty bad. And then it occurred to me that there are a few little luxuries I use over and over that are under $100 but make a really big impact on me! I know I can’t be the first person who is having a rough week and could use a little happy in their lives. Check out 5 of my favorite things that are little splurges but make me feel really good! SHOP HERE: liketk.it/3bQlv.

1. Diva Laundry Detergent:

This little bottle of laundry detergent is liquid gold. I wish you could come through this screen and smell this stack of towels that have been washed in Diva. It is very pricey for laundry detergent when you can buy a Costco size bottle of Tide for half the price. But, it is just so good. My whole house smells amazing when I am doing Diva laundry. There is nothing like crawling into freshly washed sheets that smell like heaven. This is truly a little splurge that makes a huge impact! My mom and grandmother are totally hooked on it too, so be aware once you start using it, you can’t stop! Also as a side note, I only wash sheets and towels in this because it is pricey and it makes a bottle last a good while!

2. Slip Silk Pillowcase:

This little pillowcase is a game changer! There are many different silk and satin pillowcases on the market, but for me this is the only one! These are 100% silk and so luxurious! Silk pillowcases absorb less of your face cream, have much less friction against your skin (hello anti aging) and are much better for your hair. I have used these pillowcases for years and could never go back to a cotton pillowcase. There is something so relaxing about laying your tired head down at night on one of these. It is definitely a little luxury that makes a huge impact!

3. La Mer Face Cream:

Okay so it doesn’t have to be La Mer specifically, this is just the one that I love! I am just talking about a nice splurge worthy face cream. I don’t use this every night but when I do it feels so special. I love to slather it on after a face mask or if I need a little pick me up after a long day. I also love having the jar on my vanity-it just makes me happy sitting there. I started using this back in college and have tried many creams since then, but I always come back. It is a total luxury and totally worth it! Find something that feels special to you and when you use it, close your eyes and feel like you are at a spa for just a moment. Go on, you deserve to be pampered!

4. Diptyque Candle:

Diptyque Roses candle is one of my all time favorites. Nothing makes my house smell as lovely as this. I literally can’t help but smile when I am burning this. It is a total splurge at $65 but it is something that just feels so nice. I also love to save the jars after I am finished and use them to store make up brushes! This candle is light and soft but strong enough to make the whole house smell so good. A great candle is a total mood lifter for me and totally worth the splurge!

5. Diptyque Doson Perfume:

Please take a moment to read the description of this perfume from the Diptyque website. This is how the founder of Diptyque described the scent. Now, tell me you weren’t transported to this scene for a brief second. Wow. For me, that is totally worth the money. A light spritz of perfume is the last step in my getting ready routine, and I don’t feel complete without it. Of course I never want my perfume to be overpowering but a light waft of fresh flowers is so nice. This one just feels so special to me. If you never treat yourself, I highly suggest finding a signature scent and buying yourself a bottle of perfume. Display it on your vanity and let it be a little luxury there just for you. You would be so surprised how many memories are tied to scent! I will never forget the smell of my mother’s perfume that she used to wear when I was little. She had this special pillow she slept on every single night and claimed she couldn’t sleep unless she had it. When I was sick she would sacrifice her pillow and let me sleep on it and it always had the light scent of her perfume on it. I promise you it is a memory I will never forget! Go find a perfume you love and treat yourself!

These are 5 little luxuries that feel so extraordinary to me. They provide a moment of relaxation or a smile in the busy hustle and bustle of life. A little splurge doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars to be really special. I hope you will check out all, or at least one of these because you deserve it!