Polka Dot Life

   When we first moved to Italy 4 years ago so many people said that it would be such a culture shock and probably take some time to get used to. Adapting to this new way of life was no issue for me. Once I stepped off the plane in Venice for the first time, I fit right in & actually felt very at home. However, moving from Italy back to the states has me a little off balance.    Maybe it's because so much has happened in the past 2 months. Maybe it's because my house isn't completely unpacked, so it still doesn't feel like home 100%. Maybe it's because I don't know anyone here really...but I've luckily managed to make 2 friends so far (woo hoo). Maybe it's because I just miss everything about Italy. Whatever it is, I'm determined to make this feel like home asap...starting with hanging frames & art this weekend.    I do feel like I'm going to enjoy living in the sunshine state for the next several years, but I will always miss Italy a...

   As of Sunday, September 22nd, Autumn has officially arrived and I have to say that I'm quite ready. Although in Florida the fall weather hasn't really hit, I'm looking for ways to incorporate warm & cold weather pieces to get the most out of my wardrobe. Simple layering is the best way to ease into the cooler weather without having to dig out those chunky cable knit sweaters just yet.    Here are a couple of ways to style overalls and midi skirts to transition them into the fall.    What's your favorite look? Weekend casual overalls & 9-5 Midi Skirt  Comfy Midi Skirt & Glitzy Overalls  

   How long does it take to get settled into a new house? We've been here a month, painted 3 rooms, and there are still boxes everywhere that need to be unpacked. Half of my shoes are STILL in boxes! I understand that it's going to take a while, especially with having a newborn, but can someone just come and do it for me? One thing that is very homey to me though, is my kitchen. With it being completely unpacked, I'm able to get back in my comfort zone of cooking our meals instead of having to eat out.    I'm a meal planner, if I wasn't it would be a hectic mess around here. This helps me to be organized and makes my life more simple. Not only that, but it ensures that my family is fed proper nutritious meals. I typically plan out 1-2 weeks worth of dinner meals at a time. I get most of the ingredients needed at my first grocery trip, but I don't like risking my fresh fruits & veggies going bad before I make a recipe.    Below is...

Those of you who follow my blog know that a lot has been going on in the past couple of months. We made a very long move across the pond from Italy to Florida, so we are officially living in the United States again. It was a looooonnnngggggg process that involved our family being separated for a few weeks, living in a hotel while being 36 weeks pregnant, finding a house, living out of a suitcase, and trying to get settled. And then we had a newborn baby in the mix of all this, which may seem hectic, but I think it actually calmed me down and gave me some peace. There's no better feeling in the world than meeting your little one for the first time and holding he or she securely in your arms. So let me present to you, Baby N... Baby N @ 10 Days Old Staying at home with baby and not working has been an adjustment, but I'm finally starting to get on somewhat of a schedule. I will be back to blogging more frequently which I'm very excited a...

   Where do my readers live? Is it so hot that you don't want to cook, clean, get dressed, or move from in front of the AC? That's exactly how I'm feeling and I know the pregnancy contributes to a lot of that, but WOWZERS! I keep saying that it's usually not in the 90's in June here (and I know I'm wrong) but my 7 1/2 month belly makes the temperature seem more like 110. Just think though, we'll be moving to Florida next month, I know it has to be more humid and hot there than here! I'm looking at the glass half full because the beach is only going to be like 15 minutes away as opposed to the 45 minute drive now. Which by the way I'm taking complete advantage of my empty schedule tomorrow to hit up the beach and cool off in the ocean.    From now until August my goal is to wear the least amount of clothes as possible and still look good. Granted my choices are limited right now since the movers have already taken most of our household goods, but...

   Living in Italy for 4 years has given us many opportunities to travel and we've thoroughly enjoyed every bit of that and will miss is dearly. So much that I cringe a little at the fact of moving back stateside. One place that a lot of people don't think to go to, would be the French Riviera. This is mostly a beach, nightlife, and gambling spot but we did none of those things. Why? Well for starters it was too flippin cold to worry about getting in the water, and no partying/gambling because we had our 5 year old daughter with us for this trip as well. Either way we had an amazing time, ate lots of wonderful food, and had the chance to see some beautiful things while there. St. Paul-de-Vence, Cannes, Nice, and Monaco were on the agenda along with a long, exhausting bus ride there and back. Even though I slept like crap and was uncomfortable during the 8 hours bus ride, it was well worth it.        Our first stop was Cannes, which of course ...

   When a person first hears "cloth diapers", they're usually thinking of the big square pieces of fabric that you have to fold several times and then pin. Those still exist, now called flats, but the CD (AKA cloth diaper) world has grown and developed so much since then. It really is amazing (to me it was) when you learn about all the different types of diapers, which is what this informing post is all about. Since I'm super excited to cloth diaper my baby when she arrives, I wanted to educate my readers as well and share some stuff that you may not know.     Before we get to all the types, let's talk about a couple other things first.   Sizing:    There are sized cloth diapers, specific newborn sizes, and a OS (one size) that is advertised to fit from birth to potty training. Most of the OS diapers start properly fitting a baby at around 8-10 pounds, but go all the way up to 35 pounds. The diapers have adjustable s...

   I have quite a bit of perfume and always wondered exactly how it was made. All of my questions were answered at our first stop along the French Riviera, where we toured the famous Galimard Perfume Factory. This factory has done business with a lot of high end labels in the past and currently the present. Some of those names include Chanel, Dior, Dolce & Gabanna, and more.    The tour guide took us through the factory and explained all of the steps in creating a scent. In the photo below, you'll see a wooden box with a glass lid. Inside there are jasmine flowers and cleaned animal fat (or as the tour guide said, jazz-man). The essential oils from the fresh flower petals infuse the fat. The flowers stay in the box for so many days and then the old ones are taken out so that new ones can be put in. As you can see there aren't many jasmine flowers in this box, but I think she said those had just been changed to the 2nd batch. This fat...

   I will be exactly 27 weeks in two days and couldn't be more thrilled. I am not the most patient person, but this pregnancy has actually flown by. We just realized that if she comes early like my 1st daughter did, it's possible she'll make her grand appearance in 10 weeks. WOW we need to get busy!    When expecting a newborn there are many things you have to consider, decisions to make, items to buy, and much more. I have decided to exclusively breast feed as I did my other child but we've also made another BIG decision... *We are cloth diapering, hopefully from day 1 in the hospital.*   If someone would have asked me a year ago if I'd ever cloth diaper I would have probably said no. Only for the fact that I knew nothing about it, didn't realize how easy it was, not to mention how much $$ we could save. I've had several friends and family members give me the "eewww why," "what about poop," "what's the point," and e...