Fallin' for Fair Isle

I’ve lived in the Midwest almost my entire life so each year I take prepping for the winter season seriously. Generally, this includes collecting hats, mittens, coats and snow pants for the littles but for me involves something a bit more fun…sweater shopping! I practically live in sweaters during the winter months and I love adding one or two new favorites to my collection each year.

This year I fell hard for the multitude of Fair Isle Sweaters showcased by retailers. I can’t recall a season with so many Fair Isle options, from neutrals to brights there were so many options for myself and the kids that I snatched some for each of us. If you’re looking for a new sweater to keep you warm and fashionable this season I shared my TAKE on this popular sweater trend below! My roll neck sweater shown above has sold out at J.Crew as have so many others so act quick if you’re interested because their are deals to be had this holiday season.

Womens’

J.Crew Turtleneck / J.Crew Cashmere Crewneck / Vineyard Vines Pop Fair Isle / Vineyard Vines Turtleneck / Vineyard Vines Tonal Sweater / Madewell Sweater Dress / FRAME Fair Isle Mock Neck / Old Navy Crewneck

Mens’

J.Crew Crewneck / Vineyard Vines Traditional Fair Isle / Barbour Fair Isle Cardigan

Girls’

Crewcuts Crewneck / Boden Grey Marl / Zara Cardigan / Old Navy Crew Neck

Boys’

Crewcuts Crewneck / Vineyard Vines Zip Up / Boden Festive Fair Isle / Zara Knit Sweater

Baby

Boden Fair Isle Penguins / Boden Fair Isle Cardigan / Zara Knit Sweater / Jojo Maman Bebe Cardigan

***Affiliate links are included in this post***

Primary.com Wardrobe Essentials

Do you have a hard time finding wardrobe basics (sans graphics) for your children? I’ve been there. But with the help of Primary.com I won’t have to search high and low again! It took me a few years of seeing advertisements and receiving introductory offer postcards from Primary.com before I ordered from the company. I had always loved their concept of offering colorful basics at a reasonable price as I had frequently found myself in a situation where I needed a plain t-shirt in a myriad of colors and couldn’t find at my routine retailers of choice. But it wasn’t until our third child was born, that I decided to place an order (with an introductory 20% off) and try some of the well reviewed wardrobe staples. I found the site to be extremely intuitive: you can shop by color, babies, kids and best sellers.

Upon receipt of the first of my first order, I was extremely impressed by the color and fabric quality. The kids love that the clothing items are colorful, tagless, feature different animals according to size and overall are very comfortable! Ever since that first order I’ve turned into a loyal customer. Products run TTS and I’ve been consistently placing large orders about 2x a year including items for our Halloween costumes this year. I appreciate that the clothing goes up to size 12 so at least I know I’ll have one aspect of parenthood (wardrobe basics) nailed for the forseeable future. Read below for my TAKE on our favorite Primary.com wardrobe essentials.

Favorite Primary.com Wardrobe Essentials

• The Long Sleeve Tunic - Potentially my favorite product. I buy this for both the girls but mostly for my oldest in multiple colors. She frequently wears to school with funky leggings. Bonus: It’s long enough to cover her tush.

• The Baby Cozy Dress - I prefer this over the long sleeve tunic for my younger daughter especially in the colder months as it’s thicker. I also pair this with leggings and find that at (18M) she can easily wear two different sizes (12-18M) or (18-24M) the main difference being the length.

• The Under Short - My oldest daughter stills enjoys wearing dresses and skirts in warmer weather. I insist that she wears shorts underneath and the under short from Primary.com is the best I’ve found especially, if you’re looking for a white version. (They’re not see-through!)

• The Legging - The leggings from Primary.com are thicker and more durable than most leggings I had purchased from the past. They come in fun colors and the girls (pictured above) especially love the rainbow stripe version.

• The Pajama Sets - I bought The Long Sleeve PJ Top and PJ Pant from all kids for our PJ Masks Halloween costumes this year. They were perfect for the DIY costumes (pictured above) and the kids have been wearing them to bed ever since.

• The Long Sleeve Polo - This is my favorite “boy” item and our son has a collection. I often send him to school wearing these as he is comfortable in them and I feel like they’re a little dressier than the standard graphic t-shirt. Pair with shorts, jeans or corduroy and you’ve got a classic look.

• The Henley - I bought this style for the first time this fall and appreciate the variation from the classic t-shirt. It’s a great staple for the boy in your life!

• The Peter Ban Babysuit - I love love love a peter pan collar. These bodysuits have been a favorite for our youngest in both the long and short sleeve versions.

• The Stripe Zip Footie - I have to admit, I’m an easy sell when it comes to stripes on pajamas. These are extremely durable and I appreciate the footies!

• The Baby Cozy Hat + The Baby Cozy Mittens - These are new products and I bought them for Halloween for our youngest to match her green costume. We didn’t end up needing them as the weather was warmer than expected but both items are lined and super cozy. The mittens are especially great and stay on! The hat and mittens come in larger sizes too.

• The Long Sleeve T-Shirt - You can’t go wrong with the long or short sleeve version. We have them in multiple colors and sizes and they were the first item that drew me to the company.

If you’re looking for some children’s staples don’t hesitate to try Primary.com. Now is a great time to do so as there is a Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotion where you can save 25% off + Free Shipping with code CM18. Trust, me when I say this is the most generous Primary.com offer you’ll find all year!

(Affiliate links are included in this post)

Child Models

Today, I did something with my kids that I never thought I would do...I took them to a casting call.

By no means, are my children aren’t begging to be child models. Dressing up and having their photos taken isn't always their thing. They just want to be kids. So why did I drag them all the way to Wisconsin for a casting call? Perhaps selfishly, I made this choice for me. But why? I’ve been thinking about this and I think what it comes down to is that I crave new and creative experiences...I like to learn.

As a parent there is so much of life that has become routine and sometimes mundane. I do love being a mother but sometimes I miss the variety of my pre-child life. So now, when a new opportunity presents itself I try to grab onto it. So today, we tried something out-of-the ordinary. This morning, my kids were numbers 108, 109, 110 and they stood or sat dutifully on the green marked x on the ground while they smiled for the camera.

There isn't any guarantee that my kids will ever be used for a photo shoot and that's ok, the opportunity was there and we took it. Rejection and failure will always be a part of life but we will never learn if we don't try. Hopefully, along the way we help our kids build self-confidence and teach them to have the courage to try new things. 

I still don't think head shots are in our future, but I'd happily drive (or have my husband drive) to Milwaukee any day for the chance of having my children featured in some darling Florence Eiseman. 

30 Days of Eiseman

Florence Eiseman is a classic line of children's clothing based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I grew up wearing Florence Eiseman often wearing coordinating sets with my siblings. The clothing is so well made and showcases darling little details. I love to dress my three littles in the clothes. The swimsuits are my absolute favorite!

This summer the Museum of Wisconsin Art, launched an exhibit; Florence Eiseman: Designing Childhood for the American Century. I visited the exhibit with my mom and 2 daughters and came up with an idea. For the month of September I would dress my children in Florence Eiseman and document via my Instagram account. Thus my #30daysofeiseman challenge was born.

While some of the photos were of my children when they were younger it was fun to go back and relive so many cherished memories. Now that the month has come to a close I'm a bit sad but looking forward to spending time launching my blog and daydreaming about the Florence Eiseman warehouse sale in mid October!