Haute Child in the City: Family

love first

2/13/2018

Valentine's Day is where I live - it's my holiday. Go ahead get the sighs and eye rolls out of the way. It's always been one that I love. I mean, how could you hate a holiday that encourages people to spread love? Amiright?! Which is why I adore the shirts that JCrew released for the season. And though they are Valentine's Day appropriate, they certainly are a year-round message I can get behind.

What we might do for Valentine's Day might surprise you - we don't actually go out. I loathe messing with the crowds on Valentine's Day. We also, generally, don't cook. We fix Liam dinner, get the kids to bed, and then Scott & I will have a dinner on our own. I also like to make the day special for our littlest valentines. We deck the house out, give small gifts, and shower them with extra love. It's a fun little way to celebrate the day as a family. I also made an (adult) Valentine's Day playlist. There are sure to be some fun ones that you'll enjoy on there.

I had high hopes for Valentine's Day pictures this year. Turns out coordinating with three kids, a husband, and less-than-ideal winter weather is harder than I thought it would be. However, I do love these impromtu pics. We even tried to get me and the kids all together- another task which proved to me more difficult than anticipated. Particularly since the girls are especially squirmy when their brother is around, because, well, they love him. And their father - this last picture might be my favorite.

on the girls: [tulle overalls // freshly picked mocs // tights // hat]

on liam: [shirt // jeans // kicks]

on me: [pants (old, similar here) // shirt // kicks (old, similar here & here) //

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Family, maternity, Nursery

final countdown

4/05/2017

Our little brouhaha a few weeks ago lit a bit of a fire under us. We've been taking for granted that we have 'plenty of time' but not so much anymore; particularly now that my c-section is scheduled (thank ladies for being breech). With that, we jumped full force into the final preps for these ladies' arrival, including having my sister snap some casual family shots and getting the nursery ready. And by 'we', I really mean Scott. He's really been the force behind getting us ready, designing and implementing the nursery - pretty much keeping us on track. Which I have to say, has been very nice and very much appreciated. My planner tendencies tend to take a backseat during pregnancy and so it's very nice to have someone driving for me. I figure I've got enough to work on in the whole growing human beings category.

Family, North Carolina, Personal

apple picking we will go

10/20/2015

One of those quintessential fall activities is apple picking. And though it does make for some pretty photos, it actually is a great family activity - wide open spaces for your children the run off some extra energy and you to drink (spiked) apple cider & eat. Wins all around, amiright?!

Over the weekend we went back to our favorite orchard in NC, Sky Top. I have to say it was much busier than it has been in years past, but I suspect it was because this past weekend was the perfect combo of fall temps, sunshine, and timing. None-the-less, we had a great time catching up with old friends, letting the kids run around in the mountain sunshine, and even picking a few apples.

on liam [sweater // shirt // jeans // boots]

Disney, Family, Travel

postcards from Disney

10/16/2015

If you follow me on instagram, you probably saw that we were quite the travelers at the beginning of the September. First a quick jaunt to Hilton Head, which was lovely and then a much bigger trip to Disney. I have to admit, I was 50/50 on how a trip to Disney was going to go with a threenager, but I have to say that it surpassed all of our expectations. From the lodging (we stayed at the Grand Floridian which I highly recommend for a stay) to the experience in the parks to how much our little threenager enjoyed it.

We approached our first family trip to Disney with rough plans (e.g., designated parks per day, as well as FastPasses to the rides that we definitely wanted to hit), but ultimately were prepared to head back to the hotel and/or disregard all plans depending upon the weather, what was going on, and if we had reached our threshold at the parks for the day. For that reason, we opted for proximity and convenience. We stayed at the closest resort to the Magic Kingdom, where we knew we'd be spending most of our time given Liam's age and the amount of rides, etc; we rented a stroller through a service which dropped off and picked up at the resort; we did a meal plan; all of it. I think by-in-large, it's really just a take it as it comes sort of scenario when you have young ones in the parks, but it seemed to work out well for us. If anyone is interested, I'm happy to get into more details - our itinerary, logistics, etc.

Without further ado, the pictures (and a short video)

Family, Personal

Charleston Family Photos

10/16/2014

For the past several years this time of year, we've done family pictures. When it comes to styling family pictures, I subscribe to the mentality that coordination is the way to go rather than identical outfits - I keep it all in the same color family but play with pieces that are comfortable and fit with our personalities. This strategy also is well aligned with the style of family photography which we prefer, which is more lifestyle. My sister again, rocked it out this year for us. We are always so lucky to have someone who is so talented and also knows us so well to capture our family through the years. (You can see our other family photos here and here.)