Peck Life

Pictures, Plugs, and Summer Planning

Life has been so full lately, both with good and bad things. I feel like I’m on one of those merry-go-rounds at the park…spinning really fast, which no chance of slowing down anytime soon. Serenity now, please.

Here’s what’s been top of mind for me this week:

Photography. My first online class was a success and I now know what it means to shoot in manual....I think. I can take a picture but there is still a very long road ahead and so much more to learn. Practice, practice, practice. Something I'm struggling with: When I've maxed out all my manual settings and the photo is still way too dark, how do I use a flash in manual mode? There must be some trick because everything is coming out really over-exposed. As you can see, I’m still a complete novice and obviously have no clue what I’m doing.

My new favorite sandals from Mod Cloth. I need a tan…..bad.

Quieting my brain. Besides work….blogging, email, and social media fill my head from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed nearly 16 hours later. I have a love/hate relationship with my phone. I am contemplating having a "black out" day once a month for the summer where there is no email checking, facebooking, tweeting, pinning, blogging, commenting, internet, or TV....and then documenting how I spent my time and what it felt like to be completely liberated from electronics for the day. Don't you think it would be nice? Should we make this a group activity? Email me if you're interested in participating and let’s blow this up!

Unplug poster by Frederic Terral

Summer Vacation and Family Days. It's true that I am going to New York City in August for BlogHer (with no husband or child) and I do feel a little bit guilty about that. I also miss my boys and want to make sure we do some fun things together while the sun is out. I'm working on a summer bucket list and we are also planning a few fun local getaways. Vacation funds are not endless but spending time together is more important right now.

What’s been on your mind this week?

P.S. – I’m taking Monday off {FAMILY DAY!!!!!!!!!!} so I’ll see y’all on Tuesday.

P.P.S – I just finished a banner for my friend Melissa’s blog. You should check it out.

Sweet Finds: Hey YoYo

It’s been birthday party-o-rama lately in our neck of the woods so when I stumbled across Hey YoYo on Etsy, I was instantly hooked. Cupcake wrappers, bags, goodies, straws, fun and funky bobbles all with a vintage flair to make any party stand out. I mean….really….? Hot dog bags?! Just seeing that image sent my mind into a tizzy of a carnival themed birthday party for when Sky turns 3. I may just get those yellow-striped bags just to have for everyday {because anything with yellow stripes is my favorite}! The possibilities are endless!

NOTE: “Sweet Finds” are not paid sponsorships, advertisements, or endorsements. I merely pick online stores and artists that I like to feature and share with my readers. I hope it helps you to discover something new!

The Best Kids Sunscreens

The Environmental Working Group just released their 2012 U.S. Sunscreen report, part of a comprehensive annual study that rates 257 brands and more than 1,800 products for sun protection.

To be completely honest, I never really paid attention to this topic, mainly because we live in the Pacific Northwest and only use sunscreen hardcore a few months of out of the year. However, just recently, I noticed Sky’s eczema seemed to flare up every time we used the Coppertone sport spray we purchased in bulk at Costco. This led to a little research and what I discovered was alarming.

I had no idea that sunscreens contained so many harmful chemicals and hormone disrupting side effects, especially for kids and babies. The good news is that things are improving and the consumer demand for healthy alternatives are causing brands to re-think what they put in their products.

While I would encourage you to read the executive summary and full report, here are just a few of the most highly rated, safe and effective sunscreens for kids, baby, and parents too:

{top to bottom, left to right: Kiss my Face, Seventh Generation, Aveeno, California Baby, Episencial, Badger, Alba Botanica, and Coppertone Kids}

A few more goodies:

• They also reviewed lip balms with SPF, moisturizers with SPF, and makeup with SPF!
• The 2012 sunscreen hall of shame.
• Unrelated to sunscreen, but still within the EWG family, I use this resource ALL the time to determine what produce we should buy organic vs. not.

Flowers for Grandma

This past weekend, we had a little celebration to remember my Grandma. She always said she didn’t want a funeral, only a “party”, so that’s exactly what we did. I ended up creating TEN flower arrangements for the event, which I love to do. I used a combination of flowers from our yard, a local farm stand, and some peonies from the grocery store. I think this is my favorite time of year for blooms: snowball viburnums + lilacs + peonies make my heart sing. They are my 3 favorites, hands down. When I was young, I always wanted to be a florist when I grew up. Wouldn’t that be the best job? More flower pictures can be found on my Flickr feed.

P.S. – All of these photos were taken in 100% manual mode on my camera – yeahhhhhhh!

Friday Favorites

Trifle photo coutesy of Raspberri Cupcakes

1. Words cannot describe how bad I want this.

2. A lovely place to visit I added to my bucket list.

3. I could use this chair in my life.

4. Proof that kids don’t need as many toys as we think they do.

5. New York City blog posts to study.

6. I’m in love with everything here. EVERYTHING…..

7. Things to do in Portland. Perfect for my 2 trips coming up in June!

8. The best wedges.

Happy weekend friends! I hope it's {insert whatever descriptor word you prefer}! For us, Saturday is my Grandma's memorial celebration which will be busy, and probably a little sad, but maybe also good...we'll see. Sunday, i'm desperately seeking some river solace so we are planning to venture into the woods!  

Sky's Big Boy Room

My one and only 2 {and a half} year old boy is no longer a baby. After transitioning him to a twin bed earlier this year, his room called for a facelift on a budget – something less “baby” and more “boy”. His room is comfortable, gender neutral, and a mix of old and new. My favorite thing about this room is that we can rest in bed together and read stories before bed…something that was not possible when he was still in a crib.

Sky’s bed was a $15 Craigslist find that we re-finished. The bedding is Dwell Studio for Target (via eBay) with the addition of a quilt made by mother-in-law and a crochet blanket from my mom’s side of the family. I would like to get a different color bed skirt (so over tan) but this one just happened to be in our linen closet…maybe soon.

The “curtains” were purchased at West Elm. It’s actually a shower curtain cut in half and sewn. The globe is from my lovely husband off eBay.

Oh, I love fun art. The alphabet print and tree print are both things Sky had in his nursery. They are from Children, Inspire, Design {LOVE them!}. The sunshine print is from Little Places on Etsy.

This tiny bear is from Pogoshop on Etsy. We got it before we even had Sky….tiny cashmere!

For bookshelves, I found some 3-tiered spice racks at the Goodwill. Josh cut them up and painted them – they turned out perfect! The pouf is from Target. This log print is one of Sky’s favorites and I can’t find the artist, ahhh!

This box holds all of Sky’s birth announcements/cards he received, plus little mementos like his hospital bracelet.

It’s a lot of furniture for such a tiny room….I wish I would have done white!

My version of The Little Engine That Could from when I was little. Our other favorite is Blueberries for Sal.

Isn’t it great when your parents save the toys you had when you were little? Sky loves this record player.

There you have it! In an ideal world, a few things might be different and the quality of these photos would be a zillion times better, but when the sun comes out for 5 minutes, sometimes you just have to snap the pictures and get it over with. I think good is good enough for this one! Also, do you ever wonder where all the “junk” is when rooms are photographed? How do people live in “real life” with only a lamp on their nightstand? A few truths:

• Sky has a changing pad that is usually on the dresser, along with a bin of random lotions/toiletries. All of that….AND the diaper pail were in the hallway behind me when I was taking these pictures.
• His hamper lives in the closet.
• The books are rarely on the bookshelf {usually they are all over the floor}.
• The bed is usually never made….I really wish I could find the will to do it in the mornings.
• Sippy cups or trucks take over the nightstand. Or, like tonight – some shorts and a t-shirt, too.

Summer Beauty: Beach Bum

Thanks to Walgreens for underwriting this post. I was paid as a member of the Clever Girls Collective, but the content is all mine. Visit http://www.discoverbeautywithin.com/.

Do you ever have the luxury of enjoying one of those days where it’s so unbearably HOT that your one and only plan is to lay on the beach, dip in and out of the water, and drink margaritas all day? Can you tell that I’m seriously craving some balmy summer weather? Living in the Pacific Northwest, days like this are extremely rare but when they do happen, the last thing I want to do is stand in a humid bathroom putting on makeup.

However, maintaining a quick skin care routine can have its benefits by providing sun protection and ensuring that you look presentable, just in case plans change. Also, let’s be real, something needs to get rid of  the blotchiness and dark circles, right? With that, I bring to you my summer beauty beach routine! A quick and easy way to look fresh, protect your skin, and get out of the house quickly!

I’m really in love with that eye shadow/blush/bronzer compact – it’s from Physician’s Formula. Anytime something has multiple uses or saves space in my makeup bag is a huge WIN, plus it’s sparkly. It’s also perfect for summer travel! Pair your beautiful face with: a beach hat, sunglasses, drinks, snacks, and some good reading material and you are set for the day!

Do you have a favorite summer product that you can’t live without? What’s your beach routine? I would love to hear!

For the babies!

This weekend, we were awesome and laced up our walking shoes to support healthy babies on behalf of the March of Dimes. 11 local bloggers = $4,000 raised, because that’s how we roll. The day was perfectly sunny and wonderful. Chelsey made a gif of our attempt at jumping, because one picture really doesn’t do it justice.

The best crew (L > R): Tracy, Jill, Stephanie, Chelsey, Melissa, me!, Chelsea, Mandy, Carolyn, Ashley, and Fiona.

After the walk we enjoyed lunch and playtime at a nearby park in the blistering sun. I’m not going to complain but next time around…let’s just say there will be more sunscreen and more water involved. Happy Monday everyone!

PS - the MOO.COM winners have been announced! Click to see if it's you!

Ten on Ten: May 2012

It’s that time again and it sure has been a while! Put on by the lovely Rebekah {welcome baby Zeb!!!}. The premise is simple: once a month, on the 10th of the month, take a photo an hour for ten consecutive hours. It’s a fun way to practice your photography skills and find beauty in the every day!

This month was a little different. I was at work….for a very long time….so you can thank my great husband for managing the photo taking process for this post! I was short a few photos but hopefully the little movie makes up for it.

Driving – Sky’s favorite pastime...this is his OVERLY happy squinty face.

The half dying magnolia in our yard that smells like lemons.

Sky’s work of art

Saying hi to dolly!

It’s trucks around here…..24/7

Seriously? Really? Can this get any cuter?

Mustard Fields

I often complain about my commute because it’s so long….but living in the country does have benefits, like mustard fields in May! They are so beautiful, it almost feels fake. Oh, how I love you yellow flowers.