A PLAY DATE WITH H&M AND HEY MAMA

HM-Nicole (1 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (7 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (8 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (14 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (25 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (29 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (32 of 63) copy-2 HM-Nicole (34 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (51 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (52 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (54 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (56 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (58 of 63) copy HM-Nicole (60 of 63) copy HM-Nicole-54

Spring in NYC. Pretty much the best (after Fall of course ;). As soon as that warm breeze hits the air, I am itching to be out of the house every day. My very favorite place to go with the kids is Central Park. The Conservatory in particular is absolutely stunning with it’s fountains, gardens, and maze-like pathways which Lucas loves to run through. I got to have a play date there last week with H&M, Heymama, and one of my very best friends in the world (since we were 11 you guys!). Pretty sweet! Viviana, the babies, and I all wore H&M and just walked around the park. It was perfect. I’m obsessed with this seasons selects at H&M (that red dress is my absolute fave and it was only $20. I mean…) and they have always been my go-to for staples for the entire family.

The best part of the afternoon was watching our little girls kiss and interact and of course seeing all the beautiful blossoms popping up. There is nothing better than beautiful, pink covered trees. Trust me on this!

Heymama asked Viviana and I to take a little friendship quiz and it was so much fun. You can read our answers below:

Nicole

+ What do you love most about your friend?

She’s incredibly loyal and the most amazing mother to her three girls.

+ What do you think she appreciates most about you?

Our ability to get together at any point and pick up right where we left off.

+ Her favorite thing about you is?

My honesty and our trust in each other.

+ Best memory of you and your kids together?

The day she came with her daughters to visit me the day Lucas was born. To see her children hold my baby was a surreal, perfect moment.

+ How are your parenting styles different?

I actually think we are pretty similar in that we both have similar approaches and are pretty traditional. I think she might have the disciplining thing down to a science and I’m still learning!

+ Best piece of parenting advice she’s ever given you?

Patience and how to discipline with love.

+ How would she describe herself in three words?

Funny, strong, loving

+ How does she react to her kids tantrums?

Viviana has the patience of a saint and is able to be firm yet remain incredibly calm.

+ Name her favorite tv show? Favorite guilty pleasure tv show?

Sex and the City. Any of the Housewives.

+ Funniest thing she’s ever done?

We have so many hilarious moments that we’ve shared. We’ve been friends for 20 years (crazy!) so we have been through it all together.

+ If you spend a date together with your kids, what would she want to do most?

Take the kids out to explore NYC. We’d go to the Central Park Zoo and then eat authentic Chinese food.

+ If your friend could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Fiji!

+ Most perfect day for your friend  “sans kids”?

A day at the spa then out for dinner, dancing, and drink with her girlfriends. A mama can dream!

+ What’s a guilty pleasure she wouldn’t want to admit?

Lots of wine!

+ Who is your friends style icon?

Kate Moss

+ If she could be anyone for a day who would it be?

Sofia Vergara

Viviana
 

+ What do you love most about your friend?

Her ability to stop and take a second to capture all the beautiful moments life has to offer, because lets face it how many of us value the little details of every day life.

+ What do you think she appreciates most about you?

The fact that I am always honest with her, no matter how big or small the situation is, I will always give her an honest response.

+ Her favorite thing about you is?

Being able to text me at any time for an on the spot recipe!!

+ Best memory of you and your kids together?

The best memory of the kids together has to be when we surprised Lucas and picked him up from school one day. He was so happy to see us and the girls were so excited they were able to visit his school.

+ How are you parenting styles different?

It all sums up to city life vs the suburbs.

+ Best piece of parenting advice she’s given you?

Telling me not to give up on breastfeeding and encouraging me to keep going even when I felt i couldn’t continue.

+ How would she describe herself in three words?

Funny, Classy, Trendy

+ How does she react to her kids tantrums?

Even if she wanted to scream her head off you would never know, she is always super calm with them and some how seems to talk them into realizing they made a wrong choice.

+ Name her favorite tv show? Favorite guilty pleasure tv show?

Sex and the City. Love and Hip Hop.

+ Funniest thing she’s ever done?

We were at one of the saddest get togethers imaginable but you can always count on your bestie for a good laugh. Nicole was pumping and her milk was spilling out everywhere. She  peeked out of the bedroom desperately looking for the first female in the room to come help her. She was soaked!

+ If you spend a date together with your kids, what would she want to do most?

Have a picnic in Central Park.

+ If your friend could take a trip anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Dubai

+ Most perfect day for your friend  “sans kids”?

Sleep in, wake up to fresh iced coffee in bed, followed by a lunch date with her closest girlfriends. Return home, take a nap, wake up and get ready for a low key dinner date with the hubs.

+ What’s a guilty pleasure that she wouldn’t want to admit?

One word: chocolate! Hahaha!

+ If your friend could have one wish what would it be?

To one day own a brownstone on the upper east side.

+ Who is your friend’s style icon?

Audrey Hepburn

+ If she could be anyone for a day who would it be?

Kourtney Kardashian!

Shop our looks:

Me: Dress (similar here)| Choker
Lillie: Dress
Viviana: Top | Skirt
Sofia: Blouse

HATCH X HEY MAMA OUTTAKES

IMG_6837 IMG_6850 IMG_6863 IMG_6734 IMG_6719 IMG_6856 IMG_6873 IMG_6665 IMG_6757 IMG_6786 IMG_6872 IMG_6928 IMG_7063

I was going through all the photos from this shoot, choosing a few to print, and I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed and just so thankful that I have these images to look back on. The shots of Lucas and I are some of my absolute favorite. Thank you again to my ladies at Hey Mama, HATCH, and my beauty and friend Mary!

You can see the original post and final images here.

HATCH X HEY MAMA

IMG_7050 copyIMG_6844 copyIMG_6928 copyIMG_6486 copyIMG_6478 copyIMG_6650 copyIMG_6740 copyIMG_6785 copyIMG_6806 copy

Have you heard of Hatch? It’s a maternity line created by designer and mama Ariane Goldman with style, beauty, and fluidity in mind. Each piece is meant to grow with your pregnancy and be just as functional AFTER the baby arrives, which is pretty amazing if you ask me. Hatch recently launched their Plage Summer Collection and I had the opportunity to collaborate with them and the amazing ladies over at Hey Mama – a new website (it went live this week!) dedicated to bringing the mama tribe together – for this shoot.

What I love most about the collection is how beautiful I felt in each and every piece. My dear and insanely talented friend, Mary Grace, was the photographer and she made the day even better by putting me at ease and capturing these shots that I will treasure forever. My growing baby girl and I at 28 weeks!

A big thank you to Hatch, Hey Mama, and Mary for making this shoot possible. Follow these amazing moms on Instagram! Hatch | Hey Mama | Mary Grace