Christmas Gift Ideas for the Gals on your List!

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We are so blessed to have hosted 26 (!) of our family members on Thursday for our first ever holiday. Mike made the turkey-- he is incredible-- and all the cousins and my mom brought their own amazing dishes. We had so much fun with my Ohio family in town for a few days, but it's always so hard to see them leave. The good news is, we will be together in Ohio in just a month for Christmas!

The group! Minus Vincenzo and Rosie. Finn never let go of that microphone! haha! Please let me know if you need to shop for little ones-- that mic was a hit! 

Our cousin, Ashley, and me and Anna. I can't wait for Finn to be as close to his cousin as we are with Ash! 

My top (not maternity) is on super sale here.

Mike did such amazing work on the turkey! 

Girl cousins! 

Our immediate family-- the Ohio family + Anna and co. Finn just loved that microphone! LOL! It was our cousin Danny's, and he was obsessed with it. Gary and my mom ended up buying him his own the next day. 

My cousin, Ashley, made this amazing veggie turkey! It's a tradition for Thanksgiving. SO cute! 

And then Bentley-- had to share his smiling face! 

We spent the past two days cleaning the house and putting up the Christmas decor! More pics on that to come. We bought a normal sized Christmas tree this year (I've always had a 3 foot one from Target and my single days LOL), and it was so fun to see all our ornaments from over the years.  The dogs are super interested in the tree skirt-- uh oh!

How did everyone do with Black Friday/Cyber Monday deals? I have done a ton of my Christmas shopping for my family members through the deals all weekend. The amount of packages we will be receiving on our front porch is going to be immense. LOL!  But, it is so much easier for me to shop online. Do you feel that way?

Now is the time to start ramping up your gift-game! I am going to start this series of blog posts with the girls in your life.


[1.0] The cutest makeup bag ever! 
Every woman needs a mini makeup bag in her purse or for travelling. This is the cutest and a great size. It's currently 50% off if you buy it alone from Talbots, and 40% off everything else in your order!

[2.0] The perfect clutch for every winter wedding and NYE!
How darling is this bag?! I always want statement purses to wear to weddings, and this is adorable! Think of how many Christmas get-togethers you will wear that to. Also, 50% off!

[3.0] The cutest slippers ever!
Who doesn't looooooooove a fabulous pair of slips?! Hello cozy! Slippers are also the type of purchase I never want to make for myself. It's the greatest way to treat your mom or sis. Kate Spade always has the cutest idioms on her items, too! The link above has them on sale at 6pm.com!

[4.0] Kate Spade travel mugs.
I, for one, am always happier when I am drinking my coffee out of a fabulous mug. It just makes you cheerier at 6:30 am when you're leaving for work!  How cute are these?

[5.0] This Skipper Popover will be your sister/cousin/mom/most stylish BFF's favorite shirt.
I have two of these in prints, and I wear them constantly! They're perfect for travelling, but they are also great for weekend lounging, errands, and casual Fridays.  Now, they're monogrammable! You will seriously win the award for the best gift ever if you give this to the most important woman in your life! They fit TTS, and before baby bump, I wore an XS or S.

[6.0] For your fabulous friend who adores statement jewelry.
This would be a great gift for a pregnant lady in your life. I always say earrings never get too small/too tight! haha! I know it can be tough to shop for mothers-to-be (and actually get them something for themselves and not the baby), so this could be a fantastic alternative. I love the gift sets! They're on sale, too!!

[7.0] For your favorite Barre Belle or workout-lover.
These Everfitte tanks are my favorite! They are super soft and wash really well after sweaty workouts.   Love this one and this one for your marg-loving girlfriends! Also, all your Pure Barre friends need this one.

[8.0] A statement clutch for your most fabulous friend.
It will match so many different outfits, and it is on sale currently for 40% off + 10% off (until noon on Monday with free shipping! Code: shopfast!).

[9.0] Critter socks! 
I am in love with J. Crew Factory's critter socks. They're the perfect stocking stuffers for your gfs, and they can always be worn with boots! I love when my critter socks pop out of the top of my duck boots. SO cute and fun. J. Crew Factory has the best selection, and I buy a bunch when they get down to $4.00!  So fun for loungin' or hosting!  How cute are these for your dog-loving bestie?  Or these for the Christmas hostess? All the J. Crew Factory ones are down to $4! ACT FAST!

[10.0] All of the coziest sleepwear.
I just bought new PJ pants for myself because my other ones were getting super tight (coincidentally enough, my sister bought these Christmas dog ones, too! So we had to, of course, buy them for our husbands and Finn for a Christmas pic. DUH!). All the Old Navy pajama pants and tops are 40% off! I bought these jammies (in a large for myself) and this top + this one. They are all soooooo cozy and comfy.  Pajama pants are fun for coworkers or Secret Santa exchanges, too. They are another piece that you hate to buy yourself, am I right? I had to, just because I couldn't fit into my old ones. Haha!

Have you started Christmas shopping yet? Let me know in the comments below!
xxoo
Mary

Mad for Plaid!

I am so obsessed with tartan plaid from basically November to January every year! What would be cuter than family Christmas card pics in tartan? Or hosting Thanksgiving or Christmas clad in paid? Here are my top picks for PLAID this season!

Tops:

If you need to get your feet wet with plaid, try this! Just a touch of plaid on the pocket-- soooo cute!

This plaid/ruffle button up sold out soooo quickly last year. It's sure to do the same this year! Buy yours now-- only $32!

My Thanksgiving top! Under $40.

An absolute classic tartan print for $29. 

Dresses:

Skirts:

Obsessed does not even begin to describe my thoughts on this beauty.

Shoes:

Outerwear:

Okay, so what plaid is everyone purchasing?? 

xxoo
Mary

J. Crew Ruffle-Sleeve Sweater + Office Reveal!

Happy Saturday! I hope you've had a wonderful week and are relaxing this weekend (or out living it up if you aren't preggo like me! haha!). We decided to move the office from upstairs to the living room in preparation for baby boy Fremeau to move in! The office upstairs will now be his nursery. My saint of a husband (seriously, I married way up you guys!) painted the living room this awesome light blue color [Sweet Retreat by Clark and Kensington, if you're in the market!] (all by himself; I seriously didn't do a single stroke-- not because I didn't want to help, but it was in my really-really-nauseous weeks, and he said to just relax!). He is so incredibly helpful around the house. I don't know what I would do without him. Also, I don't know how I lived without him in my life. He makes every day so much easier/better/brighter. OK, okay, I will stop bragging hahaha! But I do love him so much and thank God every day we found each other.

Anywho, he found this dining room table (which is actually able to extend out almost a foot more on each side with the arms extended) on discount from Crate and Barrel, and he got the best idea to make it into our desk.  He found the chairs and matching filing cabinets, too. He put everything together! This is a total Mike Fremeau masterpiece, you guys. I just sit at it and do work! 

Sadly, the table was on clearance, so it's gone. But, I will link as much as I can, in case you're in the market to re-do your own office. Plus, the J. Crew sweater I'm wearing is down to $27, and it's SOOOOOOO COZY!  It comes in 4 colors, too! 

Chairs: here. 

Task lamp: here.

We framed our degrees! It only took about 9 years. LOL 

Bella wanted to help Daddy while he read his Notre Dame football blogs hahah

Awwwwwwww

My handsome guy. :)  

Kate Spade pencil cup: here. 

My Tory Burch bag (linked below) is called the "Ella" (not the mini). The navy matches our school colors (haha!), and it is sooo durable. I bought this one in 2015 fall, and I will continue to wear it for years. 

J. Crew ruffle sweater (I'm in a medium for reference) -- SO COZY!!! 

Tory Burch tote bag-- the best size for a work bag!

Earrings: 

Flamingo mug: 

The contents of my work bag:

my teacher planner and my daily planner/calendar are by May Designs! You can design/monogram your own! You also get 15% off your first order. It's so much fun to create yours.

My pencil pouch is thanks to my girl, Julie. This is from Target, and she got it and the Lilly notebook for me for my birthday last year. I use both every day! 

Mike recently picked up his grandmother's piano from his oldest brother in Jackson, and he has been playing ever since! 

He is super good!!! 

Next to the musical notes map (a gift I got Mike a few Christmases ago from Target actually!), is his framed band plaid! It's a coveted part of the band uniform when you're in the Notre Dame Marching Band. He played drums :)  A cool gift to give if you're dating/married to a domer who was once a bandie!

Bella likes when daddy plays. Actually, she just likes licking the carpet underneath the bench. LOL 

Even though I teach freshmen, you would not believe how excited they get about stickers on their As and Bs. It's so darn cute. I get these emoji stickers from Walgreens for $1, and I just stock up. 

More on sale ruffle sweaters:

More fringey earrings: 

The best-fitting jeans ever-- maternity-- thanks to my sis for letting me borrow:

Hope you've enjoyed our little office space reveal! Now I actually have to grade with that pile of rubrics LOL. But, there's nothing better than grading with a sparkly G2 and fun emoji stickers!! Haha!!

xxoo

Mary

Insta-gram Outfit Roundup-- Non-maternity!

Hi, you guys!

I am writing this in my 18th week of pregnancy, finally feeling less nauseous and more Mary. I joke to the new teachers at our school that they've only known me as crazy nauseous, exhausted, hot-mess Mary, and I swear I'm not actually this miserable on a daily basis! They are of course super nice and reassure me that I am FINE, but I have felt off my game for about 17 weeks straight. That's super tough when you're a teacher, and you need to be *on* for 10 periods a day. But, I am thanking God for less nausea!!! Yahoo!  My kids are so funny; they're like, "won't it be funny when we meet your baby and tell him we have known him since he was the size of a sweet potato?" :) So cute. My 10th hour has taken to calling Baby Fremeau "Tito", but I kindly let them know that name was likely off the list since it won't match with our French last name. Ha!

Today's post is my Instagram outfit roundup from the past couple weeks. Nothing is maternity, so it is all clothes you can wear now (and later, if you were planning to be pregnant in the future!). I apologize in advance for the inundation of mirror-selfie pics, but I usually do my #ootd pics at 6:30 am before I walk out the door.  Mike is still snuggled in bed (rightfully so), and a mirror has to suffice!

This J. Crew top is one of my favorites, and it has been totally fine through week 18 of pregnancy. Last year's J. Crew pieces were sadly pretty short and wide, but it works for my pregnant self now. haha! 

This Gap one is 50% off, too! Free shipping with code: FFcard 

Similar ruffly/striped tops: 

These are the Old Navy leggings I am obsessed with. They are not maternity, but they work for a growing belly! They are dressy enough for work (with butt pockets!), and they are currently 50% off on the Old Navy website with code: D7JCVFVGNYBB

Workout gear has been a little trickier, as most workout pants are meant to flatten your tummy. This is great if you aren't preggo, but for me, it just makes my belly separate into two huge chunks. hahaha. If that makes any sense?! At any rate, my go-to workout pants have been the Align pants from Lululemon. I have two pairs of the 25 inch ones (for me, at 5'6, these are full length!), and 1 pair of the crops. They do run big, so size down! My crops from the summer are size 4 and my pants are both size 6. Now they've introduced a line of full-length pants, but unless you're super tall, the 25 inch ones will be perfect for you. They're so flattering, and they don't squeeze your belly into two parts haaha! They are high-waisted, and buttery soft! They also come in literally 20 colors. 

This dress was such a winner for me at Von Maur! It came in 4 colors there, but then I found it in more colors and fabrics online, too. This is a junior's medium, and the fabric was just sooooooooo soft and cozy! I know that I'm at a weird size in my pregnancy where regular pants do not fit, but the maternity pants with the big panel in front are still way too big. So, I resort to dresses! And boots with boot socks. Easy, dressy and comfy for work! 

Side note about the choker neck: you can wear it behind your neck if you prefer, and it doesn't look funky. I was not 100% sold on the choker detailing, but it was a $38, comfortable, able-to-wear-preggo dress, so I couldn't resist. Also, two of my super fashionable friends said they loved it, so I was sold. haha!! More swing/sweater dresses:

This Banana Republic jacket was a gift from Mike when we first started dating (almost 5 years ago!! Probably because I used to just have it up on my laptop screen to stare at for hours a day hahaha #pathetic), but here are my favorite fun coats/jackets right now:

This ruffle-front Loft tunic has been a favorite of mine for over a year. Here's the new version of it: 

Size down, for sure; Loft tops run really big. The pictured one above is an XS. 

Also, more Old Navy leggings (I swear I have several pairs of the same colors, and they do get washed a lot haha!). I have a medium and a large, and I also have 8 and 10 for sizes. I pull them up over the bump, and they fit great! Stock up on Old Navy leggings while they are on sale. They aren't maternity, and they are super flattering! 

Tory Burch flats are amazing for being on your feet all day! My striped pair is 4 years old, and I have 3 other colors. They hold up SO WELL! 

Finally, an easy Saturday-afternoon look: it was raining, and I went to the city to watch Finn. I am back with more Align leggings (these are 25 inch in Jaded). SO comfy and butterlike material. I need to buy a black pair. I just got the Granulite Garnet Black, and I am loving the color). 

Hunter Boots: 

I wear my Hunters all the time. Even if there is a chance of rain, I throw them on. I have the above purple/aubergine color, and I also have the classic green. I wear them a lot with dresses, too, and to and from Pure Barre classes. 

My Lilly Pultizer popover is one of my favorite pieces. I have had it since 2015 because I bought it specifically to wear on our honeymoon flights (haha, actually Mike bought it for me, and I bought him a Notre Dame zip up for the same purpose! #tradesies). It is sooooooo cozy! This is a small. I will certainly need a bigger size in the coming months, but for now, it's totally fine with the stretch. 

Also, you guys, now you can MONOGRAM YOUR LILLY POPOVERS!!!!!  YAYYYY!!!!! 

I hope your weekend was great! Check my Insta stories for all the videos of Finn dancing, cleaning (he loves to clean-- just like his auntie hahaha!), and pretending to play guitar with his Hurley (his dad, my BIL, is on a Hurling League in Milwaukee in the summers, and we got Finn a little Hurley in the summer. I swear it's his favorite toy!!). This time change is going to be AWESOME for leaving at 6:30 am-- I will finally see the sun in the morning on my drive to school! 

xxoo
Mary