New Year, Mom’s Must Haves

I wanted to share a few “favorite” items before the ball drops in 5 days! I LOVE most aspects of New Years. I love the festive celebrations and all the champagne and glitter. I love the traditions, like black-eyed peas, greens and cornbread for good luck. I love planning and dreaming of the year ahead, all that I aspire to do and the fresh start it brings (is it just me, or does anyone else always want a fresh start?).
This year I am happy to be spending a cozy New Years celebration at our favorite beach with our favorite people! I cannot wait. There is no better way to ring it in!
Below I have linked my favorite cozy sweater (can’t take it off), a new crisp and clean planner, my favorite mask for the upcoming dry season, and more! These are just a few of my favorite happy things to kick off the new year feeling our best! xoxo

I personally LOVE this style planner. This one from MAY DESIGNS is a great price point and has that “custom” feel.

I am a huge fan of vitamins! They have completely rebooted my life and help combat daily ailments. I sleep better, feel better and AM better. These from OLLY are a must for me!

The other MUST have mask from Summer Friday’s! This is great for exfoliating and dry patches. OVERTIME MASK!

I have not read this yet, but it is on my list! An “almost” memoir by Ann Patchett with relatable aspects for anyone!

My favorite sweater right now. Goes with everything and is so soft! From MADEWELL

Love these High Rise jeans for everyday wear. From Mott and Bow

This is a great long lasting perfume by Glossier!

A nourishing lip tint is always crucial, especially during the cold months! This is a favorite of mine by Bobbi Brown

This is a MUST have for the dry winter months. I use this as a moisturizer and it is simply the best. From Sephora by Summer Fridays

I’ve read this once, and plan to reread this January! A great read for self-discovery and reflection.

I plan to upgrade my diaper bag this year for a fresh update! Love this one by Freshly Picked.

Another great Winter sweater. This is cashmere AND on sale now! I love the length for chasing my boy around! By Halogen at Nordstrom

I look forward to starting this year with a clearer mind and healthier life! 2018 was a journey, with lots of ups and downs and “one step forward, two steps back” kinda days. I have learned so much during this year about myself as a mother and even a sister, daughter and wife. It has been filled with countless moments of joy, fun and unexplainable crazy toddler antics, too.
Cheers to 2019! I just know the best is yet to be for all of us!

xoxo, Tori

Ikea Play Kitchen "Remodel"

Merry Christmas Eve! It’s early here and we are prepping for our Christmas Eve and Day! Eve is just my favorite. So much excitement and joy. We plan to bake, go to Mass and have our family tradition dinner (Feast of the Seven Fishes) tonight! We also have a few things left to do on the Playhouse (will reveal that soon!).
But first, I wanted to share Thomas’s play kitchen from Ikea. I browsed so many different and awesome play kitchens for him - and there are so many beautiful ones out there! But we didn’t want to spend too much money on it, as it is going outside in his playhouse soon! I was happy to find this Ikea one that had all the perfect components but lacked a little “love”, if you know what I mean (see below).

The DIY lover in me had seen a few ways to rendition these Ikea kitchens so you know I had to do the same! We picked out Krylon Colormax spray paint options (three colors, one for the base, one for the top parts and shelves and then one for the hardware). I wanted to give it a modern spin for my boy (he’ll say I am crazy one day, it’s fine). Anyways with a little paint, this thing looks amazing!

TIPS: 1. Unpack and organize the many pieces. You can visualize which pieces you want which color. 2. Separate the items into piles (per color). 3. Paint first! We did 1-2 coats on each piece depending on the color/paint. 4. Let Dry then Assemble!

Ikea Play Kitchen for $79

Below are the items I used to accessorize. Thank God for the Gaines’, am I right?

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! This was a fun and very easy project. I love that you can customize the look to match your own space, or have fun with it and change up the accessories for different seasons.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!