High Five for Friday 7.31 & Giveaway

Can I start off with a deep sob that July is OVER?! I still have a couple weeks left before I'm back to work, thank goodness. Anywho, off to the week's highlights!

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I took Henry school supply shopping for Kindergarten (cue the big tears emoji). He picked out Jurassic World gear for his back pack and lunch box. He's never seen the movie but still loves it based on what other people have said and a game he plays on his iPod. If anyone can find a 1.5 inch black binder that every one of the 700+ Kindergarteners need, please let me know... JUST kidding, I found one. Thank goodness for an excuse to go to Target again by myself ;)

What I Wore Wednesday 7.29 & Giveaway

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Staying home does not mean you have to frumpy! Comfy skirts and basic tees are my do to this summer. Here are some things I've worn in the past two weeks.

Hanging out at home:

Headband: Fleurty Bands

Necklace: old

Tee: LuLaRoe (It's a new piece called the Classic Tee!)

Skirt: LuLaRoe

Tuesday Talk: Getting Moving After Pregnancy: Hold Yourself Accountable

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Last week I shared about how wearing the right clothes has helped me get moving after pregnancy. Today I want to share about how I hold myself accountable for getting up and getting moving. 

See that little polka dot band on my wrist? That's a Fitbit Flex. It's basically a fancy pedometer that also has an app I use with it.

Favorite Things: Red, White, and Blue!

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It's the last Monday of the month, which means I'm linking up with Andrea about my Favorite Things!  Each month, there's a new topic (all the topics can be found here).  This month, it's favorite red, white, and blue!

High Five for Friday 7.24

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If you stopped by Wednesday, you already heard that Calvin was baptized last Sunday. We had a ton of family and friends in town to celebrate.

I made a simple cake for the occasion and was please with how it turned out but even more so with how it tasted. I used Rachel Ray's tips on how to make a cake mix taste homemade and it totally worked! This will be my go-to way to make a cake from now on!

Pinteresting: Straw Rockets

I have (as of the day I wrote this post) 3,802 pins on my Pinterest Boards. Sifting through them and actually doing them can be a struggle, but every so often, I actually try something out from there. Today's project is one of them, Straw Rockets!

Outfits for Special Days

I received these shoes for in exchange for review of Brandzaffair's website. Please see my disclosure page for more details. 

Finding things to wear post-baby can be somewhat frustrating. Calvin is 12 weeks old, so the official fourth trimester is over. I'm still not back to where I would love to be, but I know it takes time. Deciding what to wear for his baptism this past Sunday was very important to me. I went back to some older pieces, like my favorite mustard LuLaRoe Amelia dress, that always make me feel great and added in something new.

Tuesday Talk: Getting Moving After Pregnancy: Wearing the Right Clothes

I received this item free in exchange for review. Please see my disclosure statement.

Getting back into shape after having a baby can sometimes be a challenge. Nursing around the clock makes me hungry, so limiting my diet doesn't always work. One thing that has helped is to simply get up and moving every day, even if it's just going for a walk. 

Review: July's Ipsy Glam Bag

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Last month time got away from me, and I wasn't able to review my Ipsy Glam Bag. I'm back this month! Overall, I would give the contents of this bag an average rating. So, here's what I thought...

High Five for Friday 7.17

Happy Friday! This week has been kind of tough with the realization crashing down on me that I have two papers and a presentation for my grad classes all due at the end of next week. I've made a good dent, but it has for sure put a little damper on my summer loving mood. Nonetheless, this week has been good. T

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We had some friends over one night to grill and play games.  We broke out Settlers of Catan. Any Settlers players out there? We hadn't played in years, but I think it will be soon when we get it out again.

Getting to Know Me: Sisterhood of the World Bloggers

It's always fun to get to know other bloggers. The sisterhood of the world bloggers award does just that!  I was nominated for this award by Elizabeth from Chasin Mason. She asked some wonderful questions - some that are fun - and some that caused me to reflect on my blog!  Enjoy!

1 // What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?

I originally started this blog as a DIY blog. It transitioned more into a fashion and lifestyle blog as time went on. I would say I hope to share real life with people and share how it can be easy to be fashionable. Sometimes I feel like what I post can be kind of random - from kids crafts to product reviews to fashion posts, but what I've heard from multiple people is that they like the variety.

What I Wore Wednesday 7.15

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Well, my photo clicker is broken, so I'm rocking the 10 second iPhone timer or mirror selfies until my new one comes in! Who knew a little gadget would be so appreciated! Here are some outfits from this past week! It's been SUPER hot some days, so my hair updo has been on repeat.

To church: 

Top: Banana Republic via Thred Up

Skirt: LuLaRoe

Wedges: old

Tuesday Talk: The Boy Who Lost His Name Book Review & Giveaway

I received this item free in exchange for review. Please see my disclosure statement.

I've realized as we have added more children in our home, I have to take some extra efforts to make each one feel special. Henry, being our first, got a whole 3 and a half years of us to himself before having to share us. He got personalized gifts, books, new clothes. Poor Wesley and Calvin will flourish in the hand-me-downs. 

Enter The Boy Who Lost His Name. This isn't just any book because you could have three in your house and they won't be the same story!

Easy Hair Updo: A Video Tutorial

Two Fridays ago, I posted a picture of my hair and a few people asked if I used a tutorial. I just kind of messed around in making it, but I've worn it exactly the same a couple times since then (including all day on the Fourth of July). I'm letting all self-consciousness go in posting this, just so ya know. :) Posting pictures of myself is one thing, but a video is a little out of my comfort zone. So, enjoy because it probably won't happen very often. 

High Five for Friday 7.10

It's Friday which means it's time to share highlights from the past week. 

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Today is the LAST day to enter the giveaway for the Ann + Anthony children's pillow over on Instagram.  Make sure you hop over and enter. 

What I Wore Wednesday 7.8

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It's summer, and I've lost track of the days. So, instead of the days I've worn these outfits, you get the circumstances under which I wore them! Enjoy!

Worn to the mall:

Necklace: Style This Life

Tank: Old Navy via Thred Up

Jeans: thrifted Banana Republic

Sandals: Birkenstock

Tuesday Talk: Kids Activity: Fish Painting

Sometimes I come up with an idea for an activity for the boys to do and it's a total flop. Sometimes I come up with an idea and it goes exactly as planned. This time it took a different turn and came out even better than I had expected! 

Thoughts with Coffee for Two

I am sharing some thoughts with prompts from Courtney and Stephanie! Enjoy!

I keep a secret candy stash in one of our kitchen cupboards. Right now there are Mike and Ikes and Hot Tamales in there. I hide in the kitchen sometimes and eat whatever I have stashed in there. Anyone else?

High Five for Friday 7.3

July!  How can it be?  Summer always seems to fly by once this month hits, but we're soaking it up! This week was great!

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We went to my sister-in-law's parents' pool. The boys had a blast with their cousins.

Wesley wasn't too keen on getting in the pool, but had a blast playing with balls on the edge.