Minnie Mouse …

One of the best things about working in a elementary school is getting to partake in all of the fun things kids get to do at school. This Thursday was dress as your favorite book character & let me tell you … I LOVE COSTUMES, totally my jam. My poor family will have to partake in family Halloween costumes for life.

Halloween 2017 … Cowboys

Halloween 2016 … Wreck it Ralph, Fix-it Felix, & Vanellope Von Schweetz

Haloween 2015 … Lego Movie as Emmett, Wyldstyle, & the Piece of Resistance

Usually I am way ahead of the gang, my outfit picked out & planned weeks ahead, but with my new job I just hadn’t had time. So after picking up Rowan from preschool, racing home to get Tyler, we were off to find a costume.

I had in mind being the mouse from If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, I already had overalls so all I would need to do is make ears & a cookie, but really I didn’t have time to be crafting. Thankfully I stumbled across Mickey Mouse ears at Target and the rest was history. I just added a bow from the girls section & poof … Minnie Mouse

I managed to pull together the cutest Minnie Mouse costume from clothes I already owned. Who knew black socks, leggings, turtleneck, & dress were all I would need.

Do you like costumes?

My Latest Thrift Store Finds ….

Who would of thought that picking up a 4.5 hour job (1.5 hours 3 days a week) would impact my life so much. I feel like I have no time for me anymore, & obviously my blog has been hurting too!

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my new job. I get to work with the cutest little 2nd graders, helping them in math & reading. It is beyond rewarding, but I am really looking forward to getting my “me” time back in April.

So finally I was able to get a little thrift store shopping in, or in other words “me” time & the thrift store did NOT disappoint.

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Shirt: Xhiliration, from Target for $8, Skirt: Merona, from Goodwill for $3.75, Jacket: Pendleton, from Ragstock for $40, Shoes: Korks, from DSW $45

The key with thrift stores are knowing their deals & using coupons. At Goodwill right now all of their winter stuff, including sweaters are 50%. Along with the 50% off they always allow me to use my 25% off coupon on top of that. (Maybe because I am a regular) The outfit below is COMPLETELY thrifted & came in all under $18.

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Sweater: The Limited, from Goodwill for $2, Shall: Talbots, from Goodwill for $2.25, Jeans: J.Crew, from Goodwill for $8, Boots: Enzo Angiolini, from Goodwill for $2.25

I am realizing that a I am attracted to fall colors right now, dark purples & oranges. Also I am just loving the 70’s vibe I have been rocking lately. (Mostly my hair)

What have been your latest thrift store finds?

Date Night Every Night with HQ

I am huge believer in always dating your partner. It can get hard with kids & life, but for me it is a must for maintaining a healthy relationship with my husband.

Thankfully there is a new trivia app that brings us together every night. At 8pm we stop what we are doing around the house (The little one is usually already in bed) & come together for some good old fashion fun.

We are not the only ones doing this, millions of people around the world log in to compete for the cash prize. A host (last week Jimmy Kimmel hosted) reads you 12 questions. You have 10 seconds to chose from the 3 mutliple choices. When you get a question wrong you’re out. 

Can you get through all 12 questions? 

Now we still haven’t won any money, but we sure are having fun together. 

So start playing HQ, you don’t want to miss out. Use my code ‘seashellmccall‘ to sign up https://get.hqtrivia.com

Instant Pot

Life is crazy, it never stops, things constantly keep popping up. You would think with 2 weeks off from work (Amen, for school jobs) I would of got more done around the house over winter break. I wanted to go through all of our closets, organize the basement, deep clean … “start” 2018 off right. 

Well needless to say 2018 still started even if I wasn’t ready. Thankfully though this Christmas I got every Moms new best friend, the holy grail of kitchen gadgets, the Instant Pot.  

Dinner is done in a fraction of the time, in 1 pot. No more scrambling around to pull together a meal. (Okay, I will always be scrambling, but at least it is way less often) 

Not to mention you can cook frozen meat. That’s right. For the mom who always forgets to pull something out of the freezer before work, the Instant Pot is your sercet weapon to doing it all. 

There are a ton of recipes out there. Check out pinterest for inspiration or 1 of the 100’s of Facebook groups for Instant Pots. 

My latest meal was Tuscan Chicken, check out the recipe here. 

Hangovers & Toddlers … How to Survive

With Holiday season here that means tons of parties & more drinking. Wether your drinking to make it through Christmas dinner or just celebrating being reunited with family, one thing is the same … we are not 21 anymore & hangovers suck. Exspecially with a little human dependent on you, a.k.a. your toddler.

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Sweater: A.New.Day, from Target Clearance for $16, Shirt: Express, from 10 years ago, Jeans: Frame, from Opitz for $60, Shoes: Mossimo, from Target for $40, Necklace: Thrift Store for $5

Here are my go to’s for suriving the dreeded hangover with tots …

1. Water – tons of it & that electrolyte water like Smart or Fuji, but honestly the best stuff is your kids Pedialyte … chug that stuff!!! 
2. New Toys – I am not saying you need to go out & buy a new toy (that works though) but if you rotate toys (which is awesome BTW) take out a toy they haven’t had in a while that they love. Obviously not any of those loud-crazy-noise-making toys that everyone hates.
3. T.V. – let them watch what they want, this also goes for personal electronic 
4. Ibproufen – self explantory 
5. Dilevery – because we all know I am not cooking, also make sure you have tons of snacks for those hungry little monsters 
6. Bribery – literally this is all motherhood is. “You can have candy as long as you …” No shame here.

So go out, make the best of this holiday season, because you deserve it. Cheers! 🥂🍻🥂🍻🥂

Winter Bachelorette Party

Last weekend I got the oppurtunity to help plan a Winter Bachelorette Party for my dear friend Tanya.

Tanya & I met at work. She was the new 1st grade teacher & I was lucky enough to work with a student in her class. We became quick friends. Sharing many laughs through out the day & the occassional drink at happy hour.

 Tanya & I spent a ton of time at school together, but not a ton outside of school. (We live in different areas & lets be honest, it can be hard making time for friends with kids.) We made it work though, we became such good friends that she asked me to be apart of her wedding as her personal assistant. 

I was honored to say the least & so excitied that she had met her Prince Charming. (+ maybe she would start pushing out babies too, I could hope at least.)

One of my jobs as being personal assistant was helping plan the bachelorette party. This part made me a bit nervous. For one, we didn’t hang out much outside of school. Would she like what I planned? Thankfully it wasn’t just me planning.

I took on a couple of rolls, helping find the hotel, booking the restaurant, keeping track of who is & isn’t coming, & lastely the appiterziers. 

This I knew I would rock & on a budget too. Since the party was themed Winter Wonderland in downtown St. Paul, I wanted to do a charcuterie board. (My new go to for everything.) 

So I headed to my favorite grocery store ever … Aldi. I spent $210 on food, I know that may sound like a lot, but we had 24 girls coming & I did go a bit overboard, we had plenty of leftovers. (Okay alot, but I loved how it turned out)

The night was great, the drinks were flowing, & I was pretending I was 21 again. (I am definetlty NOT 21 … toddlers & hangovers don’t mix) But I couldn’t have asked for a better night. I met some great people, got to get all dolled up, & most of all the bride LOVED IT. 

Overalls

Overalls … you hear the word & you may think of a farmer, train conductor, or if you live in Minnesota you may think of every man sporting their Carhartt bibs all winter long, but to me they are my new go to. Overalls are simply the best, easy & comfortable. 

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Shirt: (actually a dress) Bar III, from Opitz for $25, Overalls: Forever 21 for $35, Socks: Free People, from Hope Chest for $6, Shoes: Mossimo, from Target for $35

Not only are they comfortable, but they are so flattering. When your not feeling your best they hide the buldge or a big meal. I wore a pair to Friendsgiving & was able to eat the night away without worrying about a food baby.

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Overalls: BDG, from Urban Outfitters for $30, Shirt: LOFT on clearance for $5

So go get yourself some overalls. I love pairing them with turtlenecks & stripes, but really you can pair them with anything. 

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Shirt: Mossimo, from Target for $10, Overalls: Forever 21 for $35, Boots: Mossimo, from Target for $35

My New Favorite Party

Life is always crazy, but the second Thanksgiving comes around it becomes a whole new ball game. The holidays are literally just insane. We have the Christmas shopping, wrapping, parties, decorating, baking, parties …. oh so many parties.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good classic party, sipping drinks, catching up with family & friends, laughing, dancing the night away. I live for getting all dressed up, wearing heels. BUT …

My new favorite party is … a party with good old Saint Nick. I am talking about breakfast with Santa. Thankfully for us our local Boys & Girls club throws the best Santa Breakfast.

For just $25 or a gift valued at $25 per family (& all proceeds go to the Boys & Girls Club, bonus!) you get to eat an amazing breakfast, decorate cookies, make ornaments, leather bracelets, & meet holiday unicorns & Santa, plus take in breath taking views at the Voyageur Environmental Center. It seriously everything you could ask for!

The kids got to run around, it wasn’t over crowded, the staff was friendly & all dressed up for the occasion. They were super helpful with the crafts, but really allowed people to do it on their own. My favorite was the leather bracelet.

A real treat was meeting the Holiday unicorn & horse. The kids loved running around outside & feeding the animals. Unicorns are real!

But truly the best part about it all was being with friends & family. Making new traditions & experience the magic of Christmas all over again. This is definitely my kind of party.

Weekly Style | Week 1

It’s getting cold in Minnesota. The lakes are starting to freeze, the air is dry, & the trees are bare. I really do love this weather, mostly because of the clothes. I can’t get enough layers, patterns, & different textiles.

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Sweater: Heather B, from Hope Chest for $12, Tank Top: Free People, from Hope Chest for $6, Jeans: Levis, from Opitz for $17

My winter essentials are jeans, boots, & sweaters. Duh, the basic-white-girl look! If I added a huge blanket scarf & Carbiou in hand (which I usually sport) then I really would be the epitome of basic-white-girl.

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Sweater: 525 America, from Opitz for $15, Jacket: Lucky Brand, from Opitz for $25, Jeans: Mossimo, from Goodwill for $6

Don’t get me wrong I love layering with scarfs, but seriously it’s the worst for us girls with long hair. After just 15 min of wearing a scarf with my hair down it is tangled into the biggest, unbrushable birds nest. Just not worth it for an everyday staple for me.

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Shirt: Allison Joy, from Hope Chest for $8, Jeans: Mossimo, from Goodwill for $4

So I will just keep my scarfs for dirty hair days, when I am feeling lazy, but want to look polished. What do you other long-haired girls do in the winter? It’s not just scarfs that turn my hair into a hot mess, but also hats & thick turtle neck sweaters. I need your tips!

Upstairs Circus

When my friend suggested checking out Upstairs Circus all she had to say was bottomless mimosas & I was in, the awesome craft I created was just an added bonus. 

Glasses: Zenni Optical, Sweater: Bow & Drape, from Opitz for $20, Jeans: Mossimo, from Target for $14, Shoes: Timberlands, from DSW for $60, Jacket: Columbia, husbands hand-me-down from his grandpa

This place is seriously the best for a day out with the girls, bachelorette party, or any crafter who loves to sip on drinks while creating. 

We entered Upstairs Circus & were greeted by the nicest staff. We checked in, showed them our IDs & handed them a credit card for any drinks we may have wanted above the mimosas that were included. They handed as tiny little plastic animals & showed us to our table. 

We brought in our own treats, some cupcakes. It turned out we were indeed celebrating something. It was one of my friends first time ever hanging with the girls without her son who was born 2 & half years ago. That’s right first time! We were going to need all of the momsas we could get our hands on.

After we got settled we headed to the back where all of the crafts were on display. There were so many options from house decor, signs, jewelry, & much more. I chose a marble serving tray, I turned my little plastic tiger in & received all the materials I would need along with the directions.

We headed back to our table & got started on our projects. The directions were easy to follow & the staff was great with any questions we may have had.

Not only was the staff nice, but the decor & style of the place was on point. Most DIY studios I feel can be a bit messy & lacking in decor, not Upstairs Circus. 

The floors were black & white tiles, from the ceiling hung upside down umbrellas, our chairs were modern & clear, & everything was clean. The bar was so cute with fun coloring books on it & an adorable popcorn machine in the corner.

I really couldn’t have asked for a better Sunday-funday. It took about 3 hours for as all to finish. I would say it was an hour of work & 2 hours of laughing with friends & getting a bit tipsy. All of this was just $40. A steal of a deal I thought!

I was so happy with my final product. It is actually something I like & would use. Those DIY painting classes are fun, but usually it is never a painting I enjoy or would hang in my house. 

I really just can’t say enough good things about Upstairs Circus. I highly recommend it. They have many locations around the country. So get the girls together or the hubby & head to your nearest Upstairs Circus. You won’t be disappointed!