I love dressing one way on top and then another way on the bottom. For some reason, I think it just works perfectly. On top, I feel like a preppy PTA mom, and on the bottom, not so much. 🙂
I can’t even handle how cute she is!!!!
My mom gave Maya this flower the other night, and I’ve been dying to take her pictures with it in this dress. They match perfectly 🙂






Collecting more “beach eggs” for her collections.







Hahahaha.
On me…
Tag Archives: Mom Blog
Another day on the beach…
We are getting to that time when a LOT of our posts will be down on the beach. We are super lucky to live so close to a gorgeous beach, and I loooove that Maya just runs, and runs, and runs!
I’m a liiiiiittle pissed that I messed up the focus on these first few, but whatever. That’s the downside to the beach. There are always people watching and wondering what the heck I’m doing with the tripod, and then I usually end up kicking whatever marker I had for my spot or it gets buried in the sand! First world problems for sure 😉
Thankfully the images are pretty small, so you might not even be able to tell. I can though, and it peeves me off!!
On me…
Boho Tops…always.
I’m a total sucker for boho tops. Super comfy and versatile. You can dress them down or dress them up! Plus, this one is super light weight. Cool enough for the sunny day we just had, but still provided coverage.
Where’s Maya??








Goffrey is BACK (pretty sure this would be Goffrey III)! He’s gone along with us to a few adventures and stays in the back of my car. 




On me…

I CANNOT even believe I’m posting this next one, but OMG hahahaha.
Who are we?? A little more about us :)
We have an about us page, and we’ve done a couple of posts of us together (Although, we both wish there were more!!) Sadly, with jobs, kids, husbands, LIFE(!!!), it’s not as easy as we’d like. I had one friend from Instagram say “I thought you and Esther lived next to each other!” I wish!!! Ok, maybe I don’t. I’d weigh 800 lbs from all the delicious goodies she cooks up!
Anyway!! I DO live next to one of our mutual friends. Her son had a birthday a few days ago, so it was finally our chance to get some pictures together! We did these after the party, with her husband graciously wrangling our 3 kids on a sugar high/mayhem let down. The sun was oh so bright (seriously, what the heck Seattle?!), and the location was in front of my house. Oh, and I forgot to mark the exact focus point with the self timer and tripod, so I messed up the focus (GRRRRRR!!!)
BUT…this is us!! 🙂
Yeah, because self timer poses are so natural and fun when you have your spouse and kids watching!! 🙂
And…yup. Our kids are running around like crazy kids on sugar highs 😉 
Random Facts About Lauren:
- I am a total creature of habit. I’ve have a PB&J every day for lunch. Have for at least the last 10(??) years. That’s just one of many examples!
- I’ve had grey hair since high school. Which…was 22 years ago. I’m scared to know how much I have now.
- I’m not really into traditional “pampering”. I’ve cut and colored my own hair since high school, and give myself mani’s and pedi’s (I do get pedi’s for special occasions because…duh that cheese grater is the bomb and my feet need it!!). Mix of being a complete control freak and not wanting to pay someone to do something I can do myself 🙂 More $ to spend on thrifting!
- I’m ridiculously competitive. Some people won’t play games with me. Thanks Dad 😉
- I have an irrational fear of sharks…and really any kind of fish. All thanks to Jaws and a fish jumping out of it’s tank at a pet store and flopping at my feet when I was 5-6. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?!
- I didn’t like spicy food, until I got pregnant. I craved Sriracha on everything, and still do.
- I over analyze EVERY decision. Big decisions sometimes take me a year+. BUT…once I decide, I want to do it immediately. Some think I’m spontaneous because of that last part. NOT EVEN REMOTELY 🙂
- I’m pretty shy and introverted. Until you get to know me. Or…at work, because I have to be outgoing.
- I love sad movies.
- Spelling backwards is a random super power. Cranium anyone? 😉
Random Facts about Esther:
- I hate following directions or recipes (cooking is an art right!?)
- I rowed on UW Crew for a year – one of the most challenging experiences of my life, but it was an amazing experience
- I’m a total introvert as well. I was so shy first grade that my teacher had to sit next to me during a reading assignment so I could WHISPER it to her! I’ve had to work on that BIG time just to survive at work and in life.. Speaking of..
- I did Toastmasters for years and then started a corporate club at work, overcame my deathly fear of public speaking and now coach others!
- I want to be a TED speaker
- I could probably eat rice crispy treats every day
- I grew up in Norway and speak several languages
- I’m almost 5’11” and have a terrible time finding pants that fit just right (too short! Too long!).. I know, I know.. it’s rough to be me..!
- Never thought I’d be a yogi, but discovered hot yoga this winter and totally LOVE it!
- Coming up with random facts about myself is way too hard
Windy day on the beach…
Funny…I took these almost a month ago, but kind of forgot about them. Oops!
Sometimes she does these really quick repeated kisses. Like woodpecker kisses haha.
And, I LOVE that she just runs and jumps into my arms!
Loooooove this shot. The clouds…the wind. There’s just something about shots from behind for me. I love the story that they tell.

On me…
But THEN his grandfather walked up too, and in the ENTIRE beach. Stands right behind us? Like not even random about it-totally on purpose got in the shot. Kind of threw me off, because I was waiting… Oh well. Oh, and it’s not like I don’t expect people to get in my shot. We ARE on the beach. But this particular beach is usually pretty empty, and we were the only four people there!!!Boho Tops + Jeans + Sandals (for the both of us!)
That awkward moment when you actually did your hair and wore decent clothes because your neighbor had a party for their 3 year old, and you say…yeah, I’m totally taking pics of myself while Maya is inside going potty hahaha.
DYING!! 😉
Thumbs up!! This is her new thing. We did a throw (which did NOT get captured properly, but they cheered and Maya gave them the thumbs up haha)
I can’t even handle her sweetness!!
Then, our neighbors asked her to dance. I mean…duh. Easiest thing to ask Maya!
MY FAVORITE!




On me…
Easter afternoon…hunting for beach eggs :)
Yes, I am almost a week behind the actual times… 😉
After the morning Easter festivities, we put on some comfy shoes and headed down to a rocky beach to look for beach eggs. 🙂
An EGG!! 🙂

These are now in a pottery bowl on our dining room table. Instant art! 🙂 Ok, there might be someone that finds this offensive/reports me for taking beach rocks. Oh, well.

At first, when she started walking on this log, I was nervous. I yelled for her to be careful. Then I watched. She balanced along it like a champ!

And then she kept doing it over and over!

And then, she started running along the LOG! I was both freaking out that she would fall in all those rocks, and totally proud of her balance!!
Btw…this is what she wore earlier for Easter. I picked the dress, and she picked the jacket. We both decided on the boots 🙂
On me…
From shorts and sandals on the beach…to sweaters and boots in the woods.
It’s been rainy off an on lately, which is more normal for this time of year in Seattle. It was kind of nice to put on a cozy sweater and boots again for a change! We were out running errands, and by the time we came back home the rain had stopped. SO…we headed off to this little park by our house for a bit.
I also realized that I rarely take pictures with my bags. Mainly, because I don’t carry them around when we are off adventuring/playing. BUT…I scored this amazing bag on eBay recently for $30 with free shipping and I’m so in love with it!
Basically, I need a ginormous cavernous pit that I can stuff everything under the sun into to avoid Armageddon when we are out and about 🙂

And…she’s off! 🙂
On me…
When you find the perfect item at the thrift store…
I’ll admit. I buy more than I should when I’m thrifting. I mean, when things are only a few dollars it’s hard NOT TO!! However, when you find something you LOVE or something you’ve been looking for…total WIN! I’m a total sucker for white boho tops, and I found this one the other week for $3.50! I love the seams and the fluttery bottom!
I have to tell you. Twirling shots with a self timer are less than graceful. I got plenty of strange looks haha. But I really wanted to show how cool this top was. 🙂
She kept getting sand in her sandals and wanting to take them off. By summer end, she’ll not even notice, or will be forever barefoot. I just worry about all the sharp shells and glass, so I make her keep something on :{
And THEN…I found these Salt Water Sandals for Maya for $1.20!!!! That’s UNHEARD OF! I couldn’t believe my luck! I’ve been wanting to get her a pair forever!! Now…I just need to score a pair in my size! 🙂
And this adorable romper was 40% off clearance. I rarely ever by things retail, but this was too good to pass up. And…I may have gotten it in two colors 🙂
Love, love, LOVE this next one!
That belly!!!!
And…THAT SMILE!!!
On me…
Romper- GapKids “Starry Romper”
Shoes- SaltWater “Surfer” (thrifted for $1.25!!!))
Panama hats for the win!
If there is one thing I could tell my teen/20/30 year old self (and actually listen to!!) it would be to not tan! Ugh, I did it all (baby oil, no sun screen at all, tanning beds!)! As pale as I am now, I really do have olive skin that gets niiiiice and tan, BUT it’s not worth it! The skin cancer scares (heaven forbid they become a reality!), the wrinkles, the age spots!!! SO glad that hats are all the rage now!


She could throw rocks for hours…
No, she did not make these cairns. How cool are they though!! I had to tell her numerous times how special they were and not to take them and throw the rocks in the ocean ;}


She loves collecting “eggs”




On me…












