Friday Favorites-First of 2017!

Okay. Most weeks drag and I am so ready for the weekend. And while I am always up for my days off, I cannot believe how fast this week went by. I had Monday off, and was entirely out of the office Tuesday and Wednesday at a training, and then gone in meetings all day yesterday. I literally have not seen my desk in a week, even though I wasn't on vacation. For the first time in a while, I am feeling a little frazzled and trying to play catch up! Cheers to the weekend, and surviving our sub-zero temperatures that have me wanting to cuddle up under the blankets and never get out of my yoga pants.

1. Eating better
I am not the best at following diets. I was pregnant. Then nursing. Then pregnant again. And now am still nursing. So I really have not been able to just be 'normal' in my diet in habits for quite some time. But they got bad the past few months. Like, eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and usually including pizza and ice cream on the regular. But this week Mike and I both decided to kick it into gear and really make a conscious effort to eat better. Not a diet, but a change. I am still going to have a drink or two on the weekends. I am still enjoying something sweet at night, but I am maybe having one salted caramel instead of an entire bowl of ice cream. And we would die without pizza. Die. But we agreed that once or twice a month is doable instead of once or twice a week. A few days of watching what we eat and adding in more vegetables, and I seriously already feel better. Less bloated. Fewer cravings. Empowered because I had to leave to get lunch this week, and resisted the drive thru even though the waffle fries were calling my name. I will never say I am going to eat nothing but chicken and veggies, because food is one of our greatest gifts, in my opinion. It has the power to bring people together, let us experience new things, and challenges us when it comes to trying new recipes. But for the first time in what I can honestly say is a very long time, I really am feeling good about how I am eating!


2. Sweater
It is absolutely freezing here, and unfortunately winter is the most dragged out season ever, so there is no end in sight for us right now. While the weather makes it hard to enjoy being outdoors, it is a good excuse to load up on as many cute and cozy sweaters as possible. This option just came out and I am absolutely swooning. Love the color, love the braided detail, love it all. I am basically obsessed with everything that BP makes!


3. Surf Spray
So my sister works in a salon, and was able to score me some surf spray about a year ago at a killer price. I became totally hooked and surf spray has replaced hairspray in my routine. It is great for adding some texture after you style your hair with a curling iron, but also is great for days you don't have time to do your hair (because as a working mom I can tell you that happens a ridiculous amount of the time) to add a little bit of style to totally undone locks. Enter surf spray. It smells delicious, adds great texture, and is less than $5. My sister who has more hair and makeup products that I can count tried it out, and she is hooked now too! I am not knocking the more expensive stuff, but for every day, this stuff is seriously amazing!


4. Cocktails
For whatever reason, we have never tried out making our own cocktails. Sure we have wine on hand, and I love to mix up my Malibu and Diet. But really cocktails? Nope, never on our radar. And then we built our house, and magically have a newfound desire to do all of those traditional 'homey' things that adults are supposed to do. Mike got me a cocktail kit for Christmas, and we just added this shaker as well! I love that it allows you to line up different drinks and shows you the exact ingredients. It is seriously built in recipes, which is the best! We bought ingredients for blueberry long island iced teas, and I cannot wait to give mixing one up a try!


5. Babies
My kids are just really cute. And lately it has reached the point that I cannot even handle it. Babies in jammies. Babies wearing mismatched shoes. Babies snuggling up with me to watch cartoons. My heart is full, and my boys are everything.

Hope you all have a great weekend, and are able to stay warm!

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

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Confession

It has been a while since I posted a good old 'fess sesh. Which is such a bummer, because some of my absolute favorite posts to write are mind dumps. So much is constantly going on, I love nothing better than getting a little bit off of my chest!

I confess..

I hate brushing my toddler's teeth. Like, HATE it. At least half of the time, he outright refuses to participate. If he is in the mood, he repeatedly asks for more toothpaste because he wants to eat it, and maybe, just maybe, with a little bit of force and crying, a few of those pearly whites get brushed. I hate it!

On a similar note, I also really do not like bath time! We have never given our kids daily baths, in part because living in Minnesota, their dry baby skin really does not need it. When we have those 'off' nights, the nights that the inevitable baths must happen feel cut short, and it just feels like work. This could be due to the fact that Lincoln screamed bloody murder for every single bath he had for the first six months of his life. During that time, not only did I dread bath time, but I truly feared it He loves it now (go figure), but I just do not have any fuzzy feelings around that little hygiene ritual.

January is far and away my least favorite month out of the year. February is also brutally cold, but at least it only has 28 days and March is right around the corner. March usually has tons of snow, but there are a few warm days mixed in there as a preview to spring. But January? Cold. Snow. So little sunlight. And no end in sight. I have been burning candles non stop and am decorating my mantle for Valentine's Day this week #sorrynotsorry just to help pull me through. Minnesota winters. They are not for the faint of heart.

I majorly fell off the wagon with my eating over the past six months or so. I dropped the baby weight, and with nursing just didn't feel the need to be very conscious of my eating. But even though I dropped the weight, I have just feel 'blegh'. I am hopeful to get back into working out when life allows me to, but in the meantime like every other person on the planet I used January 1st as an opportunity to eat better. I have chosen to not get Chick Fil A for lunch, have not ordered a coffee that wasn't black, and have eaten a good amount of veggies. And while three days is not much, I seriously feel SO much better already. I may be crazy, but I feel like in a matter of a few days my body has already gotten rid of so many toxins and junk.

The hardest part of eating healthy is pizza. Pizza is everything, and I will probably never fully quit it.

I want to start a boutique. I would love to have a small shop, sell fun fashion finds, and manage the inventory. But alas, I have a full time job that supports my family well, a new house to think about, and somehow I don't think it would be the best call to throw in the towel and invest in a new project. If I ever find a money tree though, I will totally quit my day job and pursue being a shop owner.

While I am watching my food and what I drink in things like coffee, when I do decide to treat myself, the salted caramel boudino from Caribou Coffee is the best. drink. ever. It is so ridiculously delicious, I could drink them every single day.

Christmas may be 11 months away, but my boys already have three pairs of jammies for next year. I am sure I will grab a new pair when next season rolls around, but I got them some from The Gap, originally nearly $50, and with discounts and my rewards they were only $10 a piece!

Linking up with Annie today!

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Hopes for 2017

I am never the biggest fan of Mondays. This one is more my speed, because Mike and I are both off of work and have plans to tackle taking down all of the Christmas decorations. Not only that, but despite the cliché of it all, something about the new year and the fresh start that it brings leaves me feeling excited and hopeful.

 

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I have never been big into resolutions. I hate to set goals, especially unrealistic ones, that inevitably come crashing down after a tough day or two. I set some resolutions last year, and guess what, I don't think I can say I was successful in any of them. While they are all admirable, positive goals that were designed to improve our lives, sometimes it is just hard to change more than a thing or two, especially when it is more long term. Sometimes life throws you a curve, like a baby going through a difficult phase that makes going to church nearly impossible. Or pregnancy leaves you with so little energy you can barely brush your teeth, let alone make it to the gym five days a week. Life happens, and that's okay.
You know what I can commit to working on this year? To being better. To spend more time with my boys. To cherish my husband and remember, even on the hard days, that no relationship in my life is more important and he deserves my time, my energy, and my love. I want to be a good employee. I want to be a person who friends can turn to, and who colleagues and complete strangers enjoy being around.
I want to be kind to myself. I want to get better at knowing my limits, and asking for help. I hope to continue to grow and improve in my role as a mother, and to remember that the best thing for my children is for me to be in my best possible state of body and mind. I want to learn to be selfish a little bit more, while also being more aware of when to unplug, tune in and be wholly present.
I have high hopes that 2017 will be a year that I grow and get to know myself better. Less going through the motions, and more awareness and appreciation for this life that I have been blessed with. I may not have a list of resolutions this year, but I do have a theme I intend to live by. To be better.
Let's do this 2017, I'm coming at ya!

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Friday Favorites: The last of 2016

I cannot for one second believe that this is my final post of 2016. Where did this year go!? Time has just absolutely flown by. I have high hopes for 2017, and am praying it is a year of calm, cool, and collected normalcy! I can't kiss this year goodbye without a favorites post, so adieu, 2016, and hello to 2017 and a whole new year of memories!


1. Garland
Okay. Please don't hate me. But Target just rolled out their Valentine's Day goodies! The dollar spot is now all pink, hearts, and glitter. And I am not complaining. I really dislike winter, but I enjoy that transition into February where the days start getting a little bit longer, and it is acceptable to cover everything in my favorite color pink. One of my favorite features of our new house is the mantle, and I have decided to have some sort of banner or garland hanging on it year round. Target has some of the cutest garland in stores right now, including pink and red poms, and some incredible tassel garland. We will be taking down our Christmas things this week, and I think we will have some pink in our house pretty darn soon!


2. Blanket Scarf
Obviously this trend is huge right now, and I love my classic blanket scarf that I have. I just snagged this berry one yesterday, and with the sales going on at Express right now it was only $14! I love the colors and think it is such a fun change of pace from the other colors I have seen. And I think it will go with so many things, perfect for accessorizing when the frozen tundra that I live in hits -50 degrees this winter.


3. Squinty Smiles
Lincoln is entering the sweetest stage (of course I am biased, because I basically think every stage is the sweetest). In the past week, he has started doing my all time favorite 'ugly smile' that Jackson used to do! He scrunches up his nose and closes his eyes like he just heard the funniest thing. And he will do it at everything, all of the time. The ceiling fan, characters on TV, his brother, the wall..it is so so cute, and brings back so many memories. It is one of the cutest little habits, so if you need to find me, I will likely be over here dancing and doing any ridiculous thing I can think of to coax one of his cheesy grins out.

4. Sweater
This is a total repeat from last week, but the Nordstrom sale is still going on, and this sweater is perfection! I wore it on Christmas, and it was so soft and cozy, and not one bit itchy, which is the ultimate deal breaker for me! The black/green option is marked below $25, and I snagged my red version for $26. Totally worth it, and such a great piece that can be dressed up or down!

5. Blog Projects
I have some changes and fun things in the works for the blog in 2017! I have put so much time into this little space and it has grown into something that I love so much. I am so excited to have some opportunities to make it bigger and better, and to broaden my horizons a bit. Look out for some fun posts in January and February!


Happy New Year to you all! Thank you for following along with my blog over the past few years, or for stopping by if you are new! I hope everyone has an incredible NYE. We will likely be snuggled up in pajamas and drinking mojitos by the fire before falling asleep well before midnight!

"Should auld acquaintance be forgot,

And never brought to mind

Should auld acquaintance be forgot

And days o' auld lang syne!"

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



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2016 In Review: Part II

The second half of 2016 has truly been the fast six months of my entire life. I swear, I blinked and it was gone. It becomes more painfully real every day just how fleeting time truly is, especially once you have children. We have had a lot of sweet memories in the past few months, and I know they will only get sweeter as our boys grow.

July

We celebrated the 4th of July at home. Or rather, at my in-laws house. It is still so crazy to me to realize that we lived there for a year. It already feels like a lifetime ago! We really did have some sweet memories from our time spent together, and I grew to know my mother in law so much better because of the experience. Despite all of the challenges, so much good came out of living in extremely close quarters with them! And, a confession: we are total scaredy-cats when it comes to traveling or getting adventurous with our kiddos. Lincoln was in the peak of his crying/screaming/difficult stage, and no way were we being subjected to a long car ride with him and his set of lungs in the backseat. We made the most of being home and had a fun day!

 

I wrote one final post as we were wrapping up the house. Those final weeks were the most painful, because we were so close to moving, and yet it felt so far. I have not made it past 38 weeks in pregnancy, but I think those final weeks before moving were my karma, because it felt like the longest few weeks of my life!

August

I went back to work the first day of August, and while it is never fun to give up that time off, I will say that after adjusting to life with two under two, some days going back almost felt like a bit of a vacation! Of course, I also spend many days wishing I could stay home with my boys. It all depends how those first thirty minutes of our morning goes ;-) Not only did I go back to work, but I got a new job! It made going back a bit easier, because there was excitement and anticipation for a new role ahead of me.

Days later, our sweet Jackson turned two! I realized I never posted a recap of his birthday party, so will now take the opportunity to unload all of the party pics that never made it to the blog. #sorrynotsorry He has been a huge Thomas the Train fan, so this party was truly on Thomas overload. We received about 8379 trains, I think.

 

We moved into our new house on August 12th! It was such a huge deal, and seriously felt like Christmas morning. I was kind of emotional unpacking all of my dishes and items, I had not seen them in so long, and I missed my coffee mugs! I wrote a post on the home building process, and really walked through everything from square one. I enjoyed writing it, and if you are considering building at all, I hope it provides some insight as to what goes into it all.
I capped off the month with saying RIP iphone, as I accidentally tossed it in the wash. So in case you are looking for me, you can reach me on my IPhone 5, which has zero space left and somehow has to last me until next fall!

September

September was a fun month. We were settling into our new house, and finally feeling things get into the swing of our new normal. We took a long weekend to take Jackson to the Minnesota state fair. He loved seeing all of the farm animals, and we loved trying out the food! It was the first time we have gone in years, and we really had no idea what we were doing. We need to be more strategic next time to make sure we hit up all of the food we want to try!

I talked about my postpartum body and my ups and downs with losing the baby weight. I have been fortunate to bounce back fairly quickly after having babies, but can say that my experience following my second versus first pregnancy were definitely different! It is so important to give ourselves grace and know it is okay if it takes a bit of time.

We spent September celebrating our birthdays, having another kid free night to attend a friend's wedding, and soaking up sweet days with our kiddos.

October

We celebrated our anniversary. I cannot believe we have already been married for three years, and together for seven! And then, I look at all we have done in the past three years, and can't believe how we have fit it all in!

I did a fun collaboration and tried out some new bottles for Lincoln, and they totally changed the game when it came to others feeding him when I wasn't around!

I finally got around to doing a house tour and shared our home before moving anything in. To this day I love to look back and remember how it looked in those final days when we were so excited to move in!

We hosted our first party in our new house, in celebration of Lincoln's baptism. Our sweet boy, who has quite the temper, ended up being a perfect angel throughout his entire baptism. We had so much fun having everyone over to our house, and celebrating our littlest man being forgiven of his sins.

November

I blinked, and suddenly Lincoln was 6 months old. He grew and changed so much this fall, outgrowing his colic (and possibly reflux) and becoming so much more happy and content.

I did a little fall home tour, and had so much fun beginning to decorate. I cannot wait to build and add to our décor a bit as the years go by. We also celebrated Thanksgiving and enjoyed spending some time with our families.

December

I figured we were due for another update, so I did some talking about Jackson at 28 months. This fall he started talking up a storm, doing imaginative play, and becoming so much more interactive. I think I say this at every age, but two year old Jackson is the sweetest thing I have ever experienced.

I shared a holiday home tour, and am still enjoying our decorations. I am so in love with our mantle and Christmas tree, I don't ever want to take them down!

I did some reflecting and shared my thoughts on where this blog is going. I love hearing your feedback, and as I continue to write and share my life with all of you who follow along, I want to be as intentional as possible in sharing our world and experiences.
After it sitting in a bag for the longest time, I started playing around with the camera to start capturing some better photos. And now that I have some of it figured out, I can say with confidence I need to stop stealing the one that my sister has and get my own. It is so much fun to capture high quality images, especially of my boys!

We wrapped up the year by celebrating Christmas, and I think that this year was the best one yet. Both of my boys are at such sweet stages, and this was the first year that we started to see the magic in Jackson's eyes. Watching him experience Santa, fall in love with his beloved snowmen, and get so excited about old traditions made my heart feel so incredibly full. Being a mama is the greatest blessing I have ever been given, and this year packed in more challenging and rewarding mommy moments than I could have imagined.

2016, you were difficult, hard, overwhelming, and so incredibly good. I know that this will be a year that I look back on and ask how we possibly did it, and yet it will also be the year that I look back on and remember when it all felt like it finally came together. I know 2017 will be very different than the past year, in a good way. Goodbye 2016, I am sad to see you go, but I am also so ready to move onto our next chapter.

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