[Blogtember Challenge] Real me vs online me

I am not going to say that I lie about my life on the blog, but here is the thing; we usually don't use this little space as a place to hold bad memories. When I look at my blog, I love to see pictures, special moments, and memories of how I felt in those special moments. There are a few areas of life that I really do not show on the blog. Like, ever. And, for that reason, I obviously am not going to dive into great detail in those areas today. But, I think that to touch base and be honest is refreshing, and hopefully some readers can relate and realize that we all have struggles!

1. Online me: coordinated outfits, put together. Real me: this is somewhat true. Only because I have a job. With a dress code. Often in the public eye where people recognize me (to a certain extent) and I have a program reputation to uphold. However, as I type this I am rocking wet slept on hair that dried on the pillow with my bangs pinned back, because getting out of bed was not more important than a few extra minutes of shuteye and baby snuggles this morning.

2. Online me: perfectly happy family, marriage, kids, etc. Real me: I love my family, marriage, and child. However, me and my husband fight. In fact, the man has a tendency to gravitate towards disagreeing, mostly because he just enjoys disagreeing. He should have been a lawyer, seriously. I adore my child, but sometimes on the weekend, I escape to the mall with absolutely no intentions of purchasing anything, because I just need two hours by myself. And while I love my parents and siblings, our issues, drama, and disagreements are for real. We all come together and love one another, but to say we all greet every conversation with a warm smile and a hug would be a total lie.

3. Online me: optimistic, happy, grateful. Real me: Sometimes, I am grumpy. And short. And would prefer people didn't talk to me. Not all of the time, but you better believe it happens. I don't hold grudges forever, but I often have a hard time letting go of things. I am happy and grateful for the life I have, but sometimes I get jealous of others and wonder why I can't have it all, all of the time. I occasionally get bitter that staying home with my child really isn't an option. Life is what you make it. Wrapping around to the beginning of this post, I think this point is the perfect highlight for why I choose to highlight the good emotions here. To put positive thoughts down really helps me realize all that I have to be grateful for.

4. Online me: organized, a planner. Real me: I am a planner to the extreme, but I am not organized. I like to set goals and can plan for an event a year down the line to every last detail, but good luck getting me to keep my house spotless or remember where I put that receipt I was supposed to keep track of. I am slowly working on developing a system and being more on top of things, but mama needs some major work in that department.

5. Online me: crafty. Real me: crafty. What you see on the blog there is real. I love to craft, particularly when it involves copious amounts of glitter. Yes, nearly all of my crafts (minus crocheting) involve glitter. In fact, I do more crafting at home than I document on the blog. I need to get to work on that one!

Really, I try to be as transparent as possible here on the blog. I have written about some struggles because sometimes I know that it helps for others to be able to know they may not be the only one. But for the most part, this is a place where I love to remember happy times, events, and just maybe my good hair days!! 

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[Blogtember Challenge] 5 most impactful books

First off, bad blogger raise your hand or totally falling off the challenge wagon this weekend. Yep, that's me. We have one too many BIG things going on this weekend, and sitting down to blog just did not happen. Saturday was my sister in laws baby shower I helped to host, and I was literally there setting up and tearing down all day. And Sunday, I may have been packing a few boxes and taking a nap. Like I said, lots of stuff happening around here that I am still needing to share. Life is plenty hectic right now is all I can say! I am back for my five most impactful books today!

1. The bible. I really wouldn't have much purpose for living without this one. I am not devoted in cracking it open on the regular, though I wish I was. But the book is what my life basically revolves around.
2. the jungle. I read this my senior year of high school and ended up becoming a vegetarian. Think 1920s slaughter house before any FDA or OSHA existed. Seriously such a heart wrenching, hard book to read. I am back on the meat eating wagon, but am definitely much more conscious and aware of what goes into preparing my foods.

3. The princess diaries. Around age 15, I read this series on repeat. I loved I. I still love it. Girl power and warm fuzzies for the win.

4. One Tuesday Morning. By Karen Kingsbury. Two identical strangers both at the twin towers and, you guessed it, one lives, the other dies, and somehow they get swapped. How the living stranger impacts the wife of the other though is brilliant. I adored this book (and the rest of of the series!!)

5. I love you through and through. Yes this is a baby book. And my sons one and only favorite. We ready it multiple times a night, he helps me turn the pages, and flips it over prompting me to start all over every time we finish, until he decides he is ready to sleep and he pushes it away and turns into my chest for cuddles. I have never loved reading a book more than this one.

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[Blogtember Challenge] My Ideal Day: Coastal Living

I am a midwest girl, born and raised. I have spent more time in the snow than any person should have to endure in their entire lifetime, and I honestly don't care for it. Not that this matters much. Unless something entirely unexpected happens, I have zero intentions of ever moving out of Minnesota. Besides, our spring and fall seasons [mostly] make up for the terrible winters.

Due to subzero temperatures and roads covered in ice, winter is when most Minnesotans try to 'get away'. We spent a lot of time fantasizing about warmer, sunnier days in the midst of the dreariness that is February. I would love to go to Europe, see the sights, experience the culture in Greece, and all of the good things that go along with those countries. My ideal day, though, wouldn't be in that trip. My ideal day is one where, at the end, I lay down relaxed, smiling, and happy.

While it may seem simple, I would love nothing more than a day in southern California along the shore. Not because it is thrilling, a notch on the bucket list, or extravagant. Rather, a day like this is all about my favorite things. Nothing makes me happier than strapping my little guy into his stroller and going for a walk. Add in an ocean view and the salty breeze, and I would do it all day, every day.

I am also a lover of window shopping and boutiques. To spend an afternoon in a coastal town checking out shops that aren't available to me at home just tickles me pink.

Also, the dress code. Swimsuit, cover up, flip flops, sundresses. I love it all. Comfortable and casual, but still stylish. Nothing makes me happier than throwing on a new sundress for a lazy afternoon.

Of course, I would hit up whatever coffee shop happened to be along the boardwalk, and enjoy one (or three) iced lattes throughout the day. I would take my baby to splash in the ocean and build sand castles. I would watch my husband and son play while I dozed for a quick nap in my beach chair.

After the sun makes its way beneath the horizon and dusk settles in, I would enjoy dinner al fresco with my loves, and my little man would be a perfectly behaved angel the entire time (again, this is my ideal day, which means my son behaves exactly how I want him to!) I would have a mojito in hand and fresh seafood in front of me.

Really, this dream day is simple, and something that many of you southern ladies get to indulge in much more often than I could ever imagine. The beach just does something good for the soul. My ideal day is simply relaxation, mother nature, and obviously, some coffee. Now that I have the fantasy going, who wants to book this trip for me!?

Linking up for the #blogtemberchallenge and What's Hap-pinning today!

 

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[Blogtember Challenge] Blog Name

One of the things I struggled with most when starting my blog was what it should be called. What would I write about? Should my writings reflect my topics? I seriously sat there just contemplating the name for hours. Finally, I settled on a name, 'Style, Food, and Family'. I liked it, it had a flow, and most importantly, it reflected what I 'thought' I would write about. The thing with blogging, though, is I honestly don't think you know what you will enjoy writing about most until you dive into it. And, despite my love of cooking and baking, blogging about these things just doesn't happen often. After awhile, I realized the word 'food' really had no place in the name of the blog. I still try, on occasion, to throw in a recipe here or there, but I am not a 'foodie' blogger. Nope, not this girl. 

Recently, as in within the past few weeks I made the decision to finally change over my name. The 'Stang' portion is pretty self explanatory (hello last name). The &Co piece comes from all of the people outside of our family that we do life with; grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, you name it. To me, my blog name is really our family, and everything we encounter along the ride. It's a crazy, often sleepless adventure we are on, but the name is fitting and can grow in change as our family grows and changes, too!

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[Blogtember Challenge] Favorites for a Friday Night In

I have been excited for this post, because nights in are kind of my thing. Not that this is always necessarily a choice. Little people tend to dictate what time you can go out, how late you can stay out, and ever more importantly, how late you can sleep in in the morning. Our new normal for Friday nights is relaxed and low-key, just the way we like it.

1. Pizza. Pizza is a must. I am embarrassed to admit how much pizza gets eaten in our household, but we just love it. SO. MUCH. It is a pretty safe bet that on a Friday night, one of us is running to town (because of course no one delivers to where we live) for a pizza from one of our favorite spots. Gary's and Little Caesars usually win out, but Dimaggios, Mastonis, and Pizza Hut all make it into the rotation, too.
2. Bath time. Not for us, obviously! This is a PG rated blog ;-) Our little guy loves bath time, and there is something so nice about getting him squeaky clean and fresh as we settle down for a weekend off. And of course, after bath time comes the baby jammies, which I can never get enough of. Not ever.
3. Shark Tank. New episodes come back into rotation this month, and I am pumped. Especially after Jackson was first born last fall, we would cozy up pretty much every Friday night to watch the Sharks do their damage on innocent entrepeneurs.
On the occasional night where Mike goes out to do something but I stay in, I use Fridays for all of my guilty pleasures; Say Yes to the Dress, Four Weddings..basically wedding shows. Mike judges that I watch these because I am already, well, you know...married. But check out my bucket list from earlier this week and you will see that my obsession with wedding shows is simply preparing me for my future career!
4. Brownies. Homemade brownies. I have shared this recipe before, and I challenge anyone to find a better recipe. They turn out so perfect every time that I make them, and are just delicious. Is there anything better than a day ended with pizza and brownies a la mode? 
5. Candles. I love me some candles. Especially now that we are getting back into fall weather, there is nothing cozier than a dark house with a Bath and Body Works candle flickering. Don't even get me started on their Christmas candles, the anticipation is already killing me! 
6. No work. This is a big one. As I finish up my last semester of grad school, it is safe to say that most weekends involve at least some kind of reading/paper writing/studying. It is exhausting. But Friday nights, those are my night off. I do not crack a book, I do not run around folding laundry and organizing. I relax. I am lazy. I don't. do. anything. Friday's are for fun, and for this mommy fun means throwing responsibility out the window for five hours.

What do you all do on a Friday night in!? I am always looking for ideas to spice up our obviously spicy life! :-)

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

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[Blogtember Challenge] My Bucket List

To be honest, bucket lists have never really been my 'thing'. I have hopes and dreams, but writing them down is difficult for me. Perhaps it is because when I look at it I see the things that I have missed, and not the thigns I have achieved. I am not always a glass half full person, and to see all of the things I want to do but haven't isn't always the easiest for me. However, I decided to suck it up for the challenge and put down some of the things I hope to accomplish in this life, and looking at it now, I feel good and motivated. Maybe bucket lists aren't so bad after all!

1. Go to Greece. This is the top of the bucket list. I would love, love, love to see this country. Something about the combination of both European and Middle Eastern culture fascinates me. And hello Santorini. Any girl who grew up during the era of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants era wants to go there, and if you say you don't, you are lying.

 

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2. Take a road trip. I have always driven to a destination, spent my time there, and driven home. I would love to hop in the car and have the drive be part of the trip. Ideally, I would love to hit up the Rockies and west coast; I am thinking drive through the mountains to Seattle, then work my way down the seaboard, ending in Southern California so Mike and I can live out our fantasy lives in the OC with Ryan and Marissa. #goals

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3. Run a half marathon. I have zero desire to ever, and I mean EVER run a marathon, but I think I would feel a major sense of accomplishment if I could do a half marathon. My typical runs that I try to manage a few times a week are 3, 4 miles tops, so right in that 5K distance. I am not a fast runner, and I will never win a race. But a half marathon, or maybe even a 10K would be a cool opportunity to push myself past my current comfort zone with my running.
4. Build my own house. Throughout our home buying/selling process (which is still a work in progress) we realized that in building a house, you have total control. We walked through a few houses that we liked, minus the kitchen. Or minus the walls and bedroom that needed desparate remodeling. Or despite the lack of walk in closets. But guess what? When you build a house, you literally can pick the floor plan and design you want to a T. I am not ignorant, and know that a whole new set of headaches and stress comes with home building, but once we started digging into floor plans, I quickly realized that building is likely the only route we can go, because we can have exactly what we want.
5. Dance with my son at his wedding. I truly started thinking about this moment before he was even born. And already it gets me choked up. I picture my tall, dark, and handsome Jax walking away from me to another, and I about lose it. But that moment of dancing with him makes me so happy to think about, because I know he will always be my baby, and I hope and pray he always adores me like he does now. There is no love like the love a mother has for her son [except maybe the love a mother has for her daughter ;-)]
6. See Wicked. We saw Phantom of the Opera at the Orpheum in Minneapolis two years ago, and absolutely LOVED it. Mike bought the CD and played that soundtrack to the point that I could barely stand to hear it. My football loving, jersey wearing, construction working hubby loves musicals, who knew? Wicked is at the top of my list. The next time it comes to town, I will have tickets in hand, without a doubt.
7. Own a wedding dress shop. Okay, this is more of a drema than a bucket list item, but if I could quit my dayjob and had the money to do it, I would 100% love to be a wedding dress boutique owner. I love the fashions and trends in bridal, and how amazing that every day of work you will be witnessing women as they go through a once in a lifetime moment! And also, so. many. sparkles.

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8. Be a boss. I am not getting my MBA because I think the letters are pretty and I like the way it sounds (of course I do, to both of those things). I want to be a leader. I want to inspire. I want to find that work-life balance where, despite stress and struggles, I put my family first, but come home from work feeling accomplished and like I am making a difference and having a positive impact on others. I will get there, because I have decided I will.
9. Be 'that house' during the holidays. You know, glitter, garland, twinkle lights, the whole nine yards. I grew up in a house that was decked out for the holidays, and honestly, when I go to the homes of relatives and friends who do little to nothing, it makes me sad. It almost feels like their homes suck the holiday cheer right out of me. That will not be me. I want my kids to spend the holidays waking up every morning and feeling magical, excited to hop down the stairs and see what surprises may be awaiting them. Nothing beats the holidays, and I am going to do them right.

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10. Swim with dolphins. I don't keep a bucket list. Really. BUT, this was literally my one and only bucket list item forever, and I got to check it off the list on our honeymoon. As soon as we had booked the trip, I told my husband I would be doing this, no questions asked. I did, and it was awesome. I will say, it wasn't quite as incredible of an experience as I had always dreamed of, but swimming with those sweet guys was the best. One kept swimming off to the corner and refusing to come play, and it completely reminded me of a five year old pouting in the corner. Watching their tricks, seeing how intelligent they were, and also importantly, how loved they were by the staff was just the greatest.

Really, my bucket list is simple, and I don't have much for big, crazy dreams. I am just not a big, crazy dreamer of a person. I do truly hope I can accomplish every last thing listed above, because those are the little things that I know make for a happy family and a happy life. #lifegoals for the win.

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[Blogtember Challenge] Letter to 16 Year Old Me

How fitting is this topic for today's post. Today, I celebrate my birthday. My 26th birthday. My sweet sixteen was an entire decade ago, which is hard to comprehend, because sometimes sixteen feels like yesterday. When did I become an adult old enough and auhorized to give advice to a teenager? I continue to be more amazed every day at the ability of time to fly by so quickly you don't even realize that it is happening. While most of me would never want to be a teenager again, there is always that tiny piece that reflects back and truly thinks, man I had it made. So here it is, the letter to sixteen year old me, in all its glory.

Mackensey,

I know a lot of things are happening in life right now, and sometimes it seems overwhelming and crazy. Sixteen is a happy, confusing time, but it is so, so wonderful. The memories you are making right now are memories that you will look back on and smile. And while you may think you know more than your parents (which likely will not change as you grow up, I must say), I do have some very important advice for you.

1. Take advantage of every academic opportunity that comes your way. Internships, scholarships, advanced classes, jobs that are the pathway to the career you want. Do. it. all. Those experiences are invaluable and will help provide you with the experiences you need to be exactly who you want to be.

2. Be wise about boys. You are going to stumble across some bad apples, make some bad decisions, and ask yourself why you wasted your time. While all of these boys are preparing you for your one and only, always put yourself first, and realize that no man should make you feel like less than perfect.

3. Soak up every minute at home with your family. I know you are already excited to move out and 'be an adult', but once you leave, it is just never quite the same. Home will always provide comfort and a safe place, but it will change from being 'your home' to 'the home you grew up in'. Soak up those special memories with mom and dad and your siblings, and give that puppy lots of cuddles and loving (because one day your baby is going to take her place as the baby of the house).

4. Eat all the food. Your metabolism will never be what it is today, so enjoy those late night pizzas and wine coolers that you know you are sneakily trying to drink on the weekends. You will always love pizza, but your thighs won't!

5. Do what is best for you, and not what others tell you is best for you. Never question your judgement and gut feelings, because they are right. Don't allow your judgement to be clouded by parents, boyfriends, or friends. At the end of the day, it is you and Jesus, and if the two of you can rest knowing you are happy with the decisions you have made, that is truly all that matters.

6. When mom wants to buy you clothes, let her. One day you will have to buy your own clothes, and trust me when I say clothes bought by mom are the best clothes.

7. Love every minute of dance team. You will have days where you want to quit, and days where you think it is a negative experience and isn't worth your time. But if there is one thing from high school you will look back on and be so glad that you did, it will be joining the dance team.

8. Watch Laguna Beach, eat ice cream sundaes, and go to Caribou Coffee on Monday nights with Ally as much as you possibly can. That girl is a friend you will keep, so take care of that friendship, because she is a gem.

9. Never say never. Always know that one door may open another. A friendship might not last forever, but it might be what leads you to your own forever. Every experience you have is setting you up for the rest of your life.

10. You are going to have failures, and times where you think that you aren't getting what you want. But you are going to have it all one day. You are going to wake up ten years from now on your 26th birthday, and pinch yourself as you look at your husband, beautiful baby, and the projects in the works for your lives and wonder how you got so lucky. Every rejection, heartbreak, and failure is leading you to exactly where you need to be. So hold on tight and enjoy the ride, because sixteen is truly the time where you are making the decisions that set you up for the rest of your life!

Love,

A wiser, more diet conscious, sleep-deprived, happy 26 year old you

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