My First Mother's Day

This past Sunday was my very first Mother's Day as a mommy! I had our baby boy, Luke, in December. He's 4 1/2 months old now.

So far, I've been blessed with a calm, content baby. But on Mother's Day, I woke up to a pissed off, screaming child. lol Fitting... I thought. I'd hoped to sleep in but Luke had other plans. We finally all got up, grabbed a quick McDonald's breakfast that we ate in the car... not to dare wake Luke up from his much needed nap.

He was pretty unusually grumpy the whole day... but I would not trade it for the world! I'm pretty sure he's going through a growth spurt or something. They tend to be easily agitated in those times. lol

My child looking like the infamous "grumpy cat" in this photo:

Happy Mom & Dad: "Let's go have a wonderful family lunch!"
Grumpy Luke: "No."

lol

So much changes when you have a baby. You can never truly be prepared. You just take it day by day and you'll love it more than you can imagine. My world revolves around him. The decisions I make, big and small, are all made around him. It is no longer about me. And that's okay. :)

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommy's out there!

Tips for Dressing Your New Mommy Body

I am going to get real candid right now... I have had a very hard time accepting my new body after having my baby boy in December. None of my previous clothes fit me comfortably anymore so I went out and bought a basic wardrobe so I could have something to wear besides sweats! I'm sure any moms out there can relate!

Here are a few tips I have to dressing your new body:

1. Proportions

One of the most common trouble spots for new moms is the mid-section.

I have found that skinny jeans and loose tops are my go to! HONEST MOMENT HERE. lol I gained 50lbs in my pregnancy! I dropped 20lbs pretty effortlessly... but these last 30lbs are hanging on for dear life is seems! lol I am still bigger now that I have ever been. A loose top disguises the extra tummy "love" leftover from your little one and skinny jeans balance the proportion.

2.  Color

I have always had large hips. Now, I have super "birthing" hips. haha I wear darker wash jeans and I prefer a pop of color on top. This pink shirt is one of my favorites! I also prefer 3/4 sleeves since my arms are a little thicker than I would like still... I find it to be the most flattering length.

3. Accessorize!

Add accessories where you want attention. Big earrings or a statement necklace keeps the eyes off your stomach and/or hips!

And lastly... a little shopping tip:

Don't shop by size. Shop by how it feels and looks! I bought all my post-pregnancy clothes from Kohls. I tried on every single item before I bought it. Some tops looked better in XL than an L... and vice versa. I tried on two different brands of jeans at Kohls and both were size 14. The pair I'm wearing above are a 14 (by Lauren Conrad) and the other pair about fell to my ankles! lol


Remember, your body may not resemble anything close to what it used to be! Mine sure isn't... but you brought in a beautiful life! When I'm getting down on my body image, I look at my baby boy and every stretch mark and pound is all worth it. We'll eventually drop the weight, but there is no point obsessing over it!

Luke's Baby Shower - DIY Rustic

Luke's baby shower was Nov 9. We threw a co-ed bash and it was so much fun! The men grilled and drank beer while the women did the usual "baby shower" things. I made all the decorations myself... The "baby shower" sign was scrap wood and hand painted, the cake toppers were just wooden cut outs from Hobby Lobby that I painted, and my friend had leftover burlap from her wedding so we cut it into squares and I hand-painted "It's a boy!"

 

 

 

 

 

It's a BOY

I've been away from the computer a lot... frankly, procreating life takes the energy out of you! lol My husband and I found out we were expecting back in April. Seriously, they are NOT kidding when they say if you want it to happen, don't try. We "tried" for a while but gave up and decided to move in with my in-laws to save up and wait for our house to be built. Sure enough, 2 weeks later I'm staring at two pink lines. lol

I have been SO lucky. I seem to have virtually no symptoms except eating everything in sight and fatigue. I am SOOOOOO thankful for no morning sickness! At this rate, I'm crossing my fingers that maybe I'm one of the rare cases where labor doesn't hurt. lol A girl can dream...

We found out last week that we are having a little boy! I could not be more excited. :) It's weird but I knew it was a boy before we found out. I always dreamed it was a boy and I just had a gut feeling that there was no way this was a little girl craving all this spicy food.


Pregnancy changes you so much! You really won't understand until you go through it. I used to fear childbirth and this who pregnancy thing but once you're in it, you are so in love with your little alien-looking child that the fear just kind of subsides... for me anyway. I look forward to every sonogram because I just want to see him. I can't imagine how it will be come delivery day! I'm really trying not to rush it... I mean, I've got a new job to settle into and a house to be built! lol But once all that passes, I know it will go by so fast! I will be 7 months when we get to move into our new house and I'm certain it's going to fly by.

If you've had a baby or are pregnant... what's your best/favorite piece of advice for pregnant moms-to-be???

How to Look Expensive

I just finished reading "How to Look Expensive" by Andrea Pomerantz. I'd been eyeing it for a while... with only the "sample" downloaded on my Kindle. Recently, I've heard more and more about the book so finally decided to pull the trigger and download the whole thing.

via

There are great tips in here about looking your best on a budget. You'll find advice on hair, makeup, skincare, hygiene, fashion and more!

From the website:

"Why is it that celebrities always look so enviably luxe? With their flawless highlights, luminous skin, and paparazzi-ready but understatedly chic makeup, they radiate glamour and polish. Their secret weapon? An arsenal of highly paid experts working their magic behind the scenes to make them look like a million bucks. In How to Look Expensive, veteran beauty editor Andrea Pomerantz Lustig calls on these experts and the intel she’s gained from more than twenty years in the industry to show you how to upgrade your look with tips, tricks, and techniques designed to bridge the gap between what you want to look like and what you can afford to look like. It’s packed with beauty advice that will make you not just look but feel like a million bucks."

www.howtolookexpensive.com

If you've been thinking about getting this book, I'd say just go ahead and do it! You won't regret it and I guarantee you'll learn something new!

I Mustache You a Question...

Ok, so it's not really a "question". I just like saying that phrase. lol 

Olay Smooth Finish - Facial Hair Removal Duo:  A Review

It's come to that time. I'm 26, and it's time to start treatment for facial hair removal. I've fought it for a long time (mostly in denial, here recently) but I was tired of the shadow on my upper lip that I couldn't ignore. It's only blonde hair, or "peach fuzz", but nonetheless... it's casts a shadow. 

I didn't want to shave for fear it would grow back thicker and darker. And waxing just seems way too painful plus I almost always end up with an allergic reaction when I wax my eyebrows. So after a little research, I decided to try Olay's hair removal system. 

It's a "two part" (or "duo") system. The first part is a balm you thinly apply to protect your skin. The second is the actual hair removal cream.

one // I applied the balm first. You want to make sure it's thin so the hair removal cream can still bind to the hairs. It's pretty sticky actually... reminds me a lot of the lip balm that comes with Covergirl's Outlast Lipstick.

two // Then I thickly applied the cream. Let it sit for 6-8 minutes (no longer!). I waited only 6 for the first time just to make sure I didn't irritate my skin. After 6 minutes, I started to remove it with a cotton ball but found better luck with a rag. 

The results:

I was pleasantly surprised to see the hair wipe right off! It didn't burn or irritate my skin at all. I was pretty impressed though by how much hair was actually removed. My husband even noticed!

And sadly... it wasn't as "blonde" or "peachy" as I originally thought. lol It had a grey color on the cotton ball. lol 

My advice? If you don't have major hair on your upper lip, I say go for it! I mean, I don't know how well it'd work on a full blown stache. It was a little expensive ($23) but it is supposed to have 12 applications and the hair is supposed to stay away for 4 weeks. (That's just upper lip applications I'm sure) I watched YouTube videos of people doing the whole bottom half of their face. lol 

If you have any questions, ask in the comments. And if you've tried it before, how'd it work for you??

Weekend Shopping Shenanigans

Well that went fast, huh? 

My weekend consisted mostly of shopping thanks to a giveaway I won in March over at The Daily Tay. (I had a couple gift cards to use up!) So I hit up Target. Duh. 

I bought the Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer, Olay hair removal system, Burts Bee's Radiance Eye Cream, Burts Bee's tinted lip balm... and that's all I can remember. lol 

one // Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer - haven't tried it yet but I have high hopes! It's amazing how you need a different concealer for every part of your face basically. lol This one is JUST for under your eyes to brighten the area (which I need when I wake up early!)

two // I had a come-to-Jesus meeting with myself this weekend. It's time to start removing facial hair. I have a very light peach fuzz on my upper lip but it casts a shadow in the right light/angle. I didn't want to shave and waxing just sounds terribly painful, so I went with Olay's hair removal system. I'll write a review this week :)

three // Did a little reminiscing about old times. :) I just love that picture from our wedding. We were so excited!

four // Bought some new work out clothes to push my motivation. Hey, if I have new, cute clothes maybe I'll wear them and workout? lol I did so good the other week but last week I didn't workout once! I've got to get back on track this week! 

five // I found this simple explanation for the foods you should eat on Crossfit's website. (one of them at least) I love how simple it is - basically, "food" is perishable! If it has a long shelf life, you shouldn't eat it. 

six // I finished "How to Look Expensive" this weekend. It's actually a really good book with great tips! I would recommend it to a friend.

Hope your weekend was great!

Oh! And I'm participating in my first giveaway! Head on over to For Lauren and Lauren to enter!