// Things I Love Thurs(Tues)day v.296

On a Tuesday because who needs rules anyway?!... haha!

Things I Love Thursday
Things I Love Thursday
♥ kailochic's halloween decor is on point again this year - 2017 +  2016

♥ these socks, y'all!! (bob ross // ufo)
Things I Love Thursday
Things I Love Thursday
this nursery is GOALS! ♥
Things I Love Thursday
♥ this ice cream sundae party is my cup of tea ♥
Things I Love Thursday
♥ i love this quote so much ♥
Things I Love Thursday
this DIY play kitchen is too much! ♥
Things I Love Thursday
♥ i love this airy home
Things I Love Thursday
this print is perfect for autumn ♥
Things I Love Thursday\
this brussels sprouts + quinoa salad makes my mouth water ♥
Shopbop End of Season Sale 2017!
this sale! click the image to shop ♥
The Dad Bag via Things I Love Thursday
the "Dad Bag" - a "dad bod" inspired fanny pack which i have a lot of feelings about ♥
At first I totally chuckled and thought it was hilarious, but quickly realized that never, ever would a "Mom Bod" fanny pack ever be celebrated or accepted. So you know, feelings.

// There's a pretty stellar end-of-season sale happening at Shopbop right now! It *just* went live and it's not even advertised on the site yet, but starting right now you can use the code EOTS17 to save 20% on any order under $500, and 25% off any order over $500! The sale page will be live with details starting tomorrow (Wednesday!), but act fast because the sale ends Friday! -- Now is also a great time to get on board for the Shopbop Loyalty Rewards program that's about to launch!

// Alice Seeley Harris' photos exposed the horrors of colonialism in the Congo. Note: These may be disturbing to view, so please be aware when you click. They're important and absolutely worth seeing though.

// Ketchup sandwiches and other things stupid poor people eat. I think I've shared this article before, but it's always worth reposting for others to read. It's the perfect slap in the face, bringing you back to reality, when you realize just how privileged you are, even if you didn't grow up with or currently have much more.

// Love is sweatpants and takeout, actually.

// This horror-themed campsite near Toronto is the most terrifying place to go camping.

// Brave! This woman is already trying to embrace fall fashion even though it makes her sweat a lot. I love parody articles like this. Even though this woman is totally me right now - mainly because it *was* cold, but then got hot as balls again and it feels weird to wear a strappy summer dress at the end of September...











// I recently updated my Poshmark with loads of new dresses and shoes - and I'm constantly uploading more on the fly - pop over and make some offers! It's all gotta goooooo! Also - if you use the code TNKXL when signing up, you and I will both get $5 ;)

xo KB

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// NECTAR Sleep

Nectar Mattress Review
One fun perk of being a blogger is that you get the opportunity to work with some really neat brands and review some really neat products. Today's blog post is in partnership with NECTAR Sleep, and I'm sharing my thoughts on their queen memory foam mattress. I've had the mattress for about a month now, and I've taken my time getting this review up because I wanted to really "experience" it so I could give a thorough and honest (and maybe somewhat embarrassing ha!) review. 

I honestly feel like a new mattress is such a luxury. Mattresses aren't something you can typically just go out and buy on a whim because it sounds like a good idea. I mean, I guess some people can, but as a self-employed mom of two it's absolutely a luxury. The last time I had a brand new mattress was immediately following the flood that took all of our belongings back in 2010. My mattress at that point was OLD. Like, used it my entire childhood old. Needless to say it was obviously pretty gross and overdue to be replaced - but you know, college student. When we lost everything in the flood we had several family members step up and treat us to a brand new mattress so that we could at least have somewhere to sleep once we found a new place to live - It was a great mattress and served its purpose so well for the past 7 years, and was so incredibly appreciated. Did you know both the National Sleep Foundation and the Better Sleep Council recommend replacing your mattress every 5-10 years (5-7 years if you don't sleep well)? A study at Oklahoma State University found that most people who switched to new bedding after 5 years sleep significantly better and have less back pain. Between co-sleeping with a newborn (who spit up often),  a toddler who would find his way to my bed after having an accident in his (oh, potty learning!), and being a very sweaty sleeper myself (see, embarrassing truths here), it was TOTALLY time for my mattress to get the ol' heave-ho! It was kismet that this partnership with NECTAR fell into my lap, and it absolutely has not disappointed.

Nectar Mattress Review
Nectar Mattress Review
NECTAR is one of those neat companies that basically vacuum seals their memory foam mattress and ships it straight to your front door. Think of those handy space-saver suction bags. FedEx dropped off this big blue bag on my front porch and all I had to do was crack that baby open! It was a hefty 75 pounds, but it was far easier to move to my bedroom than a traditional spring mattress. There's no way in the world I would be able to move one of those in/out of my house on my own (I definitely had help getting my old thing tossed out). Once my mattress was off of my bed frame I was able to slide the blue transport bag off of the mattress to reveal a grey zippered tote. Off that thing came and then there she was, in all her glory, a foam mattress rolled up like a taquito haha! Included in the bag was a handy little NECTAR slicing tool - think letter opener. It sliced the thick plastic right open and my mattress unrolled. That's literally all I had to do. That's it. The mattress immediately started to "fluff" up and take its shape. It took about an hour or two for it to be fully expanded, though I was able to lay on it immediately. And to my surprise there were two NECTAR memory foam pillows rolled up in the mattress, too. Y'ALL! THOSE PILLOWS! They are SO big and SO dense and SO perfect. Pillows make or break a sleeping arrangement for me, so these were such a welcome surprise (especially since Linden bit through my other memory foam pillow and tore it to shreds... like a dog... because he's three and it's fun to be a dog. UGH haha) It took the pillows a bit longer to fluff up but once I got home the next morning from an overnight shift, they were fully expanded. There are no words to describe how good I slept after being up most of the night prior tending to a wee baby.
Nectar Mattress Review
Nectar Mattress Review
Nectar Sleep Mattress Review
The graphic above shows exactly how the NECTAR mattress is constructed, and exactly why I can sleep a solid 10 hours in it without breaking a sweat. Like I said, I'm a sweaty sleeper - I just can't help being a human space heater. I haven't had a single sweaty night's sleep since using my NECTAR mattress and it's such a welcome change of pace. The feeling of sleeping on a super dense memory foam mattress was very different from a traditional spring mattress. To be honest I wasn't 100% sold on it when I first opened it and laid down. At first I worried it would be far too firm for my liking. Luckily once I got back home the next day and actually slept on it, I "sank" into it perfectly and slept like a log. It was still a bit of a surprise each time I'd get in bed for the first week or so - it was such a different feeling than my old mattress. But each time I woke up in the morning I was well rested and sweat-free. I don't toss and turn and the mattress doesn't squeak since there are no springs. 

I could keep going, I'm sure, but I'll wrap this up by sharing a few specs from the NECTAR Sleep website. Things that make this mattress great: 1) The Tencel Cooling Cover wicks away heat, cools the body, and is bed bug resistant. 2) All of their mattresses are currently $125 off and include 2 of the memory foam pillows like I have (!!!) 3) You can try the mattress risk-free, in your home, for 365 days. 4) Shipping is free both ways - even if you return it. 5) Your NECTAR mattress comes with a FOREVER warranty. 6) The mattress itself is actually really pretty haha! 
Nectar Mattress Review
Nectar Mattress Review
I know it can be easy to gush about a product that you get for free, but this mattress is the real deal, y'all. The Queen size is under $800 (under $700 if you take advantage of the sale), there's no risk in giving it a whirl, the cover zips off and can be laundered or dry cleaned (important if you have kids!), and you don't even have to leave your house to pick it up. They stand behind their mattresses forever even though other leading mattress companies only guarantee theirs for around 10 years. I know I won't need to get rid of it any time soon, but I'm eager to see just how long it lasts! Maybe ask me about it in 2027 haha!

Wishing you all a good night's sleep!

xo KB

PS; The NECTAR Blog has a lot of neat and interesting articles pertaining to sleep. From what your sleep style says about your personality, to how our economy could gain $83 billion just by letting teens sleep in.

// Autumn Front Porch Makeover

Michaels Makers Autumn Porch Makeover
For September's Michaels Makers challenge half of us were tasked with doing something fun with the variety of craft pumpkins found in Michaels. There are so many awesome projects out there - from painting them, to carving, bedazzling, and wrapping them in fabric. I kept mine super simple - using them as decor, as is. I love how they look real, but you don't have to worry about them getting all rotten and gross after a while. I can save these year after year and do all sorts of fun and different things with them if I'm feeling it. The traditional orange ones are great, but I really love the cream pumpkins personally. And I can't forget that little green guy! I thought this challenge would be the perfect time to give my front porch a little refresh. 

Michaels Makers Autumn Porch Makeover
Michaels Makers Autumn Porch Makeover
Michaels Makers Autumn Porch Makeover
I scored these white (plastic) adirondack chairs on end-of-summer clearance ($10!) to replace the wicker set I had for a while. Enid liked to use my wicker chairs as a scratching post, so they were totally tattered and scraggly. While these plastic alternatives aren't really anything special, they can withstand my big ol 60+ pound bulldog lounging in them and I appreciate that because it's literally her favorite thing to do - to just lay on the front porch, in her chair, nipping at any bees that fly near her. It's precious really. They don't really have that "homey" feeling though, so I tossed a couple throw pillows on them to spruce 'em up. I used two of the wooden crates from Michaels to create a little side table of sorts, and I decorated with this adorable mini wagon (!!!), mini pumpkins, some Autumn florals, and a little Welcome pumpkin, too. I snagged this wreath for half-off and had it on my front door at first, but I really love the way it looks centered on my front windows. I feel like it brings it all together. 

Michaels Makers Autumn Porch Makeover
Michaels Makers Autumn Porch Makeover
The other side of my front porch has an old rickety step ladder that I used to stagger my mums, and two straw bales from Michaels, too. And the cutest little scarecrow guy! Linden gets such a hoot out of this scarecrow. The step-side of my porch has a couple more mums (I LOVE FLOWERS!) and two more scarecrows ($6 each!), along with a darling old pickup truck Welcome sign. Two welcome signs aren't too many, right? I just want to be friendly here! haha It makes me so happy to come home and see the festive state of my porch, and it's even more enjoyable when I get to sit out there and drink my morning coffee while Linden rides his bike or jeep. There's just a sense of warmth and happiness that comes along with seasonal decorating, I think. Of course Toby is already begging to decorate for Halloween, so we'll see how long these little Autumn ditties last! 

Michaels Makers Autumn Porch Makeover
We don't do a lot of holiday decorating really, mainly because we had always moved every year, but now we've been in this house for almost 5 years (!!!) so I feel a little more comfortable acquiring seasonal pieces that need to be put away and stored for the remainder of the year. We've never decorated for Halloween before, so I think that will be a fun challenge for us all to tackle together. I might pick up a few more of these craft pumpkins from Michaels and then paint them for Halloween... Now I have about seventeen fun ideas running through my head. One at a time, KB!

Whether you want to jazz up a pumpkin with crystals and jewels, paint and glitter, scary faces or gilded foil, Michaels has pretty much any size and shape you might need. They even have teal pumpkins in case you want to showcase that you have non-food treats available - a great way to be inclusive to those children with special dietary restrictions. Halloween can be a tricky time for families managing food allergies, so if you hand out treats on October 31st, consider grabbing a bag of party favors, or whipping up some awesome slime cups, to give out! Check out more about The Teal Pumpkin Project if you haven't heard of it! And be sure to swing by Michaels - online or in store - to check out some of the other great projects.

xo KB

// Things I Love Thursday v.295


this bedroom is AMAZING ♥
this kitchen! ♥
these painted shark rocks! ♥

these donuts are so pretty! ♥
this stunning bouquet ♥

♥ these tulips! i want them all! ♥

this charming watercolor illo ♥

this BHLDN dress is straight from my dreams ♥

♥ everything adidas by stella mccartney

this bouquet, too! (i love flowers!) ♥

this is my favorite color for fall ♥

// This woman finished a 10K, but stopped by every taco shop on the route. (Tacos *and* margaritas!) I would run with her.



// So um... hair nails (?!) are a thing now. Why? No clue. Do you!

// I cancelled my Ipsy subscription back in April 2013 (!!! What is time even?!) but I just signed back up during their 48-hours no-waitlist dealio. $10 a month ain't bad so I'm giving it another go. Here's a referral link if you want to sign up too :) - They have loads of giveaways happening right now, too.

// Shopbop just got a MAKEOVER! I'm loving how modern it all feels now. (Don't forget, from now until December 31st you can save 15% off your first order when you download the app! Be sure to use the code "app15") 

// Let's stop romanticizing the misguided, possibly dangerous actions of a spurned man. This is that creepy dude who wouldn't stop playing the piano until he "won his love back." *eyeroll






// I downloaded an app. And suddenly, was part of the Cajun Navy. This had me hardcore crying by the end. It's almost impossible to stop reading once you start. So many amazing people in the world.






// 17 hilarious times Twitter was woke AF.

// Random, but I LOVE when brands color coordinate their ecommerce pages - this one gradually glides into the next color and it's so fun to scroll through.

// I recently updated my Poshmark with loads of new dresses and shoes - and I'm constantly uploading more on the fly - pop over and make some offers! It's all gotta goooooo! (PS - $172 was donated to Harvey relief (and matched by Facebook - making it $344!) so thanks for scooping up some of those goodies during a 48-hour drive!) Also - if you use the code TNKXL when signing up, you and I will both get $5 ;)

xo KB

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