Hi!!!
After taking two trips this summer with Jake who is 2.5 yrs and Chloe who is 3.5 months I learned so much that I needed to share with you all!
When we went to the Hamptons I took the Yoyo stroller for Jake + the Ergobaby for Chloe- while I do love the carrier it was annoying having to carry Chloe everywhere. The carrier is great for shorter periods of time and perfect for when you need your hands. Thankfully for our Colorado trip my cousin let me borrow her Doona which is a carseat/stroller. This is something that is worth investing in.
What we ended up taking to Colorado was the Doona which I would recommend to anyone! It serves as a stroller and carseat so you don’t have to bring one of each. We used the Doona in the airport and gate checked it.
The top 10 items I used the most:
1) Doona for Chloe
2) Ergobaby for hiking
3) Yoyo for Jake which I ended up using a couple of time for Chloe!
4) Nose Frida for both kids I also found this brand I love after misplacing three Nose Frida’s on our trip..
5) Sunhat for all of us baseball for me & I go for the round hats for the kids to cover their ears
5) Star leggings for me- you can wear them walking around Aspen to actually hiking
6) Sneakers to walk around in all day these are my favorite for myself and for Jake
7) Goyard bag– fits everything you need
8) Sweatsuits for Jake & Chloe
9) Denim jacket for myself because you can wear it with leggings to jeans- super versatile
10) Sunglasses
Happy Friday! So excited it’s the weekend- my sister, brother in law and nieces are in town from Madison! Jake and my five year-old niece are obsessed with each other so Jake is going to be super entertained all weekend! Tomorrow night we are going to see Jerry Seinfeld so should be fun! Yesterday I had a doctor appointment for my 30 week check-up and everything is looking great, so relieved. I had an ultrasound and was able to see her little body + face. For some reason all doctor appointments are just scary to me.. My husband thinks I’m crazy!
Anyways- I wanted to share some of my favorite beauty items that I’m loving at the moment!
1) First thing I can’t live without right now is this green lipstick by Lipsick Queen called Frog Prince– it’s an emerald green lipstick that transforms into a rosebud hue when it reaches your lips. It’s semi-sheer and has Vitamin E and shea butter so it keeps your lips hydrated which is the best part. It’s super natural looking so you can wear it everyday.
2) Polishes: Since I’m pregnant I prefer to use more natural brands, so I’m using a lot of Deborah Lippmann, Smith + Cult, and London Butter..
~Everytime I wear “I knew you Were Trouble” by Deborah Lippmann I get so many compliments that I wanted to share. It’s such a beautiful color and such a good dark- but not too too dark. I don’t know about you guys but my husband hates too dark of colors but he loves this one maybe because it’s more of a blue lacquer!
~There is something so fun about adding a little glitter to your nails and I found the perfect glitter coat from Smith and Cult called Teen Cage Riot ha! I like to paint one finger from each hand with this color if I’m wearing a nude or dark color on the other fingers. What I love about this one is that it’s a thick coat so you can see it really well. If you just paint one finger from each hand it looks simple and chic!
3) Candle- I’m really not into scents – so much so that I don’t wear perfumes. But a couple of years ago I was given a candle from Jo Malone called Blackberry & Bay and it’s my favorite scent. It just has the most perfect smell for your home and I highly recommend purchasing it- yes it’s pricey but it lasts a long long time!
So I have some news to share and it’s been really hard to keep it a secret!! If you’ve been following along my blog you will remember I posted my ‘getting pregnant story’ last Mother’s Day…
We really did feel so lucky to have had Jake after two cycles of IVF and only one embryo later. We always dreamed for Jake to have a sibling. We decided to do another cycle of IVF this past May but it didn’t work – after retriveing 4 eggs – 2 fertilized but none survived through day 5.
It was then that we decided to put having another baby behind us.. We felt so blessed to have Jake and we had convinced ourselves that we were done. We are happy with our healthy baby boy! Because I had chemo in my 20s my egg quality is poor, therefore when did another cycle of IVF back in May we didn’t get results. This is the same reason why three years ago when I did my first two cycles of IVF I only got one embryo.
Chase and I took a trip to Italy in July and really cleared our heads and we were in a great place! For the first time ever I was excited to go to the countryside and not do much – just hang out by the pool and drink lots of wine!
We then got Frankie in July – our miniature poodle who is too cute for words and who really filled our house with so much love..
At the end of July I went to lunch with two girlfriends – both of whom were pregnant and I told them then that my period was late, but I didn’t think anything of it. I remember September 1 my husband was throwing a little dinner for his firm and he had told me to take an uber so we could drink and have a good time.. What I didn’t tell him was that my period was late – and I am normally never late!
So I ran out and got a pregancy test – of course I got the cheapest one – I thought what a waste of money… I peed on the stick- and it said pregnant!! The reason I’ve been keeping it quiet is because Chase and I are both carriers of an Ashkenazi genetic gene so I had to get a CVS at 11 weeks and waited an then entire month to find out if the baby is healthy..
This is a long way of saying that we are expecting a baby girl due May 2nd!! When I point to my belly and ask Jake what’s in there he says “baby”.. it melts my heart!
We are beyond excited and I can’t wait to start showing you my maternity style.. I really that hope this story inspires those who are trying – wear something sexy, let your hair down, drink, and have fun!
Hi Guys!!
So excited to be going to NYC today with Chase and Jake today. I’m not going to lie the only think i’m worried about is the fact that Jake won’t sit in a stroller- and i’ll have to carry him through the city and PS he’s over 30 pounds! Any advice for keeping your baby in their stroller? Jake is so active and just wants to run around. I’m planning on bringing a lot of snacks to keep him busy!
We’re going to see Jake’s cousins (Chase’s brother, his wife & kids) who we haven’t seen in a while + my sis in law from London + some of my friends and their babies who are the same age as Jake! We haven’t been to the city with Jake since he was 6 months so it’s going to be a different experience and so much more fun now that he can express himself! I’m sure he’s going to LOVE it just like his mamma!
I don’t LOVE going to museums but Chase does and we’re taking Jake to the Natural History museum Friday morning and then plan on going to an early lunch at Fred’s! We can’t go to NYC without going to Fred’s! We love it there.. Best food + ambiance.
We’ll be spending a lot of time at Central Park because we’re staying on the upper west side and it’s a great place to Jake to run around and burn off energy.
It’s going to be chilly and a lot of spending time with family- not going out to nice dinners so here’s my casual cold weather packing list:
When traveling with Jake, carry-on is never an option, but since we’re leaving Jake at home with my nanny + grandmother, and we’re going away from Friday-Sunday, carry on it is!
Over packing on a trip is the worst idea ever – it just totally confuses you when trying to get dressed. Rather then over packing – I always think about what I’ll be doing during the day and where I’ll be going to dinners to try to simplify. If anything I pack a few extra tops..
Shoes: For this trip I’ll be packing one pair of heels to go out at night, one pair of sneakers which I’ll be wearing on the plane, and a pair of flat sandals.
Bags: Take one big carry on-on bag that you will wear during the day and one for both nights.
Bottoms: The jeans I wear on the plane will be the ones I travel home with. I will also be packing denim shorts for when we land, apparently it’s hot in NYC!
Going out outfits: On Friday night we’re going to Carbone so I’ll be wearing a dress and on Saturday night we’re celebrating my sister in law’s 40th b-day and i’ll be wearing an off-the-shoulder lace romper.
We had such an amazing time in Italy and these are the highlights and the best parts from each place + our favorite restaurants + museums + Shopping! Rome
Instead of doing the touristy track in Rome, we decided to walk miles a day exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants – Chase and I had been both been here before on different trips where we explored the museums and the art.. Restaurants: Pipero al Rex which is ranked # 30 out of 9,215 restaurants in Rome. While my husband got the 6-course tasting menu I kept it simple (which I highly recommend) and got the La Carbonara which was to die for! My husband regretted getting the 6 course tasting after he saw my pasta!
Roscioli (my fav in Rome by far) which is a cool spot located in a hip local area near Campo de Fiore that served incredible Italian dishes in a bistro style with a great selection of wine and Italian delicatessen. Very chill vibe which I loved! Be sure to make a rezzy as it was packed with locals even at lunchtime mid-week.
Shopping & Neighborhoods Spanish Steps are touristy and super crowded but there are a lot of upscale shops – try to stay away if possible!
In and around the Campo de Fiore and Trastevere neighborhoods are where you want to hang out. PS- Eataly opened in Piazza della Republicca which had the best thin crust pizza around! FlorenceRestaurants 4 Leoni for their pear and cheese tortellini in a cute and quiet Italian plaza in the Pitti neighborhood. Lungarno Bistro right on the river for a great seafood lunch and a break from the heavy pastas.
For a quick and delicious panini that is a little out of the way – but worth the trek! – Antico Noe (near the historic synagogue, Temple Israeltico) or the more central All’ Antico Vinaio for over-sized delicious paninis and 2 euro plastic cups of wine (I had a tomato mozzarella and chase had mortadella) but with lines of locals out the door at all hours of the day. One of my favorite places to grab drinks before dinner was the rooftop of the Westin Hotel right on the river, best view!
As far as museums, as Chase and I had both seen all the Renaissance art stuff before on prior trips, this trip we did something different…
The Gucci museum is a must-do…located in the original store and with great exhibits, it’s quick and cool and shows you the history of the brand. For something similar, Ferragamo has a tiny museum under its flagship store that teaches you about the history of its handcrafted shoes.
We also saw a great modern art exhibit entitled “From Kandinsky to Pollock – the Art of the Guggenheim Collections” at Palazzo Strozzi… we walked through the famous Boboli Gardens and visited the historic Temple Israeltico synagogue.
We went to one of the coolest eclectic boutiques which was almost like a art gallery called Luisa Via Roma. Tuscany
We explored the Tuscan countryside in a car for a couple nights of r&r, good wine, cooking class and other relaxing stuff at Borgo Santo Pietro which I highly recommend for anyone looking to do something extra special and relaxing. It was the perfect way to end our trip after walking miles and miles each day in Rome and Florence.
xo
Jenny
My name is Jenny Berger, the founder and
blogger of Miami Style Mom—the leading online
destination for anyone who wants to look
her best without breaking the bank.
