A couple of years ago, my friend Jenny Rose over at Princess Turned Mom shared an idea for Valentine's Day that really stuck with me.  As an alternative to giving out chocolates and stuffed animals for Valentine's Day, why not give books? They last longer, and they won't give you or your kids cavities! Ever since I read that idea of hers, I decided I would implement it for my own kids for Valentine's Day. 

With one week to go until Valentine's Day, I decided to compile a list of books we have enjoyed in our home and that I thought would be cute to give as Valentine's Day gifts. 

In compiling the list, I reached out to the amazing people over at Books & Books. If you're in Miami and have never been, get yourself there ASAP. Books & Books is my favorite bookstore. It's local and it has a couple of locations in South Florida, but it has such an incredible variety of material. Plus, the staff there are true bibliophiles - they absolutely love books. I actually love this place so much that we had Caleb's baby shower at the Coral Gables location - it has the cutest cafe and courtyard space! 

They sent me list of some of the books they currently have on their shelves, and there is something here for everyone. As a matter of fact, I may swing by there this weekend and pick up a couple of these (including a new read for myself!). If you're into this idea and have the spare time this weekend, head to your nearest Books & Books and pick up a copy of one of these, totally perfect for Valentine's Day!

Don't have time to stop by and pick one of these up? Head to my Amazon List to see some other options that you can get via Prime, with more than enough time for Valentine's Day! 

Love is a Tutu and Goodnight Miami are also available from Books & Books. 

I'd love to hear if you do this for your children or loved ones and how it goes - so if you do it, use the hashtag, #chaptersnotchocolates so I can see your posts! 

xoxo, 

Jenise

We've already established my love for jeans. I have tried and tried and tried to break myself free of my denim habit, but it's just not happening, people. Jeans are easy and they are versatile and I really do love wearing them, so I'm not going to fight it anymore. 

And if you love jeans, then you should go ahead and wear them too! Once you find your style, you'll be much more confident in your skin and in your clothes. 

I also really love a good tee. But it can get boring for sure to wear a plain old tee day in and day out. So one way that I change up my look is by finding tees with fun details, patterns, or materials. PinkBlush has really cute maternity clothes, but they also have non-maternity women's clothing, plus-size clothing, and kids' clothing. 

This tee from PinkBlush is perfect for when I want to add an extra little something to my look. The black and white stripes are really cute, but the lace detailing on the sleeve really adds a little something extra.  The tee is actually pretty long, so it can be worn with leggings as well (my requirement for being able to wear leggings is that the shirt I'm wearing them with must cover my butt - and this tee does!). It is also the softest, comfiest tee, and I know I will be wearing this over and over again. 

​It's perfect for running around all day with the kids because it doesn't ride up, but it is also easy for me to nurse Chloe in it!  I actually wore this exact look out to dinner this weekend, but I could easily dress it up with heels and a big sparkly necklace or dress it down with leggings and sneakers. That's what I love about simple pieces - their versatility is always worth a little investment - and PinkBlush has a great selection of versatile tees like this!

Since I get asked all the time, here's a link to my beach waves tutorial on IGTV!

xoxo, 

​Jenise