Confessions

I am finally linking up for some confessions this week, and am pretty excited about it! I have spent the past three weeks adjusting to our new life, so you best believe I have some things to confess ;-)

I confess...

I am writing is post on Thursday morning. No being ahead of schedule for this mama. But hey, I am writing a post, so there's that.

Last night both little men slept terribly and I was about a my wits end. I didn't burst into tears, but I was close.

If Mike wasn't waking up and handling Jackson in the middle of the night, I would honestly die. And the poor guy wakes up for a 90 minute commute at 4am every day. Needless to say, we are all tired.

My in laws are camping so we have the house to ourselves this weekend, and because I am breastfeeding and hot, I am walking around in a tank and undies this morning and it is fabulous.

I am seriously missing tasks involving Jackson lately. He is the worst kid to put to bed, but all week as I have tried to tackle doing it, Lincoln is obviously hungry, so there ends that plan. 

Because of above confession, yesterday during naptime I laid on the couch with Jackson and let the baby nap on his own. I need my big boy cuddles.

I might be crazy, because on multiple occasions now I swear my 3 week old is smiling up a storm. Impossible until 6 weeks? Puh-lease. 

While I hate ditching my babies, I made the executive call to get a room at the hotel my brother in laws reception will be at next month, and the babies are spending the night with my parents. This mama needs a night out! Thank God for the handy old breast pump!

Can't wait to hear what you all have to confess, these posts are seriously my favorite!

The Second Baby Adjustment [Linkup]

Hello ladies, and happy Tuesday! I am still working on getting back into a regular schedule with my blogging. I keep meaning to put together posts, and then, you know, one baby wants to eat, then the other one wants me to read him a story, and basically by the time I am done reading stories, the other is ready to eat again. The vicious cycle of newborn life! I did manage to find a few minutes and am typing this as one baby naps on my lap and the other is snoozing away on the couch. You better believe I am enjoying this one hour of peace and quiet!

Like every Tuesday, grab the button below, link back to Jenn and I, and talk about what is up with you today!

Today, I am bringing you the realities that happen when you go from one baby to two. I won't say it is necessarily the hardest transition in the world, but it also definitely isn't easy. Ultimately, the biggest change I have faced is having down time. Really, I am lucky to have all of our family right here, and as my mom doesn't work, I have been able to call on her help and assistance nearly every day. I really am spoiled in that aspect. Last weekend, though, Mike had his brother's bachelor party, so I was alone with two kids for essentially the entire day, and let me tell you, even if that man had actually planned on sticking around for the party bus, by 8pm I was about ready to call him in tears and say COME HOME NOW. I didn't, and really felt kind of proud at the end of the day because, well, I survived, but OY. Not my easiest day.

For the sake of memory, I have put together what I am considering the biggest changes when you go from one to two children.

1. You have to learn to say no. This is both a blessing and a curse, but there have already been countless times where I have both children need me, and I have had to decide who needs me more. This definitely results in some guilt, and some pretty overwhelming moments. Quite often, I go with the thought process that my toddler will feel the emotional toll of being forced to wait or not feeling he is getting what he is needing, whereas the baby most likely just wants to eat and can wait a few minutes. It can be tempting to cater to the baby's needs above all, but I do my best to make sure I give them both the attention they need. Still, sometimes your first baby will be crawling at your leg to be held while the second baby is nursing, and that can just be rough.

2. You have no time to yourself. I remember thinking time management was hard when I just had one newborn, and if I could go back in time I would laugh in old me's face. Newborns eat and sleep and poop. During that sleep time, it really isn't much to bring them to run errands with you, or sneak out on a coffee run, or get things done around the house. With two, though? When baby naps, your big kid wants to play. At dinner time while you are trying your best to serve up microwaved chicken nuggets, your newborn will start screaming bloody murder and want to eat NOW. I have managed to shower regularly, only because I bring the baby in the bathroom with me and let him hang in his carseat while I take a quick five minute shower. Really though, those leisurely afternoons of watching hours of Netflix with a newborn sleeping on your chest are long gone!

3. Eating is hard. Cooking in general is nearly impossible in these early weeks, but so is the act of eating. I mean, you are putting the needs of two little people above your own, so it only makes sense that you eat your meals cold, or on the couch with one hand while simultaneously feeding a newborn with the other.

4. Your older child will stress you out. We really have been lucky and Jackson lights up every time he sees Lincoln, but he also has NO concept of how to be gentle, or when it is or is not okay to touch the baby. For example, while I am nursing tends to be prime time for diving in for baby kisses, as is the times when Lincoln is in his swing. And, a 21 month old just doesn't understand that he can't lean forward and put his entire body weight on a fragile little guy like his brother. All making for high stress, high alert mama at all times. I don't want to wish away this precious time, but I will say I am looking forward to the day where Lincoln is a bit more..tough.

5. The love between siblings really will melt your heart. Every day, the absolute very first thing Jackson does is look for his brother. He gives him dozens of kisses during the day, loves to pat his head, and snuggles up in my lap (adorable and also incredibly challenging) when I am holding his brother for double the cuddles. I am so excited for Lincoln to start recognizing who Jackson is, and I can already tell that watching them grow together is going to be incredible. 

Home Update [Linkup]

After unexpectedly taking off from 'Talk About it Tuesday' last week, we are back with the linkup this week. As always, join in and share whatever is on your mind, whether it's a personal story, a favorite product, or even some random funnies :-)

I figured today would be a great time to share a little house update! In the past week or two, my husband and father in law got our in floor heating and plumping in, they poured our concrete, and have the first floor framed! It is so fun driving by and really seeing changes almost every day. On Sunday, we drove over and I got to walk inside for the first time! It was absolutely crazy to look out th Windows and see what my bedroom window view will look like. Naturally, Jackson gravitated towards the patio door already and I have no doubt he will be trying to sneak outside to play lots!

This week, they are getting the second story framed! In no time, we will finally be able to see what our house will look like from the outside! :-)

An InLinkz Link-up

Weekending

Hello everyone and happy Monday! While I am not by any means back into a regularly blogging schedule, it feels good to get a post pulled together! I will have Lincolns birth story to share soon, but in the meantime, a nice little weekend recap is where it's at!

Obviously being on maternity leave my 'weekends' are different as I have the week off, but it sure is nice to have Mike home with us! On Friday, I spent the day hanging out at my parents during the day. I woke up and headed out the door, and swung through Dunn Brothers for coffee. I got to my parents and everyone was still sleeping, so I enjoyed a house to myself for a solid hour and it. was. glorious. I have mentioned before, but as we live with Mikes parents until our house is done, that hour was the first time I have been the only person awake in a house since I got home from the hospital (and probably in many weeks before that!) Being surrounded by others is great, but sometimes that alone time is just precious! The baby slept, me and Jackson made pancakes for breakfast, and we enjoyed the quiet. The rest of the day it was super cold out, so we just lounged around. Friday night was more of the same; we managed to put two babies to bed and hit the hay ourselves! 

Saturday was an early morning after your typical night of sleep with an eight day old baby...we had breakfast, and while Mike did some work in the yard with his dad I basically spent the day nursing a hungry baby. We were off to my parents for my moms famous turkey burgers, and had such a nice night. The guys played cards after dinner, and to coax the babies to sleep we went for a long drive and both were OUT when we got home! 

On Sunday, the weather was finally warmer, so we did lots of playing outside! We went for a wagon ride, ran around the yard, and got in lots of baby snuggles. We also snuck over to the new house after days of rain and we're finally able to walk inside! I cannot wait to move in, it is going to feel so surreal to see it all come to life.

We fried fish for dinner, and am glad it is time for my father in law to start his fishing season because his fried fish is the best! We finished the night off with watching Game Of Thrones and are ready to start off week two as parents to two under two!

Linking up with Biana today!

Introducing Lincoln Michael

Our beautiful second baby boy joined our family on Thursday May 5th. After what could have been the most low key labor of all time, he came out weighing 8 pounds, 8 ounces and 21.5 inches long. He has light brown hair, beautiful eyes that love to look around, and is just as sweet as can be. Everyone, including big brother, is already in love and we couldn't be happier to have him home with us! 

Thanks to Amanda Baloun for once again capturing beautiful memories of our little family!

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday ladies! We are in the height of gorgeous spring weather here in Minnesota, and likely will have our first 80 degree day today! I can't wait to enjoy the weekend and some sunshine!
This may not be relevant to me just yet, but man oh man does this weather have me dreaming of weekend cocktails :-) There are quite a few things I am just loving lately, so let's get right to it!

1. I have seen these fabulous tunic tops on so many blogger pages, and most recently saw it over on Kelsey's, where she mentioned purchasing it in pink. I swung over to check it out, and fell in love! It was sold out, and I may have obsessively stalked the site until one in my size was returned and purchased it immediately. For $27, how can you not! This color will be so fun and lively for summertime with a pair of jean shorts, I can hardly wait!

I ordered this fun tank top too, and can't wait to try it on (once this belly is gone!) I think it will be light and fun for summer, and I am dying to try it out on a baby free body.

2. So I am all about wearing dresses, especially in the spring and summer months. Wearing dress pants to work gets so boring, and nothing beats slipping on a light, airy dress on a hot summer day when you have to go into the office. However, part of being light and airy often means being thin and somewhat sheer, and no one wants to see your panty line. I finally just invested in a slip to wear underneath my dresses, and am so glad that I did. I always struggled figuring out how to keep things covered, and this will do the trick! Perfect for under t-shirt dresses this summer!

3. Lemon Oreos. You guys. Lemon Oreos are just the best. It has been a major pregnancy craving so maybe in a few weeks I will want nothing to do with them, but they are the perfect balance of sweet, tart, and just deliciousness. They have also been great for me to have 1 or 2 at night, and it satisfies my 'sweet' craving without me needing to indulge in a huge bowl of ice cream. They are seriously too good.

4. You guys, I was literally rolling on the floor laughing while reading this article. SO. FUNNY. I actually had to stop because I was at my work desk and was worried people were going to start thinking that I was losing my mind. I totally get that people need 'me' time, and I seriously LOVE maternity leave, but the list of 'requirements' in this article really just hits the nail on the head regarding how much maternity leave is NOT about you, and how exhausting and trying those weeks are. Oh, and I also basically never take vacation or days off so that I can rack up as much 'paid time' for my maternity leave as possible. Yes, maternity leave is fabulous, but it is NOT a vacation. Read this, it will make your day!

5. I received a Bloom Vox Box this month, and was lucky enough to try out this Not Your Mother's Plump for Joy. I absolutely love it! It smells fantastic, and I put a little bit in my hair before styling in the morning around my roots, and I have been super impressed by the volume! I am also not one for greasy or super textured products, and this keeps my hair feeling fresh and clean. I highly recommend!

* I received the #bloomvoxbox complimentary for testing purposes. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Five on Friday // Oh Hey Friday! // Friday Favorites // Friday Favorites

Bumpdate: 38 Weeks

We are really in the home stretch! Two weeks or less (hopefully not more!) until we meet our newest little man. This week has definitely had me thinking labor is going to come on sooner rather than later. Just yesterday, two coworkers separately told me that I really looked like I had dropped, and I have been feeling wonderful crampiness and back pain. Oh, the joys ;-) This is all new territory to me, as going into labor the normal way is much different than having your water break before all of the other signs and symptoms kick in. Fingers crossed we stay comfortable, and baby stays as healthy as possible. Aside from that, he will come when he is ready :-)

How far along? 37 weeks, 6 days.

Gender: Boy, can't wait to finally meet the little guy!

Total weight gain: 33 pounds.

Maternity clothes? Yep, literally all about comfort at this point.

Stretch marks? I believe it is still just the one questionable little bugger. I have limited visual access to half of my body as of late though, so who knows for sure ;-)

Belly button in or out: Slightly out on top, in/flat on the bottom

Sleep: I have been waking up more frequently, around 2-3am, and have a hard time falling back asleep. Oh well, that will sound like a DREAM  a few weeks from now ;-)

Exercise: Done running. WAH. Going on lots of walks though, especially with the gorgeous weather this past week! I load up the little guy in the jogging stroller, and with the hills I am pretty sure I am still getting in a good workout, that thing is heavy!

Best moment this week: Enjoying the beautiful spring weather! Temps in the 60's and 70's is just dreamy after a Minnesota winter. No one appreciates the season of spring more than a midwesterner, I am positive.

Miss Anything? Being comfortable in general. Going on a walk without needing to pee after five minutes. And is it bad to request a cold fruity wine cooler while still in the hospital? I am so ready for a summer cocktail!

Movement: Still lots of movement going on, this little one is busy! Contrary to when I was pregnant with Jackson, I notice this guy being active even when I am up and moving around. Jackson was lulled to sleep when I was active so I most often felt him move at night. This little guy still moves plenty at night, but he is really just active all the time it seems!

Food cravings: Fruity, fruity, fruity. Anything fruity. Sweet and tart is way higher on my list lately than chocolate, which is crazy for me. Still fizzy drinks. It makes sense why I want a Mike's Hard Lemonade so badly I guess! And not sure if it is because I can't stomach huge meals or because Jackson has once again been difficult with sleep this week, but middle of the night snacking has been in full force this week; I wake up STARVING!! Good thing I have been keeping a stash of lemon Oreos on hand.

Symptoms: Lower back pain and braxton hicks.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Labor Signs: The good old 'bloody show' that I remember scratching my head at when referenced on the movie 'Knocked Up' totally happened to, which is part of what is making me thinking baby might be here sooner than later. With that, more cramping and contractions happening, but nothing I have been able to time yet.

Wedding rings on or off? On, we will see if they stay on through the end, my swelling is super minimal, but I definitely notice it some days.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy; after a long winter we are just finally making PROGRESS in so many areas and I have all the heart eyes when I think about all of the wonderful changes that are right around the corner for our family! 
Looking Forward To: Meeting this little guy! I have finally reached the point where if he is born, I am ready (at least as ready as I am going to be!), but still not in a huge rush. And as long as baby is still baking away, I am excited to celebrate my future sister in law at her bridal shower on Saturday, and most likely demand food in honor of Mother's Day on Sunday! :-) 

Linking up with Annie and Natalie for Thoughts on Thursday today!

Jackson: 21 Months

I cannot believe how close we already are to having a two year old. In three short months, he really truly will move into that 'toddler' age and not be a baby anymore. Really, in what could be a matter of days he will seem so much less like a baby with the arrival of his brother. I am so excited to see him grow and change and adapt, but of course a little part of my heart is breaking. It makes me sad to think of how much reality will set in that he is no longer 'little'. Still, watching him grow is such a joy, and I feel blessed every single day to be this little boy's mama.

Growth
We haven't really weighed in or checked height since his last appointment at 19 months, but at that time he was 36 inches and weighed in at 28-29 pounds. That was also coming off of nearly two weeks of Influenza A, so he had definitely lost a bit of weight. He really doesn't seem to have packed the pounds back on though; while he was never what I would truly call 'chubby', he is now pretty darn lanky and thin. He is so active, a picky eater, and based on my family's genetics, tall and thin may just be what he ends up being.

He is wearing mostly 3T when it comes to pajamas and all of his tops. He is in 2T for pants, but the waist definitely needs to be adjusted in on most of them. Just in the past week or two though, his 2T sweatpants are too short, even, he just won't stop growing! What in the world did parents do before adjustable waistbands!? He is still in a size 7 shoe, but depending on the brand I think he will be wearing 8's when it comes to buying for summer, particularly at places like Old Navy and Target.  

He still has a fabulous head full of hair that his mama (and everyone else) cannot get enough of. The curls are still there, and seem to make themselves more known on wet and humid days. It is rare that I take him anywhere without at least one person commenting on his head of hair. Truly, he has hair that just about any man would envy; it does not look like 'baby hair', if that makes sense. He has some major flow going on, and it is just about too cute to handle. After daddy tried doing his last haircut (and then being told he is never allowed to touch Jackson's hair again), this mama is pretty wary of giving him another cut, but he is going to be due pretty soon, his hair grows so fast!

Eating

He is still quite the picky little eater. Chicken nuggets are still essentially removed from his regular menu, and are reserved for when we go out to eat with him once a month or so. I just can't justify purchasing him a kids meal unless I know he is going to eat it, so nuggets have become a special treat (and a bribe to get him to behave in restaurants!) He really seems to have figured out that if he protests long enough, he will eventually get what he wants, so we have even reached a point where if he refuses the meat/grains/veggies served to him, he does not get fruit. I don't worry when we do this, because he eats so much darn fruit, sometimes I think he might be eating too much. While it packs nutrition, he seems to look at fruit as his 'dessert', so we don't even serve it up until he has at least eaten something else off of his plate. I have to say he is one of the pickiest eaters I have ever seen.

We have gotten him to try and enjoy some new things recently. He discovered that he can 'slurp' his spaghetti noodles, and after months of refusing red sauce, it now appears to be fair game. By incorporating chopped apples, we also were able to get him to eat oatmeal, which was at one point number one on his 'don't you dare serve that to me' list. Depending on his mood, sauteed red peppers and onions seem to be the vegetables he is willing to eat. Anything green is basically not an option to him. In fact, he won't touch kiwi, and I am convinced it is for no other reason than the fact that it is green. He is even picky with meat; he loves chicken nuggets, hot dogs, carved ham, and deli meat, but really wants nothing to do with grilled meats, burgers, or things like baked/sauteed chicken.
Despite being the pickiest of picky eaters, this child inherited a major sweet tooth from his mom and dad. He loves pretty much any fruit, particularly strawberries and raspberries recently. He loves desserts, and will sit and beg for another bite whenever we allow him the opportunity. And, aside from the sweets, he is all about the potato chips! He loves anything super salty. I have been able to get him to eat dried snap peas, which are crunchy and salty like a chip, but actually pretty healthy, so that is good news!
Overall, eating is still a major challenge, but I will say we have made some progress, but not without our fair share of wars first!

Sleep

Sleep is still our nemesis. Big changes were made in the past few months though, the biggest of which was moving him out of his crib entirely and into a twin bed. While this probably wasn't the wisest of thought processes, we figured this would allow us to at least lay with him in his bed when he refuses to lay back down in the middle of the night, rather than coming into our bed. Most nights, this means that I end up in his bed for 1-2 hours, until I wake and make my way back to bed myself. The goal was that even if we were laying by him, perhaps he would get more comfortable in his room. While I wouldn't say we have had a huge amount of success, we have managed to get him to stay in there for the majority of most nights, however he still usually weasels his way into bed with mama around 5am most days. We have had a few all nighters where I wake him from his own bed, and this mama has enjoyed those quiet mornings where I can get ready for work in peace and even make my own bed! While it is happening more frequently, it is definitely not consistent yet. We have just accepted that with the arrival of a new baby who will be sleeping in our room until we move, this will likely be the summer that no one ever sleeps.

On the plus side, he is ridiculously cuddly, wakes up with a huge smile on his face nearly every single day, and is just a joy to have around. It makes the bed hogging and pushing of mom and dad to the edges a bit more tolerable when we are able to wake up to sweet hugs and kisses.

Speech
We are definitely still behind in the speech department, but appear to be making a bit of progress. For months, just about the only thing he would say/babble was 'dadadada'. In fact, he wasn't even saying mama, except for randomly when he would babble while playing. We did have a speech therapist come out and do an assessment, but based on him being totally on track with everything else, they were in no rush and said we didn't qualify for any sort of therapy. In the past few weeks though, he added 'mama' back to his vocabulary, and says it with very clear intent when he is talking to or needs me. He also has been saying 'nah nah' quite a bit, which seems to be used to refer to sleeping, or eating 'nummies'. Other additions recently are not words, but rather sounds, including 'pat pat', and saying letters such as 't', 'g', and 'oooooh', which is just the cutest thing any of us have ever heard. And, as playing with balls outside has become a favorite activity, running through the yard like a mad man exclaiming 'ba ba ba ba' has me pretty convinced that is another addition to the vocabulary!

We have been reading books as much as possible, and doing lots of work on colors and body parts. He is so proud to show off his belly button when asked, of course he MUST to be in the mood to do so. He knows where his nose and toes are, but is less inclined to 'show' us. He loves 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' and lights up when we sing it to him or read the book. He also seems to be picking up on colors, and somewhat identifying when asked for the 'red' ball or the 'blue' toy. He clearly recognizes and understands what we are saying to him, so we just continue to plug away and do whatever we can to prompt him to speak!

Habits 

This little boy takes silliness to the highest level. He is so funny, playful, and happy, and is a joy to be around. Now that the weather is perfect for getting outside, it is all that he wants to do. When it is time to come inside, tears are usually involved. He loves nothing more than grabbing a rubber ball, running through the yard, and down hills while yelling at the top of his lungs. While I hate to admit to it, at 9 months pregnant it has become convenient to essentially play 'fetch' with him..I throw the ball across the yard, and he will run his little legs as quickly as he can to go get it. Great workout to tire out the little guy, and little to no work for mom ;-)
He also is pretty darn into technology. We don't let him have our phones very often, and he gets to play on the tablet once in a blue moon, but he loves him some technology. He likes to press down the main button on our iPhone and talk to Siri, once he hears her voice, he will start yelling passionately (in Jackson jibberish) with his good pal. He also has learned that you hold the phone to your ear, so now you can catch him with any cell phone, house phone, or baby monitor that he can get his hands on. I came home from work this week and Mike wasn't home yet (which almost never happens). Jackson ran upstairs, grabbed a phone, picked it up to his ear and yelled 'DADA' over and over. It was hysterical, and so so cute.

His current favorite thing is trains. I do not know where the obsession came from, because while we have given him toy trains, they are hardly shoved at him, but he will play with them all day, every day. Thomas The Train is his most recent favorite show, and he will drop whatever he is doing the second he hears the theme song. I found a stuffed Thomas pillow/toy for him, and I will catch him from across the room giving Thomas kisses, after which he usually demands I give him kisses, too!
He has definitely been testing his boundaries recently. He loves to crawl up on the coffee table or ledge of the couch, or turn on his dad's video game console, while spending the entire time looking at us and waiting to see how long it will be until we go over and pull him down and give his little tushy a pat. In fact, when he turns on the Xbox, he will stand there literally waiting for his dad to come over and give him a little (harmless) swat to the booty. Clearly our threat of a spanking means nothing to this child! He anticipates it and thinks it is funny. We are definitely reaching a hard point of having to figure out how to discipline him in a way that is effective, yet he understands. If anyone has advice, I would be happy to listen!
Jackson is still obsessed with long hair, and will wake from a deep sleep if I move away and untangle my hair from his little fingers. He also loves to pull blankets over the top of his head, and when we find him he thinks it is the funniest thing that has ever happened.
He absolutely loves prayers at dinner time. We say the Our Father, and it is hilarious to him. Often I can get him to fold his hands, but even if he doesn't, he watches us all so intently, with a coy little smile and usually a few giggles. I cannot wait until he is old enough to participate, and even lead prayer. Speaking of which, we purchased a CD this past month with children's bible songs, and he really seems to enjoy it! He plays it cool, but car rides are definitely more calm when I switch it over to his music, I have noticed. And, I love that the lyrics he is listening to are so sweet, and he is learning the songs that I grew up listening to as a child!

My sweet baby boy, every day with you is such a blessing, and it is crazy to think that our days of you being our only child are coming to an end. While we have loved every minute of having you all to ourselves, and vice versa, I also know that watching you become a big brother and learning to love a sibling is going to be incredible to watch. I hope and pray that you love your baby brother as much as your dad and I love you, and that you always look out for and take care of each other. You are so full of love, and I know that any child that we have is going to be so lucky to grow up with you. You bring more joy and love to our lives than we could have ever imagined, and we consider ourselves so very lucky that God chose us to be your parents. We love you Jax Attack/Squishy/Lover Boy!

Linking up with Jenn, Jessi, and Holly

Poshmark [Linkup]

Happy Tuesday ladies! Due to working an event Sunday, today is technically my Wednesday, and that is reason to celebrate, right!? It is never fun to cut a weekend short, but at least it means I get to kickoff the next weekend that much earlier! Link up with Jenn and I for Talk About It Tuesday, and let us know what is up with you this week!

Today I have to share my love of Poshmark. Have you ladies ever checked it out!? This awesome app allows you to sell your used clothing, as well as buy from others. I don't know about you, but I have brought bags of items to relase stores in my area, and will walk away with $15-20, if I am lucky. Now, that is obviously better than nothing, but I always felt like I was being shortchanged when I thought about how much they were reselling those items for. Poshmark takes the middle man out of the picture, and allows you to sell directly to your buyers!

I recently did a closet clear out, and instead of bringing everything to a resale store, I listed on Poshmark. I have made more money off of four items than I would have made off of an entire bag of goods bringing them in somewhere! The website takes a percentage based on whatever price you list your item at, but then they send you a shipping label that is at no cost to you! You simply pack up your item, I throw in a nice thank you note to my buyer, and you send it off! So easy, and always fun to see that you made a sale. It really is great for allowing you to get value for your items, because who likes getting $5 for a dress you wore once when you spent way more on it? Not me! Trust me, once you start using Poshmark, you won't look bac.

Right now, if you sign up for Poshmark and use this code, you will receive a $10 credit to use online! So not only can you sell your own items, but you can explore what others have as well! Use Code JUWFN for your $10 credit!

Don't forget to grab the button above, link back to Jenn and I, and share your Thoughts today!

Mother's Day Gift Guide

Mother's Day is less than a week away, but that doesn't mean you can't still get to shopping for the most special lady in your life. Thank goodness for Amazon Prime and Nordstrom for their speedy quick shipping, am I right ;-) As a relatively new mama myself, I rounded up some goodies that I personally would not be bummed to see next Sunday, hint hint loved ones! We really place more value on spending time together than gifts when it comes to these types of holidays, but sometimes a little thought goes a long way with a gift!

Lip Scrub//Tote//Clarisonic// Ring //Body Scrub // Gloss

I am all about a good body scrub, especially when it smells like delicious essential oils. Perfect for a little calming and relaxation, particularly when a shower or bath is likely the only minutes of peace and quiet a mama of young ones gets all day!

This lip scrub is absolutely delicious, and in fact it was a gift to my mother in the past. It comes in a whole variety of flavors, but grapefruit is always high on my list, it is so refreshing. This stuff will leave your lips ridiculously soft and tasting delicious, which may result in extra kisses from the littles :-)

Ever since becoming a mother, I find that I have a hard time 'splurging' on items for myself. I buy new clothing items (on clearance 99% of the time) and essentials like face wash and drugstore makeup (again, I am cheap!) but nothing high end of 'unnecessary'. I have always thought the Clarisonic is great, and whenever I have gotten a facial and they use this I definitely notice a difference! This little gadget is great to treat the most special lady in your life to something she probably won't treat herself to!

Hear me loud and clear; once you become a mama, big purses  become your life. Treat the mama in your household to a darling tote like the one above, lots of pockets, and plenty of room!  The fact that it can be worn on the shoulder or carried with the handles is a major plus, too!

Another little splurge item that is great for mom is something like this Bobbi Brown lipgloss. I am all about the $3 glosses from my local Walgreens, but there is just something special about using something a bit more high end on occasion. This is another fun treat that I usually won't buy for myself, but definitely wouldn't say no to!

Finally, this has been one of my favorite gifts to date. A mother's ring means so much, and this style is so simple, and best of all, they are 'stackable'. I wear my ring with Jackson's birth stones in it every single day, and am already eager to add to the same finger with this new baby's birth stone (which is looking to most definitely end up being an emerald for May!) It is a perfect reminder every single day of the most important job she has ever had :-)

Any other great mother's day gifts you have gifted or been given? I would love to hear!

Linking up with Biana today!