How to plan and create a gallery wall

I've done a few gallery walls between our last home and this home. My favorite is galleries with photographs! Here is the process I go through when creating any type of gallery wall.

1. Design with paper: First create your gallery wall using regular paper the sizes of frames you want (or think you want) and tape them up on the wall using painters tape. I tape multiple pieces of paper together to achieve the right size if needed. Then it is easy to rearrange them until they look like you want. Look at it for a few days or a week and keep tweaking if you want. Note: if you don't have all your frames yet add at least 2 inches to the length and width of the photograph/picture size when you cut out a paper. So for an 8x10 you would use a 10x12 paper or larger. I prefer smaller frames for the most part. This also works for plates, mirrors or any other objects in a gallery wall. Just cut paper the same size.

Also don't be like me and leave the white paper up for 6+ months so that you start thinking it looks totally normal to have paper on your wall. 

2. Vision with frames: Gather your frames and arrange on the floor in mimicking your wall placement to make sure you still like the look. I didn't have all my photos printed yet at this point especially because I knew I wanted a few from Dexter's newborn photo shoot but having the frame sizes picked actually helped me pick out ones from his session that I wanted in this gallery wall.

3. Measure hanging placement: Measure on the back of each of your frames how far down from the top of the frame the screw needs to be for hanging it. Then make a mark on your papers on the wall to correspond to this measurement. You can put the screw in right through the paper and then tear the paper away after so you are sure to get it in the right spot. Note: the nice thing about a gallery wall like this is that if you are off by a little bit it doesn't matter since nothing has to be lined up just perfect

4. Place on the wall: Hang your frames on the screws you put in the wall.

Here is the finished product once I had all the photos printed for it and the printable I made printed out at kinkos.

In case you are interested in what sizes the photos are, here is a guide.

1. 8x10 landscape
2. 11x14 portrait (photo by Brittany Lauren Photography)
3. 5x7 landscape
4. 8x10 portrait (photo by Brittany Lauren Photography)
5. 8x10 portrait (photo by Brittany Lauren Photography)
6. 8x10 landscape
7. 5x7 portrait (printable I made that says "find joy in the journey")
8. 5x7 portrait
9. 11x14 landscape (photo by Brittany Lauren Photography)

I really like how this gallery wall in our family room turned out. I may tweak it over time if I get a new photo that I really want up there. If I do, I think I would move frame #1 up higher and fit another frame in below it, probably a 5x7 size.

Hope this helps you create beautiful gallery walls in your home!

Breastfeeding Must Haves

I want to share what I felt were Must Haves for Breastfeeding. Definitely utilize the lactation consultant in the hospital while you are there to help you hands-on and see if your pediatrician office also has a LC, mine does and it was helpful to go see them after being home a week or so. Especially go if you are having any supply issues as there are many things that can help with that. I hope this is helpful to those of you wanting to breastfeed!

1. Nursing Bra - I have 4 or 5 of these Bravado Nursing Bras and they are wonderful and very comfortable even to sleep in. They are the only nursing bra I wear. They must be worn by lots of mamas with all the reviews/stars they have. My SIL uses this brand too.

2. Nursing Pads - you can go with Disposable Nursing Pads or Reusable Nursing Pads that you wash. It is nice to have the disposable ones early on when you go through multiple pairs a day but I've liked the reusable ones now that I'm down to just one pair a day. And they can just go in with whatever laundry you are doing.

3. Nursing Pillow - People usually either go with the My Brest Friend Pillow or the Boppy and I like the former because it felt more secure around me and supported the baby easier with 2 humps for baby's head (one for each nursing side). If you get a boppy too don't get rid of it though because it can be great for tummy time or for support when visitors are holding the baby...we have one for those reasons.

4. Gel soothies - In the midst of delivering early, I forgot all about these Gel soothies and about 1 week postpartum my SIL reminded me about them and had an extra unopened pair. They were amazing. You keep them in the fridge in between uses. I had 3 pairs of these and used them for about a month or so. You can use them for longer than it says if you wash them and take good care of them.

5. Vitamin D drops - If you are breastfeeding your baby needs vitamin D which is already present in formula as recommended by my lactation consultant and pediatrician. We use these and it is just one drop a day and there is enough in the dropper for a year.

6. Nipple cream - Breastfeeding causes sore nipples mostly in the beginning when you are trying to get a good latch and may have to unlatch/relatch several times, etc. I didn't like the smell of the lanolin they had in the hospital and I was so glad I had some Motherlove nipple cream once we got home. Plus it is all natural! You can also use coconut oil, which is what I use on my pump flanges.

7. Nursing cover - My mom made me two nursing covers as a gift but if you don't want to DIY, here's one with great reviews. It was nice in the beginning when I was in public and it was hard to get him to latch quickly etc. Nowadays I don't use one much and because he gets hot under there and doesn't seem to like it. I've learned how to be fairly discreet and if people don't want to see it they don't have to look :) The cover is still great if I need to pump in a public place.

8. Nursing wear - I don't think you have to go crazy with nursing wear but having this Undercover Mama tank was nice because I could use it under any shirt and not expose my stomach and back while nursing.. especially nice if it is cool where you are nursing. It's one layer so you don't have another bra in it like a lot of nursing tanks. I have a couple of Target ones but I don't love them... the bra part is tight compared to the rest of the tank. I have a few shirts and a dress from Milk Nursingwear also which make it easy to breastfeed with secretly placed openings. This is really the only way to breastfeed in a dress unless you have a very low v-neck dress and even then you would risk stretching it out. I do wish they had a bigger selection and colors of dresses since a dress used to be such a go-to outfit for me.

9.* Hands free pumping bra - If you are pumping at all you will want this bra. I wish I had brought it to the hospital with me. When you are exhausted and having to pump round the clock, it is nice to not have to hold the pump parts in place. And it really does adjust for difference sizes.

10.* Milk storage bags - Again if you are pumping, you will need a way to store the pumped milk in the freezer. We have not had any issues with these bags and store them in cardboard soda boxes (a pinterest idea). They have a double ziplock seal at the top.

A a few things that you do not need to purchase but are must haves: Water, snacks and above all PATIENCE!

It was frustrating and exhausting the first 3 or 4 weeks when our son didn't have the sucking reflex down due to his early arrival but we kept trying and trying and I kept pumping and we would give him pumped milk. And then he learned what to do and it was SO much easier to just nurse... it felt like forever at the time but looking back now it really wasn't. That being said, there are cases where breastfeeding can't happen, just doesn't work out or the stress is doing more harm that good. While I'm a strong believer in breastfeeding, there is no judgment of other moms that are not. Don't beat yourself up about it if it isn't what is best for your family or circumstances. Everyone has to do what is best for their family.



*I didn't go into must haves regarding what breast pump or bottles are best because that can really depend on what is available from your insurance (yes, you get a free pump through insurance) and if you want your bottles to also go with the pump and which bottles/nipples your baby prefers. It may be best to get a couple of types of bottles to see what works. I personally have the PISA by Medela and their bottles have worked out for us well so far but I do also have a couple other bottle types to try in the future. I like the option to use the same bottles for pumping and for whenever we feed pumped milk. Even if you are an exclusively nursing, I highly encourage pumping even just a little once a day so you have a freezer stash when you want to have a date night or in case of an emergency. Eric and I have been able to go on a few dates or I can go do something for a few hours and pump in the car when necessary and there is freezer milk for the baby.

Pregnancy Must Haves Part 2

After my Pregnancy Must Haves post, my friend Katie who had a very different pregnancy (morning sickness with "morning" being all day every day) offered to write a part 2 guest post with her pregnancy must haves. She has 8 great pregnancy must haves and tips below.

Emily and I had a blast being pregnant at the same time (and it’s even more fun now having babies so close in age!). Pregnancies come in all shapes and sizes; let’s just say mine was quite round and lacked the proverbial “glow”. As Emily mentioned in her post, the list of essentials is different for each situation so I asked her if I could write up a different perspective for all you mommas out there that aren’t even considering turning on a prenatal workout DVD. So here we go…

Trader Joe’s Organic Ginger Pear White Tea

At the first sign of morning sickness I raided my local CVS and bought every Sea-band and ginger product available. Little did I know those very products would make me just as sick as fried chicken. I found some comfort in an afternoon cup of hot tea and this one from Trader Joe’s has a little hint of ginger without the overpowering ginger flavor that sent me straight to the toilet.  I don’t think it truly solved any morning sickness problems but it made me feel like I was at least trying and it replaced my typical 3pm coffee break. 

Kleenex box

I typically keep a box somewhere in the house but during pregnancy this is a must.  Hormones are out of whack and the tears related to fear, fatigue and pure joy need something soft and gentle to soak them up.  It also came in quite handy post-birth when I had those precious moments in the middle of the night of staring at my perfect creation and realizing “This baby is mine!?!?” (uncontrolled sobbing to ensue).

Bagels/ Any other form of carb-loaded food

Clean eating? Fruits and veggies? Say what?  I ate a bagel almost every day and was once found eating a mound of mashed potatoes straight from the kitchen aid mixer bowl.  I’m not saying I didn’t gain extra weight, but it was survival and if it stayed down then I was down with it!

Saline nasal spray

Allergies and colds are tough to fight when pregnant because of medication restrictions but saline nasal spray is the bomb! I am practically addicted to this non-habit forming over-the-counter “medicine”.  I kept it on hand to help irrigate my dry nose and clear out stuffed up nasal passages.  It also helped prevent those pesky nosebleeds.

Full-sized toothbrush and toothpaste

I quickly learned the small travel sized tube of toothpaste wasn’t going to cut it. If you are beyond just nausea and not able to hold in your most recent snack, you will need to freshen your breath multiple times a day so you can smile and interact with co-workers and the pharmacy tech that you will get to know well during this time. I picked up a regular sized toothbrush and toothpaste for my work bag and I don’t think my teeth have ever been so clean.

Stool softener

Lots of anti-nausea medicine and remedies equals lots of slowed down intestines.  Ain’t nobody got time for that! Pop a couple stool softeners each night and the problem is solved.

Favorite Bible Verse

In those moments of doubt and exhaustion, cling to the promises of God’s protection and presence.  This verse became one of my favorites and was my focus during the drawn out hours of labor (notice my half-smile as I try to walk in between contractions).

2 Timothy 1:7- For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and of a sound mind.  

Modified Expectations

Like many, I dreamed of a glamorous pregnancy full of nesting, prenatal exercise and floating around with an attractive baby-baking aura.  When the morning sickness didn’t let up and my energy was put into just making to work each day I had to come to grips with the realization that my previous expectations were not only silly but truly not necessary. In the end, both baby and I remained completely healthy throughout the pregnancy and now I have more joy and love than I could have ever imagined.  Postnatal amnesia is a real thing and I would seriously do it all again.  Look at this cutie- how could I think otherwise?

Thanks for the guest post Katie! You are so right that favorite bible verses are so essential in such a changing time in your life. My favorite verse throughout pregnancy (and a verse I lean on often) was Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. And that baby is just adorable!

Pregnancy Must Haves

Here my 10 Pregnancy Must Haves plus a bonus of 2 nice to haves at the end. I actually really enjoyed being pregnant but these things made the more challenging times and sometimes not-so-fun side effects of pregnancy better! I know most do not feel this way and I was lucky not to ever have morning sickness (or all day every day sickness like a friend of mine had) and just several weeks of nausea so I imagine with morning sickness this list would have a few different must haves... like a toilet nearby at all times haha. Kudos to those who are dealing with/dealt with that.


1. Nature Valley Protein Bars- these were such a lifesaver! I would get hungry in the middle of the night and if I didn't eat I would feel nauseous so I would eat one of these. It was just the thing to fill me up and curb the nausea. They are delicious and have 10 grams of protein which is key because you need a TON of protein while pregnant and most bars don't have this much protein for only 190 calories. I eat them now sometimes when I'm hungry in the middle of the night while breastfeeding. Amazon has these for a great deal too.

2. Multi-grain club crackers- these were another great snack to help with nausea. You can't go wrong with delicious buttery club crackers but these are multi-grain so even better!

3. Refillable water bottle- in addition to eating a bunch of protein, pregnant ladies have to consume A LOT of water. Luckily I really like drinking water so this wasn't too difficult of a task but I liked keeping track of how much I was drinking so I made sure I got enough each day. When you drink enough water you can really tell a difference in how you feel, pregnant or not. I have this one below  but the camelbak one looks nice too.

4. Heating pad- great for the sore back that pregnancy brings especially after being on the go a lot. This Sunbeam one was the best size and heated up quickly. I also liked it had multiple heat settings - the low ended up being what I liked.

5. Prenatal workout dvds- I posted my favorite pregnancy workouts awhile back. Continuing to work out was a must have for me.


6. Pregnancy book- Many people read What to Expect but at the advice of others, I decided on Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy instead which had all the basic information I needed and was easy to understand without scaring me to death like I've heard WTE can do. Googling symptoms is usually not a good idea and it's better to have a good reference like the Mayo Clinic Guide... step away from Dr. Google. We also read Bringing up Bebe which is a funny French pregnancy/parenting book about an American raising a baby in laid back France.

7. Leggings - these are a must! Even if you aren't pregnant in winter, they can be great in fall and spring and even summer when you are inside with the A/C going. I had like 5 pairs of maternity leggings. Make sure you find some that are super comfortable! My favorite ones were from gap (they were called supersoft leggings - picture below) and I waited until they had a sale. I also had a couple from destination maternity.

8. Prenatal vitamins- this one is a no-brainer. I used Target brand Up & Up prenatals during my pregnancy and they never made me sick or were hard to swallow. Postpartum I switched to Vegan prenatals since they were better for not interacting with another prescription I take.



9. Mustela stretch mark cream - this stuff was given to me by my sister in law and it was great - not a single stretch mark! It's pricey but I found that a little went a long way and never needed more than one tube the whole time and I even have some leftover. I've also used Earth Mama Angel Baby Stretch Oil but it does have an earthy smell to it that some people may not like but it's about as natural as you can get.

10. Burts Bees lotion - Pregnancy can make your skin dry and when you are pregnant over winter that doesn't help matters. I wanted a paraben free lotion with nothing on the ingredient list that looked like it shouldn't be in something I was slathering on my skin. I never had dry skin when using this and it doesn't have a smell to it which is a plus for anyone sensitive to smells while pregnant.



Here are two additional items that were helpful but I wouldn't call "must" haves.

1. Vasaline - pregnancy can bring about nose bleeds/bloody nose as you have an increase in your blood volume. I found putting a little bit of this in my nose before bed helped as strange as that seems.

2. Waterproof sheet protector- if you are worried about your water breaking while you are sleeping and messing up your mattress or any fluid leaking this is nice to have. It is also good postpartum when you are still bleeding and all that fun stuff.

Hope this is helpful for anyone looking to enjoy some of the pregnancy side effects a little better. What were some pregnancy must-haves you had that were not on this list?

DIY Food and Drink Label Stands

I first made these food label stands for my sister in laws Duck Baby Shower. I wanted a way to label the different dishes and have those label be up high enough to easily see. All the stands I looked at online were kind of pricey so after some brainstorming with my mom, this is what I ended up with.

Materials

-wooden pieces that are flat on one side - mine were rounded but you could also use squares or another shape
-wooden dowels
-drill or someone willing to drill holes in the wood pieces for you
-cardstock, scrapbook paper or whatever paper you want your labels made out of
-scissors or punch
-marker or pen
-tape and glue
-twine for decoration (optional)

Drill a hole in the top of each of your wooden pieces or have someone do this for you. You may also be able to buy some with holes already in them. Make sure the hole is big enough to fit your dowel in and it doesn't need to go all the way through the wood piece (just most of the way) but if it does that's not a big deal.

Cut your dowels if necessary to the height you prefer. Mine are 12 inches but they can be a tad wobbly on a tablecloth and since I have big labels attached to the top so I think before I use them again I will shorten them by an inch or two.

Cut out labels or use a punch. I used a circle punch and a scallop punch so I could layer scrapbook paper behind the cardstock to make it more colorful. I cut a bunch of extra white scallops in case those are needed in the future. I glued a scallop cutout to a circle cutout and wrote the food item name on the white scallop. I tried to keep the names somewhat generic so they can be reused for multiple occasions and parties but whenever they cannot be reused, I have the extra white scallops on hand so I can glue a new one over the old one :)

You will need two labels for each stand so one covers the back and one covers the front. Attach the two labels to the dowel and to each other using little pieces of rolled scotch tape. I found this to be the best thing for attaching and wouldn't be too hard to remove an entire label from a dowel later should you need to. This is also when you can add twine or ribbon or some other decoration if you wish.

Then you can put your dowels with attached labels into your wood pieces and they are ready to be used! I have 12 of these on hand and they are great for showers, parties, and get togethers. They are great even for sometime simple like labeling which bowl of salsa is mild and which is medium or hot when you have guests over.

I reused the stands for my friend's Cute As A Button Baby Shower as well. These could also be place settings or have lots of other labeling purposes!

My prenatal workout videos

I had always hoped to stay active and exercise throughout pregnancy as long as I felt up to it and it was doctor approved, of course. Some of the workouts I did prior like Insanity were a little too intense or like Hip Hop Abs had too much ab work (which you have to be careful about doing the right kind of ab work). So... I did a lot of research to find some good prenatal workout videos and these are my favorites.

Amberlie Price Pregnancy Yoga week by week - these are actually free on youtube and there is a different yoga workout for each week. I never did yoga prior to pregnancy so these are good for beginners and since she is pregnant each week along with you, you feel reassured you won't be doing any yoga moves that are not okay for pregnant women to do. The stretching and relaxation of yoga are great but I don't feel like I get a workout in terms of cardio or heart rate going so I usually only do this once a week. The lengths vary from 10-30 minutes from what I can tell so far.

Lindsay Brin's Complete Pregnancy 4-DVD workout set - as the title suggests there is a DVD for each trimester and also a postnatal one. I can't speak for the 3rd trimester or postnatal ones yet but I've enjoyed the 1st trimester and 2nd trimester DVDs. Each one has a cardio and toning workout of about 35 minutes and a shorter yoga workout of 20-25 minutes. It's upbeat and doesn't have you bored from doing the same thing for too long. I don't think this would have been a challenging enough workout I've I wasn't pregnant though.

Suzanne Bowen's Slim and Toned Prenatal Barre Workout - this is one DVD with 4 different workouts on it that are each about 20 minutes long. Lean Lower Body, Slim Upper Body and Core, Cardio Sculpt, and Aligned Stretch. That makes it easy to mix and match. I usually pick one or two of the first three and then add the stretching to make either a 40 minute or 60 minute workout. Suzanne is not pregnant and these are still a great workout for her so I'm sure I'll still want to do these postnatal and beyond. Another woman in the video is in her 3rd trimester so you can see the slight modifications to do if you are in the 3rd (or sometimes 2nd) trimester. Cardio sculpt is probably my favorite and this series is my favorite in general because I really feel like I get a great workout when doing it. I'd definitely try out other workouts of hers. So if you only buy 1 DVD, I'd get this one but I like having variety to not get bored so it's nice to have the others too.


And I have still been doing the stationery cycle bike occasionally but it's sometimes not as comfortable. I also like going on walks but that isn't much fun when it's cold out so hopefully I can add those back into the variety of workouts when spring comes. Ah spring... I'm ready for you any time!


My goal is to workout 4 times a week or more. Of course only do what you feel comfortable with... in early pregnancy I didn't do anything beyond walking and then during the nauseous stage during 1st tri I was not able to meet the 4 times a week. Hope this helps anyone looking for good pregnancy workout videos!

Great lipsticks for fair skin

I've found that one of the biggest beauty challenges for someone with fair skin is finding lipsticks that look great. Of course there is no one lipstick for all occasions since if you are wearing colors that go better with red you will want a red-tone lipstick or wearing colors that go better with pink you will want a pink-tone lipstick and so on. I've compiled a list of lipsticks that I find to be fabulous for those with fair skin like myself and these are the only lipsticks I wear!

Nars Flair
My most versatile and longest lasting lipstick so worth the higher price compared to the other lipsticks on this list. Creamy and nourishing too!

Clinique Black Honey
This is a little bit sheer but still great color. Has a little bit of a purple hue in it.

Revlon Colorburst Red Velvet
Obviously in the red family but a little more crimson than the true red.

Revlon Colorburst Berry Smoothie
In the pink family but really goes well with lots of outfits/colors. I've found this to be a great lipstick when wearing bright orange since I have a good bit of that in my closet... Go Tigers!

Maybelline Colorsensation Warm Me Up
This has a mauve/pink and soft brown hue so it is my "neutral" lipstick without looking like your bare lips which a lot of neutrals look like on fair skin

Revlon Colorburst True Red
Just like it sounds, a perfect true red


Of course I am sure many of these lipsticks look great on other complexions too but hopefully this was especially helpful to all the fair skinned girls!! Fair is the new tan right?!? Well at least that's the motto my sunscreen and I are sticking to.


Here are a few past style photos for me to identify the lipsticks for you... I usually don't list out my lipstick color in the What I Wore posts so I'll try to add a few photos to this in the future. You can click on the photo if you need to see it enlarged.

Nars Flair

Another Nars Flair

Revlon Berry Smoothie

 Revlon Red Velvet

Revlon True Red

Linking up to: What I Wore Wednesday, What I Wore to Work, Because Shanna Said So, Tucker Up, PTMT Get Pin-spired, Tip Junkie

Recent Reads

Here are a few books I've read lately and some brief thoughts on them. No spoilers!

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

You have probably at least heard about this book by now since they are making a movie. It is about a young couple in a bit of an odd relationship where the clever wife disappears on their 5th wedding anniversary. Police and media surround the investigation and blood scene in their home in a small Missouri town and the husband is pretty quickly the main suspect. He definitely isn't a star husband and isn't doing anything to help his situation but could he have killed his wife?


Uncharted by Tracey Garvis Graves

I've talked about On The Island before so when a novella came out that crosses that story, I couldn't wait to read it. And it didn't disappoint! I read it all in one sitting. It's only $2.99 and only comes in Kindle version but you can get Kindle for PC and read it on your laptop if you don't have a Kindle. Of course, if you haven't read On The Island yet, read that first.


Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella

I've liked all the Sophie Kinsella books I've read because they are light and funny read. This one was good but not as good as I've Got Your Number... still worth reading if you like her novels. A woman wakes up in a hospital after an accident and has the perfect life but she remembers nothing from the past 3 years. She is not sure she likes the person she has become and has to try to piece things back together to try to remember anything she can.


Barefoot by Ellen Hilderbrand

This book had a decent number of reviews but it was just okay IMO. It is about three women who go on a summer vacation together (along with 2 kids) to Nantucket all escaping different issues from failed marriage to being fired from a job due to a scandal to needing cancer treatment and trying to still care for her two kids. The bright part of the novel was the college student who they hire to babysit who is intrigued by their stories, etc. Of course there were nice parts of them supporting each other and such but it was just a bit of a downer of a read for a summer read. It has 4 stars so there are definitely people that liked this one, it just wasn't a favorite of mine.


Read anything worth recommending lately? I'm currently reading Maze Runner and liking it a lot so far. Here are some other recent reads and the funniest book I've ever read.

The funniest book I've read: Let's Pretend This Never Happened

Okay so that may be a pretty bold statement but Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson is definitely the funniest book I've read for as long as I can remember. Now I've read books before with funny parts but most of this entire book was hilarious. I'm talking laugh out loud funny. I mean think about a time when you've thought or spoken the book title and what embarrassing, entertaining or awkward moment had happened.

I read this book while at the beach with our friends and was in the mood for something funny and it delivered more than I could have hoped for. It's written in a conversational tone and the cover (which catches your attention in itself) calls it "A Mostly True Memoir" which Jenny explains pretty quickly as a great way to avoid possible lawsuit instead of calling it a Memoir. Reading this book felt like my funny and awkward best friend was just telling me stories about her life.

I was laughing so much I'm pretty sure our friends (especially Keith) thought I had slipped something extra special into my drink or I was going nuts. I will warn you that the book has some cursing in it in case you are turned off by that. I don't like cursing (spoken or written) but for some reason it didn't bother me... I guess it seemed natural in this book. The only downside of the book is that I wasn't nearly as excited to read another book after this one knowing it wasn't going to be as funny (and rightfully so as it was more of a beachy read/fun drama with funny parts) so it took me longer to get into a different book. Not a reason not to read it but just be warned that it sets the bar high.

So if it wasn't obvious, I highly recommend Let's Pretend This Never Happened. Especially if you are in need of a good many laughs!


Anyone have other funny book suggestions?

For a review of some of my other recent reads go here.

Got the GOODS? The HomeGoods App

I am definitely a big HomeGoods fan (as well as Marshall's and TJMaxx) and shop there often. I mean I just showed off my new HomeGoods rug in a post.  I feel super lucky to have 5 HomeGoods stores all within about 30 minutes (love ya Charlotte!) so there is a lot to choose from and stopping in one of the stores is always a no-brainer.

Sometime back I signed up for HomeGoods emails. There wasn't anything special about them until I got an email a couple weeks ago mentioning the HomeGoods App. Say what? Did yall know there is a HomeGoods App?!?! Well if not I'm about to rock your world.

It's called theGOODS and once you download it and sign up, it is pretty intuitive.

photo source

It shows products in real time from real HomeGoods stores that store employees post photos off. You can add stores based on location. I like to follow all the stores within a couple of hours or so of us reasoning that the items are probably pretty similar even a couple hours away to the items that would be in stores in my area. But you could follow stores from anywhere just for more inspiration.

It has a similar feel and functionality to instagram but instead of following people/users you are following stores.

I've noticed most posts are of the larger items like furniture, rugs, lamps, mirrors and those abstract items like a giant phone booth or metal knight statue (last to photos in the collage below)... you know those few odd large items you sometimes see and wonder who in the world has something like this in their house or the room for it. But I've seen some other small items too like pillows, cookware, lunch boxes, vases and tablecloths. It all depends on what the store decides to post I suppose and hopefully since it is a fairly new app the posts will just continue to increase.

This app will be so helpful to watch out for a particular item in a store near me like a large mirror I've been hunting for to put in our bedroom. Here are some example posts.

You can favorite items by clicking on the heart icon and those items will be displayed in your favorites page. Can you tell I really want a mirrored dresser/chest?

I'm surprised an app like this wasn't started sooner but I'm so glad it's here! It's one of my favorites! If you are a true HomeGoods fan, I'm sure you've whipped out your phone and downloaded the app before even finishing this post. I'm not judging.  :)



Note: I wasn't perked in any way to write this post. There's no denying it, I just really like HomeGoods (I mean who doesn't?)