Mom Style, Naughty Twins, and Edible Ants {7 Quick Takes}

--1--

I'm trying to decide if I need any more shoes for the summer - my three heaviest hitters are all in need of serious repair, so if they can't get fixed I'll need to find a substitute... And I don't WANT a substitute, I just want what I already have!

I've got 4 pairs of shoes I cycle through for the spring/summer/early fall: A pair of patterned TOMS (not pictured), wedge sandals (top), neutral sandals (middle, nice enough for Mass), and peep toe wedges (bottom).

But ohhhh I'm in love with this pair from DSW:

(Anne Klein Makai, also available in more colors here)

The color! The cutout! The heel height! I don't think I need them even a little bit but aren't they adorable?

What are your go-to summer shoes? I feel like I must be missing something...

--2--

And then when I think about shoes, I realize that I need to clean out my closet, put away the winter things, and figure out what still works for spring/summer/early fall and what gaps need to be filled. There's a LOT of my wardrobe from when I started being more mindful of this sort of thing that still works, but I'm thinking a few things have gotten worn out and need to be replaced. Mainly solid-colored t-shirts - jersey just doesn't last forever, you know? So I'm checking ThredUP (which now has free returns AND has started doing some measurements!) and Twice for replacements because I don't want to pay full price... 

Incidentally, you can get 40% off your first ThredUP order with the coupon code NPA40, AND if you use ebates you can get 2.5% cash back!

I have a couple J.Crew shirts from years and years ago that are STILL holding up well despite many many washings, so I'm thinking their fabric quality is the type I need to be looking for.  It just HAS to have drape or structure - none of this stretchy jersey, my tummy is not flat and I don't think it ever will be again! I'm pretty good at faking it, but not with skin-tight clothes...

But beyond that, I think I'll be repeating a LOT of outfits from two years ago, now that I'm not pregnant:

--3--

The question is, if I get the time and actually figure out what I'm going to wear this summer... Do you care? Should I blog about it? I'm not aiming for a "capsule" wardrobe of a certain size, but I have a feeling I'll end up with a low-ish number of items just because I don't have the money to buy all the things, nor do I have a body that FITS all the things like I did when I was a kid!

--4--

I used to say that our kids don't really "do" the terrible twos - they have rough threes, but the twos aren't a big deal.

Then I had twins.

"We were patendin' da cwayon was chapstick!"

This week has been ROUGH. They've eaten dirt, sand, fertilizer (organic and very little of it, so... probably fine?), crayons, colored pencils, glue sticks ("It's NOT chapstick!" they told me afterwards), baking soda ("I was patendin' da bakin' soda was sand!"), soap, and at least one ant.

They've figured out that if they work together, they can open the fridge.  Thankfully they went for the apples instead of the beer.

There came a point when I locked myself in the guest room for a timeout (and to eat breakfast) and I returned to Elizabeth about to flood the bathroom and Mary Claire standing in a puddle of her own pee.

On the plus side, she peed on a really terrible book that I wanted to throw away anyway, so it gave me that excuse I needed!

"Mary Claire, were you eating dirt again?"
"I ate a ant!"

I should have known when I saw the chair in the hall closet that they had gotten something down they shouldn't have...

Heaven help us all.

Also, Poison Control. 

(This is what happens if I try to get dressed, put the baby down for a nap, wash dishes, or make dinner. The house is a WRECK.)

--5--

So the next time someone tells me, "OH! I know how hard it is to have twins! I have kids who are [10/12/18] months apart!" 

I might punch them in the face.

Separately, Mary Claire and Elizabeth are totally fine - there's VERY little naughtiness when they're on their own. But together? I'm pretty sure they're competing for the Darwin Awards.

--6--

John Paul, on the other hand, is reading the dictionary for fun.

--7--

To end on a happier note, look! Elizabeth with french braids!

Linking up with Kelly at This Ain't the Lyceum for Quick Takes!