Jumpsuits and Rompers for a night out in Los Cabos

 Next time we go to Los Cabos, we decided that we are going to rent a car and get more adventurous.  However, this trip was all about no plans and relaxing, so we ate out at restaurants around our hotel pretty much every meal.

Maybe I’ll do a food post one of these days because they had amazing food (and duh…I took pictures!)

Until then…it was nice that we could just walk to dinner and back every night!

Oh, and the grounds of the Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar are gorgeous! I’d been wanting to take pictures along this wall for a few days, and of course, when I actually brought my camera, she was having nothing to do with it…
But…Maya never fails to charm everyone she meets… Oh, and a bar cart right to our table?

Houston was in heaven… 🙂 Present from the Easter bunny that had to come along to dinner 🙂

One of the many great things about this particular restaurant (we ate here 3 times!) was that we could walk to this overlook after dinner and Maya could run around.  Truth be told….I’m not sure if we were SUPPOSED to go up here, but there weren’t any signs saying we shouldn’t! This view?!!!!  I decided that we would try to come back here for some family pics before we left!

(AND we DID!!  That post coming soon!)

The hands on the hips though!! I can’t even handle how cute she is…See the “Keeping it Real” at the bottom for the real story going on here… 😉
Then as we were walking back to our room, Maya went up into this little gazebo, turned the light on, and asked Houston to dance. And then I DIED!!!

Video here.

On me…

On Maya…
Romper- Crew & Lu (sold out)
Shoes- SaltWater Sandals (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
What Maya was really doing when she was laughing hysterically…
Smacking her butt…haha.  I couldn’t care less, because she laughs uncontrollably!  And that right there is typical Momlife.
The proverbial saying goes “Happy wife, happy life.” BUT…it should be…
Hmmm, I’ll have to get back to you on that one.
“Happy tot, happy lot?”
“If your kid is happy, you’ll all be happy!”
That last one doesn’t rhyme, so I feel like it’s cheating, but…

dit-elle-Lauren

Playing in the Cherry Blossoms in Vintage Levi’s Jacket, White Denim, and Clogs (New Favorite)

 One of the things I love the most about spring is all the cherry blossoms that are in bloom!

I had these grand plans of taking Maya to the UW Arboretum or the University of Washington campus, where the blooms are notoriously amazing!

I ended up getting to shoot a family at the UW Arboretum, but having the time for us to go…well, that wasn’t happening.  SO…we went a few blocks from our house, and played amongst the many blooming trees there!

I honestly think this was the better idea.  It was quick, fun, and not a big production.  THAT is more Maya’s style, and honestly, I have to keep in mind what she wants most of the time.

AND, this is honestly a super long post, because I took SO many images that I love!!  It all worked out for the best 🙂 This next shot is totally out of focus, but I wanted to get a picture of her FIRST MANICURE!!

She came with me and my mom for the first time and was the SWEETEST! Seriously!??  I wish the streets were lined with blooms like this ALL THE TIME! This next photo is totally out of focus, but it is SO HER!!!  She always comes running so enthusiastically for a hug!!  It’s getting harder and harder to document as she gets older, but….LOVE!!  LOVE!!!
I almost put this as an “outtake”, because…clearly she’s going in for a big BITE!  But…I love it.  It’s SO HER! Love all these close ups that I got, but this next one…

On me…

Jacket- Levi’s (thrifted, similar here)
Top- Free People  “Two to Tango” (Nordstrom Rack, sold out)
Clogs- Korks by Kork Ease “Marcia Clog” (eBay sold out, here in black, similar here in brown)
On Maya…
Jacket- GapKids (thrifted, but similar here)
Dress- Ralph Lauren (thrifted, similar here)
Leggings- Hanna Andersson (thrifted, similar lighter color here)
Boots- Morgan and Milo (thrifted, similar here)
Keeping it Real…
 This is what a lot of the shots I try to take with the both of us look like… 😉 She’s got a killer right hook haha!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Playing on the beach | Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar

We played on the beach a little bit while we were waiting for the Easter Celebration I posted about on Monday to begin.

Dying over her sweet happy face!!
And that water??!  SO pretty!

Although!  Do you see that wave behind us?  There were a few days where they hung the black flag, because the waves were SO BIG!!  A lot bigger than this! Again…her face-LOVE!I looooove that you can get Saltwater sandals wet!  They were a staple on our trip for both of us!On me…

Hat- Vintage (thrifted, similar here)
Top- Clu (eBay, similar here)
Pants- Lululemon (thrifted, similar here)
On Maya…
Hat- Wallaroo (It’s actually mine, but I cinched it up on her :))
Top- GapKids (thrifted)
Leggings- Children’s Place (thrifted)
Shoes- SaltWater Sandals (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
Her face after a wave caught her and got her all wet haha.  Thankfully it was so hot, she dried off in minutes!
(all pictures of me with Maya taken by the Huz :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Easter 2017 | Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar

 To be honest, I was a little worried about being gone for Easter.   We usually do an egg hunt with my parents and then have family over for a big yummy meal.  Maya was a little sad when we told her we were going to be gone and not doing that this year…

I had googled “Easter in Mexico” and found out that it’s one of the biggest holidays down there.  A LOT of people take the week off before, so there were warnings of things possibly being closed.  It also mentioned that they don’t really celebrate with the “Easter Bunny”

SO…just in case, I packed a few little treats, and “Left a message for the Easter bunny telling him where we were going…” 😉

I needn’t have worried!  Our hotel had an amazing morning full of fun activities, and Maya was in heaven!!

Each kid got to pick out and keep a felt Easter basket to collect their eggs.DYING!! 🙂Easter egg hunt! This guy was amazing!  He must have been SO hot!!! They got to decorate a tee shirt with their handprints.Ginormous chocolate egg with candy inside.The Easter bunny cracked it open and it was MAYHEM!!!  Maya was right in front, and I miiiiiight have overreacted a little, panicked, and raced into the mob to get her so she didn’t get hurt.  

Thank you SO much to everyone at the Sheraton Grand Los Cabos Hacienda del Mar for making Easter morning so special to so many families!!
I did a little video compilation that can be seen here.

dit-elle-Lauren

Breaking out the White Denim for Spring!

 So…spring has been late in coming to Seattle, but we’ve had a few sunny days (or at times hours) here and there, and it’s just about the only thing getting me through this never ending winter!!

One of the first thing I get excited to wear is white denim!  I have a bit of an obsession with white jeans, and have dedicated many a post to them haha.

I recently scored these off eBay (like new for $2.26-SAY WHAT?!!), and I love them! We ran right past the focus point on this one…boo hoo!!  I still like it even though it’s out of focus though.  Maybe more so because of it?  I couldn’t decide if this was an outtake or not! LOOOOOOOOVE her!  And the light this day was sooooo good!
Anyone remember Goffrey?? 🙂 I want to eat her up!!

On me…

Top- Dallin Chase (thrifted, similar here, and less expensive super cute here)
Jeans- Current Elliott “The Cropped Straight Leg” (Bought on eBay like new for $2.26!!!)
Shoes- Converse (thrifted)
On Maya…
Dress- Crewcuts (thrifted, similar here)
Leggings- Hanna Andersson (old, but these are cute!)
Shoes- Converse (thrifted)
Keeping it Real…
Hahaha.  I don’t always catch the perfect smile and laughter on Maya…her face!!! 🙂 running in for a hug!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Thrifting for the WIN!

 I didn’t set out to do this post as an “all thrifted” post.  Honestly, I just put on some of my favorite things, and then realized they were all MAJOR thrift scores!  I love it when I score things (obviously!), but it’s even better when the super scores become my favorite items!

I keep thinking it’s going to be time to pack away all the winter coats and bring out the spring wardrobe, but alas….not quite yet.  Admittedly, I originally took these images a month and half ago, but sadly it could have been taken this week as well.

This jacket is reversible, and is lined entirely in the body with faux fur.  SO warm and cuddly, and I love the bomber jacket look!blog-faux-fur-lined-bomber-jacket-rag-bone-moto-jeans-frye-harness-1 blog-faux-fur-lined-bomber-jacket-rag-bone-moto-jeans-frye-harness-2 It’s hard to tell, but the moto details at the knee and thigh are super fun and flattering!  I swear they suck you in, which I’m totally ok with haha 🙂blog-faux-fur-lined-bomber-jacket-rag-bone-moto-jeans-frye-harness-3 And don’t get me started on these boots.  I still can’t believe my luck in scoring them.  They are BEYOND comfy, as all Frye boots are!

On me…

Jacket- Thrifted for $12!! (Similar here).
Sweater- Michael Stars (thrifted for $3.50, similar here)
Jeans- Rag & Bone (thrifted for $6.50!)
Boots- Frye 12″ Harness boots (thrifted for $10!! They were in the men’s section!!)
Keeping it Real…
Not much in the way of keeping it real on this post.  I literally took these in 5 minutes in an alley near my house.  Get-er-done!  haha.
As a side note, does anyone have anything in particular they’d like to see??
I’m all ears!!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Leather Jacket + LWD over Distressed Jeans + Booties

I wore this dress before and took it from day and then to night.  What I hadn’t realized when I tried it on was that the slip that came with it was SO SHORT!!  I added a 2nd slip when I wore it alone as a dress, but decided it would be perfect over a pair of skinny jeans!  I love putting skinnies over dresses that are a liiiiiittle too short for…well, ANY kind of movement.  Especially the case when you are dealing with your kids!  Running after them?  Bending over?!!  Um…not happening!

Although, for summer, I’ve also put a pair of cut offs under another little white dress and cute little lace shorts under an LBD!  I say don’t let it being too short stop you from buying something that’s super cute!  You can make it work!

OMG…her smile??!  DYING!! She really wanted me to make her “fly”.  I wasn’t sure if those days were gone, but I tried anyways.  She loved it, and…I didn’t throw out my back haha, so it was a win! Although, she wanted to keep doing it…She did a bunch of poses up on this ledge.  I was simultaneously dying, and nervous that she would dance right off!!  On me…

Leather Jacket- Organic by John Patrick (ebay)
Boots- Aquatalia (eBay for $50! similar here)
On Maya…
Jacket- Jean Bourget (thrifted)
Sweaters- ZaraGirls (striped) Old Navy cardigan (thrifted)
Jean Jacket- GapKids (thrifted, but similar here)
Jeans- DL1961 Chloe C/O
Shoes- Rampage Girls (thrifted, but similar here)
Keeping it Real…
Her face in these next two…haha.
Her pose is on point though, ha! 😉
Not feeling me here, obviously…
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod, except ones of Maya :))

dit-elle-Lauren

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup (Crockpot | Paleo | Whole 30 )

I’m sure most of the world is feeling the warmth of spring and summer, but…in Seattle, we are NOT-UGH!!  But…while I’m sick of wearing layers upon layers, I never get tired of yummy soups!  Especially easy ones that are practically cooked without me!

This is a recipe that I’ve now done twice because after the first attempt was so well received, I obviously did it again!!  And it was all a fluke of things I just happened to have in my cupboard and fridge-WHOOP!

Ingredients (feeds 4 with leftovers)

  • 4-5 frozen chicken breasts (I’m ALWAYS on the fly.  If yours aren’t frozen, the timing should still work.  It might just mean the meat will be more tender)
  • 1 Can Full Fat Coconut Cream (check labels if you are on Whole30, I used Trader Joe’s)
  • 1 Can Chicken Broth (check labels if you are on Whole30)
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed ginger
  • 1 Tablespoon crushed lemongrass
  • 1 Teaspoon crushed garlic
  • 1 Medium to Large Onion Diced
  • 1/2 Cup Diced Carrots (I used organic Rainbow Carrots, because…duh FUN COLORS! :))
  • If you aren’t on a dietary restriction you could add 1/2 a box of Pasta (again, I go light on this end and used veggie pasta.  You could use gluten free OR 2 cups zoodles or sweet potato noodles etc if you are Whole30!)

Directions

  • Place everything in the crockpot, and you’re DONE!!!I  I always wonder if things look the way they should when I’m throwing things together, so…yes, it should look like this 🙂And then….after you take the chicken out and fork shred it (it will be SO tender!!)

THIS!

  • Unless, you want to add a noodle variation.  When you are about 10-15 minutes out, you can add the pasta or zoodles etc and they will cook to being tender.  I think they’d be mushy if you added them in at the beginning, but let me know if you try!  I even added them after the cook time when it was in “warm” mode, and it worked!

Another Recipe you might enjoy…

I posted one of my latest crock pot easy healthy dinners last week.

Crockpot Veggie Pasta and Turkey Meat Sauce

Honestly, I was on a crock pot roll lately.  Too much to do, no time to cook, yet I wanted yummy healthy food.  I didn’t have a recipe for either of these meals and both were DELICIOUS!  I’m saying this because a lot of times I see recipes that I like, but I don’t have the time or the ingredients.  THAT is the best part of the slow cooker.  I have taken tried and true recipes that involved multiple pots and hours of time of me in front of the stove, and rolled the dice throwing everything into the slow cooker in the morning.  Guess what?  They’ve all turned out fine!  Are they as amazing as the original?  Sometimes maybe not QUITE as much, but honestly…

It’s pretty darn good!

Enjoy!dit-elle-Lauren

Leather Jacket + Striped Swing Dress + Booties (Spring?? Are you there…?)

 I keep thinking…

If you wear it, it will come… Spring?! I’m talking to you! 😂😫🙏🏻. And, I’ll keep layering over my summer dresses, until I can wear them by themselves! I took a close up shot, and you could totally see my goosebumps! 🙈

I keep thinking in terms of the “Field of Dreams” movie. I’m sure most people will have no idea what I’m talking about, but… “If you build it, it they will come…” Anyone else remember and reference that movie??! 🙋🏼Maya loooooves to twirl. and she executes the twirl to perfection!  Sadly, she was still in preschool when I took these (in the 10 minutes I had before I had to pick her up!)

I attempted it, and then realized, that my specialty lies in the casual “swish”…

🙂

On me…

Leather Jacket- Plein Sud (eBay, similar here)
Boots- SixtySeven “Blake” Bootie (Nordstom Rack, sold out, loving these)
Keeping it Real…
The many attempts at the twirl, because this dress was MEANT for twirling!!  But…the wind also kicked in and…
My hair!!!  hahaha.
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod)

dit-elle-Lauren

SwimZip “The Sophisticated Swim Cover Up” Day to Night

I did a post before about my love of SwimZip.  You can see Maya frolicking in low tide in the cutest suit in this post.  Seriously…LOVE!

After having two skin cancers dug out of me last year, I’m all about the cover ups!  Also…at 42 my skin does not need any more damage.  I swear, every day I find a new sun spot, and I hate them!!  Much better than finding more skin cancer though…

All that to say…I’m a total fan of cute cover ups that have SPF built in, and SwimZip has SO many great options!

About a month and a half ago, they posted on their Instagram page that they were looking for bloggers to partner with.  I jumped at the chance, and I couldn’t have been more thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them and shoot this adorable dress! I looooove the cinch tie side!!  You can adjust it to the length you want, and the draping effect is super flattering!  I got a medium.  For reference, I’m 5′ 8″, but have a super long torso and no…well, no boobs to be blunt.  I had considered getting a small, but was worried I would be too self-conscious about it being too tight.   I’m so glad I got the size that I did!  It may have looked baggy on me except for the cinching!  All that to say, there’s some wiggle room.

And the thumb holes on the sleeves-love!! These are SO cute that I wanted to show how you could wear them day to night!  You know when you are on vacation and you go straight from the pool to dinner?   Ok, I don’t, because I want to go shower and change, BUT…you totally could with these if you didn’t have time!

What HAS happened to me?  I am super careful during the day about sun protection.  I lather up in sunscreen/and or wear cover ups, but then at night?  I throw on a summer dress and that’s it.  And then because the sun is still out, I get sun damage-GRRR!

Well, now I have another option!  🙂 Ps- I showed these to the Huz, because I was a liiiiiiittle nervous about this post showing too much skin and wanted a second opinion (so weird because I’ve done posts in cut offs and tanks, but…).

When he saw this next one he said “Woah…I want a copy of that one!”

So…as self conscious as I felt…he liked it, and on some level…I guess that’s all that matters 🙂

On me…

Hat- Thrifted, similar here.
Bag- Gift
Sandals-Salt Water Sandals and Ugg (thrifted, similar here)
Keeping it Real…
My excitement over this swim cover up aside…I hadn’t quite realized just how nervous I would be to take these images!!  I think every woman is self-conscious about her body, and I’m certainly no different!  I kept vowing to not have any wine the week before, and try not to snack so much, but…yeah, that never happened.
Then there’s the fact that I take all our images with a self timer and tripod… I felt like the biggest nerd on the beach by myself, but I honestly had so much fun taking these shots!!
You can watch a behind the scenes video of me taking the close up shots.
THEN there’s the fact that we are still having total winter weather!!  It literally snowed the weekend before, and had been raining non stop.  We had a break in the rain, so I decided to just go for it…in 50 degree weather-I wore a down parka and my Hunter boots down to the beach hahaha..  I had dreams of taking these images with amazing sun flare, but… At least I had the beach to myself!  Not sure I could have done this in front of a bunch of people!  Although, there is a walking path right above where I was, so I’m sure a few people wondered…
Oh, and of course the owner of the “closed” restaurant lives across the street and came out to ask if he could help me-AWKWARD!
While I was given this amazing cover up, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
(all pictures taken with a shutter release and tripod)

dit-elle-Lauren