Living Room Refresh

Thanks in part to a new baby, and mostly to a rambunctious 6 year old, our relatively new couch looks well beyond its years at this point. And a saggy, stained couch really drags down the decor factor of any room so a little face lift for the family living space was in order. I am always drawn to grays, and lately I am loving mixed metal accents in bronze, gold and steel. While the room needs to be family friendly, it also has to reflect our taste so its an ongoing process. I love West Elm for mid century style pieces, with an industrial feel. These items seem to mix really well in the updated farm house aesthetic of our CT house.

Any new or favorite home decor sites I need to visit?

#9Months

This bundle is 9 months old, and let me tell you- the joy is boundless. But don't be fooled- he still doesnt sleep, and refuses his crib. So alongside our joy sits chronic exhaustion, holding a forceful grip over mind and body, making certain daily activities sometimes enormously challenging (and causing me to feel extreme jealousy when I see mattress commercials featuring fresh faced people climbing into bed at night).

Wells has 2 teeth, eats almost exclusively homemade meals (as he began refusing pureed food in a  jar after his first bite of my meatballs), stands up with little effort, cruises along furniture, climbs an entire flight of stairs, laughs hysterically when Tucker tickles his feet, crawls faster than most people run, loves the pool (happily we have an indoor pool with a family membership nearby), and loves his brother. He also enjoys finger painting, and saying 'dada' over and over at anything that moves (including the family cat).

Fall Flats To Fall For

I love new shoes, but since I work from home about 70% of the time lately and am on the pesky budget I've been talking about, a new pair will have to be both practical and affordable. I ma fairly obsessed with mules I've been seeing everywhere, and have picked up the pair above from target while on a diaper and formula run (in both black and silver, still under $50!) Leopard is a neutral, and is the easiest way to dress up a pair of jeans period. And Tom's are a personal favorite- not the classic slides but their more fashion forward yet still eco-friendly styles.

Any new finds I've missed in footwear?

5(ish) Ingredient Crock Pot Meals

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

This is my family's favorite. We have it fresh the night I make it, leftover for lunch, and leftover again over a baked potato for dinner. Amazing also with chips as a snack while watching football.

You'll need:

• 2 lbs ground lean organic turkey
• 3 jars of your favorite salsa (try one spicy, 2 medium or mild)
• 1 can no-salt added black beans
• 1 large jar diced tomatoes (I like to dice 1-2 cups of fresh tomatoes, but a jar works well too)
• 2 tablespoons chili powder

Cook the turkey completely on the stove-top, drain the fat. Then sprinkle the chili powder over cooked turkey and let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked turkey to the crock, throw in all the other ingredients. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, leave it on warm until you're ready to eat. Enjoy!

Fall Snaps

Living in Connecticut is great all year, and come fall, its simply spectacular. The foliage, pumpkin patches, apple orchards and local farm stands explode with produce that inspires my cooking, cocktailing, workouts (and outfits!)

Stop Selling Me Stuff in a Box

I love reading my favorite blogs when I take a 15 min coffee break mid-morning, after the prior evenings emails are answered (half my job is based in CA where I can never stay awake long enough to respond same day), before I return the numerous voicemail blinking away on my phone. But lately, what the heck is with everyone peddling products?  I have developed an actual aversion to boxes lately, for fear someone will try to sell me a subscription to one, filled with leggings, face wash, tea, weight-loss shakes (gag).

It trickles down from celebrities on Instagram (Im looking at you Lisa Rinna) professing their love for magic tea to flatten your stomach, coordinating gym clothes, boxes filled with more crap you dont need that can be delivered to your door every month, or some other nonsense. But it seems to have infiltrated even the bloggers south of celebrity status, just average women, moms, fashion fans, trying to convince me I just need this {insert item no one really needs} for some innocuous reason and similarly middle market prices, which, over time, would actually accumulate to a significant waste of money.

A swatch of a new shade of lipstick and an honest review of it? Definitely. An artfully done flat lay of someones new fall fashion finds? Please.  But I have a hard enough time buying formula and diapers at Target and trying to resist the craft, clothing and ever expanding stylish home accent aisle. I certainly don't need more crap peddled at me from all angles which I previously sought solace and a brief moment of pleasure from. I have un-followed several blogs recently, and think I need recommendations for sites with more cat videos.

Formal Wear Without A 'Formal' Budget

Fall has generally not been as big a wedding season perhaps as June, but for us, our very best friends (and both sets of parents) celebrate wedding anniversaries this season. I think more and more couples opt for the cooler temps and colorful foliage these days, and enjoy the wider range of attire choices it affords. For me, fall and winter become our default formal season since my largest clients host annual fundraising galas, and I cant really pull off the same dress more than once (Tom is lucky enough to be able to recycle his Tux at least a handful of times).

In the era of online shopping, gone are the days where men must rent itchy, worn tuxedos from stodgy department stores. There are so many more options these days for affordable, stylish ensembles. The Black Tux is one of these choices and for me (since I'm generally in charge of outfitting the entire family not just on a daily basis, but also for special events) its become a first stop for me. I've mentioned before how important the at-home try on is, and the invariable #budget is a looming concern. This hits both marks for me.

Diary of a Mom: Working Mom Guilt Edition

I'm practicing mindfulness, and trying hard to wake up happy even on mornings where I have slept less than 4 hours, have to bring the baby to daycare, have to drive to New York, blah blah blah. I know many working moms talk about the guilt associated with having to be at 'work' most of the day, but I don't find this to be my largest source of stress or guilt. Rather the effect that work can have on my patience, and my unfiltered reaction to my kiddos is where my guilt blooms.

When my darling 6 year old says 'mommy' for the 27th time in a 10 minute span, and I sigh audibly before answering him, this is guilt. Because he is trying to show me the track he constructed along the basement floor by himself, or recite a math lesson from school for me, or ask me which of the model trains he collects from the museum gift shop is my favorite.

That small wish I unconsciously make for solitude, for silence, for a glass of wine instead of holding a container of chocolate milk, that is guilt. Working all day at a job I enjoy, feeling proud to be an attorney with large scale responsibilities at a relatively young age, that is fulfillment and modeling hard work for my children, not guilt. The challenge to reserve space on that full emotional plate is what I work at, elusive at times, but most true challenges are. So deep breath, happy face, tight hugs.