Thanksgiving 2016

We spent our Thanksgiving down in Orange County at the beach!  It was a whirlwind of a weekend but we wouldn't have had it any other way!

I'm pretty sure this was Wyatt's first visit to the ocean...he loved it! 

Thanksgiving Family Photo!

My sister-in-law!

Funny story on Santa.  Every year, we try to see Santa and Ethan wants nothing to do with him.  Wyatt doesn't either, which is why he is not pictured above.  I thought maybe, just maybe, Ethan would finally be into meeting him this year since he's starting to understand the whole concept behind Christmas and Santa.  Well, he wasn't having it and I told him he had to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas so he knew what to get him.  After many tries and on our way out, Ethan finally gave in and said he would do it.  He told Santa he wanted a Star Wars watch and that was that.  Until...we got outside of Santa's house and Ethan had a full-blown, fall to the floor, unconsolable meltdown.  He was under the impression that if he told Santa what he wanted, that he would get it, right then and there.  Oops!  We definitely should have clarified!  Have we ruined him for life?!  ;)

After Thanksgiving, I reunited with my girlfriends from high school and their babies...so fun! 

19+ years of friendship and counting!

My handsome brothers and their better halves!  ;)

Our last morning, we went to my dad's to celebrate an early Christmas...the boys LOVED opening their gifts, eating chocolate chip cookies and wearing their new Christmas pajamas!

I hope you had a great weekend too!

xo natasha

My Cyber Monday Picks

Happy Monday!  I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving Weekend...we just got back from Southern CA and are recovering from the travel and the food comas we've all been in.  I also got to order my Christmas cards from Minted {pssst, they're offering 20% off everything today!}, so I am feeling pretty good about kicking this season off on the right foot!  Below is an outtake from our photoshoot!  :)

I couldn't let this day pass by without letting you know where I'll be shopping online today...there are a TON of really great deals!

+ Gap: 50% off everything, no exclusions with code CYBMON + an extra 10% off for shopping online with code EXTRA!  This is the DEAL OF THE YEAR!  Don't forget to shop for your husband ands kids too!

+ Banana Republic: 50% off everything, no exclusions, no code needed...this is a crazy good sale too!  They have the best shoes and outerwear options!

+ Old Navy: 50% off everything, no exclusions, no code needed.

+ J.Crew: 40% + free shipping with code MONDAY.

+ Splendid: 40% off everything, including sale with code SAVE40.  They have the best basics for everyone in the family and rarely go on sale.

+ West Elm: Up to 50% off everything!  Definitely checking out these linen sheets.

+ Land of Nod: 20% off + free shopping,  I adore their holiday decorations!

+ Target: Extra 15% off + Free Shipping!  Buying all the ornaments!  ;)

Happy Shopping!

xo natasha

My Black Friday Picks

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  And by today, you are in full-fledged Christmas mode...right?!  It's crunch-time to buy all your holiday gifts for friends and family.  There are some AMAZING sales going on today and I am outlining some of my favorites, right here, right now:

J.Crew has never had a sale as good as this...40% off with code HOLIDAY

I love this coat, this bag, and this sweater!

Gap is 50% off everything with code TGIF50

Loving this sequin kimono top, these stud-trim pants and this dress!

Shopbop is save more the more you buy with code GOBIG16!

Love this festive dress, these sunglasses, and designer denim!

Anthro is 30% off with code LETSGO

Loving this velvet top, this gorgeous dress, and this equally stunning maxi!

Last, Nordstrom is having a 20% off sale on select items!

I have these sandals in nude and want them in black, and love these jeans and this dress!

Happy Shopping!!

xo natasha

Working Mom #OOTD

For those of you moms out there that work full-time, you know the challenge that comes along with kid-friendly-weekend-clothes versus work-week-professional {I hope I escaped the house without spit-up or mashed avocado on myself} clothes...right?  For me, it's all about style and comfort...and wardrobe pieces that serve multiple purposes.

Here are some of my recent outfits of the day:

Glasses // Sweater-Similar // Pants c/o // Wedges // Handbag-Similar

Hat // Sweater-on sale for $22! // Skirt c/o // OTK Boots // Handbag-Similar

Both looks work great for work, and the second look with the hat is a good example of how I make it work for the weekend.  Margaret M generously sent me the pants and skirt to try out and I am hooked!!  The pants are SO comfortable!  They are super stretchy but still structured...I am going to buy more they're that good!  :)  They come in two lengths, as do the skirts, so they're very versatile...and there are a ton of patterns too!  Definitely check them out and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.

What are your go-to looks {and secrets!} as a working mom?!

xo natasha

Gift Guide: For Her

Gray Malin for S'well Bottle: I've been wanting a S'well bottle for awhile, but have never been able to decide on a color.  Well, being that I live in Tahoe, I think this is the perfect one!  Live in a warm environment, then this one is for you!

Emily Ley 2017 Planner: There's still something to be said for writing it down!

Cozy Tech Gloves: Gloves with the ability to still work an iPhone are key for cold weather.

Rubber Dipped Mixing Spoon Set: How cute are these?  Would make a perfect hostess gift!

Shape Study Earrings: I love simple studs...this 7-Day Stud Set is pretty great too!

iPhone 7 + Riffle Paper Co. Case: My phone is always up for an upgrade this time of year, so naturally I have my eye on the new iPhone 7.  Rifle Paper Co. has the cutest prints too.  Also, I love this wrapping paper for the holidays!

Tea Towel Set: LOVE this print.  It reminds me of our new bed and prints!

Uggs Classic II: The new classic Uggs have better arch support, traction and are waterproof!

Wool Floppy Hat: Love the gray for winter!

Cravings Cookbook: I've heard great things about Chrissy Teigen's cookbook.  I also LOVE Barefoot Contessa's latest cookbook, Cooking for Jeffrey.

What's on your wishlist?

xo natasha

Gift Guide: For Toddler

Espresso Machine: Wyatt and Ethan love to help us make our Nespresso coffees in the morning so I imagine they would both love to have their own!

Chutes and Ladders: Ethan is obsessed with Candyland so I think he will love this game too!  Plus, how cute {and nostalgic} is the retro feel of these games?

Storm Trooper Watch: Ethan loves to "tell time" lately and also has a small obsession with Star Wars so this seems like a perfect gift.

Ferry Boat Bath Toy: Ethan and I went on a ferry boat earlier this year and loved it!  This would be the perfect addition to the bathtub for both boys!

Magnetic Blocks: The boys love building and stacking blocks...I think they would love these!

Nesting Blocks: We've lost some of out current nesting blocks so this would be a cute replacement!

Cleaning Set: The boys love helping around the house!

Stampables: Arts and crafts are becoming more popular around here and Ethan love stamps!  Done!

Hunter Rain Boots: Though cliche, I would love these for the boys!  With the sock liners of course!

What is on your kids wishlist this season?!

xo natasha

Velvet Crush

The 90s called...and they're letting us borrow the velvet trend!  Let's just say, I am not mad about it!  Velvet is such a festive and luxurious fabric--it's perfect for the holiday season!  Let me show you what I mean...

Velvet Wrap Dress 

 Velvet Tie Sparkle Sweater

Velvet Strappy Sandal...adore those gold heels!

Velvet Headband Set 

Velvet Tunic Dress

Obsessed with these flats, but they're sold out!  :(  Similar here and here

Velvet Bow-Back Top...the bow is the best detail!

Babydoll Top

Velvet Envelope Clutch...but what color?

Velvet Shift Dress

Which one is your favorite?

xo natasha

Friday Finds

Happy Friday Friends...and what a week!  I'm extra ready for the weekend and decided to try something new on this Friday's Finds post today...because, frankly, I'm tired today.  This is  snapshot from my "Shop My Favorites" link at the top...I'm constantly pinning my favorite finds as I come across them, so if I'm lacking in the post department...check out that link and follow me on Instagram and Snapchat {schuelove}.

I hope to get to some gift guides next week...so hang in there with me!  :)

Have a great weekend!

xo natasha

Easy Family Italian Dinners with Bertolli

Compensation was provided by Bertolli Frozen Meals. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Bertolli Frozen Meals.

If you're a busy, working mom like me, then you know how important it is to maximize time with family.  I find that the most valuable time of the day is during dinner time, at the table, where we can check in and share about our day.  Sounds nice, right?

But the reality is that most nights, we're running around like maniacs, trying to make dinner, bathe kids, brush teeth, read books...and then, maybe, unwind before our own bedtime.

Sound familiar?  ;)

Which is why, when we were invited to try Bertolli's new line of Italian skillet meals for our family, I jumped at the chance!  This authentic line of new meals features a recipe-like, simple ingredient list with transparent packaging that offers a peek inside the bag.  The reformulated meals reflect the growing desire for convenient meals featuring high-quality ingredients, as well as a cleaner ingredient label. 

And let me tell you, it smelled like an Italian restaurant as we cooked the meal!  I especially loved the marsala wine sauce paired with the green beans, red potatoes and chicken.  Yum!  And each meal only takes about 10 minutes to cook, which is pretty amazing, especially on a busy week night!  Bonus, if you let the kids join in!

This year Bertolli is encouraging you to not just eat…. Mangia!  Bertolli spoke to Italians and Americans and uncovered a few differences in the way they eat.  One key difference is that only 31% of Americans eat family style, compared to Italians who eat family style 70% of time time!  Even more impressive is that Italians eat at the dinner table with family 84% of the time!  #goals

Explore more ways to Mangia here, grab some amazing recipes, and learn more about the Bertolli Mangia experience!

xo natasha

These results are from an online survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Bertolli of over 2,000 nationally representative individuals in the United States and Italy. The U.S. survey with 1,074 completes was conducted between July 28-29, 2016. The Italy survey of 1,013 individuals was conducted from July 29 – August 4, 2016. The margin of error in each country is +/-3.1%.

Friday Finds

Happy Friday!

I don't know about you, but I'm in shopping mode now that the holiday season is around the corner!  Here are some of my favorite recent finds and buys!

I just got these lace up heels in nude but I am equally as obsessed with the black...especially with that heel!  Also available here!

My friend was wearing this vest the other day and I fell in love with it!  It's definitely on my wishlist!  I can't decide between the classic black or cardamom spice color!

I was in desperate need of new running shoes and decided on these...I love the flyknit material!

And since this post appears to be heavy on workout gear, I'll just add this jacket to the list...I snatched it up and it's the perfect staple for the chilly weather!

And these tights too!  I love the scalloped edge and the reflective detail!

And while these are not workout, per se, I love the subtle cheetah print and thing Spanx has really proven to be great for leggings!  I have these and LOVE them!

Off the fashion subject, I just got Barefoot Contessa's new cookbook in the mail and love it!  I showcased my favorite recipes on Snapchat {follow me at schuelove} and can't wait to try them soon!

Last, I just received these prints from Target and they are are MUCH bigger in person, which really makes the price point that much more impressive.  $80 for prints AND frames?  Yes please!

And just in case you're in a shopping mood like me, be sure to check out these awesome sales!

Shopbop Suprise Sale: Save up to 40% 

Gap Frinds & Family Event: Save 40% online and 50% in store with code FFCARD

Nordstrom Fall Clearance Sale: Save up to 40%

Happy Shopping!!

xo natasha