// Things I Love Thursday v.274

At this point I just need to stop pretending this is even close to a regular Thursday feature anymore haha! Who knows when it'll ever go up! TiLT posts are my favorite to write but they just take so long!

// I bought myself a couple of things for Christmas... Tis the season, right? this watermelon bag // this 'mornings blow' mug // and a couple books: the little bacon cookbook and #howtwolive

// I know ~weavings and wall hangings basically slap you in the face every time you open the internet, but this one is really pretty... even though it is most definitely not handmade.






// Wishlist Wears: this lace dress // this entire outfit is perfection // confetti purse! // i love jackets - especially this green moto // loving the pattern and cut of this bathing suit // so so cozy! // this super feminine little dress // this hat is so ridiculous but i totally want it // i hate the way the top is cut but i love everything else about this dress // all of these cozy socks


xo KB

// Parental Peace of Mind (+ A Giveaway!)

As a doula, especially in my postpartum role, I'm pretty up to speed on most of the gadgets out there that are meant to make your life as a new parent easier. Friends and clients are regularly asking me what they should splurge on, what to buy secondhand, and what to skip all together. When I was pregnant with Linden I remember a friend telling me not to waste my dollars on a video monitor - that an audio-only one would do just fine. I didn't act on any monitors until after Linden was here, mainly because I knew we'd be cosleeping for the first little while. Of course this absolutely did not stop my overly anxious mind from being riddled with every scary scenario in the book. Anyone who has been a first time mom knows just how terrifying it can be to just function while saddled with those worries. Once Linden was out of our bed and into his own space, I opted to buy a monitor that would alert me if he stopped breathing for more than 3 seconds - it laid under his crib mattress and it had audio-only speakers. That particular monitor definitely helped me feel a little bit better, but I would find myself having to constantly tiptoe back to his room to see if he was asleep or not, and I still worried about it not working properly - Postpartum anxiety is real and frustrating and exhausting. After a few failed attempts at being sly when checking on L, I sought out to buy a video monitor. 
After poking around online and in a couple stores, we ended up with a one-camera Wi-Fi system that we set up in Linden's nursery. The wi-fi capabilities allowed us to view the feed from our phones in addition to the LCD display. All of this was before I had read all about wi-fi baby monitors could be hacked into and ours allowed us to talk back through the camera sooo you can imagine the level of anxiety that came with that realization...) - Sidenote: Levana's monitors use ClearVu digital wireless technology (which if you're like me and shrugging your shoulders with a blank stare, that means it's digitally secure and can't be hacked). Overall we were very happy with our video monitor, but after less than a year, the app stopped working on our phones and there was no way to fix it that we could find. The monitor was used less and less, despite working otherwise, until I just recently packed it up and gave it to a friend who was looking for one. Now that Linden is sneaking up on 2.5 years old, I was really starting to miss having a video monitor. He's been climbing up and down to the top bunk of the bed for almost a year now... yep, that little daredevil. And being one adult in a household with two children, two dogs, and a whole lot of work means that I could really use another set of eyes. Guess who got another video monitor? Yep, this girl.
I opened my inbox to an email about this Levana campaign for their new line of baby monitors and even though I'm sure you're all sick of sponsored content, especially around the holidays, I couldn't sign on fast enough. I was mainly stoked that the Levana Willow system came with two cameras and the touchscreen display was huge! Like, 5 inches huge. Once the monitors got here I set them up in all of 5 minutes - and most of that time was spent moving furniture to get to the outlets haha! I actually threw away the instructions by mistake but it couldn't have been more simple to setup. I also like that can just grab any of the cameras and pop it up in a different room - no additional attention needed. I ended up putting one in the boys' room and then one in the living room for the time being. The living room one tends to migrate depending on where I am in the house and where Linden is. He likes to watch tv in my bed so I regularly move it to my room in hopes this might help prevent any future Febreze incidents (Did you hear about that one? He sprayed almost an entire bottle on my bed... mhm. One spray at a time... all while I thought he was asleep. He was totally silent. Video monitors, people!) 
The Levana tagline kind of makes me chuckle a little - "Do More Knowing Your Child Is Safe" - well, to be honest, right now I don't worry so much about Linden being safe, but more so Toby at the hands of Linden. Linden is at that stage where he's defiant and sometimes a little rough. He's finding his place in the sibling hierarchy (and I'm getting a crash course on what it's like to have a sibling at all). So it's more like I have a camera on Linden in order to keep Toby safe haha! But to be honest, it really does allow me to do more. The other day when it was a solid 74 degrees out (followed by a high of 31 the next day...), I took advantage of Linden and Toby playing games on the iPad to hop outside and take care of the leaves on the deck. When Linden was napping yesterday, I toted the display with me to the neighbor's front porch and had a cup of coffee. The neighbor's house is literally right there, but I was actually shocked that it worked at that distance - only because our original one would cut out halfway through the yard. Last night I even wrapped Christmas presents knowing I wouldn't have to listen for tiny footsteps along the hall - I could see they were both tucked into bed (see the video above!). It allows me to be productive, and it allows me to relax. I'm sure you've noticed I don't really have anything negative to say about it haha! I try really hard to be very objective, especially for sponsored posts, because what good is a review if it's not honest? I really can't find anything I don't like about this system - I mean, if I had to find something, it'd just be the cording from the cameras - it's not noticeable if on a shelf or something, but cords hanging down walls always bug me. Totally minor, right? Grasping at straws here.
If you're not sold yet then just know that Levana actually launched the very first wireless, handheld baby monitor in 2002, and they exclusively manufacture baby monitors, so they know what they're doing. The battery on my display lasts forever. I'm really bad about not charging things on the regular, and I usually only have to charge my display like twice a week. The system also includes temperature sensors, feeding timers, built in lullabies, and a super simple navigation. I'm a big ol' fan and I think you should totally enter the giveaway below and check out Levana on Facebook. Even if you don't have kids - you can watch your dogs or cats or spouse - whatever haha! 

Moral of the story: If you've got a baby on the way or a toddler of you own, go for the video monitor. As a doula and as a mom, I stand behind these things. Even though our original one didn't last as long as I would have liked, I still think it was one of our very best purchases. I can't wait to see how this one stands up with the test of time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

PS; Wanna see a silly video? The Diaper Change video is prettttttty cuuuute.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Levana. The opinions and text are all mine.


// The Perfect Gift For PawPaw


When it comes to gift shopping there is always one person who is just so dang difficult to buy for. That's my stepdad. He's one of those guys who loves tools, tinkering with things, building stuff, and of course, his Jeep. He's a very hands-on, get the job done type of dude, and when he has a particular "want," he just goes and buys it for himself. This means that while it's easy to point out exactly what he likes to do with his spare time, it's almost impossible to think of a gift for him that he doesn't already have (but could still actually use). I'd be lying if I said a case of beer hadn't been his gift many times over the past ~7+ years...
Armor All Car Care Gift Pack

This year though! This year I finally got him something that 1) I know he'll use, 2) I know he'll appreciate and 3) is downright precious when coupled with the little "coupon book" the boys have been coloring on for him. We're working on making a small 6 page booklet that includes "coupons" for things like "One Free Car Wash (Totally performed by Linden and Toby, so don't expect a very clean car)" and "PawPaw's Assistant For A Day" etc. Pretty cute stuff, right?

My stepdad drives 2 hours in each direction for work every. single. day. - and he has done that for well over 25 years now. Whoa, right? That's exactly why this snazzy little Armor All Car Care Gift Pack is the answer to all of my holiday gift shopping prayers! He's the last person I find a gift for every single year, so the simple fact that his gift was under the tree before anyone else's is quite the feat. The very best part? You don't even really need to wrap the thing! It comes in a handy little bucket and you can just slap some ribbon or a bow on it. We opted to top if off with some cozy pajama pants and some house shoes. He works so incredibly hard and definitely deserves some relaxation. Plus he can wear his comfy 'jamas while the boys wash his car come Spring, right?


Armor All Car Care Gift Pack
We opted to top if off with some cozy pajama pants and some house shoes. He works so incredibly hard and definitely deserves some relaxation. Plus he can wear his comfy 'jamas while the boys wash his car come Spring, right? Haha! The gift pack is seriously packed (see what I did there?) to the brim with goodies for his car. It's a 10 piece set that includes the reusable washing bucket, a large sponge and even a waxing cloth. I'm legitimately *this* close to popping back into Walmart and buying one for myself. As someone who all but lives in her car for work, it'd be nice to have a shiny whip to shuttle around in.

Also included in the Car Care Gift Pack is a Pro Secrets Booklet that has a coupon value of up to $13 off other Armor All products. It comes in that bright, impossible to miss, orange bucket, and it's located in the Automotive Center of Walmart. Check it out if you've got a tough-to-shop-for family member or friend who loves their car! Oh! And take advantage of the $3 off digital coupon offer, too! Hurry since it's only ~while supplies last.

Who is the most difficult person for you to shop for when it comes to gift giving?

xo KB

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® & Armor All but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #ArmorAllGiftPack  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

// Toby Turns Eight!







Toby turned eight on Friday! I can't believe my biggest little man is eight! I wanted to make sure he felt extra special Friday morning because it had been a bit of a long/rough week for him, so I decorated his bedroom door while he slept. His face when he woke up the next morning was absolutely precious. (I totally took a video, but he was in his skivvies so I won't do that to him haha!) I let him open his gifts before he went to school and then once he got home I let him pick what he wanted to do for his birthday. He opted for the trampoline park in Franklin, so we loaded up and headed north. Sky Zone was surprisingly empty so we all 3 enjoyed our 60 minutes of jumping. Linden and Toby both really love the foam pit. I'll admit it's totally fun to jump into! haha

After Sky Zone Toby wanted pizza and cake, so we picked up both of those before heading back toward home. Birthday parties are so hard to have in December due to everyone's hectic schedules. Christmas parties, family gatherings, errands and other obligations - I was afraid that if we tried to whip up a last minute party then it'd be an epic fail. Instead we're going to have a super fun movie night at Whitney's with her crew this coming weekend. Pillow forts, popcorn, and old favorites like The Sandlot and Little Rascals. 

This week is Toby's last week of the Fall semester so come Friday he will be home for like, three weeks! I'm excited to have him home more because Linden loves it, and when he's around L wants to be just like him. This allows me brief moments of productivity ha. Christmas is less than 2 weeks away and there is just so much I still need to do. My work schedule has been absolutely bonkers lately, but that's a story for another time. Until then, I'll leave you with these snapchat photos of Brother Bear's happy day!

xo KB

// 5 Subtle Ways To Bring Holiday Cheer Into Your Home


I've always been one of those people who admire and envy folks who have collections of holiday decor and bits and bobs. Throw pillows, wreaths, garlands, artwork, you name it. Up until this house I've always moved around - usually every 12 months as leases would end. Having the constant desire to just up and go made it pretty difficult to keep up with a lot of holiday decorations. Now that we've been in this house almost 4 years (!!!!!!) and there's no move in (my immediate) sight, I've started to feel comfortable acquiring little things here and there that I'd love to use over the years. Since I don't currently have anything really, we're starting at the bottom! Rather than throw myself full force into a bunch of stuff I don't "need," I'm finding subtle ways to bring the holiday cheer into our home. So far so good! If you're looking to decorate without your home shouting "Welcome to The Christmas Shoppe!" then check out these slightly more low-key options!


Decorate with candles in holiday scents

CANDLES! We all know how much I love candles, for real. Not only does the soft light that comes from them instantly relax me and make me feel all cozy, but the seasonal scents really put me in the holiday spirit. My absolute favorite scent for this time of year is anything evergreen - like the Balsam Fir candle I've been burning in the living room. I got this candle all of a day or two after putting up our Christmas tree so it really couldn't have come at a better time! It smells HEAVENLY! I usually light it anytime I turn on the Christmas tree because they complement each other so well. I have a few other awesome seasonal scents from Chesapeake Bay Candles including: Vanilla Biscotti (tends to move from bathroom to kitchen every so often), Cinnamon Spice (My mom was such a big fan of this one and it's rustic metal tin that I gave it to her), and Cypress and Oak (!!! - this 3-wick candle has been burning on my nightstand lately and the scent coupled with the bright, warm glow gets me alllll kinds of cozy in my bed) You can't beat decor that does overtime! All of the ones above are from the Heritage Collection by CBC - but if you're shopping for someone specific and want some other options, check out this gift guide.

Spin some holiday tunes

I love Christmas music! I rarely seek out any of the traditional holiday music because goodness knows we all get enough of that in the stores starting November 1st haha! But dedicated Christmas albums covered by my favorite artists are totally my jam. Every single year (!!!) I listen to 'Punk Goes Christmas' while decorating the tree. Hearing some of my favorite pop punk bands cover holiday classics brings an instant smile to my face. This year I also scooped up Kacey Musgraves' A Very Kacey Christmas and it. is. fantastic! It doesn't hurt that the vinyl is a translucent green, too. It looks fun and festive when spinning on the record player. Of course there's always the golden tunes from She and Him if that's more your speed. (Did you know they just released a new Christmas album?!) Something about hearing holiday classics performed by someone unexpected gives it just the perfect amount of whimsy and intrigue. (BTW, you can stream most of those above if you have an Amazon Prime account! - and if you don't have one, you should. #AMAZE!)

Add greenery around your home

Garland, wreaths, random pine boughs, whatever. You don't have to scatter poinsettia plants in every corner to get that fresh, winter look. Instead you can opt to go for a simple green garland or a plain wreath. I love to lay lighted garland along the shelf behind my couch because it brings so much color and life to a random part of my house. I also like to swap out my wreath on the front door for the seasons, and drape pine boughs on smaller shelves and decorative pieces like my moose above the tv. (Poor moose just broke one of his antlers though...)

Fill glass bowls and jars with
festive bits and bobs

Like cranberries! or pinecones! There are a few things that instantly make me think of the holidays and pinecones and cranberries are totally up there. The cranberries can bring such a fresh pop of color to any glass container. Scatter them around tea light candles, or fill vases with them for centerpieces. If the warm red color doesn't work with your decor, consider getting crafty with some pinecones! You can do all sorts of fun things like: glitter them, paint them, dip them - get creative and messy! This would be a rad project to do with any kids in your life.


Utilize wire "fairy lights" to
spruce up any area

I can't even tell you how many strands of these copper wire lights I have in my house. Like seriously. I have them wrapping around the mirror in my bedroom, donning the top of my headboard and even a cluster of them strung along the top of my bedroom window. In the living room I've wrapped them around both of my faux trees, this handmade dollhouse, and even some live plants too. My favorite thing about these lights is that they have 2 "ON" options: 1) Turn on until you turn off and 2) Turn on for 4 hours, automatically turn off, and then turn back on 24 (well, 20) hours later - for another 4 hours! I looooove this about these lights because the ones in my living room come on automatically each evening at the same time. It's such a small thing, but it always makes me happy. You can use these everywhere though. If you don't have any, get you some! (BTW, you can wrap these lights around the plain garland or wreaths up above and boom! Your garland instantly looks expensive! Then when the holidays are over, you can use the lights elsewhere!) 

----------------------------------------------------

Holiday decor doesn't have to (and shouldn't be!) hokey - you know, unless that's your thing. In which case, get on with yo' bad self! ;) Decorating for the seasons should be fun, and light hearted - not a chore. Home decor is also such a relative and personal choice, too. While I may not be lounging on throw pillows with Rudolph's face sewn on them now, who's to say that won't totally be my jam down the road? My only real goal with our home is to create an environment that is welcoming, cozy, and representative of our silly little trio. I'm sort of excited to see how it evolves as the boys get older, too. For now I'll stick to my candles, wire lights and bowls filled with random stuff haha! Sounds like a solid plan, right?


How do you decorate for the holidays? 
Tag me in photos on Instagram (@kaelahbee) if you'd like to share!

xo KB


// Things I Love Thursday v.273

♥ this this this! ♥
this freaking cute fox scarf ♥
this stunning living room ♥
♥ this rad typography piece ♥
♥ these colors! ♥
these mountain shelves ♥
♥ this cardboard advent calendar ♥


// For the women with balls who do give a fuck. I mean ovaries are pretty badass, too... :P

// What happens after drinking 1, 2, and 3 glasses of wine? These hilarious portraits show us!


// Have you heard of Defy Ventures? Watch this video. What an incredible resource for incarcerated men.


// This dude caught a wild rabbit and his snapchat story is too freaking good. I totally expected this to be dumb but his enthusiasm definitely got me laughing.


// If you're into personalized gifts, this doormat would be fab for a newly married couple or someone who just bought a new home! Or maybe a monogram coffee mug?! These are only $10!



xo KB

// Recently








So Christmas is in like, less than 3 weeks... How about that, huh? Sheesh. I'm not even remotely prepared for any of it, so I need to get my act in gear. This week is mostly doula clients and tackling some projects around the house. I started refinishing my bathtub over the weekend because I knew the boys would be gone for 2 full days and I could always crash with Whitney. Lord have mercy I had no idea it would be as messy as it was haha The spray epoxy went on fine, but it creates clouds and clouds of mist and overspray - so my entire bathroom floor is now sticky with epoxy mist. But I was planning on redoing the floor anyway so I guess that's what I'll be doing at some point this week. I really need to give it another coat but then that means another 72 hours of curing. That's kind of tough when you have one bathroom... haha 

I worked a postpartum overnight shift on Sunday and then I had to drive straight to a prenatal appointment with a client in Murfreesboro Monday morning. While I was there I got a call from Toby's school saying he was sick and needed to come home. Totally what you want to hear when you're an hour and 45 minutes away... Luckily my mom was able to scoop him up and keep him until I could get home. Turns out Tobes has a nasty case of the flu. ugh. The poor kid is in so much pain and agony. This is the first real bout of "serious" sickness since becoming a single mom and holy crap y'all. This shit is hard. It's hard. It breaks my heart to see him so pitiful. I'm also really really hoping neither Linden nor I catch it. I've been using Lysol like mad.

I'm really hoping Tobes starts feeling better soon because his birthday is Friday (!!!) and y'all, he's turning eight! That's so wild. I'm hoping that if he doesn't have a super busy day at school that I can swoop in and steal him for some birthday fun. Clearly we're just living the dream over here, right? :P

xo KB

PS; I bought jeans! And I like them! 2016, you've been somethin'

sources: [outfit one] red dress // ankle booties // unicorn case [outfit two] nasty woman tee // ponte leggings // hoodie jacket // birks [outfit three] black lace shirt // black jeans




// Your Holiday Party Must Have: A Sangria Station!


This post brought to you by Santa Margherita Wines. The content and 
opinions expressed below are that of This Charming Life.

Santa Margherita Prosecco Sangria Recipe
Sangria is quite possibly the best thing to happen to life ever. Wine + fruit?! Count this lady in! Sangria is always such a hit when it comes to get togethers and parties. It's got a little bit of somethin' for everyone. Of course that comes in handy if you're a considerate host because naturally you'll want to ensure all of your guests are accounted for when it comes to what you'll be serving, right? Since holiday parties are about to be in full swing, I wanted to share a super simple and cost effective way to appeal to all of your guests! A SANGRIA BAR! Or "station" because, you know, alliteration. 

A sangria bar is exactly as simple as it sounds. Sangria and a whole lotta options for flavor and garnish! This setup was actually my "test run" for my annual party contribution coming up in a couple weeks. I had 2 bottles of this Prosecco from Santa Margherita Wines so I thought it'd be fun to see it comes together before the actual event. By the way, I had no idea what Prosecco was for the longest time. But it basically takes everything I love about champagne (the bubbles!) and mixes it with wine (white wine!). Prosecco is only made in Italy, whereas champagne is only from France. BOOM! Prosecco Wiki all up in here.  

Santa Margherita Prosecco Sangria Recipe
Santa Margherita Prosecco Sangria Recipe
For my sangria bar I opted to mix all of the liquid ingredients together in a pitcher for easy pouring. I garnished the sangria with cranberries and pomegranate seeds, too. I then cut up and laid out a variety of fruits for mixing and garnishing. There are even a few frozen stirrer sticks (well, they were frozen...) If you're interested in the sangria recipe I used, here you go!

HOLIDAY SANGRIA

  • 1 bottle Prosecco from Santa Margherita Wines
  • 1 can frozen white grape juice
  • 16oz La Croix cran-raspberry sparkling water
  • 1oz rosemary simple syrup (1c water, 1c sugar, 4 rosemary sprigs)
  • 3oz pomegranate juice
  • Cranberries + pomegranate seeds as garnish
The fruit I chose to lay out for the sangria bar included: raspberries, blackberries, pears, granny smith apples, pom seeds, cranberries, limes, grapefruit, and oranges. And of course rosemary sprigs for garnish. I'm loving how easy yet practical this whole set up is. Everyone is free to flavor as they please! This is a stellar way to incorporate a lot of options without a lot out of pocket.

Santa Margherita Prosecco Sangria Recipe


So here's a little info on Santa Margherita Wines in case you haven't tried any of their wine before! They're pretty rad because they're eco-friendly, energy efficient, vegan-friendly, and sustainable. They pride themselves on their commitment to helping preserve the environment, and while that has nothing to do with this recipe really, I felt like that deserved to be mentioned haha! Anyway, I'm a huge fan of Santa Margherita's Pinot Grigio. I've bought that very wine numerous times to give as a gift, and it's always been met with excitement. I've had that Pinot Grigio at brunch, at Thanksgiving dinner, and various other family functions. The pinot was absolutely ace, but give me wine with some bubbly goodness and I am hooked.​

One of my favorite things about this sangria bar is that it's such a fun and fresh take on a super traditional Italian wine. I absolutely cannot wait to entertain with this setup this holiday season. Plus, there's no reason sangria should be a summer-time only drink anyway, right?

Santa Margherita Prosecco Sangria Recipe


Whatever parties you have happening this holiday season, a sangria station is sure to be a big ol' hit! Are you a big sangria fan? If so, what's your favorite concoction? Any suggestions on fruits I should add for the party?

Happy partying! Cheers!

xo KB


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// Things I Love Thursday v.272

An all-links installment of TiLT here today! I've been having some issues with images breaking and posts refusing to publish as scheduled. Is it Mercury Retrograde? Of course not, just some wonky luck right now haha. Hope you enjoy what's below!


// If you spend a lot of time ironing or steaming your clothes, you need this iron. I know this because I own it and it's seriously idiot-proof. Maybe that sounds terrible to say, but there may have been a time or seven where I went to iron a second item (way different fabric) and I forgot to change the heat settings. This totally takes care of that for you. You're welcome. :P (But really - awesome Christmas gift idea)


// Ever wanted flats that looked like crayons? Because that's totally a thing. In blue, too! (I forgot all about my JC pencil flats til just now! Gotta go find those!)

// LGBT motorcycle gang delivers breast milk to babies and it's a brilliant use of resources. (Though "club" would've been a better term for the title)


// Since going to the gym has become a regular part of my routine, I've been noticing so many cute sportswear separates (basically sweatpants. whatever.) These SUNDRY zippered sweatpants are SO CUTE! And I'm *this* close to ordering these Fame joggers from Wildfox.

// If you click on nothing else in this post, at least click on this! It's a Trump hat ornament (Yep, the "Make America Great Again" hat) and the reviews. are. HILARIOUS! I have died laughing I swear.


// Coffee lover in your life? Zoku has an iced coffee maker that's just a tumbler. So rad.




xo KB