EVERYDAY STYLE WITH DIAMONDS

Marilyn always said, "Diamonds are a girl's best friend," but honestly the only diamonds I wear are on my wedding band. It's not because I don't like them because Lord knows I would wear them if I had more, but I have never had the budget to be a collector of the finer things in life. That's until Shane Co. started making some stunning fashion pieces at great prices. I'm excited to team up with Shane Co. again to share with you some special jewelry that you can wear every day without breaking the bank.

First things first, diamond studs. They are a classic piece of jewelry that has been missing from my wardrobe, and my kids won't pull on them! I love that they go with everything. I don't ever have to take them out.

This diamond fashion ring is a stunner. It's unique in it's shape, but, again, it goes with everything, feels comfortable on my hand and it can't come off easily. 

Long necklaces are pretty much out of the question right now since Levi has started teething, but this shorter silver piece with a pearl also goes with everything and has so much meaning behind it. I love that the design showcases a mother and child, and is a daily reminded of the special role I have as a mom. 

Bracelets have always been hard for me to fit because I have tiny wrists. I also find them annoying when I'm typing or writing, but wearing ones that are made up of links with some diamonds thrown in...It pretty much throws all of my discouragements out the window. 

What I also love about wearing nice, quality jewelry like these pieces from Shane Co. is that I know I can pass them down to Elle and Levi when they are older. They truly are treasures that we can have in our family for generations to come, and I know the costume jewelry I buy at other stores won't always last forever. 

And, by the way, yes, these are white pants and I'm holding a baby. You can do it! Just keep a bottle of bleach close by. haha! You can get find this chambray shirt and these denim cropped pants at Alixandra Collections. 

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

COMFORTABLE STYLE

Everything I own MUST be comfortable and stylish. The mom in me requires comfort, and the stylist in me expects style. Shoes, especially, have to fit this criteria because I am on my feet all day. What mom of a three year old and 7 month old sits down? Haha! I've teamed up with Zappos.com and Born to share with you my comfortable style.

I've said this time and time again, but my favorite outfit is a button down shirt, pants and cute shoes. It's classic, comfortable and stylish. These black shoes from Born in the Cindie style are my new favorites. I ordered them on Zappos.com and got them in two days time. The convenience of online shopping just can't be beat when you have little ones. Taking them shoe shopping is not as enjoyable as surfing the web with a glass of wine and fast shipping. Zappos.com makes it so easy, and returns are totally free too, so why wouldn't you shop this way and avoid tantrums in the store, right? 

These are my third pair of Born shoes, and I'm a lifelong customer now. You can always find the latest fashion trends in their designs. Chunky heels have come back in a huge way, and I'm so glad because they make walking easier.

Born's high quality leather offers amazing comfort, and the rubber bottoms keep me from slipping. I also love that I can dress these shoes up or down and where them anywhere. Check out Born on Zappos.com for more comfortable style. There's something for everyone.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

MOTHER'S DAY OUT

For over half of my life Mother's Day has been about celebrating my mom, but the past three years I have had the gift of being celebrated as a mom myself. It's such a special title and, what I believe to be the most important calling I have on my life. I teamed up with Shane Co. to create a perfect mom's day out because sometimes moms need to take off the mom hat and just be ourselves in order to be the best mom possible.

Motherhood can be a pretty thankless job for many years, but Shane Co. wants all moms to feel loved and celebrated. I don't think I knew all that my mom did for me until I stood in her shoes, and it makes me want to buy her all of the special things in the world and then some. haha! I was a pretty hard child, so I sure owe her.

I have two questions for you. What does your perfect Mother's Day look like, and what does your perfect Mother's Day gift look like?

For me, it would be a morning with my kids - snuggling, eating donuts and drinking warm coffee. Ya know, a lazy morning with nothing to do and no place to be except in bed. The second half of the day, however, I would want to get dressed up, eat delicious food and have a day out with my friends. That's exactly what Shane Co. treated me and two other mamas to at The Upton. Reachel Bagley of Cardigan Empire and Venessa Kaufman of We The Classy are two stylin' moms that know a thing or two about balancing work and motherhood. Definitely go check their blogs out! 

We sipped cocktails and at yummy bites while laughing about our kids, and we did it in style. We got to play dress up and wear the shiniest diamonds and most precious metals. It was like a fairytale. 

Alixandra Collections even provided us with some gorgeous garb. This silk floral blouse is SO me. I would wear it with jeans and dress it up with leather any day.

Thank you, Shane Co., for celebrating me and wanting to celebrate moms around the globe!

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

REAL TALK REAL MOMS ON PLAY

I don't know about you, but I feel like I have forgotten how to play. It's as if my mind is too full of tasks and reality that I can rarely use my imagination. Isn't that just sad?! I love that my kids try their hardest to keep the kid in me alive.

Elle is really into role playing right now. She's usually the mommy and I am her baby or she is Barbie and I'm always Teresa. Of course, her favorite is playing Elsa and I'm always Anna (p.s. that's fine by me because Anna is by far the coolest girl to ever be a Disney princess, in my opinion). Levi has yet to join in on the pretend party, but pretty soon I'm sure she'll make him Olaf or Hans. 

As I mentioned in a previous post, it does make playtime a challenge when my kids are three years apart. Levi prefers to have me hold his hands as he tries to figure out how to walk, which doesn't exactly leave me with another limb to play with Elle. It definitely has been a challenge figuring out how to play with my kids and spend time with them one on one. And this is what I have found that has helped so far:

1. I started Elle in preschool two mornings a week. This helped our whole family tremendously. As much as I miss her at home, she is a natural extrovert who prefers to be with friends and stay busy. This has given me an opportunity to have one-on-one time with Levi where I can just sit on the floor for an hour, and in the future, take him on special dates to the Library or to Starbucks for a chocolate croissant.

2. When Levi is napping and Elle is at home, Elle and I play together one on one. Sometimes she asks to just snuggle on the couch and watch a movie and other days we color, do an art project or we race outside. 

3. When they are both awake my attention is often more on Levi because he can't be independent right now, so I encourage Elle to do some solo play or she can play with me and Levi on the floor. 

4. Sometimes going to the park or going to Chic-fil-A is a great solution because Elle wants to play with friends and then I can still play with Levi, but that's not too often as the weather gets warmer here and when sickness is still really prevalent in the Valley. 

5. When Ryan comes home we usually spend a half hour playing as a family (if i have been able to get dinner taken care of) outside. This is our dog Wendy's favorite time of day because she gets included in playtime. 

I hope sharing how I approaching playtime with two kids. I'm sure it's going to change so much as they get older, but I hope they continue to keep my imagination and their imagination alive. Make sure to read about ways other moms are approaching playtime as part of the Real Talk Real Mom Series. 

Sarah Sherman Samuel, Apartment 34, The Effortless Chic, Parker, Etc., Sacramento Street, Our Style Stories, A Daily Something, Could I Have That, The Refined Woman

Also, as Mother's Day approaches consider supporting some rockstar moms in Uganda by shopping 31 Bits, a jewelry company featuring artisans from Africa that create beans with recycled paper. I'm wearing two of their pieces in these photos, and I have been a big supporter of them for several years. I can't say enough good about them.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer

EASY BREEZY

Every woman needs a dress that you can throw on and you instantly feel beautiful. During the fall and winter little black dresses do the trick, but in the spring and summer something bright and airy is what I gravitate toward.

Rebecca Taylor always makes me feel so pretty. She designs feminine and fashionable clothes that always fit me well. Neiman Marcus carries her designs, and anytime I'm in that store I will run straight to the CUSP section and shop her clothes.

I'm still in my post-partum body phase, so loose dresses are best for me. I like designs that cut in at the shoulders because it balances my chest and mid-section. The midi length is great for my mom lifestyle where I'm always playing on the floor.

I also love that I can wear a fancy dress like this one and then pair it with some simple Old Navy sandals. I've never been one to wear head to toe designer, but I do love having special pieces in my closet that are quality and feel special.

Photos by Rennai Hoefer