Golden Style Book: June 2019

Travel Guide: Summer in New York City with Kids

28 June 2019 8:10 PM

Last weekend, my oldest daughter Avery and I left for her first trip to New York City! We traveled with Kris' mom, sister and our niece. It was such a fun trip that was totally geared towards the girls who are both 6. I lived in Manhattan during my early 20's so it has been a while (ha!) since I've spent time in the city and it was so wonderful! I have always loved the energy and opportunity that exists in New York. We planned a full weekend for the girls and I wanted to share it here. I will share our travel schedule, what I thought about each stop and then our outfit details!

We left Fort Lauderdale on Thursday morning and made our way to Laguardia airport in New York. Avery was sooo excited to fly - especially on a plane with television, ha! We thankfully had super easy travel and made it to New York by mid-afternoon.

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my travel outfit: jumpsuit (TTS) // look alike jumpsuit from Amazon // jean jacket // earrings // shoes (size up half) // tote // luggage // sunglasses // bracelet

Avery's travel outfit: dress // shoes // jacket // strawberry purse // pom pom bow

We spent the weekend at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square. It was the perfect location because two of the nights that we stayed in New York, we went to Broadway shows. It made it easy to walk to and from shows later at night. We ate a quick dinner at the hotel and walked over to our first Broadway show - Aladdin the Musical. Oh my goodness, it was AMAZING! The singing and acting were both phenomenal and Avery and I both loved the Genie in particular! At intermission they brought the magic lamp out for photos and Avery was so excited to get to see it up close!

My outfit: white jumpsuit (TTS) // jean jacket // nude block heels // earrings // leopard clutch // watch // bracelet // bracelet chain

Avery's outfit: Princess Jasmine costume

The next morning we got up early and ventured out to the Natural History Museum. I hadn't been there since a 6th grade field trip but I knew that I wanted to take Avery. She is really interested in dinosaurs at the moment and this is the perfect spot for that! What's better is that friends of ours from Florida happened to be in New York at the same time and we were all able to meet up for the morning! We were able to explore several exhibits including all of the dinosaur rooms! They have a children's discovery room that was closed for a special event, but I think it would have been so fun to do!

We had lunch reservations at 1pm up town, so we hailed a cab (Avery did it actually!) and headed in that direction.

We ate at one of our favorites, Serendipity! Avery was in awe of their unique decor and oversized meal options! Their desserts are amazing - especially the frozen hot chocolate! You definitely want to make a reservation here. It is always in demand and the restaurant size isn't huge.

Then, since we clearly did not have enough sugar (ha!) we walked down the street to Dylan's Candy Bar. It was a whole experience; not just a candy store. Avery had the time of her life there including hitting the photo booth!

Before heading back to the hotel, Mimi and I took Avery to do some shopping at Bloomingdales! She had so much fun looking around in the huge flagship store and doing a fashion show for Mimi and mom! We found some really cute dresses for her since she again grew out of most of her wardrobe!

Avery's outfit: rainbow dress // shoes // strawberry purse // cardigan

My outfit: white eyelet tiered dress (TTS) // nude sandals (TTS) // jean jacket // blush cross body bag // sunglasses

That night we headed back to the hotel and met up with Kris' sister and our niece who had just arrived in New York due to travel delays. We got dressed up and walked over to a restaurant called Chazz Palminteri which had such delicious Italian food!

Avery's outfit: rainbow sequin dress // shoes // bag

My outfit: jumpsuit (TTS) // sandals // straw clutch

The next day was probably our busiest! We started our morning at Rockefeller Center. It is such an iconic part of New York; I would love to take the girls there at Christmas time! We went to FAO Schwarz for the first time since its old location closed and thsi new one opened. It was so fun because it was a wide variety of not only their brand of products but others as well. Avery's favorite parts were the giant piano from the movie Big, and the Build a Bear workshop!

My outfit: maxi dress // sandals // bag // earrings // sunglasses

Avery's outfit: eyelet skirt set // jean jacket // pink tweed bag // strappy sandals

Avery's build a bear was a light fury from the movie, How To Train Your Dragon!

After FAO Schwarz we took a cab uptown and took a short carriage ride (about 20 minutes) around Central Park! We asked the cab to drop us off at the Plaza Hotel and the carriage rides are right next door to that hotel on the park side. Avery's favorite moment of the day was being able to pet the horse!

After our carriage ride, we walked over to The Trolls Experience! My friend Michelle from Modern Boca Mom recommended this to me and she was so right! It was about a 30 minute interactive experience that involves a dance party, trolls photo ops, interactive games and a Poppy Meet and Greet!

That afternoon we had tea at the iconic Plaza Hotel. It is so sweet because they have an "Eloise at the Plaza" tea experience for kids. Avery felt oh so fancy and had her first sip of tea! The children's tea trays had peanut butter & jelly, cotton candy and all sorts of other things that Avery loved! We stopped by the Eloise store afterwards in the Palm Court at the bottom level of the hotel. It is SO precious and they have some spaces for the kids to play! I felt like the merchandise was reallly expensive, but still super cute.

That night we had an early show to see Frozen so we quickly changed at the hotel and headed off to the theater! The Frozen show was also such hit! Kris' mom got us incredible seats and Avery decided that she wants to be on Broadway one day!

My outfit: dress (TTS, wearing a medium) // jean jacket // fringe bag // sandals

Avery's outfit: dress // jean jacket / shoes

Our last day. It was so sad to go, but we were also ready to get home to Kris and Charlotte! We packed up and went down to Battery Park for the morning. The girls learned about the Statue of Liberty this year in Kindergarten and they were able to see it from Battery Park! We also rode on the Sea Glass Carousel, which was so fun! The carousel rides look like sea glass and are in the shapes of fish and shells. It was the perfect ending to an amazing trip! I can't wait to come back with BOTH girls when Charlotte is a little bit older!

Avery's outfit: blue embroidered tank // white eyelet shorts // white sneakers

My outfit: off the shoulder white top // high waisted jean shorts // sandals // sunglasses // palm earrings

Summer Style with Walmart

13 June 2019 3:23 AM

Good Morning! Summer is in full effect in our house. The girls have been off of school for a week now and they are loving life! We have been enjoying the slower mornings and doing everything we can to stay cool in our hot South Florida summer; dresses are key for us all summer to stay cool!

I am so excited to be partnering with Walmart today in their We Dress America campaign to share these colorful summer dresses with you (affiliate links are used in this post). I have been sharing Walmart fashion finds for a while now and have been continuously impressed by the fashion forward style and quality. I love that I can shop for our whole family at Walmart and find really cute items! You all love shopping there too! Additionally I love that Walmart offers free 2-day shipping on most orders over $35 - or that you can pick up in store after ordering online! Yay for convenience!

These looks that I am sharing today are head to toe from Walmart! My cold shoulder chambray dress is from the new Sofia Vergara collection and oh my goodness it is SO cute! This dress is flattering, versatile and also makes a statement with it's feminine details. I wore size small in this dress, which is the size that I normally wear at Walmart. I honestly could not believe it was just $36!

You can dress it up with some wedges (I love this ruffle pair of wedges that have amazing reviews) or keep it causal like I did with these white sandals! I wore them around with the girls at the playground and out running errands this week and they passed the comfort test! If you go between sizes, I would go up half. I love that this dress is such a statement that you don't need a ton of accessories; I think this straw tote would be so cute with this dress!

The girls' dresses are SO sweet! I love the bold and bright tropical colors that are included in this dress. The little ruffle sleeve is such a precious detail. The material is light so it is good for summer days and the fit for them was true to size! It also comes in a blue color with white embroidery. They are just $8.44 making them such a value. Their bows can also be found at Walmart and come in a set of 40 for $13! I love that they are delicate and not too heavy.

Shop the post here!

Thank you so much to Walmart and Rewardstyle for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own and I selected all of these items.

Last Minute Father's Day Gift Ideas

11 June 2019 1:11 PM

{affiliate links are used in this post}

I wasn't planning on putting together a post on Father's Day gifts...but then Kris not so subtly sent me a list of things that he wanted for Father's Day or his birthday, ha! I actually totally appreciate the help - the worst is when they say they want nothing - or socks (although Kris swears by this brand)! So this post contains all items that he picked, items that I have either purchased for him or items I found online with great reviews! They also all arrive with 2 day or faster shipping at Amazon or Walmart.

30 Favorite Walmart Finds

10 June 2019 2:37 PM

Summer time means that often the girls will come along with me while we are running errands. With snacks in hand they are normally up for it :)! This last week Charlotte and I went to Walmart after dropping Avery off at cheerleading camp and spent almost an hour just walking around. I think it was a record for her, ha! I was looking for a wide variety of things for the house in addition to groceries so I was excited she was up for the morning shopping adventure! I wanted to put together some of my favorite finds from that shopping trip (and some items that I found online) for you! {affiliate links are used in this post} I included a link and description of each item below that can be found at Walmart!

1 // I love this Sofia Vergara off the shoulder white eyelet dress! It is the perfect summer LWD. The shoulder detail is right on trend and it also comes in several colors. I ordered this online and it fit me TTS - I typically always wear the Small 4/6 at Walmart. $36.50

2 // The color of this ruffle cami dress is so pretty! I love the simple and chic fit. $15.50

3 // This adorable dress comes in several colors and is the perfect length making it appropriate for so many occasions!

4 // This $19 off the shoulder top is so vibrant! Love it with white jeans and heels for a date night!

5 // Chambray is one of my favorite fabrics for summer. This cold shoulder dress is such a pretty cut and would be great for date night to church! The size small fit me well! $34

6 // My store had this v-neck tee and I loved it! Great quality and several color options. This tee is $7.

7 // These white mules are perfect for summer! I love the perforation and pointed toe. They are on sale for just over $10. TTS or size up to the next half if you go between (ie: if you wear an 8.5 or 9 order a 9).

8 // Snakeskin is a huge trend for spring and summer, and I love that these snakeskin mules can be worn into fall as well!

9 // I wore these memory foam leopard sneakers to a birthday party today and they were so comfortable! They fit true to size (if you go between I would go up).

10 // These metallic sandals are a summer staple! Pair with some denim shorts and a t-shirt for an easy, cool look.

11 // A circle straw bag is the perfect summer accessory! It is fun and goes with so many different outfits.

12 // Whenever we travel I like to carry a cross body purse with essentials in addition to the giant mom bag that I carry, ha! This cross body bag is roomy enough to carry the essentials but not too large that it is cumbersome. I really like the camel tones.

13 // The denim and embroidery on this sweet dress is the cutest combination! I also love the ruffle sleeve. $8.44

14 // How precious is this mini pom pom tote! It is technically a bag for women, but I think the size would be so fun for Avery to carry and be able to pack all her things for a dinner out (aka stickers and crayons, ha!)

15 //My girls live in dresses like these all summer. They prefer dresses over shorts, but these are light, casual and comfortable for the playground! In addition to the comfort they are so cute, and a 2-pack for $9!

16 // Love these adorable sandals! Love the laser cut detail and the rose gold. Perfect for summer play. They are $12.

17 // Ruffles will always be my favorite, ha! This cute top comes in several colors and patterns. I think it would be so pretty for play and dressing up!

18 // I love white mary jane sneakers for the girls. They can wear them with dresses or shorts - super versatile!

19 & 20 // We needed a few new pool floats this summer and these are so fun and affordable! I loved the giant cupcake ($14) and Charlotte liked the flamingo ($20)!

21 // This set of six bubble wands was the first thing that Charlotte saw when we walked into WalMart and she made sure we did not leave with out it, ha!

22 // My mixing bowl set was pretty much falling apart until I got this melamine set from The Pioneer Woman. It was $15 and comes with three bowls and their tops!

23 // I have had this set of acrylic containers for a year now and LOVE! I think they are affordable and helped me to organize my pantry!

24 // I saw this utensil holder in store. I really like how neutral it is making it blend with so many kitchens! It is under $10.

25 // This pom pom bathroom mat could not be cuter and is about $5! Love it for the girls bathroom.

26 & 27 // I love keeping canning jars on hand at home for a variety of reasons! Not only are they great for storing food and acting as vases for flowers, but also for organization! I bought this set of 12 jars to use in part for organizing our craft room - to put beads, glue sticks, etc in them! I will use these chalkboard labels to label each jar so it can be changed as the contents of the jar changes.

28 & 29 // I picked up this shampoo (and now want the conditioner too!) because I am trying to grow my hair out a bit. It has great reviews and I like it so far! It is also sulfate and paraben free, and under $5!

30 // Kris and I are on a major organization kick in the house and the girls have a ton of costume jewelry that they don't want to part with. So I ordered this jewelry organizer to hang in their closets and (hopefully) keep their jewelry organized!

Thank you to Walmart and RewardStyle for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

Mommy & Me Matching Outfits

09 June 2019 1:09 PM

Today I'm so excited to be sharing mommy and me matching outfit ideas! This post has been a long time coming; it is by far the most requested and I have been working on it for a while now. I love to match my girls (and for them to match when they allow it, ha!). I normally like for us to match in color tones and patterns versus outfits that exactly match. When we do have exactly matching outfits I will often wear a jean jacket or give the girls another layer to have some variation.

So in this post I am sharing affordable outfit ideas by category and style. At the end of this post I will also share some additional resources for finding mommy and me looks!

{affiliate links are used in this post}