Rent and Wear with Le Tote Fashion Subscription.

Confession time. I hate wearing the same dress twice.

I know it sounds like a bratty first-world-problem kind of thing, but it's true. When it comes to my day-to-day wardrobe, I wear a lot of the same kind of clothes (hello mom uniform, party of sweats), but when I have somewhere special to go, like on a date or to a wedding, I like the feeling of wearing something brand new. Which is why I was super intrigued by the idea of the Le Tote fashion subscription, which allows you to rent or buy the clothes in the monthly box.

Today I'm sharing about my experience using Le Tote and giving you an idea of the kinds of clothes you could find in your own monthly tote. I put together three looks using the items that came in my April tote. If you're interested in trying out this subscription service, there is a discount code at the bottom for you to get 20% off your first month's tote! If you're a budgeted babe and you love to shop, this is such an awesome way to wear new clothes all the time for a fraction of regular retail price. Read on!

The Le Tote Experience:
Le Tote is a fashion rental service that gives us ladies access to an infinite closet of designer garments & accessories. You can rent these items, and if you love them enough, have the option to purchase for up to 50% off the retail price. But the best part? NO LAUNDRY. I repeat, no laundry, friends! You can wear the clothes for as long as you want, 2 days or 3 weeks, and then you just send it back un-laundered in the prepaid (by Le Tote) garment bag. This garment service is probably going to be my new best friend.

How Le Tote Works:
Okay friends, here's how Le Tote works. When you sign up for a tote, you fill out your size profile and style profile, browse through a bevy of clothes and accessories on the site, click "add to closet" on the items that you would actually wear. Based on your selections, Le Tote curates what will come to you in your tote. You get to finalize the styles they send to you, so you know exactly what's coming your way. When you get your tote in the mail, it will contain 3 garments and 2 accessories, along with a return mailer for the items. You wear what you like for as long as you like, and when you're ready, send the whole tote back in the prepaid envelope and they'll send you a new tote immediately. If you loved something, you can keep it and purchase it at up to 50% off retail prices. Just hold on to what you love and send everything else back. This lets Le Tote know that you'd like to purchase the item you didn't return, and they will charge the card on file and send a new tote.

A little note on sizing: Once you get your tote in the mail, it's a good idea to rate your items for fit and how well they match your personal style. Le Tote uses this information to personalize your totes so that you get the best fitting garments possible.

The Le Tote Benefits:
Along with the free shipping (both ways), and the no-laundry situation (which counts for a LOT of bonus points in my book), Le Tote makes sense for someone who cares about fashion but is conscious of their budget. I also see this really working for someone who wants to eliminate most of their closet and operate with a capsule wardrobe, and then just add in rented pieces to mix it up and add personality. Each tote is valued at about $350 worth of clothes, and you rent those for $59/month. With Le Tote, you always have something cute to wear on date nights, to weddings, to work, anywhere! You can get as many totes as you like in a month, and if you want to keep an item, you purchase it at a discounted price. For someone like me, who always wants to wear a new dress to a wedding, this just makes a whole lot of economic sense.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the kinds of brands that you will receive in your tote: Vince Camuto, Sam Edelman, Kate Spade, French Connection, House of Harlow, BB Dakota, BCBGeneration, Max Studio, Levi's, Free People, Rebecca Minkoff and more. Gang's all here.

My April Tote:
I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked everything in my tote. Usually with a subscription like this, I expect to have a few duds, but this wasn't the case! The pink blazer-cape (is that even a word?) is something that would normally be so far out of my comfort zone, but since it came in my tote, I tried it on immediately. I was surprised at how Beyonce it made me feel. Kind of like a feisty, feminine superhero. And the ruffle red top has the sweetest sleeves - I could wear that on any occasion and make it work with jeans, a skirt, even casual shorts. All of the clothes are constructed of quality material and really delicately tailored. With each outfit I put together, my husband kept saying, "I want to take you out on a date in that!", which is always a good reaction. My one qualm with this tote was the wrinkle factor - everything needed a good pressing before I wore it. But I think that's the price you pay with getting clothes in the mail. In my opinion, it's completely worth the extra effort!

In My Tote:
Long Sleeve Floral Top - LE LIS Sheer Floral Blouse
Short Sleeve Red Top - Philosophy Ruffle Scuba Top
Pink Blazer Cape - Jealous Tomato Coveted Cape
Clutch - Clement Blush Foldover
Pink Tank - UA Amanda Cross Front Tank
Bracelet - AVA Rope and Bar Bracelet

If you're interested in trying this service, Le Tote is offering 20% off the first month to you - make sure to use the code OYKRISTEN at checkout :)

Now I'm curious about what you think - in the world of subscriptions for everything (Netflix, Zipcar, Blue Apron, the list goes on), would you subscribe to a service that allows you to rent clothes? Would you like having access to new clothes all the time, but owning very few? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!

Many thanks to Le Tote, who provided free product in exchange for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

Happening Lately + Happy Links.

It's been quite a few weeks! Does anyone else feel that way? Gosh this Spring weather has me feeling all sorts of hopefulness about life. It's just wonderful. I wanted to share a few things we've been up to and some fun links around the web that are making me smile BIG this week.

This Little Collage:
Top Left: Colored my hair again. It's going from ombre to straight up bronde. // Top Right: I found roses growing in my yard. I almost cried because I almost BOUGHT SOME to grow this summer. Best discovery ever. // Bottom Left: My friend Liz brought over freshly picked organic strawberries. Because she's the sweetest human on this grand Earth. I made strawberry bread. // Bottom Right: As you know, Everett's puppy Oscar has been coming to life lately, even to the point of eating pizza with us. The most recent display of Oscar's independence was when Everett "took him potty". I wasn't pleased. But I was laughing. //

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Happy Links!
The Target+Marimekko Line launching April 17. I want it all. Which isn't working out too well for my new "get rid of everything" philosophy, thanks to Marie Kondo.

Oh, and you want to know about Marie Kondo? She's the one making me throw everything out that doesn't "spark joy" anymore. This book and her disciplined approach to eliminating clutter will inspire you. And really mess with your closet.
Eagerly awaiting the release of the Sonnet James Spring Line which launches April 19. I am panting like a dog for another one of these dresses.

This gal's hair tutorials have me inspired. I don't have much time to get fancy, but when I have some unwashed day-old hair, I like to try out some of her braid inspirations.

I'm hosting a little Stella and Dot party at the end of this month (which is drool-worthy jewelry and accessories), and I wanted to share this link with all of you to join the fun virtually! I'm swooning over this leather wrap, this gold cuff, this split ring and these chandelier earrings. When you get to the check out screen, make sure to type in my name "Kristen Hale" as the hostess, because that gives me some credit for pointing you in their direction :) Happy shopping friends!

Aaaaaaaaaaaand finally, this cookbook is out, as of yesterday! I am a big fan of Gwyneth Paltrow's previous cookbook's, because they are brimming with super healthy meals that taste really indulgent. I never feel like I'm "eating healthy" with her recipes - so excited for this new book!

Last but not least, I'm published! I'm super proud that my travel review of yurting at Sweetwater Creek State Park (though it's the tiniest article I've probably ever written) was published on Atlanta Magazine Online! Make sure to check it out and maybe leave a comment to make me look popular. P.S. You can check out more of my recently published work on this page. I even wrote a cover story on a 20-time Ironman athlete this month! The fun never stops over here, friends. Although the napping should probably start.

Happy linkage to you!

Playing at Callaway Gardens!

Last weekend we took a little field trip down to Callaway Gardens! This place is such a special one for us, especially Stevie, who grew up taking Spring Break trips there with his family. They used to spend the week biking and swimming and staying in little cabins in the woods. He has really vivid memories of the springtime azaleas and he wanted to take us there to experience them together as a little family of three. Callaway is known for their azaleas, and goodness, they did not disappoint. We spent the day biking, walking and snacking. We had lunch overlooking one of the lakes and Everett even stayed in his chair for the entire meal because he could stare at the ducks on the water. He really likes ducks these days. He makes a pretty spot-on quacking noise, and it was hilarious watching him try to interact with them. Never a dull moment in this family.

Everett was cracking me up, because he kept turning his baseball cap around on his head and wearing it like he knew it was cool to have it backwards. I don't know where he learned that. He even did this thing where he wouldn't push it all the way down on his head, so he kind of took turns looking like a basketball player and then looking like my Poppa (who used to wear his hats sitting just atop his head, so funny!) This kid is developing really fast, and I have to stay on top of things to keep up with his curious mind. He LOVED all the flowers, to which he would say,  "Fwooower pretty, mom. Pretty." So stinkin' cute.

I had trouble picking and choosing between which photos to share, because they are all so lush and colorful. So here are a zillion :)

It was a gooooood day, although I admit that we were all exhausted when we finally made it home. Sometimes day trips are really nice so you don't have to pack up everything you own to stay overnight, but we tend to be the kind of people who try to make the absolute MOST out of a day trip like this, and we might have pushed it a little too hard. But we saw everything that Callaway Gardens had to offer, and came away with a fresh appreciation for springtime in our beautiful state. The birds and butterflies and flowers and fish - they really inspired me to work harder on my little home garden. I would love to create a mini-Callaway atmosphere in my backyard this summer. Thankfully, April 15 is right around the corner (which is the last possible day for frost in our area), which means we can start planting vegetables then! Woohoo!

P.S. - Other garden adventures - the time we sauntered around The New York Botanical Garden, the time I was mondo-preggo at The Boston Public Garden and the time we found a jig at the Munich English Garden.

Prosciutto, Melon and Mozzarella Skewers.

I love party food. Don't you? I make excuses to have people over just so I can try out new recipes and force feed my friends my latest experiments. Beware if you're invited over! Just kidding. I don't make bad food. Most of the time, anyway :)

This was a fun little appetizer that I stumbled upon on Pinterest via The Comfort of Cooking, and I thought I would give it a try for my Dave Ramsey FPU small group's last meeting. It was a fresh, Spring-y appetizer that excellently combined the sweet melon flavor with the salty prosciutto, sandwiching the creamy mozzarella and earthy parsley. It was really the right combination of flavors in one small bite. As I was munching on a few of these, I began brainstorming, and I think this appetizer would be delicious if you subbed the cantaloupe for mango or even pineapple. It would add an even wider range of flavors, which is just pure fun.

So if you have a party coming up, you should definitely give this one a try. It is no-cook, no-bake and took me under 15 minutes to prep. In other words, it's the world's perfect appetizer.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 medium cantaloupe, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 lb. thinly sliced prosciutto
- 20 small mozzarella balls (found in the fancy cheese section of your grocery store)
- 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped

Method:
1. Layer onto a toothpick in this order: a cube of melon, a folded slice of prosciutto and a mozzarella ball. Repeat this process with 20 toothpicks. Arrange on a platter and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. It's a simple as that!

There you have it! Your next party plate. Let me know if you decide to give this one a try, friends!

My Thoughts on Feeding a Toddler.

I want to talk to you about my journey of feeding a toddler.

It's a challenge, guys. But it's also so illuminating.

I was doing so good for a while there. I was exclusively breastfeeding my babe, and once my son hit 6 months old, I started feeding him solids. Oatmeal, bananas and apple sauce. Once he had a full belly, he finally, finally finally began sleeping through the night (YES LORD) and the world - it was suddenly happier and brighter. It wasn't such a mean, sleep-stealing kind of place. It was like, really nice out there. So many other nice mommies to talk to. So many cute babies. I could feel the warmth of humanity again. Instead of the ever-occurring mean rants of sleep-deprivation that were on auto-play in my mind.

You could say I struggled a bit with sleep deprivation. That's another story, another time.

But at that 6-month mark, I was making ALL my own baby food (following this book's recipes), and my son gobbled it up like I was the greatest chef on Earth. I shared a few winning recipes here. Talk about a stroke to the ego - there were even moments where I felt like super mom. Like a feeding HERO. He ate everything I put in front of him! Eggs! Chicken! Grapes! Mashed carrots! Steamed peas! There was no food that Everett met that he didn't agree with!

You can probably see where this is going.

One day, he just stopped.

Stopped eating everything I made. Stopped liking everything I made. Stopped eating everything HOME MADE.

Suddenly, my darling boy wanted packaged food. Things only from a can, a tube, a POUCH. Oh, you fellow mamas know what I'm talking about. Those tasty, treasured, expensive pouches, blended perfectly with fruits and vegetables (and sometimes meat and grains) to create a perfectly balanced meal or snack for little ones. The people who came up with these recipes are geniuses, because it is seriously so hard to achieve the perfect consistency and texture. I mean, I tried. And clearly, whatever mommy was blending up in the Vitamix wasn't nearly as decadent as Happy Baby, Earth's Best and Plum Organics. Sigh.

Sure, you could blame me. You could say, "Well, why did you ever expose your child to instant oatmeal in the first place? Why did you ever give him a pouch in the first place?" My answer is simple.

BECAUSE I'M HUMAN.

Everett screaming in Target? Give him a pouch.

We are traveling and only have access to hot water from the coffee pot while staying in a little hotel room? Instant oatmeal.

Um, mommy having a sort of stressed day and it's lunchtime? GIVE HIM ANYTHING FROM THE PANTRY.

I know there are super mothers out there who only feed their children organically-grown everything, and I strive to do that 90% of the time. I really want him to have the best. But I also have grace on myself. If we are traveling, or he is going to see his grandmothers, or he is with a babysitter, sometimes I have to let go of the almighty standard of perfection. And that doesn't make me a bad mom. Actually, it makes me a better mom. Flexibility is the key to happiness with littles! But I do wish that Everett wouldn't reject so many home made meals. It hurts my heart a little.

This is vulnerable mom stuff and I'm sharing my struggle because I believe that there are so many parents out there who have battled with this, too. We want to give our kids what's best, and oftentimes we do, and oftentimes we try so hard, only to have our kiddos reject what's best. I have made multiple courses of a meal for Everett, and had him reject everything. And endeared his beg for pouches. So what am I left to do? Give in and give him what he wants? Or play hardball and not give him what he wants, which will result in him eating nothing? That feels like a crappy mom move.

I have tried both methods.

I haven't really "won" at either one.

I'm sharing this with you today because I've gotten a lot of questions about how I feed Everett and what I feed him, as if I have all the answers. Friends, I do NOT have all the answers. I love to cook and I love to share my recipes and my son has tried maybe 2 of my "grown up" meals. Most of them he won't even touch with a fork., let alone his bare hands. So all I know to do these days is keep offering him the good stuff along with the few items he will consistently eat. We make a lot of tortillas over here (only with cheese, he rejects them if there is anything else inside), along with almond butter and jelly sandwiches, chicken nuggets, apple sauce, oatmeal with bananas, smoothies (God's grace on me, it's the only way I can sneak in some greens without Everett knowing the wiser), sweet potatoes and... um. That's about it. That's pretty much all he eats. Smoothies and fruit/veggie pouches are my nutritional lifeline.

Oh wait. I forgot about the Chick-fil-A fries. He eats the french fries. #freemefromyourjudgement

So the eating thing has been a struggle. But I did want to end this little confessional with a hilarious new twist to the ongoing mealtime shenanigans. Because it's actually given me a bit of perspective and hope.

For the past two days, at every meal, Everett insists that I feed his stuffed animal dog, Oscar.

Oscar. The toy. The stuffed animal. The one I'm feeding.

Oscar is living a pretty good life. And so am I, getting to experience Everett's imagination igniting with each passing day. He loves his Oscar (a gift from his Mimi and Papa!), but these days, he is really attached to making sure that Oscar experiences everything that Everett does. He wants Oscar to brush his teeth, he wants Oscar to take a bath, and yes, he wants Oscar to eat every meal with him.

You guys, he almost tossed Oscar in the toilet to "go potty". Thank goodness I was quick to the game for that one.

We went ahead and taught Everett that Oscar is a homebody and likes to stay at the house most of the time when we leave go out - because I can't imagine what that child would do if we LOST Oscar.

But when we are at home, Oscar gets a seat at the table, a bib of his own, and yes, his very own slice of pizza. Everett's absolute favorite food.

I could remain focused on all the things my child isn't eating. Or all the ways he isn't like other kids his age. But you know what? He's healthy and strong, and I know that as he grows he will eat a greater variety of foods. But what I'm choosing to focus on is the fact that mealtimes with my son are a continual revelation of my own shortcomings, my own stubborn behavior, and my own blindness. Everett won't dare even taste a strawberry, and it makes me wonder if there are areas in my life lacking an open mind to try something new. To experience a joyful taste I can't even imagine. The beauty I can see in this scenario with my son's behavior is the fact that he is inviting his loved one (yes, a toy) along for the things that he does he really enjoys. He wants to share his slice of pizza with his companion. And I know that on the inside, he is cultivating love and tender care in his heart for his buddy Oscar. These are important milestones, memorable lessons that he will accumulate in his storehouse of character for a lifetime to come. My son might not eat a strawberry, but he will share a pizza with his little best friend. And for now, I'm really, really good with that.