Backpack Roundup for Girls

School is right around the corner and what better distraction than picking out your kids' backpacks? I found some of the cutest darn backpacks for girls (don't worry boys will be next!) and clearly this year it's all about unicorns and kitties. Take a look!

Comment below if you are wanting to know where a particular backpack is from!

Lark Adventurewear

People always ask me, "Who's the playful one?" or "Who's the sensitive one?" Well Everly is the sweaty one. The back of her head is always wet! Lark Adventurewear keeps babies cool while baby-wearing or in strollers or car seats (Everly's specialty).

Also I've been "reading" this book since December. (doh!)

These natural, onesies from Lark Adventurewear are awesome because they wick away moisture even on the hottest southern California days! They are eco-friendly and perfect for babies with sensitive skin because they are made without chemicals or synthetic fabrics. I love that they are made in the USA as well! Use code "launch17" for 10% off your first order and code SHIPPING for free shipping!

A Day in the Life

I love documenting the simple every day activities that the kids do. Don't get me wrong I enjoy a good styled shoot too but I think it's good to balance both! The other day while Cal was still snoozing Blair and Evie were busy cookin' up something for dinner.

And as you can tell Blair was in charge...

Playing nice for the camera (insert eye roll)

Her face is grumpy but her hair is on point!

Happy Wednesday!

Back-to-School

I still can't believe Blair is going to Kindergarten in the fall. It blows my mind that I've been a mom for five and a half years and to me shes still so small! I do think that having her in preschool has definitely prepared both of us for the transition.

Below I've listed some things that have helped her transition to new things in the past and that I am hoping will help with this too!

1. Talk about what school will be like
2. Show her her new school and walk around there a bit
3. Read books about going to Kindergarten
4. Have her watch YouTube videos from Kinder classrooms
5. Get her excited with something new (like a backpack)
6. Involve her in getting ready (like letting her choose what she wants to bring for lunch)
7. Pray with her for a smooth transition

We've definitely been implementing many of these steps above and recently I surprised her with a new school backpack. It has rainbows and unicorns and I'm not sure which one of us was more excited about it (me!). I packed it with a new Fancy Nancy book I found at Costco and a back-to-school dress I got her at the #nsale. I wanted to add some new art supplies but because I gave it to her early (more on that below) I didn't have time.

What are some things that you do to help your little one start something new? Whether it's a new sport, school, or activity these steps are my go-to and I've definitely noticed that when I don't follow them she has a more difficult time with new things.

#nsale

So everyone and their mother has been posting about the Nordstrom Half Yearly Sale. I went to their site for my beloved high waisted workout pants (gotta tuck it all in) and of course checked out with other items I wanted needed. The name of my game was "Christmas shopping" 101. Basically I buy what I like, total it up, and hand it over to my Mom. Do I get surprised on Christmas morning? No. But do I get exactly what I want? Why, yes! Nobody is sad about getting what they like! Amiright?

I rallied up some of my favorite finds that have (already!) arrived in the mail. Between Prime Day and this sale my UPS man officially hates me. For those of you who have yet to shop the sale today is the first day it is open to the public so hurry over there and load up your cart and hand the bill to your mom. ;)

top// bra// red// green// black

These pants are everything. Especially for a post twin prego like me. I ordered the pants in a small and the top and bra in a medium. I actually ordered the green pants in black capris but I don't see them up anymore so they may have sold out. Actually as I link to these items many have already sold out :/ but I heard they may restock for the public sale so fingers crossed! And if you're really bummin' over the size you need being gone then make sure you get a Nordstrom card for next year so you have early access to the sale! #planahead (All the husbands hate me right now).

1// 2 (sold out)// 3 (sold out)// 4// 5// 6// 

I'm working on weaning the twins so I added a few dresses to my cart. I love dress 3. It arrived yesterday and is cute! Waiting on dress 1 and 2 to see what I like best. The bottom choices are cozy momwear and I give all three a thumbs up! No pants this time around. I have plenty of jeans and I need to shed ten pounds before I buy pants. Once I'm done breast feeding it's time to get this body of mine back!

1// 2// 3// 4// 5// 6 (sold out)// 7//

The baby jeans on the top are my favorite because they can work for either Evie or Cal. I'm a sucker for snarky tee shirts so the "well rounded diet" was a must for Evie! I'm bummed the boots don't run small enough for Blair but I did snag a fancy skirt, some fun jeans, and the perfect back-to-school dress.

Let the games begin!

Back to School with Gymboree

Blair has a lot of #kidgoals for her first year of Kindergarten. She can't wait to make new friends, craft so hard, and be the teacher's pet! As her mom, and a former Kindergarten teacher, I can't wait to help her learn to read. The twins would love listening to their big sister read them bed time stories and I can't wait to see her confidence in reading grow.

I can NOT believe she is going to Kindergarten in the fall! Insert the waterworks here. One thing I don't have to cry about though is being ready to outfit her for her first day of school. Gymboree has us covered! Their back-to-school collection is giving me all the heart eyes and is a welcome distraction to how fast she's growing up. Their clothes are quality and the designs are tons of fun.

We sure enjoy our french fries around here so this shirt was a must have. Blair loves all things fancy and what's fancier than sequines, a tutu, and glittery shoes?! I love the cat ears head band too...it's the perfect whimsical touch. 

Tell me your goals for your family this upcoming school year. Make sure you check out Gymboree so you can outfit your kiddos too! And if you want more money to spend at Gymboree head over to my Instagram @natyouraveragegirl to enter a $50 giveaway!

*This post was sponsored by Gymboree but all opinions are my own and I picked out Blair's outfit.

Roof Top Yoga

Last week I was invited to take a yoga class at a local all organic grocery store in town called Goodwin's. To be honest I'm not typically a yogi because I have an hour to exercise every day and I really try to get my heart rate high for that hour. And the way I do yoga that doesn't happen. ;) But I really did love the class and once I start having more time to exercise (aka when the twins are 20) I would love to add it to my routine.

This was the only time my crop top looked decent...while standing. lol

Goodwin's is an all organic grocery store with bomb smoothies. I personally loved the acai one! Their roof top yoga was relaxing and if I took the time to do that often I'm sure I would be more calm and stress less.

Love the view!

thanks for joining me taylar!

Are you guys into yoga? If so I recommend checking this out! It's $15 a class for non-members and they had yummy cucumber infused water or peppermint infused water for those who aren't breast-feeding. :) 

Weekend Happenings

Hope you all had a great weekend! I feel like we've been on the go a lot lately and this weekend it was nice to just stay at home. We got some things done around the house and I FINALLY finished painting the entire downstairs! If you've been to our house you know this is no small feat! We said adios to our flesh colored paint and hello to white and gray walls. It really makes our space feel more clean, bright, and modern. We're really enjoying it. Next task is painting the play room, Cal's room, and the upstairs bathroom. After that we will have officially painted our 3400 square foot home all on our own! How's that for some serious DIY?! 

And because I couldn't do anything with out my better half...

Happy Monday! 

4th of July

I'm finally getting around to talking about our first 4th of July as a family of five! The twins came home with colds. :( Add teething into the mix for poor Evie and that is where I've been spending all my time.

I'm always glad that we try new things with the twins but it's always a welcome relief to come back home. The 4th of July was fun but man is it WORK getting everything we need packed up and out the door. I need a vacation from my vacation. ;) We enjoyed spending time together as a family but can I just say we have no intention of going to the beach again this summer? We enjoyed the cool weather that the coast had to offer but babies and sand are not my definition of a good time. Not to mention wearing them in a front pack for nap time. Nope. No thanks. We shall enjoy looking at the beach from the beach house for the remainder of this summer. ;)

M and I did however love exercising in the cool weather...sure beats the triple digit temps at home! The babies liked watching the trains, dogs, and people zooming past them in the stroller and I liked the iced coffee at the pier. :)

We introduced the twins to Cyprus Shore's annual 4th of July parade (Blair's favorite!) complete with donuts, coffee, and festive attire.

So thankful for the freedom that our country offers. It's definitely worth celebrating!