Cotton On Kids Giveaway

Photos by Reality & Retrospect (instagram)

Living by the beach, we live in beach attire and swimwear year-round. Living in Southern California, we are really lucky that the temperature is pretty temperate throughout the entire year (I don't know if my kids will ever understand seasons ha!) and we are able to enjoy the sand, surf, and sea almost every single day of the year. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that I am constantly looking for new swimwear for the boys as they grow, that is not only cute and unique, but also protects their skin against the sun's harsh rays.

Well Cotton On Kids just released their new swim collection for children and it is to die for!! They have board shorts, rash guards, sandals, and more, for your little ones and each piece is just so cute and unique.

It’s your lucky day because I’m partnering with the Cotton On Kids USA team to giveaway $100 store credit to Cotton On Kids Stores to one lucky winner!  

To enter...

1. Head over to Cotton On Kids, browse for a bit and then comment back which item you would choose if you won!!
2. Follow myself (@belandbeau) and Cotton On Kids USA (@cottononkidsusa) on instagram.

There are also additional entry options available via the widget below which I am using to track all entries...

$100 Store Credit to Cotton On Kids Stores

Outfits: Womens Floral Playsuit, Brave the Wave Rashguard, Tropical Swim Trunks, Waves Swim Trunks, Palm Tree Polka Dot Swim Trunks

Beach Day with BUHO Clothing

all images by Acres of Hope Photography

This photo shoot was something I put together with Tori and Cassidy for Mini Style Blog and BUHO Clothing, but I couldn't help share some of the images here too.  These three little friends have so much fun together that it was just an added bonus that Erica was there to capture it all.

GUEST POST :: ELOISE & ME.

 

i teamed up with the lovely and stylish blakely, editor of eloise and me and mama to the adorable little rosie, to get a different take on boy style.  we swapped guest posts and shared what our littles would wear if they were of he opposite sex in a fun "if i had a girl/if i had a boy..." post.  i adore the classic look blakely put together for the little mister which includes some great pieces for fall.

herringbone driver hat - little men are too cute in hats!

quilted jacket- a great piece for fall

baseball tee - softest and comfiest peek kids tee.

high-top sneakers - such a darling take on a classic shoe

yellow chinos - great staple pant

saddle shoe (not pictured) -  a perfect classic for dressing up, or dressing down with jeans

gray corduroy overall (not pictured) - i love little boys in one pieces, keeps them looking like babies as long as possible

i absolutely love styling kiddos, but as a mama to a boy, mind almost always revolves boys clothing (which i love), so it was really fun to put together an outfit for a little girl for a change.  below is a sneak peek at my "if i had a girl" look, but head over to eloise and me for all of the outfit details and a corresponding mama outfit too (because you know i just can't help myself).

FIRST STEPS AGAIN.

holden wears: zara, shirt c/o fawn shoppe, jeans c/0 mini mioche, converse high-tops

mama wears: random black tank, francesca skirt (similar here), charlotte russe wedges

if you knew my boy before he broke his femur, you would know that his two little feet were constantly moving as fast as they could go, almost always kicking a ball in front of him.  i would often question why i took him to playgrounds because he would always find a nearby patch of grass where he could run and kick his soccer ball, ignoring the swings and slides that we came for.  i truly can not wait to get that little boy back and to see him with no limitations.  it is kind of an odd experience to have to redo all of those first steps (no pun intended) with your little one, to revert back to those milestones that he already surpassed a year ago.  i wondered how it would feel to see him attempt to walk, then run, again.  i wondered if i would feel anxious for him to just get it over with (it's never easy to see your child struggle) or if it would be as exciting as the first time he did it.  and i've found that although i am eager for things to get back to "normal", i still feel that exact same immense pride at his accomplishments, maybe even more so than the first time.  he has started running again, although not as quickly and not as steadily as in the past, but i know he will get there soon and seeing the joy in his face as he pumps little legs as quickly as they can go is good enough for me right now.

you can see more fawn shoppe favorites here

ICE CREAM TRUCK.

 

all images via my ode to summer pinterest board

remember holden's first ice cream experience here?  well, i am so glad we waited so long to introduce him to his father's beloved food because he is obsessed.  if he could, he would eat ice cream for every meal and he has started saying often that random objects look like ice cream when they clearly do not (he must be daydreaming about it all day long).  we have been making it a fun summertime treat and i think a true ice cream experience would involve a trip to the ice cream truck, but i can't find one anywhere!  a visit to the ice cream truck seems to sum up childhood in the summertime as it holds a certain nostalgia for those carefree, warm summer evenings.  since i haven't been able to find any ice cream trucks in the neighborhood, i've found a few cardboard ones on pinterest (here, here, and here) that i'm thinking about attempting thinking that a cardboard one will probably end up being more fun for holden than the real thing (a quick stop at a moving truck versus hours of fun with mama).

mama's look: white cropped top // midi skirt // white flats // lipstick // ice cream necklace // blue tote

little man's look: t-shirt // shorts // white sneakers // temporary tattoos // scooter

and you can check out our last "get the look" mama-and-son-date post here

TODDLER BATH TIME.

oh, how we missed taking a bath when holden was in the cast.  you don't really realize how much you need bath time until it's eliminated from your daily schedule.  it's that one thing that makes your toddler smell like a baby all over again (i love inhaling that post-bath smell), that indicator that bedtime is starting, and for me, that half hour of "me time" in the evenings after a long day (bath time is a special time for mr.b and holden).  in the days leading up to the cast removal, we couldn't stop talking about the first bath with the excitement and anticipation you would expect for some sort of grand vacation.  and as if they knew what a momentous moment this was, earth mama angel baby sent us shampoo and lotion to celebrate.

holden has always had very sensitive skin, but we had to be even more aware of what we put on his skin after the cast.  earth mama angel baby is one of the only companies on the market that is certified organic from a third party and rated zero on the skin deep database so we didn't have to worry about using it for that first bath when his skin was a little raw and dry from being inside the cast for 6 weeks.  the natural orange vanilla shampoo and body wash has quickly become a bath time favorite and if you have a little one with sensitive skin, you know how hard it can be to find something that works! below are a few more of our favorite go-to items for the some toddler bath time fun (and please forgive me, but i just couldn't resist adding that outdoor tub..)

black outdoor tub from my "the great outdoors" pinterest board // white hooded terry robe // charcoal slippers // star washcloths // skipper sailboat

a few more of our favorite bath toys for toddlers are this tub soup, this traffic fun set, and this set of sailboat shapes.