Spring (So Far) Photo Dump

I know I've been away for a long time. I've told myself, time and time again, that this is just going to have to be what it is until I figure out how to manage all.the.things. Clearly, I haven't figured it out, yet. When you have a recipe for success in being Superwoman, please let me know. Thanks! For now, I'll just update y'all on a few of the goings on during the spring season.

I got my nails done. Twice. I can hardly believe I carved out time to do something nice for myself. Looking back, that first one was really ugly and badly done. Second time around, I asked for much shorter nails and opted for a punchy hue (Cajun Shrimp by OPI- one of my summer go-tos) and a simple gold fleck accent nail.

Three generations of manicures: My mom, Sadie, and I went to get our nails done the day before Easter. I stepped to the restroom while S was giving her manicurist instructions. Had I been beside her, I would've suggested that she not make the middle finger her accent nail. But, she's five, and she knows what she wants.

A few weeks ago, I was really sick. REALLY sick. The girls enjoyed several days of movies and snacks. I think this was day 2 or 3 and they are clearly in the zone.

 Said sickness:

This mommy is a sucker for matching or coordinating outfits. The girls donned matching bicycle shirts, sneakers, and flared jeans from Carters, c/o of Gigi and Pop (my parents). They'll only let me do this for so long, so I'm just going to eat it up until Sadie realizes what's going on and doesn't think it's cute, anymore.

 On a rainy day, I took the girls to a new pet store in town (Sweet Pets). I just wanted something to do and I heard there were bunnies and a chinchilla that they could pet. We walked away with Finn, the beta... And a bamboo plant that cost more than him.

 Whilst in the throws of hemming many, many pairs of pants and dresses that have been hanging, useless, in my closet for months, I decided to take a nod from my friend, Jackie, and cut up one of hubster's shirts. I made this adorable shirt dress for Sadie and added a light blue ribbon belt to match the AE bird and pinstripe.

 My MIL visited two weeks ago and, on the way to the park, Norah passed out in the carseat. While Grandma took Sadie to play, I took a selfie to show off my new foundation and eye makeup. 

Note: The eye makeup has been worn almost every single day since I purchased it. It's a miracle worker. The foundation was worn for one day, and one day only. Just didn't feel like me.

Cheap, magical drugstore makeup:

During the spring and summer, I make easy refrigerator pickles approximately twice a week. I'm obsessed. They're simple, delicious, healthy, and taste very similar to the Claussen refrigerated pickles from the grocery store. Mmm. Let me know if you're interested in my recipe!

 I've been cooking a lot of things from scratch, lately. Sadie randomly decided, after five years of really good eating, that she only likes macaroni and cheese and pizza. So, naturally, we stopped having those things once a week (we had mac and cheese for the kids once a week and pizza nights on Friday). We aren't going to ban them, completely, but we needed to make a change. Here is my combination of a soup starter. This batch ended up as chicken noodle with homemade bone broth. Delicious.

Sadie rediscovered this stuffed elephant, from Aunt Whitney, that has literally been around since before she was born. She named it "Clovey," and it comes everywhere with her. She has a special basket in the car, it wears a leash when we go for walks (she sort of drags it, but keeps it above the ground... weird), and she has a special pillow and blanket for it in her bed.

 Meanwhile, Norah became a mother to twins. She's really into baby dolls, and for some reason, these $5 Circo brand dolls from Target are some of her favorites. I think it's that the size is so easy for her to work with. So easy, in fact, that she can easily manage two.

For Easter weekend, Gigi and Pop brought Peeps Dunkin Donuts for each of the girls. Norah, very clearly, enjoyed hers. It was super adorable.

 Sadie was just like, "Whatev. Donuts are cool, I guess."

Yesterday, while I was doing 8 million (5) loads of laundry, and cleaning up after our Easter weekend (7 people, 4 dogs, a gerbil, and a fish in our 1500 sq. foot house), the littles enjoyed another movie and cheddar penguins in their jammies.

We adopted the school gerbil for Spring Break. Here's Sadie talking to him about his cleaned out cage and how he was building a new little bed for himself. I love seeing her interact with animals - even if they're rodents.

I'm sorry to go missing for such long stretches, and I certainly can't promise when I'll be able to post, again. My kids are probably tearing the house apart, as I type this. If you're interested in daily photos/antics. follow me on Instagram and/or Twitter!

Matthew 6:21

This is one of my life verses. It's been resonating with me over and over, lately. So true. We have to place our treasures with Jesus so He knows our heart is with Him. I don't think I'll ever stop being in awe of what He did for me and I don't think I'll ever stop showing Him how much love I have for Him.

Hey, Babydoll

Does someone ever give you clothes that you have no idea how to style? This babydoll zip-up is one of those items. But it's soooo cozy and warm. I had my little polka-dot top peeking out of the bottom, but the day's events rendered that unidentifiable.I don't really have a whole lot of interesting things to say about my outfit, except that it's a far cry from yesterday's post! I will, however, say that my John Frieda 3-Days-Straight flat iron spray is the bomb diggity. Is that how you spell "diggity?" 

babydoll zip-up: Barbara Lesser Fibers, top: Motherhood, leggings: Old Navy, boots: Diba

How would you style this zippy thing? I don't think I can get away from it looking like a babydoll dress that shrunk in the wash, can I? It might need to be left in the drawers for keeping cozy around the house. Good thing all the preschoolers noticed was that I was wearing eyeshadow.

Bitter Root Vintage Review: Audrey in Bloom Dress

About two weeks ago, I was contacted by Bitter Root Vintage and they asked if I'd be interested in reviewing one of their new dresses. Of course, I said that I'd love to. I had a choice between three dresses and while the other two were gorgeous, I couldn't resist this breathtaking pastel floral pattern against the navy background. This dress, my friends, is the Audrey in Bloom. I opted for a cardigan because, well, it was freezing. And I don't like my upper arms, but who's paying attention? I absolutely love the high neckline, natural waist, and full skirt. Bitter Root was kind enough to send over a petticoat for me to try with the dress so I could give y'all the full effect. No pun intended. Ok, I totally intended on that. 

 Audrey in Bloom dress/belt, petticoat: Bitter Root Vintage, cardigan: New York & Company, shoes: gifted/Payless

If you follow your measurements for this dress, it will fit.like.a.glove. It's such a pain to online shop and have your items arrive all ill-fitting. I'm a tough girl to fit and my contact, Lauren, at Bitter Root, was so knowledgable about helping me choose the perfect size. If you love this style, but aren't into all the flower power, Bitter Root also stocks the Audrey in Midnight and Ivory. You can also pre-order 10 different colors of the Audrey (Turquoise with red accents is on the site, now)! The dress was beautiful without the petticoat, too. I'd be more apt to wear it that way, to be honest. But, who doesn't want to play dress up with crinoline? I had so much fun! I think this would be such an awesome dress to wear to a spring wedding.

All truth be told, this dress completely stole my heart. But, my Old Navy-shopping self couldn't get past the price tag. Audrey in Bloom is $112 and worth every penny, in my opinion. However, my budget doesn't allow for such glamorous things. Even with the blogger discount, I will still be sending this insanely gorgeous piece of artwork back, because I'm scared to hurt something that's worth so much! My lifestyle lends itself to lots of spaghetti sauce, glue, watercolor paints, bleach, and... you get it. I couldn't bare to own this dress and have it sit in the closet, while my yoga pants and I get down and dirty with the magic eraser. You, however, should probably give it a test run! If I could bite the bullet, it'd be mine. The solid colors are under the $100 price point, which is less of a blow to the wallet.

Big thanks to Bitter Root Vintage and Lauren for being so amazing to work with! I absolutely love this dress and I know everyone who gets to place it in their closet will have nothing but great things to say!

*The Audrey in Bloom dress,/belt and petticoat were provided to me, temporarily, for review, from Bitter Root Vintage. All opinions are my own. I fully tested all products before reviewing.

**Big thanks to Alida, of Alida Makes, for taking these beautiful photos.

Influenster J'Adore VoxBox Review

In order of review:

Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask

John Frieda Frizz Ease 3 Days Straight Flat Iron Spray

KISS Looks So Natural Lashes

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Tea (Creme Caramel and Lemon Chiffon/Decaf)

Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolates

I haven't gotten the hubster to try out the Vaseline Men's Spray Lotion... yet!

Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask $9.39

Y'all, I have the most finicky skin in the world. It's so combination and I get wrinkles, dry patches, breakouts, and oil slicks all on one plane. It's pretty horrible. I use Clinique's Emergency Mask when I feel I need an extra kick, but it's a bit too harsh and dries my dry spots out a lot. The Boots mask made my skin feel so smooth, pulled the oil, but didn't over dry, and was super easy to wipe off! I hate a mask that you need to chip off of your face. I loved this and the price is definitely right. You can purchase Boots products at Target, so this is on my list when mine runs out.

Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray $9.99

Love another fairly priced product! I don't know about you, but I do some sort of heat damage to my hair every day. I try not to wash but every 2-3, but I do have to re-flat iron or curl my style. This stuff is magical. The top left is before I ironed my hair. The bottom left is right after I ironed it. On the right, you'll see my non-frizzed, very straight ends on DAY 3. My roots are definitely more oily than I like and my favorite dry shampoo just ran out. But this product did exactly what it said. Smooth, straight, frizz-free hair after three days. Well done, John Frieda. I'll purchase this, too.

KISS Looks So Natural Lashes: $3.99

Hello, affordable! I'm not really ever in the market for false lashes. Let's be honest. My lifestyle doesn't really lend itself to the dramatic look they acheive. These, however, are very lightweight and easy to apply. Don't watch my Instavideo or you won't believe me. The second time went way better than the first. I took a video the first time and photos the second. I'm tricky like that. What a seriously huge difference these make, though. My eyes look pretty fantastic in the after photo, yes? Don't lie. You love them. Now, get me a date at a swanky restaurant and a super fly LBD, I might have an epic reason to dazzle out my eyelashes. These are awesome for what they are, but I won't purchase another set.

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas: $4.49/20

I'm not going to lie. I'm a coffee drinker. I'm actually taking a break from caffeine right now and had a nice mug of the Creme Caramel flavor right before I went off. It. Was. Delicious. No sweetener or milk needed. The tea was like drinking a creamy, thick, sweet dessert. I had it pretty piping hot and cuddled myself up in my reading chair with a blankie and my bible app. Good stuff. I gave the Lemon Chiffon to my oldest daughter since it was decaf and she loves warm tea on cool days. I didn't even taste it, but the smell reminded me of my Lemon Cheesecake candle and she kept raving about how yummy it was. 3 cheers for Red Rose teas! I'll repurchase because there were $1.00 coupons included and I loved the Creme Caramel. Perhaps, I'll get some Lemon Chiffon for Sadie, too.

Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolates (Family Size Bag): $5.29

Thanks, Influenster, for feeding the frenzy. My kids are on such a candy kick in the aftermath of Valentine's Day. I love that Kisses are the perfect size for a sweet indulgence, but they aren't overboard to give the littles one a day in their lunches. I plan on trying those little mini kiss pies out, too. Do I need to review these, really? I mean, duh. YUM.

Vaseline Men Spray Lotion: $7.99/5oz

Like I said, above, I haven't gotten hubs to try this out, yet. I did, though, and the consistency is amazing. It comes out in a really fine spray, but has the Vaseline thickness. It helped my dry elbows out, but didn't really touch the dryness of my knees. Years of sun damage and scrubbing floors hasn't been nice to them and they're all calloused up. I honestly haven't found anything that keeps them moisturized overnight. I'll be putting the man's review up on Instagram.

All products were provided to me for review by Influenster. Opinions are honest and my own. I tested each product before writing this review.

Be Still, My Beating Heart

dresses/lunchbox: Old Navy, jellies: Target, sparkle ballet flats: WalMart, bow: Julia's Bowtique 

My sweet babies are growing into beautiful little girls. You've watched them both from almost the beginning of them (according to their lives) and although I won't post about the girls every week, I do want you to continue to see them change and grow. I love them like my life depends on it. I know you know what that feels like.

Influenster J'Adore VoxBox - Unboxing

Feast your eyes, friends. The J'Adore VoxBox, provided to me by Influenster, for review, is pretty much my dream collection of products. What more does a caffeine addicted, flat iron using, chocoholic, skin care junkie need? I will admit that I have nowhere exciting to wear the KISS lashes, but I sure am excited to surprise the hubster when he gets home one night! He's going to be like, "WHO are you?" I'm also psyched to Instagram a photo of him using the Vaseline Men's spray lotion. He isn't going to like the photo op, but I know he'll love the product! Y'all, I am so excited to share some kisses, protect my heat-treated hair, drink some delicious tea, give my skin some TLC, and, well, shock my husband with false lashes. I've already tried the Botanics mask and let me just tell you that it was amazing. I'll have more details on all of the products later in the week. You may have already been graced with my mask-wearing face on Instagram or Twitter. Sorry 'bout your eyes.

Products provided for review by Influenster:
Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask
Frizz Ease 3-Day Straight Flat Iron Spray
Vaseline Men Spray Lotion
KISS Looks SO Natural Lashes
Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas (Creme Caramel & Lemon Chiffon/decaf)
Hershey's Kisses Milk Chocolates

Stop Talking. Start Praying.

I totally stole this from Tenley Molzahn's (@tenleymolzahn) Instagram. I love her. If you ever need inspiration, just follow her. Seriously. I want to be her friend in real life.

How often do you get caught up in talking about your bad luck (or whatever it is) until your face turns blue? How often do you forget to go to Jesus? I've been trying really hard to pray before I open my mouth. During this particular season of life, most of my friends are starting (or growing) their families, making big decisions about more kids, education, jobs, have husbands who aren't around as much as they'd like. I understand. I'm in the trenches with you. Let's remember that prayers aren't unheard and unanswered. God's time is not always our time. His plan is not always our plan. But God's timing and plans are right.

Quiet. Prayer.

He's listening.

He's answering.

Listen.

A Splash of Color

There is a certain level of disheveled, after a day with 27 preschoolers, that I cannot apologize for. Take it for what you will, but these photos were taken after work. I've been dying (or dyeing- hah) to take these tights out and make them work for an outfit that's appropriate for something other than an 80s throwback party. I mean, let's be serious- neon tie dye tights? Yes, they're amazing. Yes, they're comfortable. And yes, for the love of color, they are SO ME. However, they are not an every day staple or basic. Agree? I figured if I chose a simple black palette and accessorized with another solid that pulled from the tights, I could pull them off. With the peekaboo tie dye just showing at the knee, I think I made them totally work appropriate. Now, to be fair, I work at a preschool where I can literally wear anything from a suit to yoga pants. I figured the kids would think they were pretty awesome, so I gave it a shot. Turns out, my very stylish boss loved them, too! #winning ... Do people still do that?

 dress/oxford/belt: Old Navy, boots: Diba, tights: c/o We Love Colors

What's something you love to wear, but might be afraid to wear to work? How could you style it so you could pull it off? I'd love to hear! Maybe you'll inspire me to wear something else crazy.