Wednesday, May 31, 2017

What's Up Wednesday

Today I'm linking up with these lovely ladies for What's Up Wednesday


1. What We're Eating this Week
We're going on vacation in a few weeks and when we get back we're jumping into a major kitchen renovation/repair project so all our meals are themed around cleaning out our pantry and freezer. Beyond staple items, no new food is coming into our house until after vacation & project!


2. What I'm reminiscing about
My google account on my phone popped up reminding me of what I was doing this week 2 and three years ago.

Last year on Memorial Day weekend with Ada in the pool

and two years ago
look how tiny Cora was! She still loves cuddling with Daddy to sleep.

3. What I'm loving
In January I was stocking up on lotions and such from Bath and Body Works during their simi-annual sale and I picked this one up.


I liked it, figured it would be a gift for someone but I recently pulled it out and I looove it! It just makes me so happy to put on lotion each day (which I'm not generally great at moisturizing).


4. What we've been up to
Packing, packing and packing! We're also doing some big cleaning and house purging since we're basically moving out to do our repair projects.


The other day I posted this pic on instagram. It was storming and I couldn't sleep so I gathered several things into the suit case. In the following days, Cora (or Ada, I'm honestly not sure it wasn't her...) got my phone and sent the picture to so many people in my facebook messenger. So many people were confused and I keep finding new people the picture went to! Thanks kids...

5. What I'm dreading
I really don't have anything coming up that I'm not pretty pleased about. I even flipped through the calendar to find something to dread... I guess this is a good thing!

6. What I'm working on
Schedules. We're going to work on our routines for the fall when we officially start home school for Cora over the summer to hopefully find something that works for us.

7. What I'm excited about
Our vacation!! I can't wait! We will be visiting upstate New York and then joining my family in Washington D.C.

8. What I'm watching/reading
I just finished reading (well, it was on Audible) Crazy Rich Asians and loved it! The sequel, China Rich Girlfriend is on the top of my to-read list for vacation! I can't wait to get back from vacation and review the books I have been reading!

I have a new Audible credit, any recommendations? I will likely listen to it on vacation while the kids are screaming in the back seat...

9. What I'm listening to
I've recently been bitten by the podcast bug! My favorites right now are Sorta Awesome and The Happy Hour! Earlier this month I also binge listened to S-Town. It was amazing! (strong language and intense themes heads up). I have found a few new podcasts that I'll listen to this summer - I'm always open to recommendations!

10. What I'm wearing
I've been doing some shopping in preparation for vacation & have so many new fun outfits!

My favorite new shirt is from my Nadine West Shipment


11. What I'm doing this weekend
John will be umpiring a big baseball tournament in town so I will be solo-parenting. On Friday I'm going to Plano to see their new birth center! Saturday I'm co-hosting a sweet friends baby shower, I can't wait to help bless her and their bundle of joy! Sunday we don't have anything scheduled but church, but I will hopefully be a house cleaning machine.

12. What I'm looking forward to next month
Next month is going to be *very* busy for me work wise. Honestly, I'm going to get back from vacation, buckle down and get through the month. We have some fun things planned with the girls for my days off and I'm looking forward to finding a new routine and normal for us as we enter the fall!

13. What else is new
Not much! We're just working to maintain the status quo around here and that's a-okay in my book!

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Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Trying Nadine West

I recently posted about how disappointed I was with my first Stitch Fix shipment
Facebook was running a sponsored post for Nadine West that if you did a survey about why you wanted the service you could save the $3 styling fee. 

I was pretty pleased with my first shipment. First of all, it's only $3 shipping/styling fee so even if I don't keep anything, no biggie - I'm not out a ton of money. 

I received 2 shirts and 2 pieces of jewelry in this month's shipment. 


My first shirt, I'm honestly not a fan of but by the way they did the style profile where I clicked images of graphic tee's, I can see how they would think I would like it.



This shirt was $28.11 In my opinion much more reasonably priced! 
I sent it back with some feedback about what images on my shirts I will/won't wear.

My second shirt was my favorite! 



The front of the shirt is *very* sheer as in if you're standing close you'll see my bra & everything under... but I'm almost always wearing a tank or nursing top under my shirts so while that wasn't my favorite, it's not a deal killer for me! Love the floral style. This shirt is $26.86 & I decided to keep it!

You can kind of see in my awful photos that I have on a nice statement necklace - this was one of the pieces of jewelry I received this month. It's cute, goes nicely with this shirt and I like it. I don't love that it costs almost as much as the shirt ($24.99). I have a similar style necklace and in my thrift shopping trips I frequently see very similar necklaces for $5-ish so I decided to pass.


My necklace and bracelet from this shipment. The bracelet was nice enough, but just not really my style. It was $16.99 The stones were nice and weighty and I felt like the price was pretty reasonable for it. 


I love that you get several days to send the items back. I received mine on Tuesday and didn't have to send it back until the next Monday. Much more realistic than the 3 day turn around that Stitch Fix asks for.

There are a couple of things that I feel like they're still working out as a new company. It wasn't easy to find where to put my feedback on each item. You click shipment history, on the left side you can click the shipment which is hyperlinked and that's where you can find a place to give your feedback. I just feel like this should be on the front page of my individual profile in a really obvious place. 

Overall, I'm really happy with the experience and will use Nadine West again! 




Friday, May 19, 2017

Trying out Stitch Fix

I received a Stitch Fix box for the first time last week. I was so excited to get the box, clothes that show up at your door (aka no dragging children out to stores where they inevitably misbehave), they have your sizes and measurements so everything should fit and they're fun stylish things! What's not to love right?!



I'm needing to beef up my summer wardrobe pretty significantly so I was hoping to get several pieces from Stitch Fix and then supplement with less expensive purchases from my usual re-sale shops that carry nicer brands etc and Target. When I subscribed for my first fix, one of the very last questions was about your budget. I *knew* these clothes were going to be higher quality than what I usually get and it's a service so of course it's going to be more expensive than my usual $3-$5 shorts etc. I also let my stylist know that I needed clothes for a summer road trip vacation and a dress that is good for church but also for graduations (because we have 3 to attend this month!). 

My fix came and I love almost all the clothes but oh my gracious the cost! It is ex-pen-sive! 
I was soooo disappointed & ended up keeping none of them which meant that I basically gave up the $20 styling fee. 

The box came over a weekend while we were out of town so I was scrambling to get them tried on before the 3 day window to send back what I don't want so my pictures are *awful* as I tried them on in a decorative mirror in my dad's guest room. Sorry!

Tinslee Dress


This dress was super cute. The fabric was high quality but was clearly cool enough to make it a nice piece for spring and summer. This would have been perfect for graduations. I think it would have transitioned nicely into the fall with a cute pair of boots.  


$68.00
Y'all maybe I'm crazy but $50 is about top of the range that I can justify spending on a dress and  even that's a tough sell for me!

The big thing that made this a no-go for me, even more than the price was the neck line. I loved it, super cute, but I'm large chested & it would require a special bra of some kind to keep my straps from showing. I live in Texas, no way am I going to be committed to wearing a jacket or something all summer long. I was particularly frustrated with this because when you pick what styles you want you can select the modesty level you want. I specifically said I preferred my shoulders covered, not because I necessarily do, but because I knew bra's would be an issue for me! Do any of you know of a bra solution (that isn't strapless, or maybe an amazing strapless bra that is comfortable and actually supportive for a busty gal) that would work for dresses/shirts like this? 

Beckett V-Neck Blouse by Pixley


It is super hard to see in any of my pictures but this is a royal blue shirt with poppy looking flowers all over it in different colors. 


This shirt was just "okay". I liked the cut and like the bright colors but at $48.00 I had better love the shirt to keep it!

Finnegan Printed Cuffed Short


I'm wearing these shorts in the picture with the V-Neck blouse. They're cute and high quality but I have an almost identical pair (slightly less high quality) that I bought for $5 last spring and the shorts that Stitch Fix sent didn't fit well. Again with the price... $58 I was so disappointed to get something that didn't fit well and no way can I justify spending anywhere near that if it doesn't even fit!

My other two items I am so. bummed. about sending back. I'm on the hunt for similar clothes that will work better for me.

Ryland 2fer Maxi Dress by Gilli


I loved this dress. John loved this dress. I loved the cut, the color, the style. I loved it all!


So the problem was two-fold. Again with the price, $78.00 which because I loved it so much I tried so hard to justify it. It didn't hurt so bad when I considered that I had already spent $20 towards buying the dress so it was basically only $58 and I could kind of justify that price but the overlay of the dress is that sheer material so nice and breezy *but* it also snags really easily. I have snagged every single dress in this fabric I have ever owned, why would this dress be different? I just couldn't spend basically $80 on a dress I knew I would end up damaging in as little as one wear. I mean come on - I have kids!

Maycon Halter Top


This was my absolute favorite piece in the fix. I loved the colors and though it's hard to tell there are little tassles on the bottom of the shirt that I thought were so much fun! I have a hat that I recently picked up on Target clearance that would go perfectly. I could totally see myself wearing this. BUT back to the bra thing. I hate having my bra straps show. I couldn't think of a single way to hide them in this shirt, not even a racer-back bra would be hidden, and with big breasts there aren't cute lacy racer-back bras that could complement the shirt. It was $54 so again with the stupid expensive thing. I still almost went ahead and got it but then I started considering what a special bra would cost and I talked myself out of it.


I was scheduled for another fix that was for early July & I went ahead and cancelled it. I probably would have skipped that one regardless because that's around the time of our vacation and I know I won't have time to mess with trying the clothes on & sending them back in a 3 day window. I kept my scheduled fix for early September but might just cancel it altogether before then. Those of you who use stitch fix, tell me, do you ever get clothes cheaper than this? Did my stylist ignore my price range or is this really the lowest point of their prices? I've heard that there are more $30 & $40 is this the exception rather than the rule?

If I haven't totally rained on your parade & you want to try stitch fix here's my referral code (which would earn me a $25 credit after your first fix ships). I *want* to love it. I *want* to give this company my money and make my life easier but gosh, I just can't spend that.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Glam Bag Review from an Un-Glam Girl


I'm trying to play catch up with my Ipsy bag reviews. I've temporarily stopped my Ipsy subscription, mostly because since I'm not a big make up wearing girl, I was beginning to build up an abundance of things - particularly eye shadow that I just won't use. I plan to re-subscribe or pick another subscription box/bag in the summer or fall. I just got my first Stitch Fix box this week in leau of my Ipsy subscription and was super disappointed but I'll wait to review that until I've caught up on make up.

I got so many complements on the actual bag my December makeup came in.
When I originally subscribed to Ipsy I was having very mixed emotions about getting a bag each month, I figured they would just become more clutter in my already cluttered life. So far, I found a job for each bag to better organize my life but if I were still subscribing I think it would eventually become a thing. My other thought was that the bags would be good things to put in boxes for Operation Christmas Child! 

Tarte Maracuja Oil



Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil 0.23 Fl Oz. 7ml

I was pretty on the fence about this product when I first received the bag. I already struggle with somewhat oily skin and even if I didn't, who wants to look oily?! Fortunately Ipsy sent a little video about this oil to those who got it to help us figure it out. I've used it as a bit of a moisturizer on my face when it was cold and windy this winter and it never left my face looking "oily" - just healthy. I've also dabbed a bit in my hair to help control my "angel hairs" - my super curly baby hairs that look frizzy and crazy around my face. I go days between washing my hair (thank you dry shampoo!) and it hasn't ever caused an issue with making my hair oily. 

 I'm not sure I'd buy it when I run out, but I don't hate it either *and* I actually use it sometimes (there are several things in other bags that just get cast aside...). 

Ciate London - Liquid Velvet Matte in Pin Up





I really like this lipstick. It is just enough color to look made up without over doing it. It's become a go-to for me when I'm meeting with clients and want to look nice but not all the way to a glossy obvious lipstick. I also appreciate the price point being reasonable! 

OFRA Bliss Eyeshadow/Highlighter


OFRA Cosmetics Bliss (Champagne) Eyeshadow & Highlighter - Single Refill for Palettes & Kits

I love this shade. It's called "Bliss" but it's a champagne color and has a nice subtle shimmer to it. It's my go-to daily eyeshadow color. It is pretty reasonable in price too. 

So showing my Un-Glam status here... it's a palette refill but I don't know where to buy the palette case thing which would make it much easier to use - so my make up using friends, where would I find one? 

It can supposedly be a highlighter as well, but I've never used highlighter in my life and have no idea where to start... again maybe someone can point me in the right direction here? 

Concealer Brush


So remember when I said that some things just get cast aside and never used? This is one of them. I suppose I will eventually use it, I have powder foundation that I use if I have time to do my makeup at home but I don't use it in the car (because mess...) and here of late my makeup time has been in parking lots or as husband is driving us to church. I have stuck it in my "big" makeup bag that stays home and next time I take a good chunk of time to get made up I'll use it. 

Lip Treatment


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This has become an absolute favorite! This lip treatment doesn't taste bad, leaves almost no residue so it doesn't feel waxy on my lips like some chap-sticks do. It hydrates so well and leaves my lips feeling amazing! This product is Hawaii based and has tons of natural ingredients. It is paraben, sulfate and phthalate free! I will for sure be purchasing this when my sample runs out but you use such a small amount each time, my sample tube has lasted a long time! The price is really very reasonable too! 

I was really happy with my December Glam Bag! 

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Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Kidlet Update

I miss blogging. I think about it often, but sitting down to write just doesn't happen often. Truth be told, there are several things I really aught to be doing right now instead of writing this but #selfcare 
I think I miss the journaling aspect the most. It's one of the main reasons I began blogging, to journal our life for myself and my children when they're grown one day. 

I haven't done an update on Ada since she was 3 months old. I have done a good job keeping up with her baby book calendar though. 

  • Ada will be 2 in July, she is 1 year 9 months old.
  • She is a big kid! She's tall for her age and I'm frequently asked in stores if the girls are twins or "how close are they?" - Cora is small, Ada is big. They can wear each others clothing except long pants. 
  • Ada goes by Ada-May, Ada-gator, pterodactyl (not so much anymore but she still has a shrill cry), sissy.
  • Ada eats like a champ. She loves her vegetables, particularly broccoli. She will steal bites of our salads. Zuchini, squash, asaparagus and green beans are a few of her other favorites. 
  • We still co-sleep and she nurses herself to sleep. She sleeps a lot better when John puts her down & doesn't really come searching for milkies during the night. She hates pajamas, hates being covered up or being touched while she sleeps. 
  • She is a great napper! She will come tell me she's ready for a nap between 11 and 1 each day depending on what time she woke up and how busy we've been that day. She will take a second nap in later afternoon if we've had an early, busy day. 
Napping at the Birth Center while Mommy cleans after births

  • She doesn't seem ready to potty train. She will sit on her sister's potty chair and pretend, but she doesn't show any other signs of readiness. She has to wear hypoalergenic diapers, size 5. I have started and stopped using cloth several times, I'm just too busy to keep up with it. 
  • Her favorite TV shows are Doc McStuffins, Daniel Tiger and Sesame Street. 
  • She is pretty verbal! She's definitely more verbal than Cora was at this age, so I'm just comparing between the two of them. She can say Mama, Daddy, Cora "corwawa", papa, dog, ball, no (she's really good at this one...), uh huh, uh oh, hot dog, just to name a few. There are so many more but it's hard to keep track. 




  • Coralie is 3 years & 8 months old and will be 4 in October
  • She's pretty small for her age. She wears 3T dresses, but needs 2T pants for length most of the time. 
  • Cora goes by Cora-lizzard, lizzy, sister, turkey
  • She is really good at playing "possum" (pretending to sleep). She has fooled us many times, but on the bright side, she's quiet when she pretends to sleep! 
  • She hates us brushing her hair, it is a frequent fight. 
  • She loves the idea of swimming but then freaks out when we actually want her in the water. It makes her nervous if she sees me swimming off into water away from the side of the pool. We're going to need to do swim lessons soon.
  • She loves reading books and identifying different things in the pictures.
     
  • She can count to ten, but refuses to say the number three. She can, she just thinks it's funny that it bothers us so much that she won't.
  • She will repeat the alphabet with us and can say the next letter if I start with A, she'll say B, then I say C etc. but she won't just recite it.
  • When I'm leaving for work, particularly in a hurry for a birth she will come up and give me a hug and ask if I'm "going to help a lady have a baby?"
  • She frequently pretends to go to work. She'll come up to me with her purse and keys and give me hugs and kisses. Sometimes I can understand the word "baby" in what she says she's going to work to do. 
  • She is potty trained... mostly! She will use the potty chair at home, but refuses to use our toilet. She uses the toilet with a child seat at my dad's house. She is terrified of public toilets so we drive around with potty chairs in the cars so we can escape to the van/car if she needs to potty. We're working with her on recognizing needing to go before we go in & trying verses telling me when there's not much time to do something about it. She still wears pull ups to church or any time she's in someone else care. She usually won't talk to her teachers/babysitters etc to tell them she needs to go to the bathroom so she has accidents. She has gotten to where she can make it through church without needing to potty until she's with us.

    • I'm dreading vacation this summer. We will have long stretches in the car & quick outings so for all of that she can just use her potty chair but while we're in Washington DC she's going to have to just go in her pull up if she hasn't gotten over the toilet thing. She'll tell me she needs a "diaper change" after she makes a mess... 
  • Her anxieties about being left somewhere are much better. There are still usually some tears, but she settles down quickly and is fine. 
  • Both girls love going to RaceTrac and getting a taquito and coke (Ada can say "coke" well!). This is a typical grandpa outing for them while I'm at work. 
  • The car wash is another favorite outing. She will ask to be unbuckled from her car seat & climb up to the front to sit in our laps while the car is washed. 














Oh my goodness I could keep going, but I'll just have to remember to include other things in future posts! 

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Glam Bag Review from an Un-Glam Girl

I have been loving getting my Ipsy subscription bags! I received this bag back in February, I'm not sure why I can't pull up pictures of my December and January bags, but maybe I'll track them down and review them another time. For my February bag something I particularly loved was the price point on most of the products, it was something I'd actually be willing to go out and spend if I loved the product. Nothing is worse than falling in love with an expensive cosmetic you know you'll never purchase! 


There are a few things in this bag that I loved this time! 

First up, BellaPierre Water-proof volume lash mascara




I like the length of the wand and it provides good coverage but it takes forever to dry. I'm not sure if this is a common thing with water proof mascara in general? I haven't used it often in the past but any time I attempt to wear it, I end up smudging it everywhere. I've tossed it in the pool bag for summer but it really isn't a favorite for the smudge reason. Though, I have to say - I love the price point! My favorite mascara is still The Balm Mad Lash that I received in my first Ipsy bag. It's about 3x this price point but since the sample tube has lasted me about 6 months, I'm thinking it will be worth the investment!

Promise Organic Coconut Daily Face Wash



This was a favorite! I love how refreshed and clean my face felt after using this product, it didn't feel dry at all which is an issue with my face. I have tucked the rest of this sample away in my doula bag so I can treat myself to an amazing face wash when I'm at long births. When it runs out, I will likely purchase another! 

NYX Cosmetics Butter Lipstick in Ripe Berry




This was another favorite! The lipstick goes on so smooth and stays put! It's not super glossy but not as flat and matte as some others I've tried. I think the price point is also great on this one! 

Trust Fund Beauty Nail Polish



When I saw the picture for what I was getting in my Feb Glam Bag (I always check the spoilers) I was so excited to be getting the fun color. When it arrived though it was a different color (I didn't read the 'OR' in the description). I thought I was getting "I give good tweet" but actually got "$12 Latte" I do really like the polish. It goes on so nice and smooth. When I did the first coat I thought it was going to be too sheer but a second coat made for great coverage and I didn't really have trouble with it chipping! The $12 Latte color is a deep brown but it looks black unless you're in bright direct sun light. I'm just not really a dark nail polish girl, but I'll hang on to it and try again this fall/winter.

It costs a bit more than what I would normally spend on nail polish, but it works well, so I'd probably splurge for a color I love. 

Organic Pharmacy Lip & Eye Cream





I feel very meh about this one. I'm not much of a lip or eye cream gal. It has a kind of blah taste to it so I'm not really likely to use it on my lips and I don't have an evening makeup/facial routine - I just fall into bed so I'm not sure when I'd use the eye cream. 

Overall, I think this was one of my better glam bags, especially in regards to price of products.

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