I love browsing online and getting inspired (and let’s be honest, I always end up adding a few things to my own shopping cart 🙂 so I wanted to share some of my favorite gift ideas that mom will love. I included some all price points, from under $10 to,.. well, to Chanel haha 🙊

BEAUTIFUL MOTHER’S DAY SWEATSHIRT (UNDER $50)
DENIM SHORTS
WHITE COWBOY BOOTS (UNDER $50)

 JO MALONE CANDLE (under $50)
GUCCI RING
DIOR EYE PATCHES (UNDER $50)
BANDOLIER PHONE CASE (under $50)
MAMA GOLD NECKLACE (under $50)
NEON SCHUTZ SANDALS
GUCCI FLORA FRAGRANCE
STATEMENT FLOWER EARRINGS (under $15)
LANEIGE LIP TREATMENT (under $25)
CARAWAY POTS & PANS SET
NIKE DUNK LOW
DOUBLE AIR FRYER
BEAUTIFUL MOTHER’S DAY SWEATSHIRT (under $50)
GUCCI LIPSTICK (under $50)
TOM FORD FRAGRANCE & BODY OIL SET

I put some of my tried and true favorites on here like the Bandolier phone case. I just ordered it in purple, It’s cute and functional and comes in tons of colors. I also can’t get enough of the Tom Ford shimmering body oil (it’s so pretty on and seriously smells amazingg.) Some home items I love as well – the Caraway pots & pans set and the double air fryer (such a game-changer.) I also found this cute graphic Mother’s Day sweatshirt for under $50 (size XL.) I even got the kids matching versions which are currently sold out atm 🙁 but the adult version is fully stocked!

 CLOUD SUMMER SLIDES (under $50)
ROMAN NUMERAL RING (under $15)
ELEMIS CLEANSING BALM
GOLD WATCH (under $100)
PINK CHECKER BLANKET (under $100)
CAN SHAPED GLASS SET (under $30)
GRATITUDE JOURNAL (under $30)
PEARL HOOP EARRINGS (under $15)
WORKOUT SHORTS (under $50)
PASTEL LOVE HOODIE (under $30)
DIOR LIP GLOSS
CREAM COFFEE TUMBLER (under $10)

I found so many affordable Mother’s Day gift ideas on Amazon from home to beauty to fashion items (all under $100.) My everyday jewelry: this Roman Numeral ring is so cute and under $15 and my gold watch (under $100) a staple jewelry piece every mom will love. I also included some of my most-worn clothing items like these workout shorts (I have them in neon green too! – size S) they are SO flattering and comfortable at a great price point with high reviews. For affordable beauty gifts I can’t recommend this Elemis cleansing balm enough, it’s been a favorite of mine for years. Gifts for the home – I love these soda can shaped glassware for iced coffee or my smoothies in the morning (comes in a set of 8 for under $30.) I also found this adorable pink checker throw blanket, it’s so soft and I’m obsessed with the print.

GUCCI SANDALS 
BYREDO PERFUME
STRIPED TOTE
APPLE WATCH STRAP
CE FERULIC ACID (MY STAPLE)
DIOR LIP OIL (USED HERE)
CHANEL BACKPACK
GIVENCHY SETTING POWDER (COLOR CORRECTING!)
PRADA SUNGLASSES
BRASS SALT MILL

For the moms who love the little luxuries of life, here are some splurge-worthy gift ideas she will love. I’ve had this Apple watch strap for a year and still get tons of questions on it when I wear it. It’s amazing quality and makes me feel like I’m wearing one of my favorite designer watches but I still get all the convenience of having a smart watch. I also included some of my favorite high-end beauty products, both tried-and-true (this CE Ferulic acid is my holy grail) and new favorites (this lip oil is everything and I instantly converted to this color correcting setting powder when my makeup artist used it on me.)

HUMIDIFIER (UNDER $100)
STEAM MOP (30% OFF)
PEBBLE ICE MACHINE
ROBOT VACUUM (39% OFF)

A few of these cult household products are on sale right now so I wanted to share a few that I think mom would love! I know some people have strong opinions about getting household products as Mother’s Day gifts haha but me and my mom love cleaning and organizing and I feel like these are little life luxuries that some moms won’t splurge on for themselves. I use my pebble ice machine all day everyday. It’s one of those simple pleasures that will totally change your day!

If you’re looking for more high-ticket gift ideas for mom that she will use everyday…

– APPLE AIRPODS MAX: I have yet to make the switch from the Airpod Pros but I’ve heard amazing things about these! They come in so many pretty colors too.

– DYSON AIRWRAP: These are hit or miss just because they can be tricky to find in stock – I found it in stock here and here this morning but I’m sure they will go fast. Every time I use mine I get tons of compliments on my hair – obsessed with the volume you get!

Linking a few more gift ideas for mom at various price points if you need more Mother’s Day inspo:

XX, Christine

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This activewear set + oversized blazer (under $60) is one of my favorite combos for spring – the color is a pretty pastel blue and the quality is amazing!

Obsessed with this 90s vibe Coach bag! Also these vintage cateye sunnies are so fun and under $10! The shape is super cute and they comes in tons of other lens and glasses colors too.

CREAM RIBBED SHORTS SET (UNDER $40 – WEARING SIZE S)
BLUE BLAZER (UNDER $60 – WEARING SIZE L)
WHITE CATEYE SUNNIES (UNDER $10)
BLUE COACH BAG
SOCKS (UNDER $15)
VEJA SNEAKERS

After wearing the leggings version of this cream ribbed activewear set a ton during the fall and winter, I sold myself on getting the shorts version for spring and summer. I have it in brown, blue, and orange and wore them so much last summer. It’s under $40 and comes in tons more colors (wearing size small). It’s such a versatile activewear set that can go from the gym to a casual everyday outfit. I’ve been loving the matching sets paired with oversized blazers (the perfect layer to help transition between season!) I’m obsessed with this oversized pastel blazer I found on Amazon for under $60! (I also got it in this tan color – I got a large in both for an extra boxy fit.)

I’d been looking for a light blue bag for this season and had been eyeing this Coach bag and was shocked to find it on Amazon.  I loved the shape and color of this one. It also comes in other fun colors like green and pink. Such a cute bag for spring and summer!

What do you think of this spring look? Let me know below in the comments 🙂

xx, Christine

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Love the cut out detail on this sleeve! Between the color and the sleeves, it feels like a major statement moment.

The boys in their matching Easter outfits. So cute!

Boys think shaking their booties is the funniest thing. Ollie has started “dancing” like Beckam and Wes and it cracks everyone up

DETAILS: GREEN EYELET-SLEEVE DRESS – WEARING SIZE S | NEON HEELS (UNDER $150)| PEARL EARRINGS

CODY: TAN BLAZER | TAN SLACKS

WES: BUTTON DOWN (ALSO LOVE THIS ONE) | KHAKI PANTS

MARA: RIBBED LONG SLEEVE TOP | ORANGE FLORAL DRESS (ON SALE UNDER $10!) | NEON NIKES

BECKAM: KHAKI PANTS | NIKES

OLLIE: KHAKI SUIT | WHITE BUTTON DOWN | BLUE NIKES

Our family easter pictures are always one of my favorites of the year – with 6 people, getting a family pic with coordinated outfits can be rare 😂 so I always get excited for our family Easter outfits. I feel like the kids are all finding their own style, this year more than ever, and we are all obsessed with Nike Dunks right now so I thought it would be fun to embrace the color this year, especially with our shoe game. We all wear our Dunks and Jordans so much – they go with everything and come in so many different colors. The kids love them so much that they have saved up to buy their own pairs. Super comfortable and great quality 🙌🏼

Mara picked out her dress, I loved the colors and it’s such a good price point. she had idea to wear long sleeve underneath since it’s still kind of cold here. Cannot believe it’s $7.25!!

I always end up ordering pieces pretty last minute once I get a better sense of direction for our outfits so I wanted to share a few of my favorite retailers with quick shipping in case you’re in a pinch for an event or occasion:

ASOS – Great options for both him & her – lots of occasion dressing too! Love their price points and they have fast shipping – arrives in 24-48 hours if you join the unlimited shipping for $20.

AMAZON – You guys know how much I’ve been loving Amazon – I feel like they’ve been adding so many brands recently so their designer and budget-friendly options are insane. If I’m in a bind I hit prime filter at top and you can even click how soon you need it delivered like by tomorrow or same day.

SHOPBOP – One of my favorites when I’m shopping for dresses, and other designer pieces. They are good at their overnight shipping it’s not like 2-3 day processing time like a lot of other retailers. They are great with really getting things overnight or if you have prime membership you can get in 2 days.

Linking more from our Easter outfits here:

XX, Christine

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One of my favorite things to do is travel as a family. We travel quite a bit for work, and fun, we have tried so many different gadgets I wanted to put a list together of my tried and true favorites. There have been so many amazing travel accessories for kids over the years that make traveling so much easier.

DETAILS: SCOOTER SUITCASE | PHONE HOLDER | WAYB TRAVEL CAR SEAT | DOONA STROLLER | DOONA TRIKE | WIRELESS KID HEADPHONES

The Doona stroller (stroller/carseat combo) is one of the ultimate baby buys we used every single day when we first had Ollie and the Donna Trike is the equivalent for toddlers. After Ollie outgrew the carseat we graduated to the Doona Trike and we use it all. the. time. It’s a mix between a trike and a stroller and perfect for toddlers, both while traveling or at home running errands, going on walks, etc. It folds down to fit inside of the backpack it comes with so you can easily pack it up and throw it over your shoulder when it’s not being used. It’s super lightweight and a great carry-on size so it’s perfect for flights, road trips, or just every day use. People alwaysss stop and ask us about it. Definitely one toddler accessory that will change the way you travel.

This phone mount has been great for us to prop up our phone for our kids to watch a show in the airport or to turn on Ollie’s shows on the airplane. It clips to the tray table so ollie isn’t always touching it changing it. It’s under $25 and we even use it a to when we aren’t traveling, it’s also great for Ollie when were out and about running errands! The older kids love it too.

These scooter suitcases are genius! They are carry on size for all the kids and can attach and detach from the scooter wheel base and can even fold down into regular wheeler suitcases. It keeps the kids entertained at the airport if we have a long layover, and I love that they have a scooter to cruise around on when we are exploring on vacation. It’s definitely more of a splurge but SO worth it in my opinion. I also love how the kids can use the scooter part alone, so it’s super versatile!

I love wireless headphones for Ollie because he usually will get irritated with the cords getting tangled and taking them on and off becomes a hassle. This kid size pair is under $30 and I love how these are made for kids and has built in hearing protection so the volume can’t go too loud.

• When Ollie outgrew the Doona stroller, I missed having such an easy way to travel with a carseat so I was beyond excited when I found this travel car seat. We usually rent a car when we travel and are out driving around and exploring a lot so having a car seat with us is a must but lugging around a big, heavy carseat was a pain. This travel car seat has been a complete game changer! It’s super lightweight and folds up into the carrying bag it comes with.For perspective the car seat weighs 8 lbs and regular car seats average 15-30 lbs. (You can also purchase it without the carrying case here – comes in multiple colors.)

Let me know if you have any love any of these travel accessories of what you’re excited to try!

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I can’t with this face 🥺

OUTFIT DETAILS: WHITE FLUTTER SLEEVE TOP (ON SALE UNDER $25 – WEARING SIZE S) | DENIM

CRAFT TABLESCAPE: WOODEN EGG PAINTING KIT | ROUND JUTE PLACEMAT | PLAID NAPKINS | BLUE LINEN TABLECLOTH | STUFFED BUNNY | COLORFUL GLASSWARE | PINK COOKWARE SET

Every holiday I look forward to doing a cute craft with the kids. Honestly we love crafts year round, but the holidays always bring out the cutest craft sets and I was instantly obsessed when I found this wooden egg painting kit for Easter! Next thing I knew I was setting up a little craft tablescape to do with the kids– Ollie couldn’t wait to paint some of his eggs 😂 but we saved the other half to paint once Mara, Wes, and Beckam got home that day. I set out a few snacks and treats for the kids and it turned into such a fun afternoon.

The craft kit itself is so perfect for any age. It comes with the cutest egg carton and paint set. Ollie got a little hands on with them and I love how they turned out even as a 2 year old! It makes a great keepsake to remember that age by. The older kids loved it too – it’s so fun to see their art skills and creativity develop. 💜 I also love the idea as an adult if you want a specific color scheme or pattern to decorate for Easter while letting your creativity out at the same time.

Linking the craft set and a few other Easter tablescape favorites below:

XX, Christine

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Thanks for all of you guys’ amazing responses and dms after my Part I post about blended families and bonus moms – I was doing a Q&A on stories yesterday and realized I never posted the part 2! I love being able to bring a more open conversation around blended families and motherhood as a bonus mama.

SCHEDULES/LIFESTYLE

Q: Do you get a long with Cody’s ex-wife? Do you guys hang out?

A. Im really grateful we all get a long. 

One thing I wished could have been different for me growing up, was that when my parents got divorced they would have been friends (I love both my parents very much and I know no family is perfect, but it was hard at times feeling that tension). They lived across the country from each other, so they didn’t have to see each other much. When I would go to visit my mom I would fly by myself (I don’t know if they still do this, but I started at like 5 or 6 years old and my parents would walk me to the gate and then you sit in back row by flight attendant and do the flight on your own. I actually have a lot of fun memories with super kind flight attendants who would play games and stuff with me. I think this is also part of the reason I learned to become pretty independent at a young age, and traveling alone hasn’t ever really scared me but anyways…), but ya I still always felt that awkward tension whenever they were in the same room. I remember even on my wedding day being worried about making sure both parents felt they got equal attention and love. And maybe that was something I created in my head, but it made me want to make it a priority when we got married that we have a good relationship with Cody’s ex, so that the kids never felt that tension or stress, and so we could all go to the kids events and it not be awkward. Again, this was not an overnight thing, it took years to get to that point. Especially if this is a fresh situation, it will take a lot of time.  But as a kid who has been on that side of divorce, that was one thing I really wanted different for our kids.

Time, time, time! I think it all just takes time, but I love talking to their mom about the kids and sharing excitement for the things they are doing, or things they are learning or going through. We all sit by each other at most of the kids games and events, it’s in a good place.

Q. Do you get a say in making all of the decisions about schools and such. How do you deal with that aspect? 

A. Long story short, I have no say haha. Cody talks to me about it, but that is one of the hard parts of being a bonus mom, you love your bonus babies and help raise them but in my case I’m not really a decision maker. I mean day to day what we are doing Cody and I decide, but bigger decisions Cody and his ex wife work out together. 

Q. As the bonus moms/parents, are you involved in communication to his ex or just Cody?

A. In our situation, Cody and his ex work out details for the most part. Obviously there are times when Cody is still at work or out of town or something so I pick up/drop off the kids, etc. but the majority of communication is between her and Cody. We recently started a group text for sports and school scheduling and sometimes share pictures of the kids from school or sports too, but most scheduling goes through them.

Q. How do you handle frustration with your step kids’ schedule?

A. One thing that took time for me to realize and understand is that when you’re a step parent (not always the case, but at least in my situation) even if you all get along, at the end of the day you have little say over holidays, school schedules, really just plans in general. For me, somebody who likes to plan ahead and be in control, it’s sometimes hard. For example, when we were trying to plan a trip and I would ask Cody if he had texted the kids’ mom to make sure certain days work and I would want immediate answers for things 😂 and he’s like I haven’t talked to her yet, and I’m all well call right now, what’s the hold up 😂😂 I eventually realized that 1) sometimes you don’t get immediate answers because she has a life too obviously and you can’t expect immediate responses all the time and 2) things take longer to coordinate and plan than it would with your own kids, so you have to plan ahead a little further. 

Q. Do you have full custody? How often and how long do your bonus kids stay with you?

A. We have joint custody so it alters. Right now, every other week we have them for Thursday/Friday, and then the next week 4 days Thursday-Sunday.

Q. Would you ever travel without the bonus kids?

A. I think our situation is a little different because we LOVE to travel and also travel quite a bit for work, but we always make sure to plan all our “big trips” when we can go together as a family. For example we usually do a big 2 week trip every summer and we always do that with all the kids. (One exception is like spring break – we alter years with their mom for spring break so if Mara and Wes are with their mom those days, we will still take Beckam and Ollie on a spring break trip). If your family typically only goes on 1 or 2 trips a year, I would for sure try to make it work to include everyone. We have so much fun when we travel with all the kids and Beckam and Ollie love being with Mara and Wes as much as we do, so we wish we could always travel together but it doesn’t always work out that way. That’s another thing you realize after you have kids of your own- both parents want as much time as they can with their kids. If it’s a challenge to get additional days or switch schedules for trips, try to have perspective and realize their other parent wants to hang out with them as much as possible too. Not saying it never sucks or their aren’t still disappointed parties, but its kind of an “it is what it is” situation. But honestly it always feels like something is missing when we travel with out them. 

Q. Do they go school 30 minutes away? How does that work?

A. They used to live 10 minutes away from us for like 8 years and recently they moved a couple towns away. I’m so thankful they are still within driving distance because for me growing up, that wasn’t the case, so I’m just grateful we still get to see them so much. But it has definitely made it a little more challenging, especially now that they are in multiple sports, and Mara and Wes are in two different schools (junior high and elementary) they go at different times. Everyone has different practices and schedules after school, so it gets busy but we are glad they are still close.

Q. Are they open to talking about things they do with their mom around you?

A. I feel like they are super open with us, but I guess I wouldn’t actually know how much they are choosing to share. I know as a kid, sometimes I would feel nervous telling the other parent what I was doing when I was with my other parent (even now sometimes, actually haha) because I didn’t want to make the other parent feel bad, so I hope Mara and Wes don’t feel that way but also I guess I can’t know 100% for sure since we aren’t with them 24/7. 

Q. How do you split up firsts or special times with their mom and you guys?

We haven’t had a lot of firsts where we can’t both show up somewhere to support them. For their first time to Disney, we did ask the kids’ mom if we could take them but other than that, there haven’t been a lot of times when we need to split up firsts.  

Q. How do you guys handle holidays/birthdays? 

It’s kind of changed over the years. We always split Christmas – I know thats not as popular. I think a lot of people do every other Christmas. Thanksgiving and Spring Break we alternate every year. Sometimes Easter falls over Spring Break, etc. Birthdays have changed – sometimes we alternate years and sometimes we stick to the schedule. When they were younger, one person would get them the night before and half of their birthday, and then the other would get the other half of the day and the night. At first I think everyone was hypersensitive and micromanaging time and things have relaxed since then. I would get in the mentality of trying to make sure everything was ‘fair’. But in a blended family, it’s impossible to make everything 100% fair.

We would also have traditions that we do every year with the kids, like carving pumpkins and decorating gingerbread houses. And we’ll wait to do those traditions until we have Mara and Wes with us so we can do it all together as a family. I think it makes the holidays feel more special and we’re even more intentional about our time together during those times.

SUPPORT:

Q. Do you feel you need to know other bonus moms for support? I don’t have anyone in my life.

A. I know like one or two other bonus moms but now that I’m thinking about it I don’t know if I’ve ever really talked to them a ton about it. My step mom is and I’ve talked to her of course 🙂 We have 2 step dads within our extended family, but otherwise I feel like my physical circle of bonus moms is pretty small. If you’re joining an online group of other blended families, I would look for one that’s goal is a positive family environment – there are so many that can become super negative and that energy will just detract. But I think bonus moms can be a great support for each other. 

DISCIPLINE/PARENTING FOR BLENDED FAMILIES:

Q. Did you do any discipline when they were younger? 

A. Yes, but nothing major.

Q. How do you not step on any toes/do you feel like you can discipline them? Do you ever put boundaries or is it Cody’s ‘job’?

A. I never want Mara and Wes to feel like they get treated differently, so we try to say consistent through everything and that includes with disciplining and rules. For example: If they make a mess in the living room with Beckam, I wouldn’t only make Beckam clean it. And if they don’t listen, which they are kids and sometimes they don’t haha, they will get a different chore. But I do that exact thing for all the kids. 

There are 10000% times I will say to Cody though, will you be the enforcer this time, I don’t want them to hate me.  And sometimes he will, and other times he’s like you are still a mom to them, they love you and it’s ok for them to have consequences. I think he gages my mood haha. I’ve been in their life over 10 years, and know they love me, but sometimes still worry “what if they think I’m the evil step mom!” So I think you gage what feels most natural and comfortable for you.

Q. Do you give your bonus kids chores?

A. 100%, but all of the kids have weekly chores (– one thing Cody and I both feel strongly about is teaching our kids work ethic, so that goes for all the kids obviously). For us it just wouldn’t make sense if only Beckam and Ollie were doing weekly chores and Mara and Wes just sat on the couch. We are a family and we all have responsibilities.

Do I ever feel guilty about it?  There are some times when it’s the last hour or two before Mara and Wes go back to their mom’s house and Cody tells them they need to clean up a mess and pick up the room, and I tell him they only have 1 hour left and to let them just have fun. He says no, they are still our kids they need take care of their responsibilities, which is really what we would do with Beckam and Ollie. So the times when I am a little more lax about chores or picking up after themselves is before they leave, but during the regular day to day, they do the same things my kids do. (And Cody is really good about being consistent no matter the circumstances.)

Ok that wraps up this post! A lot of you have questions or advice about dealing with biological moms or establishing a bond with your bonus babies – I’m really want to be an open book and share as much as I can, so I’ll save that for the next few posts, including tips for bonus moms and tips for bio moms since I got a few questions from you guys too ❤️ I’ve loved hearing from you all about your own blended families and how much you love your bonus babies!

XX, Christine

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