Hello Spring!

Ok, I know I’ve been lagging on posting but just like this heat, I’m back! Feels like I blinked and now summer is just about here. I’ve been waiting for this time of year but now that it’s here, I’m not sure I’m ready for it lol.

With tomorrow being Easter (& Piper’s first Easter), it makes me think back on past Easters as a child. Dying Easter eggs in the kitchen with my sister. Then on Easter morning, the “Easter bunny” would usually have Easter eggs hidden around the front lawn once we woke up Easter morning. I was actually too scared to go outside right away because I didn’t want to see the Easter bunny haha. But it was always fun to hunt eggs with my sister and open them all once we got inside. I don’t know what holiday I would eat more candy, Easter or Halloween? It was a tossup!

The Easter that I remember the most growing up was when I was about 4 years old and my sister was 6. They had an Easter egg hunt at the park here in town and my sister and I were so excited to go. Somehow my sister had gotten put in time out that morning and she threw a tantrum (not out of the ordinary-love you sis haha). When she was in her room in time out, she started kicking the door and eventually kicked a hole in it. Looking back, I get a kick out of it (no pun intended lol) and I could just imagine the look on her face when she actually kicked a hole in the door. I’m actually impressed because I was always the stronger one between the two of us so, props to you sis! But I remember my mom being so mad that she didn’t let her go to the Easter egg hunt. So, as the good child that I was, my mom only took me to the Easter egg hunt and my sister had to stay behind. That was the last time my sister kicked a hole in the door but of course not the last tantrum!

It makes me excited to do all the Easter egg hunts for Piper when she gets older and teach her the true meaning of Easter as my parents did for me. Easter is the time to rejoice and be thankful for the gift of life, love and joy. I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!

xx,

E

Hey guys!

Who else is happy Valentine’s Day is over? Don’t get me wrong, I totally buy into the cuteness of Valentine’s Day but I feel like it’s kind of overrated. Ever since Andrew and I have been together, we haven’t really made a big deal about V-Day. We might get a special dessert for a night cap but that’s about it. It’s too much stress when you have to think about what to get the other person or feeling like you have to do something big. Every day should be like Valentine’s Day, not just this one day out of the year!

This year, I totally went against what I believe and actually did something for Andrew for V-Day. I didn’t want to do anything crazy, but I’ve had the idea to do this for quite a while, so I figured it was the perfect time. When it comes to gifts, I’m the worst at keeping it a secret! Andrew is the same way. So I’m surprised I actually kept this gift a secret. I wanted to do a milk bath photo shoot of Piper and I for him and get a canvas made. I figured it was a cute idea that wasn’t too crazy of a gift. Once I told him I was doing something for him for V-Day, I had to commit to it. It’s so easy to look on Pinterest and get these good ideas until you actually have to plan to do it. Thank goodness my sister was in town to help me out, she’s always such a big help no matter what crazy ideas I have. Even though it was last minute planning, it actually turned out so much better than I had thought it would! Of course after my sister sent the pictures to me, I showed him since I was too impatient to wait (go figure haha). But it still surprised him. For once it worked out in my favor because now he can pick what picture he wants for a canvas.

Since these pictures were so simple to do, I figured I’d share some tips on how to create this same look for either a maternity, mommy & me, or special photo shoot for your significant other-

1. Location is key. The bath tub at my house is too small and doesn’t have much natural light, so I was able to use a friend’s tub that was bigger and had much better natural lighting.
2. Wear or bare? I decided just to wear a bra and undies as opposed to going au naturale, only because it was fitting for the type of pictures I was taking. I think taking bare pictures for your significant other would be a nice little surprise though.
3. Flower power. I bought two bouquets of flowers from SaveMart but if I would’ve planned ahead, the best bang for your buck when it comes to flowers is either Sprouts or Trader Joe’s. They also sell fresh eucalyptus which would be a pretty accent!
4. Got milk? All you need is a gallon of milk to create that cloudy/white water. I’ve seen people use bath bombs, coffee creamer, etc. Milk was just the cheapest and easiest route to go.

 

What’s the best surprise gift you’ve given? Comment below!

 

xx,

E

 

Happy Friday!

Does anyone else feel like the weeks drag now that the holidays are over with? I don’t know about you but the days are always a blur until Thursday rolls around when I know it’s closer to the weekend. Last week was a rough one for me. It’s weird talking about insecurities since I’m always trying to avoid them but I know I’m not the only one that has these insecurities, so here it goes…

Ever since I moved to college, I started dealing with acne. I was very thankful throughout my life up until I graduated high school to have clear skin. Just about everyone in their lifetime deals with acne on some level, some worse than others. I had terrible cystic acne in college that covered my forehead and cheeks (thank goodness for makeup!). It’s so hard to feel confident when you are trying to hide insecurities that are in plain sight. After seeing a Dr and regulating my hormones, it started to get better. It wasn’t until I had gotten pregnant the first time and shortly miscarrying that my face was out of wack. It was the worst it had ever been! I knew my hormones were up and down but it was still so frustrating waking up hoping that it would get better overnight but instead just kept getting worse. Once I had gotten pregnant again and my hormones starting to regulate (if that’s even possible being pregnant), my face started to clear up. But of course, after I had Piper, my hormones took a turn once again. It’s a never ending battle with acne and hormones.

Just recently, I’ve started breaking out again, but it was different this time. Little bumps almost like hives (but I knew that wasn’t the case) all over! I feel like every time I have these bad breakouts, it’s around the time when I have multiple things going on. Birthday parties, baby showers, work events, etc. My husband is always really good about helping me stay positive about it. I get so down and frustrated that I need to not stress as much and realize that it happens to everyone. It wasn’t until the other evening that someone had made me look past what I’ve been worrying so much about. When we were out getting dinner, right after we paid for our food, the girl at the register commented on my face. Instead of “Have a good evening” what I thought she was going to say, she said, “you have really pretty skin”. Something I was NOT expecting whatsoever. It made me actually stop in my tracks and think, are you talking to me? Can you not see how terrible my face looks right now? My husband always tells me “it looks worse to you since you see your face all the time, it really doesn’t look bad”. (I always think he’s biased but maybe I need to start listening to him more often haha! And if you’re reading this, there, I said it!) That compliment made my whole week.

I’ve literally tried every face product in the book. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I’ve spent on face products. It’s hard to find things that don’t make me breakout since my skin in so sensitive. Below are the products I’m currently using that I’ve found to help my sensitive skin. What kind of facial products do you use and why?

 

xx,

E

 

Home sweet home!

These past couple weeks have been crazy busy. From lake side to ocean view, we kicked 2019 off with quite the adventures! Although Piper’s sleep schedule has been out of wack, I have to say she’s been a trooper through all the traveling. With the trips combined, we traveled almost 900 miles altogether in a week span! (It may not be much to some people but for us, it was a lot to say the least lol). I think it’s safe to say we’ll be kickin it at home for a while. I’m not one to leave town often, I guess I’m a creature of habit like my dad. But it was nice to get away and spend some time with family. Although, it’s definitely a different experience traveling with Piper now than it was before we had her.

For our first trip, we went down south to Lake Arrowhead, CA. It was gorgeous! At one point on the drive, when you looked over a cliff, you could see city after city of lights. It was like you were in an airplane looking down on a night flight. Such a breathtaking sight to see. We got to spend time with our family from Arizona (my mom’s side of the family) and of course my sister and brother-in-law since they live down south. It was nice getting to all be together again since the last time we were all together (and when I mean all together, I mean grandma, grandpa, aunts, cousin, mom, dad and sister) it has been 21 years. We used to make trips to Arizona every few years growing up, but it’s been quite a while since all of us had been in the same place at the same time.

The other trip was a little closer to home which was nice, beautiful Monterey, CA. My husband and dad had a work conference to go to, so my mom, Piper and I got to spend a few days together. The hotel we stayed at was on Cannery Row, so it was nice to have places to walk to and not have to drive. Not to mention being close to the aquarium! Although, having a 5 month old stay with you at a hotel isn’t as nice as it sounds. Since we had been away from home quite a bit, she woke up EVERY 2 HOURS! It was like when we first brought her home from the hospital all over again. Usually if we were at home, I would try to comfort her back to sleep. But since we were staying at a hotel, I didn’t want people complaining about a baby crying and waking them up every other hour. Needless to say, I continued to add bags under my eyes every day we were away from home! (Thank goodness for eye cream, am I right?!)

Some traveling tips when traveling with your little littles, bring a blanket from home. If you don’t have a security blanket or a blanket you use often, get one! I use a security blanket that my mother-in-law made and have it with her when I nurse her, put her to sleep, when we go places, pretty much any chance I can. Not only is she familiar with the blanket but it’s also a comforting source with all of her familiar scents. Another tip (this one is especially for the mamas), if you’re nursing, bring your pump! I feed on demand when I’m not working (when I’m working, I have breastmilk frozen to give to her when she needs it and then I pump at work), so I didn’t think I’d needed my pump. Traveling changes everything though! The times you usually feed, when their hungry, sleep schedule, etc. Thank goodness for the good ole hand express into a cup or else I would have exploded haha!

Comment below your go-to getaway place and/or some tips for when you travel with your babes!

xx,

E

 

Happy New Year!

I can’t believe it’s already January, let alone 2019! I remember when I used to stay up and watch the ball drop. Now, I’ll be lucky if I can make it to 10 o’clock! This year I actually did stay up till midnight, per Piper’s request. Every year, when New Years rolls around, I see lots of posts about resolutions and things they want to change in the upcoming year. Who still does New Years resolutions? If so, what are your resolutions? It’s so hard to stick to resolutions. I’m usually consistent for about a month or two and then I start falling behind. One thing I’ve realized throughout the years is that it’s never too late to start something that you want to change. It doesn’t have to be the start of a new year to make a change in your life, big or small.

A resolution of mine every year is staying active. After I had Piper, one of the major changes was my workout routine. Before having her, I was consistent with working out. It was a part of my routine and convenient since I had the time to do so. Now, all I want to do after work is spend time with my little girl! I’m sure all the mamas out there can relate. It’s hard enough to be gone most of the day at work, then to come home just to leave again. I still struggle with getting back into a workout routine. But, it is important to me to stay active. Not only is it good for your health but it’s good for your mind.

A smaller resolution of mine is flossing my teeth! I know, it sounds silly. But every year that goes by, the more I realize I need to start taking the time to floss my teeth. Nothing bothers me more than going to the dentist and them telling me a have a cavity or asking how often I floss. It’s embarrassing! But it’s such a hard thing to do even though it’s so simple. When I’m beyond tired and finally put Piper down, flossing my teeth is the last thing on my mind but consistency is key.

Feel free to ask me throughout the year if I’m keeping up with these resolutions lol. I’m so excited for this New Year and for what’s to come! I appreciate all of you that take the time to read my posts. I’m going to be teaming up with some amazing people this year, so stay tuned for some exciting stuff. I hope you are all having a great start to your New Year!

xx,

E

Happy holidays everyone!

I hope you’re all relaxing, watching Christmas movies, spending time with friends and family. I feel like there are certain things I have to do every year around this time or else it doesn’t feel like Christmas haha! Am I the only one that feels this way? I always have to make Christmas cookies, watch Christmas movies (The Grinch That Stole Christmas, of course), drive around town to look at everyone’s Christmas lights and decorations. I love this time of year. Last year was a bit different for me. Unfortunately, I wasn’t as jolly as usual around that season for a reason. I had miscarried the month before (I’ll save that story for another time) and I didn’t feel like I had much to be happy about. I know that’s not the best way to have looked at it since I know there is so much to be thankful for, more than I could even write down. But if you have ever experienced one, it’s never easy.

A week or so before Christmas last year, I hadn’t been feeling very good. Of course I had a feeling in the back of my mind that I could be pregnant but I knew it would have been too good to be true, so I ignored it. I thought it was too soon considering the recent miscarriage. I kept thinking that something wasn’t right, so, I got a pregnancy test (bought too many of those to count haha, I’m sure a lot of you girls can relate). I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought maybe my hormones were still all over the place from before but, sure enough, I was pregnant. The feeling I had was indescribable. Although I was still so skeptical, due to what happened the time before, it was the best gift I could have asked for.

Fast forward to today, we are blessed to have this beautiful, healthy baby girl. It’s crazy what a difference a year makes! (Is it not the hardest to get a clear picture with an infant?!) I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas.

xx,

E

Hi guys!

I can’t believe I’m finally starting a blog! I’ve been wanting to start one for quite some time now but never had the courage to do it. Growing up, I never liked to read. It was always a big deal if I actually finished a book. It was such a big deal that my mom actually bought me a cake and celebrated that I finished one of the Twilight Saga books LOL! But surprisingly enough, I’ve always enjoyed writing. I got into journaling when I was in high school and would journal almost everyday whether it be my thoughts or events that had occurred. It was just my way of expressing myself. It wasn’t until certain seasons in my life did it motivate me to start up a blog. I’ve shared a few of my stories with close friends and it wasn’t until then that made me feel like being more open about the things that have happened in my life. We all go through a lot of the same things whether it be highs or lows and it always helps knowing you aren’t alone.

I’m so excited to share my stories, thoughts and advice with you guys. Stay tuned for what’s to come!

xx,

E