É A S T É R

Hello everyone! I hope you’re all having a great day and staying healthy + safe! <3

I’m so excited to share these Easter Basket ideas for littles with you all! I hope this post puts a smile on your face and gets you and your littles looking forward to something while we’re all stuck in our homes! <3

The magic is back in holidays with a little one at home! Chase and I have had so much fun preparing for each and every one knowing it’s Chloés first! Easter was one of my favorite holidays growing up and still is to this day! We will be celebrating Easter in the Allen household quarantined or not, and I hope you all will too!

For Chloés Easter basket we decided to go with an actual storage basket! She can’t walk/egg hunt on her own, and we are lacking toy + blanket storage so getting a storage basket was a no brainer + saved us some dough! (I’ve linked some baskets we love above from target!) We’ll be filling her basket up with these beautiful Ballerina dolls, a rattle, a crown, baby luggage, and pom blanket from Alimrose! Alimrose is one of the cutest & classiest shops for littles I’ve found since having Chloé! They have a darling selection of dolls + bunnies right now too! I highly recommend checking them out if a “Kate Middleton” Easter is what you’re going for! Your Prince/Princess will love their shop too!

The Bunny will also be leaving books, an Easter outfit, stuffies, little toys, eggs, and some baby friendly treats! These two books above are some of our favorites! The “Mommy Mommy” book is Chloés absolute favorite and I’m not mad about it! (; She squeals when she sees it! YOU NEED IT! <3 Some of the toys, stuffies, and outfit picks we’ve made for the basket I’ve linked below! Simply click on a picture to shop an item! One of our favorite items for an Easter basket that isn’t photographed is a bubble machine/bubble gun! We got ours for $4 and it’s a big hit in our house! (The biggest!) Another big hit in our house right now are these eggs! We got a pack of 47 for $3 and Chloé loves playing with them! 10/10 would recommend letting your littles play with the eggs early! Affordable entertainer right here! <3

Growing up the Easter bunny used to hide our Easter baskets and we’d have to search from them around the house with the help of a few clues! I loved this growing up and can’t wait to do this for Chloé! What are Easter traditions OR Easter basket must haves for you?! Leave a comment below, I would love to know! And thank you for stopping by! Love you all! xx Stay safe out there during this crazy time!

K I T S C H E’

Hello loves!

I haven’t shared our home at all with you guys and really need to! To be honest it’s been hard to share because I feel like it’s never done and there’s always something I want to add/change! (I’m sure you’ve felt it too!) But, without further ado, I present to you, our kitchen!

Chase and I both have a love affair with black, so we selected the cabinet color “Soot” from Benjamin Moore before we were expecting Chloé! We love our black cabinets and love the mood it sets in our home! Our interior designer Lexi Arnold was 100% here for it as well! While building + buying for our home, I truly ran everything through Lexi and she created digital mock ups so I could visually see what it would look like! (She’s the real deal btw! We love her!) We also went with marble countertops and love the look!

To bring this space to life, we implemented plants (faux plants,) beautiful serve ware, cook books, candles, mixed elements of wood and metal, candles, linen, and small pops of color! Almost every item of our kitchen decor is from Target and Alice Lane! (You can shop everything below btw! Simply click on a picture to shop!) We love these items and hope you will too! The faux plants from Alice Lane look very alive might I add. They’re pricey but so worth it. Especially if you have the black thumb! (;

Our rug, wooden shelves, serving boards, books, and bowls are all under $60 though! A steal for these beautiful items if you ask me! We have a small tech corner with a charging pad for our phones and a beats pill that I highly recommend! Loudest portable speaker on the market and a great size! The music comes through clear as day!

There are a few things we’d change about the space. For instance, I’m crazy into gold cone pendants now instead of the milk bulbs we have! (You can shop the ones I’m crushing on below!) And we haven’t loved our dining table, not have we purchased dining chairs! I’m still on the look out for ones we love that won’t break the bank! Other than those few things…. our kitchen is perfect. <3 Below are some of our inspiration pictures used for our kitchen! We used Pinterest to help build our home and would recommend having a home Pinterest board to keep all of your pictures and ideas in one place! You can follow me on Pinterest here to see all the bits of inspiration that I pin!

Thanks for stopping by and checking out our kitchen! <3 If you guys have any questions about anything please drop a comment below! Love you all! xx

B A B Y S F I R S T X-M A S w/ P B K

HAPPY (nearly) HOLIDAYS EVERYONE! <3 I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving yesterday filled with good food, family time, and of course, FOOTBALL!

Todays blog post goes out to all of you first time parents/mommas and papas with little ones! I’m breaking down THEE perfect gift giving guide for your baby’s first Christmas with Pottery Barn Kids! Before I get into it, know that everything from Pottery Barn Kids is 25% off and ships free today-Monday with code UNWRAP at checkout! (also note these presents work for Children older than Miss Chloé!)

Growing up at my house, Santa always left our presents unwrapped and I loved that! I could sneak downstairs in the middle of the night, get a good glimpse of the magic that was here, then sleep soundly the rest of the night! It also helped my brothers and I understand what was from Santa and what was from our parents. We will definitely be doing this with Chloé!

Santa’s guide to giving was always one BIG toy, some stocking stuffers, a new outfit or dress, and some treats! My parents always made sure we had a stocking ready to go, and new PJs to wear on Christmas Eve! (It was the one present we could open before Christmas!)

We were able to find everything on our wish list for Chloés first Christmas from Pottery Barn Kids! They had lots of big present options, cute stockings, stocking stuffers, even the PJs folks! We’re going to break down what each gift is and why we picked it out for our little one!

For Chloés BIG gift we decided to get her a rocker! This is something she’ll be using in the coming months and enjoy it the rest of her childhood! Pottery Barn Kids has 18 different animal rocker options and they’re all SO CUTE! I think it’s obvious at this point I have an obsession with fawn as of late, so I went with the fawn! Same with her stocking, had to have that cute little deer face on it! Chase and I opted for a Santa + a Snowman stocking for ourselves! We also adore the fur stockings. Pottery Barn can’t be beat when it comes to stockings! The stockings are generously sized too, so we can fit some good stocking stuffers inside! We opted for a cozy polar bear blanket, a precious modern teddy, some bath squirtles, Disney blocks, and a white noise machine stuffed lamb! These are all things she can enjoy now, and some even more later on down the road! (For instance, learning how to build up the blocks, or squirting water out of her bath toys!) Obviously we had Chloé “test out” all of these items, and I can truly say she loves them!

I feel like we really hit the jackpot when it came to our Christmas pajamas this year! Pottery Barn Kids carries multiple designs and every size of the cutest, softest, classiest Christmas pajamas! <3 It doesn’t get cuter than this!

If you want to shop Pottery Barn Kids selection for boys, or an older age, click HERE for toys, HERE for stockings, HERE for stocking stuffers, and HERE for PJs! REMEMBER, use code UNWRAP for 25% off your entire order at Pottery Barn Kids + free shipping from now until Monday!

Below you can shop the things we’re shopping for this Christmas for Chloé, our families, and ourselves! <3 Simply click on a picture to shop an item! Thanks for stopping by loves! And again, Happy (almost) Holidays everyone!

L É G R A N D

If you find yourself in Salt Lake City, The Grand America is the only way to go! This hotel is by far the best the salty city has to offer!

Chase and I have always loved staying at The Grand! You can find us here after a Jazz game, sleeping in, getting Sunday Brunch, enjoying the spa and maybe a couples massage, and then hitting the pool! (They have indoor & outdoor so they’ve got you covered no matter the season!) We also love to people watch in the grand lobby. There’s often weddings, corporate events, cute ladies out for tea, and nba teams staying at the hotel which makes for an enjoyable time while waiting for your car! The lobby often has live music being played ranging from bands to harp, and there’s always an enormous bouquets of flowers who’s aroma fills the room!

The Grand life with Chloé was a little different but just as magical and luxurious as ever before! We made a stop to the in house toy store and just about died! Everything from the store, to the toys, to the window displays were to die for! The Grand America’s toy store is New York status if you know what I mean! We definitely got a few new toys for Chloé!

All three of us Allens enjoyed our vibrant, spacious room, the delicious room service menu, and a cheerful staff helping us with whatever we needed!

It truly was a staycation to remember! <3

If you’re wanting to go on a couples getaway, family trip, or treat yourself to a little me time, then The Grand is for you! Hoping to see you there ASAP! xx

C H L O É I N T H E C I T Y

First trip as a family of three officially in the books! We took Chloé James to the city, it’s one of our very favorite places! Nothing really compares to New York City!

When booking this trip, Chase and I thought carefully about what we’d be doing and where we’d be staying in the city with a 2 month old baby girl! (We didn’t want her getting sick or too hot!) We found the PERFECT hotel to stay at though, the Intercontinental Barclay! It’s right on the line of being in mid town & the upper east side, so CLEAN! Our room was spacious and big! Much bigger than any room we’ve ever stayed in while in the city! (It was really clean and smelled amazing too!) The Intercontinental Barclay had a beautiful, spacious lobby with food right off to the side, a continental breakfast with all the options, and an enormous crystal chandelier that Chloé James loved to gaze at! (It was so cute!) The staff was incredibly helpful and so so kind! They always said hello to Chloé, helped us with our bags & stroller, and even got the elevator for us! (Talk about going the extra mile!) This hotel is also dog friendly! We thought about bringing PG with us but ultimately opted out considering it was our first time flying and traveling with a baby!

I’m not even going to lie to you guys.. I miss their bathroom! It was so beautiful! It had the prettiest sink, marble countertops, the cutest subway tile, and a mirror perfectly lit to get glammed up! #TakeMeBack! If you’re wanting to visit the city, Chase & I both highly recommend this hotel! Between the incredible staff, perfect location, and spacious suite, it was a 10/10 for us Happily Ever Allens!

Seeing Chloé in the city was honestly the cutest thing ever! You don’t see many babies in New York, so everyone who saw her lit up and smiled! She brought joy to so many New Yorkers! Chloé enjoyed Central Park, soho, the Brooklyn bridge, cab rides, lots of naps, and of course her stay at the Intercontinental Barclay! She also brought some zzz’s to the city that never sleeps! Poor baby girl was so tired! She’s little enough that she can snooze anywhere right now so Chase & I lucked out!

Where should we go next?! Drop a comment below!

Thanks for looking in our first trip as a family of 3! <3 If you want our full NYC HACKS & TRAVEL GUIDE, click HERE! We have previous blog post that we still swear by! xx

B E B E L E’ S E X E

Baby Allen is a GIRL!!!! <3 Chase and I are so excited to bring this little angel into the world! I don’t know how or why but it gets that much better once you know what you’re having! 

Chase and I had our family over over for our baby’s gender reveal and it was so much fun!

Chases brother Travis and his fiancé Charles took charge and handled every detail from food to decor, to coming with me to to the ultrasound and planning the reveal for everyone, including us! (THANK YOU TRAV & CHARLES!!!! We love you!)

I’ve been feeling kinda sick still, (pregnancy is tough guys) so I’m going to keep the post short n sweet and add some videos! First is the ultrasound where you can see baby girl perfectly, and the other is our gender reveal! ENJOY LOVES! xx  

Also, a huge shout out to my friend Natalie Mckell! She recently had a baby boy and has been my go to while being pregnant! She helped me find a doctor, helped me find prenatals to take, is always answering my pregnancy questions, and made some beautiful floral arrangements for the gender reveal and overall makes me feel like a million bucks! I love this girl! THANK YOU NAT for being such a good friend! ILYSM! 

Also, I couldn’t have a shin dig w/ out these puppies! Cupcakes from the sweet tooth fairy! They’re my absolute favorite! <3 (I ate three that night!) Safe to say baby girl is a sugar-holic just like her moma!

Also, for outfit details, Pink Dress + Turtle Neck is from Soel Boutique! (In store!) Sweater dress is from Free People! And all baby girls clothes are from The Baby Cubby! We went shopping for her the day after we found out she was a girl! The Baby Cubby is the cutest baby store, and we honestly couldn’t wait to start getting some cute baby clothes!!!!  

Thank you all for your love and support! WE LOVE YOU! xx|HEA

B E’ B E’

Guys, WE MADE DIS! <3 Baby Allen coming early June! We could not be more excited!!!! 

We had our first doctors appointment yesterday and everything went great! The doctor told us we’re 9 weeks along and all looks well! We were able to see the heartbeat which was absolutely incredible! Chase even started tearing up a bit, he’s already the best dad!

Truth be told, Chase has been ready to be a dad since the day we met! It was me that needed more time! I’ve always been terrified of giving birth and all the pain/complications that may come along with it, but this past year they’ve all faded away and I’ve felt strong and SO READY to start this journey! 

I’ve been pretty sick the last 2 months, but I can’t complain! I know so many women who have it 100 times worse than I do! So I’m extremely grateful and counting my blessings! (Also, shout out to all you working moms! I work from home and have been struggling SO BAD! I have a whole new appreciation for working women + moms. You ladies are the real MVPs!) 

My diet has changed so much in the last two months! I used to love eating healthy foods like spinach, avocado, broccoli, berries, and fish! Now I’m living off of sugared cereal and gluten free pizza! That’s about all that sounds good/doesn’t make me gag! I’m hoping in a couple weeks once we’re out of the first trimester, things start getting back to normal! 

Aside from my diet completely changing, some of the biggest challenges/changes I’ve experienced are constantly being tired/not sleeping well at night, and being “backed up.” It takes me days on end before I’m able to go to the bathroom! It’s awful. Nothing makes me feel more sick! TMI I know, but I wanted to share this in case anyone has some tips or tricks for me! If you do, PLZ SEND EM MY WAY!!!! <3 

We’ve had a lot of questions asking if this was planned and the answer is, kind of! We wanted to start trying this October, so we were truly over the moon when we found out! It was such a happy day! Neither of us really believed our eyes! We took 3 preganacy tests before we believed we’re actually pregnant! I always thought I’d tell Chase in a really cute and creative way that we’re pregnant, but it just didn’t turn out that way! Same with our family! We wanted to tell them all in a cute way, but it just didn’t happen! (SORRY FAM!) 

We’ve also been asked if we think it’s a boy or a girl! If we could choose, we’d love a boy first, but I have a hunch it’s a girl! And honestly, either way, we will be so so happy! Just hoping the baby is healthy, nothing else matters! We have names picked out for both genders, but we’ve been referring to the baby as “squish” and “chickie nug.” <3

Taking these pictures at the beach and visiting the doctor yesterday made everything feel so REAL. There’s been so much love felt, especially in these moments!  

So little “squish,” here’s to YOU! We are so excited to be your mommy and daddy! You are already SO LOVED and we can’t wait to meet you!  

xx| Mum & Dad