Bedroom Makeover and Declaring PEACE With Serta

Saturday 05.20.17

**This post was sponsored by Serta; all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that keep this site running!**

Hello friends! To say I’m sleep obsessed these days is an understatement along the lines of saying that Cookie Monster kind of likes cookies. I literally count down the hours until I can crawl into bed again. The other night Lou and I were in bed about to call it a day when he turned to me and said “The sun hasn’t even gone down yet” and as I looked at the bright light peeking out from behind our blackout curtains I realized how right he was. In response I pulled my eye mask down, mumbled “who cares!” and proceeded to nestle further into our cozy bed. I can’t be bothered with little details like whether it’s only dinnertime or if the sun is still shining, not when there’s sleep to be had. At 11 pm when we were up with the baby he said to me “This is what time we used to go to bed” and I had a laugh. We’d been asleep for 3.5 hours. We are a living cliché of sleep deprived new parents.

This renewed dedication to sleep inspired me to makeover our bedroom, I really wanted it to become a peaceful sanctuary- as cozy and relaxing as possible for Lou and me to enjoy in the few moments of downtime we have in the day, before our heads hit the pillows. It didn’t require much, but a few key changes transformed the space for us and made it feel fresh. I started with a new mattress by Serta– nothing improves sleep and comfort like a mattress! This one is perfectly soft and offers just the right amount of give for me to cozy into, but is firm enough for Lou, who prefers to sleep on his back. It’s heaven I tell you and has a unique set of comfort and support features which help solve five common sleep problems!!!

And in case you’d love to give your own bedroom an update, Serta is hosting a sweepstakes through June 16 where you have a chance to win a grand prize bedroom makeover, plus weekly prizes like free mattresses, pillows, blankets and more. Pop over here for details on how to enter. You’ll also find tips on how to make your own space a cozy sanctuary.

Click through below to see our completed space and read about what changes I made to turn it into my dream bedroom! If you need me I’ll be sneaking in naps whenever I can and if it’s past 7 pm, I’ll probably be in bed soaking up as many horizontal hours as I can.

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Celebrating Mothers With Hallmark Signature

Friday 05.05.17

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Hello friends. Mother’s Day is coming up in just a little over a week! It’ll be my first, which feels especially sweet. Although, I’ll admit that I begged Lou to celebrate me as a mother to the pups for years before Teo arrived. He did not humor me. HA! In seriousness though, I love that Mother’s Day gives us the opportunity to take pause and honor the mamas who really are the backbone to just about everything. I’ve been thinking of ways to express my gratitude to the collection of women who have supported me on my own path to motherhood, and through the first 7 months of Teo’s life. They’ve given me so much over this time. What I’ve come up with to show my appreciation: gourmet donuts to treat their sweet tooth, flowers to make their day a bit more beautiful, and Hallmark Signature cards to fill with my thoughts about how much their love and support has meant to me, how I admire their strength and how much I’ve learned from watching them mother. The extra design details in the Hallmark Signature collection make them the perfect way to show how very special I think my mom friends are.

I didn’t realize before Mateo how profound the camaraderie is between mothers. We’re in the trenches together, we can take one look at a mom with a newborn and remember the weary joy, we can empathize with the mama whose child is having a meltdown in the grocery store with our whole hearts, and we know that each one of us is doing the very best we can and probably still feeling like we’re falling short. In spite of this sense of kinship, there can be a loneliness in motherhood, and we can often feel unappreciated. This is why I’m so looking forward to letting my mom community know how very much seen and valued they are, how I admire their unique approach to mothering, how I am inspired to be a better mother myself through their relentless dedication. I hope this sweet present makes them realize how very loved they are, and I hope this post inspires you to let the mothers in your life know how much they mean to you. Happy celebrating! XX- Sarah {This post was sponsored by Hallmark. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors who keep this blog running! Hallmark Signature Cards are available in the card department wherever Hallmark cards are sold.}

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Patio Makeover

Thursday 05.04.17

Hello my friends! Spring has sprung and Summer is sneaking up on us here in San Diego! The breezes are getting warmer and the sunsets later, the temperatures are creeping up and I can just taste that first sunburn followed by ice cream! All of that has me dreaming about backyard bbq’s, dining under cafe lights and enjoying long leisurely chats in the backyard while the sun goes down. Ahhhh, Summer living! It’s my favorite. Unfortunately in the two years since we moved in we hadn’t gotten it together to put together an outdoor entertaining space, although as you can imagine I’d mentally decorated it a million times over. We had a table that we’d drag our chairs from the dining room out to for entertaining. And that was about the extent of it. Coming from this backyard in Palm Springs, it was a sad contrast.

But now! BUT NOW!!!!!!!!! Feast your eyes on this charming little outdoor living space! It’s my backyard dream come true: modern teak furniture with crisp white cushions and graphic accents. Bursts of color via fresh cut bougainvillea (my go-to for backyard florals because it’s so abundant ’round these parts…. and also: FREE!!) Potted plants to give it all life. And the chairs. The iconic wishbone chairs that I’ve lusted after for a decade. Sure, they’re indoor chairs and we will have to bring them out from our studio when it’s time to entertain and tuck them away when we’re done. But that’s a price I’m willing to pay because I LOVE them and I couldn’t find outdoor chairs I loved as much. Sometimes the impractical heart just wants what it wants. Indoor chairs outdoors. Reason be damned.

Click through for links to the sources, to see more of this space, and read about my design process! And check out my idea board here for links to other outdoor living piece I found that I think you’ll love! xx- Sarah {This post was produced in partnership with Wayfair. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting our sponsors!}

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Hello Hello!

Sunday 04.23.17

Hi friends! Remember when you gave us your sleep advice here? That was a lifesaver! It’s been two months and things have changed dramatically. I read through all of your suggestions. I ordered so many books. I thumbed through them and researched and sat quietly with myself to tune into my mom instinct. At the time, I didn’t feel he was ready for any traditional sleep training methods. So we hung in there, he and I co-sleeping/breastfeeding with me bouncing him back to sleep upwards of 10-15 times a night. Lou slept in another room so that we would have one fully functioning adult in the house. On the other side of it I can see that we were living in crisis mode still, even though it had become our new normal since my hospitalization.

But then. BUT THEN!!!!! I noticed Mateo started self soothing. He would occasionally put himself back to sleep if I let him toss and turn a bit beside me in bed. I realized that at this stage in the game we were doing him a disservice by not helping him figure out how to sleep for long stretches. He was waking up tired, taking so many catnaps throughout the day, unable to get on a schedule, and having tummy troubles from eating so frequently.

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DwellStudio Bedding Giveaway!

Tuesday 03.21.17

Howdy pals! I’m so excited for today’s post- it’s my turn to feel like Oprah again! I’m teaming up with DwellStudio to share their newest baby bedding collections, and giving one lucky reader a complete set! The set includes: (2) crib sheets, crib skirt, blanket, hooded bath towel, stroller blanket and changing pad cover. When they sent me two of the collections to style for this post I had a HOLY HEART EYES moment- both collections are so, SO cute! I am obsessed with the safari print- we’ve been using ours non-stop and I smile every time I wrap this little bugger up in his hooded bath towel, or snuggle him up in the cozy stroller blanket for a walk. I can’t wait until he’s older and we can talk about all of the animals in the print. And then there’s the colorful boheme print (seen above) that makes me tempted to try for a baby girl to decorate a sweet baby girl nursery (monkey covering mouth emoji!!!) Do you love them as much as I do?! Click through to see the safari print we’re using and for details on how to win your own collection!

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Organic Modern Living

Thursday 03.16.17

Hey friends! I spotted this home on Rue Magazine, probably via a Pinterest rabbit hole and it spoke to me. Wanna know what it said? It said, ORGANIC MODERN IS SO HOT RIGHT NOW (in a Will Ferrel Zoolander voice- so strange!) It then continued, in a whisper: Sarah, your heart lies with earthy textiles, natural woods and black- embrace it! I don’t know why photos are speaking to me, although it could have something to do with the three weeks of sleep regression I’m in the middle of. But the heart wants what the heart wants. And mine wants to move into a California bungalow and fill it with the pieces below. Pretty please? Also, can I have a round of applause for showering this week? TWICE SO FAR!!!!!!! Big things are happening at the Mora house. Showers. Blog posts. Homemade ice cream. Who knows what’s next at this rate- world domination!? At the very least, I think I may get to watch a few episodes of LOVE on Netflix! Only time will tell! We’re really getting crazy over here!

But I digress. Back to the matter at hand. First and foremost: hats off to Square Foot Interior Design on this space, it’s stellar! Second, I’ve rounded up a bunch of items inspired by their design in case you’re looking to bring a little bit of magic into your own abode- click through the carousel below for so many more pieces. I hope you find something you love, covet and that eventually lands in your home bringing you the satisfaction that only a well-designed piece can. Much love! xx- Sarah {photos by Amy Bartlam}