This week is spring break week for my kiddos, and it started out pretty gray, chilly and dreary. As a mom during this past year I have felt the most “out of control” I have felt ever as a parent. Distance learning, lockdown, more distance learning, summer vacation, hybrid in school/out of school, back to school, MORE distance learning. This past Monday morning I basically gave myself a pep talk that I am “in control”, I am the mom they need, I can do this. (Call me crazy, but hey at least I am honest.) And then, I did some makeup to remind myself of all the HAPPY things. There…
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Releasing What Isn’t Yours to Carry.
The global turn of events this year have left us in unprecedented times and uncharted waters on multiple fronts. Beyond navigating and digesting massive amounts of information, misinformation, heated opinions, fear and emotion driven news cycles, and 24/7 access to all of the above, we have our own individual lives, loved ones, and responsibilities to nurture and steward. To say it can become a heavy load is an understatement. I have been extremely thankful for being able to process with a therapist through most of this time, and highly recommend it for overall well being, even if it’s preventive care. As a church going person this year has been particularly…
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#KJHAcademy: Ethereal Romantic Makeup
I have been fascinated with makeup since a very young age. Some of my earliest memories associated with it are visiting my great grandmother as a young child. She would get out her red lipstick and dab it onto our lips, then put a little on her finger tip and blend it onto my and my twin sister’s cheeks. Before we left she would take us into the bathroom and douse us in her Ponds cold cream and wipe off all the makeup with a tissue. I swear the smell of the cold cream is seared into my memory. My grandmother always loved Clinique, so I have ventured into many…
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10 Things to Know About Using Menstrual Cups
After having Theo, my third baby, I went the longest before getting my period back – 7 months. If you add pregnancy to that (9 months), that is a total of 16 months with no period. So, when that blessing decided to arrive again, it really opened my eyes to all of the things that drove me crazy tampons and other more conventional feminine products, and I immediately started researching alternatives. That is when I remembered seeing ads for menstrual cups, and a couple ladies I follow mentioning them in the past, and I dove in to give it a try without looking back. After 3 cycles of using a…
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One Month Postpartum Update
We are officially just over one month of being a family of 5, so I wanted to give a quick one month update and share some of our most used baby items so far! Theo is doing wonderful and growing in so many ways already. His last check up was at two weeks so I am not sure what he weighs now, but at his last check up he was 8lbs 5oz. From his first check up at 2 days old til that two week appointment he gained 21 ounces!!! I know he has grown significantly since then too! He is starting to hold our gaze more and smile so…
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Newborn Life: Sanity Savers.
Having a newborn brings in waves of so many emotions. I know for me I have felt intense joy, and then in the next breath a moment of anxiety as I play out the next 6 months in my head and wonder if I’ll sleep more than 2 consecutive hours and ever be able to clean my bathroom again. It can be even more complex when it’s a second, third, fourth baby and you are balancing the adjustment your other kids go through too! After having my third newborn I have come to realize that often times weeks 3-5 can actually be harder than the first 2. I think it’s…
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Theo’s Birth Story
Theo Brooks entered the world on his due date: September 25 at 3:56am! His labor was unique compared to my first two for a few reasons: 1. I had false or prodromal labor for a few weeks leading up to actual labor, 2. he actually came on his due date, and 3. it was my quickest and most intense labor and delivery! Like with Jackson and Quinn I opted for a natural delivery with as minimal interventions as possible, and thankfully I was able to do that. Read on if you’re interested in Theo’s full birth story! Saturday Sept 21 into Sunday Sept 22 I had contractions during the night…
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What’s In My Hospital Bag + PinkBlush Giveaway!
Happy Monday, friends! This week marks 36 weeks of pregnancy, which is around the time I get my hospital bag ready to go. You just never know when baby will choose to make an appearance! So, today I am teaming up with PinkBlush to give you a peak inside my hospital bag, and also giveaway $75 for one of you to treat yourself to their amazing pregnancy or postpartum clothing! Keep on reading to learn how to enter!! I want to start by saying that I completely overpacked for the hospital with my first baby! I’m not exaggerating when I say we needed a cart to get all of our…
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Fall Maternity to Nursing Transition Pieces
This pregnancy as truly felt like it has flown by! I guess that is what happens when you are running after two other kids! With my September due date approaching I have started to think about transitioning my wardrobe from bump friendly to nursing friendly just in time for Fall. PinkBlush was kind enough to gift me an adorable waffle knit button down sweater, so I searched their site in search of my top maternity/nursing friendly options for you to check out for yourself! [PinkBlush sent me this sweater. Similar, similar.] _____________ Here are my top picks from their nursing section [images are linked to the PinkBlush site!]:
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Bedroom [On A Budget] Makeover
Happy Thursday friends! Recently my son got slime on our bed, and even though we got it off it made me realize how unhappy I was with my room. I know that sometimes we can just be content with what we have, but for me this was about prepping to add a new baby into our family and taking control of my personal space and making it the least chaotic as possible. I wanted comfort, calm, serene, so I quickly decided to remove all color from our bedroom and replace it with a gray, white, cream, tan color palette. I made the switch for under $90!!! So how did I…
