recipes

Valentine’s Chex Mix ❣️

Valentines Chex Mix Recipe

After making muddy buddies (not puppy chow 😉 a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been wanting to make a Valentine’s treat for the kids (and me, of course).

It’s similar to “Christmas Crack” if you’ve ever heard of that (What’s Gaby Cooking has a great recipe! Her recipe is probably way more legit if you like following clearer instructions), but I added the Valentine’s M&M’s to make it Valentine’s!

Grocery Shopping List:

  • Corn Chex
  • Rice Chex
  • Honey Nut Cheerios (or regular!)
  • Pretzels
  • Valentine’s M&M’s (or any seasonal ones depending on the season!)
  • 2 bags Guittard White Chocolate Chips (this specific brand is a game changer)

Mix 6 cups total of cereal in whatever variation you want. I personally love more Corn Chex so I did 4 cups Corn Chex, 1 cup Rice and 1 cup Honey Nut Cheerios but you could easily do 2 of each to make it more even. If you don’t want to buy both Chex, just do one!

Add 1 cup of mini pretzels and mix it all around.

Add one bag of seasonal chocolate M&M’s

Melt 1.5 bags of white chocolate chips in the microwave and add it to the bowl (THIS IS THE BEST MIXING BOWL!) pouring it over all of the cereal.

Pour it onto a cookie sheet with wax paper and then (optional) drizzle some white chocolate over the top. Let it cool for a bit and enjoy!

You can freeze or put it in the fridge. I personally love freezing it and it lasts longer!

Enjoy! Don’t forget to check out my Valentine’s Gift Guides HERE 💗

-Liv

home

My Daughter’s New Big Girl Room!

Penelope's Big Girl Room

We recently added some new things in my daughters’ bedroom and I thought I’d update it here on this blog post since it’s now technically outdated.

They’ve done such a great job sharing a room! I LOVE walking in to my eldest in my youngest’s crib and them playing together. It really is the sweetest sight to see. Yes, sometimes it’s hard if one wakes up the other… but this is our only option right now and so we’re leaning in!

Here are the updated links for things in their room!

(tap the image to shop)


Penelope's Big Girl Room

We also got a few precious pieces from Rosa Mae Baby Essentials. Use OLIVIA10 for a discount code! I love their diaper-changing clutch too.

(tap the image to shop)


Original post:

For a couple of months now, we have been talking with our eldest about transitioning her to an official “big girl bed”. She was sleeping so great in her transitioned crib (we were using this one with her! and we’ll switch our son to it when the baby comes) but she was definitely starting to outgrow it!

Well, a couple of weeks before Christmas, she was sitting on Santa’s lap and ASKED FOR A BIG GIRL BED! 🙃 The bed I originally ordered for her (this one… I’m obsessed with it) was back ordered until March so I started scrambling for a lookalike 🤯 She asked every Santa she saw for a big girl bed so I was running around like crazy trying to buy everything in time for Christmas morning.

Penelope Big Girl Room
Penelope Big Girl Room

I ended up finding a great lookalike (for a fraction of the price!) and everything arrived right in the nick of time! Will and I stayed up until 2 AM assembling the bed (this Santa thing is hard lol) but she woke up and was completely SHOCKED! I need to share the Story on my Instagram. Her reaction was soo cute!

Penelope Big Girl Room
Penelope Big Girl Room

Had to snap a quick picture of her in this locket necklace 🥺 isn’t it the most precious thing?

Penelope Big Girl Room

I of COURSE had to buy her our favorite sheets and pillow that we have on our bed. I promise they are the COMIFEST ever! Use CE-OLIVIABETH for 40% off your Cozy Earth order! They are the first sheets Will and I both agree with and are obsessed with!

Penelope Big Girl Room

Here’s to hoping she doesn’t spring another big present on me to Santa next year 😉

Also, stop growing up P!

-Liv

gift guides

Kids Valentine’s Gift Guide

One of my favorite parts of being a parent is making the holidays EXTRA special for my kids! This time of year can be a little dreary with the cold weather, etc. but I absolutely. LOVE looking forward to Valentine’s and Easter with my little families.

XOXO Wooden Block Set // Heart Pajamas

Here are some ideas for little Valentine’s baskets for your kids!

CLICKING ON ANY IMAGE BELOW WILL TAKE YOU TO SHOP!

  1. Yum Earth Pops – I’m *that* mom that tries to do healthier candy at home since I know they’ll be getting tons at school! These are Just Ingreidents approvved 🙂
  2. Happy Valentine’s Day, Mouse! – My kids LOVE these books!
  3. Wooden Heart Box – This would make such a cute present for the kids to make for their grandparents or dad! Put notes inside of what you love about them and a picture of them on it!
  4. Glitter Heart Stickers – my kids love art projects. The more stickers the better!
  5. Wooden Heart Paint Set – another fun paint project to do with the kids!
  6. Gender Neutral Pajamas – these are the pajamas I got for my son!
  7. Woven Basket – cute to put all the goodies inside for their Valentine’s basket! Comes in other colors too.
  8. Mickey Mouse Valentine’s Tubby Todd! – our favorite bath products for our kids!
  9. Piggy Paint Nail Polish – another Just Ingredients approved product 🙂 I love using this non-toxic nail polish with my daughter!
  10. Meri Meri Bobbi Pins – my daughter loves these clips so much.
  11. Happy Valentine’s Day Curious George! – I of COURSE bought this for my son!
  12. Wooden Heart Frame – another super cute present for grandparents or friends!
  13. Valentine’s Friendship Card Kit – I want to get this for my daughter and have her take little friendship cards around to her friends!
  14. Sweetheart Sunglasses – the detailing on these are so cute.
  15. Heart Bowl – I bought two of these to give the kids their presents in! I plan on using them after too for desserts around Valentine’s. A 2-in-1 😉
  16. Valentine’s Heart Pajamas – these are the pajamas my daughter got!
  17. Valentine’s Heart Pajamas – I LOVE all of Hanna Andersson’s pajamas so much.
  18. LOVE From the Crayons – these books are so cute!
  19. Valentine’s Paw Patrol – cute for a little boy present!
  20. Fuzzy Slippers – I’ve wanted to get my daughter fuzzy slippers for so long and love these ones.
  21. XOXO Wooden Box – fun art project to do with the kids!
  22. Amelia Bedelia’s First Valentine – I love Valentine’s books so much.
  23. Wooden Dinosaur Paint Set – cute for boys too!
  24. Puppy Hugs and Kisses book – my son loves drawing in books like this.
  25. Lip Mask – it’s never too young to start your kids on some self-care 😉 my daughter loves these!

Hope that helps give you guys some ideas!

-Liv

collaboration

Backcountry in the Backyard

We got an Ooni pizza oven from Backcountry a couple of weeks ago and have had soo much fun with it! Today I am sharing some clothing I’m currently loving from Backcountry as well as a pizza recipe we’ve been making on our oven.

First up for the clothing, I am OBSESSED with this REVERSIBLE SUEDE + SHERPA COAT and these VEJA SNEAKERS! I paired them with these VARLEY JOGGERS (that are so soft) and these SMARTWOOL CREW SOCKS! I promise if you see me out and about this week, I will most likely be in this outfit 🤪

Next up is the pizza oven! We got this OONI PIZZA OVEN and love it so so much. You can get one that works with propane or one that works with wood pellets and we went with the propane one. It’s been surprisingly so easy (and fast!) to make our own pizzas at home and I can’t wait to experiment with more recipes.

Here is the recipe we’ve been using so far… but we are so excited to try more! If you have any good ones, send them to me!

-Dough Recipe from Serious Eats

Ingredients

Save Recipe

  • 20 ounces (about 4 cups) bread flour, preferably Italian-style “OO”
  • .4 ounces kosher salt (about 4 teaspoons)
  • .3 ounces (about 2 teaspoons) instant yeast, such as SAF Instant Yeast
  • 13 ounces water

Directions

  1. Combine flour, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and whisk until homogenous. Add water and incorporate into flour using hands until no dry flour remains on bottom of bowl. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours.
  2. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and divide into four even balls. Place each in a covered quart-sized deli container or in a zipper-lock freezer bag. Place in refrigerator and allow to rise at least 2 more days, and up to 4. Remove from refrigerator, shape into balls, and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours before baking.
  3. The key to getting the dough to slide on and off the preforated peel is using Semola! We sprinkle it all over the counter and roll out the dough and then pour more around it to get it to slide on/off easily.

Toppings/Combinations

  1. Our favorite red sauce that my mother-in-law has been using is THIS SAUCE from World Market
  2. Sliced Mozzarella from Costco
  3. Pepperoni
  4. Black and/or Kalamata Olives
  5. Proscioutto, Pear and Burrata
  6. Pesto and Burrata
  7. Caramelized onions and Goat Cheese

If you have any good recipes for an Ooni, send them my way!

You can use OLIVIA15 on Backcountry (first-time orders only, exclusions apply!) #seekitfinditsendit

-Liv

gift guides

Women’s Valentines Gift Guide

Feel free to just copy/paste the link to this blog post and send it to your significant other 🤪 I hope it gives you some good ideas for presents this year! So many of these are absolute favorites of mine.

Clicking on any of the images (besides the Saranoni!) will take you directly to shop!!

  1. Heart Shaped Waffle Maker – so cute for Valentine’s morning! Kids love this too.
  2. Rifle Paper Co. Puzzle – my favorite way to spend free time.
  3. Osea Body Oil – people are RAVING about this body oil!
  4. Gucci Dupe Amazon Mules – I mean depending on the budget… you could just get these ones instead 😉
  5. Rifle Paper Valentine’s Card – Will always gives me a Rifle Paper card on Valentine’s day and I love it so much.
  6. Necessaire Hand Lotion – my hands have been soo dry from using so much hand sanitizer and this stuff is amazing.
  7. Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops – my holy grail. I use the Dark every 3 days.
  8. Heart Shaped Necklace – cute gift you can personalize with initials!
  9. Buxom Lip Gloss – this stuff tingles a little but I love it so much.
  10. Nike Sneakers – good, easy present they’re sure to love.
  11. Kindle Oasis – one of my favorite gifts I’ve evver received! I seriously love it so much.
  12. Anthropologie Frame – print out a picture and put it in here! Always such meaningful gifts you can have forever.
  13. Soon Skincare Lip Mask – if you have dry lips, this stuff is so good! Use OLIVIABETH15 for a discount too!
  14. Birthstone Bracelet – I think this is so so cute and thoughtful.
  15. Retro Viewer – I gave this present to Will in 2015 and it’s still one of our favorite gifts! We have it out for decoration around Valentine’s day.
  16. Necessaire Body Wash – my little brother bought this for me for Christmas and I have been loving it so much.
  17. Saranoni Blanket – my FAVORITE blankets!
  18. Stanley 20 oz Cup – a perfect Stanley size (in my opinion!).
  19. Rifle Paper Candle – pretty AND smells good!
  20. Ugg Slipper – I have these and I LOVE them!
  21. Slip Silk Beauty Band – I love using this silk band when I do my tanning drops/beauty routine.
  22. Lululemon Belt Bag – I love taking this into the gym with me!
  23. Lululemon Scuba Half Zip – MY FAVORITE! I wear a size 6.

Happy Valentines’ and happy shopping!

-Liv

gift guides

Mens Valentine’s Gift Guide

Valentine’s is coming up and you KNOW I love rounding up gift ideas for you guys. Will helped me put this one together and I love how it turned out. Here are some ideas of what to get a man in your life below!

(clicking on any link will take you directly to shop!)

  1. Lululemon Surge Joggers – these are Wills most recent purchase and he LOVVES them.
  2. Vuori Puffer Vest – Will is also really into vests right now and we love this one.
  3. Vuori Tee – if you haven’t bought your man anything from Vuori yet, you need to! So soft and a great, sustainable brand.
  4. Patagonia Duffel Backpack – another one of Wills favorite purchases. Use OLIVIA15 on Backcountry on your first pucchase.
  5. Nike Blazer Shoes – one of Wills Christmas presents!
  6. Wireless Phone, AirPod, and Apple Watch Charger – a game changer.
  7. Mini Theragun – the best for sore muscless.
  8. Malbon Golf Hat – a cool golf company Will is currently loving
  9. Bose Headphones – great if your man is working from home and needs some good noises cancelling headphones
  10. Stanley Tumbler – Wills personal favorite Stanely
  11. Vuori Banks Short – one of Wills favorite purchases from Vuori
  12. Travis Matthew Polo – great golf brand if they like to golf
  13. Image 3d Retro Viewer – a favorite gift for years and years to come.
  14. The North Face Slippers – great house slippers or for out and about.
  15. Warby Parker Sunglasses – I told Will to pick out sunglasses he thought were cooll and he picked these.
  16. Arcade Stretchy Leather Belt – Wills favorite belt brand!
  17. The North Face Beanie – love this fisherman style beanie
  18. Vuori Traveler Jogger – sorry, another Vuori pick ha! But thse joggers are also great.
  19. Hardside Carry-On Luggage – I’ve heard great things about this luggage if you guys have a trip coming up!

Hope that helps you guys find something good!

Happy Valentine’s everyone!

-Liv

weekend links

Weekend Links – Overthinking

Weekend Links

This outfit is linked here

Goooood morning, friends! I’m so excited to be back in the routine of things and especially Weekend Links! Each week, it really is one of my favorite things to round up favorite things I found throughout the week. Here are this week’s links!

  1. First, up, because they sell out so quick, the MADE BY MARY OVAL LOCKET NECKLACE is restocked! Seriously so precious to have a locket with people you love so close to you ❤️
  2. Valentine’s is on my mind big time right now so I’m on the lookout for cute gifts, outfits etc. I love this new SEZANE SWEATER that launched this week.
  3. I am also dreaming of this DOEN DRESS for Valentine’s 💗 I’ve never owned a Doen dress but they seem like a dream.
  4. I also did THIS LITTLE VALENTINE’S CRAFT with my daughter this week and we both loved it so much. They’re currently in her room and it’s the sweetest thing to see.
  5. THESE BOOTS are my new favorite boot. I’m just glad I found a similar boot to the $1,095 ones I found haha.
  6. You KNOW I am still jamming my little brothers NEW SONG! I seriously love it so much. It’s called Overthinking if you have Apple Music instead! Or find it on YouTube here.
  7. In case you missed it, I have my TOP SOLD FROM 2021 blog post and my TOP SOLD FROM AMAZON 2021 live if you want to see them! I always love seeing what you guys love the most.
  8. I saw someone say THESE SHOES were like walking on clouds so I 100% ordered them and CANNOT wait for them to come.
  9. If you’re going anywhere beachy for Valentine’s, tell me THIS SWIMSUIT isn’t the cutest thing ever? I ordered THIS TOP this week and can’t wait for it to come. I didn’t order the bottoms.. I think they might be too cheeky for me lol.
  10. The current theme of January is sweatpants everyday… I ordered THESE ONES and lovvvveeee them.

That’s it for this week! I hope you guys have the best weekend!

-Liv

best of

Top Sold from Amazon 2021

(click on any image to shop)

And here we are with the top Amazon favorites for 2021! These are also all staples that we love around our house and ones I swear by.

  1. Adult Puzzles Trivia + Puzzles – this was hands down my favorite thing to share from Amazon this year and turns out it was your favorite too! My favorite thing to do when I get anxiety or just want to do something besides read or be on my phone. Perfect for traveling!
  2. Kindle Paperwhite – my favorite way to read these days. I got the Oasis for Christmas and love it SO much!
  3. Gobe Snack Spinner – a MUST for flying and traveling.
  4. Ribbed Tank Top – my favorite clothing item I’ve ever ordered from Amazon.
  5. Honest Beauty Magic Balm Stick – my favorite finishing touch!
  6. Folex Carpet Cleaner – got soo much sharpie out on my couch with this just last night.
  7. Car Mount for Phone – I’ve tried quite a few car mounts and this one is my absolute favorite.
  8. Kids Soft Pajamas – the SOFTEST pajamas. I want these so badly for adults!
  9. Craft Organizer – my favorite orgagnizer/storage for our crayons, markers, etc.
  10. Lookalike Align Tank – sooo similair to the Lululemon one!
  11. Sensory Sink for Kids – gives you an hour of free time… enough said.
  12. Laundry Hamper – LOVE these laundry hampers for our kids clothes! They hold soo much and are a great price point.
  13. Supergoop Play Stick – loved taking this to Hawaii. Can you tell I’m a big Supergoop fan yet?
  14. Lookalike Outdoor Voices Dress – so similar to the OV one. If you want a cheaper one, try this one!
  15. White Exercise Tank – one of my favorite workout items I’ve ever ordered from Amazon. I love the built in shelf bra.
  16. Freezer Ice Roller – so great for depuffing and helping ease migraines.
  17. Tortoise Clip – love these for my hair. A Julia Berlozheimer rec!
  18. Kids Ruffle Dance Leotard – my daughter’s fave dance clothes!
  19. Penblade – if you’re not using Penblade…. what r u using to open your packages…?
  20. R&Co Waterfall – my favorite for little baby hair wispies!

That’s it for now. Hope you find something you love. Love you guys!

-Liv

best of

Top Sold from 2021

(clicking on any link will take you to shop)

I always love seeing what you guys loved the absolute MOST from what I shared throughout the year. Here are the top sellers! Have you bought any of these? These are all STAPLES in our household. I swear by all of them!

  1. Scuba Sweatshirt Lululemon – 2nd year in a row! We all love this a lot ❤️
  2. MZ Wallace Tote – tote of the year, in my opinion ☺️
  3. Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops – my holy grail beauty item
  4. Woven Jute Rug – who knew my living room rug was such a hit?!
  5. Zoe Double Umbrella Stroller – my favorite purchase for my kids, for sure. Fits through every doorway and folds up soo slim. Use ZOEXOLIVIABETH for a discount!
  6. Track That 5″ Short – the shorts that cover your bum!
  7. Dyson Airwrap – definitely a learning curve.. but my hair lasts soo long with the airwrap.
  8. Vuori Boyfriend Jogger – my favorite purchase of the year. I have two pairs and LOVE them.
  9. GHD Curling Iron – after a lady curled my hair at a wedding with this, I bought it and you guys love it too 😂
  10. Outdoor Voices Exercise Dress – so many cute colors in this dress. I love wearing this hiking!
  11. Christy Dawn Dress – love Christy Dawn dresses. They last FOREVER and I love their approach to sustainability.
  12. J.Crew Cabana Sunglasses – if you follow me, you most likely own these sunglasses 😎
  13. Lululemon 6″ Biker Short – my fave length of the Lululemon bikers!
  14. Adidas Ultraboost – my favorite shoe to wear to the gym!
  15. Supergoop Glowscreen – my holy grail item #2
  16. Hoka Arahi – my favorite running shoe!
  17. Dior Glow Lip Oil – this lip oil is soo pretty! If only we didn’t wear masks so much so people could actually see it 🤪
  18. Lululemon Belt Bag – my favorite bag to carry to the gym!

That’s it for this one! I will also work on rounding up my 2021 AMAZON top sellers from you guys too! Look for that tomorrow ☺️

Love you guys! I hope you’re having the best break.

-Liv

books

The Books I Read in 2021

Before we start, I need to reiterate that I am not a professional book reviewer/critic. These are simply my reviews of the books I read. Do your research before you purchase any because I know we all have different tastes/preferences. I also need to do a little disclaimer that some of these books have adult language and romance. Don’t judge me LOL.

Clicking on any book image will take you to shop!

Also, if you aren’t reading on a Kindle yet, you are missing out!

collaboration

Everyday Madewell (December)

Madewell December Picks

The countdown to Christmas is ON and I am getting soo excited! If you’re still looking for any presents (or even for New Year’s Eve!) here are some of my favorite Madewell picks right now. AND there’s still time for $10 overnight shipping on Madewell so hurry and place an order if you need something!

First up is this Cocoon Coat that I have worn EVERY SINGLE DAY since it came. I love the structure and fit of it so much and it’s been keeping me so warm! I am wearing a size XS.

Madewell December Picks

The second thing I’ve been loving so much is this SWEATER VEST! I’ve layered over dresses and shirts and think it’s perfect all winter long. Also wearing an XS here and wish I would’ve gotten a small!

Don’t skip on these SHEARLING MULE CLOGS! They are soo warm and comfortable and I will be in them until spring ✌🏼

And for a little New Years’ Eve outfit I love this SHINY GOLD DRESS and the GLITTER SLINGBACK FLATS! Even if you’re staying at home, why not feel your best! ✨

Hope you find something you love and have the BEST CHRISTMAS EVER!

Shop Madewell here.

-Liv

collaboration

The Boys in Backcountry

Backcountry Discount Code

It’s time to share some picks for the BOYS from Backcountry! A couple of weeks ago, I had Will go onto the Backcountry website to find some things he loved for him and George and love what they ended up with! I also thought they could be fun gift ideas too if you’re still looking.

Don’t forget you can use OLIVIA15 for 15% off your first order on Backcountry! (exclusions apply).

I am loving their matching sherpa jackets SO MUCH! Will has THIS ONE on and George is wearing THIS ONE. I feel like I hardly see them matching and think it’s the cutest thing.

Backcountry Discount Code

Will has been loving THESE FLEECE PANTS for winter! They’re also on sale and my discount code (OLIVIA15) stacks on top of it!

We are also huge fans of Ultraboosts at our house. I have THESE ONES and they’re my favorite gym shoe.

Use OLIVIA15 to get 15% off your first order on Backcountry! Exclusions apply.

Happy shopping!

-Liv