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FRIDAY FAVES| Jan 5

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Hello & Happy New Year My Beautiful Friends,

It’s been a while and oh how I’ve missed you. I’ve been a little consumed with work, enjoying time with my husband, raising our  little loves, managing home, preparing for & enjoying the holidays, along with every moment of our time with family and I’ve somewhat neglected my blog yet I took some time to plan out 2018 and let’s just say I’m uber excited about it!

What an amazing year we closed out in 2017! Lots and lots of hard work accomplished.

I am so happy to have gotten www.stephanieraeortiz.com off the ground, up and running. I have a lot planned for this year’s blog and I’m so excited to share the little bits of our life with you all! I’m really pumped and excited for 2018!

So in 2017 I published 28 of the 52 blogs that I set out to accomplish but I couldn’t be happier with the blogs that were published in my first year. I acknowledge the struggle I faced when it came to not being as prepared yet desiring to still publish content on the blog and quite honestly it goes back to what my Great Grandpa would say ‘ Plan your work & work your plan’ and I didn’t have a plan I just had the desire to publish 52 blogs last year yet I didn’t know what was going to be behind those 52 blogs so I got caught in the creativity trap so to speak however, I’m more well prepared for this year and looking forward to all the goodness! All of your support in 2017 is savored & appreciated and hope you enjoy all I share in the years to come!

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Now onto My First Friday Favorites of 2018!

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First Up I’m sharing My Faves from the 2017 Holiday Season

You can shop the items by clicking on the links below the pic

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SHOPPING LINKS >> Salted Caramel Hot Cocoa (here)  Pottery Barn Alphabet Mug on sale (here) Pottery Barn Oversized Faux Fur Leopard Throw (here) Programmable Crockpot (hereWilliams Sonoma Dry Brine Sold Out similar (here) Quilted Personalized Stocking on sale (here) ZAK Stainless Steel Tumbler more colors (here) Pottery Barn Buffalo Plaid Pillow Cover (here)

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Next Up I’m Sharing My Favorite Gifts Received & Given this Christmas

You can shop the items by clicking on the links below the picFAVORITEGIFTS2017SHOPPING LINKS >> Fitbit Ionic Watch my husband loves it (here1 1/5 Carat Diamond Platinum Ring Set (here) Dimmable Make-Up Mirror in black (here) Faux Fur Bean Bag (hereGarmin – vivofit jr. Activity Tracker For Kids (here)

 

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TIME WITH MY HANDSOME

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Will’s Birthday is December 30th so December was his Birthday Month and we enjoyed cherishing and celebrating him all month long. He is such an amazing man, person, heart and, soul! Love me some him!

SHOPPING LINKS >>  Shop My Dress on sale (here) Earrings (here) & (here) Necklace on sale (here) Velvet Teddy Lipstick (here) topped with Saint Germaine Lipstick (here) Will Dress Shirt (here) Will’s Tie (here)

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REFLECTIONS OF THE HOLIDAY

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We soaked up an amazing amount of Family Time and I couldn’t be more blessed and My Heart couldn’t be more satisfied. It’s not about what you want, it’s about embracing all you have! So grateful, thankful, blessed! #GloryToGod

 

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 SOFIA REIGN ORTIZ

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Our Australian Golden Labradoodle Sweet, Sofia Reign Ortiz  is the BEST! She was born July 16, 2017. She is a true combination of her Mohter ‘Sailor’ and father ‘Micah (here).  We adopted her officially in early October. We actually were planning to only Puppy Sit for our friends Abby & Bryce while they were out of town for the weekend and it just so happened they were actually looking for an adoptive family and we were so excited to Puppy Sit as we were considering buying a Golden Doodle for Christmas so it was the perfect timing. We were actively looking (here) and had been in contact with a few breeders at that point. We were originally considering a male pup and planned to name him Samson Rock Ortiz however after a little research we could have went either way truly so when Sofia (formerly known as Maple) arrived we were smitten and it was love at first sight. She is just the sweetest being.

Sofia Reign is Affectionate and Oh So Cuddly like the English Cocker Spaniel. We love nose kisses, I put my nose to her cute little black snout & she just soaks in all the lovin!
She is Super Intelligent like the Poodle, Loyal and Devoted like the Labrador. Totally Sporty and Loves to do Tricks like the Irish Water Spaniel. She is Great with all People Simply the Best! Australian Labradoodles are Allergy Friendly and Non-Shedding so that’s also an added bonus and she is soooo soft!

Our Breeder Information: Website (HERE) Facebook (HERE) YouTube (HERE)

Sofia’s Litter on YouTube (HERE) and (HERE)

We are so thankful for God’s provision and His hand in all of this as we believe it was truly destined. She has been such a great addition to our family and we just love her so much!

SHOPPING LINKS >>  Sofia’s Sweater (here) Sofia’s Dog Name Tag (here)

Well, Happy First Friday & Have a great weekend!

XOXO,

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COLD WEATHER BEANIE’S

 

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Hey Gorgeous!

Today I’m sharing my favorite beanie finds so far and all of them are under $30. Now is a great time to stock up on cold weather gear for our soon to be Wisconsin Winter that is just around the corner!

You can simply click on the picture of the link below to shop!

Happy Sunday Friends oh, & . . . #GOPACKGO!

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Topshop Faux Fur PomPom Beanie $20

 

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David & Young Faux Fur Pom Chunky Beanie $25

 

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NYC Underground Faux Fur PomPom Beanie $19

 

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BP. Leopard Print Slouchy Beanie $15

 

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A New Day Faux Fur Ribbed Beanie $15

 

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Tasha Jeweled Cat Ear Beanie $28

 

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Topshop Faux Fur Pompom Beanie $26

 

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BP. Leopard PomPom Beanie $19

 

XOXO,

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Back To School | Shopping Haul

Hi there, Loves & Happy Friday!

We are just a few weeks away from the 1st day of school and that means we will officially have a 3rd grader and a 2nd grader on our hands!!! They have both grown so much over this past year that it actually blows my mind but with that said and with Christ front and center, it gives me no doubt that they are ready to conquer this next year of awesomeness!

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Today I’m sharing Five Friday Fave’s via a Back To School edition and I must confess… I kind of love back to school shopping! It’s like a great reason to shop for the kids + there is just this fresh start and new outlook that comes along with the BTS (Back To School) season and I just love it.

Be sure to comment on any great finds or tips and tricks that help you in the BTS Season.

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SCHOOL SUPPLIES

This is the very 1st year that I purchased all of our school supplies on-line. I can’t say that my first effort was the smoothest operation with shopping on-line for all supplies yet I will say it did beat going from one store to another because you just couldn’t get your hands on one or two of the items, needed. Not to mention between our Amazon Prime Account and Target Red Card we scored free shipping on each of the orders. The only suggestion I had for myself for next year is that with multiple kids comes multiple lists so with that you may have duplicate items to purchase for each child.

So note to self: create a joint master list of all supplies for each child and go about adding the total items for each to my cart that way. I suppose that method would also work well in the store! 🙂 haha! The other positive of on-line shopping was the ease of checking price points between multiple merchants.

I know some stores allow you to price match select items in-store however with my on-line orders I just added it to the cart and simply checked out!  I believe I may have found my new way of doing our BTS supply haul – for sure!

Here is a snippet of some of our school supplies.

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I legit do love back to school shopping & being all organized!

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AFTER SCHOOL ACADEMICS

Our school is great and has a lot of on-line resources for the kids to utilize throughout the year. Two of their favorite’s are First in Math, they love this one as they challenge themselves and are rewarded with points and acknowledged also in class for their work. The other favorite is Compass Learning which is a little more tailored directly to them and where they are in their overall academia. This year I decided to purchase these two workbooks for them to do 1-2 pages after school M-F. I know them and they will sure challenge & encourage one another with these little resources as well.

For our 2nd Grader

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For our 3rd Grader

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PERSONALIZED ITEMS

I love a good Monogram. I mean I don’t know what it is but I just love everything Monogram. I have always purchased the kids backpacks & matching lunch bags from PBK aka Pottery Barn Kids and I almost picked this one up for Mackenzie this year but quite honestly she didn’t need it as her set from Kindergarden & 1st grade is still in such great shape! And that my friends is what I love about the PBK gear, they are made so great and last for pretty much ever. I always have them personalized with our last name on them. They both have the mini’s that I purchased for them in Pre-K (so cute!) also and they are still in great shape! I know they may be a ‘splurge‘ to some for a child’s backpack but to me it’s worth it. I also purchased our Diaper Bag from PBK and still have that as a cute & classic keepsake which is also in good condition. This year, my son is really growing ‘up’ on me and he really didn’t love the selection at PBK prints so instead we headed over to Pottery Barn Teen and found a green Camo one that he absolutely loved so we got this set and he is feelin’ like a little man with his big man’s backpack. (they have sold out of this green camo but you can find a similar blue camo here.)

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I also picked up these personalized Monogram decals for Mackenzie’s Notebooks and what not. I just know she is going to LOVE them, I had them printed in the teal color! You can find them (here) or by clicking on the image below.

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I am also going to print these sweet prints off for their 1st day pictures! Easy, Peas-e! You can purchase digital prints of these super affordable from many – many places like etsy and what not.

 

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HOMEBOUND

Making Home our Haven is something I have really enjoyed since becoming a wife and I think with the kick off of BTS Season we know that Fall is just around the corner and not only that but after a full day of school & work we owe it to ourselves to have our Home Sweet Homes be our cozy resting place, our happy place. Not to mention Football season has officially started and well yeah – totally random but whatev’.

So, I picked up this Faux Fur Throw from Potterybarn and it is legit amazing! I have heard many people brag about these throws in past and thought ‘oh it’s just a fur throw’ & would just pick up a fur throw from a TJMaxx or Target in previous but I am telling you. . . nothing can compare to the quality and the weight of this beauty – no joke. Let’s just say it’s summer and that hasn’t stopped any of us from reaching for this cozy comfort. Since day one of it’s arrival to la casa, the kids have been in love with it so I can only imagine how it will be come fall or winter. They will have snuggle to share or take shifts 🙂 haha! I’ll opt for the snuggle! They are a bit pricey but the weight of this product really makes it worth it! I may keep an eye out for a sale on the oversized ones. I purchased the one below in grey ombre.

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I haven’t picked up my fall scents quite yet but I know these will be in the round-up as they are every single year along with a few new that sound amazing! I maybe wouldn’t call myself a candle connoisseur but I definitely love candles and I am totally all about quality over quantity and the pay off for the B&BW aka Bath & Body Works candles has not legit compared to any other in our home. They are amazing, they fill so many rooms with just one candle, they last quite a while and they burn evenly. We love them and lighting a candle is pretty much a necessity when ‘back to school & fall season’ kicks off!

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MY PERSONAL BTS CHECKLIST

Here is my checklist that keeps Mommy-Me on task between the school years. When I calculated the years, my nino’s will not collectively finish high-school until 2028 – Say What! I mean that kind of sort of makes me feel so crazy inside – like lots of emotions of awesomeness. Well here is a glimpse of my ‘keeping it together list’ for operation BTS’.

I like to keep track of this in my Erin Condren Planner.

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Now, the only things I have left to do is to get some more ‘clothing’ shopping done for BTS and then kind of go over the extra-curricular schedule with the family to finalize everything and then we will be off to a great start! Oh and deep clean la casa. 

Well that’s all for now loves, enjoy this weekend the weather is expected to be great so planning to make the most of it!!! #BeachBum here I come.

XOXO,

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