Birthday Month!

October is one of my favorite months. Both my parents and I have birthdays this month, I love Halloween, and some semblance of Fall might finally begin to make its way into the muggy Charleston air. Chili, bonfires, pumpkins, sunflowers, squash--what's not to love?

In this month's post, I thought I'd share the purchases/gifts that I have enjoyed most this year. I'm a new mom, I just turned 30, and things around here have changed pretty drastically.

First up: Clothing.

Gone are the days of office attire or business casual. My days are now full of crawling on the floor, laundry, dishes, spilt milk, and soggy puffs. I also said goodbye to my pre-baby figure, so I was in need of some new clothes that offered stretch, support, and durability.

These leggings from Victoria's Secret are the best I've found. I've tried Fabletics, Amazon, and Walmart, but these take the cake. I love the fit, I love the breathability, and I love the length and pockets. I'm still a huge fan of dresses, especially in the warmer months, but sometimes your activity just calls for spandex, you know?

I have also fallen in love with Adidas Cloudfoam technology, and these shoes have made a world of difference. Michael has been singing their praises for the last year or so, but I was not worried about proper arch support until now. Post-pregnancy bodies don't bounce back quite like they used to, evidently. (Also, I purchased mine from the Adidas outlet at Tanger for only $26!)

When I'm not crawling on the floor and do manage to make it out among the living, I like to wear these new Daily Ritual jeans from Amazon. I'm a huge fan of the entire line, I think they did an excellent job and offer it at such a fair price point. Plus, high rise anything = hidden mom pooch.

My new favorite "regular" shoes are these Aerosoles loafers. I have always been and always will be a loafer fan, they just make sense. They're casual, they're presentable, they're comfortable, they're pulled together. You can also find them in almost any color or style and I happen to love the Mid blue and Tan.

Next: Accessories!

This Vera Bradley RFID All in One Crossbody has been a game changer. I absolutely love my gym bag from this collection they designed with Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson East, and use that as my diaper bag--so many pockets! I can now throw my new wallet in there with all of my cards, phone, etc. and just pull it out and carry it or wear it as a crossbody purse if I don't need the diaper bag. Genius.

My necklace - white gold, 16 in., M and m.

You may have seen some of the very popular Maya Brenner initial necklaces circulating around social media, they have been popular among influencer moms the past few years. 

I ordered this one from YourNamesJewelry on Etsy and could not be more pleased. Mine is white gold with a capital M and a lowercase m for Michael and Maggie. I never take it off, ever. It's 16 inches long, the perfect length to wear alone or layer with other necklaces. Grace, the owner, offers yellow gold and rose gold, too, along with a number of symbols and lengths. Perfectly customizable to hold meaning for you or a loved one.

Another option - yellow gold with 3 letters and heart symbol.

Last, but not least: Tumblers.

I cannot remember the last time I got to drink my coffee or tea hot, so I treated myself to a little solution.

I found these Zak! tumblers at Target for under $10 and now I make my coffee or tea in there and when I find it an hour later, it's still warm! I love that they are just the right size for my caffeine intake, though they do come in other styles (including full size) and colors.

These were just some of the things I have worn or used on the daily this year. I will share some of my other favorite gift ideas next month, as we gear up for the holiday season. Some a little less practical, a little more whimsical. I'm currently rounding up some excellent small business finds I look very forward to sharing then.

I hope you are enjoying your October!

Best,

Emily