Victoria Beckham for Target

We usually can't contain our excitement when Target announces a new celebrity collaboration.  We were, if you can believe it, the VERY FIRST people in line at our Target's launch of its fabled Lilly Pulitzer collaboration and thanks to our savvy shopping, we got our favorite items that day!  Ask Ryan to serve you some coffee in one of these babies sometime!

When word got out about about the new Victoria Beckham line for women and girls, you'd better bet there was a flurry of texts flying!  Our favorite Spice Girl and our favorite store--a match made in heaven!  The collection was inspired by Victoria and her daughter, Harper, and features a graphic 60's vibe.  The collection launches in select Target stores and online on Sunday, April 9th.  Some of our favorites include:

Gingham and peplum together? Perfection!

Hello, Summer Wedding Season!

This jacket for spring!!

Perfect for the little gal in your life!

Since we are Target collaboration veterans, we can offer a few pro tips to getting the items you want:

• Shop the Lookbook ahead of time:  Make sure you identify the items on your must-have list so that you can get them as soon as possible.  Make a wish list on your phone or even put items in your online cart, if possible.

• Shop online AND in-store: The new lines launch online at midnight on the release date, sometimes earlier.  Often, store selection is larger, but you can find many online-only pieces or special sizes online or in the Target app.  We've even seen people shopping the new collection while waiting in line for the store to open.  

• Set a budget: It's easy to get caught up in the fever and overbuy.  Give yourself a limited price, so that you focus on the things you really want and don't just follow the mob.  

• Be respectful of others: The worst part of the Lilly for Target experience was watching people take carts full of clothes only to mark them up all over eBay.  Now, most Target stores will be implementing per-customer limits, but please think of your fellow shoppers.  In fact, we've made friends with another BFF duo who shops our location.  We tell each other which things we truly love while waiting in line and then look out for each other in the store.

• Employees are there to help: Admittedly, emotions run high on launch days.  Please don't ask Jess about the time the Check Out Lady scratched her Philip Lim for Target bag and she went a little nutty (Not her finest hour, okay?)   Try your best to keep your emotions in check and be courteous to the folks who are working on the day.  If you do, they might just help you find your wish list stuff.  We've depended on helpful employees to get the rundown of where things are located inside the store and even to point out specialty items.

Good luck to all on Sunday!  Be kind, be savvy and be sure to post in the comments to let us know what items you're putting on your must-have list!

Twins Take on Spring Cleaning

One of our favorite things to do in the spring time is a big, official Spring Cleaning.  It's a great way to welcome the open windows and sunny weather.  Starting off the season with a clean, spruced up house also models the newness of spring.  Here are some of the ways we like to Spring Clean around our houses.

• Purge if you can:  Changing weather is a great time to get rid of any winter clothes that you didn't wear all season.  If you're still hanging onto that sweater from college or an old winter coat, now's the time to donate it and clear out some space.  In our minds, if you made it all season and you never put it on, then you won't miss it next year.  This goes, too, for any of your children's clothing that they might have outgrown by next season.  You can store anything that you really love, but we like to think that donating clothing allows someone else the opportunity to take advantage of it.  Donating to a non-profit helps others and gives you a tax credit, too.  Search your local area, but we often donate to Easter Seals, which picks up right at your door.

• Clean and store any winter wardrobe items: If you're putting away winter clothes or shoes, make sure they're cleaned properly and stored safely.  If you put away those leather boots with leftover salt on the heel, they could be damaged before you open the box again.  Dry clean any sweaters or coats.  Polish and box up your boots.  Maybe you're lucky enough to have a lot of closet space, but we often switch out our seasonal wardrobe from the guest room closets.  We also take advantage of storage space under our beds, using boxes like these for sweaters or winter pants.  

• Clean, clean, clean: Here comes the hard part, you're going to need to block off some time on your schedule and clean your house.  Wipe down the counters, clean the floor (we do it old school on our hands and knees), do it ALL.  With pets and kids in our houses, we like to stick to natural cleaners and avoid harsh chemicals and bleach.  We love all things Mrs. Meyer's, especially this Multi-Surface Concentrate which works on lots of surfaces and comes in lots of lovely, natural scents.  On hard wood floors, Jess uses Method Squirt and Mop to get them shiny and clean.  In the bathroom, we swear by Method's Tub and Tile Bathroom Cleaner.  We always keep some Method All-Purpose Cleaner on hand for touch-ups and daily up-keep.  Finally, there's no problem that these Eraser Pads can't solve (for the record, they DO remove crayon from painted walls...just ask Jess).  

• Refresh your home decor:  This time of year is a great one to start up any lingering home improvement projects.  Have you been wanting to give the bathroom a fresh coat of paint?  Need to hang that photo collage on your staircase?  Now's the time.  You can also think small and add a couple of decorative pieces to your home.  A fancy pair of book-ends or a new lamp are inexpensive accents that can change up a space quickly.  Target's home inspiration site is great because you can search by your design style to find items that are perfect for your house.  Another great designer trick is to "shop your house".  You basically check around your house to see if you have any underutilized decor items that might shine better in a different space.  For example, Jess recently moved a print that hung in a little seen bedroom onto the bathroom wall to add interest.  She's also eyeing a rug in the kiddo's room to move into the kitchen after an upcoming floor remodel (more on that later).  Sometimes it helps to ask a friend to give your house a more critical eye to suggest options you might not have seen yourself.  

• Bring nature inside: Spring is a great time to add some house plants or fresh cut flowers around your house.  Choose plants that work well in the sunlight that you often have and pick pretty, decorative containers.  If your pets can't be trusted to leave them alone (like Ryan's) or if your room doesn't get enough light, artificial plants can look and function nicely.  Target has a lot of great options here and here.  Fresh-cut flowers don't last long, but they beautify the space inexpensively and easily.  Trader Joe's is our favorite source for great seasonal bouquets at awesome prices. 

Will you be doing any Spring Cleaning this year?  Leave us a comment to let us know what you'll be tackling this spring.

Friday Pick Six: 3/31/17

Here's what we are loving and living for this week!

1. Since we are passionate about fitness, I love the awesome organization Girls on the Run.  This non-profit organization works to inspire girls to live healthy, confident lives and support one another.  Girls participate in lots of activities, culminating in a 5k run as a team.  I will be running the 5k with kiddos from my school this spring.  Find your local chapter, volunteer as a coach, donate or run in your local race.--J

2.  Please tell us that you guys know about Old Navy's Rockstar Jeggings!  They look and fit like regular skinny jeans, but they have a pull-on waist.  Yes, you heard that correctly!  You can look like you're wearing regular jeans, but feel like you're wearing yoga pants!  Can you tell we are excited about this?  They come in several different colors, but we like this one for spring.  They do stretch a lot while wearing so you might need to size down, although we are wearing our regular sizes.  Order them now and thank us later.

3.  S-Town is here and it's everything we thought it would be!  We were hooked right away.  All episodes were released on Tuesday, so you can subscribe and here the series in its entirety!  We're almost done already (no spoilers for those of you who are still listening) and it was awesome.

4. Did you see our post yesterday about today being National Stripes Day?  Thanks, JCrew, as if we needed another excuse to wear stripes!  Of course we are both sporting stripes today and we think you should, too!  

5.  We love ice cream.  Like I mean we really, really love it.  Unfortunately, we aren't the kind of people who can eat it every day, no matter how much we work out.  (Do those people exist?  Gosh, I hope not...) As a consequence, we are often looking for low calorie ice cream options.  After years of enjoying Skinny Cow ice cream treats, I recently discovered Yasso frozen Greek yogurt ice cream sandwiches.  Not only are they delicious (and only 120 calories each!!), but the company was founded by two kindergarten friends.  How cool is that?  In addition to the sandwiches, they also have a variety of Greek Yogurt Bars that look amazing, too.  You're welcome. -- R

6.  For our recent birthday, my BFF (Hi Michelle!) gifted me with an Amazon Echo (AKA Alexa) and much like everything else from Amazon, it rules.  So far, my favorite features are the timer (who likes using their oven or microwave timer?  Not me), playing music and podcasts, getting weather reports and playing Jeopardy.  You heard that right, with a simple "Alexa, play Jeopardy" you are off and running!  (Eat your heart out, Trebek!)   I am particularly impressed with the quality of the speakers and the fact that Alexa can hear your instructions, even from the other room or while you are rocking out to Beyonce. -R

Twins Take on the Trend: Stripes

We'll admit it, we love stripes no matter the event or season.  Stripes are classic AND classy, two things we like to think reflect our personal styles.  We firmly believe no one can have too many striped shirts!  Leave it to JCrew to invent a whole day to celebrate stripes!  They have declared Friday, March 31st as National Stripes Day and we couldn't be happier to observe it.

This spring, we are trying to think of some new ways to wear stripes and have found some great options!  We love stripes so much, we decided to each present our striped favorites for spring.  Many of these items can be found at JCrew, but we sourced a few other places as well.

1. Merona Flounce Hem Striped Blouse: This baby stopped me in my tracks on a recent Target trip and I knew I had to have it.  The peplum detail is a girly spin on my typical striped look and it's great for work with skinny jeans and ballet flats.  Just make sure to wear a cami underneath because it's a bit sheer.

2. Strapless Ruffle Hem Dress in Seersucker:  Is there a cuter way to wear stripes than this dress?  Nope, didn't think so!

3. Striped Drapey Shorts: These GAP shorts look comfy enough to throw on post-beach but classic enough to wear with a white button down.  I'm definitely going to pick them up this spring!

4. Open Back Short Sleeve Swimsuit: I've been looking for a suit with a little more coverage from the sun and this one is adorable.  Perfect for my "Mom at the Splash Pad" summer routine.

5. Multi-Stripe Swing Dress: One of my current wardrobe staples is the Old Navy swing tank dress.  I discovered these when I was trying to dress my post-baby body a couple of summers ago and have found that they offer just the right fit for my body.  There's enough swing so that you feel comfortable, but not so much so that you feel like you're wearing a potato sack.  Just make sure to size down when ordering!

6. Performance Capri Leggings in Stripes: Striped workout pants?  'Nuff said!

1. Elbow Sleeve Linen T:  As we have said before, we love the Who What Wear line at Target and this t is no exception.  I have this in a couple of colors already but can't wait to get this army green and white version.

2. Cotton-silk popover shirt in berry print: A stripe made out of an adorable berry print?  Sold.

3. Stripe bow-back top:  Love this with a pair of white jeans or even shorts if your weather allows.

4. Bright stripe scarf:  Anyone that knows us, knows we love any kind of scarf for any season!  Love the bright colors on this one and that it's light weight enough to toss on even when it starts to warm up.

5. Knit Walton dress: We've been fans of basically everything Emily at Cupcakes and Cashmere does for years, and her clothing line is no exception.  Throw a cardigan or a jean jacket over this baby and you are good to go.

6. Ponte knit pencil skirt:  Love this skirt with a t-shirt or tank for weekend wear or with a button down (maybe chambray?) for work.

How do you plan to rock stripes tomorrow for National Stripes Day?  Leave us a comment or share your pictures on social media using the hashtag #nationalstripesday.

Jalapeño Flatbread

Hey folks, it's me, Jess with a recipe to share.  Our favorite local bar features a whole section of flatbreads on its appetizer menu.  While I was pregnant, I became obsessed with jalapeños and started ordering a flatbread so spicy I could barely eat it.  Since then, we've learned to recreate this flatbread at home and make it fairly often.  It's fast, easy and delicious!

Here's what you need:

• Prepared Pizza Dough
• 7.5 ounce container of cream cheese (We like Philadelphia Chive and Onion)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• handful of cilantro, minced
• 4 slices of thick-cut bacon, chopped into chunks
• 1/2 of a large red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 8 ounces of grated cheese (We use a mixture of mozzarella and sharp cheddar, but you can use your favorite)
• 2 jalapeños, sliced into rings (You can remove seeds if you want it milder.  The more seeds--the spicier your flatbread will be!)
• Salt and pepper to taste

To start, you'll need your favorite pizza dough.  You could easily buy pizza dough at any grocery store, but Martha Stewart has our go-to recipe.   If you have a pizza stone, you'll want to get it heating up in a 450 degree convection oven.  You can also use a sheet pan if you don't have a pizza stone.  Before heating, sprinkle on a little bit of cornmeal or semolina flour to prevent the crust from sticking.  While the stone or pan is heating up, crisp up the bacon a small saucepan. When the bacon is done, drain it and set it on a paper towel.  Add your sliced onion to this pan on a low heat.  You want to cook the onion slowly, to caramelize it.  Once it softens, add the balsamic vinegar and sauté for a couple more minutes.

This flatbread uses a white sauce, which we make quickly by using herb cream cheese.  Mix the container of cream cheese with the garlic and cilantro.  If you have plain cream cheese, you may want to add some additional herbs, like chopped chives. Now you've got your toppings ready to go!

Once your pizza stone is pre-heated, roll out the crust on top and spread on the cream cheese mixture.   Sprinkle salt and pepper over the cream cheese and crust.  Cover the crust with shredded cheese, bacon, caramelized onion and sliced jalapeño.

Bake at 450 degrees convection for 10-12 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is golden brown.  (Note--if you're cooking on a sheet pan, you will likely need to increase the cooking time.)

Cool slightly and use a pizza cutter to slice it into wedges.  Now, it's chow time!

You can always customize your flatbread with other toppings, too.  In the summer, we occasionally add zucchini or sliced tomato from our garden.  Give it a try and let us know how much you liked it in the comments below!

Spring Nail Polish Favorites

Nail polish is one of our favorite guilty pleasures.  Our collections are scary large, but we always seem to find room for new additions.  Although we generally gravitate toward darker colors in the winter and lighter ones in the spring, we also try to check out the new releases each season.  Here are some colors we are wearing this spring, new and old!

1.  Essie Gel Couture in Couture Curator: We first spotted this color on the fantastic Kindra's Instagram a while back and knew we needed it.  It's a little pink, a little peach and soooo flattering on many different skin tones.  This is a neutral with a little personality, just what you want for spring.

2. Julep Alaina: We mentioned this polish in a previous Julep Beauty post, but it is worth bringing up again.  This polish is a perfect combination of taupe and beige with hints of mauve.  Spring weather can be a bit grey where we live (or even a little chilly) so this polish will work well with your spring or winter wardrobe.

3.  CND Weekly Polish in Cake Pop: We first spotted this polish when our fabulous friend (and blog reader) CarrieT was sporting it last summer.  It's also available in a gel formula, but this is the non-gel version, which makes at-home application and removal easier.  The pink is girly, but professional and clean looking.  We're just not too wild about the lack of staying power.  Despite the name, this seems to chip early, even with a great top coat.

4. Essie Pret-a-Surfer: This polish was first released in the Summer of 2015, but it's still one of our favorites.  It's a lovely light blue that looks amazing on your fingers or toes.  It's also a good transitional color because it's not a true pastel.

5. Julep Shelly: This mint green is lovely for spring.  At the time of this post, it was out of stock, but you can try here for a similar look.

6. Essie Gel Couture in Pre-Show Jitters: Can you tell that Essie is our favorite brand?  We love their color selection and formulas.  The Gel Couture line features basically the best brush ever and great staying power!  This color is a beautiful white with just a hint of blush.

What nail polish colors are you sporting this spring?  Let us know in the comments below!

Friday Pick-Six: 3/24/17

Here's what we're loving and living for this week!

1. Before I became a mom, I loved my daily Pure Barre workout.  After my kiddo was born, I found that I simply didn't have the time to get over to the studio as much as I'd like.  I've searched for ways to incorporate exercise into my busy schedule and came up with a few requirements.  I need a workout I can complete at home with minimal equipment (mat or hand weights are fine) that is around 30 minutes long.  Okay, if I'm being honest, the exact time measure is "The Length of an Episode of Curious George".  One of my favorite sources for workouts that fit the bill is the POPSUGAR Fitness channel on YouTube.  There are dozens of options and you can search workouts by length or type.  The videos range in length from 10-60 minutes and play easily on your laptop, tablet or SmartTV.  Some of my favorites include Power Yoga from the popular Y7 Yoga Studio and anything by Australian dynamo and celebrity favorite Simone De La Rue!  Thanks to POPSUGAR Fitness, I can squeeze my much needed workouts into my busy schedule.  Give it a try!--J

2. Spring weather where we live is often super unpredictable.  It usually starts off a little cool in the morning but warms up by the afternoon.  Layers and light weight scarves are great for this type of weather.  One of our favorite scarves is the Lululemon Vinyasa Scarf.  This scarf is a little pricey, but it's so versatile.  We each have one and so does our mom!  It can be worn 10 different ways (watch this amazing tutorial) and is light-weight enough so you don't feel too warm.  We often throw ours on post-barre workout or when running around on the weekend.

3.  One thing we all need to do is drink more water.  It's great for your skin, weight loss and overall health.  However, drinking plain water can get a little tedious.  That's where our favorite water bottle comes in!  The AVOIN Sport Tritan Fruit Infuser Water Bottle makes it easy to infuse water with interesting flavor combinations.  This water bottle is BPA-free and has a great spill-proof top.  You just fill the inner chamber with your fruit or veggies, place it inside and fill with water.  We usually let it steep from for 15-45 minutes, too, to develop more flavor.  Who wouldn't rather enjoy lemon-raspberry or lime-cucumber flavored water than plain old boring water?  (Is anyone else being reminded of this clip from Parks and Recreation right now?) We use our favorite La Croix flavors as inspiration and make up tons of different combinations.  (Pro Tip: Freeze berries before putting them into your infuser to keep your water cold AND keep the fruit in tact).  Ryan spied and sourced these after seeing Kim and Khloe drinking out of them on Keeping Up with the Kardashians.  And you know us, if it's good enough for the Kardashian sisters, who are we to argue?

4.  Admittedly, we watch a lot of TV, but it's rare when a new show comes along and makes it into our rotation.  This year, we can't stop talking about This is Us on NBC.  This drama focuses on the lives and relationships of a family across generations and timelines.  We were hooked after the first episode!  Each week we laughed and cried (and cried some more) while learning more about the complex Pearson family.  Although the season finale aired last week, you can watch all the episodes on NBC.com or Hulu.  Grab a box (or two) of Kleenex first, trust us!

5.  We're always looking for quick and easy weeknight meals around these parts.  For the record, I don't do much (okay, any) cooking on a regular basis, but I am often responsible for finding recipes and meal planning.  I recently came across this recipe for One Pot Greek Chicken, Lemon and Rice on Pinterest and knew we had to try it.  It's relatively easy, needs no specialty ingredients and was a hit with the toddler.  My husband added capers as a garnish, but olives would be great, too.  Also, since he first made it, he's been toying around with the basic recipe but changing up the seasonings and add-ins.  For example, he used this method to make Arroz con Pollo by adding in a can of tomatoes, black beans and frozen corn and changing the spices to cumin, coriander and oregano.--J

6.  Of course, our favorite store, GAP, is having a sale this weekend!  It's Friends and Family Sale time again and we couldn't be more ready to stock up on clothes for spring!  Everything is 40% off with the code FFSALE and all orders ship free now through March 27th.  Here are some picks we have in our cart:

Love the mixed print and detailing on this top!

Lace and army green together?  Sold!

Adorable for Easter!  Just add boots (okay, if you live where we do, boots AND tights)!

We don't exactly NEED more lounge pants, but these are just sooooooo great!

What are you loving this week?  Let us know in the comments below!