Arden

Designer Destination | Little River Inn Mendocino

Designer Destination: The Little River Inn on the Mendocino Coast. Ocean views, beachfront, spa and golf, train rides | travel by copycatchic — This post in partnership with the **Little River Inn**.

A couple of weeks ago we took a little family road trip up the coast to a great Northern California beach town called Mendocino. There’s just something about the NorCal coast that just calls to me. The beaches are so wild and rustic compared to your typical California beach. The rocks, bluffs, trees and plants are so gorgeous up here. We stayed at this great historic hotel called the Little River Inn. In fact, they’ve been in operation since 1939 with the same family! Innkeeper Cally Dym is the fifth generation owner along with her husband, Executive Chef Marc Dym. The inn has a notable guest history as well, from Ronald Reagan to James Dean (while filming East of Eden). It’s situated right off of Highway 1, on the bluff right above the beach. The view is seriously stunning, it doesn’t get any better.

Summer Fashion Trends Under $50

Happy Saturday! This was my daughter’s last week of school. I can’t believe her kindergarten year has come and gone already! Wow. Summer break is officially here! Queue weekend road trips and pool days. We had a 90+ degree weekend recently, which is pretty hot here in Northern California, so we decided to hit up a local water park, Raging Waters in San Jose. It was the perfect way to kick off the hot season. I have to say, I can’t even remember the last time I visited a water park, so it was fun to go again with Arden. She loved it!

I also realized our hot weather wardrobes were seriously lacking. So, I’ve been doing a little shopping for some new seasonal pieces to enjoy this summer. It’s fun to follow the latest trends, but I refuse to spend too much on things that are trends and won’t be considered “in” next season. And since it’s the weekend, and I don’t usually post on the weekend…I thought it would be fun to share something a little different. We’re going a little bit fashiony over here. I’ve gathered up some of my favorite trending pieces for this summer all for under $50. Yay Summer!

Kid’s Workspace with HP x360

We’ve been doing a lot of homeschooling with Arden lately, getting her ready for kindergarten (wow!). So I figured it was about time for her to have her own dedicated learning and workspace. I’m partnering with HP x360 to talk about the four different looks we’re going for when creating Arden’s school area.

It doesn’t have to be a huge space, as long as it’s functional. We decided to set her up in a cozy corner of the playroom. Eventually, I’d love to have the whole playroom be more of a school/play room, but we’ll take it one step at a time!

Here are four of my favorite kid’s workspace looks. I’d like to take all four inspiration images and use the best elements from each and combine it into one amazing space. But for today let’s start off with our desk nook 😉

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I love this little girl’s desk. Not only was it made to fit, it also has a sleek, modern-feel while also being functional with all of the storage space. That ledge over the desk is such a great idea to keep pencils handy. And since everything has its place, the desk looks clean and organized.

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`Okay, how amazing is this dining room turned homeschool classroom? I’m so keeping this in mind for our playroom. The reason this space is so successful is because the unified color scheme. The teal accent color ties everything together and the warm tones of wood and the baskets keep it from looking to one-note. And you’re so busy admiring the fabulous shelving wall, that you’re totally distracted from the fact that it stores kid’s things. Pretty fabulous and functional right?

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This rooms calm demeanor gives off the organized but productive vibe. What kid wouldn’t be inspired to work in this beautiful room? Can I just say…I want one of those peg board organizers for myself? Please?

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Last but not least, isn’t this computer display is so genius? The computers, wood shelving, books and toy collections all mesh in this great casual, fun and light-hearted way. It gives off the effortlessly-chic vibe doesn’t it? I really love how the shelving and desk span the width of the room creating plenty of space for mutliple kids to work side-by-side. And any room with a Tripp Trapp is A-ok in my book.

Now for our start. Here’s Arden’s new desk; an Ikea side table that I bought off of Craigslist for $8 (original is only $10 btw!). Isn’t it adorable? I think the teal color keeps it fun. I added a little easy-to-care for plant in a cute little owl planter. And for the Pièce de résistance, we partnered with HP to get Arden her very own laptop, one of their newest most versatile models, the x360.

So why the x360? It’s a tablet and laptop in one and it has four different modes, laptop, tablet, tent, and stand. A mouse can be kind of confusing when you’re just learning how to use a computer. And since Arden is really comfortable using iPhones and iPads we thought the x360 would be perfect for her because you can either use it like a laptop….

Or use it like a tablet. Here’s she’s using a stylus to practice her letters.

Or she can watch her favorite shows on it. The screen is nice and big for being a tablet combo.

It’s great that she can use her stylus to perfect her pencil grip or she can just use the touch screen to navigate. It makes it super easy for her. She’s loving her new computer and we love having such a versatile tablet around the house.

Do you have a special spot where your kids can learn, study or do their homework? What does your space look like and what was important to you to have to make it functional? I would love to hear your thoughts!

You can learn more about the HP x360 by visiting their site. You can also learn all about how HP is partnering with Meghan Trainor on her #BendtheRules tour. They’ll be creating a fan generated documentary using the x360. Pretty fun stuff 🙂

This post is sponsored by HP. Thank you for taking time to learn
about the sponsors that help support Copy Cat Chic.

Copy Cat Chic Giveaway | Pear Tree Greetings

Happy Groundhog day! What a random little holiday right? 🙂 Anyways, today’s giveaway is celebrating a different February holiday, Valentine’s Day! Yay!

Arden and I always love coming up with fun Valentine’s Day treats for friends and family (last year’s here and the year before). This year, we thought we’d make homemade cookies. Arden’s really into baking and cooking in the kitchen right now.

Read on to enter giveaway…

We made vegan shortbread cookies using coconut oil. We used this great recipe and the cookies were so tasty! Arden even did most of the work herself 🙂

Of course the taste test is the most important part of baking cookies, right? 😉

As for the actual Valentine’s Day cards, I saw these adorable Valentine’s Day Photo Cards from Pear Tree Greetings and I was sold. I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time keeping the names of Arden’s schoolmates straight. I’m sure some of the other parent’s do too. Photo picture cards are ingenious, don’t you think? I couldn’t resist this cute picture of Arden either. It was from our holiday photoshoot, but the red dress Arden was wearing was perfect for Valentine’s Day too!

Pear Tree Greetings has a great selection of the cutest cards you guys. And they’re so reasonably priced! We chose this picture card template and they were only $.59 each. That’s not much more than your average, generic V-Day cards you get from the store. These are so much cuter than Barbie or Transformers too, don’t you think? 😉

We had such a hard time deciding on which cards to choose. They have a bunch of different Valentine’s Day for Kids – tons of designs for both boys and girls. We loved these designs too!

Pear Tree Greetings is offering $25 worth of credit for one lucky reader. This contest will run until this Wednesday (to give the reader enough time to order before Valentine’s Day!). So pick your cards and be ready to order! Or if you don’t want to wait, they’re currently running a sale for 20% off with a $30 min. The code is FEB20 and it’s only valid for two days!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you for supporting Copy Cat Chic and the sponsors that make this blog possible!

Copy Cat Chic Review | The Clek Fllo

I wanted to talk more in depth about the Clek Fllo that we have for Conrad. We started off with the Maxi Cosi Pria 70 for Arden, but when it came time for Conrad to graduate from his infant carseat, we wanted to try something different. I wanted something a little more eco-friendly, streamlined and just easier to use. That’s where Clek came in. We originally thought we’d go with a Clek Foonf for him, but then Clek released the Fllo!

The Fllo has most of the same features of its big brother the Foonf:

– narrow width
– fully recyclable
– anti-rebound bar
– Crypton Super Fabric
– rear facing until 50 lbs
– forward facing until 65 lbs
– free of BFRs* and CFRs** on the Crypton fabric seats

With just a few notable differences:

– less expensive
– no rigid latch system
– weighs 28lbs (the Foonf is 38lbs)
– sits slightly lower than the Foonf
– has 1 forward-facing recline position (the Foonf has 2)

*brominated fire retardants

** chlorine-based flame retardants

To find out more the Clek website has this handy comparison chart.

We loved Conrad’s Fllo so much that we decided to upgrade Arden to a Clek as well. We have two cars and in order to make things a little easier we figured we should have at least three carseats. So when I saw a deal on Amazon for a Clek Foonf I jumped on it and got Arden a pink one 😉 She was absolutely thrilled.

I was a tad worried about the pink color because Arden climbs up into her seat herself which means lots of shoe action going on. The fabric is removable, but isn’t machine washable so it needs to be spot cleaned. And you know what? I haven’t had to clean it, not even once! Shocking, right? That green guard Crypton fabric is magic, I tell you.

Oh and did I mention how much happier Conrad is in his Fllo? It’s so much easier buckling him in now. He loves being up high and seeing everything. They can even hold hands now 😉 Love it. Here area few pictures of them in their new car seats.

And just so you can get a better idea of how the fit, here’s a few pictures of the car seats without the littles.

We have a Toyota Prius V by the way, and you can see how much room there is. If need be, I can sit in between the two car seats with a seat belt on too!

You can see the height differences in the two seats really well here. Keep in mind that the headrest on Arden’s Foonf is set higher to accommodate her height.

We are super happy with our new Clek car seats and they really work so much better for us. The Clek car seats are definitely an investment, but I think it’s worth it. With their combination of eco-friendliness, safety features and great design – it’s just one of those things I’m willing to spend a little more on. I’d love to know what features you guys were most interested in when buying carseats for your children! And who out there has tried a Clek? What did you guys think?

I was not paid to write this post, but I was given the Clek Fllo above to use and share an honest opinion. Thanks for supporting Copy Cat Chic and our generous sponsors like Clek.

Conrad Weekly | 23 Weeks

Conrad is on the move! This little man can hardly keep still these days. It’s hard to get a still picture of the guy! Here’s my latest attempt 😉

Wearing a lightweight knit summer romper by Egg Baby.

Arden loves helping me take Conrad’s weekly picture now. She’s such a great big sister. She loves her baby “butter” so much. And he loves her too, no one keeps him happy like she does 😉

Arden loves her “Easter” dress and wants to wear it all the time. Well that and her princess dress collection 😉

To see all of Conrad’s weekly pictures click here. And for a walk down memory lane you can see Arden’s here.

Conrad Weekly | 22 Weeks

I wanted to document Conrad in his snow bunting, because he looks so cuddly and adorable. I forgot a couple of weeks ago when were at the snow and I so here we are! He’s almost grown out of it. Got a pic just in the nick of time.

And here’s big sister Arden in her new princess dress. She’s so good with the camera, it’s crazy. And yes, that’s a temporary tattoo on her forehead. Sigh.

To see all of Conrad’s weekly pictures click here. And for a walk down memory lane you can see Arden’s here.

Conrad Weekly | 21 Weeks and Happy Easter

Happy Easter! I hope your weekend is filled with lots of eggs and chocolate 😉

Here’s my little man in his Easter outfit (it’s from Target).

I’ve gotten a few emails requesting Arden updates too, so I thought I’d throw this one in for good measure. Both my lovies together 😉

I put together their Easter baskets yesterday. Conrad’s was quite the challenge…what do you get a (not even) 5 month old for Easter? 😉 I ended up getting him a cute little organic doggie rattle (it was a lot cheaper at Whole Foods btw), an organic onesie from PACT (I love PACT!), some matching PACT socks, a little bunny hat from the dollar section at Target (which he’ll probably hate!) and this silicone teether.

Arden’s Easter basket was much, much easier 😉 The eggs are filled with stickers, temporary tatoos and a bunch of non-toxic and organic treats.

Here are the goodies I put in Arden’s basket” Eos Lip Balms (she loves!), Annie’s Bunny Grahams, Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies, Unreal Peanut “M&Ms”, Yummy Earth Sour Beans, Surf Sweets Gummy Bears and Yummy Earth lollipops. Suprisingly she’s not the biggest fan of chocolate (yet!), so those M&Ms are mostly for Mommy 😉

And today we’re dying Easter eggs with this natural egg dye I bought (hopefully it works okay). And we’re also making Easter cookies. I bought this natural food color to test out. Again, I hope it works well, I think it can be hit or miss. We’ll see soon, I guess!

Have a great weekend!

To see all of Conrad’s weekly pictures click here.

Parent Props | Snow Traveling with Baby

With all of the cold weather going on lately, I think my latest Parent Props post is pretty fitting. Although it’s not too cold in the SF Bay Area, over Christmas vacation we took a trip to Lake Tahoe for some snow fun. I wanted to share with you all what we used to keep our newborn happy and warm.
We have more snow trips coming up soon, so I’m happy to have nailed down all of the necessities early on in the season. Do you guys have anything else that should be on the packing list?

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Baby bjorn

This seems to be Conrad’s carrier of choice. I’ve tried the Moby, the Becco, the Ergo and a sling. This is the only one he likes right now, I’m sure that will change as he gets older though.

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BABY BJORN cover

The cover is so key in cold weather. It keeps the cold and wind at bay and baby stays nice and cozy. Plus the hood made for nice napping, since it kept baby’s head nice and covered.

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lotus Travel crib

This is my favorite travel crib hands down. It’s feather light, sooo much lighter than a pack n’ play, and so quick to set up and take down. The carry bag makes it really easy to travel with because the handles can also be used as backpack straps. Arden loved this bed as well, we’ve set it up at home for her to use as a fort. What’s so great about this bed is that it has a zip down door on the side so toddlers can go in and out. We throw a sheet over the top and voila: instant play fort. Oh and one other great attribute? It has no PVC, Phthalates, Lead or Flame Retardants. So important when it comes to where your baby will be sleeping, don’t you think?

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warm hat & mittens

Keep baby nice and cozy with a hat and mittens. I like this set because they’re wool.

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flannel crib sheet

A nice flannel sheet is perfect for keeping baby warm while sleeping.

seven

travel humidifier

The air in Tahoe was so dry, so having a humidifier really helped the nights be more comfortable. I forgot to turn the humidifier one the first night and wow, my nose was dry. Not fun at all.

eight

down bunting

We have this bunting suit and love it. It kept Conrad nice and warm while big sister was out in the snow all day sledding and tubing. He slept great wearing this and in the bjorn and I was able to be out and about with Arden.

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fleece BUNTING

Fleece bunting is great to have on those not so cold days and nights. We used this one just as much. Arden had a pink one when she was younger and we used it all the time, not just in the snow.

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sunblock

You don’t want to use sunblock on babies younger than 6mths, I think, but this is my sunblock of choice for Arden and myself.

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lotion

Keep skin from getting chapped from the wind and cold by slapping on that lotion.

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Lip balm

Same goes for your lips, don’t forget to protect them.

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sleep sack

Babies can’t sleep with blankets, so in order to keep them nice and toasty, I like using this cozy and soft sleep sack.

fourteen

warm baby booties

Gotta keep baby’s feet toasty. These booties did a great job of that AND staying on which is half the battle when it comes to baby shoes.

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cozy baby blanket

Self explanatory. I like this particular blanket because the fleece is thick and cushy.

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travel swing

Conrad does all of his daytime napping in his swing. We weren’t about to bring the full-sized swing with us though. We got this one off of Craigslist and it does a great job. It has a vibrating option which is nice too.

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tranquil turtle

This little turtle makes nice white noise and does double duty as a nightlight. The water patterns it throws on the ceiling are calming as well.