CaseApp Giveaway

I was contacted by CaseApp recently for a collaboration. When I saw they wanted to work together, I jumped at it because I had heard of CaseApp before. About a year ago, my sweet blogger friend (she no longer blogs) hosted a giveaway for a CaseApp design and I had won. I made an iPhone case with pictures of my girls when they were newborns, when they were about 10 months old and a photo of Rory and I at my dear friend, Nathalie's wedding. I love this case and get compliments on it all the time.

So as you can see, I wanted to make a new case and jumped at the opportunity. This time though, I was able to make a custom Macbook skin and another iPhone case. Since I had my one from before, I decided to pick one of their designs which stood out to me immediately. It was the pink and gold case. It is so pretty and I am excited to change up my cases more often.

I love the shape of this case. It allows me to hear from the bottom of my phone, plug in my headphone easily and gives ample room for the button on the side. Plus it protects my phone. Believe me, I know. My girls and I have dropped my phone many times.

Next up, I created a skin for my Macbook Pro. I picked my screen size, the collage layout and started uploading photos. It was easy and I had so much fun going through old photos. I chose a mixture of new and old photos. I love the way it came out. Such amazing quality.

Top Left: Sutton in one of my favorite onesies and my sunnies. Top Middle: The girls and I at their 5 month photo shoot. Top Right: Sutton eating pizza. Bottom Left: Avery cheesing it up when her dad was on a work trip. Bottom Middle: My tiny girls. Bottom Right: Avery eating at one of our favorite brunch places. 

 A close up of the peel area.

 It was so easy to put on the laptop. I even had to take it off to get it on just right and it has amazing stick power.

Side view

As you can see, I had so much fun designing the custom laptop skin and picking out a new custom iPhone case. CaseApp has graciously given me the opportunity to giveaway a custom case/skin to one of my readers. To enter, please fill out the entry form below. I will pick a winner Monday June 19th. And if you don't win, don't worry. You can still design your own cover/skin and get 20% off using the code: SPARKLESNLATTES20. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I received these products in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Weekending

My weekend was actually a really long week off except Tuesday, but for now I am just going to recap our weekend. I plan to edit photos from our week off and hope to get a post up by Wednesday. Hope is the key word as I am single parenting it this week.

Friday morning we woke up in our cabin to rain and a busy day ahead of us. Rory and I headed over to a local bakery for some pastries to fuel us all up for the packing we had ahead. We packed everything up and made the trek back home (about an hour and 15 minutes away).

We got home just in time for lunch, so while Rory fed the girls, I showered and then grabbed salads and sandwiches for us to eat. After lunch, I headed to Target to make a care basket for my friend who had the brain surgery last week and then headed to the hospital to see her. She was asleep when I arrived, so I headed down to the Starbucks there and drank my coffee while browsing Instagram. I also reminisced about the many times I came there after my girls were born. It became my routine and it felt so different being there last week.

After about an hour, I headed back to her room and she was awake and her mom was there. It was soooo good to see her. She rocked her surgery, but the pain was awful and took a couple days to get under control, but they finally did. We talked about her surgery, she showed me her incision, we talked about my trip and so much more. It was so good to see her awake and doing better. And she was doing so well that while I was there they told her she could go home. So I helped gather her things and take notes on her meds and discharge.

Once she was all set to go, I headed back home to see Rory and the girls.

After the girls ate dinner, we gave them baths and got them ready for bedtime. I also headed out to grab us some takeout Italian food because we didn't have much in the house.

We caught up on a few shows and went to bed.

Saturday morning we slept in, so we had a later breakfast than usual. But let me just say that the girls have been sleeping in until 7 or 7:30 and it has been amazing. After breakfast we headed to Costco to stock up on a few things and then back home for some lunch and naps for the girls. While the girls napped, I caught up on a show and did laundry. Rory worked on the yard since he would be gone this week. Once the girls were up we headed to Old Navy, Whole Foods and Total Wine. We finally stocked our fridge back up, so we could have dinner at home.

That evening we grilled up burgers, corn on cob and had a kale salad. So good. After the girls went to bed, we tried our co-workers home brewed beer and watched Fargo.

Sunday morning we got up and went to breakfast again. Then we took a long drive around the city since it was raining and was supposed to rain all day. Once we got home, I headed out to another grocery store for a few other things that Whole Foods didn't have and when I got home the girls were napping. So I took that as my cue to start the new season of Orange is the New Black.

Once the girls got up, there was a break in the weather, so we decided to go on a walk as a family. We were able to extend our walk because the weather held off longer than expected.

 The girls took turns walking Walter

Once we got home, we decided to finally hang up our coat rack in our mud room and the Keepsake photo frame.

Pottery Barn Coat Rack

Once we hung both items up, I left to go meet someone to sell our Bumbo to. I finally got around to selling a lot of the girls stuff. I met her at a donut shop, so I headed in after and grabbed a few things in there. The girls were so excited about their donuts.

Notice our Keepsake photo in the background?

After setting up their LeapFrog Pad (finally), I made dinner for the girls and then we bathed them. We also got everything ready for the week ahead. I made dinner for Rory and I since I wasn't sure the girls would like it, but surprisingly they did like the Spring pasta I posted a few weeks back. Well all of it except the asparagus.

After dinner and clean up, we cuddled for a bit and then we put the girls down to bed. Rory finished packing for his trip and I caught up on more Orange is the New Black. Then Rory went out to grab us some frozen yogurt and we watched some tv before calling it an early night.

I didn't sleep well last night due to Rory leaving today and then I got the awful news yesterday that my friend passed away from Stage 4 stomach cancer. I couldn't help but think of her family. She has a 3 year old son and I am beyond sad that he won't have his mom as he grows up. It put a lot of things into perspective and just kept me up all night. Rest in Peace sweet Crystal.

How was your weekend?

I am linking up with Biana from B Loved Boston.

Father's Day Gifts

Father's Day is a little over a week away and I am changing things up for Friday Favorites and showing you some awesome gifts that you can get your dad, your husband or that special man for Father's Day.

Some of these items Rory has, wants or doesn't know that he wants.

ONE. BurgaBox. I have seen BurgaBox pop up a few times and I have been dying to try it. I thought Father's Day would be the perfect time. Especially since Rory LOVES burgers. There are so many burgers and sides to choose from, but I went with the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. It comes with 2 angus beef burgers, homemade mac and cheese (you can choose the flavor and I went with bacon jalapeno), pulled pork, onion rings, homemade bbq sauce, pickles, garlic parm fries, cole slaw and baked beans. It is a bit pricey at $65 for the box, but I figured why not. Also, for a limited time, they are doing a smaller box for $40.

TWO. We got my father in law a new cooler (Pelican) for his birthday and he loved it. And since Rory picked out the cooler, I knew he wanted one for himself. These are a bit pricey, but they have many options and last forever.

Pelican 20 oz cooler

THREE. Even though I mentioned how bad I am at printing photos on Tuesday, I sometimes think ahead and get them as gifts. I recently had a canvas print made as part of Rory's Father's Day gift. I won't post the actual one I had done (until later), but I think giving him a canvas print of the girls to hang in his office will be very sweet.

 via

FOUR. Amazon Echo. I have heard soooo many amazing things about this product. Even the funny things that Alexa says, but this is something I want and something I know Rory would want. She plays music, calls and texts for you, answers questions, reads the news, reads to you and can control things in your house as well. So cool.

We know several people who have these and love them and we have also experienced them ourselves a few times, but never bit the bullet to get one.

Amazon Echo

FIVE. Sports/Athletic/Outdoors Clothes. When it comes to shopping for Rory, I know I can always fall back on outdoorsy types of clothes. Anything from a nice sweater to hiking pants to golf clothes. Rory loves the brand Patagonia. We have an outlet here and he has bought out the store, almost. When I saw this light Patagonia jacket/sweater, I knew he would wear this in a heartbeat.

Patagonia sweater

I am linking up with April, A Little Bit of Everything, Karli, Meet @ the Barre and Cup of Tea.

Girl Chat - Summer Staples

It's time for another round of Girl Chat and this month's topic is, What are your Summer staple items?

This is a hard one for me as I have both clothing and fun staples. So today, you are going to get a mix of both.

CLOTHING

Converse shoes. These are my go-to shoes each summer. I wear them with Stance's invisible socks and they pretty much go with anything.

Converse Shoes

Jean shorts. It has taken me quite awhile to find the perfect pair of jean shorts, but I found them this year at Nordstrom Rack. Sadly, I can't find them online, but they are similar to this pair which is also the brand Joe's.

Joe's Jean Shorts

Bikinis. I LOVED Victoria Secret bathing suits. I got a new one or three each year and they were always the best. I love the styles and the fact that the tops come in actual bra sizes instead of small, medium and large. When I found out last year that they were going to stop making them, I was sooo bummed. 90% of my bathing suits are from there.

So now I have been searching for the perfect bathing suit to replace my VS love. I have found a few that are contenders. I got this J Crew bikini and I love it. It covers well and is so cute on.

this one except in navy and white

And I LOVE my Strange Bikini as well, but holy price tag on that one.

Ray-Bans. Even though I don't have these Ray-Bans anymore (they broke after sooo many years), they were my favorite sunglasses. I love my Tory Burch's that I currently own, but there is nothing like a good pair of Ray-Ban aviators. I swear they fit almost any face out there. I love the rose gold combination.

Ray-Ban's

Trucker Hats. While I don't wear hats that often, I do wear them while camping, at the beach or when I am in the sun for long periods of time. And my go-to is a trucker hat because they are breathable. I love local brands and so right now my favorite is BigTruck.

BigTruck

BEAUTY

I had to add in one beauty item that I LOVE during the summer which is my IT CC Cream. This stuff is amazing. It is light, covers like a full foundation and has SPF 50 in it. I know I talked about it in last month's Girl Chat, but this is all I really need to wear during the summer. Well and maybe my eyelash extensions.

IT CC Cream

FUN

Tubes for floating the river. I live really close to an amazing river where we can float it. There are areas where we have rapids, but we have bought the tubes that go behind boats and they never pop and last forever.

We typically start in the same area and float for about 3 hours even though it isn't that many miles. Some parts are very relaxing and others are rapids and so much fun.

Similar Tube

Weekend Bag. A few years ago, I asked for a weekend bag for my birthday and my sister got me a Herschel Duffle bag that I travel with all the time. It is perfect for weekend getaways or a quick work trip. I don't have this color, but I found this one and would recommend it.

Herschel Weekend Bag

What are your Summer staples?

To link up - just grab our graphic, link up, and let's getting to chatting!  Make sure to stop by a few others linked up for an extra bit of girl chat! 

Danielle / Sparkles and Lattes - Bloglovin' - Pinterest - Instagram
Emily / A Little Bit of Emily - Bloglovin' - Pinterest - Instagram
Lindsay / Lindsay's Sweet World - Pinterest - Facebook - Instagram - Twitter
Lizzie / This Happy Life -  Bloglovin' - Pinterest - Facebook - Instagram
Sierra / Beautifully Candid - Bloglovin' - Pinterest - Instagram - Twitter

What's Up Wednesday

I totally forgot to participate in What's Up Wednesday last week, so I am making up for it today.

WHAT WE ARE EATING THIS WEEK...

Well since we are on partial vacation (I worked yesterday, boo, but back at it today), it means no real plans. But this is what we had so far.

Sunday: Lasagna with a salad and garlic bread 
Monday: Sushi after my hair appointment. Impromptu date night since the girls are with the grandparents.
Tuesday: Unsure (Hoping to be at the ICU. More on that later)
Wednesday: Chicken kabobs with a taziki sauce
Thursday: Pizza
Friday: Unsure
Saturday: Unsure

WHAT I'M REMINISCING ABOUT...

All of our past trips to Graeagle. We are in a different cabin than we normally go to (we are going back to those in August) and we love seeing how different each experience has been. 

WHAT I'M LOVING...

Being on vacation. Sure I had to work yesterday and it was a very stressful day, but at least I am back out with family and taking it easy.

WHAT WE'VE BEEN UP TO...

Working, starting the new papa and gaga daycares, packing for our vacation, gardening, working on our backyard and teaching the girls to ride their bikes.

WHAT I'M DREADING...

The only thing I am dreading is my work meeting that was postponed until September.

WHAT I'M WORKING ON...

New blog posts, spring cleaning the girls' closets, trying new recipes and a couple big cases at work.

WHAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT...

In about a month, my nephew is turning one and we are planning at trip to the Bay Area to celebrate him. My SIL is thinking about the zoo and I am excited to take my girls to the zoo since they have never been and I haven't been since I visited one in Portland with my friend's kids. 

WHAT I'M WATCHING/READING...

Pretty Little Liars, Better Call Saul, Fargo, just started Season 5 of House of Cards, Girl Boss and so much more. Reading, I am sad to say that I am so far behind on my two books. I hope to do some catching up today and the rest of the week.

WHAT I'M LISTENING TO...

Not much other than the chatter of my kids and my nephew. We have no tvs or anything in our cabins which means a lot of talks amongst the family which is so nice.

WHAT I'M WEARING...

Shorts, dresses (all the time at work), dressier sleeveless shirts and anything that breathes. It has been hot lately and I am soaking up all the sunshine. 

WHAT I'M DOING THIS WEEKEND...

Not much at all. We get back from Graeagle on Friday and I will be doing laundry, cleaning the house and relaxing. 

WHAT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT MONTH...

My nephew's birthday, Lake Tahoe time, 4th of July and hopefully a work trip.

WHAT ELSE IS NEW...

One of my best friends had brain surgery on Tuesday. Ya, pretty scary. Basically she had "too much brain to contain". She has a Chiari Malformation which means that the lower part of her brain hangs too low and there is not enough room in her skull. She had surgery to make a bigger membrane for the brain, remove part of her C1 vertebrae and to make more room for her brain. 

She is currently in the ICU recovering and any thoughts and prayers that you can send her way would be amazing.

Heather is nothing short of amazing. She is a beautiful soul who is sarcastic, funny, caring, kind and very smart. She will drop anything to be there for someone and it is our time to be there for her.

Keepsake Framed Photos

I am constantly taking photos of my girls, my dog, my husband, sunsets and my friends, but many of them don't make it onto IG and almost all of them don't get printed. I don't know why because there are so many easy ways to print your photos, especially from your phone.

When the girls were first born, I was constantly printing photos for their baby books and to hang up all over our house. But then life got in the way and they seem to be printed less and less.

Keepsake contacted me to try out their picture framing app and I knew this was the perfect opportunity to print our our professional photos we had done for our Christmas cards. I downloaded the app, found the photo we used in our Christmas card (because I am obsessed with it and wanted it for our new gallery wall) and got to work.

It was so easy to use. I chose the size I wanted, large, grabbed the photo I wanted and started looking at frames. I went back and forth between the Sydney and the Montana, but the Montana won because it had a more rustic look and matched the scenery very well.

The framed photo shipped very quickly and came packaged very well. Once I opened it, I was so happy with the results. The picture is very clear and did not lose any resolution. Plus it already had the wire attached to the back to hang up my picture.

Note: Do you know how hard it is to get a picture of a framed photo? It's hard because there is always a shadow.

I picked my spot on our gallery wall and promptly hung it.

Keepsake ships for free and all products are handmade in the U.S. Just download the app and use the code <> to get 15% off your purchase.

Thank you Keepsake for sending me a framed photo in exchange for my review. All reviews and opinions are my own.

Friday Favorites

Even though this was a short work week, I have been all over the place on my days. I can't wait to dive into this weekend. I won't lie, it is pretty packed, but should be a lot of fun.

Happy June all! Let's get down to some Friday Favorites.

ONE. I believe it was Monday that House of Cards season 5 came out on Netflix. I was super pumped to start it Monday evening until my husband told me that he wanted to watch this season. He watched seasons 1, 2, and 3 with me and hated season 3 (didn't we all?), so he skipped out on season 4. Season 4 was really good, and after I talked it up, he said he wanted to give season 5 a shot. Dang. So I am hoping to tackle a couple episodes this weekend and next week on our down time.

via

TWO. Yesterday the girls had their first day at papa daycare and it went well. I am soooo thankful that my dad wanted to watch the girls several times over the next two and a half months. 

We were nervous about dropping the girls off at my parents house and then leaving, but the girls stood at the door and waved us goodbye and were already making themselves at home. 

THREE. So I have been on the search for some cheaper sunglasses, but would still hold up well. I bought some crazy cheap ($6 for two pairs) ones in Venice Beach a few years back and they are huge on my face and have no polarization (basically don't keep the sun out). A friend recommended Blenders sunglasses and I am happy to report, I bought a pair this week. I really hope they live up to her recommendation. I went with the Tiger Bourbon ones, but I really thought about the Kate Forest ones. How cute are they?

Tiger Bourbon Blender sunglasses ($30)

Kate Forest Blender sunglasses ($40)

FOUR. This week, Jessi, from Jessi's Design said she bought some new cooling sheets that are similar to Under Armour and I had to take a look at them. They cool your body, keep moisture away and are silky soft. We are finally transitioning out of our Ugg sheets and I wanted a new pair of sheets for the summer. So I bought a pair. I got the active ones in navy. 

Sheex Sheets

FIVE. This is how I have been feeling lately. Eating my salads, staying away from Chick-fil-A and by the time "dessert" rolls around, give me all the things. That or I dream about all the yummy foods. Ha.

I am linking up with April, A Little Bit of Everything, Karli, Meet @ the Barre and Cup of Tea.